Yu-Gi-Oh E-Quest: Malefic Wars

by DakariKingMykan

Episode 56: Final Part: The End of Z-Arc!

EPISODE FIFTY-SIX

“For Sunset!!” Sci-Twi yelled as her monsters lunged forth towards Z-Arc’s roaring dragons.

Everyone watched with the most extreme anxiety!

“ATTACK… NOW!!” shouted Sci-Twi.

Z-Arc let out a loud growl and then, like magic, he was shrouded in an electrical field, blocking the monsters from reaching him.

“Ah!!” gasped Sci-Twi.

“What’s happening?!” cried Kori.

“Why did they stop?” wondered Pinkie.

Z-Arc burst out laughing, “Did you really think that I had no other cards in play, that you could beat me so easily?”

Sci-Twi looked up nervously.

Z-Arc took a single card out from his duel disk, revealing it. “Looks like you made a serious error in all your calculations.”

“That card!!” cried Sci-Twi. “It’s… It’s… ELECTRO-MAGNETIC TURTLE!! NO!!!

The sideliners all gasped in horror.

Inside, Sunset suddenly felt something seriously wrong strike her, dispelling the images of her dragons. “What’s happening?”

One look outside told her everything. “…Oh, No! It can’t be!”

Snickering, Z-Arc explained. “I drew Electromagnetic Turtle when you played One Day of Peace, and then I was forced to discard it because of Card of Demise… just what I needed.

All I had to do was banish him from the graveyard, and-- well… you’re the dueling smarty.”

Sci-Twi was totally livid, stunned, and horribly crushed. “…It ended the battle phase, and my monsters can’t attack!”

“Which means, all your efforts, all your observations, all your planning have severely flopped.” added Z-Arc. “It was amusing to watch you get all powered-up, I’ll admit, but the best part was just now, and seeing you fall miserably, just like the rest of your worthless friends.”

The sideliners all felt that one. It sure hurt, but Sci-Twi felt the most pain, almost to the point of falling to her knees in shame.

“How could this happen?” she thought. “I was so close! I almost had him! How could I be so careless?!!”

“No! Twilight!!” Sunset called as she banged on the solid surface, but still she could not be heard.

“This is bad! Now Z-Arc has a chance to make another comeback!”

Sci-Twi had no choice but to end her turn, and she was still quivering in shock and anguish from her failure to win it all.

“You seem a bit tense.” teased Z-Arc. “Allow me to put you out of your misery!

I draw!”

He pulled out a single card.

“Oh, look. How lucky can one person be? I drew another CARD OF DEMISE!”

Sci-Twi cringed.

“Now I get to draw five new cards, as long as I discard my entire hand after five turns, but this duel is about over anyway.”

He picked up a full fresh hand, much to everyone’s horrors.

“Now then…” he teased “Which of these lovely cards should I unleash?

How about this one… SOUL RELEASE!”

“Ah!!” cried Sci-Twi.

“With this, I am able to banish five cards from either graveyard, so let’s see here…”

He took a good look at Sci-Twi’s graveyard and banished so many cards, including Applejack’s Bujingi Boar, anything to prevent Sci-Twi from trying anything funny to defend herself.

“Now, that that’s been taken care of…” hissed Z-Arc. “Supreme King Gate Infinity will once again boost by life points, and I choose Kagutsuchi’s attack points!”

Z-Arc LP: 7150 -----> 9750

“Now that feels rejuvenating, but I’ll even do more…

I’ll place two cards facedown, and then… I activate the spell DRAGON’S MIRROR!I am now able to banish the two Darkwurms in my graveyard and use them to Fusion Summon!”

“Oh, no!” cried Pinkie.

“Not again!” added Kori.

The spirits of the two monsters up and vanished. Z-Arc laughed and declared, “Welcome back to the field… SUPREME KING DRAGON STARVING VENOM!”

(Atk: 2800)

The dragon let out a venomous roar!

“He got his Fusion Dragon back!” growled Dick.

“What next?!” groaned Rainbow.

“I’ll show you all!” bellowed Z-Arc “I activate the spell PREMATURE BURIAL!

By paying up a mere 800 life points…”

Z-Arc LP: 9750 -----> 8950

“I can now summon one monster from my graveyard and equip this card to it, and I think you all know who the lucky pick will be.”

Nobody had to say a thing, they were able to guess just as the mighty creature appeared and roared.

“…And there it is, once more… SUPREME KING DRAGON CLEAR WING!”

