Gilag LP: 1400

Number 58: Burner Visor: Pyro-Type/Xyz/FIRE/Rank 4/ATK 1000/DEF 1000 – 1 OLU

Yamikawa LP: 2600

Blade Armor Ninja: Warrior-Type/Xyz/WIND/Rank 4/ATK 2200/DEF 1000 – 0 OLU

Spell & Trap Zone: 1 Set card

Rokujuro LP: 4000

Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning: Warrior-Type/Special Summon/LIGHT/Level 8/ATK 3000/DEF 2500

"My... turn..." Gilag reached to draw his next card, his hand shaking with rage. He hesitated. Then he lowered it again.

Rokujuro frowned. "What now, Barian?"

"What now?" Gilag repeated. "I'll tell you what now. I'm going to disabuse a few of your despicable notions. First of all, where I come from, to raise a hand against a Barian Lord in the way you have doesn't get you my respect, humans. It gets you killed!"

"Where you come from?" Rokujuro raised an eyebrow. "I was under the impression that you hailed from the Sengoku period."

"And that as well!" Gilag snarled. "You are obsessed with this farce, old man! Kiraku this, Kiraku that. Get this through your heads now... I'm not him! You hear me?! I am Gilag! I am a warrior of the Barians, proud and honoured to serve under Nasch in our quest to defend our world! I am-"

And then he fell silent.

Out of nowhere, the Barian was suddenly bathed in red light, quite independent of the glow of the Barian Pipe. A glow that seemed to emanate from his Deck. More specifically, the top card.

The humans stared, bewildered. Yamikawa had never heard of a card or effect that would activate itself from the Deck. And although Rokujuro had, his surprise was no lesser, as he knew just how rare such card were. The likelihood of this Barian owning one and it just happening to trigger at this moment in the duel was astronomical.

But then he caught sight of Gilag's face, and his feeling of bewilderment intensified.

From the slits in his helmet, his eyes betrayed a look of both shock and fear. They were wide, staring blankly at his Deck as though he had never seen one before. The light danced across his face.

Now Rokujuro was certain. Gilag had no more an idea of what was happening than they had.

But on that, he was wrong. Gilag knew exactly what was causing this. And it terrified him.

Nasch...

For although the humans couldn't see it, a silent war was raging inside the Barian Lord's body. As the light grew brighter, Gilag could feel a strength he had felt but once before flooding his body. A great ocean of power. An ocean that was drowning out the voice in his head like an insect plunged into a lake – for there was a voice now. A voice that was his own, but not quite his own, that was screaming with pain and fury and terror. Gilag could feel its fear, for it was his own fear. And yet, as Nasch's power filled him – and Gilag wondered that his body didn't rip in half from the magnitude of it – that nagging 'presence' at the back of his mind somehow felt disconnected from him. These weren't his own thoughts. Something had been whispering in his ear since the duel began, being just delicate and insignificant enough for Gilag to take its malicious thoughts as his own.

But now, although Gilag's head was in a jumble that he was struggling to make sense of, his immediate thoughts were crystal clear. His mind was his own again. Almost by instinct, he took a hold of the shining card, and the light intensified to an all-consuming blaze.

"Barian's... Chaos... DRAW!"

He drew.

At once, light seemed to explode from his body. Yamikawa and Rokujuro's cries were drowned out as, with a rushing sound, a pillar of pale red light shot up into the air, Gilag's body at the centre. And more similar pillars of light were joining it. Five more, in fact. All pale and shining, all shooting up from different places around the city.

"What the-" gasped Rokujuro, squinting through the blaze. "What's happening?!"

The reply came quiet and venomous.

"Humans... you who liken me to one of your old generals based on nothing but looks. You who insult me and my entire race with your fairy-tales about ancient war generals and reincarnation. You have earned yourself a one-way trip to hell!" Gilag thrust the card in his hand forward, dispelling the light around him in an instant. "Rank-Up-Magic – The Seventh One!"

"Rank-Up-what?" Yamikawa gasped.

"With this card, I can Rank Up my Over-Hundred Number – even if it is in the Graveyard or Extra Deck – into an Over-Hundred Chaos Number of one Rank higher! Be revived, Number 106: Giant Hand!" The bright orange symbol flashed briefly across the sky as the Number remerged, descending slowly from a resurrection circle that had appeared above them.

