"I was this close… to knowing where he took Kaa-san… my hopes rode on that one Duel, but in the end… it was all for nothing…"
Asuka saw Kuromu's hands shake in frustration and anger.
"Everything I did, I did in hopes of finding and getting her back, but now…" He bowed his head, his hair covered his eyes and his body trembled. "I don't know what to do anymore…" His voice was shaking, struggling not to break down into tears, but eventually came down as he whimpered and sobbed. "I don't know… I just don't know…"
As Asuka embraced her friend, Kuromu let out likely weeks' worth of grief.
Unbeknownst to the two, just outside the infirmary, Rex had overheard their heart-to-heart talk. Hearing him grieve prompted him to leave, but afterwards he turned a corner to a different hallway, staring at the wall before-
*WHAM!*
"SHIT!" Rex cursed after punching the bulkhead, "This sucks, this sucks so much!"
After letting out that brief feeling of rage, the mutt calmed down and shook his head. There wasn't much he, or Judai and Sho could do to help him at the moment.
"General…" Dimucari asked as he, Laquari, Murmullo, and Bestiari appeared before the mutt.
Rex looked away, "Sorry about that guys." He apologized to the Duel Spirits.
"Is everything wrong, General?" The bull Gladiator Beast asked.
"You have no idea…" Rex muttered. "I can't believe I let my fears of the Game of Darkness get to me." He gingerly placed his hand over the faded scar.
"General, it's alright. This isn't like what happened years ago." Dimucari reassured him.
"But it is! Kuromu almost lost his life to win that Duel, and it still got him nowhere!" Rex argued, "If only I… I…" The mutt couldn't help but grit his teeth in frustration, "Argh, damn it all!" With that, he made his way back to his dorm to sleep on the matter. Perhaps things might be better tomorrow?
It had been a week since Kuromu's duel against the mysterious Oogumo and the Rider Duelist was finally off the sling. Though, he didn't go back to classes due to his current state of bandages on his body, so he opted to at least have his classmates bring his classwork and homework to his room while still sorting out his emotional baggage. The only thing he found strange was why Kuromu wasn't reported yet.
While a part of him was slightly glad that he hadn't, the other side had its doubts. Either way, he still kept his guard up in case he was ever called. Perhaps Tsukasa bought him some time in order for him to at least recover mentally.
'At least I can study in peace… somewhat…' Kuromu thought before turning towards what was now his new normal.
Having Duel Spirits around him.
"Hey! That's mine!" Den-O snarled as he tried to grab a game console away from Ex-Aid's hands.
"I don't think so. Not after last week." The game Rider argued.
"You two, can't you see that Kuromu-san's trying to study?" OOO pleaded between the two.
Kuromu, on the other hand, rolled his eyes as he returned to his studies.
'How the heck do Judai and Rex deal with their Duel Spirits?' The Rider Duelist thought.
For the past week, Kuromu had gotten to know each of the Riders a little bit, knowing all of their names. Godai Yuusuke, Tsugami Shouichi, Kido Shinji, Inui Takumi, Kenzaki Kazuma, Hidaka Hitoshi, Tendou Souji, Momotaros, Urataros, Kintaros, Ryuutaros, Kurenai Wataru alongside his partner Kivat-bat III, Hidari Shotaro, Philip, Hino Eiji, Kisaragi Gentarou, Soma Haruto, Kazuraba Kouta, Tomari Shinnosuke alongside his partner Krim Steinbelt who was actually the belt, Tenkuji Takeru, Hojo Emu, Kiryu Sento, and Tokiwa Sougo.
It was also an interesting time talking to Tsukasa, and his role in the multiverse, mind-boggling the concept may be. Despite that, he still had one question. Why did they keep the fact that they were Duel Spirits a secret?
*KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK*
Kuromu groaned as he slowly got up from his chair and went to answer the door. Who he saw stunned him momentarily but frowned, knowing that this was no surprise. Standing in front of him were a group of adults wearing a forest green version of Obelisk Blue's jacket and each had a beret.
This was the Dueling Ethics Committee.
"Kuromu Kururugi?" The leader of the group, who was female, inquired.
"…Yes, that's me…" Kuromu eventually answered, "I guess my time's come…"
"Yes. You're under campus arrest. You are to be escorted to campus."
"Yes ma'am…" Kuromu muttered before he got dressed and slowly walked out, complying with them.
"Yabai! Not good!" Fourze panicked. "We gotta help our buddy!"
"We can't, kouhai. Not in our spirit state." W said.
"But we gotta do something!"
"Obaachan ga itte ita: Men must be cool. Boiling water turns into vapor." Kabuto quoted.
"Huh?"
"What Tendou-san means is that we should all have a cool head and let it take its course." Agito said. "When it's all said and done, then we can help."
"Besides, this is something the shounen has to do by himself." Hibiki added.
"He's right. As a police officer myself, these kinds of things need to take its course." Drive replied to the astronaut Rider. "All we can do right now is watch over him."
Due to his injuries, Kuromu would need to take longer than usual and pace himself. Luckily, there was a truck waiting for him. With the assistance of the Dueling Ethics Committee, he slowly got in the truck, which then drove off to campus. Upon arriving, he was asked to put his hands behind his back and they placed handcuffs on him, as was standard procedure.
Moving into the campus, there were stares from all the students of Duel Academia watching Kuromu slowly being escorted by the Dueling Ethics Committee, talking and murmuring amongst themselves.
All the while, Kuromu began to wonder what was going to happen to him, or if the others were called by them as well.
"No way, someone got arrested by the D.E.C?"
"What do you think this one did?"
"I heard he went to the abandoned dorm."
"And he walked out of it alive? That's a miracle."
"That doesn't excuse him for going there in the first place."
"Kuromu!" Familiar voices called out. Kuromu and the D.E.C stopped walking as Judai, Sho, Misawa, Asuka, Rex, Rika, and Koji ran towards him.
"Guys…" Kuromu muttered.
"Why are you being escorted by the D.E.C?" Misawa inquired with shock and confusion. "What have you done to warrant an arrest?"
"It's… complicated, Misawa." Kuromu trailed off.
"Dude, you're in handcuffs! We can't just let them take you like this!" Rex pointed out.
"It is what it is." One of the D.E.C members said.