(Atk: 2500)

All five dragons huddled together, each looking fierce and strong, while Sci-Twi felt the same slice in her heart that everyone else felt at this point.

“There’s nothing I can do! I can’t stop them!!”

“Of course, you can’t!” taunted Z-Arc “But they can, and they will… END YOU!! Especially when Starving Venom uses his power to copy your Bloom Diva’s power!”

The poor little singer was struck hard by the dragon’s gaze, and the dragon began to glow with her sanitating light.

Sci-Twi felt her heart completely shattered by that blow, and Z-Arc engaged his battle phase.

“Starving Venom, attack Leo Dancer now!”

Sci-Twi gave one final cringe as the attack engaged.

(Atk: 2800) VS (Atk: 7000)

“Starving Venom now uses the power of your bloom Diva. Though my dragon is clearly weaker, he isn’t destroyed, and you take all the damage I would have.

Surely, a math whiz like you can calculate the difference.”

The difference was 4200, enough to wipe all her life points out!

KAPOW!! The attack struck, and Sci-Twi was pushed back, screaming, in the resulting explosion.

“TWILIGHT…!!!” everyone screamed!

There was poor Sci-Twi, flat on her back, her glasses were knocked off and scratched, and she was covered in dirt and dust.

“No, Twilight!” cried Sunset.

She angrily pounded on the solid surface yelling, “Let me out of here!!”

For all her pounding and shouting, it still did her no good, and she collapsed to her knees with tears in her eyes again.

“This can’t be happening!” she sobbed. “It’s all my fault! I’m so sorry!”

All the duelists felt as crushed as she did.

“We’ve failed!” murmured Dick.

“It’s all over?” questioned Rainbow. “No! No, it can’t be!”

“We tried so hard.” sobbed Terra.

“Now the world… all worlds… are doomed.” added Celestia.

Kori miserably crunched up some dirt in her hand, while Pinkie lay flat on her back with tears in her eyes. “Sunset.”

Sci-Twi felt the most hurt of all as she just lay there in shame and misery while contemplating. “How could I have let this happen? I let everyone down!”

Rubeus saw everything from the magic view, and he shook his head in dismay.

“Z-Arc has won.” he said to himself.

He felt rather ashamed of the duelists.

“They may have tried their best, but in the end, it was all for naught.”

He then walked off to prepare himself for Z-Arc’s impending approach to him.

Z-Arc was laughing manically with his dragons surrounding him. “It’s over!” he gloated. “These puny runts have all proven to be worthless opponents, which I’m sure the rest of those in all the other worlds will be.

The worlds are now mine… all mine to control, to raid, and to rule with power and strength beyond all imagination.”

He prepared to de-activate his duel disk, ending the duel officially… when suddenly… a duel beam fired at him starting up yet another challenge.

“What?!”

The sideliners were all confused, until they all turned and looked up.

There he stood with his overcoat fluttering in the breeze and his duel disk at the ready, and under his face-coverings he had a look of determination and anger in his eyes.

“It’s not over! You’re facing me now.”

“Gar!” cried Terra.

“Him?” asked Rainbow,

The others were all astounded and confused, while Z-Arc was livid.

“You!” he growled. “I had completely forgotten.” then his lips curled into a sinister smirk. “Oh, well. I suppose a bonus round won’t hurt… me anyway.”

Gar was not impressed as he stepped forward. “Look, I may not get what this is all for, and I may not get what you are, but if this is some kind of a sick game to you, then you’re messing with the wrong guy…

…Because I Never Lose!”

Z-Arc growled, but then snickered. “You’ve got quite the attitude-- I like that, but I doubt that you’ll do any better than the rest of your little friends did.”

Gar only scoffed, “Never mind these losers! They couldn’t duel their way out of a paper sack. That’s why they lost to you.”

The others all felt livid at his insult, and before they could respond to him, he glared down, particularly at Sci-Twi.

“Your dueling was abysmal, mediocre at best!” he paused and looked across at the others “…That goes for all of you!”

“Hey! We tried out best!” protested Rainbow.

Still unimpressed, Gar scoffed, “If that’s your best, it’s no wonder you all had such trouble. You all could have ended up in so much more trouble right from the start.”

Nobody knew what he was talking about.

“When you escaped the dungeons, didn’t you happen to notice how all the halls were seemingly deserted? There were no guards and no servants.

That’s because I crushed them all as I went along my way.”

Everyone gasped softly.

“You beat that many?!” Dick asked in total shock.

In a flashback, it showed Gar effortlessly crashing his way through every single challenge that came his way!