Number 106: Giant Hand: Rock-Type/Xyz/EARTH/Rank 4/ATK 2000/DEF 2000 – 0 OLU

"Then, I use the Rank four Giant Hand to reconstruct the Overlay Network!" The resurrection circle disappeared as a huge, swirling vortex appeared in the clouds. Giant Hand instantly morphed into an orange sphere of light, and was drawn up into the portal. "Chaos Xyz Change!" The portal exploded in a great shadowy blast tinged with green. Yamikawa and Rokujuro covered their faces. "Appear! Chaos Number 106: Giant Red Hand!"

The floor beneath them exploded. As though a volcano had just erupted beneath their feet, the two humans suddenly found themselves faced with a wall of lava that rose up high above them. Great globules of molten rock rained down around them, and a wave of heat struck them with almost a physical force. Yamikawa felt his pale face burn. Then, as though rising out from the depths of the volcano, a great stony hand stretched into the sky. It was like a great snake the way the arm twisted, the pointed fingers lowering just long enough to show off the sharp black horns protruding from the back of the hand. With a flick of its wrist, it sent sparks and lava droplets pelting across the field as it continued to rise, soon towering high above the field.

Chaos Number 106: Giant Red Hand: Rock-Type/Xyz/EARTH/Rank 5/ATK 2600/DEF 2000 – 1 OLU

"I- impossible..." Rokujuro breathed, lowering his hands. "To Summon such a creature with a single card..."

Gilag laughed. He felt a thousand times stronger. His Chaos Number was by his side at last, mind was crystal clear, and his

The old man grinned, apparently sharing in Gilag's relish. "But despite that..."

"It would be a disgrace," Yamikawa continued, "if we were to give in now. And we shall not! Trap Card, Barrier Ninjitsu Art of Gathering Shadows!" His face-down card activated, and at once, a dark haze seemed to coat the field.

Rokujuro looked around at his protégé, alarmed. "Yamikawa...!"

"With this, I can end a Battle Phase at the cost of half my Life Points," he explained. "You won't get to us that easily, Barian Lord!"

Gilag, who up until then had not spoken a word, and was simply chuckling under his breath, raised a hand skyward. "Giant Red Hand's effect activates!"

"What?"

By detaching one of its Overlay Units, I can negate the effects of all cards on the field besides this one!" The crystalline Overlay Unit sitting at the base of the Number shattered, releasing a globule of red energy. This energy spiralled up around Giant Red Hand, eventually being absorbed into the eyepiece at the centre of its palm.

Chaos Number 106: Giant Red Hand: 1 → 0 OLU

"Scarlet Desert Negation!" The great fist clenched, then in opening the fingers again, released a pulse of crimson energy across the field. Burner Visor, Blade Armor Ninja and Black Luster Soldier all shuddered as it washed over them and supressed their effects. The Trap Card, meanwhile, was blown away, disintegrating as though it were made from nothing but sand.

"Damnit!" Yamikawa cursed. "Master, I-"

"You can't be this rash, Yamikawa!" Rokujuro snapped. "You should have waited until he made to attack us before revealing that card."

"Heh, as if it would have helped you rats anyway," Gilag scoffed. "Because I'm not done. I activate the Spell Card, Rank-Up-Magic Barian's Force!" He held the card aloft, and at once, rainbow-hued light spilt forth from his hand.

Rokujuro gasped. "Another one?"

"With this, I use the Rank four Burner Visor to reconstruct the Overlay Network!" Above them all, Gilag's spare Number turned fully red, then rose slowly upwards into a second chaos portal that had opened in the sky, right where Gilag's pillar of light had pierced the clouds mere moments ago. A blast of dark green energy quickly followed. "Chaos Xyz Change! Emerge, Chaos Number 58: Volcanic Visor!"

From out of the blast, a great spinning sphere of lava descended, the lava rippling across its surface like water. Looking closer, the original Number – Burner Visor – could be seen through occasional breaks in the magma's surface. As they watched, however, the thing suddenly exploded from within, rending the sphere apart and spraying red-hot globules in all directions. What was left, suspended in the air above them, was a number somehow even larger than the one it had just burst out from. To Rokujuro, it seemed to be a cross between a helmet and, bizarrely, a jack-o-lantern. Its yellow, diamond-shaped eyes stared out from slots in the red armour plating that covered its top half and extended down as far as the mouth. The mouth was jagged, wide and sneering. It seemed to be frozen in an eternal cackle of fiendish delight. Red Barian energy flowed like lava through the mouth and in thin streams around its eyes. Two short orange horns jutted out of the top of the helmet, and the carved mouth was protected by a series of thick, finger-like spikes – four above, four below. The entire Chaos Number seemed to be burning slightly, the gently smouldering aura around it giving the effect of a red-hot ember left in the bottom of a fire. Two crystal Overlay Units hung in front of it.

