And now, we are at the arc tailor made for writer's like me to insert rival factions and try to tie the events to the main story. I have not been subtle about what's going down. Also, a bit of a timeskip so Rain and (Y/N) can be out of a cast and because everyone needed a rest after Battle City, because oh my god, these kids jumped into this mess a literal day after their last brush with death. I own nothing.
Chapter 40: The Immortal Enemy

It was a bright day out on the open sea as a cargo ship cruised along calmly.
"This is home base to Poseidon 3, do you copy?" The communications officer asked as the radio answered back.
"This is Poseidon 3. Proceed."
Beneath the waves, the submarine was gradually descending further and further down.
"Our sensors indicate you're approaching a depth of 35,000 ft. You are strongly advised to pull back. Repeat, stop your descent."
"Absolutely not!" The scientist aboard said. "We may be on the verge of the greatest discovery man has ever known! We must continue."
"But, Professor Hawkins, with all due respect, the water pressure at that depth is too dangerous."
The professor held his ground, glancing at the ruins that sub cruised based. "This is my life's work, not to mention it could be the key to my people's origins! I've come too far to turn back now! Over and out."
Hanging up the radio, the sub entered what looked to be an ancient temple on the seabed. Miraculously, the temple's main interior was not underwater, allow the sub to surface. The professor pursed his lips as the sub's lights went on.
"This is strange. The ocean waters have barely penetrated this region. I must have a closer look!"
Against the insistence of others, the older gentleman exited the vehicle, taking only a flashlight. Flicking it on, he saw depictions of ancient monsters that looked remarkably similar to Duel Monsters he was familiar with. However, what shocked him the most was a mural showing a human wielding a staff as two monsters, a forest spirit and a great owl, circled them. Above them was a familiar symbol, a spiral surrounding a star, encircled by wings. Dr Hawkins held up his hand.
That very sigil was tattooed on his hand.

(Domino City)

