Vile: This is Numbershot 88's last chapter! Hoo boy, I had fun with this one.

Yuma: Why do I have a bad feeling again?

Vile: Well, you honestly shouldn't. Things work out as usual. ;)

Astral: That's a good thing.

Vile: Mm-hmm. Disclaimer's on the first page, I own any cards that are bolded in normal text or unbolded in bolded text. Enjoy, everyone!

Numbershot 88: Mirror, Mirror, On The Wall

Chapter 6

"Now I can make a comeback!" Yuma said after Kotori let go of him. "Turn end!"

The others were shocked at seeing "Yuma's" strategy cut down, but they were more surprised at HOW it was cut down. "He Summoned them both… Hope AND Love!" Shark remarked.

"In one turn, no less!" Hikaya added.

"But how? Yuma-kun is supposed to have those two, Ura." Tokunosuke breathed.

"If that's the case, then to summarize, Kotori was right! That IS Yuma!" Takashi realized.

"But if that's Yuma…" Cat-chan started, first pointing at Yuma, then at "Yuma". "…then who's that?"

"Yuma" lowered his head, which shook. Then, an eerie chuckle resonated from him, which eventually changed into an evil giggle. Finally, a full-blown evil laugh erupted from him. "Oh, how foolish someone can be. By destroying Black Mist, you've provided me with what I need to finally erase you from this world!"

"W-What do you mean?" Yuma asked, scared.

"Your Deck was modified by some of my cards, allowing me to have this! Trap Card, activate! Xyz Kinship! In order to activate this, I must award my opponent with 2000 Life Points."

"Say what? I gain Life Points?" Yuma asked.

Yuma LP:4000

"Yes, but in turn, I can banish one Xyz Monster from my Graveyard in order to instantly Xyz Summon another one from my Deck and give it the proper materials!" Two cards slid out from his Deck, and he held them up. "Check 'em out!"

Tetsuo gasped when he saw them. "That's Doublogre! And Sky Scourage Norleras!" He cried. "But if he's using two Level 8 monsters… then that means!"

"Level 8 Doublogre, Sky Scourge Norleras, OVERLAY!" The two monsters appeared on the field before becoming fully purple and orange and shooting into the air, spiraling around each other. A galaxy portal opened in front of him as the two monsters shot inside. His evil giggle spread into his voice. "With these two monsters, I construct the Overlay Network, hah hah hah hah! EKUSHIIZU SHOUKAN!" A burst of light erupted. "Arawareyo, Nanbazu Hachijuuhachi (Come forth, Number 88)! Mirror's Dark Half!"

The number "88" formed and flashed in red as the enormous sphere lowered to the ground, positioning itself behind "Yuma" rather than in front of him. The sphere was divided into a front and back half, then the front half divided and opened, revealing the enormous mirror within.

Number 88: Mirror's Dark Half: Rank 8 DARK Fiend/Xyz ATK:?/DEF:?

"Oh man… not that thing!" Yuma groaned. "Yuma" chuckled evilly.

Tetsuo stood there observing the mirror, but he noticed something off. No reflection of the opponent was being made like last time. "Hey Yuma! Is something wrong with the card?" He called.

Another evil giggle came from "Yuma". His voice suddenly gained a metallic edge. "Heheheheheh… Yuma…? Who are you calling Yuma…?" He mused, making Tetsuo confused. All of a sudden, he threw his D-Pad off his left arm, catching it on his right arm, then transferred his hand to his right hand.

"Yuma…?" Shark breathed. "Yuma" giggled again, looking back with an evil grin. He held up the back of his left hand, fully laughing as the red "88" glowed harshly on it.

"The Number!" Cat-chan cried.

"So you're just now figuring it out? Yuma has some dumb friends!" "Yuma" laughed. "Yes, I'm not Yuma at all! But there's something not even HE realizes! I didn't just own the Number… I AM the Number!"

"WHAT?" Yuma cried.

"The Number was sentient after all!" Astral realized.

"Hyah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah! Precisely! The talking reflection that you now inhabit was me! The so-called 'holder' you Dueled was no more than an illusion, which is why he somehow vanished after the Duel! He wasn't real! It was all a plan to get rid of you, and the way was perfect: take over your body while you get stuck in my card! I have to commend the Distributor for this."

"'Distributor'? As in Number Distributor?" Yuma growled.

"Precisely! His abilities gave me my power! You have no clue what he's capable of doing! Number 55's victim was merely a taste of his power!" Tokunosuke looked scared, remembering what 55 did to him. "But it doesn't really matter, since you won't be sticking around for long! My effect activates, making my stats equal to your Life Points!" A dark aura suddenly shrouded him, making him laugh evilly. "Hyah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah! Yes… I feel the power!"

