Everyone stood in total, terrible shock. Sho Marufuji lay on the arena floor, eyes closed, and unmoving.
"No..." Ryo said shakily.
"Sho... Please no." Rei muttered with her hands covering her mouth, her eyes watering.
"I can't believe the bastard just did that." Fubuki said, very pissed by that underhanded act.
Serena was trembling. Although her bracelet was blinking and felt it trying to tell her something, the girl barely registered it. All her attention was on the young man that was struck down. She stumbled over to Sho and dropped to her knees. She put her ear to his chest, hoping to hear a faint heartbeat. She wanted some sign that Sho was still alive somehow. She felt nothing. Absolutely nothing. Shining tears now ran down her face. "Sho... no. No." Serena then shut her eyes and wept.
Judai stood frozen in place. His body would not respond, nor could his eyes look away. He refused to believe what had just happened. Sho Marufuji, his best friend... dead?! 'It... It can't be. It just can't be! Not Sho!' The cruel laughter that followed caught his and the others' attention.
"How about that? I may have lost the battle and Ryo's soul, but I still won the war! At long last, Sho Marufuji has paid for his greatest mistake... with his very life!" The evil demonic being continued to laugh.
Judai clinched his fists and clinched his teeth. He had enough. Once more, he drew out the great Supreme King power within him and brought it up to the surface. Covered by his aura, Judai turned his now dark golden eyes at the beast that struck down his best friend. His face was filled with terrible fury. "You... you ruthless... heartless... BASTARD!" He held out a hand toward Devil Kaiser, forming the same aura around him and started causing him great pain. "I'M NOT LETTING THIS PLACE CLAIM YOUR LIFE LIKE THE OTHERS! INSTEAD, YOUR END WILL COME AT THE HAND OF THE SUPREME KING!"
Devil Kaiser couldn't move. His life was draining out of him while the stolen body he inhabited felt like it was being compressed. It would seem to Devil Kaiser that he was being forced out of his body. He had no idea Judai's power was capable of this. Any minute he would cease to exist, whether it was by the will of the Domain of Destruction or Judai himself. Either way, it didn't appear he would survive.
Strangely, this did not bother Devil Kaiser. He was actually willing to accept death, knowing he killed Sho. True, he would never be given the chance to become a "god" via Lightning's master plan, but he actually considered it only a bonus. Taking the life of the younger Marufuji was his one true purpose. 'With Sho dead, I have no further use in this world. And besides, no one here will return to Earth anyway...' Devil Kaiser thought, knowing he would still ultimately succeed in his given assignment.
The evil being then screamed as he was consumed by a flash of light... then he was gone. All that was left was a pile of ash that was his physical body and tattered black clothes.
The whole group was so stunned by Judai's retaliation that they were rendered speechless. No one had ever seen him lose it like that. But then again, he did just watch his best friend being brought down by a malevolent spirit in the body of one of his greatest rivals. "Judai..." Asuka said, hands over her heart.
Judai, breathing heavily, let his power subside and his eyes returned to normal. He too fell to his knees, exhausted by the execution. "Our Ryo's soul... is safe. He wasn't trapped inside Devil Kaiser when he turned to dust. I believe he's in a safe place for the moment..." Judai said no more after that.
Grief stricken, Serena barely registered his words. Rather by instinct than by will, she glanced at her bracelet, still blinking. The teen girl saw a face within it: Ryo's face. 'It's him, Sho's brother. We saved him. But... we failed his brother...' Serena then resumed crying over Sho. 'Why?! Why did this happen?! It's not fair!'
Judai had never been in such worse spirits. He knew he had just lost it a minute ago, but at the moment he didn't care. Sho was gone. His best friend was gone. He had failed to protect him. 'Sho... I'm sorry.'
All was silent for a long moment. The friends of the fallen Duelist mourned openly or inwardly. However, the mourning did not last long. Suddenly, without any warning, a surge of dark white light erupted in the center of the dueling arena. "What is this?!" Misawa shouted in surprise.
To everyone's shock, Cyber Darkness Devil had returned. "What's that thing doing back here?! Wasn't it destroyed along with Devil Kaiser?!" Kenzan said, shocked and confused. The creature then raised it's massive tentacles upward and made a roar that shook everyone to their very souls. After that, it glowed dark white again, while streams of energy flowed toward it from the empty space around them.
"Guys, what is it doing?" Rei asked, now getting a very bad feeling.
"Oh no! We are in a most critical situation!" Cried Dr. Zweinstein. "That Monster is gathering up negative energy from across this dimension! But the amount of energy here is endless, and even a container of such a powerful creature cannot hope to contain that level of power!"
"What are you saying Doctor?" Masumi asked.
"Within a matter of minutes, that monstrosity will be unable to absorb anymore negative energy... and will explode!" Zweinstein answered.
"And when it does, the explosion will be massive and spread throughout the Domain! None of us will survive!" Misawa added to the immense shock and dismay of everyone.
"Devil Kaiser set this up from the start!" Gloria realized angrily. "He said earlier he planned to use the card Lightning gave him to kill us here and everyone back at Duel Academy! This was what he meant! It didn't matter if he won or lost the Duel!"
"The important part was him playing the damn card in the first place! Damn him!" Ryo cursed.
"So we're all going to die?!" Grace panicked.
"No, we still have a chance!" Misawa interjected. "Remember what we said about Serena's bracelet?"
"Yeah, of course! But do you know how to use it to save us all?" Johan asked.
"Our "secret friend" just gave us an update! He said if you can get Serena back over here to the control console, he will be able to somehow link the bracelet's positive energy to the dimensional transporter. When we escape, the overflowing positive energy should be able to not only return us to Duel Academy, but also cut off the connection between the Domain of Destruction and our world!" Misawa said.
"Saving everyone in the process!" Edo said, understanding the plan.
"I'll get her!" Ryo said before running into the arena.
"I'm coming too!" Yuri called out as he followed. He didn't know why, but he felt he needed to be there.
Meanwhile, Judai rushed over to Serena, who was cradling Sho's body. "Serena, things seem to look pretty bad right now! We'd better get back to the others!" Serena didn't look up at him.
"Why? What's the point? We've lost." Judai had never heard such utter defeat in Serena's voice before.
"Serena, we can't just sit here and..." Judai started, but Serena interrupted.
"We've lost him, Judai! We've lost Sho! He was your best friend! And he was my...!" She couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence. "I don't see any point of surviving now." She said instead.
"Serena..." Judai couldn't think of anything else to say that would convince her.
"Hey! You two! We gotta move!" Judai and Serena looked to see Yuri and Ryo running towards them. "Zweinstein said that thing is going to go all nuclear on us if we don't get out of here!" Yuri said in a hurry.