Every duelist that faced him fell in defat and were turned into cards…

Every trap in the castle, he easily evaded with his excessive gamming and athletic skills…

“I survived all those perils because I keep focussed on what needs to be done, unlike the rest of you… still always with “Friendship” and “Devotion” and other stupidity that brought you where you are now!

I’ve been seeing all of you from different areas in the castle, and you all did nothing but make fools of yourselves.

You kept on being challenged by Khaos, Sapphire, and Violet, demanding they reveal information for you.

Why would they bother tell you anything even if you had won your duels?”

Everyone seemed to realize this as if for the first time.

“Yeah, well what about you!” growled Rainbow “You dueled them just the same as we did.”

“Maybe so…” protested Gar, “But unlike like you, I knew what I was doing. Rather than just demanding answer, I kept my wits about me and my eyes open for any clue that could lead me to the solution.

You all don’t seem to realize what a dead-end duel you were fighting.

Even if you had managed to beat Z-Arc in the duel, he won’t go down that easily.”

Sci-Twi gasped in realization. “Of course… Z-Arc can still use Supreme King Z-Arc to manipulate the Malefic Lightning so it will never strike him.”

Everyone had completely perplexed expressions on their faces-- all this time they were so wrapped up in beating Z-Arc, they weren’t thinking of everything and had forgotten important details.

Gar huffed and said, “But where you all flopped, I’ll succeed and take this nut down!”

Z-Arc didn’t know whether to laugh or feel outraged. “You seem so confident. It’s no wonder your reputation exceeds you, but I’d like to see you prove it.

Take you your half damage and prove to me!”

Gar’s life points were halved…

Gar LP: 8000 -----> 4000

He remained standing, hardly flinching at all.

“Let’s do this!” he shouted. “I draw…!

And I play POT OF GREED, so I can draw two extra cards.”

The sideliners watched in extreme concern.

“I can’t believe I’m going to say this,” said Rainbow “But I actually hope Gar doesn’t lose this.”

Everyone hoped the same, especially Terra, but not simply for it being the last chance to save Sunset and all the worlds, but she was still thinking for herself. Even after all his insults, insistences, and demanding she stay out of his life, she still had a tiny bit of hope left that they could reconcile their relationship and start over.

…Though that was not likely to happen at all.

“I now engage my battle phase!” said Gar, which confused everyone, even Z-Arc.

“What’s he talking about?” asked Celestia.

“He hasn’t even put a single card into play.” added Rainbow.

Z-Arc laughed hysterically. “Seriously? You call your battle phase and yet you have nothing to battle with? What can you possibly hope to achieve with such a ridiculous ideal?”

Gar remained cool as ever, and he snickered under his coverings, “I’ll show you, as I now end my battle phase…

…Since I have no cards in play, I can activate EVENLY MATCHED!”

“Huh?!” Z-Arc said with wide-eyes.

“What’s that card do?” wondered Pinkie.

Gar explained, “Evenly Matched can only be played at the end of battle phase, and if my opponent controls more cards than I have.

Also, if I have no other cards in play myself, I was able to play it straight from my hand, which makes it even better, because…” he paused and then bellowed at Z-Arc “You are now forced to banish cards on your field until you control the same number of cards as I have!”

“AAAAAAAAHHHH!! IT CAN’T BE!!!!” Z-Arc roared in terror.

Since Gar only had one card in play, Z-Arc would have to banished all but one of his own cards, and he couldn’t stop it this time, not even with his two face-downs, which were only cards designed to protect himself from further attacks and such.

Z-Arc and his dragon let out a huge, angry roar, but Z-Arc was forced to comply and sent nearly everything on his field away so that only Supreme King Z-Arc was left.

This left everyone astounded.

“He did it!” Pinkie said in disbelief. “He actually got rid of all of Z-Arc’s dragons.”

Even Sunset was astounded.

Z-Arc could hardly believe it. “My dragons! All my precious dragons! You’ll pay for this!”

“Oh, yeah!” sneered Gar, “Just you wait, I saved this for next. I’m going to get rid of your Supreme King Z-Arc now… once and for all!”

“You can’t!” snapped Z-Arc. “Even without all my other cards, you have no monsters or cards that can destroy me!”

Gar chuckled, “I said I was going to “Get rid of you.” I didn’t say “Destroy.” There’s more than one way to get rid of a monster, you know.”

Now Z-Arc felt a bit worried, and Gar finally revealed a single card in his hand. “That… That monster! It can’t be!!”

