The Last Duel

How did it come to this? After all we've been through?
Two of a pair, now on opposite sides. From the very start, with honor, we dueled,
Watched each other's back and we battled with pride.

The Dragon Tail Signer was destined to kill him. He was destined to be forever branded as a "murderer" for taking the life of the man who had once been his close friend, his leader. Fate brought them both together, and only one of them was going to make it out alive in the end. His hatred was renewed with each thought, his hatred grew each time Rudger reminded him of all of that agony he had to endure in the Facility. His hatred for the one called "Yusei" grew to insurmountable heights to the point where he longed for blood, he longed to take the life of the one who betrayed him. Kiryu Kyosuke was out for blood. He wanted the one who betrayed him to suffer, to beg for forgiveness and mercy, he wanted him to pay for what he had done.

Because of Yusei, Kiryu was sent to the hellhole known as "the Facility". Because of Yusei, he was forced to endure that horrible physical abuse, that mental anguish, he had to endure it all. 'Do you think some Satellite scum can get away with going against security?!' the voice of one of the officers in the Facility rang in his head as clear as say. That memory was so clear, Kiryu could see that man saying it as he drove his knee into his stomach. 'Trash like you don't deserve to live!' another one called, all the while painfully twisting Kiryu's arms behind his back to the point where it was one tug away from becoming dislocated. All that pain ... it was because of Yusei. Kiryu blamed it all on him. 'Why don't you make yourself useful and 'satisfy' us, trash?' That was the memory Kiryu shook his head at, attempting to make it go away at all costs. His hands tangled up in his hair, his eyes widened as he gritted his teeth, forcing himself to focus on something else instead of the past pain he endured.

There was so much else to think about. The Dark Signer was sitting on his D-Wheel, awaiting the arrival of Yusei Fudo, the one he swore to defeat. He was waiting for him at the Astronaut Tower, where their duel was meant to take place. As he waited, Kiryu could only find himself thinking of the past, and it renewed that hatred every time he thought back to it. 'Open up wide'' again, one of those voices came to his mind. Which Security officer was it? Kiryu didn't even remember what he looked like anymore, they were all the same to him, and he made no effort to remember how they looked like. Security had to be crushed, yet he failed to do so. Kiryu brought the fingertips of his bright hand absent - mindedly to his lips, that last phrase triggering the vivid memory of that day. If he thought back hard to it, Kiryu could swear he could still remember that horrid taste of that man's "white venom", he could swear he remembered the pain of that guy's "happy stick" slamming into his backside mercilessly.

Security abused their power. They could beat on Security inmates, they could rape them all they wanted, they could do whatever the hell they wished and no charges would be brought to them. They could get away with anything, they had the power and the respect to do so. Who would believe a Satellite reject anyway? Especially one who defied Security. They had to be crushed, why hadn't the others understood that? Why ... why hadn't Crow, Jack, or even Yusei understood where he was coming from? Why?

Kiryu's maniacal grin appeared on his face as he heard the hum of an engine. It was Yusei, he finally arrived. Sitting up, he regained his usual composure and revved his engine before he drove off to meet the spikey - haired duelist. They raced towards each other, only to turn their bikes and come to an abrupt stop so they would not end up running into one another. " You finally arrived, Yusei! " Kiryu grinned sadistically, " It's about time. I've been waiting to crush you with the power of the Earthbound Gods! "

" Kiryu ... please listen to me -- " Yusei began, only to be cut off by the Dark Signer.

" I don't want to hear it! Don't feed me anymore of your lies, you traitor! " it was almost a knee - jerk reaction ; as if the moment Yusei attempted to convince him other wise , Kiryu had to reject it so defensively so he would be spared in having to listen to it. No, Kiryu didn't want to hear it at all. He didn't want to learn that Yusei never betrayed him and he caused him all this pain for nothing. Kiryu didn't want to know that. It was easier to hate Yusei, or to put himself under the impression that he hated him. No matter how hard he tried, how angry he was at that boy, Kiryu couldn't bring himself to truly hate him. " It's time to duel! I'll show you the true power of the Earthbound Gods! "

There was no talking through to him. If there was one thing Kiryu was, it was stubborn ... apart from other things. Yusei shook his head to himself, 'You never learn ...' he thought silently to himself as he clenched his hands tightly and gave his engine two revs. As expected, the purple flames that signified the beginning of a shadow duel appeared. " I'm not losing to you a second time! " Yusei declared with determination shining in his eyes.

