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Chapter 46: Paradise Found

"Rain, sweetheart, I'm not questioning Eden's methods, but I think he's worse now." Carter said, looking cautiously at Yami.
After paying their respects at the gravestone of all who had fallen in the battle against the Leviathan, Kuro flew them back up the cliffs the train had fallen from until eventually they managed to catch up with Joey, Tristan, and Soren, who was lugging around an unconscious Rex. As if that weren't crazy enough, one of Seto's planes crash landed as they were driving past them and both Kaiba brothers stepped out, having just survived an ambush from Alister, Seto finally agreeing to help after a few stern (and nasty) words from the (L/N)s. Fortunately, instead of having to fly on Kuro the rest of the way, Roland arrived in a chopper with the unfortunate news that KaibaCorp had been bought out by Dartz's corporation, even with Carter's interference. So now, the group was racing to their destination as Seto and Mokuba fumed at their company being stolen. Yami, in contrast, was pretty quiet since getting on the helicopter, staring intently at the idol Eden had returned to him.
"Yeah, exactly what happened with you, him, and Eden?" Tea asked from her seat across from the two. "She told you about Dartz, but you also mentioned she dropped a major bomb on the pharaoh, but you haven't told us what that was."
"I'm more concerned about the magic stick she's got strapped to her back." Joey mentioned, pointing at Eden's staff that Rain had insisted on taking. "Stormy, you ain't helping the witch allegations."
Rain took a deep breath. "You know, I'm too tired for this, so Joey, I'm gonna whisper exactly what that bomb was so you can scream it out for everyone."
The blonde leaned in as the girl whispered what they had learned to him. Joey went through 5 different expressions in the span of 3 seconds before finally blurting it out.
"THEY HAVE A KID?!"
"What?!" Mokuba yelled as everyone, save for Seto, practically shot up out of their seats.
"There's no way!" Tristan added as Rain nodded.
"I saw the memory, I saw the baby, they have a kid."
"And you're sure the baby was theirs?" Joey asked, a little stupidly.
"Joey, I saw (Y/N) disheveled in a bed, holding a newborn, with Yami cooing to the baby. How else can you interpret that? Yami outright said 'our son'."
Carter shook his head. "You weren't exaggerating when you said bomb."
"Wait." Mokuba interrupted. "But none of the legends talk about a baby! How could they not mention that!?"
"Well, piecing together the memories we've gotten recently, at the earliest, the baby was born a year after Yami and (Y/N) took over." Rain calculated. "Considering the darkness came not too long after, their son couldn't have been more than a few years old when they were sealed away."
Carter nodded. "Considering his age and the fact that Yami and (Y/N) seem as though they would take every precaution to make sure he was away from the fighting, he probably had little to do with the battle, and thus, in the legends. Those are the kind of details lost to history, I'm afraid."
"That is so messed up." Tea said, shaking her head as Joey glanced at Yami.
"Can't blame the poor guy for being shell shocked. Finding out you're a dad-,"
"Are you serious, Rain?" Seto snapped. "You expect me to believe that in this fantasy-,"
"My son was very much real, Kaiba." Yami finally snarled. "Do not try to say otherwise in earshot."
As the brunette tried to argue, Rain swiftly elbowed him in the side to shut him up. Tea, seeing Yami grappling with this, sat next to him.
"How are you holding up?"
Yami fiddled with the idol. "I forgot my son. Not only that, I left him alone in the past. I practically abandoned him!"
"No you didn't, Yami." Rain interjected. "You and (Y/N) sacrificed your lives to save Egypt, to protect him. You didn't abandon him, you did what any parent in your situation would do."
"I just...I can't imagine how scared and confused he must have been after. We don't know if there was anyone left to look after him, there aren't even any records!" The pharaoh sighed, bringing the idol to his forehead. "Kathan, sa, what happened to you?"
Everyone looked at him empathetically, save for Seto again.
"Kathan?" Mokuba repeated.
"That was his name. I just remembered it." Yami chuckled. "Funny how easily his name came to me than my own name."
Rain smiled at him. "You even remembered how to say son. I guess those parental instincts run deep. It certainly explains yours and (Y/N)'s behavior towards Noah in the virtual world."
"Feel free to call me out, but Kathan doesn't sound...Egyptian." Tristan said, trying to get a feel for the name.
"It's not." Carter corrected. "It definitely came from (Y/N)'s side. It's an old name with significance in the tribe. Kathan translates to 'saying' or 'speech', but its meaning is storyteller. To Wayfarers whose duty it is to learn and pass on the histories, the stories, of the places they've traveled to, it's a name of great reverence. Fitting for a young prince, I'd say."
"Yami, I know this is a lot to take in, especially with (Y/N) gone, but don't forget why Eden told both of you." Rain reminded him. "It was to give you strength. If you want to get answers about your son, we have to get through this first."
Yami took a deep breath and nodded. "You're right. I apologize."
"Don't sweat it man." Joey responded. "I'd be losing my mind too. Let's knock that Dartz guy down, rescue Yuge and (Y/N), and then we'll all try and find out about your kid."
Yami nodded thankful as Carter leaned back in his seat.
"For now, we need to turn our attention to our foe. Dartz no doubt is the one in control of KaibaCorp. How he managed that, I'm not sure.
"We won't abandon you, sir." One of Seto's attendants assured. "We'll stand by your side until KaibaCorp is yours again!"
"Then what are we waiting for?" He asked rhetorically.