“It is…” replied Gar. “It’s a special creature called VOLCANIC QUEEN, and I must summon her on your side of the field by tributing one monster you control… that means your Supreme King Z-Arc!”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!” Z-Arc wailed as he felt the tribute force shrouding him.

His dragon roared in anguish as it faded away into the darkness. “You can’t! You won’t destroy my most-powerful form!!”

When all was done, Supreme King Z-Arc was gone, forcing Z-Arc to revert to his ordinary human shape on the ground.

Gar could only remark at him, “…I just did.”

The sideliners were totally astounded.

“So not only did he get rid of the dragons, but he also brought down Supreme King Z-Arc?” squealed Pinkie.

“Absolutely incredible!” admitted Sci-Twi.

Gar ignored their comments.

“I’ll place three cards facedown, and that ends my turn.”

Inside, the darkness was starting to weaken, and Sunset was able to see a lot more clearly through the viewpoint.

“Whoa!” she exclaimed. “I guess now that Supreme King Z-Arc is gone, the darkness isn’t as deadly anymore.”

Pinkie tilted her head up, looked straight at Z-Arc-- right at his chest and swore she could see. “Sunset?” and she called to all the others. “Look! It’s Sunset!”

The others looked on…

“I can see her!” cried Kori.

“So can I!” hollered Rainbow.

Sunset waved to everyone and shouted with all her might, but she still could not be heard.

“Idiots!” Z-Arc bellowed as he covered his chest with his coat. “There is nothing you can do to get her back.”

“Just you wait!” balked Celestia. “We will get our friend back.”

Terra agreed, “Gar’s going to take you down, and then we’ll--” she stopped when Gar turned his head to face everyone, as if he were glaring at them furiously-- which he was.

“I’m not doing this for you, or for Sunset.” He motioned at the hoards of transparent people, “…I’m certainly not doing it for any of them either!

I’m only doing this so I can hurry up and get out of this world.”

Though Sunset could not be heard, she was able to hear outside the view, and she still could not believe how horrid Gar was acting, but then again, she remembered his reasons why.

“Gar, how can you still act like this?” asked Dick. “Can’t you just put your hate aside for even one moment. The worlds and all the people are in danger, and all you can think about is yourself?!”

Gar scoffed, “That’s rich coming from you, Grayson. You and the other Titans always told me to think of others, and that’s what I tried to do every day, and how did you repay me for it?

You treated me like dirt, just like everyone else…

You didn’t care whether I did anything right or wrong, just like everyone else…

…And just like everyone else in the world, you all kept taking from me the things I held dear--always robbing me of my dreams, my hopes, and smashing my feelings to pieces just to further benefit yourselves without any care about how I may feel.”

He then glared over at Terra, and she could feel his angry stare behind his covers throw a chill up her spine.

“…You especially know this, Terra-- you and your whole “Things Change” stunt!”

Terra felt upset.

“And then things went too far when the Titans teamed up with greedy grabbers and doomed the city, despite my warnings and just trying to help people avoid danger! At least had some sense to leave before it happened.”

The Titans all felt a mix of guilt, anger, and aggravation, with Gar’s constant insults, no matter how true they were.

“But can’t you see?” Rainbow called to him “Can’t you see that all worlds are in danger now because of all this?”

“Duh!” sneered Gar “I have eyes, I can see things, but that still doesn’t change things between us. I’m not dueling directly for the sake of the people, and it wouldn’t matter if I was.

What matters most is defeating Z-Arc. If I somehow help to save the worlds… Whatever!”

“Oh, Gar…!” Terra peeped miserably under her breath.

Z-Arc scoffed. “Not so sorry to rain on your little speech, but you haven’t won just yet, and it’s my turn!”

He drew his card. “Since I have no other cards in my hand, I activate AURORA DRAW, and draw two new cards.”

Both his draws were not that useful.

But it was completely worthless. “What can I do now? I’ve lost everything I have! All my precious dragons are gone.” he said in thought, and then he looked at the Volcano Queen, and her high attack points.

(Atk: 2500)

“I suppose I could attack with her, but because he willingly gave me this monster, he must want me to.” He paused. “Yes, I’m certain those three facedown cards are traps set out to stop me!

But then again, if I don’t do something, the longer I hold onto Volcanic Queen, the worse it is. For every turn I fail to tribute a monster, I’ll suffer 1000 points of damage!

That’s it, I’m going for it!”

He called to Gar. “I’ll place one card facedown, and now… and…” he paused “I’ll activate RUSH RECKLESSLY, which will boost the Volcanic Queen’s attack by 700 points for this turn!”