"Yugi, move! You're gonna burn down the kitchen!" Rain yelled, though she was laughing as she pushed her friend to the side to take over the absolute train wreck on her grandfather's very expensive stove.
Yugi was also laughing as Rain managed to salvage the burger that was starting to smoke. "Sorry, sorry! I got distracted!"
"You two almost done in there!?" Joey called from the living room. "One of you better tag in for Tristan, cause Tea and I are makin' mincemeat outta him!"
"Shut up, Joey!" The mentioned brunette could be heard snarling.
Time had passed since the end of the Battle City tournament and things had gone back to as normal as could be expected. The whole group had agreed to take up Ishizu's suggestion about resting for the coming trials ahead, so they all agreed that until Rain's arm was healed, they were off the clock. During that time, (Y/N) and Yami had gone on a few more dates at the insistence of their vessels and their friends, and they were in a blistering romance to say the least. There had even been an incident where Yugi and Rain had to interfere because the two were...well, getting very close to doing what young married couples usually do and gently reminded them that they were in fact inhabiting their bodies.
It had been a very awkward conversation to say the least.
Unfortunately, the good times had to end. Rain had gotten her cast and sling off that afternoon, and as tomorrow was a day off, they all agreed to head back to the museum tomorrow and start investigating the Tablet of Memories. For tonight, however, they were having a sleepover at Rain's as one final hurray of their much deserved break, complete with homemade burgers on the stove, a ton of video games and junk food, a movie marathon, and Carter generously spending the night at Solomon's (Soren was upstairs for security).
"Okay, I think it's good." Rain said as Yugi got the plate for him to load his burger onto.
The two grabbed their plates and ran back into the living room, which was littered with blankets, sleeping bags, a coffee table full of snacks, and the TV hooked up with the latest racing game. Joey, Tristan, and Tea were all on the coach in some casual sweat clothes, all focused on the game. The boys pushed at each other as their avatar's race, only for Tea's at the last second to pass them and cross the finish line first. Joey and Tristan cried in despair as the blue eyed girl cheered.
"WOOH! Sorry, boys, but this is my track!"
"Go, Tea!" Rain cheered, high fiving her friend. "You show those boys how to tear up a track!"
"Yeah, that was a fluke." Joey retorted as Yugi sat beside Rain.
"Weak!" The Wayfarer shot back as Tea stuck out her tongue. "All right, folks. Now that we have proper food in our stomachs and a pile of goodies begging to be devoured, I say we end this sleepover with a movie marathon. More specifically, a Classic Monster Movie Marathon, courtesy of Carter (L/N). We got Nosferatu, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Dracula, the Wolf Man, and, in honor of our favorite couple, 1939, the Mummy!"
Yami and (Y/N) were in fact there in spirit form, curled up together in the corner nook of the couch Rain deemed 'the danger zone' as it was impossible not to fall asleep there.
"Really, Rain?" (Y/N) asked as everyone else chuckled at that last movie.
"Let it go, shagngu." Yami chuckled, pulling her closer. "You know she's just trying to get a rise out of you. I am excited though. I am rather interested in the classics."
"You're in for a treat then, Yami." Yugi said.
"I can think of no better way to end our vacation before we plunge back into what is more than likely the end of the world." Rain joked. "I'm gonna stick a bag of popcorn in the microwave and hit the lights."
"Wait, Rain!" Yugi interrupted as he jumped up and ran to her.
"Yugi?"
"Listen. Things are probably gonna get crazy again, and...I probably should've said something sooner."
Rain tilted her head as Yami sat up and watched. "What's up?" 
The boy's face turned red and he started to stutter. "W-well, you see...I-I know we haven't actually known each other for that long, and maybe it's a bit sudden, b-but I really feel like I've known you my whole life!"
"Yeah?"
"A-And when you feel that way about someone, s-sometimes you just gotta come out a-and say it!"
"Say what?" Rain asked as (Y/N) was clued in to what the boy was trying to do.
Despite his back being towards the couch, Yami was motioning to Yugi to spit it out, but the star haired boy froze as he looked at Rain's expectant face. His emotions shutdown and unsurprisingly he said the wrong thing.
"...thanks, for everything. You're a great...friend."
Yami facepalmed, groaning as Rain smiled, none the wiser.
"Aw, thanks, Yugi! You're a great friend too!"
She punched his shoulder and went back to her task. When she was out of sight, Yugi marched back to the couch, plopped face down, and screamed into the pillows.
"There, there." Yami consoled. "You'll get it, eventually."
"Don't patronize, Yami."
"Uh, Yuge?" Joey asked, confused. "What was that about?"
"I was..." Yugi murmured into the pillows.
"Uh, dude?" Tristan said. "Wanna repeat that?"
"I was trying to..."
Tea leaned in. "Yugi, we can't hear you."
"I was trying to ask Rain out on a date, okay!?" He blurted out, immediately covering his mouth and checking to make sure the girl hadn't heard him.
The rest of the friend group beamed in excitement.