"Hold on, there's an explanation for all this!" Judai said.
"Aniki, no!" Sho protested.
"Judai, don't be stupid man!" Rex snapped.
"Let us all go with him and we'll explain everything to Principal Samejima! Just take the handcuffs off of him!"
"Judai, you don't have to do this…" Kuromu tried to tell him sadly, "I don't want you guys dragged into this."
"Screw that! We're friends! And friends always stick together!"
"Judai…" Kuromu felt touched by the Elemental HERO Duelist's kindness, as well as the rest of his friends showing up to check on him.
The Chairman of the D.E.C sighed wearily at this, "Very well, since you're all insistent, you can join him in the interrogation. But only speak when you are spoken to."
"Yes ma'am." They said before they joined Kuromu and continued their walk.
"I'm sorry…" Kuromu apologized.
"Daddy-O, you have nothing to apologize for." Koji reassured him.
"All for one, one for all Kuro." Rika added.
"We're all right with you." Asuka added. "We won't let you go in this alone, I promise."
Kuromu could only nod as their trip to the interrogation continued.
"EXPELLED?!"
Kuromu, now out of his handcuffs, was the only one who wasn't surprised while his friends were. After all, the Rider Duelist had a good reason why he was at the Abandoned Dorm. And yet here he was, his time being wasted by the head of the Dueling Ethics Committee interrogating them, her face being plastered on a large screen in the interrogation room. Not only that, Principal Samejima, Chronos de Medici, and several other staff members were present, all staring down at them from the large video screens.
["That's right. Trespassing into the Abandoned Dorm in the woods is strictly forbidden."] The head of the Ethics Committee informed.
"You've gotta be shitting me!" Rex roared.
["Language!"] Principal Samejima snapped at the mutt. ["Er-hem, that being said, it has come to my attention from one of our staff that there were… circumstances that led to this."]
"Yes…" Kuromu said, his head hung down.
["Principal, even if he were to explain, it doesn't change the fact that he stepped into forbidden territory. The Abandoned Dorm is forbidden for a reason. For students to even step foot on the grounds is punishable by expulsion."] Chronos pointed out.
["This is not a dictatorship, Dr. Chronos."] Samejima refuted. ["He's within his rights to explain himself and we can't deny him that. Not to mention that he was found in very bad condition."]
Kuromu sighed in relief. At least the Principal was being reasonable.
["Now then, Kururugi-san, please explain to everyone as to why you were at the Abandoned Dorm."]
"Yes…" Kuromu nodded, "My… my mother's abductor was here on the island."
["Pardon?!"] The Principal's shocked voice caused the other teachers to gaze down at the boy. Kuromu's fists were clenched shut, shaking as he looked up at the teachers.
"He called me out. He called me out to the Abandoned Dorm claiming that he had the answers I was seeking. I still have that message." Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out the PDA for the court to hear and played the message.
["Greetings, Kururugi Kuromu… It's been a while since our last encounter was it not? I don't know how you survived, but it does not matter. I will kill you again. But I'm getting ahead of myself. You have come looking for the truth, have you not? If you wish to seek those answers, come to the Abandoned Dorm tonight. I will be waiting."]
The murmurs of the teachers there only grew louder. Some wondered out loud to themselves how this was possible.
"At first, I was skeptical if this was real. But I didn't have any other leads…" Kuromu continued after the message ended. "I've been searching for those answers, hoping to find a lead on her whereabouts. I don't know how he found me, but that night… it was my only shot…" His head lowered as his eyes closed shut, his tears streaming. "I couldn't say no to that… I just couldn't…"
The room fell silent, even the more high strung teachers felt a ping of sympathy for the boy. All of his friends placed their hands on him for moral support.
["I see…"] Principal Samejima muttered.
Chronos on the other hand, looked panicked and was sweating bullets after hearing the Rider duelist's story. For plenty of reasons!
One: Judai was the one the so-called Dark Duelist was supposed to duel, not Kuromu! Two: It was supposed to seem like a Game of Darkness, not actually become one! And three: A student was almost killed because of it! If Principal Samejima found out that he was involved by accessory, he was screwed!
Samejima then looked to Kuromu's friends, ["Do any of you have anything to say to back his claim?"]
"Well…" Sho trailed off.
"We saw Kuromu run off and went after him." Judai said suddenly. Well, he wasn't lying about that. "We just wanted to hang out for a sleepover when he suddenly took off looking anxious."
"We ran that sleepover by our dorm head to be safe." Rex lied, backing the Elemental HERO Duelist's claim up before recalling what he and the others saw, "When we did get there, there was an eerie fog that rolled in before that Oogumo guy showed up."
Chronos stiffened.
["Hm? Dr. Chronos? Is something the matter?"] Samejima asked.
The mutt and the teacher soon met gazes as the latter noticed the look of, "If I find out that you had something to do with this, I will end you." the former had.
["N-No, of course not!"] Chronos stammered.
Samejima didn't look convinced but paid it no mind… for now. ["Go on then."]
"He began threatening Kuromu with killing us unless he complied with dueling in a Game of Darkness." Rex continued, shocking the staff. This individual was more dangerous than they thought. "The Duel… it was horrifying to watch. Kuromu being bloodied and burned throughout it all… It was like Battle City all over again with those Duel Ghouls."
Judai soon noticed a harrowed look on the mutt's face. He recalled that it was a Game of Darkness that gave him that scar, but he began to wonder if something else happened.
He then recalled what Rex said when he tried to protect Kuromu.
"I won't let another person die again. Not while I can make a difference."
'What happened that day?' Judai began to ponder.
["I see. And why did this Oogumo target Kuromu particularly?"]
"Well, I remember he said that he was after… something. Couldn't really tell what he wanted if you ask me." Rex admitted with a shrug.
["Kururugi-san?"]
Kuromu wiped his tears after calming down, "It's… this." He said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the flash drive. "I haven't looked at its contents yet. Whatever it is, Oogumo wanted it, but my father told me to keep it safe, no matter what. That's what led to that Game of Darkness. I won, but… Oogumo wasn't going to let my mother go any time soon. It was then that my friends tried to stand between Oogumo and me. That's when Kadoya-sensei helped us out and Oogumo fled after."
