Opening A/N: In a time where there is so much fear of death amidst a season where many celebrate the resurrection, I find it strangely fortuitous that this chapter is completed. Thank you to all who made this possible. Enjoy.

Part 1: Chapter 17 – Mark of the Nihilist

(Part 2: Gods of Death)

Earthbound Matriarch P'Alta Muyu Ch'askancha / DIVINE / Level 12 / Creator God / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0

"My turn is far from over." Yuu continued, placing a card on his duel disk. "I activate Earthbound Salvation. Since there is a card in the field zone, I can add one 'Earthbound' monster and one Spell Card from my graveyard to my hand."

Two cards rose up from a pair of graveyard portals at Yuu's feet. One of the cards had a familiar multi-colored glow on its back.

"It's time for your first taste of Ch'askancha's power." Yuu declared, slamming the card onto his duel disk. "I activate Ch'askancha's Order! As you have seen before, without the presence of the Matriarch, this card only damages its user. However, when the Creator God is present, I am allowed, once per duel, to utilize one of four extremely powerful effects."

He raised his hands into the air, spiral mark on his chest glowing brighter as he conjured a black hole between his hands.

"Ch'askancha Art One - Infinite Gathering! I banish any number of 'Earthbound God' monsters from my side of the field, hand, deck, or GY, in order to add 1 card from among the cards on my side of the field, hand, deck, GY, face-up in my Extra Deck, or among my banished cards to my hand for each banished 'Earthbound God!' From my graveyard, I banish Jibakushin Phiri Wakamayu, Jibakushin Huacra T'ira Urquchillay, Jibakushin K'allma Kinsa Mit'awi, Jibakushin Illyapa Anca, Jibakushin Urcaguary Suchuq, Jibakushin Ataguchu Ricra, and Jibakushin Kimsak'uchu Turri in order to add seven cards to my hand!"

On Yuu's body the marks of Wakamayu and T'ira lit up along with a large white three-branched tree-and-pyramid design on left arm, a red eagle-head mark on his left cheek, an indigo iguana on his right foot, a blue circular shrub with tentacle-like branches on his left palm, and an orange triangular tower with a spiral mark in its center on his neck. Lights of each mark's corresponding color rose up from a large graveyard portal beneath the pyramid before gathering into the center of Yuu's singularity. Once all the light had gathered inside, the singularity burst open, becoming seven new cards, which Yuu added to his hand.

"Seven cards at once?" Aki gaped.

"He's still taken a lot of damage, not to mention he has no cards left in his deck." Rose pointed out.

"I have a feeling he's about to more than make up that cost." Aki replied.

"Continuous magic card, Earthbound Underworld Sovereignty, hasudo." Yuu declared. "This card's effects are negated if there is no face-up card in the Field Zone. During my opponent's turn, my opponent cannot Special Summon cards from the graveyard, also, they cannot activate effects that activate from the graveyard. But this is just assuming you even get a next turn. At the moment, Earthbound Underworld Sovereignty's far more useful effect is this. I target five of my banished Earthbound Gods in order to return them to my graveyard. Return, Jibakushin K'allma Kinsa Mit'awi, Jibakushin Illyapa Anca, Jibakushin Urcaguary Suchuq, Jibakushin Ataguchu Ricra, and Jibakushin Kimsak'uchu Turri!"

A massive graveyard portal opened up in the ground beneath Yuu's feet before the white, red, indigo, blue, and orange lights emerged from the spiral mark in the sky and descended below.

"Underworld Sovereignty's additional effect. Once per turn, I can return five cards from my graveyard to my deck in any order desired. I choose to add those Earthbound Gods back to my deck." Yuu continued, extracting five cards from the graveyard portal before adding them to his deck. Once he had done so, he began descending the steps of the temple, approaching the middle ring that connected the upper and lower pyramids.

"From me came the opposite of all summoning techniques." Ch'askancha thundered from up above. "Behold the gods that I have wrought from my arts!"

"Earthbound Soul – Essence Generator's effect!" Yuu declared, stepping over the middle ring and on to the upside-down lower pyramid so that he was now defying gravity by standing upside down on the lower portion. "If I control at least three face-up Magic or Trap Cards, I can Special Summon this card from my hand or graveyard, on the condition that it is banished once it leaves the field. Come forth!"

An immense stone idol with red earthbound markings emerged from the graveyard portal, a large crystal containing multi-colored liquids replacing the statue's lower half.

Earthbound Soul - Essence Generator / DARK / Level -10 / Spellcaster / Dark Tuner / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0

"Earthbound Soul – Essence Generator's effect!" Yuu declared. "I can dark sacrifice this monster in order to unlock one of two effects. I choose to activate the first effect. I can Dark Rite Summon one 'Earthbound' monster from my hand or deck without a Dark Rite Trap Card by Dark Sacrificing one monster from my deck as the base offering and dark sacrificing two other monsters from my deck so that the combined levels of the non-base offerings subtracted from the base offerings equal the level of the monster being Dark Sacrificed! I Dark Sacrifice Jibakushin Illyapa Anca as the base material and Jibakushin Urcaguary Suchuq and Jibakushin Kimsak'uchu Turri in order to Dark Rite Summon!"

Emerging from the massive spiral portal on Ch'askancha's back were three comparatively smaller Earthbound Gods. The first was a fearsome black eagle with a hooked beak, red markings, and scarlet lightning crackling between its rectangular wing feathers, the second was a large black iguana with indigo markings, an enlarged mouth and tongue, and immense staring eyes that rotated in opposite directions, and the third was a tall conic tower with orange markings, a spiral mark in its center, a flat circular top, and a long cylindrical structure sticking out from its bottom.

Earthbound God Illyapa Anca / DARK / Level 10 / Winged Beast / Effect / ATK 3000 / DEF 1300

Earthbound God Urcaguary Suchuq / DARK / Level 10 / Reptile / Effect / ATK 2600 / DEF 2800

Earthbound God Kimsak'uchu Turri / DARK / Level 10 / Rock / Effect / ATK 3000 / DEF 3000

"Surely there is a better way we can serve. I can bring great honor to you on the battlefield!" The eagle protested.

"Be silent, Illyapa!" The tower rumbled. "We exist to serve the creator's will."

"The rest of us are not so disrespectful, Great Matriarch." The iguana promised. "We shall do whatever you ask of us."

Smiling, Ch'askancha grasped each of the gods in one of her immense hands before crushing them.

"From the principles of law and mutual agreement came the essence of the Ritual." Ch'askancha chanted while molding the remains of the three Jibakushin between her hands like clay. "Yet while law can bring about order, it's darkness can bring tyranny. From me comes the power of compulsion, the power to sacrifice the will of others to one's own desire! Behold the power of the Dark Rite!"

"Gods bound to the stain of the mortal plane," Yuu chanted from below, "your suffering shall come to an end! Submit to the will of your creator! Sacrifice your will and freedom and become death! DARK RITE! Rise up to become the tyrannical death god! Level negative ten! Jibakunshu Uacmitun Ahau!

Rising up from the palms of Ch'askancha's hand was a tall godly entity possessing far more monstrous detail than the ghostly Jibakushin. Uacmitun Ahau was a gargantuan demonic human corpse with a gaping black hole in his bald forehead, black stripes running under his milky-white rotting eyes and across his decaying body like warpaint, a pair of immense wasp wings on its back, and a regal loin cloth made entirely of bones covering his lower body. Reaching a pair of clawed hands inside a basket affixed to his back, the death god removed an immense obsidian knife before violently slicing into its own neck and pulling upward until there was a nauseating crunch and his head was pulled from his neck with the spinal cord still attached. Laughing maniacally, the decapitated head stared down at Aki while the body held its disembodied head in one of its hands like a magic staff.

Earthbound Overlord Uacmitun Ahau / DARK / Level -10 / Fiend / Dark Rite / Effect / ATK 3000 / DEF 2500

"You don't even care about your creations!" Aki shouted up at Yuu and Aki. "All the Jibakushin you created, they're just, just fuel to you so you can make this…this…"

She gestured at the hideous death god.

"Remarkable isn't it?" Yuu asked. "What one can accomplish when one is willing to sacrifice. Ch'askancha and I have taken three Jibakushin, which have had an unfortunate record of failure, and transformed them into something far stronger! Uacmitun Ahau is free from the Earthbound Curse, meaning that he isn't entirely reliant on me having a field spell. And that's just the beginning of its power."

"Does it have enough power to overcome this?" Aki spat as swarms of thorny tendrils from her Black Garden lashed out before wrapping around Yuu's new monster. "Black Garden's effect! I halve the ATK of Uacmitun Ahau!"

Uacmitun Ahau: 1500 ATK

Yuu just looked amused as he extracted another card from his hand.

"Let's continue, shall we? As you know, the Dark Rite isn't the only dark summoning technique Ch'askancha has created. How about I take you on a tour through history? The first two Special Summoning techniques were Ritual, and Fusion. I've already shown you what would come when Ritual's opposite was created, so let's see the dark reflection of Fusion. Magic card, Yami no Kakubunretsu, hasudo! I send the banished Jibakushin Huacra T'ira Urquchillay to my graveyard as the base material and subtract the banished Jibakushin Phiri Wakamayu and Jibakushin K'allma Kinsa Mit'awi from the base material, thereby shuffling them into my deck face-up, in order to Dark Fission Summon!"

Wakamayu, T'ira, and a third Earthbound God that looked like an immense black three-branched tree growing up from the top of a terraced pyramid with white markings, appeared from the spiral on Ch'askancha's back. Encircling the three gods with her eight hands, Ch'askancha made a grasping motion, causing T'ira to dissolve into a globule of colorless liquid with a ten-proton atom at its center. Wakamayu and the God named K'allma each dissolved into ten neutrons before merging with the central atom.

"From the principle of unity came Fusion, the idea that from many, a great and glorious wholeness could be achieved!" Ch'askancha chanted, clamping her hands together in a fusion bow for emphasis, "But, alas, the flawed mortal creations were far too imperfect to remain united for long. As darkness mirrors light, so too did the dark form of Fusion come into being! The creations gathered, but it was in chaotic mobs who destroyed! Instead of growing stronger by gathering, their vile cabals fed upon their own individuals, draining away life, rationality, and restraint until the growing evil bursts forth from them in pure destructive energy, even as the shattering of an atom, destroying everything in its path." She formed her hands into the Dark Fission pose, with left fist pressed against the bottom of the outstretched right palm. "A dark and destructive fission came in place of the unity of fusion, and so all of existence decayed! Behold the decay of Dark Fission now!"

"Twin gods who bow and bear the burdens of the Earthbound together," Yuu chanted as the mass of liquid atoms began losing stability. "broken god who rages and delights in the destruction of others, indifferent goddess who reigns supreme over the temple of time while the universe decays through past, present, and future in a violent combination of wrath, grief, and horror, be obliterated!"
On cue, the mass of liquid exploded, scattering droplets and causing time itself to pause before the liquid particles began to gather themselves back together, reforming into a new creature.

"DARK FISSION!" Yuu roared, "From your weak and worthless bodies be reformed into the death god who eternally hunts the living! Level negative ten! Jibakunshu Hunhau!"

When the liquid particles finished reforming, a titanic godly corpse with deer antlers and a large bird skull adorning its head stood in their place. Hunhau's eyes were empty sockets crying blood and his lips were torn away to expose fleshless teeth beneath. The body of the god was pale and emaciated and the belly was slit open, so that the intestines spilled out. The god draped the intestines over its right arm like fine robes while his left arm reached behind his back inside of a wicker basket filled with black obsidian arrows to extract a hunting bow made of bone and sinew.

Earthbound Overlord Hunhau / DARK / Level -10 / Fiend / Dark Fission / Effect / ATK 3500 / DEF 2500

"Black Garden's effect!" Aki called when the monstrosity had descended to stand atop the pyramid. "I halve Hunhau's ATK!"

Earthbound Overlord Hunhau: 1750 ATK

"If only you could understand just how pointless that is." Yuu sighed before continuing with his turn. "In later times, after the universe had been shattered for the first time, the ancient dragon you now know as Quetzalcoatl created a new summoning technique known as the Synchro Summon. He had hoped that this technique would defeat the growing darkness of the multiverse, and it did for a time. Yet as all things inevitably do, this summoning technique would too become corrupted! I activate the effect of the Earthbound Soul – Era Creator in my graveyard! By banishing five monsters from my graveyard, I can summon this monster on the condition that it is banished when it leaves the field. Come forth!"

Erupting from the ground was a massive stone statue of a human with yellow markings carrying an immense terraced pyramid on its back.

Earthbound Soul - Era Creator / LIGHT / Level -10 / Fairy / Dark Tuner / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0

"Earthbound Soul – Era Creator's effect!" Yuu continued, "I tribute this monster in order to Dark Synchro Summon by banishing materials from my graveyard! From my graveyard, I dark tune the Level twelve Earthbound Soul – Rhythm Obliterator with the Level two Earthbond Soul – Rapture Partaker in order to Dark Synchro Summon!"

