Scene start in Arcadia, where Acheron is preparing the Next Dimension. It is less than half-way completed.
Acheron: Not yet...I need more time...
Azrael, a heavily armored soldier in asymmetrical black armor with the only uncovered part is his snow white hair that goes to his lower back: Your Grace...Might Azrael suggest you leave the Next Dimension to Azrael...?...
Acheron: This is nothing you need to concern yourself with, Azrael...Your duty is to be may paladin...
Delphinios: If not Azrael, then allow me to see through the Next Dimension's forming. I have vast knowledge of how to make it, and it should be around halfway done once you return.
Acheron: Very well, then...Delphinios, I leave the duties to you until I return...Azrael, with me...We have some guests to entertain on Gaea...
Azrael: Yes, Your Grace...
Cut to outside of Aldrich's house, where Yuto and the others are getting ready to search for the pieces of Metaltron XII.
Yuto: Alright, Aldrich, this is where we part ways and say goodbye for now.
Iris: But once we stop the Next Dimension, we'll be sure to drop by.
Aldrich: Be careful, my friends, for there are many trials ahead of you, and I fear as though each trial will be more treacherous than the last...
Sydney: If that's the case, then we better move quickly.
Acheron, with Azrael alongside him: You will not be going anywhere...I will not allow you to stop me...I am here to ensure that Metaltron XII stays asleep by any means...
Draco: Forget it, Acheron. The Next Dimension must be destroyed before it causes more trouble.
Acheron: And endanger the entirety of your own world...?...The Next Dimension is what keeps all worlds together...Gaea included...Destroy it, and you will tie your own rope around your own neck...
Snake: Still, it's not something anybody should be using, least of all you!
Azrael: Watch your words, or Azrael will have your tongue...
Acheron: Calm yourself, Azrael...Forgive my paladin...He does not take what he perceives as insults or threats to me very kindly...In fact, he takes them far worse than Odysseus...However, unlike Kapaneus, he is far more skilled...
Hanged Man, appearing out of nowhere: At running away or dying...?...
Yuto: The Arcana again?! Why won't you just leave us all alone?!
Hanged Man removes his robes and reveals his armor, along with showing them Stoic of Prophecy.
Hanged Man: I am Hanged Man...I am the inability to act...Your inability to act...As I am what stands between you and Metaltron XII...
Acheron: A mere puppet under the strings of Kapaneus...How pathetic...After all of his efforts, this is the best he can come up with to continue to cheat death...Possession of innocents...Disgusting...
Hanged Man activates his Duel Disk, which appears to be a lance until it unfolds and reveals its blades.
Hanged Man: He will be brought back into this world, and all shall rejoice in his name...
Acheron: None will even know he exists once I deal with him...
Acheron makes the abhayamudra and his many thousand spirit arms appeared from his back.
Azrael: Your Grace, pay this chattering animal no mind...Allow Azrael to deal with this...
Acheron: I appreciate your concern, Azrael, but I can more than handle the likes of him...
Hanged Man: I highly doubt that...
Acheron: For the moment...
Both Duelists started off with 8000 Life Points and 5 cards each.
Acheron: I shall start by Summoning Vijam the Cubic Seed on the offensive...Next, I place 3 cards face-down...
Hanged Man: Pitiful...I play Gathering of the Dark Martyrs, which lets me Summon up to 3 Dark Martyrs in 1 turn...I Summon Dark Martyr of the Burning Stake, Dark Martyr of the Freezing Mountain, and Dark Martyr of the Electric Storm...
He then summons 3 statues of men with a tortured expression surrounded by auras symbolizing their names. Fire, ice, and lightning.
(Dark Martyr of the Burning Stake, Lvl 2, ATK 1000, DEF 1000, Dark, Pyro)
(Dark Martyr of the Freezing Mountain, Lvl 2, ATK 1000, DEF 1000, Dark, Aqua)
(Dark Martyr of the Electric Storm, Lvl 2, ATK 1000, DEF 1000, Dark, Thunder)
Hanged Man: The first thing I'll do is have Dark Martyr of the Burning Stake attack and destroy Vijam the Cubic Seed...And once it deals damage by destroying a Monster, it becomes double...
The burning statue unleashes a blazing inferno that targeted Vijam the Cubic Seed, but it deconstructed into cubes and sown itself into the ground.
Acheron: 8000
Hanged Man: What...?!...
Acheron: I activated the Continuous Spell Card, Cubic Dharma...This prevents any and all damage I would have taken from battles involving Cubic Monsters...Also, since you destroyed a Cubic Seed, it becomes a Continuous Spell Card while placing a Cubic Counter on the attacker, completely neutralizing it...
That's when the fiery aura began to grow weaker thanks to the many cubes infecting it.
Hanged Man: It may protect you against a battle, but not by direct attacks...Dark Martyr of the Freezing Mountain shall attack...And any damage you take from it means another 500 lost for every Dark Martyr on my field...