After putting it away, the board began talking amongst themselves. After a moment…
["I believe this requires a proper investigation. In the meantime, Kuromu, you will be on suspension, but will not be expelled."] Samejima stated.
This snapped Chronos out of his stupor and looked absolutely appalled. ["Principal! You can't be serious!"]
["As much as I am partial to Kururugi's story, even I must be against it."] The head of the Ethics Committee declared. ["Our rules must be upheld."]
["And yet we found out that he did not have a choice in the matter."] another added before a debate began to erupt.
["The safety of the other students is at risk! Are we to endanger their lives as well over one student?"]
["The students are our responsibility! It's our duty as their teachers to keep them safe!"]
["It's because of that, that we can't risk keeping Mr. Kururugi here! We need to expel him if we are to keep the entire student body safe!"]
["What good will that do? He will still be targeted by this intruder either way!"]
["Our island security has been compromised! We need to carry this punishment and expel him from Duel Academia or else we will be entirely responsible for whatever harm may come in the future! Our reputations will be ruined if we don't act immediately!"]
"I can't believe what I'm hearing…" Rex growled, less out of confusion and more of annoyance, "Why did I expect anything less?" he grumbled under his breath.
"How could they argue over this…?" Sho murmured, disturbed by the fact that this was happening in front of them.
"ENOUGH!" Rika suddenly shouted, much to the surprise of the others present. "Are you all that stupid?! This is a matter of life and death for someone whom I considered a brother, and especially his mother whom I also consider as family! How dare you argue politics over this in front of us! Kuromu's mother was abducted for reasons we don't know why, and yet all you people care about is your bottom line! The fact of the matter is, Kuromu's life, and his mom's are in danger and NONE OF YOU ARE DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT!"
"Rika…" Kuromu murmured.
"She's right. Two people's lives are hanging in the balance! Now's not the time to point fingers and fling accusations!" Asuka added.
The mutt couldn't help but smile, "Tell 'em!" he and Judai shouted in sync.
"It is rather unfortunate that politics and money speak more than caretakers actually do. A shame really…" Misawa added with disappointment. "As much as I would withdraw from Duel Academia for that reason, I would rather stay by my fellow Ra Yellow in protest."
"Should have guessed a Kaiba-run organization would be filled with jive-turkeys like these." Koji growled in disapproval.
"Misawa… Koji…" Kuromu muttered, amazed that his friends were standing up for him. Even the principal was surprised by how much faith Kuromu's friends had in the boy.
"I couldn't have said it any better than those kids." A familiar voice said, clapping slowly as the door to the interrogation opened to reveal Tsukasa in his proctor disguise.
"Kadoya-sensei," Kuromu gasped.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." He apologized to the Rider Duelist before he turned his attention to the board. "Members of the board, it stands to reason that this debate can only be solved the only way it can be solved. And that is for Kuromu dueling for his right to stay at Duel Academia."
"What?!" Everyone looked at the dimension Rider in shock.
"Kadoya-sensei, what are you-" Kuromu was cut off mid-question by the inquisitive look from the principal.
["May I ask why?"] Samejima inquired.
"I'm sure you know about the old adage of duels showcasing a person's true feelings." Tsukasa reminded them all, "How about we see if that holds true for Kururugi?"
Samejima seemed to ponder on this, as were the rest of the staff.
"I'm sorry, but are you out of your mind?! Hasn't he been through enough drama and heartache already?" Rex asked Tsukasa incredulously.
"Kid, this is the best I can do." The dimensional Rider reminded the mutt, "It's the only way we can guarantee Kuromu is still enrolled in this school without causing an uproar."
"Kadoya-sensei, I…" Kuromu tried to say something, but he didn't really know what to say. Perhaps Tsukasa had a point.
Samejima pondered on this for a while, before coming to a decision. ["Very well. I will accept those conditions. Kururugi-san, you will have one week to prepare for this duel. In the meantime, the staff and I will arrange a suitable opponent."]
"…Yes sir." Kuromu stated reluctantly.
The next day came by, and school life for Kuromu somewhat returned to normal. He was sitting at one of the statues that lined the path that led towards the school while looking at his Deck.
He was still in suspension due to Principal Samejima wanting him to only focus on his Duel that will be in six days. If and when he manages to win, said suspension will be lifted and will be eligible to make up for whatever classwork and homework he missed. Though at the moment, Kuromu was still reeling from the fact that he has to duel for the right to stay at Duel Academia. At the very least, he could still use his Duel Disk for practice Duels until that day, despite said practice Duels not being on his official record.
While he felt that he shouldn't be punished due to his justified actions, in the end, he still broke the rules regardless of the reasons he did. Even if they were circumstantial, it took a while to convince them that he had no choice in the matter when it came to trying to save a member of his family. And the fact that the faculty were arguing over his situation for their personal agenda, disgusted him.
'I still can't believe some of the teachers were corrupt.' He thought to himself. 'What were they thinking? I was in the right doing what I did.'
Of course, it wouldn't be that simple. What happened to him landed him in a very gray area of the school rules. Still, grumbling about it isn't going to help matters either.
"Heh, well isn't this a sight to see."
Kuromu looked up to see a couple of Obelisk Blue students approaching him.
"Word around campus is that you're on your way to getting booted off this island." One of the Obelisk Blue students chuckled. Kuromu didn't say anything, looking away.
"Seriously, who in their right mind wants to willingly get themselves expelled?" The second Obelisk student mocked. "Certainly not me."
Kuromu clenched his teeth hard, growling while trying to keep his temper in check.
"Maybe the dude's got a death wish or something." The second Obelisk student sarcastically pointed out.
"Grrrrrrrr…" Kuromu growled.
"I say good riddance." The first said. "Whatever it is you did to get yourself kicked out, was pretty stupid if you ask me."
*POW!*
That did it. Kuromu snapped and sucker punched the first Obelisk student.
"SHUT UP!" He shouted. "YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT I'M GOING THROUGH!"
"Heh, gotcha." He said before…
*CLICK!*
Kuromu's eyes widened before turning to find a third Obelisk Blue student taking a picture of the sucker punch. It was a trap.
"Can't wait for the principal to see this!" The third student chuckled as he was about to flee… had he not bumped into a wandering Osiris mutt.