Era Creator collapsed under the weight of the pyramid before the terraced pyramid broke into four segments. From the rubble, Rapture Partaker and Rhythm Obliterator rose up. Rhythm Obliterator was a cracked stone statue shaped like a totem pole with twelve broken stone synchro rings surrounding the pole.

Earthbound Soul – Rapture Partaker / DARK / Level 2 / Psychic / Tuner / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 1200

Earthbound Soul – Rhythm Obliterator / DARK / Level 12 / Psychic / Dark Tuner / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0

Rising into the air, the rings of Rhythm obliterator began crackling with dark electricity before the totem exploded into twelve white stars, which merged with Rapture Partaker, causing the monster to fade away into ten black stars orbiting a region of empty space.

"From the dragon father came the power of harmony to fight against my kind!" Ch'askancha chanted, "In his blindness, he thought to overcome the works that I had wrought, yet all things ultimately bend to my will in the end! His harmony fell to corruption and a new darker synchronization of wills was born! From the concept of harmony, the opposite, blind faith and obedience, emerged! Behold its fruit now! Behold the Dark Synchro!"

"A demonic persona emerges from the realm of death." Yuu chanted as black lightning formed between the spheres of black light. "Subvert and destroy the discordant wills of the living and unite them in the harmony of death! DARK SYNCHRO! Arise oh king of the Saqra! Level negative ten! Jibakunshu Supay!"

A black pillar of light erupted in the center of the dark spheres. From the depths of the darkness, a small demonic shaman with long horns, red skin, fangs, immense wings, a pointed tail, white markings on his skin, regal robes, a crown, and a magical staff, erupted into the sky, cackling with an earsplitting cry before landing next to its larger companions.

Earthbound Overlord Supay / DARK / Rank -10 / Fiend / Dark Synchro / Effect / ATK 2500 / DEF 3500

"Black Garden's effect!" Aki countered. "Supay's ATK is halved!"

Earthbound Overlord Supay: ATK 1250

"Jibakunshu Supay inherits an effect from Rhythm Obliterator since it was used as a Dark Synchro Material." Yuu continued, looking completely unconcerned by the ATK loss. "Supay is treated as having been summoned using three Earthbound Gods as his material."

"And why is that important?" Aki asked.

"You'll soon find out!" Yuu called back. "Earthbound Soul – Daemon Enslaver's effect! Since I control at least two face-up Jibakunshu, I can Special Summon this card from my graveyard! Arise!"

Bursting from the ground was an animated stone statue shaped like a horned demon with a bloody whip-like tail and fangs. Rearing its head back, the statue let loose an enraged roar, forcing Aki to cover her ears.

Earthbound Soul – Daemon Enslaver / DARK / Level -10 / Fiend / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0

"Earthbound Soul – Daemon Enslaver's effect!" Yuu continued, "I Dark Sacrifice my monster in order to Dark Xyz Summon one monster from my Extra Deck using monsters in my graveyard as material. If I have Jibakushin in my graveyard, I can use those monsters as level negative ten monsters. I Dark Overlay Jibakushin Huacra T'ira Urquchillay, Jibakushin Ataguchu Ricra, and Jibakushin Urcaguary Suchuq in order to Dark Xyz Summon!"

Emerging from the portal from Ch'askancha's back, the yellow llama, indigo iguana, and a third blue-marked Earthbound god shaped like an immense shrub with human arms and hands instead of branches, appeared to the field before fading to translucence and collapsing in on one another.

"In desperation, the dragon father brought forth the Xyz, the power of life to exceed its physical limitations with the power of their spirits and the power of those spirits to rank up!" Ch'askancha chanted. "But the spirit cannot overcome all the lusts of the body. The flesh of mortal animals shall consume the freedom of their own spirits until they are enslaved by their passions! Behold this principle at work now! Behold the power of the Dark Xyz!"

"Savage reincarnating god of blood, fire, misfortune, and death, consume the spirits of these gods to empower yourself and become a master of immortality! DARK XYZ! Lead the war against the living! Rank negative ten! Jibakunshu Xolotl!"

Unfolding from the invisible singularity was a massive muscular god with a feathered wolf skull for a head, and a patchwork body sewn from the corpses of humans and animals. In one hybrid hand-and-paw he carried a bloody macuahuitl with obsidian blades embedded in the wood while holding aloft a skull-decorated shield in his other paw. Embedded in his forehead, chest, and at the tip of a skeletal jaguar tail were the three black crystalline dark overlay units.

Earthbound Overlord Xolotl / DARK / Rank -10 / Fiend / Dark Xyz / Effect / ATK 3000 / DEF 3000

"Black Garden's effect!" Aki defiantly called back, ensnaring the god with a swarm of thorny tendrils.

Earthbound Overlord Xolotl: 1500 ATK

"It is time." Said Yuu with a smile, descending to the bottom of the lower pyramid so that he was almost eye-level with Aki. "Jibakunshu Xolotl's effect! I can detach a Dark Xyz Material in order to target one monster I control and give it one additional attack this turn. I detach all three Dark Xyz materials from Xolotl in order to give Ch'askancha three additional attacks this turn. Ekay! Death God Savagery!"

Rearing back its skeletal head, Xolotl unleashed a ghostly howl, the dark xyz materials collapsing into nonexistence before three dark shadows left the god's body and entered Ch'askancha's chest.

Ch'askancha: 3 additional attacks

"Jibakunshu Uacmitun Ahau's effect!" Yuu continued, "I send the top card of my deck to the graveyard in order to destroy one card on the field. This effect can be activated an additional number of times during my turn equal to the number of Jibakushin dark sacrificed during its Dark Rite summon. Let's begin by destroying Fabulous Rose. Death God Head Hunt!"

Straightening out the spinal column attached to his head, Uacmitun Ahau proceeded to throw his head at Fabulous Rose like a javelin.

"Fabulous Rose's effect!" Aki countered. "I tribute one of my Rose Tokens in order to gain four-hundred life points! Rejuvenating Pruning!"

Aki: 6600 LP

Fabulous Rose quickly snipped off the head of one of Aki's rose tokens, increasing her master's life points. Just when she finished, the macabre spear impaled her through the chest, the immense decaying head cackling madly as Aki's monster expired.

"The other part of Uacmitun Ahau's effect is applied." Yuu continued. "I gain one-hundred life points for every card in my graveyard."

On command, the body of Uacmitun Ahau landed next to Fabulous Rose before removing its head from the body of Aki's monster. Picking up the corpse of Fabulous Rose, Uacmitun Ahau deposited the body into the open maw of his head, which chewed up the corpse before swallowing, causing blood to pour out from the decapitated neck and into the wicker basket on Uacmitun Ahau's back. Leaping onto the lower side of the pyramid, Uacmitun Ahau upended the basket over Yuu's head, anointing the Dark Signer in the blood.

Yuu: 337 + (42 X 100) = 4537 LP

"Black Garden Chorus's additional effect!" Aki countered. "Once per turn, I can remove a number of Rose Counters from this card in order to Special Summon one plant monster from my graveyard, whose level is equal to the number of counters removed! I remove four counters from Chorus to summon Fabulous Rose! Return now!"

Black Garden Chorus: 0 Rose Counters

Rose petals rose up around the statues of Black Garden Chorus, music emanating from the mouths of the statues as a single flower bulb began rising up from their center.

"Useless!" Yuu countered. "Life and rebirth are meaningless before me! Jibakunshu Hunhau's effect! If my opponent activates an effect or summons a monster, I can return five of my banished cards to the graveyard in order to negate the summon or effect and destroy it! This effect can be activated an additional number of times during my turn equal to the number of Jibakushin used in its Dark Fission Summon, however, I am only allowed to negate one each of summon, spell, monster effect, and trap. I return five of my banished cards to the graveyard in order to negate the activation of Black Garden Chorus's effect!"

Stringing his bow with his intestine, Hunhau extracted an obsidian arrow from his wicker quiver, pulling back on his grotesque bow, and releasing the arrow, which struck against the bulb, destroying it."

"Black Garden Chorus is unaffected by other card effects since Black Garden is active on the field!" Aki explained.

"But the activated effect is negated, meaning that your Fabulous Rose stays dead." Yuu countered. "And speaking of death, let's raise the death toll. Jibakunshu Uacmitun Ahau's effect again! I send the top card of my deck to the graveyard to target Radiant Rose in order to destroy it! Death God Head Hunt!"

Cackling maniacally, Uacmitun Ahua launched his head toward Aki's Radiant Rose, obliterating the fiery knight while empowering his master.

Yuu: 4537 + (48 X 100) = 9337 LP

"Uacmitun Ahua's effect a third time!" Yuu roared. "I send the top card of my deck to the graveyard in order to destroy one of your Rose Token! Death God Head Hunt!"

Dissatisfied with throwing his own head, Uacmitun Ahau instead leaped on top of the rose token before stabbing it with his obsidian knife.

Yuu: 9337 + (49 X 100) = 14,237 LP

"He's more than made up for his lost life points and destroyed almost our entire field!" Fullbloom cried, "Our only monster is one Rose Token!"

"Jibakunshu Supay's effect!" Yuu declared, "Once per turn, I can banish up to five cards from my graveyard in order to inflict two-hundred damage to my opponent for each card banished before reducing the ATK and DEF of all monsters they control by the amount of damage inflicted, changing those ATKs and DEFs to their negative values if they go below zero. This effect can be activated an additional number of times during my turn up to the number of Jibakushin used for its Dark Synchro Summon. I activate this effect twice, banishing ten cards from my graveyard in order to inflict two-thousand damage to your life points and reduce the ATK and DEF of your rose token by the same amount! EKAY! Death Energy Decay!"

Absorbing ten cards from Yuu's graveyard into his staff, Supay pointed the weapon Aki's direction before unleashing a blast of pure darkness, knocking Aki back while causing the rose token to wilt to a deathly grey.

Aki: 6600 – 2000 = 4600 LP

Rose Token: 800 – 2000 = -1400 ATK

"Goodbye Aki." Yuu declared, leaping off the bottom of the pyramid before defying gravity and ascending to the temple top. Once on the summit of the temple, he raised his hand towards Ch'askancha.

"JIBAK DAITŌRYŌ P'ALTA MUYU CH'ASKANCHA'S EFFECT!" Yuu and Ch'askancha proclaimed in unison, "I can banish Jibakushin from my graveyard in order to gain the combined ATK, DEF, and effects of the monsters banished with this effect! I banish all seven Jibakushin in my graveyard! Gather my children! Become one again with your origin and creator!"

Rising from the graveyard, the green parrot, Phiri Wakamayu, the golden llama, Huacra T'ira Urquchillay, the white tree atop a pyramid, K'allma Kinsa Mit'awi, the red eagle, Illyapa Anca, the indigo chameleon, Urcaguary Suchuq, the blue desert shrub with human arms, Ataguchu Ricra, and the orange triangular tower, Kimsak'uchu Turri, all arose from the graveyard before transforming into lights of their respective colors and entering the spiral mark on Ch'askancha's chest.

Earthbound God Phiri Wakamayu / DARK / Level 10 / Winged Beast / Effect / ATK 2900 / DEF 2700 / When this card is Summoned: You can destroy any number of cards you control, then, you can destroy an equal number of cards your opponent controls. Each time a card(s) is destroyed, gain 300 LP. If this card is destroyed: You can Special Summon it during the End Phase.

Earthbound God Huacra T'ira Urquchillay / DARK / Level 10 / Beast / Effect / ATK 1100 / DEF 3000 / Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can set this card face-down; Special Summon 1 "Earthbound God Huacra Mirku Urquchillay Token" (Beast/DARK/Level 10/ATK 3000/DEF 1100). Your opponent can only target "Earthbound God Huacra Mirku Urquchillay" token for attacks, also, it can attack directly.

Earthbound God K'allma Kinsa Mit'awi / DARK / Level 10 / Plant / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0 / Increase the ATK of this card by 100 for each banished card. If this card inflicts damage to your opponent's LP: You can banish up to 10 cards from any GY. During the End Phase: You can return 7 banished "Earthbound God" Monsters to the GY; Skip your opponent's next Main Phase 1.

Earthbound God Illyapa Anca / DARK / Level 10 / Winged Beast / Effect / ATK 3000 / DEF 1300 / If this card battles a monster with higher ATK: You can double this card's ATK until the end of the Damage Step. If this card destroys a monster by battle: Inflict 1000 damage to your opponent's LP. If this card is destroyed: You can return 1 card on the field to the top of the deck.

Earthbound God Urcaguary Suchuq / DARK / Level 10 / Reptile / Effect / ATK 2600 / DEF 2800 / Once per turn: You can add 1 card from your GY to your hand. If this card inflicts damage to your opponent's LP: You can tribute 1 monster on the field, and if you do, gain LP equal to the combined ATK and DEF of that monster.

Earthbound God Ataguchu Ricra / DARK / Level 10 / Plant / Effect / ATK 2400 / DEF 2200 / Once per turn: You can return 5 cards from your GY to the top of the deck in any order you desire. Once per turn: You can activate this effect; Special Summon 1 monster from your hand or deck.