The freezing statue unleashes a frozen flurry towards Acheron.
Acheron: I activate the Trap Card, Cubic Ascension...This changes the attack from me to a copy of Vijam the Cubic Seed Special Summoned from my Deck on the offensive...And thanks to Cubic Dharma, I take no damage...
The attack struck Vijam, which deconstructed into cubes into the ground, also infecting the attacker and dimming the icy aura with cubes.
Hanged Man: I still have 1 more Monster to attack you with...Dark Martyr of the Electric Storm deals double damage when it attacks directly...
The electrocuted statue unleashes an electric discharge towards Acheron.
Acheron: I activate the Trap Card, Cubic Rebirth, which Special Summons as many copies of that Monster on the field as possible, with all of their Attack Points lost and infected with Cubic Counters...
Hanged Man: I have no other copies...
Acheron: The effect proceeds, regardless...
Dark Martyr of the Electric Storm ATK: 1000-0
The statue's electric aura dims down as it gets infected with cubes.
Acheron: And to rub more salt on your wounds, I Special Summon Vijam the Cubic Seed from my hand...
Hanged Man: I place 1 card face-down and end my turn...
Aldrich: Very impressive...I see a lot of experience in this Duelist...
Azrael: His Grace is more than just experienced...This chattering animal is all words with nothing to show for it, which is why Azrael proposed to deal with it instead...
Snake: Certainly didn't seem so confident in your king by doing so.
Azrael: Azrael said to watch your words, or Azrael will have your tongue...
Acheron: I now Special Summon the 2 Cubic Seeds back to the Monster Zones on the offensive...But they will not stay on the field for long...I sacrifice 1 to Special Summon Dark Garnex the Cubic Beast on the offensive...
Dark Garnex the Cubic Beast ATK: 0-1000
Acheron: Attack and destroy his weakest statue...
The Cubic Beast materializes a cleaver out of cubes and smashes it into Dark Martyr of the Electric Storm, seemingly shattering it.
Hanged Man: I activate the Trap, Dark Martyr's Blessing, giving me Life Points instead of losing them this turn...
Hanged Man: 8000-9000
Acheron: I now sacrifice my Cubic Beast to revive the Cubic Seed I used, and then use 2 in order to Special Summon Blade Garoodia the Cubic Beast on the offensive...
Blade Garoodia the Cubic Beast ATK: 0-2000
Acheron: Destroy his remaining Monsters...
The Cubic Beast flung 2 materialized blades of flame at the remaining statues.
Hanged Man: 9000-11000
Acheron: I now sacrifice my Cubic Beast to revive the 2 Cubic Seeds I used, and then use all 3 to Special Summon Buster Gundil the Cubic Behemoth...I end there...
Buster Gundil the Cubic Behemoth ATK: 0-3000
The statues then rematerialized, unscathed.
Hanged Man: And I end you...My Dark Martyrs are immune to destruction against any with higher than normal power...I activate my Trap, Rise of the Dark Martyrs...This lets me Special Summon a Dark Martyr with the overall combined Level of all of my Monsters...I Special Summon Dark Tuner Dark Martyr of the Hanging Trees...
He then summons a humanoid tree creature made entirely out of bark with severe cases of decay and rotting and has a black orb where its head should be.
(Dark Tuner Dark Martyr of the Hanging Trees, Lvl 6, ATK 0, DEF 1000, Dark, Zombie, Dark Tuner)
Hanged Man: I now use its effect...If there are 3 or more Monsters with a Counter on them, I can remove those counters, return their power to normal, and Special Summon a Dark Martyr Token...
With that, all of the cubes have been removed from the statues and he has summoned forth a statue that looks like his Dark Tuner.
(Dark Martyr Token, Lvl 1, ATK 0, DEF 0, Dark, Zombie, Token)
Dark Martyr of the Electric Storms ATK: 0-1000
Hanged Man: I now Dark Tune my Level 6 Dark Tuner against my Level 1 Token...
Instead of the normal Dark Synchro Summoning, the Dark Tuner decayed entirely into nothing and the dark orb entered the Token's chest.
Hanged Man: The moment man devoured the fruit of knowledge, he sealed his fate...Entrusting his future to the cards, man clings to a dim hope...The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed...In the face of disaster lies opportunity for renewal...
That's when the Dark Tuner's Token turned into what can best be described as a monstrosity. It was a large humanoid with its head and neck positioned upside down, and its arms, back, and legs are hanging from a metallic structure that's held by chains, suspending it in the air.
Hanged Man: I Summon Dark Martyr Executioner...
(Dark Martyr Executioner, Lvl -5, ATK 3200, DEF 3200, Dark, Fiend, Dark Synchro)
Hanged Man: With 3 more Dark Martyrs on the field, it's completely immune to anything and everything...Destroy his Cubic Behemoth...
