Chaos Effect

Chapter 65:

King Edwyn shook his head, arms folded over his chest, as he looked down from the rampart to the ground just below him. "No matter how many times I see it I will never get used to the fact that an army can march up to a castle, all bristling and growling and filled with war drums beating in their heads... and then all stop calmly and watch people have a duel."

"Is it even like that in this world?" Solomon asked. "Dueling, I mean. Where two people stop and draw cards?"

Edwyn watched as Edwin and Enigma drew cards from their decks and began to look over their hands. "Well... this is a lot less..." he sighed, searching for the right words, "...dramatic."

That made Josiah shoot him a look. "You've never seen someone go off on a long speech about how, "You do not understand the heart of the cards!"."

The newly revealed Queen of the Amazons frowned at that, folding her arms over her chest. "I do NOT do that."

The Pharaoh nodded. "There may be times when we try to reason with our enemies, but it isn't as if we are constantly making long winded speeches."

Arno looked at Solomon who shrugged. "Oh, I did that all the time, or at least let my version of the Pharaoh do that. But it's been years... I'm out of the game."

Yoki looked back at Edwyn. "So how does it work for you then? Dueling?"

"We have decks of cards but it's a ritual. You draw one and it allows you to either cast forth spell, set a trap, or give yourself aspects of the monster that dwells within." He reached into a leather case that was strapped to his hip and drew out a medieval-looking card. "I use the deck that belonged to every lord of Great Drake Keep... the Blue-Eyes White Dragon Cards." He put the card back. "Normally I just use it to create some wind storms or fire lightning but if I am desperate I can turn myself fully into the great dragon... I'll be out for several days but it has turned the tide of battle." He paused. "Have I mentioned how happy I am that I can speak normal?"

"Many times," Josiah told the man that was an alternative version of his brother. "Alright... so we're all ready to do our parts if this doesn't work?"

Arno nodded. "Yes. I don't like this at all... but yes."

"You know Kev... Edwin," Josiah corrected himself s he made his way towards the stairs. "Always loves being the martyr."

Arno spared a glance back at his son. "He needs to remember that at some point the martyr dies."

~MC~MC~MC~

"So, I have to ask," I said as I looked over my cards, "are you one of those arrogant pricks who is going to get your minions to cheer for him every time he makes a move?"

"Pardon?" Enigma said, glancing up at me.

"You know... you draw a card and your mooks all because yelling, "That's amazing!" and "You go boss" and "I like yelling things!". That sort of thing. I honestly haven't encountered anyone like that but I'm surprised I haven't because it seems like something a would-be megalomaniacal dictator like yourself would do."

"No," Enigma said softly. "There is no need to feed my ego with such things. I know my own strength, Chaos, and I do not need others to validate me."

"Huh. That's oddly refreshing. I'd say you were polite and we could totally be friends but there is the small matter of you freezing fucking worlds, kidnapping people, and having a Shoot To Kill order on everyone wearing my face." I paused, looking at Edna. "Or your face. Is it sexist that I was only thinking about myself there?"

Edna shrugged. "Not really, honestly. I mean most Chaoses tend to be male..."

"Are you just going to continue to stall or are we going to duel?" Enigma stated.

"I notice you didn't defend yourself from my comment about you being megalomaniacal. Or that you want to kill me."

"You and every other Chaos in existence," Enigma stated with a slight shrug, his distorted voice amused. "There is no reason to deny what is true."

"Refreshing but at the same time... not." I looked over my hand. 'Alright, I think I drew this out long enough. I need to begin making some moves, then get him talking so we can pull this off.' The duel wasn't the answer... I had accepted that right away. Enigma was... different from the villains of my world. There was something different about him, slightly off-kilter. Mostly because he wasn't off-kilter. Where Pegasus would have already begun mocking me for being unable to defeat him or Marik would have gone on a rant about how I was going to pay for standing against him or Yami Bakura gleefully told me how I would suffer for my actions Enigma remained utterly calm, showing zero interest in such speeches.

It was... unsettling. Like dueling a spy rather than a super villain.

'Something to puzzle through later,' I thought as I finally selected a card. "Alright then... since we are in a different world I've decided to duel a bit differently than I normally do. Try something special out. So be glad, Enigma... because you've already encouraged me to go all out!" I held up my card. "I start by placing in my farthest right Spell Zone my Endymion, the Might Master of Magic!" Endymion appeared on the field, sitting on his throne with his staff hovering in front of him. "And then in my left most Spell Zone I place the Servant of Endymion!" The blond aide to Endymion appeared, bowing her head as she took out a ledger with slots for spell counters in its hard cover, ready to begin taking notes.

"Hey, that's one of my Witchcrafters!" Edna said with a grin. "Now I get to see what she did before she finally wised up and became her own boss!"

It must have been my imagination but I swore I saw Endymion snap his head towards his Servant who glanced away nervously. I blinked and they were back to normal... I chalked it up to it being a long fucking day full of dueling, kidnappings, and interdimensional travel.

"Now then," I said, taking another card from my hand, "I'll activate Pot of Duality, allowing me to look at the top 3 cards on my deck and select one to add to my hand. The rest are shuffled back into my deck." I smiled as I watched a Spell Counter form for each of my monsters; normally I was all about generating those things and I would have no problem gaining more but I had something different in mind for this duel. Looking over the three I instantly saw just the card that would help me out later, adding a bit of protection to my field. I had no idea what kind of deck Enigma was using so until I knew just what he had in store for me I was going to make sure that I had several layers of protection. "And now!" I declared, holding my hands in front of me, the Millennium Key glowing as it began to sway back and forth. "For something truly special. With my Servant in my Left Most Spell Zone and my Endymion in my Right Most... I use their combine power to take hold of the laws of the Dueling World and bend them to my will!" The key suddenly stopped swaying. "I Pendulum Summon Reflection of Endymion!"