"Huh? The heck's going on here?" Rex got out. He then looked at Kuromu who was visibly upset, then at the black eyed Obelisk then back at the third Obelisk Blue he bumped into, holding the camera. "Oh, it's a setup." He noted while the mutt grabbed the camera and began messing with it.
"Hey, that's mine!" The third Obelisk protested, but he was held back by Rex merely holding his foot out in front of the student.
"Just gotta do this and that and~ boom." He then gave the camera back to the student, "Memory card completely wiped."
"Bastard!"
"I've been called worse." Rex said before he looked towards Kuromu, "Doing alright there, bud?"
Kuromu looked away bitterly.
Rex sighed before looking at the three Obelisks, "Alright. I'm one for tolerating you pricks, but when it comes to kicking one of my friends while he's down, that's where I draw the line."
"Oh yeah, and what are you going to do about it, Yank?" The first Obelisk student, one Rex could easily assume was the leader, snapped back. "Whatever that loser did, he had it coming! He deserves what-"
"Bla bla bla." Rex interrupted the Obelisk student while mocking him, "You know, you people talk the same boasts every time this happens. Yapping on about how superior your dorm is compared to us lowly Ra Rejects or Osiris Slackers and all that bullcrap. Like bro, just because your dorm's named after Kaiba's favorite monster doesn't mean you people need to have an ego as big as his."
"What the?! Just who do you think you are?!" The second Obelisk student roared.
"Don't mind me, just passing through, and helping out a friend. Got it?" Rex said with a lazy smile.
"Well your friend is about to get what he deserves!" The first Obelisk said. "When he's booted off the island, he can take his sorry ass back to the mainland and cry to his parents about how he's such a disappointment and wretch that deserves to be put under!"
*POP!*
"What was that?" Rex snarled, his tone knocking all of the bravado the Obelisk students out of their systems and replacing it with sheer terror. Especially since the usual smile the mutt had didn't look natural to them at all. "YOU WANNA SAY THAT AGAIN?!"
"U-Uh, I…"
The leader was interrupted when Rex grabbed the leader by the throat and lifted him into the air.
"LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!"
Judai noticed the birds flying off after a seeming disturbance.
"Oh no, someone pissed off Rex."
"Oh man…" Sho groaned.
"SO UNLESS YOU WANT THAT TO HAPPEN TO YOU, I SUGGEST YOU APOLOGIZE TO KUROMU RIGHT HERE AND NOW, OR SO HELP ME GOD, YOU ARE GOING TO WISH THAT WE JUST HAD A SMALL CHAT!"
The mutt then took a moment to breathe, while Kuromu was left white as a sheet. He was at least glad however that wasn't in Rex's crosshairs this time.
"W-We're not afraid of a Yank like you!" The currently terrified Obelisk student lied as naturally as he screamed in terror.
"Alright then, how about plan B? Since I know that I might get the boot if I went with plan A…" Rex said harshly before shoving the leader unceremoniously taking out his Duel Disk, "If I win, you apologize, and if you win, I'll walk away and pretend I saw nothing. Deal?"
"F-Fine! Besides, I ain't apologizing for anything!" The Obelisk leader said, arming himself with his own Duel Disk.
"And that was your first mistake of many you'll be making today." Rex said coldly before he glared at his opponent, "Standby."
The mutt then slotted his Deck into his Duel Disk, going to active mode. The Obelisk leader did the same. And afterwards, both drew their starting Hand.
"DUEL!"
Obelisk Student: 4000
Rex: 4000
"Since you're the prick, you go first." Rex offered.
"Fine! I'm gonna shut that mouth of yours! O-re no ta-n! Draw!" The Obelisk student drew his sixth card. "I activate Angel's Charity! This lets me draw three cards and discard two to the Graveyard!" He said, doing as the card instructed. "I place this card face-down in DEF mode, and place two more cards face-down." He said, before two reversed cards appeared on the field. "Ta-n endo."
"Not bad." Rex noted, "But it's my turn now. Draw!" After drawing his sixth card, he shrugged, "After I set one card face down, I activate the spell card Unexpected Dai! Since I don't have any monsters on my side of the field, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower normal Monster from my deck, and I got the one."
Rex then drew a card from his deck and placed it down, "I special summon Gladial Beast Andal in Attack Position!"
From his side of the field, a large black bear wearing purple and silver armor, an eyepatch on its scratched right eye, as well as a pair of gauntlets emerged and roared into the air. (4/ATK:1900/DEF:1500)
"You summoned me, General?" the bear asked in a raspy Russian accent.
"I then set two cards and end my turn." Rex stated before placing down two cards.
This surprised the Rider Duelist, he always pegged the mutt as someone who instantly went for the attack.
"O-re no ta-n!" The Obelisk declared drawing his next card. He then looked at his face-down monster and smirked, "Now I'm going to Flip Summon the monster, I had face-down!" He said, as he did as intended, and the monster that appeared was a machine that was gray and shaped like a jar. Inside was a blue face with one green mechanical eye and sharp teeth that smiled menacingly. (2/ATK: 900/DEF: 500). "I flip summon Cyber Pod!"
'Hoo boy, I can tell it's gonna be one of those decks. Better keep my wits about this. Who knows what this guy has.' The mutt took note.
"And since he's Flip Summoned, all monsters are destroyed!" The Obelisk snickered, as the mechanical jar fired a green laser, destroying Gladial Beast Andal into pixels and the mechanical jar exploded afterwards.
"Each of us draws five cards, any Level 4 or lower monsters are special summoned to the field." The Obelisk continued before the two drew their respective cards. "Those that aren't are added to your Hand."
The mutt was surprised to see who he had drawn and quickly showcased two of the cards while the other three went into his hand.
"Alright then, I special summon Gladial Beast Hoplomus in DEF position, and Gladial Beast Samnite in ATK position!"
At once, two more animals materialized to Rex's side, one a smilodon with black and gold armor, as well as a glowing sword and a large Roman shield (3/ATK:1600/DEF:1200) and the other a large rhino in white and gray armor with several floating shields around himself who took a knee afterwards (4/ATK:400/DEF:2100).
"2100 DEF points?!" The Obelisk student gasped while the rhino merely flared his nostrils.
"I'm ready to rip and tear!" Sammite chuckled with a gravelly tone.