From its mouth, it unleashed a powerful blast that plowed through the Cubic Behemoth.
Acheron: Fool...With its destruction comes the revival of all 3 of my Cubic Seeds and my Cubic Behemoth returning to my hand...
Hanged Man: And any and all Monsters Special Summoned from the Graveyard lose their effect by the hands of my Executioner on the turn it's Summoned...Which means my remaining 3 Dark Martyrs will destroy your Cubic Seeds and send them to the Graveyard where they belong...
That's when each statue unleashed a powerful blast of their respective energy at the 3 Cubic Seeds, destroying them.
Acheron: I activate the second effect of my Cubic Ascension...If you have 2000 Life Points more than I do, I banish it to revive Vijam the Cubic Seed, and if you have Monsters when this card was used, I can revive 2 more...
Hanged Man: You got lucky this turn, Acheron...I end there...
Acheron: I play Pot of Greed to Draw 2 more cards, and then I Summon Duza the Meteor Cubic Vessel on the offensive...I end my turn with 1 card face-down...
Hanged Man: Pathetic...I shall start by destroying your pathetic Monsters 1 by 1...
Acheron: Wrong...I activate Cubic Casualty...It places Cubic Counters on your Monsters based on how many I have...
That's when all 4 Monsters became petrified with dark cubes clustering on their bodies.
Yuto: Man, he's good.
Azrael: That is why Azrael told His Grace not to bother with a chattering animal such as that...He wastes his time dealing with something so trivial when he can worry about you interlopers...
Iris: I don't see you stopping us either.
Azrael: That is only because Azrael was not given the order yet...You only continue to exist because His Grace wills it...
Hanged Man: I place 1 card face-down and end my turn...
Acheron: My turn...I shall sacrifice my 3 Cubic Seeds and Special Summon Buster Gundil the Cubic Behemoth back on the offensive...
Buster Gundil the Cubic Behemoth ATK: 0-3000
Acheron: You said it needed at least 1 Dark Martyr to stay afloat...That is why my Cubic Behemoth will destroy all 3 that keep it afloat...And with the banishing of Cubic Casualty, there will be a casualty, because you take damage equal to their power as well...
The Cubic Behemoth unleashed 3 powerful blasts of cubic energy that blasted the 3 statues into dust.
Hanged Man: 11000-4500
Hanged Man: I activated my Trap, Perseverance of the Dark Martyrs...With at least 1 Dark Martyr on the field, all of the damage I take is cut in half...
Acheron: But your Dark Martyr Executioner is dragged down beneath my level instead of emulating mine above yours...
With that, the Dark Synchro Monster fell down with a very loud thud.
Acheron: It looks like the same old story with that pathetic, arrogant fool...He tries so hard to become my superior, only to fall short the second even the smallest flaw is exploited and only continues to fall lower and lower until he finally hits the bottom...Where everything he has worked for was in vain...I place 1 card face-down and end my turn...
Hanged Man: And I end you here and now...I activate the Trap, Retribution of the Dark Martyrs...Now my 3 Dark Martyrs will be revived, and it lets me Special Summon a Dark Martyr Token by banishing it...
With the revival of all 3 statues, as well as the summoning of a Token, the Dark Synchro Monster was no longer earthbound.
Hanged Man: Next, I activate the effect of my Dark Martyr Executioner...By sacrificing my Dark Martyr Token, I can destroy all Monsters you control...
The Dark Synchro Monster crushed the Token with its hands and then slammed both down, sending a wave of dark energy towards Acheron's Monsters.
Acheron: Pitiful...I activate the effect of my Cubic Behemoth...Since it was destroyed, I add it back to my hand and Special Summon my 3 Cubic Seeds on the offensive...
Hanged Man: They won't be on the field for long...
All 3 Dark Martyr statues unleashed powerful surges of their elemental energy towards the 3 Cubic Seeds, which deconstructed into cubes and sown into the ground.
Hanged Man: Now to end you for good...Execute him now...
The Dark Synchro Monster unleashed a powerful blast of dark energy towards Acheron, which led to a massive cloud of smoke when it hit.
Acheron: 8000
Hanged Man: Impossible...!...I destroyed every Monster you controlled...
Acheron: I used Call of the Haunted to revive my Meteor Cubic Vessel, redirecting the attack, thus reducing the damage to 0, thanks to Cubic Dharma...
Hanged Man: But even so, it returns all Spells and Traps back to your hand after damage calculation...
Acheron: It makes very little difference to me...It is now my turn, and I play Pot of Greed to draw 2 more cards...Next, I Summon Vijam the Cubic Seed, and then sacrifice it to Special Summon Geira Guile the Cubic King on the offensive...Next, its effect activates and deals you 800 damage...
Geira Guile the Cubic King ATK: 0-800
The Cubic King unleashed a gust of wind towards Hanged Man.