"Serena, we need you back at the console! Your bracelet can still save us and everyone back home!" Ryo urged. Serena looked back down at Sho.
"But Sho... we failed to save him." Ryo knelt down next to her and gazed at Sho's body. He flinched at seeing his counterpart's brother's face so lifeless looking. It reminded him of how he found the lifeless body of the Yusuke he knew. And what's worse, Serena was in the same position he was that night. Ryo shook that ugly memory from his mind. He grabbed Serena's shoulders and forced her to look at him, startling her.
"Listen to me! I know what you're going through, but this isn't the time! Sho wouldn't want you to give up on life, not because of him! He would want all of us to escape! We can still save the loved ones we still have, but we have to hurry! NOW!"
His words and harsh tone seemed to have snapped Serena out of her despair, at least for now. She hardened her eyes and nodded.
"Alright." She managed to say. Ryo was pleased by Serena's response.
"Good, now get moving. I'll carry Sho." He said as he hurriedly picked up Sho's body.
Before any of them could move away, the glowing Cyber Darkness Devil slammed two of it's tentacles to block their path. The impact nearly knocked them off their feet. It was about to strike again when it suddenly froze in it's tracks. Serena, Yuri, Ryo looked to see Judai holding the brute in place using his Supreme King power. "You guys get back to the console! I'll hold the line here!"
"But those tentacles are still in the way! We can't get past them!" Serena informed him.
"Can you move them so that we can get out?" Ryo asked. Judai groaned from the futile effort.
"Sorry! No can do! It's taking everything I have just to keep big and ugly here from moving!"
'Damn! There's got to be a way through!' Yuri cursed mentally.
"There is." Yuri felt a hand on his shoulder as he heard the voice. He looked to see, with shock, that is was the silver cloaked man from before.
"You!" Yuri gasped. The man smiled.
"Judai isn't the only one with this power." As he said this, Yuri's eyes became like Judai's. "I'm sharing my portion with you. Now use it to help your friends." Yuri felt the unusual energy flow through him.
"How do you have the same power as Judai?" Yuri asked.
"Ask me that again some other time. Right now, what's important is saving everyone from this fate."
The boy then nodded in agreement. "Thanks. Here goes." Using his borrowed power, Yuri lifted up the blocking tentacles.
Behind his hood, the good Zarc smiled to see his Fusion fragment helping others instead of hurting.
Judai, Serena and Ryo were shocked to see Yuri having the same eyes and aura as the former Osiris Red. If they managed to escape, Judai would have to grill the younger boy for answers.
'What? How is Yuri using the same powers as Judai?' Serena asked herself, perplexed by the sight.
"What are you two waiting for?! Run to the others and get us back home!" Yuri shouted.
"You heard him! Move!" Ryo ordered.
Nodding back, Serena ran back across the arena with Ryo bedside her, carrying Sho's body. After meeting up with everyone, Serena stood in front of the console. "Okay. What do I need to do?" She asked.
"I will explain." Flame told her as he finally revealed himself from the control console. His appearance surprised everyone who didn't know about the Fire Ignis before.
"Woah!" Johan said.
"Oh my!" Samejima and Zweinstein shouted in great surprise.
"Fascinating!" Said Misawa.
"What the heck is it?!" Edo exclaimed.
"His name is Flame. He's a friend. We'll fill you in later." Asuka told them. Flame nodded at them.
"Rest assured, I'm here to help." He then turned to the indigo haired girl. "Serena, place your bracelet hand on the console." She did as instructed. Next, Flame put one of his hands on the console interface and the other on the purple stone of Serena's bracelet. "Now, I will transfer the natural, positive energy from your bracelet into the dimensional transporter's power core." As he began the energy transfer (giving the Ignis a faint purple aura), Flame faced the two scientists. "Daichi Misawa, you will need to regulate the power flow to make sure there won't be an overload. This bracelet has more energy than you can imagine, so you must pay attention to the amount. Dr. Zweinstein, set the coordinates to return us to Duel Academy of your world. Once the transporter is fully powered, you must initiate the return sequence immediately. The timing must be accurate if this is to work."
"Understood." Misawa said.
"As do I. Whatever you are, we are very fortunate to have you help us out of this predicament." Said the older man.
"Same here, Doctor." Flame said.
"What about Judai and Yuri? They're both still out there!" Samejima pointed to the two, who are still struggling to keep Cyber Darkness Devil at bay.
"When I say the power transfer is complete, order them back here right away so that they will not get left behind. Once everyone is together, we'll make our exit." Flame told him.
"How long will the energy transfer take?" Gloria asked.
"Not long. A few minutes at most." Flame answered.
"Can those two hold out for that long?" Rei asked, clearly worried.
"They will." Asuka assured her, watching them.
"They have to." Masumi added.
While Flame was doing his work, Judai and Yuri were doing theirs. Even though the creature couldn't move, it was still gathering negative energy. This presented a problem. The more energy it gathered for the upcoming explosion, the harder it was for the duo to keep it immobile.
"How're you doing Yuri?" Judai asked, his voice strained from his efforts.
"Not even... breaking a sweat." He replied, though he clearly was sweating quite a bit. Suddenly, he dropped to one knee. 'Crap! Can't last much longer at this rate!' He realized.
Judai started to weaken himself. His own his legs felt wobbly and his vision began to blur. 'Can't give up! Have to... keep going!' As the minutes ticked by, it looked like they could both drop any second. He and Yuri were just starting to realize this when...
"Judai! Yuri! Flame just finished the energy transfer from Serena's bracelet! We can return to Duel Academy now! Hurry and get back here!" Samejima informed the young Duelists.
"Music to my ears!" Judai said as he and Yuri gave one final push to knock Cyber Darkness Devil off balance. With that, the two ran back to the others, even though they were tired from their ordeal. As they did, Judai collapsed into Asuka's arms while Yuri was held up by Masumi.
"You two okay?" Fubuki asked.
"Just a little beat, but good otherwise." Judai told him with a weak chuckle.
"Same with me." Yuri said tiredly.
"Now that we're all together again, let's get the hell out of here!" Yusuke strongly suggested.
"And hurry! Look!" Kenzan pointed to the arena. Cyber Darkness Devil was on it's feet again and roared in annoyance. It was pulsing very rapidly while walking towards them, each footstep shaking the surface. Even more ominously, it stopped absorbing energy from the Domain.
"Guys, I think it's ready to blow!" Manjome said, starting to freak out.
"Now it's heading for us, no doubt wanting to make sure we go down with it!" Kenzan said.