"Che, well no matter!" The Obelisk student scoffed as he drew his five cards. "I'll set these two face-down in DEF mode!" He declared, as said cards appeared then discarding so that his hand was at six. "Ta-n endo."
"Not bad, not bad at all." Rex noted with a smirk, "But it's my turn now! I draw!" He declared before checking his card and smiled, "I'll save this for a rainy day, because for now… I place down a card face down and activate from my hand Colosseum - Cage of the Gladial Beasts!"
The area soon transformed into a large gladiatorial colosseum, with thousands of animals akin to the Gladial Beasts lining the stands, including the other two Obelisk members and Kuromu.
"So you took us to an arena, so what?" The Obelisk student snarled.
"Oh, you'll see." Rex coyly said, "But for now, I set a monster face down alongside another facedown card and end my turn."
"O-re no ta-n! Draw!" The Obelisk student declared, drawing his next card, his Hand now at seven. "Let's see what you're hiding, I activate this card! "Defense" - Sealing! Now your face-down is switched from DEF to ATK!"
Soon, the card revealed itself to be a monkey with a cybernetic arm and an eye piece (2/ATK:700/DEF: 300). This was the Slave Ape.
"Huh? A small monkey?" One of the Obelisk members observed and subsequently mocked, "That's what he was hiding?!"
"Not like you're hiding anything different with those two cards." The mutt pointed out, egging the Obelisk member on with a bit of dry wit.
"Oh yeah?! I'll show you! I summon Giant Virus in ATK mode!"
All of a sudden, a giant germ-like creature appeared on the Obelisk member's side of the field, looming over the arena (2/ATK:1000/DEF:100).
"Huh, a germ. Fitting for someone like you." Rex pointed out, not at all impressed.
"Grrrrr… Battle! Giant Virus attacks your Slave Ape!"
Soon, the virus flew towards the ape and absorbed it, the ape's screams unnerving Rex.
Obelisk Student: 4000
Rex: 3700
However, this didn't worry Rex. If anything, the growing smirk made the Obelisk member slightly confused.
"Hehe, what a pity. You took the bait just like I expected." Rex chuckled, "I activate Slave Ape's effect! Because it was destroyed in battle, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Gladial Beast monster on my side of the field!"
"Huh?!"
"Come forth, Gladial Beast Darius!"
Just then, the germ began to pulsate as something was struggling to get out of it. It was then that a large horseman-like creature with orange and silver armor leaped out of the germ and onto Rex's side, readying his electric whip (4/ATK:1700/DEF:300)
"But wait, there's more!" Rex declared, "Because I Special Summoned a monster, Colosseum - Cage of the Gladial Beast's effect activates! I can place a Counter on this card for every Special Summon performed and boost all my beast's attack and defense by 100 for each counter."
It was then that a blue aura formed around Darius, Sammite, and Hoplomus while their power increased.
Gladial Beast Hoplomus (ATK:400-500/DEF: 2100-2200)
Gladial Beast Samnite (ATK: 1600-1700/DEF: 1200-1300)
Gladial Beast Darius (ATK: 1700-1800/DEF: 300-400)
"One more thing! Since Darius was Special Summoned via Slave Ape's effect, I can activate his own effect and special summon a Gladial Beast from my graveyard! Return to the field, Andal!"
"On your feet, soldier! Your battle is not over yet!" Darius called out before Andal appeared and even gained the boost his fellow Gladial Beasts were given.
Gladial Beast Hoplomus (ATK: 500-600/DEF: 2200-2300)
Gladial Beast Samnite (ATK: 1700-1800/DEF: 1300-1400)
Gladial Beast Darius (ATK: 1800-1900/DEF: 400-500)
Gladial Beast Andal (ATK: 1900-2000/DEF: 1500-1600)
"What the?! How the hell did your monsters get that strong in one go?!" the Obelisk leader gasped in shock.
"It's called Deck Synergy. Maybe learn how to read the room next time?" the mutt chuckled. "Battle! Andal, time for some payback! Attack Giant Virus!"
"With pleasure, general!" the bear agreed.
"Oh no, you don't!" the Obelisk member snarled, "I reveal my trap card, Holy Barrier - Mirror Force!" The card flipped up. "This will reflect your attack and destroy all your monsters!"
"Then I'll counter that with Parry! By returning a Gladial Beast from my hand to my deck, I can negate and destroy your trap!"
"Hah! Dumbass! I was waiting for you to activate one of those facedown! I activate my other face-down, Trap Jammer!"
'Shit!'
As soon as Parry was destroyed, Andal crashed into an invisible barrier which then shocked him, before sending him flying towards the other Gladial Beasts on the field and destroying them.
"Heh, looks like you're not the only one who can think outside of the box." the Obelisk member said with a sly grin, though Rex noticed a slight relief in the man's eyes.
'Looks like that initial play got him really worried.' the mutt noted before looking towards his hand, "Alright, before I end my turn, I activate Gladiator's Return. I can target three Gladiator Beast cards in my graveyard and shuffle them back into my deck before drawing a card. And I'm putting Darius, Sammite, and Parry back into my deck."
He then shuffled the three cards back into his deck before drawing a new card.
"O-re no ta-n!" The Obelisk leader declared, drawing his next card, "I'll admit, I didn't expect you to have such a powerful combo. However with my cards, I'll make sure that you'll never boost your beasts any further! I'll flip summon my Metamor Pot!"
"MOTHA-!"
"Language!" Beastari scolded as the jar with a black face, one eye, and an eerie smile appeared. (2/ATK: 700/DEF: 500)
"Both of us discard our entire Hand and draw five new cards!" The Obelisk leader said, as both did as the card instructed.
'Dammit!'
"Don't get comfortable yet. I flip summon my other face-down monster, Needle Worm!"
'SON OF A-' Rex snarled as a large worm with a needle at the head appeared (2/ATK: 750/DEF: 600)
"Now send the top five cards to your Graveyard!" The Obelisk leader demanded.
As five more cards entered the graveyard, the Obelisk leader's arrogance grew.
"And from my new Hand, I summon Death Hamster!"