The Servant and Endymion both thrust out their staffs and between them formed a rippling portal of magic, through which the Queen of the Citadel stepped forth. Her armor glowed white and gold as she gracefully walked onto the field before kneeling down in defense mode.

"Now, normally I'd be able to take out one of your cards when she was summoned but with this being the first turn there is nothing I can do on that front. So instead I will set one card facedown on the field and end my turn." I did just that before looking up at Enigma. "Your move."

Enigma merely nodded, looking over his cards. "It is so odd that you have chosen for your deck a being focused on order." He moved to select a card only to clearly think better of it. "I have dealt with many Chaoses before and you all are wild creatures who believe that it is your right and privilege to do as you wish. You shatter the rules of worlds and take destinies under your heels before grinding them into dust." He paused. "Perhaps you use Endymion ironically."

"Or I just like spell counters," I teased.

Enigma wasn't amused though and didn't join me in my laughter. "A deck tells you much about a person. That is true on every world I visit. One who tries to force themselves to use a certain kind of deck will never be as successful as one who finds the deck meant for them. That was the problem with Akiza... my commander became obsessed with her counterparts who used the Black Rose Dragon and thus thought she must do the same. It is something I sadly see many times in those I rescue."

"You mean capture and brainwash," Edna retorted.

Enigma though shook his head. "I do no such thing. I free them but... well, I can tell you aren't willing to listen. You have already set yourselves up as the heroes and I the evil villain."

"And it's the other way around?" I asked. "Because heroes soooooo freeze worlds and leave them doomed to remain trapped in a single moment. Think I saw that in a Superman movie once." I paused. "Okay, maybe Snyder would do that but that's a whole other kettle of fish-"

Enigma cut me off. "Believe what you want about me. The misunderstood are always branded as sinners by those with little imagination." He finally held up a card. "Case in point... once, long ago, there was a land where the many squabbling tribes and factions sought power. The rebels in the desert, the religious zealots in their gilded halls. The only thing they did have in common was that they at once feared the power of one young man... yet also coveted it. At once they wished him dead while at the same time did all they could to convince him to join their cause and tilt their eternal feud finally into their favor, ending a centuries' long stalemate. Because he was different he was known simply as... the Fallen of Albaz."

A young man, tan of skin and made hard by a troubled life, appeared on the field. His hair was pure white and the one eye that was visible to us was blood red. He wore torn black pants and the remains of a robe that had at one time been rather decadent but now had been made far more threadbare by travel. He didn't smile at all though a single fang poked from his closed mouth as he settled onto the field.

"And now... you too will learn to fear him and long for him to be an ally you might control. But such a thing will never happen, Chaos. Never." Enigma pointed at my Reflection of Endymion. "Fallen of Albaz is able to, with his dark touch from the cursed blessing of the Abyss, turn your monster into raw energy!" Reflection let out a cry as her body began to glow until she was reduced to a spectral form that was dragged to Fallen, swirling around him. Both my Servant and Endymion tensed at that and it was clear that I wasn't just imagining things... they were reacting to the Queen's destruction. "With her energy to form the shell and my Fallen of Albaz the heart I am now able to summon forth a beast of great power. Come forth Albion the Branded Dragon!"

The energy that had once been my Reflection of Endymion solidified into a more solid form, though I didn't know if that was truly the right word for it. Rather it reminded me of one of those squeeze ball toys that was filled with a gel; the ones where if you made a fist around it you could see the color change of the ball as the rubber surface grew thinner and allowed you to see the gel inside. Only instead of a ball it was in the form of a great crimson dragon, the gel inside its form magma that pressed and bulged against its thin scaly form, revealing the white hot energy within. The scales looked like they were ready to burst and spew the liquid rock right onto everyone around me yet it held all the same. Heat vapors drifted from the dragon's form and a golden ring hung around its neck, studded with artistically done metallic dragon fangs.

"With its 2500 attack power it is a rather power beast, no?" Enigma said in his normal quiet tone. "But its true power lies in its effect. When it is on the field I can automatically perform another fusion summons, allowing me to bring out another of my great beasts to the field. And with you defenseless... you did better than some of the Chaoses I've dueled, Edwin Chaos, but you were never going to match me. Especially since my dueling gauntlet prevents the Fusion Sickness that effects most duels."

I merely smirked. "For someone who has sought out to be a conqueror of worlds you sure don't know how to pay attention to the field." I thrust out my hand. "Reveal my downface card: Book of Moon!" The spell flipped up and the tome appeared on my side of the field. "This card allows me to target one monster on the field and instantly switch it to downface defense position. And I choose Albion the Branded Dragon!"

Enigma's beast snarled and roared as he found itself slowly being dragged down onto its belly. Its thrashed but the motions began to still and slow, until finally it submitted, transforming into a downface card.

"And with that you can't activate its effect, meaning it will remain the only monster on your side of the field this turn. Furthermore my Endymion and my Servant both gain one spell counter since a Spell was activated." Servant added another spellcounter to her ledger while Endymion merely held out his hand, allowing the spell counter to settle onto his palm before he lightly tossed it into the air, the orb of concentrated magic floating about him like a celestial body.

Enigma merely stared at me before setting a card on the field.

~MC~MC~MC~

"He's good," Arno said, looking down at the battle field. "He never panicked or allowed himself to become flustered."