(Atk: 2500) -----> (Atk: 3200)

“You will now regret having given me this card. Volcanic Queen, direct attack!”

The queen complied and she unleashed a barrage of fire waves at Gar…

…And he did nothing at all to stop them. He just took the hit, painfully, but he still stood standing.

Gar LP: 4000 -----> 800

“What?!” snapped Z-Arc. “You didn’t stop the attack?!”

Gar said nothing, nor gave any expression other his calm and unimpressed sneer.

The sideliners were just as confused as well.

“Well?” said Gar. “Are you finished yet?”

Z-Arc growled, feeling insulted. “I end my turn, and since I have no monsters to tribute, I’ll take 1000 points of damage!”

Volcanic Queen turned to face him, and her blazing eyes, ready to cast him a small veil of flames.

“A mere 1000 points of damage will not hurt me.”

“Oh, I’m afraid you’ll be taking more than that!” sneered Gar.

“What?”

“I activate the trap LIFE EQUALIZER!”

“Oh, no!”

“Since your life points are more than 8000 points higher than mine, both our life points now become 3000!”

Z-Arc LP: 8950 -----> 3000

Gar LP: 800 -----> 3000

Z-Arc wailed in humiliation and outrage.

This huge loss of points made the battier fade off even more, and inside of him, Sunset could see even more clearly.

“Z-Arc… he’s getting weaker!”

Sci-Twi noted this as well. “He’s been dueling too much. The more damage he takes, the weaker he gets.”

Gar snickered, “And like you said: Volcanic Queen is about to burn you with another 1000 points of damage!”

The queen unleashed her fiery wrath, shrouding Z-Arc in flames, which really hurt him to due to his weakened state.

Z-Arc LP: 3000 -----> 2000

Sunset felt nothing while trapped inside, but the darkness around her was weakening even more.

The solid surface she pounded out before was starting to feel softer, like she could push her way through it.

“No!” Z-Arc bellowed as he could feel her starting to break free. “I won’t let you escape me!”

He did everything he could to pour on more power to keep her trapped within him.

“Come on, Sunset! Fight it!” Rainbow called to her.

“Don’t let him overpower you!” added Celestia.

Gar, not caring much for all the drama, bellowed. “It’s all over for you now, Z-Arc.”

He drew his card.

“I summon DARKLORE NURSE REFICULE!”

(Atk: 1400)

“As long as she remains in play, any attempt for you to regain life points will change so that you take damage instead.

Just the thing for me to activate this trap… THE PATHS OF DESTINY!”

“AAAAAAAAHHH… IT CAN’T BE!!” shouted Z-Arc.

“Ah! Of course!” cried Sci-Twi. “Z-Arc’s history!”

“What are you talking about?” asked Pinkie.

Sci-Twi explained. “The Paths of Destiny forces each player to flip a coin. If it lands “Heads” that player gains 2000 life points, but if it’s “Tails” they lose 2000 points.”

Everyone began to realize…

“Gar just said his monster makes it so gaining life points turns into damage instead.” said Kori. “That means Z-Arc can’t win either Heads or Tails.”

“…With only 2000 life points remaining…” added Dick. “…He’s history!”

Everyone’s faces bustled with joy at the impending fall of the evil warrior, until Z-Arc shouted “…It’s not over! I won’t let this happen! I play my trap, BARREL BEHIND THE DOOR!”

“Ah!” growled Gar. “That card makes all the effect damage go back to me!”

Z-Arc smirked “Glad to see you realize that. Looks like your plan to defeat me is about to go up in flames.”

“No, it won’t! snapped Gar. “I’m a skilled gamer, so I can’t lose this coin toss.”

Both he and Z-Arc tossed their magic coins that appeared before them. They both landed heads, which mean Gar would gain 2000 life points, but thanks to Z-Arc he lost the same amount, so his points remained at 3000.

“No!” cried Terra. “Z-Arc’s still in this duel!”

“He almost had him!” added Celestia.

Gar, rather than bewailing his loss, was laughing softly. “…I still have him beat!”

“Excuse me?!” snapped Z-Arc.

“I knew you probably had something that would try to negate me, you always seem to have something up your sleeve, but so have I.

I activate the trap REMOVE BRAINWASHING!”

“No!!” shouted Z-Arc.

“Since Volcanic Queen originally belonged to me, this trap brings her over to my side of the field and leaving you completely defenseless!

She may have lost the 700 points you gave her earlier, but she still has more than enough points to wipe you out and end this duel for good!"