"Woah, woah!" Joey said. "Yuge! That's great! About time!"
"Shush!" The boy said, covering his mouth. "Do you want her to hear you!?"
"Dude, if she didn't hear you shout, I think we're good." Tristan pointed out. "Anyways, this is awesome, man! Good for you."
"Yeah, super awesome! I can't even ask the girl I like out on a date!"
He flopped back on to the pillows as Tea patted his head.
"It's normal to be nervous, it just proves how much you like Rain. We just need to figure out a way to boost your confidence. Maybe writing it down would be better?"
Yugi lifted his head. "We?"
Joey grinned at him. "What? You think we weren't gonna lend a hand? I've been rooting for you two since that girl fished me out of the ocean!"
"Whether it's duels to decide the fate of the world, or making sure you get with the girl you like, we'll be here for you." Tea assured him, making him smile.
"Thanks guys, but I don't think it's gonna happen tonight."
Tristan rubbed his head. "Yeah, you did kinda put a nail in it. Maybe the pharaoh could do it for you?"
"Absolutely not!" Yugi said as Yami shook his head.
"That is a terrible idea."
"All right! Let's get this marathon started!" Rain announced, immediately shutting down the conversation. "Lots in, folks, what are we gonna watch first?"
Eventually, they settled on Creature from the Black Lagoon, and for several hours, they watched and made fun of the old school campiness. Eventually, everyone drifted off, and Yami and (Y/N) decided to take over while their vessel rested. Funnily enough, they were on the Mummy by the time this happened.
"When will people learn to leave cursed objects well enough alone?" (Y/N) joked, making her husband laugh.
"Curiosity is a curse as much as a blessing, but we did benefit from it." Yami said, pulling her closer as they watched the film. "I can't say I don't understand his motive."
(Y/N) gave him a look. "What?"
"I'm just saying, if I had woken up with even an inkling of a memory of you, I don't exactly want to think about what I would've done to find you."
The former queen smiled, tucking her head under his chin. "I suppose I could admit to the same thing. Though Rain was a little girl when I woke up, so I'd probably be a lot more limited."
Yami laughed, pulling back so he could look her in the eyes. "I think you are vastly underestimating what you are capable of, especially when motivated."
"Shameless flatterer."
The two shared a deep kiss, breaking it off when it started getting a little too deep and Yami's jacket somehow nearly landed on Joey, nearly waking him up. The former pharaoh simply brought his queen to his chest and wrapped the two of them in a blanket, both drifting off as the film ended.

(In the Night)

"Eden?"
Rain and (Y/N) opened their eyes to see a woman in a dark cloak standing before a desk. Sprawled out across it were scrolls, texts, and scribbles of runes and marking neither of them could even begin to understand. Her hood covered her face as the few torches that lit the area kept her appearance hidden. As she turned to face the person who had called to her, both queen and vessel noticing she had a strange yet...familiar stone in her grasp.
"My prince, you startled me."
The man chuckled, still hidden in the shadows. "Eden, we've known each other our whole lives, you don't have to refer to me as my prince. Frankly, it's unsettling to me."
The woman groaned, rubbing at her face. "Ugh, right. Apologies, it slipped out. I should probably put this to rest for tonight."
"I would hope so. Your students begged me to order you to sleep after all."
She smiled, sighing. "Such considerate pupils I have."
"More so they fear having to learn from you while you're sleep deprived and cranky." The two laughed, knowing it was true, as the male walked over to the table, a frown being his only visible feature. "You're still torturing yourself over this?"
"My friend, we don't know enough about these stones or where they came from."
"They were a gift from the gods. Think of the good we could do for the kingdom, for our people!"
She played with the stone in her hand. "I just think we should take the time to study and discover their origin before we get our hopes up. I'm just being cautious."
"You're being paranoid, Eden, you're my advisor, and the closest confidant to the royal family, but you need to trust me with this. I know these stones will usher in a great new age for our kingdom!"
"How about a compromise: I will take a journey into the Spirit World and converse with the spirits? Perhaps one of them could enlighten us?"
The man let out a laugh, though it sounded a bit sharp. "You know, there are easier ways to ask permission to visit your knight."
"Dartz!" She shouted, her red cheeks almost glowing in the dark.
The prince smirked. "What? I'm not judging. I'm married and I know what it's like to smitten with someone, granted I wasn't so ambitious as to claim the heart of a legendary knight of the Spirit World."
"I'm leaving." Eden declared, scooping up her materials and marching off, only to turn as she heard a crack from behind her. "Dartz, I know you came for the sake of my health, but have you been sleeping well yourself? You seem...off, as of late."
His posture was stiff. "Just...my duties, my friend. I'm fine."
Eden didn't seem to buy it, but left anyway, not that either (Y/N) and Rain could blame her.
After all, there was a good chance she hadn't seen the crack this prince had left in her desk from gripping it so hard.