Hanged Man: 4500-4100
Acheron: Next, I activate Cubic Karma to send 2 more Cubic Seeds to the Graveyard and give it 1200 more Attack Points...
Geira Guile the Cubic King ATK: 800-2400
Acheron: Attack and destroy 1 of his statues...
The Cubic King unleashed a blast of cubic energy from its mouth toward Dark Martyr of the Burning Stake, destroying it.
Hanged Man: 4100-3400
Acheron: I now sacrifice it to revive 2 of my Cubic Seeds, only to sacrifice them to Special Summon Vulcan Dragni the Cubic King on the offensive...First comes the effect damage...
Vulcan Dragni the Cubic King ATK: 0-1600
The Cubic King then fired a powerful blast of flame-engulfed energy towards Hanged Man.
Hanged Man: 3400-3000
Acheron: Next comes the battle damage...Destroy another statue...
The Cubic King unleashed another, more powerful blast of burning energy towards Dark Martyr of the Electric Storm, destroying it.
Hanged Man: 3000-2700
Acheron: I now sacrifice it to revive all 3 of my Cubic Seeds, only to use them to Special Summon Indiora Doom Volt the Cubic Emperor on the offensive...And just like the other 2, the effect damage comes first...
Indiora Doom Volt the Cubic Emperor ATK: 0-2400
The Cubic Emperor unleashed a streak of lightning from the sky which struck Hanged Man.
Hanged Man: 2700-2300
Acheron: I now destroy your last statue...
The Cubic Emperor fired a powerful electric blast from the cannon hidden in its chest and struck down Dark Martyr of the Freezing Mountain, destroying it.
Hanged Man: 2300-1600
The Dark Synchro Monster fell down with a very loud thud once more now that its support is gone.
Acheron: I end my turn with 2 cards face-down...
Hanged Man: And I end your existence...I activate the Spell, Opposition of the Dark Martyrs...The first effect revives my 3 statues...Next, by banishing it, and destroying my Dark Martyrs, I can destroy your Cubic Emperor...
Dark Martyr Executioner rammed its fist through the Cubic Emperor's chest, which caused the internal cannon to malfunction and explode, destroying all Monsters on the field entirely.
Acheron: You only allowed me to revive my Cubic Seeds by that effect...Plus, I send Cubic Karma to the Graveyard to halve your Life Points...
That's when a tornado of cubic energy struck Hanged Man.
Hanged Man: 1600-800
Hanged Man: And soon, I will bring my Dark Martyrs back by means of its effect...
Acheron: Actually, they will be brought back due to the effect of Cubic Mandala...However, that means they are rendered completely powerless...
That's when all 4 Dark Martyr Monsters were brought back by cubes made of dark energy which rendered them completely powerless and petrified.
Dark Martyr of the Burning Stake, Dark Martyr of the Freezing Mountain, and Dark Martyr of the Electric Storm ATK: 1000-0
Dark Martyr Executioner ATK: 3200-0
Hanged Man: I activate the Spell, Revolution of the Dark Martyrs...This gives my Dark Martyr Executioner Attack Points equal to the original deficits of all Dark Martyrs...
Dark Martyr Executioner ATK: 0-6200
Hanged Man: I may not be able to attack this turn, but I can still prevent you from defeating me...
Acheron: I sacrifice all 3 of my Cubic Seeds to bring Indiora Doom Volt the Cubic Emperor back on the offensive...
Indiora Doom Volt the Cubic Emperor ATK: 0-2400
The Cubic Emperor called down a lightning bolt that struck Hanged Man.
Hanged Man: 800-400
Acheron: And now I activate the Spell Card, Cubic Wave...This doubles the power of my Cubic Emperor while your Monster loses half of its own...
The Cubic Emperor unleashes a mighty shockwave that brought the Dark Synchro Monster down further.
Indiora Doom Volt the Cubic Emperor ATK: 2400-4800
Dark Martyr Executioner ATK: 6200-3100
Acheron: Now to put an end to this pitiful battle...End this...
Indiora Doom Volt the Cubic Emperor charged up its cannon and fired a powerful electric blast that completely vaporized the Dark Synchro Monster and the statues that keep it afloat, and knocked Hanged Man down.
Hanged Man: 400-0
Acheron wins.
Azrael: Azrael knew such a whelp was no match for His Grace...
Draco: Of course he wasn't. He was a pawn used by that pathetic, arrogant fool...
Hanged Man: Where am I...?...Who are you people...?...
Azrael: You know only too well...
Hanged Man: Yes...I remember now...I wasn't sent here to deal with the Arcana's enemies...I was sent there as a distraction...
Acheron: What do you mean "distraction"...?...Speak...
Hanged Man: A distraction to separate Domino City III and Arcadia from the world...And forge them both into a new world separate from the old world...
Yuto, Iris, Orion, Charon, Page, Lilith, Snake, Sydney, Draco, Morgan and Megan, shocked: What?!
Acheron: By the Gods...