(Atk: 2500)

"Go, Volcanic Queen, attack his life points directly!”

The queen complied and leapt up into the air, ready to come crashing down in a flaming stream of destruction.

“Come on, Gar!” Terra hoped.

Sunset only continued to push herself against the weakening darkness in attempt to break free.

“…Sorry, not going to happen!” bellowed Z-Arc. “From my graveyard I activate the trap SPIRITUAL SWORDS OF REVEALING LIGHT!”

“Ah!” gasped Gar.

“When I banish this trap, it prevents your monsters from making any direct attacks this turn, so even your queen is forced to stop in her royal tracks!”

The queen crashed right into a magical wall of light which prevented her from going any further, and she was forced to stand down, much to Gar’s anger.

“Hey, no fair!” complained Rainbow. “Where did he get that trap from? I never saw him use it.”

Sci-Twi concluded, “Card of Demise…! Z-Arc was holding three cards when he was forced to discard to the graveyard.”

Z-Arc snickered. “I find it so amazing when you all think you have me cornered, when you haven’t at all.”

Then he mocked Gar, “And you, a so-called dueling champion-- even with all your skills, you were unable to beat me anymore than your precious friends were.

You’re just a big a failure as they all are!”

Gar’s fist trembled.

The others could hardly believe this at all!

“Even Gar couldn’t beat him.” cried Terra. “It really is hopeless.”

Everyone else was inclined to agree, but Gar thought differently…

“It’s not over yet.” He paused and gazed down at the two cards in his hand. “I was hoping it wouldn’t have to come to this, but it looks like I may not have any other choice.”

He flicked his coat, showing he had no intention to give up.

“I’ll place two cards facedown, and… Since I now control Volcanic Queen, I can tribute my Darklord Nurse, and my queen now deals you 1000 points of damage!”

Z-Arc growled, and then he roared as he was painfully burned in the flames.

Z-Arc LP: 2000 -----> 1000

His duel barrier had nearly dispelled entirely, and Sunset continued to fight her way out from the inside.

“Z-Arc only has 1000 life points left.” said Pinkie.

“I can’t believe how close Gar was to beating him.” added Kori.

Close was not close enough. Everyone felt their hopes about to dashed again.

“It’s my turn now.” hissed Z-Arc and he drew his card. “I must admit, despite your impending doom, you did put up a far better struggle than any of the others did…

…But now, it all ends here. I activate MAGICIAN MANIPULATION!

This spell can only be played if it is the only card I hold, and then I am able to draw one card for every card you have in play.”

Gar let out a small growl.

“I see that you currently have three cards in play, which means I draw three cards from my deck.”

He chuckled at what he had drawn, “And now your ultimate end is nigh. Behold the cards I have drawn.”

He revealed his entire hand…

MIRACLE DIG…

BATTLE FUSION…

CHRONOGRAPH SORCERER…

Gar recognized the first two spells, and he knew what they did, but the last card, “…I’ve never seen that monster before.”

None of the others had either, not even Sci-Twi. This suggested that it was another super, special card Z-Arc had created himself.

“You’ll all see soon enough.” hissed Z-Arc. “Right now, since I have no monsters in play, I’m able to summon SUPREME KING DRAGON DARKWURM from my graveyard!”

(Atk: 1800)

“Unfortunately, I have no other monsters to add to my hand, since they’re all gone, but I don’t need to, because what I have planned will serve just as well!

I now play the spell MIRACLE DIG! Since I have at least five banished monsters, three of them will now be sent back to my graveyard!”

The sideliners were confused.

“He can’t be trying to bring back his dragons, can he?” asked Rainbow.

“He can’t.” replied Dick. “They were all banished facedown, and you can’t return facedown banished monsters like that.”

Celestia suddenly remembered, “He’s not going for his dragons. Remember what he did at the start of the duel?”

Everyone caught on, and Z-Arc confirmed this by saying, “Yes, I plan to bring back a few of my other friends.

PURPLE POISON MAGICIAN…

WHITE WING MAGICIAN…

BLACK FANG MAGICIAN…

…They’re now back in my graveyard.”

Gar growled in anger, “I see…! I know what you’re up to now!”

Z-Arc hissed, “Oh, do you? Then I’ll just skip right to it and let it happen!

I tribute Darkwurm to summon CHRONOGRAPH SORCERER!”

(Atk: 2000)

Though none of the others had seen the card before, they all began to happen upon the same sickening feeling.

“Don’t tell me…!” whimpered Kori.