"It's now or never, Doc!" Grace shouted.
"The positive power charge is stabilized! We are good to go!" Misawa confirmed. Dr. Zweinstein nodded.
"Alright, activating emergency return sequence... NOW!" He said before pushing one final button. A bright purple aura covered the group just when the evil creature stopped just in front of them. It roared one last time while the dark light covering it quickly obscured it from view. They also felt more rumbling, a much more violent rumbling. Then there was a powerful flash of light, and it covered every inch of the Domain of Destruction...
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Lightning was gazing at the horizon from his palace in LINK VRAINS. He felt confident that his plans to eliminate the enemy Duelists would be successful. No more setbacks or failures. He had no reason to believe otherwise.
It was then that the Light Ignis saw a bright light shine before him. "Hm? What is this?" He asked curiously. The small light then formed itself into an orb, which floated in front of him. What Lightning saw in that orb pleased him. "Ah. I was wondering when you would come." He was pleased that his next pawn had arrived. 'The card I gave Devil Kaiser served it's hidden purpose. Now another piece of my master plan is here! Soon, the God Ignis will be born... and it's power will belong to me!'
Lightning laughed in triumph as he now held the dark white orb that contained the doomed soul of Amon Garam.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Reggie, Makoto, Shoji, Emi, and Chronos were watching the dark storm before them. Not one of them knew what was going on. So far, no one else had returned from the Domain of Destruction after Shoji. Then that strange light that struck the barrier around the dueling arena raised everyone's worries. The two teachers were obviously the most concerned, but Reggie seemed just as concerned if not more. 'Nobody else has come back. What has happened to Captain Echo? Amon? And... Fubuki?' She was beginning to wonder if any of them were alive at all. The Commander then remembered a vital detail she and those recruited with her had forgotten. 'Wait. Could Devil Kaiser be responsible for this? If he is, what is he doing?' She still hardly knew anything about the unnatural being and felt extremely uncomfortable when she was near him. If she was correct, then the people inside the barrier were in even more danger than anyone believed.
"Look! The barrier is changing again!" Makoto stated while pointing at the barrier. He was right. Instead of the electrifying darkness that previously consumed it, the barrier now changed to a light, vibrant purple. After several seconds, the energy barrier finally faded. As it did, it revealed Judai Yuki and his group.
"We did it! We're home!" Kenzan said joyfully.
"And look! There are Professor Medici and Nurse Ayukawa!" Asuka said after seeing the teachers alive and well.
"Makoto and Shoji are there too!" Edo added.
"And Reggie is with them!" Fubuki said, happy that his childhood friend had indeed made it back too. 'Reggie... She's okay. Flame really did manage to save her. I really owe that little guy big time.'
"Flame saved them!" Yusuke said, glancing down at the Ignis, who gave him a thumbs up.
"So glad to be out of that intergalactic hell." Manjome said.
"Yeah, we're back. But..." Judai said as he gazed at Sho, who had not stirred in the slightest. The others also fixed their eyes on their fallen friend.
"They're back!" Chronos exclaimed happily upon seeing the survivors.
"Oh thank goodness!" Emi replied, sounding just as relieved.
"Those guys really did make it out alive." Makoto said, impressed.
"My brother and his bunch are survivors alright." Shoji said. He hated to admit it, but he was actually not mad to see his younger brother alive. He didn't know what to feel. When he caught his brother's eye, Shoji turned away.
Manjome was glad to see his older brother was okay, even though Shoji tried to kill him during their Duel. He planned to have a talk with him later.
When Reggie saw Fubuki, and smiled warmly. "Fubuki..." She said softly, her eyes close to shedding tears. 'He's alive. Fubuki came back.'
After wiping the wetness out of her eyes, Reggie scanned the other survivors. She did not see Captain Echo or Amon among them, which meant they had fallen as well like David. The Commander was saddened by the loss of her superior, who had helped her out of her despair so long ago. She would always remember her for that. It wasn't long before Reggie and her group noticed something was very wrong. They at last saw the reason in the arms of Ryo Marufuji.
Emi was the first to react. "Wait! Something's wrong with Sho!"
"Oh dear me!" Chronos said as he and his fellow teacher ran to the survivors and got a much better look at Sho. Reggie followed.
Emi was not pleased with what she saw. "What happened to him?!" The nurse demanded furiously.
"Will he be alright?" Reggie asked, showing just as much concern.
Ryo hung his head, closed his eyes, and slowly shook his head.
"Lay him down." Emi ordered. Reluctantly, Ryo did so gently. Emi then quickly checked Sho's body for a pulse and a heartbeat. When she found neither one, she gasped before covering her mouth with her other hand. "No..." Tears began to fill her eyes.
"Emi, what is it?" Chronos questioned, his concern growing. Emi hesitated before turning back around, stunning him with her tear streaked face.
"I... can't find a pulse, a heartbeat, nothing." She sniffed. "Chronos... Sho is..." She couldn't bring herself to say it.
Reggie caught on first. "He's dead." She said, shocking the male teacher.
"Dead?! Sho?! No, that can't be!" Chronos couldn't believe it. It had to be a mistake!
Makoto was also shocked to hear the news. "Sho Marufuji... dead?"
Shoji was pretty stunned himself. "Dead? What the hell happened in there?"
As Principal Samejima took the teachers aside and explained what had happened, nearly everyone else gathered around Sho's body. Reggie slowly approached and stood beside Fubuki. Makoto made his way over to see for himself if it was true. Shoji chose to stay back, feeling uncomfortable about the "dead younger brother" situation.
The couples held each other for comfort as they and the others stared down where they stood, deeply saddened by their loss. Judai had shut his eyes before he shed tears for his best friend. Asuka held him tight while she too cried. Ryo struggled not to break down himself, but he felt wetness in his own eyes.
Serena felt the unbearable anguish from before return in full force. Her vision blurred when tears ran down her face again. As she gazed down at Sho's body, she mentally scolded herself. 'I should've told him. Dammit, I should have told him how I felt about him when I had the chance. I could have tried, but I wanted to give him space after what happened to his brother. I really thought we had more time... but that got taken away! Now it's too late! Dammit! DAMMIT!' Before she knew it, Serena was not only on her knees once more, but also on her hands. She allowed the tears to drop to the floor beneath her, not caring how everyone else saw her.
The girl was startled when she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up. Ryo knelt next to her, showing his own tears. There was no need for him to say it; Serena could tell from his face that he was saying "I'm sorry.". Serena found herself crying on Ryo, holding him by his shirt. Ryo held her in return, the two sharing their grief.