(Timeskip)

The next morning, the gang made a mess of the kitchen making pancakes and waffles (a terrifying debate over which one was superior waged by Joey and Yugi (team pancake) vs Tristan and Rain (team waffle). In the end, the kitchen was left as a battlefield that took a bit of time and Soren intimidated everyone to clean up. Eventually, they somehow managed to get back to their objective and made it to the museum. (Y/N) and Yami took over at the front, leading everyone downstairs to the tablet depicting the battle between Yami and Priest Seto.
"I may be statin' the obvious here, but that looks just like Yugi." Joey stated.
"More accurately, it's Yami." (Y/N) corrected. "It's called the Tablet of Lost Memories."
Both Yami and (Y/N) went stiff as Joey mentioned still having trouble separating Yami from Yugi, despite having no such trouble with Rain and (Y/N). The royal couple heard eerie voices whispering, compelling the Pharaoh to hold the three god cards up to the tablet.
"Are you two sure about this?" Yugi asked, a bit concerned.
The couple looked at each other before turning to nod at their vessel. Yami then held up three god cards which caused the engraving of the Millennium Puzzle on the tablet to glow. Just then, (Y/N) screeched as she felt a searing pain in her arm as the Millennium Bracelet flashed erratically. At the same time, the tablet was suddenly consumed by ice. Yami was also gripped by pain as he felt something, some unknown force, drain the power out the god cards. Tea ran to help (Y/N) as the guys helped Yami.
"(Y/N), what's happening!?" Tea said.
"S-something...something's coming..." The queen said, her expression and tone equally fearful.
Screaming was heard from above as everyone rushed outside. To their absolute horrors, the streets and skies were filled with Duel Monsters, and as individuals who had experienced their fair share of Shadow Games, they knew straight away these monsters were very much real.
"You gotta be kidding me!" Joey shouted, seeing the mayhem. "It's like we never turned off the horror movies last night!"
"They look like they're all over the city." Tea noted. "What is going on!?"
"Let's go to Kaiba Corp." (Y/N) suggested, feeling slightly better than before. "Maybe Seto will have answers."
Yami nodded, taking her hand. "Good idea. Let's go."
Running through town, dodging angry monsters made Rain vocalize her regret at not asking Soren to accompany them.
"The whole town's gone crazy!" Tristan yelled as they passed a two-headed dragon.
"Except those two." Joey said, seeing two familiar faces up the road. "Isn't that Rex and Weevil?"
The two annoying males were just standing there with completely spaced out expressions, as if they were in traces. The group came to a halt as (Y/N) waved her hand in front of them, trying to get some kind of reaction as Tristan crossed his arms.
"In case you haven't noticed, the city's under attack!"
Weevil only chuckled with a spaced out expression. "The Age of Destruction is here."
"Soon your souls will be offered to the Great Beast." Rex added.
(Y/N) felt as though a pick of ice had stabbed her. "What was that?"
It was then that Rex's eyes briefly seemed to focus, staring at the Millennium Bracelet. Yami yanked his wife back as he took a swipe at the artifact.
"Your powers are useless, Sage! You and your tribe are destined to fail again!"
Both males attempted to attack, but this time, the queen put up the barrier, causing them to crash face first into it and sent them sprawling onto the concrete, once again staring at the sky blankly.
"What the heck was that about!?" Joey shouted, keeping his fists up in case they tried something like that again.
Yami was more concerned for (Y/N). "Shagngu?"
(Y/N) had a very concerned expression, a cold sweat on her brow. "We...we should keep moving. We need to talk to Seto."
"Don't have to tell me twice." Tristan stated as they kept moving, making sure to keep at least one eye on the still sprawled out duelists until they were out of sight. Eventually, they did manage to reach the KaibaCorp building, but it was already surrounded by reports and Roland and the security team were refusing entrance to everyone, even to Rain, so with little choice, the group slumped back to the Kame Shop to plan their next move.