"We've got to get to the museum and decipher the ruins there." Yami said.
"My research team is already there." Kaiba informed them. "And my security force will handle any unexpected guests."
"Mr. Kaiba!" The pilot called. "Emergency message on the red line!"
The brunette nodded, pulling out his laptop. "This could be just what I'm waiting for."
The screen came to life as a man on the other end began relaying. "Sir, we're ready to upload the images of the undersea ruins!"
"Seto, you genius!" Rain shouted. "You made sure we had access to the images of the ruins before Dartz could destroy them!"
Carter smirked. "Well played, Seto."
"What'd you expect?" Mokuba asked. "C'mon, guys, you know my brother's always one step ahead of everyone else."
"Receiving the data." Seto said, only to hear interference on the other end and the call to drop. "Oh well, at least we got what we needed."
"You really need to up your security team." Rain said as the brunette side eyed her grandfather.
"Well maybe if someone told me where they found Soren-,"
"Never gonna happen, son. Anyways, let's send these over to Rebecca and have Arthur decipher them."
Rain jumped in and immediately got into contact with the younger Wayfarer, who was on route in a car with Duke and her grandfather.
"I got the images and my grandpa's looking them over now."
"Good." Rain said as Yami joined in.
"Let's meet up as soon as possible. Oh, and one more thing...I'm sorry."
"Yami..." Rain said as Professor Hawkins' voice was heard from elsewhere.
"Rebecca. You can't blame the pharaoh for what happened to Yugi. There's far too much at stake for hard feelings. Right now, we're all fighting a common enemy and this data may be our only hope!"
"Becs, even Eden nearly gave in to the seal." Rain said. "Mistakes were made. Now's the time to correct them."
The girl thought for a moment before nodding. "You're right."
"Pharaoh, Rain." The Professor jumped back in. "The quality of the images is much worse than I thought. Most of the carvings have been worn away. Unless we clear up these photos, I won't be able to read much at all."
Hearing that, Seto turned his head to pilot. "Set a course for KaibaCorp headquarters immediately."
"Dude, are you nuts!?" Tristan yelled, Tea clearly agreeing.
"Dartz and his gang must've taken over the place by now!"
"The only way we can process these images fast enough is by using my computer system, so we have no choice."
"He has a good point." Yami agreed.
Joey looked at him. "He does?"
"First, they took away Pegasus, and now they've taken over Kaiba's company, which means we've got to stop these criminals before they make their next move. We have no time to lose!"
"Wow." Kaiba huffed with a smirk. "You're more gung ho than I expected, you know, since you lost your title and all."
Rain immediately grabbed her staff and whacked him on the head. "Do you want our help, or do you want to be snarky?"
"Oi! Watch where you point that thing, Stormy!" Joey yelled, diving out of the way.
"Kaiba, this fight is about so much more than a mere title." Yami said. "Don't you see!? People are getting hurt! The whole world is in danger!"
"Blah, blah, blah. It's the same every time you're faced with a challenge. Stop saving the world and get a hobby!"
Yami sighed.
"Rain?" The girl immediately whacked his rival a second time as Yami looked down at the computer. "Rebecca, we'll meet you at the pier."
"10-4." She responded. "We'll see ya there."
As she clicked off, rainbow light began flittering into the helicopter. Looking outside, everyone saw another aurora covering the sky.
"It's getting worse." Yami said as Rain gulped.
"We're running out of time."

(Timeskip)

By the time they made it to HQ, night and a dark cloud had fallen, illuminated by a the seal encompassing the tower. Duke, Rebecca, and Professor Hawkins were all waiting at the docks as they landed. As Kaiba arranged for the soul bodies of Rex and Alister to be taken to the medical center, the others reunited with their friends.
"Glad you're okay, Becs." Rain greeted, hugging her.
"I'm glad you're back to yourself again, Rain."
"Well, I got some perspective on things." She pulled out the staff. "I'm ready to set this right."
"Professor." Yami said, approaching. "It's good to see you well."
"How was the road trip?" Joey asked.
Duke sighed. "Could've been better. We hit a pretty big snag on the way."
Joey tilted his head. "Flat tire?"
"We ran into Mai and one of those freaks, the one that jumped in and ended your duel."
Rain's grip on the staff tightened. "Valon..."
"Easy." Yami warned, seeing lightning flash above them.
"Don't sweat it, Stormy." Joey growled. "I'll settle the score for ya."
"Joey, you better knock out at least one tooth."
"I'd take it down a notch, Joey." Duke warned. "He's really got it in for you, and I'm afraid Mai's still on their side too."
"Just wait'll I find him!" The blonde declared.
"Hey, any word yet on Yugi?" Rebecca asked. "We have to find him."
"And Queen (Y/N)." Professor Hawkins added.
"Don't worry, we'll get them back." Rain assured. "Dartz still needs me to get what he's after, so it's only a matter of time until he shows his face."
"What do you mean?" The Professor asked, Yami responding for her.
"It's a lot to explain right now. For now, we need to get to KaibaCorp."
"Let me come with you!" Rebecca demanded. "You'll need some tech support."
"This isn't some kind of field trip, kid." Kaiba snarled.
"I'm no kid!"
"Seto, if we bring Mokuba on these kind of things, she can come too." Rain retorted. "Besides, we might need another translator. Now let's move it!"
"Be safe, you guys." Tea said.
"We will." Yami assured as he and Rain followed after the older Kaiba.