The Pharaoh nodded. "Your son is one of the best duelists I've ever faced. He is constantly looking at the field and plotting out countermeasures against his foes."

"He's always been like that," Arno said. "He has anxiety issues."

"Edwin?" the Pharaoh said, surprised by that. He thought of the man and how he seemed to be so good at taking control of things. He would get angry, rant and rave, but he'd never seen him panic.

Arno nodded. "He deals with it by making plans. Plans upon plans. He'll stress about the worst case scenarios, things that will never happen, that couldn't happen, and how he would get out of them. We've had a lot of talks where he just lays out to me his 'gameplans' for every single option he might take. He'll go through plan a, b, and c and still be thinking about d and e. It stresses him out very badly but it also helps him feel like he has control over his life."

The Pharaoh slowly nodded at that. 'Yes, I can see that,' he thought. 'Edwin needs to feel like he has power over his life, especially with the strange and magical things that constantly happen to all of us. So the only way he can do that is to prepare. No different than a duelist going over their deck, figuring out different counters and strategies. And he does all of this in private so that when the time goes to duel he gives off the impression that he is calm and collected.'

'It's something good to do,' Yugi responded to him. 'But it can also hurt his sanity.'

'Indeed,' the Pharaoh agreed. 'Because when he encounters something he has not expected... he will spiral.'

'But that's why he needs people like us, his friends,' Yugi said. 'To help him back up.'

'Yes,' the Pharaoh replied. 'But sometimes Yugi even those that wish to do so much to help... can only do so much.'

~MC~MC~MC~

Edna frowned as she looked over Edwin's side of the field. 'He survived that encounter but he needs to be ready...' She quietly tapped a few buttons on her phone. "Annie?" she whispered. "What do we know about Fallen of Albaz?"

"I figured you'd ask," the AI said, not taking a physical form so Enigma didn't see her, something Edna was grateful for. She wasn't sure how Enigma would react to her digital partner. "Fallen of Albaz is the key card for its own archtype and ties into several other ones as well, similar to the Endymion-Mythical Beast-Witchcrafter-Invoked-Magistus-Prophecy archtypes. Fallen of Albaz is a young man that has the power to transform into great draconin beasts but there seems to be different versions of him running about... one for each of the tribes that exists in the world he hails from."

"So like a multiverse," Edna stated. "Enigma's deck allows him to bring forth different multiverse versions of Albaz and his transformed state and have them fight together."

"Exactly."

"So then Edwin needs to be very careful... otherwise Enigma could easily overwhelm him."

"That's true," Annie said. "But... I think he might have some ideas of his own." Edna looked up to see Edwin smirking as he finally decided on his move. It was similar to the smile she would flash right before she used her Witchcrafters to completely dominate her opponents and she couldn't help but wonder what her counterpart had in mind.

"First I'll start with another Pot of Duality. I look at my top three cards... select one..." He did just that. "And shuffled the rest into my deck. And, of course, another spell card means more Spell Counters for my Servant and Endymion. But while three might be a powerful number in magic I've always like nice even numbers, so lets continue adding some spell counters with this: Spell Power Mastery!" Edwin slapped the card onto his duel disc. "This card allows me to add one Endymion card from my deck to my hand and then, based on the number of Spell Power Masterys and Spell Power Grasps on my field or in my graveyard, add spell counters to monsters. And because it is a spell itself that means even more counters are added to my pendulum monsters!" As Edwin looked through his deck and selected a card three more spell counters appeared on the field, with one going to the servant while two went to his Endymion.

"Continue to build up your counters... it matters not. Even if you slay my dragon the Fallen of Albaz will return soon and bring forth new creatures never meant to be to terrorize you."

Edwin though merely shook his head. "Interesting you should bring up returns... because I think its time for one myself!" He held out his hands and the Millennium Key began to sway again. "That is the power of the mages of the Citadel, Enigma! The power of Endymion's studies combined with the forbidden knowledge of the gods given to him by the Moon Goddess Selene has allowed him and his followers to cheat death itself! They do not go to the grave, to rot in the earth... they go to realms of power and the heavens themselves, merely needing one who knows how to call them forth to allow them passage back to the world we know! Allow me to show you! I Pendulum summon from my extra deck Reflection of Endymion and from my hand my second Endymion the Mighty Master of Magic!"

With twin bursts of light the two magicians appeared, the second Endymion smiling as he held out his hand and did a short twirling dance with his queen before she settled into defense mode and he into attack mode, staring down Enigma. Edna fought back a chuckle when the Servant looked from one of her masters to the other while the spell version of Endymion merely rolled his eyes.

"Now then, I will activate Reflection's special ability! By recalling Servant to my hand Reflection can take her spell counters. And the transfer of that power allows her to send one of your monsters right back to you... and I choose your Albion the Branded Dragon! Return to the extra deck!" The Servant bowed her head before tossing her ledger to Reflection, who caught it as Servant disappeared from the field. The moment her hand touched the book golden light shone from it, a ray of energy bursting from it and striking Enigma's downface monster, making it too fade away. "And with you utterly defenseless my Endymion will attack directly!"

Enigma though merely shook his head. "I activate Branded Sword. This card allows me to summon the Icejade Sword by banishing a Branded trap or spell from my graveyard... and I do so with the trap I sent during my last turn to perform my fusion summon." A sword made of greenish blue ice suddenly appeared on the field in defense mode. "This card will protect my lifepoints from your attack." The spell Edwin's mage had fired off struck the sword, shattering it... but leaving Enigma's lifepoints full.