Earthbound God Kimsak'uchu Turri / DARK / Level 10 / Rock / Effect / ATK 3000 / DEF 3000 / Damage you take is reduced by 3000 while you control 3 or more monsters. During your Main Phase: You can activate this effect; This turn, this card can make up to 3 additional attacks on monsters your opponent controls but your opponent takes no damage from those battles.

Ch'askancha: 15,000 ATK / 15,000 DEF / (Gains all the above effects)

"Ch'askancha's inherited effect from K'allma Kinsa Mit'awi!" Yuu declared, "She gains one-hundred ATK for each banished card!"

Ch'askancha: 17,100 ATK

"The inherited effect of Suchuq!" Yuu continued, "I add Earthbound Salvation from my graveyard to my hand. And with the inherited effect of Ataguchu Ricra, I return five cards from my graveyard to the top of my deck in any order desired."

"And what are you preparing for with those moves?" Aki asked.

"Hopefully nothing." Yuu replied with a smirk. "But it pays to be redundant, even if the chances of your survival are dropping exponentially. Ch'askancha's effect inherited from Kimsak'uchu Turri, Ch'askancha can make three additional attacks on monsters you control in exchange for not being able to inflict battle damage during those battles."

"Enough stalling, Yuu." Ch'askancha chided. "It's time."

"So be it." Yuu replied with a bow. "BATTLE! JIBAK DAITŌRYŌ P'ALTA MUYU CH'ASKANCHA! DIRECT ATTACK! END OF ALL THINGS!"

Smiling, the Earthbound creator god conjured a sphere of pitch-black light in the center of her eight cupped palms before firing a beam of multi-colored light from the sphere.

"Rose Thorn Fortress no kouka hasudo!" Aki called as the beam approached. "If an opponent's monster declares an attack, I can Special Summon this card from my graveyard! While this card is on the field, my opponent can only attack Rose Thorn Fortress for attacks!"

Around Aki, a wall of immense thorny vines erupted from the ground before twisting together and forming into a castle made of vines and roses.

Rose Thorn Fortress / EARTH / Level 6 / Plant / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 2400

"Pathetic." Ch'askancha scoffed. "As if we didn't expect you to prepare a counter."

"Earthbound Soul Timestream Breaker's effect!" Yuu countered. "If my opponent attacks or activates the effect of a monster, I can banish this card from my hand or graveyard before negating the effect and returning five of my banished cards to the graveyard. EKAY! Timestream Breaker!"

Arising from Yuu's graveyard was a phantasmal Incan shaman with the face of a Mayan calendar and a body made of broken stone fragments. Glowing with energy, Timestream Breaker transformed into a beam of multi-colored light, which slammed into Aki's Rose Thorn Fortress, turning the castle to stone before it crumbled to dust.

Ch'askancha: 16,600 ATK

"Ivy Sanctuary's graveyard effect!" Aki countered. "I banish this card in order to Special Summon five Ivy Token to my field before ending the Battle Phase!"

"Hunhau's effect." Yuu lazily replied. "Since the ending of the Battle Phase is conditional upon the summoning of your Ivy Tokens, I return five of my banished cards to the graveyard in order to negate the Special Summon while invalidating your ability to end this attack."

Ch'askancha: 16,100 ATK

A phantasmal image of Aki's Ivy Sanctuary appeared to her field before a protective dome of ivy formed around Aki. In response, the deathgod, Hunhau, drew back its grotesque bow before firing an obsidian arrow into the protective dome, obliterating the barrier and knocking Aki back.

"Rose Rebirth's effect!" Aki called, sweat beading on her forehead as she managed to regain her footing. "During either player's turn, I can Special Summon a tuner monster from my graveyard! I target Dazzling Rose in my graveyard!"

"Thus attempting to stall your demise with the replay rule while also attempting a synchro summon with its quick effect, no doubt." Yuu sniffed. "But I have little interest in letting you do so. Hunhau's no kouka hasudo! I return five of my banished cards to the graveyard in order negate the effect of your trap card."

Ch'askancha: 15,600 ATK

A black graveyard portal appeared at Aki's feet, but before it could fully form, another pitch-black arrow from Hunhau's bow struck Aki's trap card, negating the effect and causing the portal to vanish. Above her head, the blast from Ch'askancha's attack continued unimpeded. Defiantly, Aki looked up at the blast before revealing one of the cards in her hand.

"You're all out." She growled. "Continuous Trap, Rose Reflection, hasudo!" she cried, slamming the card on her duel disk. "If I control Black Garden, I can activate this card from my hand! When this card is activated, I can target one continuous Trap Card or one Continuous Spell Card on the field in order to have my card copy its effects! I choose to target my face-up Rose Rebirth before activating its effects! I Special Summon Dazzling Rose from my graveyard! And since your Hunhau has already negated a summon and a trap card effect, he cannot negate the activation of this card!"

Gritting his teeth in suppressed rage, Yuu watched as Aki's tuner monster reappeared to her field. Raising her marked arm to the air in tandem with Dazzling Rose, who lifted up her dagger, Aki conjured a wave of crimson energy, which crashed into Ch'askancha's attack, dispersing the destructive energy.

Dazzling Rose / LIGHT / Level 4 / Plant / Synchro / Tuner / Effect / ATK 1400 / DEF 1600

"Black Garden Chorus gains a counter since a Plant Synchro Monster was summoned to my field." Aki panted.

Black Garden Chorus: 1 Rose Counter

"And after all that pointlessness, a replay occurs meaning that Ch'askancha gets to attack again!" Yuu snarled. "EKAY! JIBAK DAITŌRYŌ P'ALTA MUYU CH'ASKANCHA! END OF ALL THINGS!"

"Dazzing Rose's effect!" Aki countered as Ch'askancha powered up her attack yet again. "During my opponent's turn, I can Synchro Summon using this card and other monsters I control!"

"As if I was about to let you interrupt again!" Yuu snarled. "Hunhau's effect! I return five more of my banished cards to the graveyard to negate the activation of your monster's effect before destroying it!"

Ch'askancha: 15,100 ATK

Grinning horribly, Hunhau loosed three arrows from his bow, each one striking Dazzling Rose before obliterating the jester.

"Ch'askancha's inherited effect from Phiri. I gain three-hundred life points since a card was destroyed." Yuu continued, grinning savagely.

Yuu: 14,237 + 300 = 14,537 LP

"Dazzling Rose's effect activates since she was sent to the graveyard, allowing me to draw one card!" Aki called back. "Furthermore, I activate the effect of the Arisen Angel of Roses I added to my hand with the effect of Ivy Sanctuary! If one or more Plant Monsters I controlled were destroyed by a card effect, I can Special Summon this card from my hand with its Level changed to four, and if I do, I can Special Summon the Plant Monsters that were destroyed by card effect this turn from my graveyard! Come forth Arisen Angel of Roses! Rising Rose Resurrection!"

"I destroyed most of your monsters by card effect." Yuu exclaimed, sounding astonished.

Bursting into existence in a flurry of rose petals, Aki's angelic monster with black-and-red rose petal wings appeared to the field, closely followed by Aki's Dazzling Rose, Fabulous Rose, and Radiant Rose. Uniting with Aki, the Signer and her four newly arrived monster servants raised their hands into the air before creating another blast of crimson energy, disrupting the attack from Ch'askancha.

Arisen Angel of Roses / EARTH / Level 4 / Plant / Tuner / Effect / ATK 2400 / DEF 2900

Dazzling Rose / LIGHT / Level 4 / Plant / Synchro / Tuner / Effect / ATK 1400 / DEF 1600

Fabulous Rose / DARK / Level 4 / Plant / Synchro / Effect / ATK 1800 / DEF 1200

Radiant Rose / FIRE / Level 5 / Plant / Synchro / Effect / ATK 2000 / DEF 1800

Black Garden Chorus: 4 Rose Counters

"ENOUGH OF THIS!" Ch'askancha roared from up above. "Your wall of monsters means nothing to me, or did you forget that I can attack directly!?"

Ch'askancha brought one of her fists down, preparing to squash Aki to pulp.

"Arisen Angel of Roses's effect!" Aki roared back. "I can Synchro Summon during my opponent's turn using monster's I control as Material!"

"Not if that monster is not on the field!" Yuu snarled in reply. "Jibakunshu Uacmitun Ahau's effect! I send the top card of my deck to the GY in order to destroy Arisen Angel of Roses! Death God Head Hunt!"

"Rose Sorceress's effect from my hand!" Aki called back. "I can discard this card in order to add one Plant Monster from my graveyard to my hand! I add Rose Thorn Fortress from my graveyard to my hand!"

Appearing in front of Aki was an adult version of Witch of the Black Rose with a much larger thorn-entwined staff and flowing rose-adorned robes. Raising her staff into the air, Rose Sorceress caused Aki's card to reappear in her hand before the sorceress disappeared in a burst of purple sparks. Up above, Uacmitun Ahau threw his head at Aki's Arisen Angel of Roses.

"Rose Thorn Fortress's effect!" Aki countered, "I discard it in order to negate Arisen Angel of Roses's destruction!"

Just as the head was about to skewer Aki's angel, a barrier of thorny vines appeared, swatting the head away like a gigantic baseball.

"Arisen Angel of Roses's effect!" Aki continued, raising her hand into the air, "I tune the now level four Arisen Angel of Roses to my level two Rose Token!"

Unfurling her wings, Arisen Angel of Roses ascended into the air, morphing into four rings of green light before enclosing Aki's Rose Token in their light.

"Standing at the center of the forbidden garden lies an ancient protector of its secrets!" Aki chanted as her monsters synchronized, "Against the encroaching forces of death, raise your shield! SYNCHRO SHOUKAN! Arawayo! Level six! Garden Rose Guardian!"

Exploding out of the white pillar of light was a tall time-worn warrior with weathered leathery skin and rusted armor encompassed with dead moss, dry ivy, and withered brown roses. The ancient knight carried no weapons with him but an immense metal shield reinforced with wicked thorns.

Garden Rose Guardian / EARTH / Level 6 / Plant / Effect / ATK 200 / DEF 3000

"Garden Rose Guardian's effect!" Aki declared as Ch'askancha retracted her fist, the light from the Synchro Summon having blinded the Creator God temporarily. "While he is on the field, I take no effect damage and no damage from my opponent's direct attacks. Furthermore, Black Rose Dragon and Plant Synchro Monsters I control cannot be destroyed by battle or card effect once per turn."

"And it's final effect activates when it is destroyed." Yuu cut in. "When destroyed, Garden Rose Guardian can destroy one monster I control in addition to ending the Battle Phase if it is destroyed during the Battle Phase. How clever Aki. By waiting for the Battle Phase to commence before summoning your monster, you ensured that I could not clear it away beforehand. Congratulations. You've survived this turn."

"The same cannot be said of your monsters!" Ch'askancha rumbled from up above. "The Battle-Phase is not over. In addition to my normal attack, I have inherited three attacks from Xolotl and three more from the inherited effect of Kimsak'uchu Turri, granting me a total of seven attacks. Begone from my sight, worms!"

Bringing her fists down, Ch'askancha nearly crushed Dazzling Rose before Garden Rose Guardian leaped forward to block the Goddess's fist with his shield. With a second strike, Ch'askancha knocked back the intrepid guardian before squashing the jester with another of her fists.

"The inherited effects of Illyapa Anca and Phiri Wakamayu are applied." Yuu declared. "Illyapa Anca inflicts one-thousand damage to your life points while Phiri Wakamayu gives me three-hundred life points.

Red Lightning erupted from the spiral marks on Ch'askancha's palms, which Garden Rose Guardian managed to deflect with his shield. Around Yuu, a tornado of green wind appeared, raising his life points.

Yuu: 14,537 + 300 = 14,837 LP

"You're next." Ch'askancha seethed, conjuring a pair of spears made of multi-colored light before launching both of them at Radiant Rose. Garden Rose Guardian managed to deflect the first immense spear before the second spear flew forward, preparing to impale Aki's flaming knight.

"Fabulous Rose's effect!" Aki countered. "Since Radiant Rose will be destroyd anyway, I tribute my monster in order to inflict damage to your life points equal to half of Radiant Rose's ATK!"

Just before the lance of prismatic light could strike Aki's monster, Fabulous Rose engulfed Radiant Rose in a ball of thorny vines before launching the ball Yuu's direction. In response to the counter-attack, Ch'askancha simply lowered one of her immense hands before flicking the ball of thorns away like a speck of lint fluff.

"Kimsak'uchu Turri's additional effect." Yuu smugly replied. "While I control three or more monsters, any damage I would take is reduced by three-thousand. Nice work killing your own monster."

A burst of black thorns erupted from Fabulous Rose's whip, rocketing towards Yuu before a spectral image of the towering Earthbound God appeared, projecting a shield around the dark signer and negating the damage.

Yuu: 14,837 LP

"Ch'askancha still has her normal attack and two additional attacks from Xolotl's effect." Yuu continued.

"And you have conveniently chosen who will die next." The creator goddess smirked, before slamming her fist down on Fabulous Rose. Once again, Aki's Garden Rose Guardian leaped forward to block the attack and protect Aki's monster, but the creator Goddess simply raised another of her fists for a second killing blow.