Appearing on the field was what seemed to be a normal oversized hamster, the size of a capybara, however, it reeked of the smell of death (3/ATK: 900/DEF: 600)
"Heh, what now? You got nothing left in the tank you can use to stop me." He chuckled before placing a spell card face down, "Face it, you're just another low-level punk like the rest. Now then, battle! Time to put you down! Go, my monsters! Take that Osiris Slacker down!"
Soon, the Needle Worm, Death Hamster, and Metamor Pot all charged at the mutt, taking a chunk of damage each off of him.
Obelisk Student: 4000
Rex: 1350
However, when the Giant Virus was ready to complete the assault, Rex saw a card in his hand and activated it.
"I activate Gladial Beast Noxius' effect!" he called out, "Since a Direct Attack was opened on me by an enemy monster, I can Special Summon him straight from the hand and redirect his attack to him and can't be destroyed. And I choose to summon him in DEF position!"
Soon, a large leopard with blue armor and a pair of claws appeared and took the blow meant for Rex, pushing the Giant Virus back before snarling in defiance (5/ATK:0 - 300/ATK:1000 - 1300).
"Tsk, another survival tactic." The Obelisk leader snarled.
'Whew. I'm safe. Alright, time to ride this wave.' He thought before regaining his courage, "Alright, now I activate Noxious' second effect, one shared by all Gladial Beasts! If Gladial Beast Noxius did battle, I can send him back into my deck and special summon one Gladial Beast of any type onto the field except for a copy of himself!"
"What?! How is that legal?!" The Obelisk leader questioned him.
"It says so on the card. Don't believe me?" Rex said, before expertly throwing it to which the Obelisk leader caught, in order to read the fine print.
"Tsk, it doesn't matter what beast you call from your deck. My next turn will finish you off." He said after throwing the card back for the mutt to summon back.
"Even if it was a Level 8 monster?" Rex asked, his confidence slowly returning to him.
"Eh?"
"I Special Summon from my deck, Gladial Beast Agustus!" The mutt declared.
Suddenly, a large bird-like Gladial Beast with black and silver armor appeared, screeching his lungs out before brandishing his broadsword (8/ATK:2600-3000/DEF:1000-1400).
"I see that you have called for me, general." Agustus addressed Rex with a more dignified tone.
"Yeah, and now I can activate Agustus' effect! If he was Special Summoned by the effect of a Gladial Beast, I can Special Summon another one from my hand." Rex then took out the card from his hand, "And I'm calling forth another avian ally, Gladial Beast Bestiari in DEF position!"
"Finally!" Bestiari himself cheered before he materialized onto the battlefield (4/ATK:1500-1900/DEF:800-1200), which further powered up Agustus as well.
Gladial Beast Agustus (ATK: 2900-3000/DEF:1300-1400)
"Alright, then. I activate Bestiari's effect! Since it was Special summoned via a Gladial Beast's effect, I can destroy a Spell and Trap card on the field! And guess where I'm aiming?"
"Tsk!" The Obelisk leader clicked his tongue before Bestiari fired one of his wrist blasters to destroy the card, "Fine, ta-n endo."
"Neat, now I'll have to shuffle Bestiari back into the deck since he was Special Summoned by Agustus' effect, he can only stay there until the End Phase. Thanks for the help, pal." Rex addressed the green bird.
"No prob, win this one for all of us. Okay?" Bestiari said before returning to the deck.
"It's not gonna matter! Whatever you draw, it's not gonna help!" The Obelisk leader sneered.
"Wanna bet?" Rex asked.
"Your chances are slim to none, just like your friend's chances of staying here!"
"Never stopped me or him before, it won't stop us now."
"Why are you so confident in him, Yankee? He's just begging for expulsion! There's no way this kid's even going to get a taste of freedom once his Expulsion Duel comes up! His time here is done! Finished!"
"Do you even know why?"
"Who cares?! He broke the rules! Doesn't matter what the reason was!"
"Then that's how you'll lose." Rex stated, "Because like with how you viewed my brothers-in-arms, you didn't bother looking into the why and just assumed that nothing could harm you. You took everything at face value and that is what it's gonna cost this Duel."
"I still got 4000 Life Points! You can't hit me in one turn, you ain't got SHIT!"
*POP!*
"Uh-ohhhhhhhhh…" Laquari murmured. "He's done it now…"
"It's my turn… Draw!" As the mutt looked at the card he just drew, "Buddy… Your luck just ran out." He said to the Obelisk leader, who in turn did not like the implications of what the mutt drew, "I play Gladial Beast's Respite! I can shuffle two Gladial Beasts back into my deck and draw three cards in return!"
After sending two cards from his hand and drawing three more in return, he smirked and placed down to their surprise, Bestiari.
"Now I normal Summon my Bestiari in ATK mode, but he won't be here for long." The mutt stated, "First, I reveal my second to last facedown card, Gladial Rejection! Now you only target any of my beasts during the Battle Phase."
"So?" The Obelisk leader questioned him, "That won't change anything."
"Oh it will, because I'm gonna Contact Fuse my monsters now."
"Contact what?!" The Obelisk Leader gawked.
As the two birds took to the sky, Rex quickly declared, "Time to spread the wings of freedom and claim victory! I Fusion Summon Gladial Beast Gyzarus in ATK position!"
Soon, Bestiari flew back down, only now he was the size of Agustus with much larger armor, and had his arms folded (6/ATK:2400-3000/DEF:1500-2100).
"Since I Special Summoned a Gladial Beast, Gladial Rejection's second effect comes into play! Because now I can Special Summon a Gladial Beast in DEF Position that's a different type than Gyzarus! So I'm calling forth Gladial Beast Murmillo!"
Soon, the cod-like Gladial Beast emerged, ready for battle. (3/ATK:800-1500/DEF:400-1100)
This also boosted Gyzarus as well, the growing power of the beasts getting the Obelisk leader frightened.
Gladial Beast Gyzarus (ATK:2900-3100/DEF:2000-2300)
"Now Murmillo's effect activates! Like the others, his effect activates thanks to Gladial Rejection acting as a proxy for the Gladial Beast, so now I can destroy one face up monster! So your Metaphor Jar goes! Go, Piscine Pressure!"
At once, Murmillo activated the turbines on his back and blew the jar away, leaving three monsters on the field.
"I ain't done yet, I activate Gyzarus's effect! Because this card was Special Summoned without Fusion, I can destroy up to two cards on the battlefield!" Rex declared, "So say goodbye to your Giant Virus and Death Hamster. Shoot them down, Gyzarus! Aves Arrow!"