Neither of them noticed, but Serena's bracelet gave a faint glow the moment she hugged Ryo. The small light moved from the purple stone to Serena's hand, then into Ryo's chest. Ryo then gasped as he felt, and was overcome, by a strange warmth... right where his heart was.
His gasp made Serena look up at him, and was surprised by what she saw. Instead of dark green, Ryo's eyes were now shining purple. "Ryo? What happened to your eyes?" Serena asked, but the older man didn't answer. Ryo ignored her and focused his attention on Sho's body. He placed a hand over Sho's heart, and the latter too began to glow...
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Where... Where am I?"
After getting hit by Devil Kaiser's sneak attack, Sho found himself sinking in darkness. He looked around, but he saw nothing but black. He heard no voices either. Although, he swore he heard Serena say his name and start d to cry. After that, silence. Sho then looked up and saw a dim light growing dimmer by the minute. He tried to move upward toward it, but his body wouldn't respond to his thoughts. He just kept on sinking. Now matter how much he tried, he could not do anything. After a few more failed attempts, he stopped.
'It's not use. I can't get anywhere.' He then thought again about Devil Kaiser striking him. Could it have been a death blow? He did feel it hit right at his heart. 'Maybe this is what... dying feels like. If it is, it isn't so bad. At the very least, my brother should be okay now.' Sho then closed his eyes and smiled, feeling a peace he had not felt in a long time. Not since he heard Ryo was dying. 'Ryo... if you are really alive like Serena said, then I hope things will turn out better for you. I only wish... I could be there to enjoy it with you...'
"Don't give up Sho." Sho opened his eyes and was met with a startling sight. Ryo was right in front of him. He was covered in a bright purple aura.
"R-Ryo?! I mean, you're the Ryo that's my brother?!" Sho exclaimed. Ryo nodded at him.
"Yeah, it's me. It's been a while, hasn't it?" He asked.
"You're... okay?" Sho asked. Ryo nodded again.
"Yes. I'm free, thanks to you, Judai, and Serena. I saw the whole thing. You really have come a long way, little brother. I'm proud of you." Sho looked away in shame.
"I don't deserve praise from you." He said.
"Why not?" Ryo asked. Sho shut his eyes
"Big brother... I'm so sorry. This was all my fault. If I hadn't burned those cards, you wouldn't have been suffering the way you have for the past month. If I had done nothing, none of this would've happened. You were in constant pain because of me." Ryo laid a hand on his brother's shoulder, making Sho look back at him. To his immense surprise, the older Marufuji smiled warmly at the younger.
"Sho, I never blamed you for any of it." Sho gasped.
"You... didn't?" He questioned. Ryo shook his head.
"I know you were only trying to help me. That may have backfired big time, but I never once held you responsible."
"But I destroyed the Cyber Dark cards! That caused the cards' darkness to corrupt and take over your body, leaving your soul trapped with no way out! How can you not blame me for all of that?!" Sho protested. Ryo then hugged his little brother.
"You were unaware of the true nature of the those cards. You are not the kind of person that would wish harm on anyone. But more importantly, you're my brother and I love you. Nothing will change that." Ryo told him. Overcome with emotion, Sho hugged his brother back.
"I love you too, Ryo."
The Marufuji siblings held their embrace as the light around Ryo enveloped them both...
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
'What is he doing?' Judai wondered while he watched Ryo kneeling over Sho. The rest of the group were just as confused about what was going on. A minute passed before the purple light vanish from Ryo's eyes and Sho's body.
Ryo then looked at Serena and the others and surprisingly smiled. "He's okay. Everything is fine now."
"W-What do you mean?" Serena stuttered. "Sho is..." She stopped when she heard a low moan. She looked back down and, to her shock, saw Sho slowly open his eyes.
The younger Marufuji groaned as he sat up and looked around. He saw that he and everyone else was alive and back at Duel Academy, and they were starting at him open mouthed with disbelief. Kneeling in front of him were Ryo and a speechless and wet faced Serena. "Serena? What's happened? How are...?" His line of questions halted when Serena held him tight, fresh tears running down her face.
"Sho, you're alive! I thought you died! I thought we lost you! I thought...!" 'I thought I lost you!' She finished in her mind, unable to say it aloud. Though stunned by Serena's reaction, Sho smiled as he wrapped one arm around her and patted her back.
"I'm okay, Serena. My body aches, but other than that I'm fine." Judai, Asuka, and most of the others smiled with joy and relief to see this happy reunion.
"Glad to have you back, buddy." Judai said to his best friend. Sho nodded.
"Same here." He replied happily.
"How did you... come back?" Serena asked him after releasing him.
"I don't know. One minute I thought I was going to die, then the next I saw my brother. He told me to not give up. He also said he never blamed me for the whole Devil Kaiser fiasco. We hugged and then I... found myself back here." He smiled at her. "I'm glad to be alive and back with everyone. But what about my brother? Did we actually save him?" He asked her. Serena smiled at him after wiping tears off of her face.
"We did. Right after Devil Kaiser was defeated, your brother's soul ended up in my bracelet. We just need to figure out how to... huh?" When she held up her bracelet, it was no longer glowing. It had become inactive again. "Wait a second. When I looked last time, my bracelet was glowing and I saw your brother's face in it. But now it's gone."
"Gone?! What does that mean?! What happened to the Ryo I know?!" Sho asked, alarmed. Did he die for real this time?!
"Ryo, just how did you revive Sho?" Gloria asked her fiancé. Ryo stared at his hands.
"I'm not sure exactly. When Serena hugged me, I felt a strong power flow into me and just instinctively knew what I had to do. I somehow knew I could save Sho."
"I think there was a little more to it than that." Judai said, having a pretty good idea of what happened.
"Such as?" Grace asked. Judai then looked from Ryo to Serena then back to Ryo.
"I think when Serena hugged you, her bracelet transferred the soul of Sho's brother into you. Along with him, it gave you the power to save Sho." Ryo and Sho gasped.
"Then my brother... is inside you now?" Sho asked his brother's counterpart.
Before Ryo answered, he briefly saw an smiling image of himself kneeling next to Sho. The image also gave Ryo a nod before he vanished. He then understood.
"I... guess he is." Ryo said in astonishment.
"After all the craziness we've just been through, I can actually buy that." Manjome said.
Yuri was glad everyone got back in one piece. If it weren't for Judai and himself, they probably would not have made it. The boy then thought back to the mysterious stranger that helped him. 'First the guy helped me during the Duel against Chronos, then he helped me and Judai save everyone. Just who could that guy be? Why would he help us? But more than any of that... why the hell do I feel like I know him somehow?' The teen felt sure something about the guy seemed familiar to him, but he just couldn't place it...