"Fabulous Rose no kouka!" Aki countered. "I tribute Fabulous Rose in order to gain life points equal to half her ATK!"

Just before the second fist could connect, Fabulous Rose dissolved into a cloud of black rose petals, which disintegrated into golden dust before Aki absorbed them.

Aki: 4600 + (1800 / 2) = 5500 LP

"One attack and one monster left." Yuu mused. "Say goodbye to Garden Rose Guardian."

Raising all eight of her fists into the air, Ch'askancha generated a massive globe of multi-colored energy between her open palms before lobbing the ball at Aki's final monster obliterating the stalwart guardian and sending Aki flying across the field before the signer barely managed to land on her feet.

"Phiri Wakamayu's effect activates, granting me three-hundred life points." Yuu lazily added as a green aura enveloped him, raising his already massive life point count even higher.

Yuu: 14,837 + 300 = 15,137 LP

"The effects of Garden Rose Guardian also resolve!" Aki countered. "Since he was destroyed, I can target one monster my opponent controls and destroy it, in addition to ending the Battle Phase if it was destroyed during the Battle Phase! I target Jibakunshu Hunhau in order to destroy it! BODYGUARD'S THORN!"

An immense black rose thorn the size of a javeline erupted from the crater where Garden Rose Guardian had once stood before launching at Yuu's grotesque headless monstrosity. However, before the weapon could connect, the undead wolf-human hybrid god of death, Xolotl, intercepted the thorn with its shield, causing the decapitated god's head to laugh in amusement.

"Jibakunshu Xolotl's effect." Yuu smirked. "Earthbound monsters I control cannot be destroyed by battle or card effect once per turn so nice try, but the effect was wasted."

"Not true." Aki replied. "You don't get any more attacks. Face it. Despite going all out, you've failed to defeat me."

"You really think you can win?" Yuu snarled in reply. "Oh Aki…how horribly mistaken you are!"

He extended his hand towards his demonic death god, eyes glowing with multi-colored light.

"Jibakunshu Supay's effect! I banish ten cards from my graveyard in order to inflict two-thousand damage to your life points!"

Cackling madly, Supay twirled his staff through the air, creating a multi-colored twister of dark energy which slammed into Aki, lifting the signer off her feet before tossing her several meters away. Steading herself, Aki got back on her feet before staring back at the Dark Signer with defiance.

Aki: 5500 – 2000 = 3500 LP

"Setting three cards face-down." Yuu growled, slamming three cards onto his duel disk. "Turn end. Earthbound Plane of Existence's effect! During the End Phase, I inflict damage to my opponent's Life Points equal to the number of 'Earthbound' Field Spell Cards with different names in my graveyard! I have five."

Above Aki's head, a bolt of black lightning erupted from the spiral mark in the sky, striking her in the chest and forcing the Signer to her knees.

Aki: 3500 – 1500 = 2000 LP

"Earthbound Soul Freedom Crusher's effect." Yuu mercilessly continued. "If my opponent takes damage from an "Earthbound" card I control, I can banish this card and four other cards from my graveyard in order to make it so that monsters my opponent controls with ATK less than the total damage they took this turn cannot attack until the End Phase of the next turn."

Erupting from the ground, a monolithic stone statue with an expressionless face, legless cylindrical lower half, black markings, and immense steel-encased stone hands, rose into the air before slamming its fists into the ground, obliterating its own body and sending a shockwave of black energy into Aki, which infected the cards of her deck with a shadowy aura.

"Furthermore, one of Ch'askancha's most powerful inherited effects can finally be activated." Yuu purred, a savage grin appearing on his face as Ch'askancha began speaking.

"K'allma Kinsa Mit'awi dear," Ch'askancha purred as the immense three-branched tree with a pyramidal base and white markings emerged from the depths of Ch'askancha's chest spiral, "It's time for you to fulfill the purpose I created you for. As warden of the three branches of time, past, present, and future, yours is the power to control fate itself. Your power is now my power. I return seven of my banished Earthbound Gods to the graveyard in order to skip my opponent's next Main Phase 1! EARTHBOUND TEMPORAL BINDING!"

Images of the other six Earthbound Gods appeared in front of the three-branched three before the Gods transformed into beams of light and merged with the tree's hourglass-like base. Turning upside down, the tree-like earthbound god began glowing with white multi-colored light before erupting into a wave of vision distorting energy. On Aki's side of the field, dust that had been in the act of falling immediately stopped in place as the time-warping wave took effect.

Aki: Main Phase 1 Skipped

"During the End Phase, Ch'askancha's effect wears off." Yuu murmured.

Ch'akancha: 0 ATK

"Rose Reflection's effect!" Aki declared. "During the End Phase, it shuffles itself into my deck before I draw one card."

"Not that it matters. Your turn." Yuu smirked. "What little of a turn you have left, that is."

"Well, this seems to be a pretty tight situation." Fullbloom deadpanned.

"I agree." Aki replied, steadying herself. "To summarize, Yuu has an active Earthbound Underworld Sovereignty that seals my graveyard, several face-downs that could counter my moves along with Jibakunshu Hunhau, Uacmitun Ahau's effect that could destroy one of my cards, the permanent effect of Freedom Crusher reducing the ATK and DEF of my monsters, a great number of cards in his graveyard that could provide support, not to mention all seven of his Earthbound Gods ready to empower Ch'askancha, and speaking of his creator god, as if I didn't have enough hurdles to overcome, I have to find a way to do it without my first Main Phase. Does that about summarize things?"

"Minus the fact that our field is almost completely empty, yes." Fullbloom replied. "So I suppose we need that card then."

"Exactly what I was thinking." Aki replied, crimson energy gathering at the tips of her fingers. "Atashi no turn! SHINING DRAW!"

"The shining draw." Yuu scoffed, a look of amusement on his face. "The last lifeline for Signers when all other avenues of victory have been blocked off. A shame you can only use it once per duel. Hopefully you don't waste it. Jibak Daitōryō P'alta Muyu Ch'askancha no kouka! I banish all seven of my earthbound gods from the graveyard! Yield to the will of your creator and master!"

Once again, all seven of Yuu's lesser earthbound gods appeared before their creator goddess immediately sucked them into the depths of her spiral, absorbing their powers.

Earthbound Matriarch P'alta Muyu Ch'askancha: 16,300 ATK

"Furthermore," Yuu continued, "Jibakunshu Supay's effect! I banish five cards from my graveyard in order to inflict one-thousand damage to your life points!"

Cackling madly, Yuu's demonic death god blasted Aki with a bolt of black lightning from his staff, forcing Aki to clutch at her side in pain.

Aki: 2000 – 1000 = 1000 LP

Earthbound Matriarch P'alta Muyu Ch'askancha: 16,800 ATK

"And now, Aki, let's see you pull out a miracle." Yuu challenged.

Aki looked down at the card she drew before closing her eyes with a sigh.

"Because I cannot conduct my Main Phase One, I must move on to my Battle Phase." She declared.

"Such a shame." Ch'askancha chuckled. "And to think that one such as this thought she could stand before the master of all that is and prevail. It just goes to show what a miserable mistake Eien made when she-…"

"Sokko Maho!" Aki called, revealing the card she had drawn, "Majestic Pathway, hasudo!"

"What!?" Ch'askancha thundered, looking extremely annoyed.

Beneath the towering goddess, a burst of crimson light erupted from an image of Aki's card, which depicted the Crimson Dragon flying above a glowing red roadway made of light, forcing the dark creator of the earthbound to shield her eyes in frustration.

"Majestic Pathway enables me to Special Summon one 'Majestic' monster from my deck or graveyard while also increasing my life points by 1000!" Aki declared as the symbol of the crimson dragon appeared above her head where the beam of crimson light struck the air.

"A pathetic attempt." Yuu sighed. "Jibakunshu Hunhau's effect, I return five of my banished cards to the graveyard in order to-…"

"That will not work here!" Aki countered, cutting Yuu off mid-sentence. "If my life points are three-thousand or more points fewer than my opponent's, then my opponent cannot activate cards or effects in response to the activation of this card or its effects, also, the monster summoned by this effect is unaffected by my opponent's card effects and my opponent cannot activate cards or effects in response to the activation of its effects! Come forth! Majestic Rose Angel!"

Bursting from the Crimson Dragon Mark in a streak of rose-red light, Aki's Majestic Rose Angel, a captivating rose-petal winged seraph with a blindfold of rose thorns and white battle armor, descended to the field, rose petals of every color swirling around her in a tempest of wind and energy. Basking in the glow of her monster, Aki stood a little taller as her cuts and bruises mended from the spell card's effect.

Majestic Rose Angel / LIGHT / Level 1 / Plant / Tuner / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0

Aki: 1000 + 1000 = 2000 LP

"Majestic Rose Angel's effect!" Aki declared. "When she is summoned successfully, I can Special Summon one Rose Token, up to the number of Field Spell Cards on the field and in the graveyard. I choose to summon three. Come forth!"

Clusters of rose petals swirling around Majestic Rose Angel clustered together, forming into three small rose buds, which arranged themselves around the angel in a triangular pattern.

Rose Token: X 3

"So, you've managed to call her forth." Yuu replied with a single clap. "I'll be certain to mention that fact in your obituary."

"Majestic Rose Angel's additional effect!" Aki continued, ignoring Yuu. "I synchro summon using monsters I control!"

Leaping into the air with her entourage of rose tokens, Majestic Rose Angel morphed into a single ring of blinding green light before encircling the three rose tokens.

"A red flame glows defiantly against the black void! Unfurl the dark petals of destruction and rebirth and bloom to your fullest! SYNCHRO SHOUKAN! Level seven! Black Rose Dragon – Fullbloom!"

In an explosion of white light and rose petals, Aki's ace monster appeared before roaring defiantly at Ch'askancha and her minions, thorny tendrils waving threateningly in the air.

Black Rose Dragon – Fullbloom / FIRE / Level 7 / Dragon / Synchro / Effect / ATK 2400 / DEF 1800

"Did you miss me?" Fullbloom called telepathically to Yuu, causing the Dark Signer to grimace in reply.

"Because Majestic Rose Angel was used as a Synchro Material, you cannot activate cards or effects in response to the activation of Fullbloom's effects." Aki explained before stretching her hand towards her monster. "Black Rose Dragon – Fullbloom's effect! I destroy all cards on the field!"

"I may not be able to activate effects in response to your dragon's effects, but you're forgetting that you still have Black Garden and Black Garden Chorus's mandatory effects, which I can respond to! Because you summoned Fullbloom, Black Garden Chorus would place a rose counter on itself. I choose to return five of my banished cards to the graveyard in order to negate that card's effect, depriving it of its potential to summon more monsters. Furthermore, Xolotl's power is still very much in effect. My 'Earthbound' monsters cannot be destroyed once per turn."

Earthbound Matriarch P'alta Muyu Ch'askancha: 16,300 ATK

Fullbloom unfurled her wings, a tempest of intense wind taking form around her as she activated her effect. In reply to the oncoming destruction, the wolf-skull faced death god leaped in front of his fellow deities before raising his shield in defense.

"Black Rose Dragon – Fullbloom's effect!" Aki called over the storm in reply. "I banish Lonefire Blossom from my graveyard in order to negate the effects of Xolotl! Binding Thorns!"

Earthbound Matriarch P'alta Muyu Ch'askancha: 16,400 ATK

Roaring ferociously, Fullbloom lashed out with her thorny tendrils, entangling Xolotl and forcing the death god to drop his shield just as the storm slammed full-force into the temple. In a tremendous storm of wind, thorns, and rose petals, Black Garden, the four death gods, and Yuu's entire back row were obliterated before Fullbloom herself was torn to dust by her own power.

"Earthbound Plane of Existence cannot be targeted or destroyed by my opponent's card effects!" Yuu roared in defiance, arms shielding his face against the storm. "Ch'askancha's inherited effect from Phiri Wakamayu is also applied! I gain three-hundred life points for each card that was just destroyed!"

Yuu: 15,137 + (300 X 11) = 18,437 LP

"And thanks to your predictable tactic of field nuking," Yuu continued with a sneer, "the effects of Sign of Ch'askancha and Jibakunshu Uacmitun Ahau can both activate since they were each sent to the graveyard! Sign of Ch'askancha allows me to destroy one card you control while Uacmitun Ahau's effect allows me to simply send one of your cards directly to the graveyard! I choose to remove Black Garden Chorus with Uacmitun Ahau and destroy your Rose Rebirth with Sign of Ch'askancha."

"I chain the effects of Black Garden Chorus and Rose Rebirth." Aki countered. "Rose Rebirth allows me to add a copy of Black Garden from my deck to my hand since Black Garden was destroyed, and Black Garden Chorus allows me to remove all four of its Rose Counters in order to Special Summon Dazzling Rose from my graveyard!"

Aki's Dazzling Rose back-flipped onto the field from the graveyard, barely managing to evade Uacmitun Ahau's massive arm as it erupted from the earth before dragging the statues of Black Garden Chorus down with him. A bolt of black lightning erupted from the mark in the sky, striking Aki's Rose Rebirth and reducing it to dust.