Seto took them through a shortcut in one of the underground emergency tunnels. Fortunately, Dartz hadn't updated the authorization yet, so Seto was still able to access the elevator. On the way up, however, something heavy hit the top of the elevator, a moment later, a monster began clawing through the roof and nearly landed on top of them. Seto looked pretty shaken as the creature leapt at him, forcing him to dodge as it bashed its head against the wall, denting it. Rain pulled out the staff and swung down, calling down a bolt of electricity that slew the creature.
"Excellent reflexes, Rain." Yami commented as he and Seto looked over the charred corpse.
"I don't know what this thing is and I'm not staying to find out!" Seto shattered the control panel, forcing the elevator doors open slightly. "Let's go!"
The two boys pried the doors open, only to be met with a room full of snarling monsters.
"These can't be real." The brunette said as Yami narrowed his eyes.
"Believe us, there are, unless you have a better explanation. Rain, I hope you're comfortable with magic."
She twirled the staff, nearly dropping it at one point. "I'll do you one better: Ori! Strike 'em down!"
The light spirit appeared, driving the monsters back with his spirit flames and allowing the humans to make a break for it. Realizing their own monsters could also be summoned, Yami and Seto summon Obnoxious Celtic Guardian and Vorse Raider to assist Ori in clearing their path.
"Believe in magic now, Seto!?" Rain yelled as they ran for the doors.
"Shut up, Rain! Through here!"
The brunette tried to use the access card, but was denied. Fortunately, Ori was forced to retreat as Celtic Guardian and Vorse Raider were destroyed, a familiar voice came over the speaker.
"Need some help?"
"Becs, we owe you one!" Rain yelled as they ran through the doors, which shut tight behind them.
"Bad news, though. I can't access the central computer! KaibaCorp's mainframe's on a separate system."
"No problem." Seto assured. "I've got it from here."
The trio ran in the hub for the mainframe. Once again, security had not been updated, so Kaiba was able to take control, shutting down the hacked portions of the building and rebooting the whole system before uploading the images.
"Begin analyzing images! Reference every inscription and cross-reference with every known archeological database!"
With the inscriptions now enhanced, Professor Hawkins was able to translate.
"Freed from its shackles, the black serpent will swallow the sun, and then paradise will rule once more."
"Nice work, Professor." Duke could be heard. "But what's that mean?"
"Paradise must be Atlantis." Rain answered as Kaiba pointed at one of the images.
"Hold on. That insignia looks familiar. Where have I seen it before? Wait..." He began typing. "Carter! You recognize it too, correct?"
"Indeed." The old man confirmed. "It's Paradius's symbol. It's a financial organization. No one's truly made contact with them before, but rumor has it they control a small piece of every company in the world. That's how they got a hold of KaibaCorp."
Kaiba brought up a picture of a man. "Rain, Yugi, is this-,"
Yami nodded, seeing the picture. "Yes, that's Dartz."
"You two don't know what we're up against!"
"Sure we do." Rain snarked. "We're up against a functionally immortal maniac hell bent on feeding the world to a monster. Nothing's changed!"
At that moment, the system began shorting out and the computers began exploding. Now in the dark, a familiar voice.
"Ha ha ha! You're so close, yet so very far." The group turned to see the shadow of the Leviathan looming over them and Dartz atop its head. "Gentlemen, thank you for coming to me. And thank you, Eden, for delivering yourself to me. You've made my job so much easier."
"The name is Rain (L/N), Dartz!" The girl shouted back, pointing the staff at him. "We're not afraid of you!"
"My my, even your denial echoes her. Why deny who you truly are? Now then, Mr Kaiba and the infamous pharaoh."
"Give back my company before I get angry!" Seto demanded, Yami joining in.
"And return the souls you took along with the Millennium Bracelet!"
"Or else what, Pharaoh? You're in no position to make demands."
"Well I'm more than in position to make threats!" Rain shouted. "Give back everyone or I'll blast you into next week!"
"How cute, but you're merely a shadow of yourself 'Rain'." Dartz mocked. "You and that supposed queen. Speaking of, Pharaoh, time's running out for your lovely wife. Seems this time, you won't be interfering."
Rain expected Yami to seethe, but the pharaoh merely smirked.
"If you think you're capable of destroying (Y/N), then you are vastly underestimating the woman I love, just as you did in our previous lives." It was Dartz's turned to flare with anger, but Yami's defiance seemed to summon Timaeus, who roared at his foe. "That love has endured beyond death, Dartz, and it will not be broken by the likes of you!"
The shadowy Leviathan roared, sending out a blast to destroy Timaeus, only for Critias to also appear and the two dragons to keep the beast at bay. Just as it appeared to be a stalemate, a small tornado crashed into the creature, nearly knocking Dartz's from his perch.
"Don't think I won't fight back either!" A familiar voice was heard.
"(Y/N)!" Yami and Rain called out together.
"The three of you! Run! Paradius's headquarters holds the key to finding us! Find it and end this!"
"We will!" Rain promised. "Just hang in there, (Y/N)! We're coming!"
"Shagngu!" Yami called. "We will find you! Think of our son! Think of Kathan and stay strong!"
"I will, and you as well, Kianga. The memory of our family, that love, will give you strength. Go!"
With (Y/N)'s help, Timaeus and Critias drove the shadowy figures away. Before Rain and Yami had time to ruminate, the monsters began breaking through the door. Sick of this, Rain held the staff above her head.