The entire group look where Acheron is looking, and see that both Domino City III and Arcadia are separated from Earth and merged together into its own world. Not as a planet, but as a Dyson sphere powered by the Next Dimension.
Azrael, grabbing Hanged Man: What is the meaning of this...?...Tell Azrael, or Azrael shall make you suffer...
Yuto: Let him go! He didn't want to any of this! None of the Arcana did!
Azrael: Be quiet, child...
Acheron: Azrael...Unhand the Arcana freeman...
Azrael, dropping Hanged Man: Yes, Your Grace...
Hanged Man: New Domino City III...And your home...None of us wanted this to happen...The Arcana are forced to do his bidding...He speaks as us...He acts as us...He Duels as us...But all of it for himself...You must stop him...Before the absolute end destroys us all...Before Death claims us...Take this...Free them...
Hanged Man gives Yuto the Stoic of Prophecy.
Iris: Before Death claims us? What does that mean?
Sydney, making a call via his Duel Disk: The thirteenth Major Arcana. I'll explain the whole structure of a basic Tarot deck later. Right now, we have a patient to send to the hospital.
Scene cut to the Arcadia portion of the new world, inside of Acheron's throne room.
Odysseus: What is the meaning of this...?...Why has Arcadia been dragged away from the world's view and merged with a part of it...?...
Delphinios: I do not know, Odysseus, but it managed to disrupt the Next Dimension we were working on entirely. The Next Dimension's basic abilities are easy to use to manipulate the entire world if the wielder was so inclined. But it takes a lot of time and energy into making it. How Kapaneus or his minions could wield it without any side effects is beyond even Arcadia's knowledge.
Adonis: Maybe Kapaneus is more powerful than Odysseus or lord and father think he isn't...
Odysseus: Kapaneus is nothing but a mere gnat...The Next Dimension would have left him skinned and screaming in eternal torment...
Lora: Perhaps because of Avatar and Yasha, the Next Dimension's energy has become more abundant, and the release of the Divine Gaea Spirits only made it more so...
Delphinios: It is possible. It is much more difficult to make a Next Dimension on Arcadia because we only use it very sparingly. However, Kapaneus managed to use some basic level skill in it on Gaea. My guess is that he had Avatar gather Ener-D, and then Yasha to use Gaea as a fertile grounds to sow his seeds, and once it bloomed, it was easy to use for Kapaneus and his followers. And each use seems to be a lot quicker than we hoped it to. I must inform lord Acheron about this immediately.
Acheron, appearing alongside Azrael, Yuto, Iris, Orion, Charon, Page, Lilith, Sydney, Snake, Draco, Morgan, Megan, and Aldrich: There is no need to inform me, Delphinios...I have seen it myself, and I would have guessed the same...
Delphinios: Ah, my lord. Didn't see you there. And it seems we also have a new guest.
Adonis: Yes...He's the old man who Odysseys and I were to question...Turned out that he lost the scrolls...Nevertheless, it appears that he shares the same common enemy in the Arcana as we do...
Abaddon: But why would they merge our worlds together...?...Is it as another futile, convoluted attempt on lord and father's life...?...
Azrael: If so, Azrael will guard His Grace...Even if it means the life of Azrael...
Snake: Okay, why is he such a boot-licking toady to Acheron?
Acheron: He follows a personal code of chivalry...Ever since my beloved queen and I rescued him and trained him, he has shown nothing but gratitude and respect...He merely wishes to return the favor to us all...He never refuses a challenge from any foe, gives aid to women and orphaned children, and protects the weak...That is why, alongside his faith, he has been knighted as my paladin...
Azrael: Azrael has protected several residents of Arcadia...
Yuto: Long shot, but considering your third-person mannerisms, you wouldn't happen to be related to Alastor in any way, would you?
Azrael: Azrael is not related to Alastor in any sense of the word...Alastor was a simple pawn of Kapaneus...Azrael is a loyal servant to Acheron and his seeds...
Yuto: I meant whether or not you come from the same place.
Azrael: Azrael lived in the same village as Alastor...He had a family...Azrael had no such thing...Not until His Grace and Her Grace saved Azrael...When Her Grace died, Azrael swore to not let His Grace suffer the same gruesome fate...
Draco: You have a noble heart, but the ends he seeks don't justify the means of which it's done.
Acheron: It most certainly does...Kapaneus has murdered several...This is the only chance I have to rid of the nightmares that plague me and aid those who suffered by his hands...And to make you well aware that this is not for me and me alone, several of my subjects have been orphaned because Kapaneus murdered their relatives...Azrael is an example of those many he has hurt...I seek to heal the deep wounds that Kapaneus has caused...
Snake: Earth to His Highness! The ends don't justify the means!
Azrael: Lower your tone when speaking to His Grace or Azrael will slice your throat...
Acheron: If everybody here is done acting like children-
Morgan and Megan, in chibi form: Never!