(Timeskip)

"I'm still trying to figure out which of you kids triggered the end of the world this time!" Carter said as they were all gathered around the television.
It was night time by now and everyone agreed that it was probably safer if they all stayed together, so they were stuck there for now. Solomon was downstairs, polishing the god cards and waiting to let Soren in as everyone else was trying to come up with a plan to deal with the monsters appearing all over the world.
Rain, still in spirit form, gave her grandfather the stink eye. "Wow, gramps, thanks for your bode of confidence."
Joey sighed. "Come on, Carter! We didn't do anything! And this monster mess is happening around the world!"
"Still no word from Kaiba?" Tea asked, looking at (Y/N) and Carter.
Both shook their heads.
"I've tried to reach him, but no such luck." Carter answered before the news caught their attention.
"We now take you live to a KaibaCorp press conference, where gaming company president Seto Kaiba will make a statement."
"About time." Yami muttered as the brunette appeared on screen.
"We've done extensive testing of our holographic simulation systems. Now, I can confirm without question that these sightings are unrelated to KaibaCorp. Our state-of-the-art technology is working perfectly."
"You heard it here." The new anchor reported. "Seto Kaiba claims his company is not responsible for today's events."
"He's covering up." Tristan theorized. "Who else has the equipment to project monsters around the world?"
"Those monsters weren't projections, Tristan." (Y/N) corrected. "They were very real."
"We certainly have enough experience to know that for certain." Yami then noticed (Y/N) bouncing her leg nervously, gripping her knee, before placing his hand over hers. "(Y/N)?"
She looked at him, the turmoil clear in her eyes. "Sorry, I'm just...concerned."
"I understand, that's completely normal, even for us."
"Not that. About what Rex said. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but if he's referring to what I think he is-,"
Rain had the exact same expression. "Gramps saying it's the end of the world is an understatement."
A crash came from downstairs as everyone heard Solomon shout. They raced out to see the old man sprawled out on the floor, the shop now a mess and the door wide open. Yugi immediately took back control of his body, running to grandfather's aid.
"Grandpa! No! Are you all right!"
Carter raced over, helping Yugi steady his relative. "Solomon, what on earth happened?"
"Yugi, they're gone!" Grandpa Muto exclaimed.
"Who's gone, grandpa?"
"Your cards. Your strongest cards."
"The god cards?" Yugi repeated.
"That's not good." (Y/N) said. "In the wrong hands, those cards are capable of untold mayhem!"
"I'll find 'em!" Joey shouted, already running towards the door.
"Joey, wait!" Yugi shouted.
"Guys, ya might wanna see this!" The blonde shouted from outside.
Everyone did so, and nearly had a collective heart attack as they saw Obelisk the Tormentor looming over the city skyline.
"This couldn't possibly get worse, could it?" Tea asked, only for the other two god cards to appear, earning her a look from the queen.
"You just had to say it, didn't you?"
"Sorry."
(Y/N) crossed her arms. "Still, how on earth did those thieves manage to summon the god monsters in the first place?"
The road lit up as the group found themselves staring down a group of bikers.
"You blokes want those cards back?" One challenged.
"Yeah!" Joey shouted right back, Yugi jumping in.
"They're mine!"
The man laughed, all three pulling out sinister looking duel disks. "All you gotta do is get past us. Though, it's only fair to warn you, we've been known to fight dirty."
"That's right." Another of the bikers agreed. "So what's it gonna be, mates?"
"Oh, by all means, feel free to come charging at us on your bikes." (Y/N) said, getting very angry at their attitudes and holding up a bracelet. "Though it's only fair I warn you that it will end very badly for you."
"Sorry to disappoint you, but we know better than to do that, Rain (L/N)." The lead biker said, drawing one of the stolen cards. "Or I should refer to you by your true name, Wayfarer Queen (Y/N)."
(Y/N)'s eyes went wide, not expecting them to know her true identity. "If you know that much, you should know better than to wield those cards against their true master."
"Tell your husband, the Pharaoh, that the gods serve a new master! If you think you've got what it takes to win back the god cards, follow us."
The men then rode off, laughing, leaving Carter to look at the kids worriedly.
"This is beyond a trap."
"Yeah, but what other choice do we got?" Joey countered.
With little choice, they all followed the motorcyclist to a building under construction, leaving them skeptical as they ascended to the rooftop. A laugh came from the darkness.
"Who's there?" Yami called, once again taking over for Yugi. "Show yourself."
"I'm right above you, Pharaoh."
Everyone looked up to see a shadowed figure standing on a crane above their head.
Joey glared him down. "Hey, why don't ya come down here and face us like a man?"
"Very well." He leapt down, shooting a dirty at Carter. "It's been too long, Carter."
The kids all looked at the older (L/N) who glared at the stranger. "I should've known I smelt a thieving rat. It hasn't been long enough, Gurimo."
"You know this guy, Mr (L/N)?" Tea asked, Carter clicking his tongue in disgust, pointing out a familiar sigil on his hand that had been crossed out.
"Unfortunately. Once upon a time, he was a member of the tribe. He was exiled when you kids were in diapers."
"You were always afraid of me." Gurimo spat. "You knew I was more deserving of leadership!"
"You deserved nothing! You tried to take the Millennium Bracelet and you were punished for it. I'm not shocked you fell in with a bunch of no account thieves!"
"Ha! As if you were ever worthy to have it in the first place!"
"Considering my vessel and the current master of the bracelet is his granddaughter, I'd say it was in good hands." (Y/N) shouted back.
Gurimo gave her a mocking bow. "Ah, yes, Queen (Y/N). It's an honor to be in the presence of a Wayfarer of such pedigree."
Yami growled at his blatant disrespect, but (Y/N) called him off. "The feeling isn't mutual."
"Then I'll make this short: I possess something that you and your husband want, the three Egyptian god cards. And you possess things that I desire: your soul, the Millennium Bracelet, and the vessel."
Yami stepped in front of his wife, seeing the man leer at (Y/N). "Try to harm her, and you'll suffer a fate worse than death. As for the god cards, they don't belong to you, and they possess a power far more dangerous than you could ever understand. I'd suggest you hand them over before someone gets hurt."
"It seems the legends didn't exaggerate your love for one another." He mocked. "How touching, but I'm well aware of their ancient powers, and if you want them back, and keep you precious queen safe, you'll have to face me in a duel."
Yami looked to (Y/N), who nodded, assuring him she would be fine, before facing the former Wayfarer.
"All right, but just don't say I didn't warn you."
Yami activated his duel disk as Gurimo raised his hand up. "Your soul's mine. Now let's duel."
"You're on!"