"Hang on, boys! Kuro!"
Outside, the Dread Owl was seen bursting through the roof of KaibaCorp HQ, flying the trio to safety.
"You're paying for that, Rain."
"Put it on my tab."
Kuro screeched as something raced past her, nearly knocking them from the sky. Looking up, Rain saw the faint silhouette of the Leviathan slither away. She gritted her teeth.
"No more running, coward. We end this now."

(Timeskip)

"Where are they?" Rebecca asked worriedly as she, Mokuba, Carter, and Duke waited outside the RV.
Mokuba looked equally fearful until he saw a familiar shadowy form in the sky. "Right over there!"
"Hey, guys!" Duke called as Kuro landed beside them. "You made it!"
"Barely." Rain said as the trio slid off the owls back and she vanished.
Mokuba ran up to his brother and walked beside him. "We were worried about you three for a second there!"
"We're fine." Seto insisted, looking at Carter. "And now that we know who we're after, it's time to crash their little party."
"Agreed." The old man said, holding up a phone. "Let's just say I may have called in the calvary."
Rain raised a brow. "What's that mean?"
"Oh you'll see. Anyways, we have a different problem. Joey took off to Paradius on his own!"
"We have to get there before he does!" Yami said as Seto scowled.
"He better not screw this up for me."
"Hey!" Tea's voice called out as she and Soren came running in. "We've got bigger problems, guys! Those same monsters we saw in the desert are roaming the city!"
"Not only that, Valon found Joey." Soren informed them. "Tristan is following them, but I don't like this."
"Let's make tracks, people!" Duke yelled. "In the car, now!"
"Good idea." Professor Hawkins said, stepping out of the RV. "I'm afraid things are even worse than we could imagine."
"What is it, gramps?" Rebecca asked.
"According to the evening news, thousands of people around the world are suddenly collapsing in the streets and falling into a state of unconsciousness."
"It's those monsters!" Tea realized.
"They're using the Orichalcos to steal souls." Rain added. "Dartz must be heading into his end game."
"I'm afraid the areas where the attacks are concentrated have one thing in common." Professor Hawkins said somberly as Carter crossed his arms.
"Wayfarer Archives. He wants to wipe us out."
The Professor nodded. "That seems to be the case. Fortunately, from what information I can gather, most of our people are evacuating, but I'm afraid he'll only hunt them down."
"He won't have to." Carter declared. "I've put out a global call to arms. Dartz is about to get an army at his doorstep. If he wants us gone, we won't go quietly."
"For now, we should focus on getting ourselves there." Soren suggested. "Every law enforcement office in this city is under his control. If we don't start moving, we'll be surrounded."
Yami nodded. "All right, then we have to battle these monsters on our own and make our way to Dartz. Rain, how many spells do you think you can manage?"
"Not sure. I've done a lot tonight, but I haven't felt any side effects. I think the staff helps me focus and prevents me from wasting energy, but I'm not sure how long that's gonna last."
"In that case, try to limit it. We might need you at any moment."
Rain didn't exactly like that idea, but Yami's logic was sound. "All right, I just hope Joey doesn't need it."

(Timeskip)

With Duke driving, it didn't take long for the group to get into range of their target, but still there was no sign of Joey, Tristan, or Valon.
"We're only one mile from Paradius's headquarters." Rebecca reported.
Mokuba smiled. "We'll have our company back in no time, right bro?"
Seto crossed his arms. "Don't be so sure. We're dealing with an extremely powerful organization, and it's gonna take everything we have to bring them down."
"Fortunately, it won't be sneaky business tactics." Carter said, pulling out his rapier that Soren had been carrying this whole time. "We're dealing with all out warfare, something I'm not afraid of."
"I think your grandfather just wants an excuse to stab someone." Yami whispered to Rain.
She nodded. "It's been a long couple of days for all of us."
"Personally, I'm more afraid of Soren going all out." Tea jumped in.
Just then, the RV came to a screeching halt, nearly knocking everyone out of their seats.
"What's going on?" Mokuba shouted as Rain helped Tea, who was half way sprawled on the table.
"Maybe we should get someone else behind the wheel!" The blue eyed girl said angrily, slightly winded.
She, Rain, Rebecca, and Yami all ran out of the car to see what was up, immediately spotting Tristan, who was cornered by an Orichalcos soldier.
"Come on!" He shouted. "I'll take whatever you got!"
Yami acted quickly. "Go, Celtic Guardian!"
The warrior monster leapt forward, striking down the soldier in an instance, to the relief of Tristan.
"Tristan!" Rain called as everyone ran over to him. "You okay?"
"I'm good. Thanks, Pharaoh. You came in the nick of time! Of course, I could have taken him myself."
"I'm afraid the only thing that would've been taken is your soul." Yami corrected.
"So those things are working for Dartz."
"Afraid so." Tea confirmed, looking around. "Tristan, where's Joey?"
"He hopped on some guy's motorcycle and took of after one of Dartz's little flunkies!"
"You're kidding!" Duke yelled as Rain growled.
"Let me guess: Valon?"
Tristan quirked a brow. "Who?"
"The guy who attacked Rain!" Duke reminded him. "And the guy me and Rebecca dueled."
"Is that a bad thing?" Tea asked.
Rebecca nodded. "Not only does Valon have a thing against Joey, but he's got a deck full of monsters I've never seen before!"