Number 88 ATK:4000/DEF:4000

"4000 Attack Points?" Yuma cried.

"Correct! And I combine it with this! Magic Card, activate! Xyz Supremacy! This gives my Xyz Monster 300 Attack Points for each of its Overlay Units until the turn's end, and prevents other Xyz Monsters from using effects that use Overlay Units during that time!"

Number 88 ATK:4600

"Hyah hah hah hah! Time to pay the piper, Yuma! Number 88 attacks Devoted Empress Love!" The darkness swirled around No. 88, then he stuck his arm out. All of a sudden, dark lightning careened from his hand towards his target.

Love had no time to react as she was struck dead-on. "AAAAAAAAHHHH!" She screamed in pain, and Hope could only look on in horror. When the lightning finally subsided, she felt weak. She began to fall to the ground, but was caught by Hope.

Stray lightning, however, had managed to strike Yuma, knocking him backwards. "UWAAAAAAHHHH!" He landed on his back, hard.

Yuma LP:800

"YUMA!" Everyone cried.

"Hyah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah! Such foolishness. You can't beat me at my full power!" Number 88 jeered. "This will be your last Duel, Yuma, for once I win, your soul will be erased from that reflection, and your body will be mine forever! You've got one turn left; I can feel it, so make it count. Turn end!"

Number 88 ATK:4000

"Love, are you all right?" Hope asked, worried about the woman in his arms.

"Ngh… I will be." The female Number replied weakly before looking at the monster that had taken Yuma's body. "But what can we do against that being? It is too powerful for either of us to handle."

"Hmm…" Hope went, thinking. "No. This is one thing that can be done." Love looked confused. "Trust me on this." He gently set her on the ground before standing up. "Yuma, get up. There's only one thing we can do to stop this."

Yuma was already in the process of getting up. "You're right. Things might look bleak, but we get through this. We just have to believe! Astral!"

"Right!" The spirit said.

"Hope, prepare to evolve!" Yuma declared. Hope grunted before switching his form back into his sealed state.

"Hope…?" Love breathed.

"W-What is this?" Number 88 cried.

"With my Life Points below 1000, I can tap into our true power and send Hope into a stronger form!" Yuma stated. As a result of this power, Astral became visible to everyone else.

"Astral!" Yuma's friends (except Shark and Hikaya) cried.

"Astral?" The two in question wondered.

"The spirit!" No. 88 said.

"May Hope and its Overlay Units become one!" Yuma and Astral said together. A galaxy portal opened up, and Hope's sealed form and Overlay Units entered the portal. "Chaos Xyz Change! Arawareyo, Kaosu Nanbazu Sanjuukyuu (Come forth, Chaos Number 39)! Kibou Ou Hope Ray (Aspiring Emperor Hope Ray)!"

The number "39" formed and flashed in red, but suddenly became murky-textured. The black-and-gold sealed form arose in the darkness, then began changing its form. Its wings unfolded as the black-armored warrior took a stance, its three yellow Overlay Units circling it.

Chaos Number 39: Aspiring Emperor Hope Ray: Rank 4 LIGHT Warrior/Xyz ATK:2500/DEF:2000

"C-C-C-Chaos Numbers…?" No. 88 whined, shaking slightly.

Love was absolutely awed. "Hope… is that you…?" She breathed. The warrior looked over at the mage with his glowing red eyes. The face armor retracted, showing the same face as Hope smiling. Love smiled back before Hope lowered his face armor again.

"Take him down, Yuma!" Kotori cheered.

"How is he supposed to do that? That so-called warrior only has 2500 Attack Points! I have 4000!" No. 88 explained. "Hope Ray can't beat me like this!"

"Oh no? Hope Ray's effect activates! By using an Overlay Unit, he gains 500 Attack Points! I use all three Overlay Units!" Hope Ray grabbed the massive sword on his back and unsheathed it. The three Overlay Units were absorbed into it, changing Hope Ray to a white coloring.

CNo. 39 ATK:4000

"Oh great, now we're tied!" No. 88 cried.

"Not quite!" Yuma said.

"For every Overlay Unit used, not only does Hope Ray gain 500 Attack Points, but one of your monsters loses 1000 Attack Points!" Astral explained.

"WHAT?" No. 88 exclaimed. A white aura suddenly covered him, and he felt weak, falling to his knees. "No… this isn't possible!"

No. 88 ATK:1000

"Hope Ray, finish him off! Attack Number 88: Mirror's Dark Half!" Hope's voice joined in as the attack was called out. "Hope Blade, Chaos Slash!" Hope Ray brought its massive sword across the frightened Number.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" No. 88 yelled as the blade went across him, yet still keeping his footing. Then his knees went weak, and he collapsed on the ground.