"They are doing well to counter each other," Edna muttered. "All that matters now is who will find the weakness in the other's defense first..."

~MC~MC~MC~

"Now then," Enigma told me as he drew his next card, "it is time for me to show you the might I wield. I start with this, the spell card Branded Bond, which allows me to bring back Fallen of Albaz to my side of the field." The fanged man appeared once more, landing before my mages. "And I will once more take one of your magicians and use its power to allow Fallen of Albaz to achieve one of his possible destined forms."

"And once more I will stop you," I replied. "I activate my monster form Endymion's special ability. By sending my spell form Endymion back to my hand my second Endymion claims his spell counters and then uses the transfer of power to enact a spell that allows me to negate that effect and destroy Fallen of Albaz once again!" The spell form of my Endymion disappeared while the monster one added the spell counters his counterpart had gathered to his staff, thrusting out his hands and sending bolts of magic at Fallen of Albaz, shattering him.

"That would have been devastating... if I hadn't counted on you doing that," Enigma informed me. "I wanted you to waste your Endymion's special ability so that I could do this without you having any way to stop me: Branded Fusion." The spell card flipped up on his side of the field and energy began to crackle from it. "I send to the graveyard a second Fallen of Albaz from my deck, along with the monster card Golden Soulsword, in order to summon once more Albion the Branded Dragon." The burning dragon appeared once again, letting out a roar that caused many of Enigma's own soldiers to shutter. "And this time he will be able to use his effect. I banish from my graveyard both of my Fallen of Albaz in order to summon another of his potential destined forms... Lubellion the Searing Dragon."

If Albion had looked like a dragon that was barely able to contain its form then Lubellion the Searing Dragon was the version of Albaz who had figured out just how to seal his power within his draconian form. The beast was as large of Albion but where it had been a creature of magma barely held together with a thin scaly skin Lubellion was a fully formed beast with armor locked over its red and black body. Fires burst from its form as it squared itself onto the field before letting out a roar that made the dueltroopers around us tremble ever so slightly.

"And I am not done yet," Enigma told me, his tone almost clinical in its cold detachment. "Lubellion allows me to send my Albion the Shrouded Dragon from my hand to the graveyard in order to return Albion the Branded Dragon back to my extra deck." The burning dragon roared before it dissolved. "But when this happens I am able to pull from another timeline another form of Fallen of Albaz as well as my Fallen of Albaz himself. The latter returns to my deck while the former is summoned to the field. Behold Mirrorjade the Iceblade Dragon."

Lubellion's counterpart appeared on the field but where it had donned armor and radiated heat this new version, the Mirrorjade, was coated in blue white ice and let off frozen vapors from its body.

"And still... I am not done," Enigma informed me. "I send from my Extra Deck to the graveyard another possible destined form of Albaz, Titaniklad the Ash Dragon, in order to banish your Reflection of Endymion, ensuring that you are unable to Pendulum Summon her again." The ghostly form of Titaniklad appeared, a mech vehicle dragon creature, and it let out a grinding wail that caused my Reflection to cry out herself before she was flung from the field, the card flying off my duel disc though Edna leapt up and caught it. "Now, I am unable to attack with my Lubellion because of the effects I used but my Mirrorjade will be able to defeat your magician. So witness the power of destiny and the multiverse in all its terrible glory. Mirrorjade the Iceblade Dragon, attack with Relentless Frozen Slash."

The Iceblade Dragon roared before firing off spears of ice, Endymion unable to do anything about the attack as it struck. His body violently jerked as he was impaled over and over, limbs shaking and body quivering before, with a gasp, he fell over and shattered. (Edwin-3800)

"Are you okay, Edwin?" Edna asked me.

"Would you be offended if you were dueling and I asked that?"

"...yeah, see your point." She shook her head and smirked. "Kick his ass."

"That's the plan," I declared, drawing my next card. 'Let's see... I can recall the Endymion he just destroyed back to the field if I pendulum summon him... but he's shown that he is able to get rid of my monsters rather quick. If I want to beat him here I have to end him right now, this turn, before he is able to bring out more variants of Fallen of Albaz.' I chewed on the inside of my check. 'And in order to do that I'm going to need the right cards... let's hope the Heart of the Cards is with me today.' Out loud I called out, "I activate the final copy of Pot of Duality I have in my deck! I won't bother explaining what it does, as you should know at this point, so I'll just leave it at the fact that I am going to find just the right card..." I looked over what I'd drawn and began to grin. "Oh... that will work," I muttered as a plan began to form in my head. "But before I do that... I have to ask... who are you, Enigma? Why do all this?"

"I have my reasons just as I have my story. But neither are a concern to you. That are for me and me alone to know."

"Not even going to give me a hint?" I asked. "Because... I have a theory."

Enigma just stared at me. "Oh? Please... tell me it."

"You are someone seeking out people that, in your opinion, destiny didn't give the best shake. That left them on the sidelines. I think you know something about that... that you aren't doing that out of the kindness of your heart. Add in your skills in dueling and your hatred of people like Edna and I and its clear... you're one of us, aren't you? Another Chaos. One who didn't get into a good world where they made friends and had adventures and-"

"No."

"No?" I asked, more bemused than anything. "Actual no or pleading with me because I revealed-"

"No," Enigma said more firmly. "I... would slit my own throat if I shared even a passing resemblance to you or any of the other Chaoses. Had your face. Had your genetics. You are diseases... infections added to healthy bodies that drag it down into pain and suffering before you move on to the next host. Every single Chaos is a parasite that worms its way into the lives of others, stealing their glory and making themselves the center of the universe... or at least the one they find themselves in. Do you not comprehend yet? I am not the villain here... I am the vaccine. The medicine that destroys your rot and purges the body of it. I am your opposite in every way. There is nothing of you in me. I am no Chaos."