"Let's go!" Yami ordered. "We have to find Joey before it's too late!"
"That chump's gonna have to wait." Seto called, stepping out of the RV with his duel disk activated. "We've got bigger problems!"
Everyone glanced around them, seeing now they were all surrounded by Orichalcos soldiers. Carter and Soren also stepped out of the RV, swords drawn as the soldiers moved in. Yami held up his duel disk as Rain leveled her staff.
"Joey, hang in there for us. Yami, Seto, I think you two should bust out Timaeus and Critias."
Not arguing with the Wayfarer, both males pulled out their respective legendary dragons. As usual, the two were more than happy to lay waste to Dartz's underlings. Once the path was cleared, the dragons returned to their dormant state as Seto began walking up the road, deciding to ditch the search for Joey and continue on to Paradius HQ. Luckily, Rebecca was more helpful, trying to track Joey through his duel disk. After a bit of trial and error, she was eventually able to pinpoint his location, giving Yami, Rain, Tristan, and Tea a heading.
"How far is Joey?" Yami asked as they ran.
"Just a few blocks away!" Tea yelled holding the map. "I just hope I'm reading this thing right!"
"Don't say that!" Tristan yelled.
Just then, Yami deck began glowing, stopping them in their tracks. Rain looked up, sensing what was happening.
"Joey's using Hermos."
Yami nodded in agreement as they continued to run, the light of Timaeus fading as they went, concerning the two of them.
"We're getting close." Tea said, slowing down. "We need to stop running and start searching."
"We don't have that kind of time, Tea!" Tristan argued, only for (Y/N) to interject.
"It won't do Joey any good if we're running around in circles!" Just then, a pillar of spiraling light shot up into the air a few blocks over, making everyone skid to a halt. "Call me crazy, but I'm gonna bet that's where he is."
"Most likely." Yami agreed as they all changed course.
Somehow, another seal of Orichalcos was activated as they were running, yet despite following the light of the seal, all roads seemed to lead to dead ends. Again, Yami and Rain sensed Joey using Hermos, but eventually, something very concerning happened. Rain swayed, feeling something terrible crash into her. While Yami immediately caught her, he saw Timaeus appear in the sky, crying out in lament. The pharaoh felt the dragon's sorrow, and he became dreadfully aware of what this could mean. As if by some sick joke, they had finally reached the site of the duel, but it was too late. Valon's soulless body laid nearby, while Joey's was propped up against the fence.
"No way." Tristan whispered.
"What happened to him?" Tea asked as Yami gulped.
"He lost the duel."
Rain ran to his side, crying. "Damn it, Joey! Why did you run off on your own!?"
Yami looked away mournfully as Tristan clenched his fists.
"When I get my hands on the person who did this, they're gonna wish they were never born!" Tristan walked over to his friend, tears in his eyes. "Wake up, man!"
"Who did do this?" Tea asked, looking over at Valon.
"It couldn't have been him." Rain said. "The seal and Hermos got activated twice. He got caught in back to back duels."
"Don't you guys see?" Tristan snarled. "He beat Valon, then Mai showed up. She did this to him! I'm sure of it!"
"And that's not all." Rain added, looking through Joey's deck. "She must've taken Hermos too."
"How could she!?" Tea cried.
"Easily!" The brunette male snapped. "She couldn't wait to get rid of Joey."
"That's true." Yami admitted. "However, the seal brings out the worst in a person, amplifying the slightest weakness in their soul, and it takes an immense power to overcome it. We know who is really to blame for this. He hides safely in his fortress while others do his dirty work! Well, not anymore."
Yami took off down the street, Rain following after him as Tristan and Tea took care of Joey.
"You're not going alone." She said. "Timaeus and Eden stopped Leviathan together, but it'll take all nine of us to put the Leviathan down once and for all."
"I'll gladly fight beside you then, my friend."
The two made it to the HQ, waltzing into the lobby as Dartz's voice taunted them. "We've been expecting you both."
An elevator descended for the two of them, but as they ran to it, the doors opened, revealing Mai.
"Mai?" Yami asked.
She slumped forward, both Yami and Rain catching.
"Mai!" Rain yelled, shaking her. "Talk to us!"
Yami narrowed his eyes, realizing her soul was gone. He also caught sight of a falling feather.
"Rain, we need to keep moving."
She frowned sadly, but nodded. "You're right."
The two propped her up against the wall and walked into the elevator which began taking them to the roof.
"What do you think is waiting for us?" Rain asked.
Yami's fist clenched. "I have a guess."
The doors behind them opened as Rafael greeted them.
"It's about time you showed up for our rematch."
Yami walked out in front of Rain. "This doesn't concern you, Rafael. We're here to see Dartz. Is your master so much of a coward that he sent you to do his battles for him?"
"Not quite." Rafael retorted. "You owe me something, but first, why don't you take this?"
The man tossed the Claw of Hermos to Pharaoh, confirming that Mai had indeed taken it. As it turns out, Joey had gotten through to Mai and she had intended to take on Dartz, only for Rafael to defeat her in turn.
"This madness has to stop." Yami snarled. "Just think of how many innocent lives have been destroyed. You may be next."
"Do you think I really care?" Rafael asked. "I made a commitment to help Master Dartz save the planet from crumbling at the hands of people like you, and if keeping my promise means giving up my own soul, well, then so be it. 'Cause even if I'm captured, I'll be doing my part by giving the Great Leviathan the strength it needs to restore peace to the world once again."
