//------------------------------//
// Episode 15: Eternal Rivals 
// Story: Yu-Gi-Oh! EQG: Duelist Rangers Season 2 
// by Bahamut0 
//------------------------------//

	"Ow! My head!", Inferno groaned as he woke up. "Well this sure isn't the ideal place to wake up in." Inferno found himself as the Dragon Shrine. "Okay. I know where I am. But what do I need to do to get out of here?" Soon, one of the monuments to a fallen dragon began to stir. "Me and my big mouth." Soon, a dragon corpse rose from its resting place. It looked like a zombie version of Red Eyes! The reanimated dragon then let out a ferocious roar, and launched a blast of flame from its mouth! "Looks like he wasn't resting in peace!" Inferno morphed and charged at Red Eyes Zombie Dragon! The two grappled and Red Eyes Zombie spoke.

"Does it not eat away at you?", Red Eyes Zombie hissed as ghostly breath escaped his mouth. "Are you not jealous of him?" Inferno was confused at what the living corpse meant.

"What're you talking about? Jealous of who?", Inferno asked.

"Your friend. The one who is bonded with Blue Eyes White Dragon. Have you not noticed it yet? He'll always be stronger than you! No matter what power you attain, he will find another to counteract it! Just like my rivalry with Blue Eyes! I was always weaker no matter how strong I got! I find it shameful that one of my descendants would side with that accursed dragon!" Red Eyes Zombie fired a powerful blast of flame that sent Inferno flying! "Do you have anything to say whelp?" Inferno slowly rose, and gazed sternly at Red Eyes Zombie.

"Yeah. Shut up!" Red Eyes Zombie reeled in surprise. "I know I'll never be as strong as Burst! And you know what? I don't care! And neither does Red Eyes! And besides...I've got something Burst will never have!"

"And what would that be?"

"Having Burst as a friend.", Inferno said boldly. "So do your worst! Even if you destroy me and Red Eyes, I'll prove we were stronger than you ever were! Because we didn't succumb to envy and let it consume us!" Inferno then summoned his sword and unleashed a powerful series of slashes at Red Eyes Zombie Dragon! "And now to free you from this prison you made for yourself!" Inferno charged up his sword and unleashed a blazing slash! Destroying Red Eyes Zombie Dragon! Soon, the spirit of the former zombie materialized.

"Congratulations young warrior. You have passed your trial.", Red Eyes Spirit said with a smile.

"Trial?"

"This trial was to see whether or not you would let jealously of your friends chain you, or if you would swallow your pride and be happy for them. And for your success, I grant you this..." A beam of light shot from Red Eyes Spirit into Inferno! When the light died down, Infenro stood in his absolute form! Not only that, but it looked like he had the Black Skull Knuckle and the Meteor Black Comet Gauntlet on his right and left arms! "By the way, you'll want to try summoning your sword." Inferno summoned his blade, and saw that it had been transformed! "Behold! The Flare Metal Saber! Use it well. Farewell my descendant." And with that, Red Eyes Spirit vanished. A portal soon opened, and Inferno saw Ace come through.

"Nice to see a friendly face. And it looks like you got an upgrade too.", Inferno said with a smile.

"And you got a complete overhaul. Anyway, let's get going! The next portal should open soon. There!" The next portal opened almost instantly.

"Let's see where this one leads to." Inferno and Ace ran through the portal and to another one of their trapped friends.