“Can that card do what I think it will?!” wailed Pinkie.

“…Oh, yes it can.” replied Z-Arc. “Just like Astrograph Sorcerer, I created this card to serve as a little brother for him.

He has the power banish himself, along with my Darkwurm-- which is a Pendulum Dragon-- and my three other Magicians in the graveyard-- whose powers are that of Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz Dragons!”

“No Way!!” thundered Gar.

Z-Arc only laughed manically loud as he was once again shrouded in the strongest, deadliest aura.

“No! Not again?!” Sunset wailed from inside.

All the sideliners gawked in horrors with her as the mighty beast had returned.

“Once again, I am… SUPREME KING Z-ARC!”

(Atk: 4000)

The mighty dragon let out a huge roar!

“No! This is impossible!” cried Terra.

“How could he have summoned him again?!” wondered Dick. “Face-up Pendulum Monsters can be resummoned in such ways once done like that… Unless!”

“…Unless I carried a spare.” hissed Z-Arc. “I figure, what better way to end this duel than myself.

After all, we all know how much you loathe Fusion Monsters.” He paused and motioned over at Terra. “They remind you too much of your girlfriend over there; how she broke your heart and left you out in the cold just to live her own life!”

Gar felt his blood boiling! Terra’s stomach ached with guilt and misery! They both felt their horrible memories coming back to get at them.

Ever so deeply, Gar said, “At least I succeeded where she and the others failed! I made a life and a success for myself, and no one… absolutely no one… is going to take it from me!”

“Ha!” scoffed Z-Arc. “I’m afraid you’re mistaken. I… will take it from you, especially I just summoned myself, my Supreme Power will now destroy every card you have in play!”

The dragon’s eyes glowed brightly, and it cast a huge beam towards Gar’s field.

“WATCH OUT!!” Terra hollered.

The beam got closer, and closer, “I don’t think so! I activate SWALLOW FLIP!”

“What?!” snarled Z-Arc.

“This trap works when you use a monster’s effect from one that was just special summoned, even your Supreme King Z-Arc. Swallow Flip now negates your effect, so my cards aren’t going anywhere!”

The magic beams were reduced to nothing, enraging Z-Arc, but then he snuffed, “No worries of that, I can still destroy you, or do you forget that Supreme King Z-Arc can’t be targeted or destroyed by card effects…

Or I say, just your effects?”

With that he engaged his battle phase, “Here I come!” he thundered “Supreme King Z-Arc attack, and while I’m at it… I’ll boost my power with BATTLE FUSION!

This will increase my attack by the amount of your Volcanic Queen!”

(Atk: 4000) -----> (Atk: 6500)

“Oh, no!” cried Twilight. “If this attack hits, Gar will take 4000 points of damage!”

Pinkie felt a bad chill go up her spine. “But’s he’s only got 3000 life points!”

“He’ll lose the duel!” cried Kori. “And we’ll all be next!”

Sunset could see, and she pounded on the surface. “Do something, Gar!” she called to him.

The mighty dragon had powered up, “Attack!” yelled Z-Arc, and the big energy blast headed straight for him, crashing onto his field, and blasting the Volcanic Queen into ashes.

Gar wailed as the bright, burning waves enveloped him, and everyone else shut their eyes tight in horrors and disbelief while Z-Arc laughed wickedly.

“GAR!!” Terra screamed. She pushed and struggled to get up and get over to him, but she was still weak and tired from her loss.

Tears began to flow down her face. “No… Gar…!!”

Everyone felt just crushed, even Rainbow; and she couldn’t believe it. “No way… he lost?”

Suddenly, as the smoke cleared, Dick swore he could see something. “Hey, look!” he hollered.

Everyone looked up and saw.

“No way!” cried Kori.

“He’s still standing!” added Celestia.

Gar LP: 3000

Gar stomped his foot and gave his coat a large flick. His coverings had loosened a lot in the blast and were just barely hanging on, exposing small parts of his face.

Z-Arc could not believe his eyes. “You… You survived?! How?! How is this possible? That attack should have finished you!”

Gar gave a nasty smirk. “Well, I’m not finished, and it’s all thanks to this!” he pointed at the card image next to him.

“Ah!!” exclaimed Z-Arc. “That card! Impossible!”

“No, it isn’t.” insisted Gar. “Just as you attacked me, I activate DAMAGE POT, and it prevented me from taking any damage from your strike!”

Z-Arc growled, while Sunset breathed a huge sigh in relief. “I thought he was finished for sure.” she said to herself, but suddenly… she remembered something else about the trap he had just played. “Wait a minute…!”