Acheron: If everybody else here is done acting like children, we need to know our plan of attack on the Arcana and how to, should there be any, prevent an invasion on Arcadia...
Iris: First thing that needs to be taken care of is the merging of our cities. The longer it stays like this, the more likely Arcadia will be attacked.
Azrael: And you need not fear of your enemies, Your Grace...Azrael will end their lives as rust on his blade and reduce their efforts on your head to naught...
?, a man with conditions similar to Fool, Magician, Priestess, Empress, Emperor, Hierophant, Lovers, Chariot, Justice, Hermit, Fortune, Strength, Hanged Man, Temperance, Devil, Tower, Star, Moon, Sun, Judgement, and World, appearing from nowhere: You will fail...
That's when all in the room were surrounded by several of soldiers loyal to Kapaneus.
?: The Arcana have made sure of it...Acheron will perish...The Immortal Throne will be lord Kapaneus'...And you will not reach the True Dracombatant...
Acheron: Another member of the Arcana, I presume...I suggest you leave my kingdom alone or I will deal with you as easily as I did the last...
? removed his robes, revealing his armor, and showing them Reaper of Prophecy.
Death: I am Death...I am the transition...The transition that brings Arcadia's downfall and lord Kapaneus' resurrection...
Acheron: Kapaneus is dead...And his absence has left the rest of his troops defenseless...Or rather even more defenseless...And with 1 fewer Arcana, his forces will continue to grow more and more pathetic by the second...Even with this futile attempt to destroy me by merging my kingdom with part of Gaea, your efforts are in vain...
Death: I am much more than a mere Arcana...
Acheron: You are still less than a threat to me...
Death: I grow tired of this...Kill him...
However, before the troops could strike, Brutus, on his Megarock Dragon, Phoenix, alongside Moon Dragon Quilla and Sun Dragon Inti, and Alastor, riding Vola-Chemicritter Methydraco, appear to the scene.
Yuto: Brutus?! Phoenix?! Alastor?!
Brutus: Calm yourself, boy. We're here on our own accord, and to rid of these pests from our lives.
Phoenix: Personally, I prefer single combat, but even I know when to put aside such pride to deal with those that threaten what I care most.
Alastor: And Alastor has had enough of Kapaneus' forces after having to deal with that annoying Ferrox. Alastor fights for the family he threatened. Alastor fights to seek his own redemption.
Adonis: The enemy of our enemies is a potential ally in any battle...Lord Acheron...Permission to allow them to assist us...?...
Acheron: Granted...But even 1 sign of betrayal, and they will suffer the consequences...
Brutus: We fear not your consequences, Acheron. And we fear Kapaneus and his forces even less.
Phoenix: You're not the only person fighting for family. We have that same cause as well. To ensure his men don't take them from us like he did others.
Alastor: Call it whatever you like. Call it selfish. Call it pragmatic. Call it foolish. Alastor cares not. All Alastor cares about is ensuring the safety of his family.
Acheron: There is no sin in wanting to help those close to you...But you followed the wrong king...Will you fight for me...?...Me, who has cared for others as though they were my own family...Me, who has protected many families residing in Arcadia...Me, who aids those who are poor, who hunger and thirst, and who seek a family and purpose...Will you fight for me...?...
Brutus, Phoenix, and Alastor silently kneel to Acheron. Kapaneus' foot soldiers shout out "Traitors!", "Blasphemers!", and all other insults towards the 3. That's when sarcastic clapping is heard.
?, a familiar and condescending voice: Bravo, Acheron. Bravo. You managed to corrupt the minds of 3 more pathetic fools into following you to your death.
Acheron: Does your sinful arrogance know no bounds that you would dare defy me, Sinistro...?...
Sinistro, who has a new arm which appears to be made out of very demonic-looking wood: You had the gall to defy me by ripping off my arm. Or did you forget about that?
Acheron: I have not forgotten...Nor have I forgotten the reason as to why...You should have been lucky I did not leave you with fewer limbs after daring to harm my beautiful queen...
Snake: Hey, Acheron? What's Mr. Even-More-Asymmetrical-Than-Azrael's-Armor's beef with you?
Acheron: His name is Sinistro...My queen disagreed with his malpractices...He responded by assaulting her...I took exception to that...Ever since then, I loathed him ever since he laid his hand on her...And he loathes me because I remind him of why he lost his arm...
Sydney: How so?
Adonis: He watched as Sinistro failed to cut a tough steak with just 1 arm...More than once, might I add...
Acheron: He said he wanted it cut...And it was...
Adonis: But that's not what he means by cut, lord and father...
Draco's laughter was heard in the background.
Sydney: Great...Turns out that Acheron ain't any different from you in terms of being a petty sociopath, Draco.
Draco: Flattery, historian.
Sinistro: And ever since Kapaneus' defeat, I joined in the Arcana and gave them the means to make both of your worlds 1 to kill you more easily.