Dazzling Rose / LIGHT / Level 4 / Plant / Synchro / Tuner / Effect / ATK 1400 / DEF 1600

Yuu: 18,437 + 300 = 18,737 LP

"Jibak Daitōryō P'alta Muyu Ch'askancha's effect!" Yuu countered. "Since my opponent Special Summoned a monster, I can Special Summon one Earthbound God, Dark Fission, Dark Rite, Dark Synchro, Dark Xyz, or Dark Anchor monster from my graveyard! Return Xolotl!"

"Mine is the mastery over life and death itself!" Ch'askancha rumbled, raising her arms into the air. "Be reborn again!"

The wolf-skull faced god erupted from the ground in reply before rearing back its head to unleash an earsplitting howl.

Earthbound Overlord Xolotl / DARK / Rank -10 / Fiend / Dark Xyz / Effect / ATK 3000 / DEF 3000

"Rose Thorn Fortress's effect!" Aki countered, "I banish this card from my graveyard in order to Special Summon two rose tokens!"

Earthbound Matriarch P'alta Muyu Ch'askancha: 16,500 ATK

"So you can re-summon Fullbloom with her effect? I don't think so." Yuu replied. "Earthbound Soul – Timestream Breaker's effect! I banish Timestream Breaker in order to negate the effect of Rose Thorn Fortress before returning five of my banished cards to the graveyard!"

A pair of roses erupted from the ground in front of Aki's feet, only to be blasted to ash by a bolt of black lightning from Yuu's ghostly Timesteam Breaker.

Earthbound Matriarch P'alta Muyu Ch'askancha: 16,100 ATK

"Furthermore," Yuu continued, "I chain the effect of Xolotl. I Special Summon one monster from my graveyard. Return, Jibakunshu Hunhau!"

Banging his weapon against his shield like a drum, Xolotl began chanting in a grating demonic language before the rotting bow-wielding death god ripped himself from the ground, blood dripping onto the pitch-black ground from his eyeless skull as he stared at Aki with an amused fleshless grin.

Earthbound Overlord Hunhau / DARK / Level -10 / Fiend / Dark Fission / Effect / ATK 3500 / DEF 2500

"Your field is nearly gone, and mine rebuilds. Excellent work, Aki." Yuu sarcastically congratulated. "All that power poured into a miracle…and you've accomplished next to nothing."

Aki stood by silently, looking back at Yuu with an expression that bespoke pity before continuing with her turn.

"Ch'askancha took away my first Main Phase, but her effect does nothing about the second. I activate Black Garden. Do you wish to respond?"

"And waste Hunhau's effect on your flower garden? No." Yuu coldly replied as Aki's thorny garden took shape once again.

"I next normal summon White Rose Dragon." Aki continued, her small, elegant, pale dragon leaping onto the field next to her.

White Rose Dragon / DARK / Level 4 / Dragon / Effect / ATK 1200 / DEF 1000

"White Rose Dragon's effect!" Aki declared. "I target the Pink Rose Dragon in my graveyard in order to Special Summon it!"

"Don't think so." Yuu countered. "Jibakunshu Hunahau's effect! I return five of my banished cards to the graveyard in order to negate the activation of White Rose Dragon's effect and destroy it!"

"Dazzling Rose's effect!" Aki countered, "Since White Rose Dragon will be destroyed if I do nothing, I will instead tune my Level four Dazzling Rose to my Level four White Rose Dragon!"

Barely avoiding the colossal arrow from Hunhau, Dazzling Rose and White Rose Dragon leaped into the air before synchronizing with one another as Aki began her summoning chant.

"Through the passing of seasons, a single rose blossoms eternally. Spread your petals in the center of the black garden and rule as a queen! SYNCHRO SHOUKAN! Take form! Level eight! Garden Rose Empress!"

An immense pitch-black rose erupted from the earth in the center of Aki's black garden before unfurling its petals to reveal a blood-red interior. In the center of the rose stood an imposing throne made entirely of thorns and vines. Sitting upon the throne was a pale red-haired woman wearing an ivory dress adorned with black patterns and roses of every color. In her hands, she held an immense thorny wooden staff with large red rose bud at the end.

Garden Rose Empress / LIGHT / Level 8 / Plant / Synchro / Effect / ATK 2600 / DEF 2400

"Black Rose Garden's effect activates." Aki declared. "Black Garden halves the ATK of Garden Rose Empress and summons a token to your field."

Garden Rose Empress: 1300 ATK

Rose Token / DARK / Level 2 / Plant / ATK 800 / DEF 800

"Furthermore," Aki continued, "the effects of Garden Rose Empress and Dazzling Rose each activate. Dazzling Rose allows me to draw one card since she was used as a Synchro Material and because Garden Rose Empress was Synchro Summoned while I controlled Black Garden, I draw an additional card. Finally, the effect of White Rose Dragon applies, enabling me to send Phoenix of Roses from my deck to the graveyard."

"Which will no doubt enable you to erect an impressive wall of monsters completely ineffective against stopping the Earthbound." Yuu lazily replied. "Unfortunately, because you Special Summoned a monster, I can also activate Ch'askancha's effect! I can Special Summon one Earthbound God, Dark Rite, Dark Fission, Dark Synchro, Dark Xyz, or Dark Anchor monster from my graveyard! Return Uacmitun Ahau!"

"Be reborn again!" Ch'askancha commanded, clapping two of her hands together before raising another pair of hands into the air. At her feet, the gruesome headless death god erupted from the ground before leaping onto the pyramid.

Earthbound Overlord Uacmitun Ahau / DARK / Level -10 / Fiend / Dark Rite / Effect / ATK 3000 / DEF 2500

"Black Garden's effect!" Aki countered. "Uacmitun Ahau's ATK is halved and a Rose Token is summoned to my field!"

Earthbound Overlord Uacmitun Ahau: 1500 ATK

Rose Token / DARK / Level 2 / Plant / ATK 800 / DEF 800

"How pretty and utterly useless, just like you, Aki." Yuu smirked.

"Garden Rose Empress's additional effect!" Aki declared, ignoring Yuu. "Once per turn, I can banish one 'Rose' Plant Synchro monster from my graveyard in order to grant its effects to Garden Rose Empress until the end phase. I banish Radiant Rose from my graveyard for this effect. Rose Progenitor!"

Lifting her scepter into the air, Garden Rose Empress commanded a network of thorny rose tendrils to wrap themselves around her waist before the vines began absorbing rose-colored energy from the ground, transferring the power of Radiant Rose to Garden Rose Empress. Gaining the power of the banished Radiant Rose, Garden Rose Empress suddenly became wreathed in scarlet flame and armor as she took upon herself the aspects of the absorbed Synchro Monster's appearance.

Garden Rose Empress: Gained effects of Radiant Rose

"Jibakunshu Uacmitun Ahau's effect." Yuu replied. "I send one card from the top of my deck to the graveyard in order to destroy Garden Rose Empress."

"Quick-Play Magic Card!" Aki countered. "Betraying Thorns! I tribute the Rose Token on your side of the field in order to negate Uacmitun Ahau's effects! Futhermore, if Black Garden is on the field, I can shuffle this spell into my deck in order to draw one card!"

Just as Ahau was about to throw his head at Aki's monster, the Rose Token standing innocently on Yuu's field suddenly lashed out before wrapping around the death god, incapacitating Yuu's monster.

Earthbound Overlord Uacmitun Ahau: Effects Negated

"Lucky." Yuu murmured with disappointment.

"I activate the effect Garden Rose Empress gained from Radiant Rose." Aki continued. "Once per turn, I can target one plant monster in my graveyard in order to Special Summon it. I choose to summon Majestic Rose Angel for this effect! Return!"

Stretching her scepter towards the ground in front of herself, Garden Rose Empress conjured a black graveyard portal through which Aki's majestic monster arose with rose-petal wings unfurled.

Majestic Rose Angel / LIGHT / Level 1 / Plant / Tuner / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0

"That monster again." Yuu growled, glaring down at the angel. "But you must know what even its power cannot help you now."

"You might just be surprised, Yuu." Aki replied.

"Surprised by the predictable and overused power of the very same order I once was a part of? Spare me." Yuu scoffed.

"I wish I could." Aki sighed, looking genuinely remorseful. "Black Garden's effect activates since I summoned another monster, summoning a second token to your field."

Rose Token / DARK / Level 2 / Plant / ATK 800 / DEF 800

"Do it!" Yuu dared. "See if it makes any difference!"

Closing her eyes, Aki raised her hand into the air.

"The summoning condition is one Tuner and one or more non-Tuner Synchro Monsters!" Aki declared, opening her eyes as her mark began radiating with renewed vigor. "I tune my level one Majestic Rose Angel with my level eight Garden Rose Empress in order to Synchro Summon!"

On command, Aki's angel rocketed into the air with a single flap of her wings before her body disintegrated into a synchro ring of rose petals, which engulfed Garden Rose Empress in a storm of dark petals as Aki began her summoning chant.

"A single dark flower unfurls its petals at the setting of the sun! Against the encroaching darkness bloom to your fullest! SYNCHRO SHOUKAN! Appear now the flower of reckoning! Level nine! Black Rose Dragon – Nightbloom!"

Erupting from the storm of rose petals in a pillar of white light was an immense, elegant dragon with petal-like scales black as the surrounding darkness. Though similar to Fullbloom in appearance, Nightbloom was slightly larger and adorned with additional blood-red rose petals along her neck and tail. On her back sprouted three immense black roses with the same multi-colored innards of her counterpart. Rose-red eyes suddenly bursting open like flames against coal, Nightbloom unfurled her swan-like wings before a network of burning vine-and-rose patterns ignited like glyphs along her body.

Black Rose Dragon – Nightbloom / DARK / Level 9 / Dragon / Synchro / Effect / ATK 2800 / DEF 2400

"So, it's come to this, has it?" The dragon telepathically asked Aki. "How long has it been since I've had to assume this form?"

"Not long enough." Aki sighed in reply before turning her attention towards Yuu and his monsters. Ch'askancha was glaring down at the dragon with disgust while Hunhau and Xolotl seemed to be backing away with unease.

"I, for one, am glad for this." Nightbloom purred. "I've felt like my talents have been waning without the need to go all-out all the time. And what better way to test my strength than by flexing on the Earthbound creator god herself!?"

"Are you…talking to me?" Ch'askancha rumbled, glaring down at the comparatively tiny dragon.

"Black Rose Dragon – Nightbloom no kouka hasudo!" Aki declared, raising her marked arm into the air as Nightbloom began collecting energy inside the three roses on her back. "When she is Synchro Summoned successfully, I can return all other cards on the field to the hand before inflicting three-hundred damage to my opponent for each card removed from the field with this effect! Currently on the field I have Black Garden while you have Plane of Existence, Hunhau, Xolotl, two rose tokens, and Ch'askancha. Ch'askancha is unaffected by Nightbloom's effect, but the rest of the cards are gone! EKAY! AWAKENING OF THE DARKEST ROSE!"

Roaring, Nightbloom unleashed a burst of scarlet light from each of the roses on her back, which rose into the infinite blackness as a storm of wind, thorns, and rose petals swirled around her in a torrential gust. Crying out in pain, Hunhau and Xolotl were sucked into the twister, undead bodies tearing apart to join the debris of the two rose tokens and Black Garden. Shielding her eyes against the tempest, Ch'askancha stood with a look of mere annoyance on her face, until she noticed cracks erupting from the distant edges of the shadowy void.

Yuu: 18,737 – (6 X 300) = 16,937 LP

"The field spell." Yuu growled, brushing off some thorns that had left a few nasty cuts in his face, "That was your main target."

"The Earthbound are mere phantoms who can exercise no power unless their forms are anchored to reality by a powerful field spell. Without that magic their effects are negated." Aki confirmed. "Earthbound Plane of Existence was nearly invincible with its invulnerability to both targeting and effect destruction, but Nightbloom's effect neither targets nor destroys."

Earthbound Matriarch P'alta Muyu Ch'askancha: Effects Negated / ATK 0 / DEF 0

"INSOLENT WORM!" Ch'askancha bellowed in rage as the light of her body began to fade. "I am not a force to be trifled with! Earthbound Soul - World Monitor's effect activates since a Field Spell Card was removed from the field! Furthermore, I chain the effect of Earthbound Soul – Mind Builder! Bend to the will of your creator now!"

Independent of the Dark Signer's will, two of Yuu's monsters erupted from the ground upon Ch'askancha's command. World Builder was a pair of obsidian stone hands holding a stone representation of the world while mind builder was a similar pair of hands holding aloft a set of human skulls with tops cracked open to reveal brains.

Earthbound Soul – World Monitor / DARK / Level 10 / Fiend / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0

Earthbound Soul – Mind Builder / DARK / Level -10 / Psychic / Effect / ATK -3000 / DEF -3000

"Mind Builder's effect resolves first." Ch'askancha declared. "By banishing this monster from my graveyard, I set three Magic or Trap Cards from my graveyard to my field, on the condition that they cannot be activated this turn. And the effect of World Monitor. If a Field Spell Card I control is removed from the field, I can banish this card from my graveyard in order to activate a new Field Spell Card from my graveyard before Special Summoning one Earthbound God from my graveyard! Activate! Earthbound Temple! And return to my service, Phiri Wakamayu!"