"Gladly!" Gyzarus shoutes before firing two shots from his upgraded cannons as they destroy the germ and the hamster.
"Up next! I use Blazing Hell! While I'll be taking 500 damage to my Life Points, you're getting 1000 Life Points taken from you!"
A large flame quickly appeared from the arena floor and hit the two Duelists, burning them.
Obelisk Student: 3000
Rex: 850
"And for the last two cards, I equip Gladial Beast's Battle Gladius to Gyzarus, and activate Indomitable Gladial Beast! This should add a healthy 300 and 500 points respectively."
Gyzarus then screeched as his fighting spirit was further increased, while a large dagger appeared in his hand
Gladial Beast Gyzarus (ATK:3100-3900/DEF:2300)
"Uhh… boss?" One of the Obelisk students fearfully asked their leader, desperate for a way to turn things around.
"T-That's-!" The Obelisk leader stammered.
"Like I said, pal. Your luck just ran out. Now, let's clear the board." The mutt said before he gave his opponent a thumbs up that he turned into a thumbs down, "Gladial Beast Gyzarus attacks Needle Worm! Finish him off with Winged Wrath!"
Knowing that he was done for, the Obelisk leader could only watch as Gyzarus flew right for Needle Worm and cut the insect down, before charging right for him to land a football tackle that knocked him to the ground.
Obelisk Student: 0
Rex: 850
The audience in the arena cheered, not just for Gyzarus, but for Rex as well before Solid Vision disappeared. Obelisk Blue student sat up, shocked that this Osiris Red student, someone seemingly lower than him, would win so decisively.
"I win." Rex said matter-of-factly. "Now hold up your end of the bargain and apologize to Kuromu for all the things you said."
"Tsk…" the Obelisk derleader clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Rex… you know he's not gonna mean it." Kuromu muttered, much to the mutt's shock.
"But-"
"It's fine. After all, he has it made. His family is safe and sound. Never having to worry about being abducted or killed. Never having to think twice about what would happen if his family were. Never having to worry about what he would do to bring them back. Never having to even think about being a target for someone's sick game. At the end of the day, he has it made. So much better than this disappointment that should be put under…"
At this point, Rex looked very disturbed by Kuromu's monotonous attitude. Even moreso, the Obelisk leader's eyes widened with horror, as he started realizing how much he screwed up.
Even his lackeys paled in horror, coming to the same realization.
Kuromu then walked towards said leader.
"W-Wait, wait! Hold on! Let's not be hasty!" The Obelisk leader panicked, but Kuromu ignored his pleas as he kept walking towards him.
"Dude, what are you-" Rex got out.
"Wait! Stop! Okay, look! I get it! I didn't mean to say those things to you! Really! Honest!" The Obelisk leader pleaded, but again, he was ignored. "Please, don't hurt me!" He pleaded to Kuromu.
Kuromu then stopped as the Obelisk leader quivered in fear. "Alright! Alright! I'm sorry! I'M SORRYYYYYYYYYY!" He finally apologized.
Kuromu simply squatted down, still staring at the Obelisk leader with lifeless eyes, his face being completely neutral. Rex was ready to step in just in case things went south.
"I hope you are. And I hope you understand now… because the next time you ridicule me or my family… I'll make sure that you get put under. And I will have no remorse for doing it…" the Rider Duelist threatened.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhh… ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The Obelisk leader finally found the strength to scramble to his feet and run away screaming in terror, his lackeys following after.
Kuromu merely sighed as he stood up before turning around and walked towards Rex.
"Are you-"
"I'm just sick of being pushed around…" the Rider Duelist said, coldly, as he walked past and away from the mutt who looked on.
"Oh man, I didn't know he was capable of being that scary!" Bestiari said, appearing in spirit. "It's like he finally snapped."
"Thank you for pointing that out, birdbrain." Laquari added. "Too many things are going through his head. He hasn't had any time to properly sort out his feelings."
"This is gonna be a headache and a half to fix." Rex sighed.
"Speaking from experience, general?" Dimucari asked, to which the mutt nodded.
Later that night, Kuromu found himself unable to sleep. So he decided to go out of his dorm in his pajamas to get some fresh air.
A soft yet cool breeze rushed past the Rider duelist as he walked over to the edge of the cliff. Then he sat on the grass with his knees to his chest, staring aimlessly at the ocean's horizon.
His mind continued to replace many of the taunts that Oogumo flung his way on the day that he was unable to save his mother. He just felt so… so…
Powerless…
Not only that, what happened earlier in the day didn't make things any better. Due to their superiority complex, those Obelisk students had the inability to empathize with his situation due to his own luck. Which just made his feelings about the situation worse. Why do arrogant people like them get all the best opportunities while the worst always happens to those below the arrogant?
That person never understood because he never experienced it. Knowing can only get one so far. They never understood that it couldn't be helped in those situations. It was something beyond his control. And they had the audacity to ridicule him for his problems?
"This sucks…" he grumbled to himself, "I just wish that-"
"Things went your own way for once? I know the feeling."
Looking up, he saw Kamen Rider W, walking up to and standing next to him in spirit form.
"Shotaro…" Kuromu muttered, as the two-in-one Kamen Rider closed their belt buckle, the Double Driver and took the green and black USB flash drives out, which were the GaiaMemories. The wind disperse the armor into tiny bits of debris, revealing the Rider's civilian form. To be honest, this was the first time other than Tsukasa, that Kuromu got to see W under the armor, and to his surprise, another spirit joined W, or perhaps just Shotaro, in sitting by the Rider Duelist's side.
Shotaro himself was a young man with wavy hair, a black vest over a red long shirt, and a white tie while Phillip had slightly long hair, a girlish face, a long sleeved yellow striped shirt, a long green sleeveless green jacket, yellow fingerless gloves, and brown parachute pants.
"You look like you could use some company." Philip commented.
"I guess." Kuromu muttered. "I messed up when I threatened that guy."
"Well, he wasn't exactly a saint either," Shotaro said. "And besides, you had every reason to be angry at them."
"But it wouldn't make me feel any better even if I wanted retribution…" Kuromu pointed out.