Acheron: Your attempts have not flown over my head, Sinistro...I knew you would betray me...It was not a matter of if you would, but when you would...
Azrael: Your Grace, permission to exterminate this rat...?...
Acheron: Granted...Kill him...
Sinistro morphed his right arm into what looked like a Duel Disk.
Sinistro: I will not be executed by you or your little pet, Acheron...You are who I'm here for, not this worthless whelp!
Acheron: I do not acknowledge you as a threat, Sinistro...If I do not see you as a threat to any, why should I sully my hands dealing with you...?...I would end your existence right after you take the first turn by destroying all of your defenses and unleashing a brutal assault on your Life Points...I am the king of all of Arcadia, and you are naught but a mere gnat buzzing around in my presence and not worth my time trying to swat...Azrael, kill him...
Azrael, taking out a giant 2-handed kunai, which has an ornate white and red rose and an ornate black and blue violet etched on opposite sides of the blade, that he holds in a reverse grip in his right hand. The blade splits open in the middle, increasing its length and generating a second blade made of red energy. The glass visor on his face glows red.
Azrael: As you command, Your Grace...
Sinistro: So, Acheron made you another of his pawns?
Azrael: Azrael is his most trusted paladin, vermin...His Grace has given Azrael that station...
Sinistro: A mere pawn who seeks promotion above his station, only to fall by those higher than him.
Azrael: That description fits you far better, treacherous filth...
Sinistro: And what do I have to fear from you, you dimwitted hairless monkey?
Azrael, helmet undoing itself to reveal his face, which was pale and has a very large scar on each eye, which had black sclera, red irises, and white pupils: By the end of this Duel, Azrael will be your greatest fear...You will fear everything that is Azrael...
Both Duelists started off with 8000 Life Points and 5 cards each.
Azrael: Azrael gets the first move, and activate the Field Spell from his hand...Evil Eye Domain-Pareidolia...
The field shifts to night with a full moon and a massive castle erects from the ground in a dark and dead forest.
Azrael: Azrael now adds an Evil Eye Monster from his Deck to his hand...Azrael Summons Serziel, Watcher of the Evil Eye...
He then summons a humanoid and androgynous demon wearing an unusual set of armor with eye-like jewels on the left shoulder, left wrist, left knee, belt, and chest. Said fiend's right eye was red while the left was gray, and had short, white hair.
(Serziel, Watcher of the Evil Eye, Lvl 4, ATK 1600, DEF 1400, Dark, Fiend)
Azrael: Azrael Sets 3 cards face-down...
Sinistro: How utterly weak. I activate the Continuous Spell, Pestilence Swarm...For every Pestilence Monster I Summon, I get to place a Pestilence Counter on this card...Speaking of which, I Summon Pestilence Arthropod.
He then summons a demonic-looking louse that is far bigger than a normal louse should be.
(Pestilence Arthropod, Lvl 1, ATK 0, DEF 0, Dark, Insect)
Sinistro: And with a Pestilence Counter on it, I use its effect to drain Serziel of its power.
Serziel, Watcher of the Evil Eye ATK: 1600-0
Pestilence Arthropod ATK: 0-1600
Sinistro: Attack and destroy his worthless Monster now!
Azrael: Azrael Equips Serziel with the Evil Eye of Selene...This card prevents any who bare and protect the Evil Eye from destruction and being targeted by your effects...
A very ornate eyepiece was placed onto Serziel's right eye, which was red and has a unique symbol on it.
Sinistro: So what? You still lose Life Points.
That's when the demonic louse bit onto the Watcher of the Evil Eye's arm.
Azrael: 8000-6400
Azrael: Azrael is not the only Duelist who will suffer the price...
That's when a bolt of lightning struck Sinistro.
Sinistro: 8000-6400
Yuto: Wait a minute?! Did he just take the same amount of damage as Azrael?!
Azrael: Indeed...In Pareidolia, any protector of the Evil Eye of Selene will suffer the same pain as Azrael should they be attacked while said artifact is on the field...And there is more to come...Azrael activates the Trap Card, Evil Eye Confrontation...Azrael destroys your Pestilence Swarm, and with the Evil Eye of Selene on the field, banish it...
That's when Sinistro's Spell Card shattered like glass.
Serziel, Watcher of the Evil Eye ATK: 0-1600
Pestilence Arthropod ATK: 1600-0
Azrael: And upon the activation of an Evil Eye card, Serziel gains power at a price...
Serziel, Watcher of the Evil Eye ATK: 1600-2100
Azrael's eyes were then surrounded by a violent streak of electricity, making Azrael scream in agony and grab his eyes.
Azrael: 6400-5900
Iris: Azrael!
Azrael: Worry not on Azrael, girl...This is but a mere moment of pain...Nothing more...
Sinistro: You sure seem to doubled over for a "mere moment of pain", boy.