"...right," I said slowly, drawing out the world. "And you totally don't sound like an Agent Smith knockoff claiming that. Nope, not in the slightest. No worries there."

"Believe what you want, Chaos. Nothing you say will change the truth of this matter. It is in your very name... you are Chaos... you bring that to the worlds you leech onto and it is my duty to root you out, tearing all of you from the universes you latch onto and grinding you under my heel. That is my eternal purpose."

"...did a Chaos steal your date to prom?" I mocked.

"Make all the jokes you want-"

"Good because I plan to do just that!" I declared with a showy little bow. "Because that is who I am... that's what I do. I make jokes and win card games... and this card game is one giant joke for me so I'm doubly assured a win!" I lifted up my first two cards. "Let's start with something old, shall we? I set in my Left and Right Pendulum Zones Servant of Endymion and Endymion the Mighty Master of Magic!" The two spellcasters appeared once more on the field. "Next I activate my Citadel of Endymion, adding two spellcounters to my monsters!" The field around us rippled as the hologram projectors activated, causing the fa?ade of King Edwyn's castle to become the Citadel of Endymion. "And now I will activate another Spell Power Mastery, allowing me to add an Endymion card to my hand... a very important one." I smirked as I selected the card I needed. "But before we get into that... a round of spell counters for everyone in the bar! And hey, two more for my Citadel as well, since Spell Power Mastery calls upon the one I already had in my graveyard and itself to add even more to the playing field!"

"That is a lot of words just to have an empty field," Enigma pointed out as the multitude of spell counters formed on my side of the field, slotting into Endymion's staff, the Servant's ledger, and my Citadel's towers.

"Heh. I ain't done yet, Eggy. Next I will use another copy of Book of Moon to force your Mirrorjade the Iceblade Dragon into downface defense position... though that really doesn't matter. I could be giving it ten thousand more attack points for all I care. What matters is that I got another round of Spell Counters... so I could do something TRULY magical."

The Millennium Key began to glow.

"PENDULUM SUMMON!" I roared, thrusting my hand out towards the field. "I bring forth the Endymion you destroyed last turn from my Extra Deck as well as the Endymion that I added to my hand thanks to Spell Power Mastery!" The two Endymions appeared on the field, both glancing at the other before smirking and giving twin nods. "And while two is nice..." I tapped my duel disc, "three is so much better."

"...no," Enigma whispered, for the first time sounding shocked.

"Oh yes. I activate the Endymion in my Pendulum Zone's special ability. By removing 6 spell counters from the field I can summon him as a monster!" The third and final Endymion leapt from the spell zone to join the other two, the trinity standing tall together. "And because he was summoned that way I am able to count every card on my side of the field that can have a spell counter added to him and destroy up to that many cards on your side of the field. So... its time to remove every last defense you have!" I threw my hands out wide. "Think of this as the multiverse telling you to fuck off! Endymion, destroy all of Enigma's monsters with Spell Power Sweep! And then all three of my Endymions... attack! TRI MAGNUS ASSAULT!"

The three mages at once leapt into the air, the lead lashing out with his staff to destroy to two forms of Fallen of Albaz before joining his multiverse doppelgangers in firing down a barrage of spell power on Enigma, sending the would be conqueror flying through the air, landing in a heap. (Enigma-0000)

"Ding ding," I said as I deactivated my duel disc.

"...fucking hell, Edwin, and I thought I could be vicious," Edna commented.

Enigma though slowly rose to his feet. "Hhmmm... you are better than I thought. See, I had believed Edna here had become desperate. That she had plucked you out of your multiverse purely to have someone beside her... an ally so she might not feel lonely. I thought little of you... that was a mistake. Next time I will use my fully powered deck... and not this one selected to deal with minor issues." He paused as he pocketed his Albaz deck. "Though... I suppose that is a lie. You won't be around for much longer so there will be no need for me to fully power up my deck." I could tell Enigma was smiling under his helmet. "Oh... you're confused, aren't you? You thought this actually mattered. Did you believe that is going to stop me? Did you really believe that I am going to stop my grand quest because I lost a single card game?" He tsked. "Come no... I am not such a being. My plans are too grand to be stopped by such a minor quibble."

"I considered it," I admitted. "Honestly it's rather refreshing to have a villain realize that these are just children's card games."

Enigma merely turned to the closest dueltrooper near him. "Kill them."

Edna tensed and I'll admit I flinched... but I relaxed when the trooper just jerked slightly.

"What are you doing, my friend?" Enigma said softly, looking at his minion. "I gave you a command, Jaden."

The trooper twitched and sure enough Jaden Yuki, or at least another version of him, said in a stilted voice, "Do... you remember?"

"What?" Enimga said, confused.

"Do... you remember?"

I grinned, large and taunting. "Haven't you figured it out yet, Enigma? I wasn't your destroyer... I was the distraction."

"Do... do you remember?" Jaden said again, clearly struggling with his words, other dueltroopers now also beginning to wiggle, limbs jerking.

"How does that saying going?" I asked. "Better the devil you know?"

Disco music began to play and Enigma could only watch... as his troopers all began to dance, clapping their hands.

Jaden ripped off his helmet, revealing his glassy eyes, and sang, "Do you remember? The 21st night of September? Love was changin' the minds of pretenders. While chasin' the clouds away."