"Yuri... I gotta ask ya something." Judai said, interrupting Yuri's thoughts.
"What's that?" Yuri asked.
"How the heck did you use my power back there? I'm pretty sure I never lent it to you."
Yuri hesitated, wondering if he should tell Judai about the hooded man that helped him. In the end, he felt he could trust the older Duelist with the truth. "You didn't. Someone else did." After Yuri revealed what he knew about the stranger, Judai was really shocked.
"Oh man! That's crazy! And you have no clue who this guy is?" Yuri shook his head.
"No, nothing. Maybe I'll find out some other time."
"Guess so. At the very least, I'm glad he helped you out." Judai said.
"You and me both." Yuri told him.
"Hey, Sho." Sho turned to see Makoto, who now stood a few feet away from everyone.
"Makoto. I'm glad you're okay too." Sho said.
"Yeah." He fidgeted for a moment. "Listen, I'm... sorry for what I tried to do earlier. After finding myself back here, I've actually been thinking what you and Ryo said to me. If you don't mind, I um... would like to join your Cyber Pro League. I think it would be my best option to reintroduce my Jinzo-Style to the Dueling world." Sho smiled along with Ryo.
"I'm really happy to hear that, Makoto. Consider yourself our first recruit." Sho told him.
"You will be welcomed. I'm sure of it." Ryo added.
Makoto then truly smiled for the first time. "Thanks." Sho and Ryo both nodded at him. "I'm going to get something to eat and rest. We'll talk more later."
"Of course. Sure thing." Sho said.
With that, Makoto headed out the arena, knowing he just might have given his Dueling style a hopeful future.
Manjome then noticed his brother trying to sneak away. "Shoji! Where are you going?" Shoji stopped in his tracks, but refused to turn around.
"Jun, I still see you as a disappointment to me and our family. I haven't forgiven you for betraying us."
"What about all the stuff I said to you before you got sent back here? Doesn't any of it matter?" Manjome demanded angrily. His older brother scowled as he turned and faced him.
"I'm not sappy like the bunch you hang out with. Victory matters in the family business. Nothing else. You want to pay us back, go ahead. But know this little brother: We may be brothers, but we are not buddies."
"Shoji..." Manjome said with pity.
"Just stay away from me." He turned and marched out without another word. As he walked, Shoji contemplated if he should at least tell his younger brother he was glad he wasn't dead. His ego made him throw that out the window instantly. 'Perhaps it is best that we never meet again, little brother. Better to cut ties with us and forge your own path. That way, you won't sully our family name any further.'
Manjome felt dejected as he watched his brother leave. Grace came up behind him and held him. "I'm sorry Jun. I really thought you two would make up after all that."
Her boyfriend grunted. "Yeah well, it's his loss." 'Plus, Shoji has never been the forgiving type.' He said in his mind. Manjome wondered if there will ever be peace between him and his brothers. Chosaku maybe, but Shoji? He guessed only time would tell.
It was just then that Emi joined the group and eyed the younger Marufuji. "Sho, I am so glad you are alive, but I have to make sure you and everyone else who fought in that terrible place is really okay." She then eyed everyone, particularly the ones who looked a little worse for wear. "Everyone who just came back from that Domain of Destruction please follow me to the infirmary for a proper medical examination."
"Welp, you heard the nurse." Judai said as he and the Duelists who fought followed her out of the arena. Flame (who's appearance startled Emi and Chronos) said he'll stay behind to look over the transporter and they'll meet up later.
Well... almost everyone had left. Fubuki didn't move, something his little sister noticed. "Fubuki?" Asuka saw that he and Reggie wanted to talk, judging from the way they were eyeing each other.
"Tell Nurse Ayukawa that I'll be on my way in just a minute, will ya sis?" He asked. Asuka smiled back, understanding.
"Sure." With that, she quickly caught up with Judai and the rest.
Now that it was just the two of them, Fubuki and Reggie struggled to find the right words. Eventually, the Commander took the initiative. "Fubuki... please tell me, just so that it is clear. Is Captain Echo... gone?" She couldn't bring herself to say "dead". Fubuki nodded.
"Yeah, she is. So are Amon and that jerk, David Rabb. None of them survived." Reggie looked down, deeply saddened by the confirmation.
"I see." She said softly.
"I'm sorry Reggie. I know how much Echo meant to you." Fubuki said sympathetically. Reggie nodded.
"Thank you. Captain Echo was my hero. She gave me my life back. I want to honor her for the rest of my life."
Fubuki decided not to tell her of how her so called "hero" framed Judai for the attack that put Amon's brother in his coma. 'Reggie should remember her as the person that saved her. I don't want to tarnish that memory in any way.' Both of them were silent again.
"I'm sorry too, Fubuki." Reggie said, now looking her old friend in the eye.
"For what?" He asked.
"For everything that happened today. Putting your friends in danger, all of it. I never wished ill will toward any of them. I wish I could take it all back."
"None of this was your plan. It was all Devil Kaiser's handiwork." Reggie gasped in shock.
"You know about him?" Fubuki nodded again.
"He showed up not long after Amon was taken by the Domain. The guy was nasty as hell. He's gone now, thanks to Judai, Sho, and Serena. However, he pulled one last dirty move before he was reduced to a pile of ash."
"What was that?" Reggie asked.
"Devil Kaiser was the one that tried to kill Sho." Reggie looked horrified.
"He really was a monster." She admitted.
"Yeah well, we don't have to worry about him anymore." Silence once more. This time, Fubuki was the one to break it. "Reggie... despite everything that happened today, I'm really glad to see you again. I'm happy that you came back after all this time."
Reggie smiled warmly now. "I'm glad too, Fubuki. I thought of you everyday since me and my parents moved away. Even more so when I heard of your disappearance."
"So... what will you do now?" Fubuki asked.
"Well, I'll have to report to the higher ups about Captain Echo and see what happens from there. It's pretty unknown where I'll be at this point."
"Will you continue to serve in the military?"
"I don't know." She didn't say more than that about her future. Instead she brought up unresolved issue. "Fubuki, you never told me whether or not you still had your locket."
"Oh yeah. That." Fubuki smiled before he reached into his shirt pulled out a locket like Reggie's. The woman's heart leapt when he opened the locket to reveal a much younger version of her. "After I came back from my disappearance, some of my memories were a little foggy. I did remember that this locket and the picture inside were very important to me somehow. I decided to keep it with me until I could remember why."
"If you had it all along, then why didn't you take it out when you remembered me?" Reggie questioned.
"I wanted to wait until after all the chaos was over. When everyone I know and love was safe and sound, including you." Her face turned a little red.