Yami 4000LP/Gurimo 4000LP
(oh look, I'm differentiating Yami from Yugi in duels starting this season, I wonder why, people who skipped this arc for one reason or another)

Yami drew. "I'll start things off with this: my Beta the Magnet Warrior! Come forth in defense mode!"
The small, yellow, warrior materialized on the field, kneeling and crossing its arms.

Beta the Magnet Warrior
1700 ATK/1600 DEF

"I'll place one card facedown and end my turn. The duel's in your hands now."

Yami 4000LP/Gurimo 4000LP

"I hope this freak doesn't use the god cards." Tea hoped out loud.
"I doubt it." The queen assured her. "Gurimo doesn't have the right to call on their power. If he tried, it would end badly for him."
Joey nodded. "Yeah, remember what happened in Battle City. Besides, there's a reason Yugi's called the King of Games."
Gurimo drew. "I summon my Marauding Captain."
A medieval soldier stepped onto the battlefield, duel wielding two swords.

Marauding Captain
1200 ATK/400 DEF

"And this young man comes with a very special ability. He lets me automatically summon another monster to the field to join him. I chose Shadow Tamer."
A blue haired woman in a white dress wielding a whip appeared beside Marauding Captain.

Shadow Tamer
800 ATK/700 DEF

The monocled man kept going.
"I'm afraid the worst is yet to come. Ready? This card holds more power than all 3 Egyptian gods, and it's as old as time itself: the Seal of Orichalcos!" A gust storm whipped up. "The magic infused within this card existed long before the sands of ancient Egypt were formed, Pharaoh, in an era of our progenitors! Now experience this power for yourself."
A ring of glowing green runes appeared in the sky, summoning a storm.
"What's going on?" Yami demanded, before his attention was drawn by the sounds of thud. "(Y/N)! Carter!"
Both Wayfarers, along with Rain in her spirit form, were on their knees, gripping their heads as they all received visions of a terrifying monster laying waste to the world. The ring descended onto the field and created a star pattern on the ground, sending out a shockwave that launched Tea, Tristan, and Joey back. Yami, concerned with everyone's safety, tried to run to them, only to be stopped by a barrier at the edge of the seal.
"The Seal of Orichalcos prevents us from exiting and all outsiders from entering its sacred boundaries. When the duel is over, only the victor may penetrate the border, but the loser can never leave." Yami saw the same seal now on his opponent's forehead, his expression even more manic. "His soul remains locked inside the seal. You'll soon see that the rules of the outside world no longer apply."
Yami turned back to face the older male, keeping (Y/N), Rain, and Carter in the corner of his eye. "All right. You should know I'm no stranger to ancient magic."
"Save your strength, Kianga." (Y/N) called out as Yami attempted to use the Millennium Puzzle. "This is magic more ancient than the both of us."
Yami looked at her concerned as Carter seethed at Gurimo.
"To think one of our own would sink even this low. Gurimo, what have you done!?"
(Y/N) joined in. "Of all creatures for a Wayfarer to give their loyalty to, you chose that-that monster!? Even idiocy has its limits!"
Gurimo smirked at them. "Oh, you've figured it out then. I suppose it would be disappointing if the tribe's leaders couldn't recognize it."
"Gurimo, whatever it promised you, it can only speak lies and poison!" Carter spat. "You've doomed yourself!"
"Spare me the lecture, Carter, I'm simply doing what our ancestors should have done."
"(Y/N), are you both all right?" Yami called, only for heart to stop as he saw the petrified look on his wife's face.
"Yami, please, whatever you do, please be careful! This magic he's unleashed, it's more dangerous than anything we've ever faced!"
Knowing that (Y/N) wouldn't just say that for anything, the former Pharaoh braced himself. "I promise, shagngu, I will return to you."
Things only continued to spiral as the Wayfarer's were incapacitated by the terrifying visions, as not only did the seal boost the power of Gurimo's monsters by 500, eventually, the lunatic managed to summon Obelisk and control it (barely, but still).
"Pharaoh, the Age of Destruction is here. The earth shall be shrouded in darkness, and your very soul shall fuel the force that devastates mankind."
Yami narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean by that?"
"A great beast is now awakening from its ancient slumber to complete what it began centuries ago, but before it can arise, it must absorb enough souls, and dispose of those with tools to defeat it." He eyed (Y/N).
"Where have I heard this story before?" Joey asked.
Carter then stood up. "Pharaoh, we aren't alone! The next building over, it's those bikers from before!"
Yami looked and sure enough, he saw them. "Who are you and how do you know these events will come to pass?"
"Someone's got an awful lot of questions." The shortest of the bunch mocked.
"Who do you guys think you are!?" Joey challenged as the tallest of the trio held up two cards.
"Haven't you been paying attention? We're soul collectors. Matter of fact, I've got two unfortunate souls right here in my hand."
"Spirit cards again?" Yami thought as Carter shook his head.
"You're fools, the lot of you. A monster does not keep its promise to those it considers beneath it. Whatever you hope to gain at the end of this path is nothing more than a fantasy."
"Cling to your ideals, Carter, but the sooner the Pharaoh make his next move, the sooner Obelisk the Tormentor can stomp out the rest of his lifepoints."
Yami kept a cool head as (Y/N) closed her eyes as she heard a roar pain in her head, a roar she recognized.
"Obelisk?"
"Obelisk sounds like it's fighting the seal." Rain said. "Gurimo might not be as in control as he claims."
"He doesn't need to be for long."
"Wayfarers." A third voice suddenly chimed in.
Both partners went still, recognizing this same voice as the one who had encouraged them in the virtual world.
"Inheritor of my mission, the time has come to fulfill the promises of our people. Remind the slaves of the beast why it fears us above all others!"
(Y/N) moved on autopilot, her body knowing what to do as she walked to the barrier. Yami looked over his shoulder, hearing her approaching.
"(Y/N)?"
Gurimo sneered. "Save your breath, your highness. Your beloved husband will fall here, and not even death will reunite you in the end. You are powerless."
"Teach him otherwise." The voice egged as the queen placed a hand on the barrier.
At once, the Millennium Bracelet glowed, though not in gold light, but green, the same color as the seal. Both duelists watched as runes appeared inside the barrier's walls, creeping down until they reached the seal. Slowly, the ancient language written there cracked, and a moment later, the seal shattered. Both of them just stared at her in utter disbelief.
"You were saying?"
Gurimo gulped before turning to Obelisk who no longer had the seal, and somehow looked even more furious. (Y/N) immediately ran to her husband.
"(Y/N), how did you-,"
She grabbed his wrist and immediately began dragging him away. "Run now, questions later!"