" What makes you think you have a choice?! " Kiryu's insane laughter escaped him at his friend's declaration. Yusei was so determined ~ But it wasn't going to work. Yusei was not going to turn out to be the victor this time.

The duel raged on. Yusei continued on with attempting to get through to Kiryu even though most people would have given up at this point in the game. Never had Kiryu met anyone besides Yusei who would continuously try and try even when it seemed hopeless. At one point in the game , Kiryu's D-Wheel swerved out of control and he began to crash against the purple flames. As much as he tried, he couldn't get out back to the track again. Instead of continuing to play out his move, Yusei moved his D-Wheel in his direction and held out his hand with the hopes that Kiryu would take it. " Take my hand! "

Kiryu's eyes widened out of shock at this motion. No! He couldn't take it ... after all that suffering that he went through because of Yusei he couldn't accept his help now! " It's too late now! " he cried out, shutting his eyes tightly as if that could make him escape from all of this.

" Please, Kiryu! Give me your hand! " Yusei begged the Dark Signer. " I never even thought of betraying you ... you meant too much to me to do that! Please, just take it! " Why wouldn't Kiryu listen to reason? " I tried to save you from Sector Security, I would never turn my back on you! I tried to save you then and I'm trying to save you now! I don't want to lose you again! " Yusei sounded so convincing ... a side of Kiryu told him to forget about it, that these were all lies coming from the vile mouth of a traitor while the other side desperately wanted to believe him.

Despite those conflicting thoughts, Kiryu reached out his hand to grab onto Yusei's and was pulled onto the red D-Wheel while his own came to a crashing halt ... literally. Kiryu wrapped his arm around Yusei's neck, keeping his eyes shut as if he did not want to see what happened next. " Once a shadow duel begins, there's nothing stopping it until one of us dies, " Kiryu's voice was small and quiet, for he was expecting Yusei to go ahead with his turn and finally put an end to this duel and the life of the Dark Signer. Yusei gave his friend a reassuring smile as he drew a card from his deck.

" I activate the spell card Wave-Motion Cannon! With it, I can inflict one - thousand points of damage to you and because it's not a speed spell, I take two - thousand points of direct damage so we both lose! " Yusei declared, smiling as triumphantly as ever.

Kiryu's eyes widened at that play, " Yusei! You'll die too, you moron! "

" That's the point, Kiryu, " Yusei brought his D-Wheel to a steady stop and moved his hands from the handles so he could wrap them around his friend. " A life without you isn't one worth living, " he muttered in a low tone, " I won't let you go alone, I'll go with you, "

How can this be the guy who betrayed him?! The one who sold him out?! Rudger ... they had all been lies he told Kiryu, wasn't it? He made Yusei sound to be the vicious friend who gladly betrayed Kiryu to help out his worse enemy : sector security. These years were spent blaming Yusei for all of that agony he endured in the Facility, he blamed his death entirely on Yusei and had died hating him. Now ...

" You're such a sap, Yusei, " Kiryu chuckled weakly at him. Wait? What was going on? Why weren't they turning into dust and fading into the wind by now? They had been spared. Why, they didn't know, but they took that as a blessing. Kiryu was no longer a Dark Signer, but did he still hate Yusei? " Some time we'll play out the real last duel of Team Satisfaction. No dirty tricks, it'll be a fair game, " Kiryu brought his hand to the side of his friend's face, trailing his index finger absent - mindedly along the tan marker on his smooth skin. " How could I ever thought that you would have betrayed me? "

Yusei smiled weakly at him, " You're being the sap now, "

" So while I'm at it ... " Kiryu trailed off, interrupting his own statement to press his lips up against Yusei's. The kiss did not last long, and it had been kept sweet and innocent (i.e. no tongue) but it was passionate nonetheless. " Is this the part I say 'I love you'?"

" Yeah, right after we ride off into the sunset, " Yusei chuckled as he revved up his engine once again and then they were off. Nothing more had to be said. Yusei didn't have to say it back, Kiryu already knew how much he loved him. Now it was time to take down the rest of the Dark Signers. That would really satisfy them.

The End.