"Thank you. I'm very glad you remembered." Reggie said to him gratefully.
"Me too." Fubuki felt pretty warm himself. "Reggie. I um..."
"Yes?" Reggie asked.
Fubuki scratched the back of his head, feeling very nervous now. "I was just thinking. Can we...?"
"Fubuki! It's your turn for a medical examination! Don't make me drag you there!" The young man saw an impatient Emi standing at the arena exit, arms crossed. Fubuki laughed.
"Sorry! I'm coming!" He said while laughing. Emi huffed while she waited. Fubuki turned back to Reggie. "Reggie, you may not know what your future has for you, but I hope you will have room for me in it. I want to be a part of your life again. And... I'm hoping, maybe someday, we can be..." He was cut off when he felt warm lips pressed against his.
When Reggie pulled away, she smiled slyly to see the befuddled look on Fubuki's face. "I'd love nothing more." She whispered. Fubuki blushed big time.
"Well, okay then. I uh... better get going. See you later." With that, Fubuki quickly walked off to follow a highly amused Emi to the infirmary.
Reggie smirked. "You bet, you big flirt."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Before long, everyone was medically approved by Emi and were allowed to leave the infirmary. However, she did advise them to take the rest of the day off to recover from the traumatic events of the day. Some of the group had more serious injuries, such as Manjome and Edo, but Emi assured them no permanent damage was done. She did however advise them to take it easy for a day or two.
For Sho, she was a bit more strict. After nearly dying, she insisted he needed bed rest for the remainder of the day. This suited Sho fine; he was in no hurry to do something important for the time being. He decided to rest in his room at the Osiris Red dorm. Judai and gang kept him company throughout the day.
Reggie, Makoto, and Shoji all left the island. The older Manjome sibling wanted to get back to his life (and away from his brother) as soon as possible, while the former had gone to "perfect" his Jinzo Deck before the opening of the Cyber Pro League. As for Reggie, she had to report back to her superiors. She had promised Fubuki she would contact him soon with an update on her military position. He hoped the wait wouldn't be too long.
Before leaving the main building, Sho picked up Flame (who uploaded himself into Sho's Duel Disk again) at the arena. Misawa and Zweinstein said they were finished discussing the transporter functions with the Fire Ignis and he was free to join the gang.
On their way to the dorm, Yuri asked Masumi if they could talk alone for a moment. She said she didn't mind and told the others they would catch up later. "What did you want to talk about, Yuri?" Masumi asked when it was just the two of them. Yuri hesitated for a second. Masumi thought she was seeing things, but she thought the boy seemed flustered. Finally, he started talking.
"Masumi, I... I have some things I want to say to you. Things that have... been on my mind for a while."
"Okay." Masumi waited to hear more. Yuri appeared to have trouble getting the words out. He eventually got back on track.
"You are not just a strong and confident Duelist. You are also... nice, supportive, and... well, very attractive." Masumi blushed fiercely while her heart started to beat faster.
"You did um... call me "cute" a couple of times before." She reminded him. Yuri nodded.
"Yeah. It may seem like I was messing with you emotionally in the past, but that was just a front. The truth is, I... I really like you, Masumi. I want to be closer to you. Be more than just a good friend. Do you think we can... give it a try?"
Masumi was stunned to hear Yuri say those things. 'Is he saying... what I think he's saying?' Her silence must've lasted longer than she thought because Yuri sighed, now looking dejected.
"Sorry. I said too much, didn't I? I didn't want to make you... uncomfortable or anything. Forget what I just told you." He turned to leave, but Masumi stopped him.
"Yuri, wait." The purple haired boy faced her again, wondering what how she would respond to his confession. Her words stunned him. "I like you too. I always have. Your confidence always impressed me and your sense of humor never ceases to get to me, along with your dueling skills. I didn't say anything right away because I was so shocked by what you told me. How you... really feel about me." She mustered up her own courage to respond. "No one has ever told me the things you just did. I have never met anyone who has shown that kind of interest in me. This is all new for me and I'm not sure how to deal with it. But if you want us to be more than friends..." Masumi took Yuri's hand. "It is something I am willing to try."
Yuri's own heart skipped a beat. He suddenly felt happier than he ever has. "I am very pleased to hear that... Masumi." The boy then laced his fingers with Masumi's and tightened his hand hold. The dark skinned girl blushed as she smiled back.
When the rest of the gang arrived at the dorm, Sho asked Serena if they could talk at the beach below... just the two of them. After agreeing, the two headed down and sat on the sandy shores with the waves lightly crashing in and pulling back out.
"Are you sure you're okay, Sho?" Serena asked. Sho nodded.
"My body may have been put through the ringer today, but I actually feel better than I have in a long while. My brother is alive and now a part of the other Ryo. That's going to take some getting used too."
"No doubt it will be. I'm relieved you are not suffering anymore." She told him. The girl had a feeling what Sho wanted to discuss, but she didn't want to misinterpret his intentions. Therefore, she waited for him to talk first while she gazed out at the vast ocean.
Sho looked at Serena, trying to come up with the words to make her understand his true feelings. He only hoped he wouldn't hurt her own feelings in the process. A few minutes passed before Sho at last felt ready to talk. "Serena... on the day we met, I felt something I never have before. I felt a connection with you that just seemed, I don't know... special. I never met anyone like you before."
Serena smiled. "I get that. Believe it or not... I felt the same. I just didn't know at the time what it was that I was feeling."
"So we both felt something that day." Sho said with a smile. However, that smile vanished almost immediately. "But... not long afterward, I realized something else."
Serena noticed the change of tone in his voice and prepared herself for some kind of emotional blow. "Yes?" She asked with dread.
Sho looked into her troubled eyes. "Serena, I can't be with you. I mean, it's fine that you and I are close friends. No problems there. But anything more than that..."
"It would be wrong." Serena finished for him, a stab of pain in her heart. "It's because of our age difference, isn't it?" She asked, hurt in her voice.
Sho was surprised to hear that from her, but he knew she had guessed right. "Yeah, it is. That's not all, though. You are also underage and still in school. A lot of problems would come up if you were to be in a serious relationship with someone like me. I don't want to put you through all of that. So, it can't happen..."
"I had a feeling you would say that." Serena interrupted. She sounded really sad now as she held her legs to her chest. "Rei said the same thing to me when I talked to her about my feelings for you." Serena revealed. "This was why you left so suddenly without letting me hug you or anything. It was because you don't want people to get the wrong idea about us. Right?"
Sho sighed. "That's right." Serena felt like crying again, but no tears came this time. She had used all her tears when she believed Sho had died. So instead, she got up and looked down and away from Sho.