Realizing Obelisk was likely about to go crazy, everyone began booking it. Unsurprisingly, the god did just that, Gurimo's screams echoing behind them. No one bothered to turn around to check as they were more concerned for their skins. Eventually, they managed to make it back to the ground, everyone heaving for air.
"I love my fair share of thrills, but I'm too old for this kind of thing!" Carter declared.
Yami seemed to agree before glancing around. "Is everyone all right?"
"Peachy." Joey huffed sarcastically as Tristan gave a weak thumbs up and Tea nodded.
He sighed in relief before turning to his wife. "Are you all right, sha-,"
She threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his chest as she let out a few fearful tears.
"I'm so happy you're safe! I was so scared it was going to...that I was going to-!"
She couldn't bring herself to say it as he held her face in his hand and made her look at him.
"Hey, hey, I'm okay. Thanks to you." He kissed her as further reassurance, not breaking it off until he felt her calm down, before putting his forehead to hers. "How are you feeling? I know that kind of display drains you."
"I...I don't feel drained." She said.
"Wow, (Y/N)!" Joey suddenly shouted. "What's up with your arm!?"
Both royals look down to see her arm, the one with the Millennium Bracelet, was now covered in those same glowing symbols. Yami looked very concerned, but (Y/N) knew to reassure him.
"It doesn't hurt. If anything, it feels...warm."
Carter took a look, rubbing his chin. "These look like protective runes, but that's about as much as I can tell you. I could never make heads or tails of these things. Still, these symbols broke through that accused seal, so I say we can trust."
Tea looked at the two Wayfarers. "Carter, (Y/N), what was that up there? You sounded really, really scared."
The queen sighed. "It's bad, Tea."
"Marik bad?" Tristan asked.
"Worse. Marik wanted to rule the world. The being we're facing wants to destroy it."
Everyone glanced at each other, gulping before a huge bolt of lighting crashed into the building. Yami looked up with a conflicted look.
"Seems Obelisk put an end to things."
"Come on." (Y/N) insisted. "We're not done yet."
Thinking it was safe, the group approached the building once more, being drawn to the adjacent alleyway. There, they found Gurimo, grievously injured and clearly on the brink of death. The two royals approached.
"I warned you that you couldn't control that power." Yami lectured. "Return what you stole."
"N-never! The Egyptian god cards are ours!" Gurimo, despite his injuries, pulled out the Obelisk card and tossed it into the air. "Rafael!"
Yami and (Y/N) watched in horror as the tall biker snatched the card from the air.
"Return that this instant!" (Y/N) demanded as the man glared down at her.
"It seems we underestimated you, your highness. No matter, we always intended to take you out of the equation."
Before she could demand to know what that meant, Yami immediately pulled her into his arms and jumped back as the other two came out of nowhere on their bikes, trying to grab her. Everyone huddled up as the bikes encircled them, the two riders stopping on opposite sides of them.
"I'd let her go, mate. We aren't leaving without the vessel." The one with the hard cockney accent warned. "Hand her over willingly, and the rest of you can walk away tonight."
"Touch her and you lose the hand." Yami threatened.
"You're in no position to be making threats, Pharaoh." The other said.
Before Yami could make another snarky comment, there was what could only be described as a blur from the side lines as the cockney rider was launched from his bike into the nearby wall. All eyes were now trained on Soren, who not only had one foot on the kicked over bike, but to add insult to injury, stabbed the wheel with the rapier he had in his hand.
"Apologies for my tardiness, Master Carter." He said, tossing the weapon to male (L/N).
Carter smirked, catching the rapier with one hand. "Nonsense, I'd say you're right on time! So, kiddos, how about we forgo these face duels and stick to fists and swords, like the good old days? You can even keep the bikes."
The rider that had been manhandled by Soren spat out a bit of blood. "Aren't you two old timers a bit past your prime for this?"
Soren responded by cracking his knuckles. "I believe there's a saying about old men in fields where men die young."
Joey shot Carter a look. "Carter, seriously, is this dude ex-special forces? You can tell us."
"Classified."
"Enough!" The leader of the group called from his perch. "I will admit we underestimated you. However, if you wish to regain the god cards, you'll have to defeat all three of us. However, as a consolation, I shall release the souls of your friends."
He held up the soul cards of Weevil and Rex as two green lights floated off.
"Just come down here and get it!" Joey shouted, fists up. "It's the gift that keeps on givin'!"
Cockney chuckled for someone who just got his teeth kicked in. "Don't be so quick to lose, blondie. I'll have fun toyin' with you later."
Just then, his friend rode past them and picked him up, speeding away as the third member vanished. Everyone watched, frustrated they had escaped as eerie coughing came from Gurimo. (Y/N) marched up to him, glaring down.
"If you wish to die with any sort of peace, I suggest you start talking."
He spat at her feet, defiant to the end. "Don't look so smug, your highness. You and Carter know what's to come, and you will lose. You can't stop it. And don't get so smug about breaking one seal. At the end of the day, you and Carter's pathetic granddaughter are nothing more than shields for the true prize, and shields can be broken in time."
He let out a cackle, which devolved into coughing, and then silence. Carter sighed, looking down at him in anger and disappointment.
"It didn't have to end this way, Gurimo. If only you had chosen a different path."
"He made his choice, Carter." (Y/N) pointed out. "And he paid for it. Nothing good can come from making deals with the devil."
Yami was in silent agreement before something glowing caught his eye. He walked over and picked up a necklace with a familiar gemstone.
"Shagngu, look at this." He said, handing it to her. "Isn't this the same material as the stones in your bracelet?"
She held the two pieces side-by-side to compare. "So it would seem."
"What does that mean?" Tea asked.
Carter sighed. "Not sure. We've never been able to figure out what those stones in the Millennium Bracelet are, but if our enemy has a similar material, they may be able to pull off similar feats to the bracelet."
"Great, just great." Joey said. "More witches."
"In any event, Soren, call the authorities and make sure someone takes care of Gurimo." Carter ordered. "He may be a traitor, but we can't just leave him here."
"At once, Master Carter."
The chauffeur/bodyguard handed Carter a note before heading back to the car. When he was gone, everyone turned to the Wayfarers.
"So, either of you wanna tell us what the heck is going on?" Joey asked.
(Y/N) opened her mouth to explain, but Carter held up a hand.
"That can wait for now. First order of business should be to find those other two duelists our friend just freed and see what they know. Then, we have a meeting with some experts at Domino Museum who might have more insight." He turned to Gurimo's body. "It's going to be a long enough night as is."