On the creator goddess's command, the cracks in the shadowy dimension healed before the ethereal green parrot erupted from the ground.

Earthbound God Phiri Wakamayu / DARK / Level 10 / Winged Beast / Effect / ATK 2900 / DEF 2700

"Earthbound Temple adds a card from my servant's deck to his hand." Ch'askancha continued. "And now, Phiri Wakamayu, serve your creator!"

"By your will!" the parrot cawed back before flapping his wings to create two tornadoes, one of which tore apart one of the face-downs while the second charged towards Aki's Nightbloom. "Black Rose, your presence offends me. DIE!"

"RAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUGH!" Nightbloom roared back in pain as the tornado slammed into her, tearing her body to shreds.

Yuu: 16,937 + (300 X 2) = 17,537 LP

"What a waste." Yuu scoffed. "Anything else you want to try, Aki?"

"Phoenix of Roses's effect!" Aki replied. "Since Black Rose Dragon – Nightbloom was destroyed, I can Special Summon this card from my graveyard as a Level three monster, on the condition that it is shuffled into the deck when it leaves the field. Come forth!"

Erupting from Aki's graveyard was a flaming bird with rose petals in place of feathers and thorny green vines wrapped around its legs and body.

Phoenix of Roses / FIRE / Level 6 (changed to Level 3) / Plant / Effect / ATK 800 / DEF 2200

"Phoenix of Roses's effect." Aki continued. "If it is Special Summoned, I can Special Summon Red Rose Dragon from my graveyard. Come forth!"

Joining Phoenix of Roses's side, Red Rose Dragon erupted from the ground before arching her back and sassily whipping her tail back and forth like a cat.

Red Rose Dragon / DARK / Level 3 / Dragon / Tuner / Effect / ATK 1000 / DEF 1800

"I tune the level three Red Rose Dragon with the level three Phoenix of Roses in order to Synchro Summon!" Aki declared as her two monsters leapt into the air before synchronizing together.

"Each beautiful rose is encircled in the protection of vigilant thorns. With your mighty devotion raise your bramble shield in defense! SYNCHRO SHOUKAN! Come to my aid! Level six! Excellent Rose!"

Front flipping onto Aki's field was a burly swordsman with long green hair and a crown of yellow roses in his hair. In his left arm, he carried aloft a wicker shield woven entirely from yellow roses and their thorny brambles.

Excellent Rose / EARTH / Level 6 / Plant / Synchro / Tuner / Effect / ATK 200 / DEF 2800

"Red Rose Dragon's effect." Aki continued. "Since it was sent to the graveyard as a Synchro Material, I can Special Summon a 'Rose Dragon' monster from my deck and add Frozen Rose from my deck to my hand. Come forth, Pink Rose Dragon!"

With a happy fluting sound, Aki's small poodle-like dragon adorned with pink roses leaped onto her field, wings flapping with excitement.

Pink Rose Dragon / DARK / Level 2 / Dragon / Effect / ATK 100 / DEF 2000

"Pink Rose Dragon's effect!" Aki continued. "Since she was Special Summoned, I can Special Summon a Plant Tuner from my graveyard. Return, Dazzling Rose!"

Laughing to herself, Dazzling Rose ascended to Aki's field from a black graveyard portal before idly petting the head of Pink Rose Dragon.

Dazzling Rose / LIGHT / Level 4 / Plant / Synchro / Tuner / Effect / ATK 1400 / DEF 1600

"Finally, Black Rose Dragon – Nightbloom's effect!" Aki declared, a tornado of rose petals forming around her. "Once per turn, I can Special Summon her from my graveyard! Return! Blooming of the Midnight Rose!"

A pattern of the same rose-red rune-script that adorned Nightbloom's coal-black body materialized on the ground in front of Aki before a portal appeared and the immense dragon emerged from the ground.

"As if that dragon wasn't annoying enough." Yuu sniffed.

"Do I detect a hint of soreness?" Nightbloom teased.

"More than you can imagine." Yuu replied.

"Excellent Rose's effect!" Aki continued, "Once per turn, I can return one of my banished Plant monsters to my graveyard in order to make it so that one other monster I control cannot be targeted by my opponent's card effects this turn. I return my banished Rose Thorn Fortress to my graveyard in order to make it so that Nightbloom cannot be targeted by your effects."

Chanting to himself, Excellent Rose raised his shield into the air before tendrils from his shield stretched out and wrapped themselves around Nightbloom, encircling her in a protective sheath of thorns.

"Dazzling Rose's effect!" Aki continued. "I Special Summon Poison Thorn from my hand!"

Raising her arm into the air, Dazzling Rose conjured a blue portal through which a small withered plant holding aloft a bulky seed pod, with spiky burs dripping full of green poison, appeared.

Poison Thorn / WATER / Level 1 / Plant / Effect / ATK 100 / DEF 100

"Are you done yet?" Ch'askancha grumbled from overhead.

"I tune my Level four Dazzling Rose with my Level two Pink Rose Dragon!" Aki replied as her two monsters synchronized with one another. "Hunter of splendid thorns hidden in the sacred forest, with your whip of punishment in hand, come forth now! SYNCHRO SHOUKAN! Arawayo, Splendid Rose!"

Twirling onto Aki's field with the skill of a seasoned ballerina, Splendid Rose, a handsome blonde-haired young man dressed in harlequin, took to the center of the field before bowing towards Yuu, who merely scoffed at the presence of the monster.

Splendid Rose / WIND / Level 6 / Plant / Synchro / Effect / ATK 2200 / DEF 2000

"Pink Rose Dragon's effect." Aki continued, "Since it was used as Material, I send Yellow Rose Dragon from my deck to the graveyard in order to gain one-thousand life points!"

Above Aki's head, the tiny bird-like form of Yellow Rose Dragon appeared before showing Aki with golden dust from her yellow roses.

Aki: 2000 + 1000 = 3000 LP

"Poison Thorn's effect!" Aki continued, "I tribute this card in order to summon Evil Thorn from my graveyard while returning all other Evil Thorn from my graveyard to my deck!"

On her command, the seed pod of Poison Thorn dropped off before sinking into the ground. In place of the withered Poison Thorn, Aki's Evil Thorn grew up.

Evil Thorn / DARK / Level 1 / Plant / Effect / ATK 100 / DEF 100

"Evil Thorn's effect!" Aki declared, "I tribute this monster in order to inflict three-hundred damage to your life points and Special Summon two more Evil Thorns from my deck!"

The grenade-like seed pod of evil thorn exploded, showing Yuu with tiny needle-like thorns, which the Dark Singer quickly brushed off. In front of Aki, two more Evil Thorns sprouted from the ground.

Yuu: 17,537 – 300 = 17,237 LP

Evil Thorn / DARK / Level 1 / Plant / Effect / ATK 100 / DEF 100

"Black Rose Dragon – Fullbloom's effect!" Aki continued. "I tribute one of my Evil Thorn in order to Special Summon my monster from the graveyard. Return!"

"Aww, you do care. I was worried that you were going to let Nightbloom replace me." Fullbloom teased, joining the side of her larger Nightbloom counterpart.

"We are one and the same. Two forms of the same spirit of the same dragon." Nightbloom scoffed.

Black Rose Dragon – Fullbloom / DARK / Level 7 / Dragon / Synchro / Effect / ATK 2400 / DEF 1800

"So nice to have all of you together." Yuu sniffed sarcastically. "Now, at least, none of you will be alone when your death comes."

"I don't intend to die today." Aki replied. "I tribute my other Evil Thorn to activate the effect of my Frozen Rose. During the end phase of this turn, I will be allowed to draw two cards before discarding one card. I activate Black Garden and set one card face down. Turn end. At this time, the effect of Frozen Rose resolves, I draw two cards before discarding one. Furthermore, since my Garden Rose Empress was sent to the GY during this turn while Black Garden was on the field, she Special Summons herself from the graveyard."

Garden Rose Empress / DARK / Level 8 / Plant / Synchro / Effect / ATK 2600 / DEF 2400

A single card appeared to Aki's Spell/Trap Zone upon this declaration. Up on his temple, Yuu glared down at Aki with a mixture of contempt and grim resolve.

"You came to me, Aki." Yuu began, "And now, you and everyone who came with you has to live with the consequences. You and your friends will not be spared the destruction that is to come, and you will not be remade in the promised renewal to come hereafter. Henceforth and forevermore, I declare an end to your existence. Now face the judgement of the gods of death!"

"Rank-Down-Trap Earthbound Renewal Force!" Ch'askancha called from overhead, two of her eight arms raised to the sky while another two stretched towards the ground. "By my authority unleash your power! Instead of conducting a normal draw, I can add this card from the graveyard to our hand! If added to the hand by this effect, this card can be activated the same turn! Come forth!"

Heeding the creator god's command, a dark portal opened up in the ground before a single card escaped from its depths before flying into Yuu's outstretched hand.

"Be honored, Signer Aki." Yuu called from atop the temple. "You will be the first to glimpse this power. But before we begin that…Earthbound Temple's effect! I pay one-thousand life points in order to Special Summon an 'Earthbound' monster from my graveyard! Return to me! Multiverse Destroyer!"

With a pained roar, Yuu's broken segmented creature of stone erupted from the ground before rising into the air.

Earthbound Soul - Multiverse Destroyer / DARK / Level 10 / Fairy / Dark Tuner / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0

"Multiverse Destroyer's effect since he was Special Summoned! I send four monsters from my Extra Deck to the graveyard!" Yuu declared as Multiverse Destroyer gathered energy in its stony palms.

"Black Rose Dragon – Fullbloom's effect!" Aki countered. "I banish Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis from my graveyard in order to negate the effects of Multiverse Destroyer!"

"Earthbound Soul – Timestream Breaker's effect!" Yuu countered. "I banish this monster from my graveyard in order to negate Fullbloom's effect and return five of my banished cards to the graveyard!"

"Excellent Rose's effect!" Aki replied. "I return Radiant Rose to my graveyard in order to make it so that Garden Rose Empress cannot be targeted by your card effects."

"That effect does you no good, so I don't see why I should add anything to the chain as of yet." Yuu murmured.

"Then I will also chain the effect of Garden Rose Empress, banishing Garden Rose Guardian from my graveyard in order to give her his effects!" Aki continued.

"Again, you attempt to bait me, Aki." Yuu smirked. "But even if Garden Rose Guardian's effect is powerful, you must realize that it won't be nearly enough to save you this time. Go ahead. Let's resolve this chain now."

Raising her scepter into the air, Garden Rose Empress took upon herself the power of Garden Rose Guardian, bark armor growing on her body before an immense shield grew over her left arm. Excellent Rose, meanwhile, created a protective barrier of thorns around Empress. In response to Fullbloom's effect, Yuu's timestream breaker appeared before violently exploding, cutting Fullbloom's vines in the violent blast. Uninhibited, Yuu's multiverse Destroyer shot a beam of energy into Yuu's Extra Deck, sending four of Yuu's cards to the graveyard.

"Excellent." Yuu murmured, a pleased smile coming to his face. "Now that Multiverse Destroyer has fulfilled its purpose, I think I'll get rid of it, but not before it serves me one last time. Multiverse Destroyer's effect! I dark sacrifice my monster in order to send one random card from your Extra Deck to the graveyard!"

Groaning in pain, Multiverse Destroyer crumbled to pieces before a blast of pitch-black energy from its center struck Aki's Extra Deck, sending a card to the graveyard.

"The time has come!" Ch'askancha rejoiced, "Behold my chosen legion! Rank-Down-Trap Earthbound Renewal Force, activate!"

Next to Yuu, the aforementioned trap card, which depicted the Milky-Way Galaxy encircled in the mark of Ch'askancha, activated before a flaming version of Ch'askancha's spiral appeared at the feet of the creator goddess.

"Earthbound Renewal Force allows me to use one Dark Xyz Monster in my graveyard to Dark Xyz Summon a stronger Dark Xyz Monster two ranks lower from my Extra Deck. If summoned this way, I can attach three Earthbound God Monsters in my graveyard to that monster as Dark Xyz Material! Come forth Xolotl! Renew the corruption of your flesh and become an embodiment of death!"

With a demented hybrid human and wolf howl, the horrific death god erupted from the ground at the center of the spiral mark. Opening its mouth wide, it absorbed a yellow, indigo, and blue light into its mouth before the three lights collapsed into crystalline dark overlay units. Then the death god began collapsing into itself.

"RANK DOWN XYZ CHANGE! Be born of death! Rank Negative Twelve! Jibakunshushi Mictlan Xolotl!"