"If that is the case, then maybe we should just stop now before things get even more complicated. Thanks for clearing things up for me." She then started to walk away, feeling more down than she had ever felt. She only took a few steps when...
"Serena... I wasn't finished." Serena stopped in her tracks but didn't turn back around. "We can't be more than friends now... but it doesn't have to remain that way forever."
"Meaning what?" Serena asked, now feeling a twinge of hope.
"What I mean is... we can wait. I know how I feel about you, and you feel the same about me. So, if us being something special means so much to you... then we can wait a few years or so. After you graduate from Duel Academy and be old enough to be considered an adult, then we can try to be something more. I think it will be worth it. Don't you agree?"
Serena stood silent, her back still turned to Sho. He was beginning to think maybe she wouldn't have the patience to wait that long. The only sound that could be heard was the ever crashing waves of water. Nothing else.
Just when Sho didn't think he would get an answer, Serena finally turned around and gave him a hard, determined face. She then moved in front of Sho and held out her hand. "Sho Marufuji... I accept your terms. Make no mistake, when that day does come..." She gave a very confident smile. "I will make it more than worth the wait."
Happy to hear her agreeing to his plan (and feeling very warm under the collar), Sho took Serena's hand firmly and shook it. "Alright Serena... it's settled then. We wait."
Serena nodded. "Yes... we wait."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"So you were the one that's been keeping people from dying this whole time?" Edo asked Flame. After fully introducing himself, the Fire Ignis explained his role to him and Johan of how he managed to save nearly all the people who lost a Duel in the Domain of Destruction.
"I was. Though, I couldn't save everyone..." Flame said, lowering his head.
"You did what you could. No one could ask for more that that." Johan said in a comforting tone. "Thanks for all your help." Flame felt better from Johan's words.
"I am glad I saved as many people as I did." He said.
When Sho, Serena, Yuri, and Masumi all met up with everyone a minute later, they all noticed a difference in them. Yuri and Masumi seemed to be closer than ever (judging from how they held hands), while Sho and Serena both simply appeared to be in some form of peace. The latter pair assured their friends that everything was fine. While Rei had a pretty good idea what the deal was, she chose to keep quiet and hoped that Serena would take her advice.
"Sho, Flame had told us how he taught you about Link Monsters and Link Summoning last month. Can't believe you never told me!" Judai said with a smile. Sho chuckled.
"Sorry about that. I was going through a rough time."
"No worries. It was so awesome!" After Sho thanked him, Judai turned to the engaged couple. "So Ryo, Gloria. When do you two plan to tie the big knot?" Ryo and Gloria smiled at each other.
"We talked about it last night. We both decided that it would be best to have our wedding after the end of the current school year." Ryo answered.
"That way, we have plenty of time to work out all the details and set everything up. And hopefully we both will have enough money saved up to pay for it all." Gloria added.
"I'll help you both out!" Grace jumped in without hesitation. "As the bride's sister, I have to pitch in!"
"I want to help out too." Yusuke volunteered.
"I think it's safe to say we all want to help any way we can." Asuka said with the gang eager to assist the engaged couple.
"We would appreciate all the help we can get for our big day." Gloria told them.
"I think that wedding is going to be awesome!" Judai said excitedly. He then turned to Johan, remembering something important. "Hey Johan, I think now's a good time as any to hear your story. How and when did you learn to Pendulum Summon?" He insisted, excited to hear the details.
"And Action Duels." Masumi added.
"Yeah, please tell us." Grace said, also wanting to know how the hell Pendulum Summoning and Action Duels appeared in this world.
Johan smiled, pleased to finally have the chance to explain it. "Well, it actually started over 10 years ago. One day, Maximilian Pegasus of Industrial Illusions dueled someone who used Pendulum Summoning and was completely floored by what he saw. Coincidentally, the Duel took place at Kaiba Corp, where Seto Kaiba was testing out a new type of dueling system..."
"Action Duels." Yuri said. Johan nodded. Judai and Yuri realized the Pendulum Duelist had to be Yuya. They both figured this had to have happened while Yuya was staying in Yugi's world. Judai wondered if he should ask Yugi about it. Johan continued.
"Yep. In fact, the first Action Duel was the one Pegasus fought that Pendulum Summoning Duelist. Apparently it was a success. After the Duel, Pegasus decided to make Pendulum cards for the whole world. At the same time, Kaiba planned to release Action Duels to the public. Then one day, a couple of months back, I was contacted by both Kaiba and Pegasus. They asked me to be the first Duelist to try out Pendulum cards with Action Duels. I really had a blast! Once all was said and done, both company presidents seemed confident that the time was right to show the world something new. So I got my Pendulum cards and my Action Disk, promising them I will show everyone what new possibilities Kaiba Corp and Industrial Illusions had to offer. It was just after that I met up with Edo, who told me about Dr. Zweinstein's experiment and asked me to be a part of it. The rest is history."
"Why were you chosen?" Ryo asked.
"I honestly don't know. When I asked the same question, neither gave me a straight answer. All they basically said was "It's because we asked you to." Who am I to argue with two famous company CEOs when offering me a chance of a lifetime like that?"
"But Johan, all of this started years ago, right? Why haven't we seen or heard about Pendulum Summoning or Action Duels until now, over a decade later?" Edo inquired.
"I'm getting to that." Johan said before proceeding. "Although both Kaiba and Pegasus wanted to move their plans forward back then, something happened that caused them to put those plans on hold for the next decade."
"What was it?" Gloria asked.
"Some kind of disaster, one that involved people getting hurt." Johan revealed, much to the gang's surprise.
"What disaster?" Sho asked. Johan shrugged.
"I don't know. I never got the details, but I heard it was so bad that both company presidents decided it would be best to not release Pendulum cards and Action Duels until a much better time came along."
"I wonder what would cause such drastic change in plans?" Gloria asked, thinking of no possible reason for such a long delay.
"Wouldn't something like this have been reported at the time?" Manjome asked.
"Kaiba told me that the disaster was cleverly covered up so that it would not enter the media. Again I don't know anything, but that's what I was told." Johan said.
"Well now that's curious." Yuri said.
"Sure is." Kenzan said in agreement.
"Judai, maybe when you meet Yugi and Yuya again you can ask them if something bad happened that would be considered a "disaster"." Asuka suggested. Judai considered that option.
"Sure. I can do it." He told his girlfriend before his face hardened. "But before that, I got to find a way to wake Shido up from his coma. I promised Amon I would help his brother."
"How can you wake him up?" Serena asked him.