Another dueltrooper removed their helmet, revealing an alternate Tea. "Our hearts were ringin', in the key that our souls were singin', as we danced in the night, remember, how the stars stole the night away, oh, yeah!"

"Did I say devil?" I asked as Enigma could only stare as his entire army began to groove to the music. "I meant Angel of Death."

With that the army parted... revealing the dancing form of Aiden Order.

"Hey, hey, hey Ba-dee-ya, say, do you remember? Ba-dee-ya, dancin' in September! Ba-dee-ya, never was a cloudy day!"

The white-wearing villain had his mask off, his scarred mouth twisted in a demented grin as he dance along the line of hypnotized dueltroopers. The Millennium Rod in his hand was glowing, pulsing almost in delight, as Aiden sent out Shadow Realm magic, furthering his grip on the minds of all the duelists that Enigma had ripped away from countless worlds. The dueltroopers' minds were gone, their will replaced with Aiden's own, as he locked eyes with Enigma before glancing at me and smirking. He purposely grabbed a Mai who was in the crowd, dragging her to him and making her run her fingers through her hair before she bent down and began to twerk against his crotch in time with the music, Aiden never breaking his eye contact with me as he gave a smack to that Mai's rump, tongue sticking out as he leered.

I merely raised an eyebrow and motioned for him to get on with it; I had known what to expect when it came to my evil counterpart.

Enigma raised his hand only for Aiden's eyes to flash and every dueltrooper raised their arm up, pointing their gauntlets at his head even as they danced.

"Please do try," he taunted as he shoved Mai back into the crowd, pointing the Millennium Rod right at Enigma. "There is room for only one supreme power here."

"...not a good day to die, I think," Enigma said and with that he disappeared in a flash of light.

"Meh, his taste in music probably sucked," Aiden commented before leering at Edna. "So if you blew me would that be sex, incest, or masturbation?

Edna just glowered at him.

"What about you, Edwin? I'm game if you are... I'm not a selfish lover. You do me and I do you. I know how well we're hung. Or all three of us can get fucking freaky right here... make everyone watch?"

"Hey, hey, hey Ba-dee-ya, say, do you remember? Ba-dee-ya, dancin' in September! Ba-dee-ya, never was a cloudy day!"

~MC~MC~MC~

"This might be the weirdest day of my life," the Queen said as she watched an evil alternate version of her friend Josiah's brother dance with an army of mind control people, many of them wearing her partner Tea's face.

King Edwyn sighed. "Doesn't even crack the Top Ten for me."

~MC~MC~MC~

"So that was your plan?" Arno said as he and the rest of the group left the castle, watching as Edna created portals to teleport the still hypnotized army away. They had nearly rushed out when Engima had ordered Edna and Edwin killed, only halted when the music had begun to play.

"Yeah," Edwin admitted. "I knew Enigma would come at us with everything he had and while I considered us making some grand Lord of the Rings, Helms Deep final charge... I decided to make an appeal to the devil."

"Angel of Death!" Aiden called out from where he was inspecting a Yusei that was under his control. He grabbed the man's face and twisted it one way and then the other before making him open his mouth, inspecting his teeth like he was buying a horse. "Got a pretty mouth on ya, boy."

"Right," Edwin said with a grimace. "I cut a deal with him."

"Which was?" the Pharaoh asked.

"In exchange for him helping us stop Enigma... he gets the army."

"...Edwin," the Pharaoh said sternly.

But the blond man raised his hand. "Save it... I hate myself for doing it to but it was our only option that kept anyone from dying."

"You are letting him enslave them!" the Pharaoh exclaimed.

"What would we do with them?" Edwin demanded. "They all decided to join up with Enigma of their own free will! They aren't innocents here, Pharaoh. Aiden... he was rather happy to let me know some of the sick things they did." He shuddered. "Very happy to let me know. Akiza... she was actually tame compared to some of these bastards and that was BEFORE Enigma got them. We don't have a prison for them... it was either kill them all, find a way to maroon all of them in exile... or give them to him. And the last let us defeat Enigma and deal him a crippling blow."

"You told me about him though," the Pharaoh pressed. "He wants to take over his world... he'll use them-"

"Yeah," he admitted. "And I'm going to regret that for a long time. But better one world than all."

"Edwin-" the Pharaoh said only for Josiah to speak up.

"He's right. We had to make a decision and this was the best of a bad lot." He glanced at his brother. "So... I assume we got something else out of this?"

"Yeah, thanks for the reminder. AIDEN!" The Professor turned and frowned. "The final part of the deal?"

"Right, right, of course," Aiden said with a put upon sigh. He held out his hand and the Yusei he'd been looking over handed him his gauntlet. "According to what I gathered that AI of our female self should be able to hack that and unlock every world real fast. Engima was a fool... didn't put in any self destruct because he assumed that he couldn't reach a traitor in time."

The Queen let out a sigh of relief. "We can free everyone."

"One world for the rest of the multiverse," Edwin repeated.

The Pharaoh considered that before finally nodding. "I don't like it but I can live with it... for now."

"You don't get a choice!" Aiden called out before giving us all a cheeky wave as he walked into a portal that led to his version of Domino. "Bye! See you next time you fuck things up and need the best of us to fix things! I'll-"

Edna closed the portal right on him.

"I should have cut his cock off," she complained before taking the gauntlet from Edwin.

"He'd probably consider that foreplay," Edwin muttered.

Edna nodded, looking over the device. "Give me a few and I'll get this unlocked. Then... we can go home."

"Can we though?" King Edwyn asked, looking at the other Chaoses. "Truly home?"

"I don't think so," Edwin admitted. "Edna tried... there is something keeping us here. Like that part of the multiverse is locked off to us. We have work to do, I guess."