"Peace?" Rain repeated. "Give me a break. That creature only cares about filling its belly! Wake up, you moron! You're serving a puppet who had his strings pulled by a monster for millennia! There isn't going to be a world to bring peace to once the Leviathan gets what it wants! If you want to protect the world, fight alongside us, Rafael! You still have a choice!"
"I do have a choice, Eden, and this is it. The great Leviathan only needs one more strong soul to be reborn."
Both Yami and Rain looked up to see the silhouette from before swimming across the sky.
"Oh no." Yami muttered.
"The most devastating creature that ever lived is waiting to rise again. All it needs now is your soul, Pharaoh. There's no one for you to hide behind this time."
"No, but he's not alone this time either." Rain declared as she and Yami smiled at each other. "And we promised to look after each other to some pretty important people."
"It won't do him any good. And don't think you'll be spared from your fate, Eden."
She smirked, shaking her head. "I don't know. If anything, I think Yami and I have learned that while your seal may bring out the worst in people, it can be overcome."
"Ridiculous." Rafael snapped, pulling out his card. "Do you honestly believe you can overcome this might?"
"You can't tempt me with that again, Rafael." Yami said as the man approached them.
"I wasn't planning on it, but you can have one last look at it while you shuffle my deck, for old time's sake."
Yami stayed stoic, handing his deck off. "I know what you're trying to do, and it won't work. I won't give in to my dark side"
"We'll see about that."
The two males shuffled and took their positions. Rain placed a hand on the Pharaoh's shoulder.
"Yami, remember what Eden taught you. Love conquered the seal once, it can do it again."
He nodded to her, smiling. "I won't forget, Rain. They will be with me."
Storm clouds rolled in as the two males looked at each other, both determined in their goals.
"It's time to duel!"
Lightning flashed as the duel commenced. Initially, according to Yami, Rafael was employing the same strategies he had used in their previous duel.  However, things began to go off the rails as Yami moved into his Five Star Twilight combo, weakening Guardian Grarl with the Kuriboo's ability and Mystical Space Typhoon for Kuribabylon to finish, only to be stopped by Guardian Shield. Rafael was determined not to allow his monsters to be destroyed, but as Yami pointed out, so long as Rafael followed Dartz's, they'd be used for evil. That only caused his opponent to spiral as he activated the Seal of Orichalcos.
"Rafael! No!" Yami yelled as the seal encompassed the field.
The others arrived in time to see this as Rain jumped back, pulling out the staff.
"Hang on, Yami! I'll break-,"
"Rain, don't." He ordered. "If you force your way through without the bracelet, it could seriously hurt you. We need you at your full strength. Trust me to overcome this."
She grumbled, but nodded, putting the staff away. "Fine, but you better get through this! And as for you, Rafael! Are ya nuts?! This won't help anyone!"
"The Great Leviathan needs power, and once I take you down and capture your soul, that legendary creature will have the strength it needs to awaken."
"We'll see." Yami hissed.
With Rafael monsters now getting powered up, things only continued to spiral. While Yami was able to defend against and even overcome Rafael's Guardian Eatos with the help of Timaeus, that only seemed to drive Rafael crazier...somehow. Like out of a horror movie, Guardian Dreadscythe crawled onto the field and proceeded to decapitate Amulet Dragon. To Yami's horror, like the other victims, Rafael began to lose himself to the seal, destroying his monsters one after another to power up Dreadscythe. Even still, Yami didn't give up, keeping to his promise to hold on to his memory of (Y/N) and Kathan, trying to make Rafael see that he was falling down the same path of anger that had consumed so many others, activating Underworld Circle, which obscured the duel. As the others called out for him, Rain was able to follow after him in spirit form. As the fog cleared enough for the two of them to see each other, Yami nearly reeled back.
"Rain! How did you-?!"
She shrugged. "You know, let's just start assuming the seal does nothing to me and move on."
He sighed, but was forced to accept the answer. Venturing deeper into the fog, the two found themselves in a cemetery.
"I don't understand." Yami said, looking around as Rain was notably uncomfortable. "Underworld Circle allows us to bring back monsters from the Graveyard. Did I bring us here?"
"This wasn't part of my plan."
The duo turned to see Rafael standing somberly in the fog.
"Help!" Another voice called.
A moment later, a younger version of Rafael ran past them, making them all double take.
"D-did you bring us to the past?" Rain asked before she heard Eden's voice.
"The darkness lies in the past, young Wayfarer. For him to conquer his anger, he must confront its source."
"Maybe warn us when you're gonna do stuff like this, Eden." She mumbled as Rafael took off after his younger self with the pair following after him.
Eventually, he stopped at the foot of two graves, the names Julian and Sonia carved into them.
"Rafael, stop." Yami asked. "We don't know where we are."
"Maybe you don't, but I know exactly where we are."
"Rafael?" Rain asked before hearing laughter behind her.
They turned, hearing Dartz from the fog.
"It's all starting to make sense." Rafael said as rain began to pour. "Dartz took me here to expose me to the truth. This must be the day we met."
They saw an image of Dartz standing alongside the younger Rafael, his voice sounding highly manipulative to Rain.