Unfolding from the center of the Dark Xyz singularity, the death god returned, but it had grown more powerful and muscular than before. It's headdress was now larger, with a stylized golden dog helmet adorned with stalks of maize and maguey. Armor made of gold and obsidian adorned his patchwork body, and his sword and shield were now wreathed in flame. Even the dark overlay units of the god seemed upgraded, the crystals having collapsed in on themselves to form four swirling black holes, one in each arm, one in the chest, and one on the center of the forehead. Most notably of all, the death god now sat upon a gilded throne while riding an immense black earthbound Axolotl with crème-colored markings adorning its ghostly pitch-black body.

Earthbound Deathlord Mictlan Xolotl / DARK / Rank -12 / Fiend / Dark Xyz / Effect / ATK 3500 / DEF 3500 / 4 Dark Overlay Units

"Black Garden's effect!" Aki declared. "I halve the attack of your-…"

"Useless!" Yuu countered. "While Jibakunshushi Mictlan Xolotl is on the field, all Earthbound Monsters I control are unaffected by my opponent's card effects!"

A swarm of tendrils from Black Garden launched towards Xolotl, intending to ensnare the deathgod in their thorny embrace. With a blurring flash of motion, Xolotl cleaved through the vines with his flaming obsidian blade, forcing the severed stumps to retreat.

"Jibakunshushi Mictlan Xolotl's other effect!" Yuu declared, raising his hand into the air, "I banish a Dark Overlay Unit from Xolotl face-down in order to Special Summon Uacmitun Ahau from our graveyard! Return to your creator's service!"

Howling, Xolotl flexed one of his beefy arms, causing the black hole within to fade from existence before his entire body was wreathed in black energy. Extending his hand forward, the death god conjured a portal through which Uacmitun Ahau erupted from the ground, severed head cackling with glee.

Earthbound Deathlord Mictlan Xolotl: 3 Dark Overlay Units

Earthbound Overlord Uacmitun Ahau / DARK / Level -10 / Fiend / Dark Rite / Effect / ATK 3000 / DEF 2500

"Jibakunshu Uacmitun Ahau's effect!" Yuu continued. "I send the top card of my deck to the graveyard in order to destroy Black Garden. Remove that patch of weeds from my sight!"

Cackling with sadistic glee, Uacmitun Ahau threw his severed head and spine into the center of Aki's Black Garden, the sharpened tip of the spinal cord smashing through the statue at the center before blood from the severed neck dripped into the ground, poisoning the soil and causing the garden to wither away. Retrieving its head, Uacmitun Ahau held the gruesome weapon over Yuu, letting the blood drip onto the Dark Signer's robes to increase Yuu's life points.

Yuu: 16,237 + (100 X 53) = 21,537 LP

"Dark Rite Trap Card activate!" Ch'askancha declared from overhead, extending another pair of her arms towards one of Yuu's face-downs. "Rites of the Earthbound End! I Dark Sacrifice Uacmitun Ahau and Phiri Wakamayu in order to Dark Rite Summon Jibakunshushi Xibalba Uacmitun Ahau from our hand! Exercise your power over the end and rule as an absolute tyrant over death!"

Another trap card activated, this one depicting the destruction of the Nazca Planes as the spirits of the Earthbound Gods erupted from their ground, free of their marks. Upon activating, an earthquake rumbled across the duel field, forcing Wakamayu to fall to the ground before the earth swallowed him up. Green essence rose up from the cracks before ascending to the sky and forming into a blood-red storm of clouds. With a clap of thunder, blood began raining from the sky, staining the ground while Uacmitun Ahau gleefully tipped his decapitated head back to drink every drop. With a river of blood flowing into the death god's severed neck, the belly of the rotting corpse slowly began to swell.

"Be consumed in death! Arise now! Jibakunshushi Xibalba Uacmitun Ahau!"

The death god exploded in a violent burst of putrid meat, blood, and bone. Cackling madly, the remains of the head rose into the air before its obliterated body began to reform around it. Now a living anatomy exhibit, the death god had every one of his muscles, organs, and bones exposed for the world to see as the jigsaw puzzle pieces of flesh, blood, and bone hovered in the air in a vague silhouette of the death god's previous form. With a demented but commanding roar, the death god blasted a crater in the ground, revealing a mass grave of dry bones and mummified flesh, which rose into the air before breaking down and reforming to fill in the gaps of Ahau's obliterated body until the titanic deity now stood three times his previous size, with a body made entirely from the corpses of the dead. Bits of clothing and weapons from the corpses melded together over the body, forming a macabre suit of armor.

Earthbound Deathlord Xibalba Uacmitun Ahau / DARK / Level -12 / Fiend / Dark Rite / Effect / ATK 3500 / DEF 3000

"Jibakunshu Uacmitun Ahau's effect!" Yuu declared, "Since it was sent from the field to the graveyard, I send your face-down card to the graveyard."

The new Ahau slammed his macabre amalgamated arm into the ground before the rotting limb erupted from the ground beneath Aki's set card, gripping the card before crushing it and dragging it beneath the ground.

"Earthbound Salvation's effect!" Yuu and Ch'askancha declared in unison, "I add the Dark Tuner, Earthbound Soul – Harmonics Fader and the Spell Card, Yami no Kakubunretsu from my graveyard to my hand!"

A pair of cards emerged from the graveyard before flying up into Yuu's outstretched hand.

"Jibakunshushi Mictlan Xolotl's effect again!" Yuu and Ch'askancha declared, "I banish another of its Dark Xyz Materials face-down in order to Special Summon Jibakunshu Supay from my graveyard! Return to my service!"

With a flex of his other arm, Xolotl crushed another of his dark overlay units before conjuring a second portal through which the demonic death god arose, an amused smile on its devilish face.

Earthbound Overlord Supay / DARK / Level -10 / Fiend / Dark Synchro / Effect / ATK 2500 / DEF 3500

"Jibakunshu Supay's effect! I banish five cards from my graveyard in order to inflict one-thousand damage to my opponent's life points while decreasing the ATK and DEF of my opponent's monsters!"

"Garden Rose Empress's inherited effect!" Aki countered. "I take no damage!"

Slamming its shaman staff into the ground, Supay sent a bolt of black lightning Aki's direction, which Garden Rose Empress proceeded to deflect using her shield. The collision of the attacks created a blast of air to erupt from the epicenter, blowing Aki's hair askew but otherwise leaving the Singer unharmed.

"But of course, that was never your goal, was it?" Aki grunted as the wind died down.

"You're perceptive, Signer." Yuu and Ch'askancha replied with a sneer. "Earthbound Soul – Harmonics Fader, come forth!" they commanded, as their monster, a stone statue of a head and pair of arms playing an Incan pinkullo, appeared to their field.

Earthbound Soul – Harmonics Fader / DARK / Level 2 / Fiend / Dark Tuner / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0

"Earthbound Soul – Harmonics Fader's effect!" God and Dark Signer declared. "I target Jibakunshu Supay in order to multiply its Level by negative one before increasing Harmonics Fader's Level by Supay's new Level!"

The stone statue's lips and fingers began moving, an eerie melody emanating from its wind instrument as Supay and its own level began to change.

Earthbound Overlord Supay: Level 10

Earthbound Soul – Harmonics Fader: Level 12

"I dark tune the Level twelve Harmonics Fader to the Level ten Supay!" The two commanded as Harmonics Fader exploded into a swarm of twelve white stars, which imbedded themselves into Supay, who cried out in gleeful agony before dissolving into two pitch-black stars.

"Arise from Ukhu Pacha to serve your demonic master for all of eternity! DARK SYNCHRO! Prepare to serve your purpose! Level negative two! Jibak Kairei Saqra of Supay!"

Erupting from a pillar of black light was a seductive female demon with immense horns on top of her head, large tusks, and blazing scars carved into her skin and long whip-like tail. Over her face, she wore a half a shamanic mask with a face nearly identical to her own frightening demonic visage.

Earthbound Disciple Saqra of Supay / DARK / Level -2 / Fiend / Dark Synchro / Dark Tuner / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0

"Saqra of Supay's effect!" The unified dark beings declared. "I Special Summon Supay from my graveyard with its effects negated! Return from Hell to serve at my side!"

Chanting to herself, Saqra of Supay conjured a black graveyard portal through which her larger death god master emerged before joining her side.

Earthbound Overlord Supay / DARK / Level -10 / Fiend / Dark Synchro / Effect / ATK 2500 / DEF 3500

"Time and eternity shall bleed out and die together! Behold the coming of another of my servants! I dark tune the level negative two Jibak Kairei Saqra of Supay to the level negative ten Jibakunshu Supay in order to Deceleration Dark Synchro!"

"Deceleration Dark Synchro!?" Aki gasped in shock.

"You dare interrupt me!? You mortals have struggled to perfect your synchro summoning techniques. Did you think I wouldn't do the same for my own art!? Now you shall witness the evolution of the Dark Synchro, the addition of the negative level of a Dark Tuner Dark Synchro to the negative level of another Dark Synchro to create a far greater darkness! Be honored that you get to behold this power and despair!"

Unfurling their wings, Saqra of Supay and Supay launched into the air before Saqra exploded into a pair of black stars with dark lightning crackling between the orbs. Striking the body of Supay, the black lightning ripped apart the flesh of the demonic death god, peeling him away until only a crooked column of ten black stars remained. Black lightning from the ten stars of Supay struck back at the two from Saqra until all twelve stars collided into each other, sticking together in a cluster like spherical magnets. Upon coming together, a burst of pitch-black energy erupted from the atom of slowly revolving stars, washing over the field before fading away. Everywhere the wave had touched, time had seemed to stop, leaving Aki and her monsters frozen in place as Aki and Ch'askancha commenced their summoning chant, the two of them apparently unaffected by the sudden time stop.

"From darkness comes only greater and greater darkness! Negativity feeds on negativity, shadow begetting shadow, on and on, forever! Thjs is as it should be! Glimpse past the dark curtain of the abyss and behold what comes of my unrestrained power! DECCELERATION DARK SYNCHRO! Rule at the bottom of the pit as an unstoppable purveyor of death! Jibakunshushi Ukhu Pacha Supay!"

The twelve stars exploded into pure darkness before a figure emerged from the shadowy depths. Supay had returned larger and more devilish than before. A hellish crown of golden skulls and bones graced his head, which was further adorned with flaming horns and wild pitch-black demon hair crackling with dark electricity. His staff had become more like a flaming trident, but with six horrific points instead of three, and his immense demonic tail now split at the end into two barbed tails. On his back were six demonic bat-like wings instead of two. Cackling with a deeper demonic voice, Supay raised his staff into the air, conjuring black lightning, which struck at the ground indiscriminately.

Earthbound Deathlord Ukhu Pacha Supay / DARK / Level -12 / Fiend / Dark Synchro / Effect / ATK 3000 / DEF 4000

"Jibakunshushi Mictlan Xolotl's effect!" The Ch'askancha and Yuu declared. "I banish another Dark Overlay Unit face-down in order to summon Jibakunshu Hunhau from my graveyard! Heed the call of your master and return from death!"

The rotting death god with weeping eyeless sockets returned to Yuu's field, bow already strung with his own intestine.

Earthbound Overlord Hunhau / DARK / Level -10 / Fiend / Dark Fission / Effect / ATK 3500 / DEF 3000

"Magic card activate!" Yuu and Ch'askancha roared in unison, "Yami no Kakubunretsu! I use Hunhau as the base material and return three of my banished Earthbound Gods face-up into my deck as the non-base materials in order to Dark Fission Summon!"

On command, the weeping death god melted into a sphere of pitch-black protons before the spectral images of T'ira, Anca, and Turri joined in, adding their liquified masses of neutrons to the unstable atomic structure.

"Assimilate all the horror, weakness, and wickedness of the masses into your being and unleash their own destructive natures against them! Hunt down the fools who still cling to a hope of life and make their soulless corpses bow before the ultimate god of death! DARK FISSION! Reap the souls of my enemies! Level Negative Twelve! Jibakunshushi Mitnal Hunhau!"

Reforming from the nuclear explosion of the dark fission reaction, the newly evolved form of Hunhau took shape. The death god's body was now thoroughly painted in pitch-black war paint and a glowing white skeleton tattoo, creating the illusion of a completely skeletal deity. A horrific skull-like mask with bright feathers, boar tusks, deer antlers, vulture beak, a glowing S-like centipede symbol on the forehead, and glowing ruby eyes now concealed the bleeding empty sockets and lipless grin, but no effort had been given to seal up the open slash on Hunhau's stomach. Instead, the gaping hole had grown larger, fully exposing fang-like ribs, lungs, a bloody beating heart, and massive writhing intestines, which writhed in the air like tentacles. In place of a bow, the death god now carried an immense lance made of bejewled human and animal bones. Raising a decaying arm into the air, the newly arisen death god summoned an army of mummified zombies from the ground, which ran towards their master before falling on top of each other, their corpses twisting and fusing together into a royal palanquin, which Hunhau mounted before the remaining zombies hoisted throne and deity into the air.

Earthbound Deathlord Mitnal Hunhau / DARK / Level -12 / Fiend / Dark Fission / Effect / ATK 4000 / DEF 3000

"My commanding legion is here!" Yuu and Ch'askancha rejoiced in unison. "Behold the generals that shall lead my armies to victory against all of creation!"

"I won't let them leave this place!" Aki countered, barely managing not to tremble before the horrific sight.