(Timeskip)

It was sun up by the time they managed to track down Rex and Weevil, and everyone had dark circles under their eyes and were very cranky. Rain, who along with Yugi took over to give the spirits some sleep, made the disturbing discovery that runes on her arm were not fading anytime soon and she was kindly given Yugi's jacket to hide them rather than being forced to explain what they were. Rex and Weevil had very little to contribute besides confirming that they had lost their souls in a duel due to Gurimo using the Seal of Orichalcos and being their usual shady selves, leaving everyone to head back to the car.
"Why does weird stuff always happen to us?" Joey complained as Tristan, Tea, and Carter were out like lights for the drive over to the museum.
"I guess we're just lucky." Rain joked, leaning against Yugi tiredly.
Despite the exhaustion and chaos of this whole situation, Joey motioned at Yugi. The star haired boy blinked in confusion before the blonde mouthed 'ask her'. Even though this was a worse situation than his previous attempt, the unholy combination of fatigue and fear of the situation took over.
"Hey, Rain?"
"Yes, Yugi?" She moaned tiredly as the car came to a stop.
"Look, I know this is probably the worst possible time to ask, but considering things are about to get dangerous for us again, I want you to know something." She perked up, looking at him confused as Soren opened the door for them to get out.
Yugi grabbed her hand. "Rain, I-!"
"Yugi!"
The poor boy froze as an all too familiar face greeted them and the worst possible moment.
Rebecca beamed as Joey flinched at the absolute horrible luck that had just hit his best friend. Everyone else by then woke up and began exiting the vehicle. Yugi was immediately hugged by the younger girl, mentally asking what every deity would listen what he done to deserve this.
"I'm so glad you're here! I tried finding you at the game shop, but Solomon said you were chasing thieves. Luckily, I ran into Soren and suddenly it all made sense."
"Wait, who's this girl again?" Tristan asked, still practically sleeping on his feet.
"It's that girl Yugi dueled right after Duelist Kingdom, remember?" Tea responded as Joey got a good look at her.
"Barely recognized her. She traded in the teddy bear for glasses."
Rebecca smiled, grabbing Yugi's arm. "I don't need anymore because now I have a boyfriend to protect me!"
Yugi went red as he shot his head to the girl he had tried to ask out not one minute ago. "Rain, let me explain!"
The girl only laughed, giving the younger female a teasing look. "Becs, he's a bit too old for you, don't you think?"
She pouted. "I'm mature for my age!"
Yugi then looked at them in confusion. "Wait, she knew Soren...you two know each other?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Carter asked, yawning as he finally emerged from the car. "Rebecca and her grandfather are Wayfarers like Rain and myself."
Rebecca smiled at Yugi. "I almost laughed when Soren told me. Yugi, if you had just told me you knew Rain, we could've avoided that whole misunderstanding!"
"Misunderstanding?" Rain repeated before Yugi shut it down.
"It was nothing!"
Rebecca then turned to properly greet her fellow tribemates. "It's always good to see you, Carter and Rain."
"Likewise, Rebecca." Carter responded. "I assume Professor Hawkins is inside?"
She put on a serious expression and nodded. "Yup. It's important Carter. Something bad is happening."
"We know." Rain responded. "I'd get your gramps heart medication, Becs. He's gonna need it when he hears what we have to say."
Everyone headed inside and found the professor and Solomon standing in front of the still encased Tablet of Memories.
"Hey guys!" Yugi called out as Carter extended a hand to the professor.
"It's good to see you, Arthur, especially now."
The professor shook back. "Solomon told me you had a particularly nasty run in. Glad to see you're okay."
"Okay might be overselling it. One of our assailants was Gurimo."
Arthur's eyes went wide.
"You're kidding. I thought exile would make him rethink his choices, but attacking you and Rain? Where is he now?" Carter shook his head somberly as Arthur sighed. "Nothing for it then, I suppose. It's also good to see you safe, Rain."
"Good to see you again, Professor."
He then turned to Yugi. "Yugi Muto, you and Rain are just the people I needed to see. I have a theory that all of these monster sightings have something to do with you, or rather, you and spirits of the Nameless Pharaoh and the Wayfarer Queen."
Carter crossed his arms. "I see Solomon got you up to speed, then."
"I've had my suspicions for a while. You mention Rain having changes in character due to dangerous situations certainly raised a red flag. But to think she shared a body with the Wayfarer Queen herself."
"Rain, how could you keep that from me!?" Rebecca demanded as the older girl crossed her arms above her head.
"I didn't know until a couple of months ago, Becs, give me a break! I still haven't told Samson!"
"Not that he'd believe it."
"True."
"Getting back on topic, you two." Carter interrupted. "Arthur, you said you had insight on this matter. That it ties back to the ancient games of magic and to the tribe."
He nodded. "Yes. Carter, I confirmed it. Atlantis. It's all true."
Carter and Rain's eyes went wide as Tea chimed in.
"Wait, as in, the Lost City?"
Arthur nodded. "Indeed. In truth, I've spent my life searching for it because of our tribe."
"What's that got to do with it?" Joey asked.
Rebecca was more than happy to explain. "See, in our family's archive, there were a few records passed down that mentioned Atlantis, and that in fact, it was the homeland of the Wayfarer, where the Great Sage came from, and grandpa managed to confirm that with his latest expedition."
"I congratulate you on an achievement of unrivaled importance after a lifetime my friend." Carter commended. "But, I'm afraid to say you've just confirmed the worst possible conclusion."
Hawkins' face paled. "So it's true then? The shadow of our people has returned."
"Gurimo all but confirmed it." Rain stated. "And gramps and I managed to get some visions of it, and let me tell you, the stories don't do it justice."
Rebecca rubbed her arms. "I...I just can't believe it. We've heard the story all our lives, but I never thought we'd be the ones to face it."
Rain clenched her fists. "We've been preparing for this for centuries. If anyone can stop it, it's us."
"Hey, uh, not to sour the mood more, but anyone want to fill us in?" Tristan asked.
Yugi looked at his female counterpart. "Rain, what's going on? (Y/N) sounded really, really scared last night, and that can only mean something bad is coming. What is it?"
She took a deep breath. "You guys remember what I told you about how the Wayfarers became who we are? Why we traveled the world gathering knowledge?"
"Because, your founder, this Great Sage, they sealed away a monster, and you guys knew it would come back." Tea recalled, getting pale. "Wait, are you say-,"
"The time that our ancestors feared has come." Carter answered. "The beast that laid waste to the kingdom of the Great Sage, or should I say, Atlantis, is returning."
"Wait, didn't you say that thing had the power to eat the world or something!?" Joey shouted.
"Pretty much." Rain confirmed. "It's a primordial beast of gluttony. Odds are even if it did devour the world, it probably still wouldn't be satisfied."
"That's what we're up against!?"
Carter remained steadfast. "We always knew this day would come. Perhaps not in our lifetime, but it was bound to happen. Like Rain said, better us than a generation ill suited for the task."
"Does this thing have a name?" Yugi asked.
The Wayfarers glanced between themselves before nodding, allowing Rain to the honors.
"Well, most Wayfarers refuse to say its name out loud in fear of summoning it, but considering its coming to destroy us anyways, I see no point. The Great Sage called our immortal enemy, the true foe of all Wayfarers, the Leviathan."

You all knew it was coming. Anyways, I decided to make Gurimo, Rebecca, and Hawkins all Wayfarers. In the case of Gurimo it was why not considering we know nothing of this guy and never see him again. Also I have another plan for him in the future. As for Hawkins and Rebecca, I thought it would be cool if Hawkins was inspired to look for Atlantis because he wanted to find the origins of his people, and I think it would make sense for them to be members of a tribe dedicated to the gathering of knowledge. And yes, Carter and Soren get to be badass old men this season. Also, a quick warning, this season is gonna be a proverbial hammer to all four of our main characters' psyches. You've been warned.