The Lord of Great Drake Keep nodded after a moment. "Yes, I suppose so. This world has darkness and I'm trying to set it right..."

Josiah nodded. "I was given a task..."

Edwin sighed. "I hate to admit it but I have issues on my end too. A goddess who would probably chase after me for one." He looked to his father. "But... this time at least we have a way to find each other again. I have a Millennium Ring... I stole it from Aiden last time I took him on and I refused to part with that to make the deal. That was his first off... I suggested the army. Edna is going to teach me how to use it... we'll see each other again, dad."

"I know," Arno said, reaching over and hugging his sons. "I know."

He... just didn't like it.

"Edwin?" Edna called out. "Can I talk to you for a moment?" Arno frowned as the woman he was coming to see as the daughter he'd never had walked over and patted his eldest on the arm. "I want you to record something for me. Something I'll send out when I send out the commands to unfreeze the universes Enigma attacked."

"What is it?"

"Something for... everyone out there who is like us." She shook her head. "I'm not sure WHAT to record but... I keep thinking about how there must be Chaoses like us, just starting out... scared, not knowing what to do... who could use some hope. And your dad and brother... there might be entirely different people out there finding themselves ripped from their worlds and not knowing what is going on. And... I want to give them something-"

Edwin smiled. "Oh... I have an idea."

~MC~MC~MC~

The goodbyes took about as long would have expected.

It reminded me a lot of when I had first moved into my apartment... the feeling that you didn't want everyone to go but at the same time you did because you wanted to begin that next Chapter of your life. And when it was done and the portal closed... that was it. The end of an era.

That was part of the reason why I let my dad and my brother spend the most time saying goodbye. My brother had remained at home, becoming my dad's roommate after our mom had passed. This was the first time for him to leave and I gave him the time for a private goodbye.

'Not that it was a true goodbye,' I thought to myself as the Pharaoh and I walked back towards the park. 'Thanks to the Millennium Key I can see them any time. And with Troy I can text them. It's just like how it was before we all got transported to our worlds... shorter journey to see each other too.' We'd already agreed to meet up in a week or so and actually talk about what we'd been doing since we'd all dropped down into the Yu-Gi-Oh! worlds. We'd even managed to get King Edwyn and Edna to agree to join us... his royal highness was thrilled to be able to talk like a normal person but Edna had tried to beg off, saying she'd be intruding. My dad though had shared a few quiet words with her and she'd finally agreed.

"Ready?" the Pharaoh asked.

"Ready," I said as I lifted up my arm, the band Edna had given me turning into the dueltrooper gauntlet. I'd gotten her to allow me to do this myself, rather than her unfreezing everything from her end. A few button taps-

"OOMPF!"

I blinked as I watched our friends all topple to the ground thanks to the Pharaoh and I not being there for them to lean on.

"Heh... should have thought of that," I said as I walked over to Mai, offering her a hand up. "Sorry about that."

"What happened?" Mai asked only to pale. "Selene?"

"No," I quickly assured her. "Not Selene. I'll tell you on the walk to the finals."

Renard frowned. "You will need to... there is something different about you, Captain."

Yuri nodded. "Yeah... I can't put my finger on it but..." she smiled, squeezing my arm. "I can tell you're different."

"I'm... I'm good," I said, unable to sum up what I was feeling any other way. "I'm good."

And as I assured my friends that I was okay... a message began to spread across the multiverse.

~Earth-3~

Edna and Yoki walked into the card shop, looking about it. "I thought it would feel small," Yoki said. "Plain. After everything. But..."

"It doesn't," Edna whispered, a smile forming on her lips even as she glanced down at her phone, the photo of her new family on display as Edwin's message played. "It feels like home."

"In this farewell"

"If you are receiving this message it means that you have found yourself in a world that isn't your own."

~Earth-77~

"Talk," Tea said as Josiah sat down across from her and Yugi in her sister's apartment.

And unlike so many others in so many worlds... Josiah did just that. Tea and the Queen deserved that "Right. So there are Seven Millennium Items, forged by the 7 Leaders of Ancient Greece. The Queen led the Amazons again the Dark God Zorc, who had sought to take over all-"

"There's no blood, there's no alibi"

"For you it may have only been moments... or centuries. But no matter the time... I know you are scared."

~Earth-88~

"A card shop?" Solomon asked Arno. "You're sure?"

"That's what K... Edwin said."

"Hmmm..." Solomon rubbed his chin at that. "What do you this Arthur?"

"I think it would be a lovely idea." He glanced at Arno. "Have any ideas on what it should look like?"

The man that had once been a carpenter grinned. "Yeah..."

"'Cause I've drawn regret"

"So I send this message to you all across the Multiverse. One I wish I had received when I began this journey"

~Earth-299~

"What should we do with the banners?" Lord Mako asked, looking at King Edwyn.

"Mail them King Atem," Edwyn said with a smirk before shaking his head. "I mean... have a rider... fuck it, just get them to him." He squared his shoulders. "It's time to save the world."

"From the truth of a thousand lies"

"I... am Edwin Chaos of Earth-1."

~Earth 151~

"Edwin?" a young woman called out, her best friend suddenly appearing beside her in a burst of static, as was his want with his chaotic Elder God powers. "Have you seen this?" she asked, reaching down to scratch her Pikachu behind the ears. She held up her Pokedex, the being also known as MissingNo staring in surprise.

"So let mercy come"

"And I ask you to remember this simple fact:"

~Earth 91~

At Duel Academy a former competitive Yu-Gi-Oh! player frowned as he stared at his duel disc as the message played, ignoring the others as they asked him what was going on.