Yuma LP:800

No. 88 LP:0 – LOSER

"He won!" Yuma's friends cheered. Yuma's face (in the reflection's body) appeared with the word WIN as the buzzer blared. However, like last time, the Augmented Reality hadn't vanished yet.

Hope was covered with a white sphere, which shortly vanished to show him back in his original form, his face armor retracted. He moved over and picked Love up off the ground, holding the weakened Number against him. Love wrapped her arms around him in response, smiling with her eyes closed.

No. 88 shuddered while on the ground. "Impossible…" He moaned. "I had all the power… yet I was still defeated…" His eyes opened, showing his reflection body's black-scleraed red eyes. Purple smoke covered his body, changing Yuma's body back into his reflection body.

"What the?" Yuma asked. Suddenly, purple sparkles began to cover his body, making him glow purple. Then his body became fully purple, and purple smoke was expelled from around him, dispelling the glow and showing him to be back in his original body. He looked himself over and smiled. "Ha ha! I'm back to normal!"

"Yuma!" Kotori cried, throwing herself at him again. Yuma caught her and spun her around once before they embraced, laughing happily. Kotori kissed him quickly. "I knew you could do it!" The others rushed up to them.

"Awesome, Yuma!" Tetsuo said, giving him a thumbs-up.

"Man, I feel stupid." Shark groaned, then pointed at the fallen No. 88. "How did we think that he was Yuma?"

"Whatever the reason, I don't think it matters." Yuma said with a smile. "He's down, I've got my body back, and everything's good!" Shark smirked.

No. 88 suddenly groaned. The reflection body moved up, staggering until it was on its feet. "This isn't over, you little pest…!" He growled. Then, wind began to blow towards his back end. His face began fearful as he was slowly sucked back towards the mirror. "No!" He cried, trying to run away from the mirror. The suction was too powerful, as he continued to move towards it. No. 88 glared at Yuma. "You're going to pay for this, Tsukumo! I'll return someday… I swear it!" His footing was suddenly lost, and he sailed through the air. "NOOOOOOOO!" The reflection flew until he was back inside the mirror, and the sphere closed back up, disintegrating into the card. The augmented reality vanished, along with Hope and Love, and Astral faded from the others' sight. Astral held out his arm, retrieving the card.

"Number 88…" He mused. "A Number as evil as Black Mist. But the power it had… what else could these Numbers grant?"

*Elsewhere*

A list of Numbers was shown on a hologram in front of the Number Distributor. Suddenly, the red 88 on the list dimmed. The Distributor growled. "Curse you, Tsukumo…"

*Later*

Within the depths of the Emperor's Key, a black orb floated aimlessly. It suddenly morphed into the discolored Yuma: Number 88. "That accursed Hunter… I will get my revenge on you. I don't care when, but I will get my revenge."

"You and I have similar goals." A creepy voice echoed. No. 88 turned around to see a black orb float near him. A purple Number glowed on it before it too morphed into a black humanoid form. An evil grin was plastered on its face. "We should work together. When our time comes, we will make Tsukumo pay!" His single golden eye twitched as an evil giggle escaped him.

No. 88 grinned. "I don't need to hear anything else. I'm sold!" He said, holding out his hand. The black figure shook it hard, and both Numbers began to laugh. The combined evil laughter echoed throughout the area as the two Numbers plotted their revenge…

Author-Made Cards

Xyz Supremacy
Normal Spell Card
Select 1 face-up Xyz Monster you control. Until the End Phase, it gains 300 ATK until the End Phase, and other Xyz Monsters on the field cannot activate effects that involve detaching Xyz Materials.

Xyz Kinship
Normal Trap Card
Your opponent gains 2000 Life Points. Banish 1 Xyz Monster from your Graveyard to select 1 Xyz Monster in your Extra Deck. Special Summon that Xyz Monster, and attach the required monsters from your hand or Deck to that monster as Xyz Materials. (This Special Summon is treated as an Xyz Summon.)

Vile: Oooooh... creepy ending, huh? But don't worry, Yuma. These guys won't be showing up for a long time.

Kotori: Thank goodness.

Vile: I should say this outright, though. I won't be writing another Numbershot for a while. Reason? I'm going to start Yu-Gi-Oh! 4D: Love Surpassing Time, the long-awaited (at least for some people) crossover between the four protagonists!

Yuma: Awesome! Yugi, Jaden, Yusei, and I are gonna kick some butt!

Vile: *smirks* If you guys liked this chapter, leave a review to tell me! I'll see you guys when 4D comes out! Later!

Computer Voice: Vile, logging out.