"Always remember, my child, life is cruel. It's a sad fact, but the sooner you learn that, the sooner you can start over. See for yourself. Just let go. I sent you here so you can bury your past and leave it behind, for it is all over now, and today is the day you begin your new life. Just do as I say and the pain will be gone. I'm your family now, Rafael. However, unlike your previous loved ones, I won't abandon you. Now, listen closely, there's one final task you need to perform: tunnel your way through the ground and unearth your destiny! Use that anger inside to guide you. Focus on the pain of your past and you'll find the tools to rebuild your future. The strength you need is in your grasp. Now, dig."
Dartz motioned to the two graves as the younger Rafael began to dig with his head. When he reached a good way down, Eatos appeared, and to the horror of Yami and Rain, she held two small skulls, clearly belonging to children, as the poor boy began breaking down, images of a boat caught in a storm and a group of children tossed into the ocean flashing before them. Dartz was unflinching and merciless, continuing to play his part as a cult leader, throwing the broken boy a chaos duel disk.
"Forget that creature! It is part of your past! Now, embrace your destiny."
Practically numb now, the trio saw Rafael activate the duel disk and the Seal of Orichalcos, becoming the person before them. Eatos seemed to watch on somberly before being banished by the seal and reborn as Guardian Dreadscythe. The memory faded away, leaving only the two graves from before.
"Pharaoh, now do you understand the brilliance of Master Dartz?" Rafael asked as Rain crossed her arms.
"You mean as a cult leader? Because that was textbook cult indoctrination." Rain stood beside the graves. "You lost your family, and Dartz found you, is that it?"
"My siblings." Rafael clarified, stepping between the two graves. "My master knows how the world works, and more importantly, he knows how to save it!"
Yami wanted to argue, but Rain only laughed, a bitter yet empathetic laugh, making Rafael look at her in confusion as she looked up.
"I really should pity you. You were such an easy mark for Dartz to manipulate, I can't really blame you. Yeah, the world really sucks sometimes, I'm not gonna argue that, but there are things that make this world worth protecting! You think that because you suffered tragedy that means you get to take it out on everyone else? Oh no, that's not how this works."
Rafael gritted his teeth. "What would you know!?"
She smirked at him. "A lot more than you think."
Two more graves appeared next to those of Rafael's siblings, though it was clear they belonged in a different cemetery than the one they had been in. Reading one, he immediately recognized the name of Rain's mother.
"I lost my parents in an accident too. I was trapped in a car with their corpses for hours waiting to die from the cold, but I survived." She turned to Rafael, Ori now perched on her shoulder. "These past few days have proven to me that love endures anything. My parents might be gone, but what they left behind isn't. I'm still here, and their love lives in me. So for them, for everyone whose life got cut short, I'm gonna live, right to the bitter end!"
Two specters appeared behind Rain, a man and a woman who she bore a striking resemblance to. Feeling Rain's resolve, Yami resolved to help Rafael.
"Tell me this, Rafael: if you're so loyal to Dartz, then why did you disobey him? He told you to let go of the past, yet you stay loyal to your Guardians!"
"Neither of you understand." He argued. "He was trying to help me move on."
"No. He was trying to make you forget." Yami placed his hand over his heart. "Take it from me: you don't forget those you love, not truly. Eventually, it comes back one way or another."
"Are you done?" Rafael asked, still lost in the haze. "Master Dartz gave me the power I needed to survive! And now it's time to unleash it on you!"
Dreadscythe suddenly reappeared, shocking the pharaoh.
"Dreadscythe!? That's impossible!"
"Oh, hey, the smoke cleared!" Tristan shouted as Tea, who presumably was trying to shake Rain awake, looked at her.
"Rain, what happened!? Is Yami all right?! Are you all right?!"
"We're fine." She assured. "Just an...unforeseen intervention by Eden. Certainly gave us perspective on Rafael."
"Anything useful?" Kaiba inquired as she shrugged.
"Kind of?"
"My Underworld Circle should've destroyed every single monster on the field!" Yami shouted. "It also forces us to remove every monster card from our decks for the rest of the game! After that, the only creatures we're allowed to use are the ones in our Graveyard. So why is Dreadscythe still on the field!?"
"By eliminating a card from my hand, my Guardian Dreadscythe is able to automatically revive itself!" Rafael explained as one of his cards vanished. "It was created to be indestructible, so not even I can get rid of it!"
"What!?"
"Does that mean Yami can't win?!" Tea asked as Rain crossed her arms.
"I've heard 'indestructible' before and we've proven time and time again that it does not hold water. Yami can still pull through!"
Feeling reassured by his friend's faith, the pharaoh continued his turn. "Thanks to the effect of my magic card, I have access to every monster in my Graveyard now, but your Graveyard is off limits thanks to your Dreadscythe!"
"Didn't I tell you?" Rafael mocked. "There's no turning back! The monsters I sacrificed are gone, and I don't need them. There's only one creature I need now!"
Rain eyed Dreadscythe. Eden hadn't just been talking about Rafael's past when she mentioned the source of his anger. Dreadscythe was a tool given to him by Dartz to feed that anger. The only way to get through to Rafael was to strike it down. Yami seemed to have the same idea, summoning back Dark Magician and Jack's Knight with the help of Underworld Circle. He attempted to prevent Dreadscythe from attacking with Zero Gravity, but Rafael countered with Spirit Hunting, allowing his monster to destroy both of Yami's. The pharaoh hung in there with cards like Altar of Restoration and Reduction Barrier, but Dreadscythe was slowly whittling away at him. However, he had one play left, using Spider Web to snag Rafael's Monster Reborn and using it to summon Guardian Eatos to the field. It was clearly having an effect on Rafael as he began shaking.