"And wash away..."

"While you face threats that you could never have imagined..."

~Earth 718~

On the deck of a pirate ship worthy of a king a snail blinked in confusion as he found himself delivering a message... one not from some Random Bastard Omnipotent Being... but someone else. Perhaps... a friend.

"...you... are not alone."

"What I've done!"

INTO THE CHAOSVERSE

I'll face myself

To cross out what I've become

Erase myself

And let go of what I've done

WRITTEN BY MR. CHAOS

Put to rest

What you thought of me

While I clean this slate

With the hands of uncertainty

So let mercy come and wash away

WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO GARNETTFOX

What I've done

I'll face myself

To cross out what I've become

Erase myself

And let go of what I've done

THE MEMBERS OF THE INTO THE CHAOSVERSE DISCORD

For what I've done

I start again

And whatever pain may come

Today this ends

I'm forgiving

YUNG WARRIOR

What I've done

I'll face myself

To cross out what I've become

Erase myself

And let go of what I've done

AS WELL AS XOMNIAC, THE PATIENT ONE, AND CV12HORNET FOR LEADING THE WAY

What I've done

(Na-na, na, na, na-na, na, na)

(Na-na, na, na, na-na, na, na)

Forgiving what I've done

(Na-na, na, na, na-na, na, na)

(Na-na, na, na, na-na, na)

~Earth-2~

"Ah... it is good to be back!" Aiden declared as he settled down on his throne, looking over the members of the army he'd brought with him. The rest were moving about the country, settling into the positions he'd need them to take in order to cement his control of the planet. So much work to do... so many people to kill, others to bring under his command. "Not bad for an honest day's-"

He froze when the slow, moody guitar music started.

"They all laughed as he turned around slow. They said you ain't welcome 'round here anymore, you just might as well go. He wiped the blood from his face as he slowly came to his knees. He said, "I'll be back when you least expect it. And hell's coming with me. Hell's coming with me...""

"Edwin?" Aiden asked, bemused. "Or perhaps Edna. Which one of you decided to welch on our deal..."

The music suddenly changed from slow and moody to rather fast and upbeat... just as the alarms began to sound throughout the castle of the King of Domino.

"There is a hill at the bottom of the valley. Where all the poor souls go when they die. And if you listen real close, you can hear em' like a ghost, saying "you're never gonna make it out alive"."

Aiden frowned before touching a button on the throne. "Trooper, report."

There was a burst of static... then gunshots and gurgles.

"There is a town at the bottom of that hill. They got a secret that they keep like a slave. They got a black magic preacher, we'd do well to let him teach her, you'll be heading up that hill to the grave."

"Report!" Aiden demanded, his jovial mood fading as he began to cycle through comm. channels only to hear more of his just acquired army being butchered.

"And it is well, with my soul! You line your pockets full of money that you steal from the poor! And on your way down to hell, you hear me ring that bell, I'd pay the devil twice as much to keep your soul!"

The doors to the throne room burst open and Aiden stared at the figure that slowly sauntered in, the corpses of the troopers he'd had stationed there lying on the ground just behind him. Aiden's eyes slowly moved from the man's boots, up his jean clad legs and the holster on his hip, to his flannel shirt and brown duster, to his face that was hidden thanks to him keeping his head lowered and the worn cowboy hat he had donned.

"There was a drifter passing through that little valley. See he had promised he was coming back to town (coming back to town). They didn't know him by his face, or by the gun around his waist (ooh). But he come back to burn that town to the ground."

"Well... aren't you an interesting sight," Aiden said before thrusting out the Millennium Rod, moving to lock onto his mind and force it to tell him everything. But the new arrival merely snapped his own arm up, a gilded revolver made to resemble a coiled cobra gripped in his hand. He fired off a shot before Aiden could even begin his spell, a bolt of pale blue energy shooting out of the weapon. But rather than going in a straight like the bolt began to fly around the throne room, piecing the hearts of Aiden's troopers, dropping them to the ground before finally connecting with his hand, blowing a hole through the back of it and causing him to drop the Millennium Rod even as he fell to his knees. The wound burned fiercely, making his veins feel like they were ready to explode!

"First there was fire, then there was smoke. Then that preacher man was hangin' by a rope. Then they all fell to their knees and begged that drifter, begged him please, as he raised his fist before he spoke."

"WHO ARE YOU!?" Aiden roared as he clutched at his wound as the new arrival walked towards him, towering over him, face still hidden.

"I am the righteous hand of God! And I am the Devil that you forgot!"

Aiden Order, the newly made King of Domino... trembled in fear.

"And I told you one day you will see that I'll be back I guarantee! And that hell's coming, hell's coming! Hell, hell's coming with me!"

The figure slowly lifted his head up... revealing Edwin's face. Not Aiden's... there were no scars around his mouth, only a full beard.

And shoved into his hollowed out sockets were two Millennium Eyes.

Aiden didn't even have a chance to scream before the figure slammed his fist into his skull, knocking him out cold.

And it was with utter coldness that the Chaos grabbed Aiden by the ankle, collecting the Millennium Rod and tucking it into his jacket where several other Millennium Items hung, before he dragged Aiden out of the throne room towards the portal HE had created.

One down... so many more left to go.

"And it is well, with my soul! You line your pockets full of money that you steal from the poor! And on your way down to hell, you hear me ring that bell! And I said, hell's coming with me (hell's coming with me)!"

INTRODUCING WYATT CHAOS

THE GUNSLINGER

THE CHAOS OF EARTH-1874