"And you're right. Revenge will make you feel empty if you went through with it." Philip began. "Which is why you can't let your past control you. Shotaro would know. He was like you at one point."
"Huh?" Kuromu looked at Philip then at Shotaro.
"He's right… though, if I'm honest, I'm sort of still dealing with it to this day." Shotaro said, tipping his fedora hat down. "It all started with Begins Night."
"Begins… Night?" Kuromu parroted.
Shotaro nodded, "I was a novice back then, just a kid who fell under the wings of a veteran detective. We were supposed to find a person known as the Chosen Child, someone who had powers that could be used for evil. The boss gave me a case to watch over, telling me to not move. However, I saw someone that I thought was our person of interest. Turns out, I was right, because that was the day I met my partner."
This surprised the Rider Duelist, "You mean-"
Phillip nodded, "I was the Chosen Child they were looking for." he confirmed, "To make a long story short, my family ended up discovering something known as the True Gaia Memory when I was a child. I ended up falling into it and was brought back as its avatar."
"You can imagine that after that, his family would soon lock him up in an institute with his memories altered." Shotaro continued, "But either way, I disobeyed the boss' orders and I got quite the lecture. But that didn't matter as we soon made an effort to free Phillip from his prison, well the boss did. All I did was put him in a position to get shot down." The detective soon took off his black fedora and just stared at it mournfully, "The last thing he asked me was to finish the case and protect Phillip. He wanted me to become a man worthy of wearing his old hat."
"And… that's when you became a Kamen Rider…" Kuromu murmured.
"That's right. Since then, I felt so guilty, knowing that it was my fault that he was dead. There was one instance where the memories of Begins Night caught up with me and I gave up. But… I had Philip. And the friends that I had, helped me come to terms with it. For a time I really did, that is until… well…"
"When she arrived." Philip chuckled.
"Who?" Kuromu asked.
"The girl that caught Shotaro's eye." Phillip answered.
"Oi, Philip!" Shotaro snapped.
"You have a girlfriend?" Kuromu asked innocently.
"You could call their relationship that." Philip continued, much to the detective's chagrin.
"I told you it's not like that!"
"And yet Aki-chan and I saw you freeze after she kissed you."
"Why you-!" Shotaro growled, before looking back to Kuromu. "Look, the point is, kid, trust us when I say that you don't have to face your problems alone. You got a lot of people backing you up, both Duelist and Duel Spirits."
"Shotaro…"
"Hmhm, and it's because of his character that Shotaro will forever be half-boiled." Philip chuckled again.
"I told you I'm hard-boiled!"
"Like a hard-boiled egg?" Kuromu blinked, before looking up and a thought bubble appeared, imagining a cartoonish hard-boiled egg with Shotaro's face and fedora. "Mmnh… pfft… hahahahahaha… hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"
"O-Oi, what are you laughing at?!" Shotaro snapped comically.
"It could be worse, at least you weren't called sunny side up." Philip said.
"That's even worse!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Pretty soon, he'll be scrambled!" Kuromu cracked up.
"Alright, alright. Enough with the egg puns." Shotaro grumbled in defeat. But in his mind, he at least got Kuromu to have a good laugh and some positivity.
"Oh, oh crap. My sides. I haven't laughed like that in weeks." Kuromu said after calming down.
"Good. We got you out of your depression." Philip said with satisfaction.
"Eh?" Kuromu got out before realizing that he was smiling again, "Well, I guess I needed that." The Rider Duelist took note.
"And with that, our work here is done." Shotaro said. "Just remember, you're not alone in this. You have friends to rely on."
"That includes you two, right?" Kuromu grinned, much to the detective Riders' mild surprise, before both of them grinned back.
"Of course kid, we got your back." Shotaro reassured him.
"You can always rely on us and the other Riders." Philip nodded.
"Kuromu?"
Shotaro and Philip disappeared from view as Kuromu turned to the source of the voice, and saw Asuka approaching him, her uniform still on.
"Asuka." Kuromu acknowledged. "What are you doing out here?"
"I heard about what happened from Rex. He said that I should check on you." She explained.
"I see…" Kuromu said, before smiling softly, something that Asuka was quick to notice. His demeanor seemed to be better. "I'm okay. Sorry if I worried you."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I guess I just had a lot weighing down on me." The Rider Duelist admitted, before looking back at the horizon. "Besides, I did some reflecting."
"You have?"
"Yeah… I know things haven't been going my way as of late. But… I realize now that despite these setbacks thrown at me, I can't let them bring me down. I have to keep moving forward if I'm to ever save Kaa-san. And I know I can't do this alone."
Asuka couldn't help but nod in affirmation of this while Kuromu got back up.
"That's why… I'm gonna give it my all at the Punishment Duel. I don't care who Principal Samejima, Dr. Chronos, or any one of the staff chooses, as my opponent." Kuromu then clenched his fist, and looked at Asuka with a determined smile. "No matter what happens, I'll win. I'll show everyone at Duel Academia that I belong."
Asuka couldn't help but smile, "That's what I like to hear."
"Oya oya. Are we interrupting something?"
Kuromu and Asuka flinched before turning to see the smug grins of the disco fan and the mutt, who had arrived alongside Rika, Misawa, Judai, and Sho. Immediately Kuromu and Asuka stepped back in embarrassment.
"H-How long were you guys standing there?" The Rider Duelist asked hesitantly.
"Long enough, bro." The mutt answered.
"Look at you, Kuro. Making a move on her." Koji chuckled with wiggling eyebrows.
"Dude's probably had enough of the guys swarming around his girlfriend." Rex added before sharing a fist bump with the disco fan.
"What the-?! What is wrong with you two!?" Kuromu roared. "And it's not like that!"
"Hehe~ that's not what we're seeing." Rika grinned impishly.
"Oh come on! You too?!" The Rider Duelist gawked.
"This is certainly quite the development." Misawa smirked in amusement.
"Yeah." Sho nodded.
"Huh, so Kuromu and Asuka are buddy-buddy with each other?" Judai asked, "Like, the other kind of buddy-buddy?"
Kuromu groaned, slapping his face to his palm. "I am never living this down, am I?"
"So, when's the wedding?" Rex asked, to which Kuromu roared…
"SHUT UP, YOU STUPID MUTT!"