"What's he gonna do with that card?" Tea asked.
"Hopefully win." Mokuba said.
"He's gonna use it to pierce the darkness." Rain answered.
"Correct." Yami confirmed. "One more thing: I summon the Claw of Hermos!"
Likely thanks to the will of Joey always being there for his pals, or Hermos sensing Timaeus spirit within Yami, the dragon heeded his call. "And now, Hermos and Queen's Knight, combine together to form Goddess Bow! This will double the attack points of Guardian Eatos!"
The two monsters fuse, somehow creating a bow that Eatos immediately snatched.
"On top of that, with Eatos out of the Graveyard, Dreadscythe loses attack points." Rain noted as the two monsters even the score at 5000 ATK a piece.
"What are you up to?" Rafael asked. "Our monsters are even now. They'll both be destroyed, but mine will come back!"
"We'll see about that! I have a few more surprises planned! Eatos, attack his Dreadscythe now!" Eatos readied the bow as Dreadscythe swung its scythe, something Yami was prepared for. "I activate the special ability of my Goddess Bow! Now, every time your Dreadscythe revives itself, Eatos can attack again!"
"That's a little convenient." Mokuba muttered to Rain as Goddess Bow perfectly countered Dreadscythe's ability.
"Hermos can turn into whatever he wants." Rain whispered back as Rafael's hand was emptied, leaving only Dreadscythe's mask to be pulled away by Eatos and back to the Graveyard.
Rafael sank to his knees as Yami stared down at him. "Now do you understand what you've done? You turned your back on your monsters. At one time, they meant the world to you, but Dartz convinced you to abandon everything that was important to you. He fed you lies and fueled your rage, and in a moment of weakness, you allowed your heart to become consumed by the Orichalcos, just as countless others have."
"Others?" Rafael repeated.
Rain nodded. "Like you, the people of the past, those under Dartz's rule, had the darkness in their hearts amplified to the point where they became monsters. But that wasn't necessarily their true selves, merely what Leviathan wanted more victims to perceive them as. Even Dartz, like you, had lies fed to him through dark magic, tricking him into turning his back on everything he held dear. The beast is a liar, Rafael, you must know this by now."
Yami closed his eyes. "I knew the real you was still fighting to break free, and Eden and I knew what we had to do was force you to face the darkness."
"There's only one problem with your plan, Pharaoh." Rafael said, dejected. "The Seal of Orichalcos still needs to capture one of our souls, so what do you say we finish this off and see who goes? My move!"
Yami braced himself, but Rain stepped up.
"Rafael, the seal can amplify the darkness, but at the end of the day, you can choose to overcome it, but you must decide what you truly want."
Rafael took a breath and drew. "I'll use the power of Underworld Circle to bring back my Guardian Grarl! Next I'll activate my Soul Charge, allowing me to summon even more monsters from my Graveyard!"
"At the cost of 500 lifepoints each." Yami noted as all of Rafael's Guardian monsters were brought back.
"Exactly." He smiled, at peace. "My Guardians are free now, and this game is over."
As Rafael's lifepoints hit 0 and the seal began closing in, Rain began to run to him, only to feel Eden's presence stop her.
"Watch."
A figure descended from the sky, parting the storm clouds.
"Eatos?" Yami said as he realized all of Rafael's monsters gathered around him. "You've made the correct choice, Rafael."
"The darkness Dartz used to snare you has lifted." Rain said. "The seal is powerless."
Rafael smiled to the two before specters of his siblings stood beside him, smiling. It was then he recalled the words Ed-...no, that Rain had told him: love endures, it lives on.
The vision faded, along with the seal, allowing Yami and Rafael to run up to him.
"I...I don't understand." Rafael said. "How am I still here?"
"Yeah, I'm confused too." Tea said, looking at Rain, who smiled.
"Love endures, through death, and especially the seal. Eden and Timaeus proved that. Call it corny, but love overcomes the darkness."
"Ugh, that is the worst thing that has ever come out of your mouth." Seto gagged, making Rain stamp her foot.
"Sue me! I don't make the rules of magic!"
Just then, the building began to rumble, nearly knocking everyone off their feet.
"Oh no." Seto said as Yami looked up.
"Oh yes. Rain, I think it's time we made our exit!"
"On it!" She shouted, raising the staff. "Kuro!"
In the dawn light, the Dread Owl appeared, screeching as everyone began piling on her back.
"Go!" Rafael insisted as the building began to crumble. "You don't have much time."
Rain huffed. "Oh, we're all leaving, including you! You might've overcome your darkness, but you are not getting off that easily!"
With a whistle, Kuro spread her wings and began to take off, snatching Rafael in one of her talons as Yami and Rain rode on top of them, everyone else screaming from her back. As the building crumbled beneath them and an ominous temple took its place, Rafael fought not to look down.
"This is more terrifying than I imagined!"
"You get used to it." Rain said, getting a look from Yami.
"You most certainly do not!"
"No, but we can lie and say we do." She looked at the temple. "So that's what Paradius's HQ actually looks like."
Yami narrowed his eyes. "I can't say I'm surprised. Rain, the end is upon us."
She nodded to him. "Then let it come!"

Another fun fact: due to their lack of experience using magic, (Y/N) and Rain favor specific elements. (Y/N) favors wind while Rain favors lightning. Also, Rain managed to save Rafael! Why? You'll see! We're getting close to the end of the arc guys and there are still some twists to be had!