"I don't know, but I have to do something. There must be a way."
"Judai, about that..." Ryo interjected. "I'm afraid Shido's situation is far more complicated than you know."
"What do you mean?" Judai asked him. Ryo hesitated before explained himself.
"While my counterpart was trapped inside Devil Kaiser, he saw and heard everything he did. That included a meeting he had with Lightning, Zarc, E'Rah, and a couple of others I assume were also villains."
"A bad guy meeting?" Rei said, startled by this new fact.
"Yeah." Ryo confirmed. "And when his soul merged with mine, I gained all his memories and experiences."
"This included that meeting." Edo surmised. Ryo nodded. "What do you know? And how does this relate to Amon's brother?"
Ryo proceeded to explain what was discussed between all the villains. Each fact earned a gasp from the group. When Ryo was finished, he was met with ominous silence. After a minute, Judai broke the silence.
"So, let me see if I got this right. Amon's brother, Shido, was never in a coma. He was instead taken by some woman named Queen and Echo helped her. Shido was led to believe he was rescued, not kidnapped. Then he was replaced by some robot made to look like him to fool Amon and everyone else. And in all that time since, the real Shido is on whatever world Queen is from and his life is in serious danger?" Judai summarized all this and sounded more urgent toward the end. Ryo nodded.
"Pretty much, yes." He said heavily.
"Then the Shido we saw being "attacked" in that video Amon showed us must have been the fake." Manjome realized.
"I knew the Judai in the video was phony, but I never thought the same about Shido." Flame said, angry as well as shocked.
"And poor Shido himself." Asuka said in a worrying tone. "If what we've heard just now is true, then he will..."
"We can't let that happen! We've got to find a way to get to that world and rescue Shido and those other kids before it's too late!" Judai declared.
"But Judai, we don't have the Airship and we still have not received any word about Ai's mission. Even if we did have it, Lightning would know when we would be traveling between worlds. It would be just like the first time we were attacked. Only I doubt we would be lucky to survive again." Kenzan pointed out.
"So what do we do?" Sho asked, also worried about Shido's life.
"There just might be another way." Flame offered. Everyone turned to the Fire Ignis.
"Really? How?" Judai asked.
"Dr. Zweinstein's dimensional transporter." Flame then explained his plan. "After seeing his machine in action and having been hiding in it's systems during your Duels, I have become intimately familiar with it's workings. Originally, the good doctor tried to open a gateway to another world. His attempt would have worked had Ryan Stevens not interfered with the device. If the transporter could send us to Serena's world, then it should be possible to do the same with any world if pointed in the right direction."
"Then you know what world Shido and Queen are on?" Fubuki asked, impressed. Flame nodded.
"Indeed. I know very well who Queen is and how threatening she could be. Her world is the same world Lightning is... my world." Misawa understood what the Ignis was trying to say.
"I see what you are getting at, Flame! If Dr. Zweinstein and myself can use some of your dimensional energy particles, we will able to open a doorway to your world!"
"Precisely." Flame said proudly. "The dimensional particles that were detected before are gone now, so mine will have to do. All that will need to be done is to link myself to the transporter and..." Flame gasped before he froze. His eyes widened.
"And what? What's the rest of the plan?" Yusuke persisted but got no answer. Flame didn't respond. He remained silent for a long moment. Just when everyone started to think something was wrong with him, the Fire Ignis spoke again. But when he did, he was nowhere near as confident as before.
"Oh no... No..."
"Flame, what is it? Is there something wrong with your plan?" Masumi asked, sounding urgent. Flame impatiently shook his head.
"It is not that. Ray has just contacted me. She sent a message... about Ai."
"Ai? Did he make it back okay?" Judai asked. Flame reluctantly faced everyone before he delivered not so good news.
"He managed to recover the Numeron Code and got it to safety. But Ai... he wasn't so lucky."
"Meaning what?" Serena asked. Flame pounded his fists on the Duel Disk he was attached to.
"Meaning that Ai... didn't escape the Astral World himself! He was attacked and couldn't get away!"
Everyone turned to one another, deeply shocked by what they've heard.
Judai tightened his fists. 'Man, just when things were starting to look up for us. Poor Ai... Could he still be alive?'
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"I think that is enough... for now." After enduring what seemed like an eternity of pain, Ai slumped down on to the floor of his cell, laying on his back. His breathing was heavy and haggard. His torturer smirked. "Feel like telling me where the Numeron Code is now?"
The greatly weakened Dark Ignis barely managed to lift his head up at his captor... and chuckled weakly. "Kiss... my digital... ass." Hiretsuna frowned with disappointment and hate.
"What a stubborn little pest you are. Hours of nonstop torture, and yet you still refuse to talk." She gave the little guy a kick to the head. He didn't fly back very far due to still being chained, forcing him back down hard. He coughed and groaned with more pain. "I'll be back later... for our second round of fun." She then turned, opened the cell door, and walked out, slamming it shut behind her.
Alone in the darkness once more, Ai figured he had less than a zero percent chance of getting out of this one alive. He took comfort though from the fact he succeeded and got the Numeron Code, Enna, and the survivors of her people to safety. 'Enna...' Ai thought of the Astral woman he helped, knowing she was okay. He missed her greatly, even though they hadn't known each other for very long. He wished he could be with her again, to hold her, to kiss her lips once more. But it started to look like that may not happen...
Meanwhile, Hiretsuna strolled through the hallways of her palace in a huff. She was more than a little annoyed that the small black creature locked up got to the Numeron Code before she could. 'I don't understand. How the hell did that thing find out about the card and it's guardian? How did he get them off the Astral World? Where are they now?' As Hiretsuna reached her throne room and sat on her ornate black and glowing dark green chair, the demon woman snarled and growled. She flung a green fireball at the opposite wall of the room in fury, leaving a noticeable scorch mark. "Dammit! My parents and Master Lightning are counting on me to get the Numeron Code for them and it slipped through my grasp! I cannot face them again until I find where the card has been taken! But how can I possibly make that puny creature spill his guts?!" Just as Hiretsuna was asking herself this, a dark light of red, yellow, and blue erupted in the middle of her throne room. "What is this?!" She exclaimed, now on her feet again.
Before Hiretsuna was a dark suited figure facedown on the floor. It also appeared to be greatly injured. Cautiously, she approached the figure, ready to attack if it dared tried to strike her. When she was close enough, she prepared another fireball. The figure lifted it's head up and stared right at her. Hiretsuna gasped. She saw that the stranger was human but had glowing black eyes. He seemed to be struggling just to look up at her.
"Help... me..." Those were the only words Devil Kaiser said before he fell unconscious.
To be continued.