Azrael: And you seem quite confident for a man who lost his arm, betrayed His Grace, and is closer to losing than Azrael...
Sinistro: We'll see about that. I place 2 cards face-down and end my turn.
Azrael: And with this 1 attack, Azrael will destroy your Pestilence Arthropod...
Sinistro: Idiot! I activate the Trap, Pestilence Mitosis! I sacrifice my Pestilence Arthropod to Special Summon 2 more from my Deck! And then I activate my other face-down Trap, Pestilence Colonization! By sacrificing my Pestilence Arthropods, I can Special Summon 3 Pestilence Parasites!
He then summons 3 massive, demonic nematodes with several rows of sharp teeth.
(Pestilence Parasite, Lvl 5, ATK 1000, DEF 0, Dark, Insect)
Sinistro: And now their effects activate! Upon Summoning, they infect all Monsters you control with Pestilence Counters, which weakens them considerably.
Serziel, Watcher of the Evil Eye ATK: 2100-600
Azrael: Azrael activates the Trap, Evil Eye Defeat...Without the Evil Eye of Selene, only 1 of your Monsters returns to the hand, but with it, 2 go back to where they belong...And with them gone, so are their Pestilence Counters...
Serziel, Watcher of the Evil Eye ATK: 600-1600
Azrael: And since Azrael activated an Evil Eye card, he activates the effect of Evil Eye of Selene...
Once again, as the Watcher of the Evil Eye grew stronger, more electricity surrounded Azrael's eyes, causing immense pain bad enough to scream and cover his eyes.
Serziel, Watcher of the Evil Eye ATK: 1600-2100
Azrael: 5900-5400
Yuto: Azrael, stop! You don't have to strain yourself! Let us take care of this!
Azrael: No...Azrael will deal with the traitor...And Azrael will start by destroying his only Pestilence Parasite...By means of the effect of Serziel...
Serziel, Watcher of the Evil Eye unleashed a destructive blast from the Evil Eye of Selene, destroying the nematode in an instant.
Serziel, Watcher of the Evil Eye ATK: 2100-2600
Azrael: And like before, Azrael pays a price to make Serziel stronger...
Once again, the Watcher of the Evil Eye grew stronger while electricity painfully surrounded the eyes of a screaming Azrael.
Serziel, Watcher of the Evil Eye ATK: 2600-3100
Azrael: 5400-4900
Yuto: Azrael, stop using that card's effect! Can't you see you're hurting yourself?!
Azrael: Better Azrael bear the burden of pain than the rest of Arcadia...Azrael swore to never let the people who love and trust him to suffer ever since the death of Her Grace and the torture Young Lord Phobos endured over the years...Azrael bears the pain of all of it...Azrael will bear this cross alone...Even if it kills Azrael...Azrael will not let Arcadia suffer...Azrael Summons Medusa, Watcher of the Evil Eye...
He then summons a humanoid female demon wearing an unusual dress with eye-like jewels on the midsection and feet. Said fiend's right eye was yellow while the left was red, and had long, blue hair and nails as yellow as her right eye.
(Medusa, Watcher of the Evil Eye, ATK 1400, DEF 1600, Dark, Fiend)
Azrael: Azrael now Equips her with the Evil Eye of Gorgoneio...
A very ornate eyepiece was placed onto Medusa's left eye, which was red and had a unique symbol. Once more, Serziel grew stronger while electricity surrounded Azrael's eyes and caused him to scream in agony.
Serziel, Watcher of the Evil Eye ATK: 3100-3600
Azrael: 4900-4600
Azrael: And any bearing the Evil Eye of Gorgoneio is given power...When my Life Points are beneath yours, Medusa gains Attack Points equal to the difference...
Snake: So if he's at 4600, and Bug Boy has 6400, and Medusa has 1400 Attack Points...
Draco: She gains 1800, making 3200...Combined with Serziel, Watcher of the Evil Eye, he and Medusa, Watcher of the Evil Eye total to 6800. More than enough to end this.
Medusa, Watcher of the Evil Eye ATK: 1400-3200
Azrael: Attack now...
Both Watchers of the Evil Eye fired a devastating blast of dark energy from their respective Evil Eyes at Sinistro, severely damaging his new arm. Azrael collapsed to his knees from the strain of the Duel.
Sinistro: 6400-0
Azrael wins.
Sinistro, furious: This isn't over, Acheron! Your pet may have bested me by dumb luck, but I will return and claim your head!
With that, Sinistro disappeared by means of several tree branches surrounding him like a cocoon. Once they unraveled, he was gone.
Azrael: Forgive Azrael, Your Grace...Azrael could not execute the traitor...Azrael has failed you...Azrael was too weak...
Acheron: We will worry about him later, Azrael...Right now, we have more pressing matters to attend to...
Death: You have no idea what you're up against, Acheron...The Arcana's defeat is now impossible...Your defeat inevitable...
To be continued...