"A bold claim that you cannot support, Signer!" Yuu and Ch'askancha laughed, "Jibakunshushi Mitnal Hunhau's effect! I send all three of my face-up cards in my deck to the graveyard in order to give Hunhau three direct attacks in addition to its normal attack this turn!"

Idly raising its gruesome lance into the air, Hunhau caused a large portion of his undead army to levitate into the sky, before the various emaciated corpses amalgamated themselves into three monstrous constructs vaguely resembling large-fanged centipedes with twisted limbs.

Earthbound Deathlord Mitnal Hunhau: Three additional direct attacks this turn

"Jibakunshunshi Supay's effect!" The two continued, "I banish all cards from my graveyard in order to divide my opponent's life points by ten while multiplying the positive ATK and DEF of her monsters by negative one! Unleash our great power! Total Entropy Death!"

Unfurling his six wings to reveal immense staring eyes like the illusory eyes of moths, the demonic death god raised his spike into the air, creating a superstorm of black smoke-like clouds and even darker lightning. Forming the storm into a raging tornado, Supay unleashed the storm on Aki, tossing the beleaguered Signer and her monsters into the air, where they were struck repeatedly by the lightning, before all landed in a heap on the ground.

Aki: 3000 / 10 = 300 LP

Black Rose Dragon – Nightbloom: -2800 ATK / -2400 DEF

Black Rose Dragon – Fullbloom: -2400 ATK / -1800 DEF

Garden Rose Empress: -2600 ATK / -2400 DEF

Excellent Rose: -200 ATK / -2800 DEF

Splendid Rose: -2200 ATK / -2000 DEF

"Jibakunshushi Mitnal Hunhau's effect!" The creator goddess and her vessel roared, "I return all my banished cards to the graveyard in order to negate the effect of all my opponent's face-up cards while also preventing her from activating the effects of those cards for the rest of this turn! Unleash our power! Absolute Death Restriction!"

On command, the death god pointed his bony lance at Aki and her monsters, just as the group managed to get back to their feet, before unleashed a blast of pure shadow into their ranks. Gasping and clutching their throats as if they were hit by a poison cloud, Aki and her monsters were forced back to the ground as the death god's power took effect.

"Pain and suffering for my enemies, just what I like to see." The creator goddess rumbled. "And now, while you fall, I rise. Earthbound Temple's effect! I gain five-hundred life points for each 'Earthbound' monster I control!"

Yuu and Ch'askancha: 21,537 + (500 X 5) = 24,037

"And now that the temple has fulfilled its purpose, I activate Earthbound Plane of Existence, replacing our old field spell card."

Overhead, the mark of the earthbound matriarch pulsed with energy as the original field spell took effect.

"Such glorious power!" Ch'askancha exclaimed, "Such absolute control I shall unleash upon this unworthy reality when I am finished here! Let all who doubt my omnipotence behold what happens here today! I banish my earthbound children from my graveyard that they may serve their true purpose! Empower your creator now!"

Shrieking, howling, and groaning, the seven earthbound gods appeared before merging with their creator's spiral mark, adding their strength of Ch'askancha's own.

Ch'askancha: 15,000 + (7 X 100) = 15,700 ATK

"Earthbound Soul – Harmonics Fader's effect!" Ch'askancha roared, not sounding even slightly satisfied, "I banish it from my graveyard to increase the ATK of my Earthbound monsters by one-thousand while decreasing the ATK of all my opponent's monsters by 1000! Heed my command! Harmonics dirge!"

A ghostly image of the stone musician appeared before the statue unleashed a horrific dissonant sound from its wind instrument, causing the death gods to laugh with delight while Aki and her monsters covered their ears in agony.

Ch'askancha: 16,800 ATK

Deathlord Hunhau: 5000 ATK

Deathlord Supay: 4000 ATK

Deathlord Uacmitun Ahau: 4500 ATK

Deathlord Xolotl: 4500 ATK

Black Rose Dragon – Nightbloom: -3800 ATK / -2400 DEF

Black Rose Dragon – Fullbloom: -3400 ATK / -1800 DEF

Garden Rose Empress: -3600 ATK / -2400 DEF

Excellent Rose: -1200 ATK / -2800 DEF

Splendid Rose: -3200 ATK / -2000 DEF

"Jibakunshunshi Xibalba Uacmitun Ahau's effect!" Ch'askancha bellowed, now sounding completely insane, "I send all cards from my deck to the graveyard in order to destroy all cards my opponent controls while doubling my life points! Unleash our power! Final Death Burial!"

Howling with maniacal frenzy, Uacmitun Ahau raised his beefy amalgamated undead arms into the air, conjuring a blood-red storm cloud before bringing his clawed hands down. On command, a gruesome hail storm of blood, sharpened bones, and flaming skulls rained from the sky, wreaking havoc upon Aki's field.

"I activate the effect of the card you sent to the graveyard!" Aki countered, barely managing to shield herself against the unnatural storm. "Blooming of the Darkest Rose! I return this card to the bottom of my deck in order to banish Black Rose Dragon – Nightbloom!"

Escaping through a crimson portal, Nightbloom managed to escape before the rest of Aki's monsters, black garden, and her face-down cards were obliterated by Ahau's power. Rejoicing in the massacre, the death god used his powers to gather the newly made corpses into his body before releasing a blast of black energy into Yuu, empowering the Dark Signer.

Yuu and Ch'askancha: 24,037 X 2 = 48, 074 LP

"Not enough! It is not nearly enough!" Yuu and Ch'askancha ranted in unison, "The effect I gained from Phiri Wakamayu activates! I gain fifteen-hundred life points since five cards were destroyed."

Yuu and Ch'askancha: 48,074 + (300 X 5) = 49,574 LP

"And now to use my other effects! I give myself three additional attacks on any monsters you might summon to defend yourself, add Earthbound Salvation from my graveyard to my hand, and place five cards from my graveyard on top of my deck in the order I desire."

Waving her hand, Ch'askancha made the desired changes before returning her attention to the barely conscious signer, who was now bleeding from many open wounds.

"And now, it is time to end this." Yuu and Ch'askancha proclaimed in unison. "Farewell forever, Signer. I attack directly! END OF ALL THINGS!"

Forming a circle with her eight open palms, Ch'askancha formed an immense black hole of multi-colored energy in the center, preparing to lob the entire mass into Aki. Aki, barely managing to stay on her feet, looked up at Yuu, tears streaming down her bloody cheeks.

"You have become nothing more than a demon consumed with a lust for destruction, just like your god." Aki croaked, vision becoming obscured by the blinding multi-colored light. "You've traded the last vestiges of your humanity for power. You have no joy or desire for joy, only a sadistic urge to drag everyone into the pit you've fallen down. I cannot and will not let you win!"

Stamping her foot firmly into the ground to brace herself, Aki extended her arm towards the destructive power of the death god.

"Counter Trap Card! Majestic Power! I banish this card from my graveyard and discard one card in order to send 1 'Majestic' Tuner from my deck or Extra Deck to the graveyard before Synchro Summoning one 'Majestic' monster from my Extra Deck or graveyard by banishing Materials from my graveyard!"

An explosion of crimson light erupted from the ground beneath Aki, illuminating the Signer, who, despite her many wounds, stood tall and intimidating like an angel of the apocalypse.

"You set that card last turn, knowing that I'd destroy it!" Yuu and Ch'askancha snarled in frustration, struggling against the eruption of crimson light.

The spectral form of Fullbloom appeared next to Aki, the swanlike dragon enfolding Aki in her flowery wings.

"I am with you till the end, Aki. I understand your pain, but you are right. This must end. Let's free Yuu from Hell together!"

"Thank you, Fullbloom." Aki replied before raising her marked arm to the heavens. "Crimson Dragon! Hear my call now! Carry my message to the other signers that our power may become one!"

A flash of bright crimson light erupted from the foot mark on Aki's arm before the phantasmal crimson dragon, Quetzalcoatl himself, appeared in the sky so that he was eye-level with the earthbound creator god.

"So you have arrived, Quetzalcoatl." Ch'askancha rumbled with strained sarcasm. "You must know that even you can have no real power here!"

"God of corruption and darkness, your power is but an abominable parody of the true force of creation." The Crimson Dragon growled in reply. "Behold the original power you and your disciples can only desperately attempt to imitate!"

"Impudent worm!" Ch'askancha snarled before Quetzalcoatl unfurled his wings, bathing the entire field in his light and transforming night into day.

"Signers of the light, heed my command! Your champion faces the heart of darkness itself! Combine your majestic powers as one and bring forth a miracle!"

"We hear you." Aki heard Ruka call from beyond the veil.

"Kick Yuu's butt!" Rua agreed.

"Hmph! So you couldn't beat Yuu with your own power." Jack sniffed. "I suppose I'm feeling generous enough to lend you my own. Do not waste it!"

"I am here for you, Aki." Seijun called. "And whether my children wish it or not, their power shall be yours as well."

Crimson fire erupted on Yuu's Signer-marked arm, causing the Dark Signer to roar in pain.

"Go ahead and take it!" Yuu snarled as the mark vanished from his arm. "It's not like I treasure this infernal bond!"

"End us both, before it's too late!" A muffled female voice called from the void, Yuu wincing in response.

There was a gasp from Fullbloom, who recognized the voice.

"Mystic! Sister!" Fullbloom called back. "I will not leave you behind!"

"Yes!" Yuu cackled, a maniacal smile coming to his face, "Let's not do anything violent now! We certainly don't want another pathetic dragon to be hurt!"

A blast of blue fire erupted from Yuu's mouth, scorching his lips and forcing the Dark Signer to gasp in pain.

"YOU WILL OBEY ME!" Yuu gargled in reply before another burst of fire erupted from his mouth and he began speaking in the same feminine voice from before.

"Don't hesitate! Neither of us can be redeemed! Save the rest of existence now!"

"BE SILENT!" Yuu roared.

"MYSTIC!" Fullbloom roared again, sounding mournful.

"My daughter!" Crimson bellowed, "Release her now, Dark Signer! She is no longer yours to abuse!"

"Everything and everyone is mine to do with as I will!" Yuu and Ch'askancha cackled in unison before another blast of blue fire erupted from Yuu's lips.

"There is no time!" Mystic groaned. "I have made peace with this! Do not let them use me to destroy all of creation!"

"Daughter…" Quetzalcoatl mourned.

"DO IT!" Mystic plead.

Aki closed her eyes, tears dripping from her chin as the unified sign of the Crimson Dragon appeared on her back.

"I discard the card in my hand and send the Level 3 Synchro Tuner, Majestic Rose Dragon Angel, from my extra deck to the graveyard for the effect of Majestic Power!"

With a cry like an eagle, the phantasmal form of Majestic Rose Dragon Angel, a dragon similar to Majestic Dragon, but with rose petal wings, more slanted eyes, and a thorn-covered halo shaped like the Crimson Dragon's mark, appeared before unfurling its rosy wings as the phantasmal images of Fullbloom and Majestic Rose Angel appeared within the dragon's light.

Majestic Rose Dragon Angel / LIGHT / Level 3 / Dragon / Synchro / Tuner / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0

Aki and Fullbloom's eyes began glowing as they proceeded to chant as one.

"We tune the level one Majestic Rose Angel to the Level Three Majestic Rose Dragon Angel, and Level seven Black Rose Dragon – Fullbloom in order to Synchro Summon!"

Expanding in size, Majestic Rose Angel and Majestic Rose Dragon Angel completely enveloped Fullbloom in their light as the swan-like dragon began evolving within a tempest of swirling rose petals of every color.

"Against all the pain, all the horror, all the death, and all the shadows of the darkest era, a single flower blooms like the moon against the night sky! With the hope of the Crimson Dragon carried in your wings, counteract the seduction of death's philosophy with the eternal argument for life! SYNCHRO SHOUKAN!"

Erupting from the storm of light and petals, the newly evolved dragon emerged, pure white light burning against the dark shadow of Ch'askancha and her minions. The new creature was now three times as large as Fullbloom, with an elegant ebony body adorned with burning crimson rose petals and glowing white pearls. Three immense rose buds on her back surrounded an even larger rose, which opened up to reveal a glowing white interior ringed with the symbol of the Crimson Dragon. Shrieking in agony, Ch'askancha, Yuu, and their minions covered their eyes at the sight.

"Redeem us! Majestic Black Rose Dragon – Moonbloom!"

Ending A/N: Happy post Easter everyone. Card descriptions will be coming in a future update. Thank you everyone for sticking with this series and for those who helped proofread this chapter, especially bladeWriter3 and Epsilon Tarantula. Check out their amazing stories when you get a chance. Also, since I am shameless self-promoter, while you are stuck in quarantine, try checking out two of my new stories! I've started an abridged series of Yu-Gi-Oh Sevens, or, if comedy isn't your cup of tea, check out Fiction press (I have to separate the words otherwise I think it will be censored) for my more serious story, "Isekai Administrator," a story about a God in charge of reincarnating the various heroes of anime into other worlds and the corruption he seeks to fight against. The last part of this duel comes next. I look forward to seeing you all then.