She felt cold and shivery at what she came to realize. “…He wouldn’t!”

Sci-Twi felt the same thing. “No! Gar, don’t!!”

“What is it?” asked Pinkie.

Sci-Twi explained, “Damage Pot protected his life points, but it has another effect.” she paused and nervously said “…When that card leaves the field, both players will take damage equal to the amount of points Gar would have taken when it was activated!”

Everyone felt their stomachs turn. Even Z-Arc felt a sickening pain. “You wouldn’t dare!” he bellowed at Gar.

Gar drew his next card, “…Just you watch!”

He held his drawn card up high, “I activate REMOVE TRAP!”

“NOOOOOOO!!!” shouted Z-Arc. “YOU CAN’T!! YOU’LL DESTROY US BOTH!!”

“Gar, please, don’t!” shouted Terra.

Gar turned to glare at her, and in his last moments, he didn’t care much, and pulled off the remains of his covers exposing his full, angry face at her, which made her feel like she was staring Death itself in the face.

“Don’t act like you care!” he hissed at her.

She felt that blow hard, and did it hurt. It hurt nearly everyone.

Gar clenched his fists lamenting, “All my life everyone’s had something against me, like I should never have even been born! I was hated then, I know I’m hated now, and some have ever tried to do away with me themselves!”

He referred to times when the Titans left him out of “Important things” due to his showing incomprehension, or never truly trusting him as a worthy ally.

Raven especially hated him, having admitted so and even trying to duel him and destroy him herself.

People he saved never showing a bit of thanks or good interest or concern in his well-being or feelings.

“Still…” he hissed “I can prove myself by doing something the rest of you couldn’t-- Take Z-Arc down! There’s no other way!”

Z-Arc cringed.

“No!” shouted Sunset, and she began to pound away at the solid surface again. “There’s got to… be… a way… out of here!”

“Now…!” Gar shouted. “I use Remove Trap to rid the field of Damage Pot, and that causes you and I to take 4000 points of damage, Z-Arc!”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!” screamed Z-Arc, but it was no use.

Two extremely powerful blasts fired from above and struck the two duelists hard.

Gar LP: 3000 -----> 0

Z-Arc LP: 1000 -----> 0

The blast was so massive that the light shot right up clear into the sky, forcing everyone cover their eyes from the brightness.

From inside the trembling castle, “It’s over!” Rubeus wailed. “Z-Arc has been defeated!”

The light had ceased, and Z-Arc was no longer in his dragon form, but on his knees smoldering with smoke.

His shield around the duel zone had totally vanished with his defeat, and from using up loads and loads of power for so long, thus leaving himself and Gar exposed to the Malefic Lightning, which was now coming for them both!

“No!!” Z-Arc growled, but he immediately saw his ticket to safety-- his Supreme King Z-Arc card lying on the ground just a few feet away from him.

“I will survive yet!” he roared, but as soon as he made a reach for it…

WHAMM! Gar tackled him hard and pinned him down, refusing to let him take the card!

“Let me go!” demanded Z-Arc.

“Not a chance!” protested Gar. “I’m taking you down! When lightning strikes, it’ll take us both, and all your evil will be swallowed into the darkness!”

“Gar!!” shouted Terra. Finally finding the right amount of strength, she managed to get up onto her feet, and tried to make a break for him, but she still couldn’t move very fast and would not reach him in time.

Sunset pounded and rushed against the solid surface with all her might, only to stop as the lightning approached, causing her to duck down in fear!

“YOU’RE INSANE!!” shouted Z-Arc.

Gar laughed and said, “Yeah, maybe I am, but the difference is… I was pushed to be insane by the people around me. You… You were obsessed with power and kept wanting more and more of it, and you became the monster that you are.

I may have my own obsession with power, but at least I know what to do with it… just like I’m taking you down with me.

Like I said before… I… NEVER… LOSE!!!”

Z-Arc let out one final, enormous wailing roar as the lightning struck him and Gar!

“NO---------!!!!” Terra screamed as she braced herself from the brightness.

Sunset screamed as she could feel everything around her fading into bright white!

Author's Note:

*Panting heavily*

Whew! What a duel!

Comments

[Speculore]

Wow. That was incredible.

[DakariKingMykan]

11655406

A few more duels left, and then it's all over!

[Tower of gray]

You have my eternal respect man. Great duel.

[DakariKingMykan]

11655425

June 16 to August 1...

I'd say that WAS a great duel!