Chaos Number 58: Volcanic Visor: Pyro-Type/Xyz/FIRE/Rank 5/ATK 1500/DEF 1500 – 2 OLU

Rokujuro cursed. "Two Chaos Numbers..."

"Old man," Gilag growled. "It's high time you received some damage! Volcanic Visor's effect activates! Once per turn, I can deal out 500 points of damage for every Overlay Unit attached to monsters on the field. With the two attached to it, you receive 1000 damage!"

The two crystals began to move, tracing a small circle around Volcanic Visor's face. Rokujuro watched them apprehensively. Faster and faster they span, until they were little more than a red and gold blur, with the Number's sneering face at the centre. Then, without warning, a jet of fire burst forth from the centre of the circle and struck the old man, sending him staggering backwards cursing in pain.

Rokujuro LP: 4000 → 3000

"And now, due to Volcanic Visor's other effect, I can equip it to one of my other Xyz Monsters. I equip it to Giant Red Hand!" Almost as soon as they had stopped spinning, the two crystals flashed out of existence as a veil of flames suffused the Number. It lowered itself down to Giant Red Hand's height, then drifted backwards into its waiting fingers. The Chaos Number clamped down on it hard. Embers flew in all directions. "A monster equipped with Volcanic Visor this way gains 1500 ATK!"

Chaos Number 106: Giant Red Hand: ATK 2600 → 4100

"He merged his Chaos Numbers..." Rokujuro said, choking slightly from the acrid smell of burning in the air.

"4100 ATK..." Yamikawa breathed. His hands trembled. Not only was he intimidated by such a large figure, he couldn't shake the feeling that these two Numbers somehow seemed to be made for each other. The metallic shell of Volcanic Visor seemed to fit very snugly into Giant Red Hand's palm, and the great black horns only enhanced the devilish features on that horrible face. It looked like a cross between a demon and a snake.

He clenched his teeth. He was really wishing that he had not wasted his face-down card so rashly.

"Battle!" Gilag cried. "Giant Red Hand, attack Envoy of the Beginning! Certain Death Crimson Palm!" Like a snake striking its prey, the Number lunged forward. As it travelled across the field, it began to twist, at the same time whipping up a violent twisted of flames around itself.

Rokujuro's monster was struck head on, and disintegrated in the inferno without even a chance to cry out. The infernal Number kept going, however, and Rokujuro found himself flying backwards as a wall of stone and fire seemed to crash into him. He landed heavily on his back, gasping for breath.

Rokujuro LP: 3000 → 1900

"Master!" Yamikawa cried.

Gilag gave a sharp bark of laughter. "Ha! Worry about yourself, human! After that disgusting little trick you pulled with those face-downs at the start of this duel, don't think for a second that you're getting out of this pain-free. Due to Volcanic Visor's effect, Giant Red Hand can attack all your monsters once each!"

With a gasp, Yamikawa whirled around. Too late. After its first attack, Giant Red Hand had circled around behind him and, its body still spinning and blazing, was now almost on top of him. The young man's vision was filled with fire. And that awful, demonic expression...

"Certain Death Crimson Palm!"

Nothing could have prepared him for it. He felt the wind rush out of him as the burning fist hit him like a truck. The air was thick with fire. He gasped, and burning air filled his lungs. Blade Armor Ninja, the true target of the attack, was incinerated in an instant as its owner crashed to the ground in a heap.

Yamikawa LP: 2600 → 700

"That's better!" Gilag laughed as his Number returned to his side. "That's a much better look for you, humans."

As the flames surrounding Giant Red Hand's body subsided, Volcanic Visor seemed to draw them up into it mouth. Once it had the last of the embers, it extricated itself from the Number's grip and shot up into the sky where it hung, suspended like a small smouldering sun.

Chaos Number 106: Giant Red Hand: ATK 4100 → 2600

"What's wrong?" the Barian Lord called. "Aren't you getting up again? It's no challenge crushing duelists with no fight left in them."

But he had spoken too soon. Rokujuro was already getting shakily to his feet, glaring at the Barian Lord. Mere seconds later, Yamikawa followed suit, pushing himself onto one knee first before standing up.

"Even if we perish, the blades of our hearts will never shatter!" Yamikawa said defiantly.

"Well said, Yamikawa!" Rokujuro agreed. "We'll keep going even if we die together!"

"Hmph," Gilag snorted. "Well in that case, I'd be happy to oblige."

He pointed one huge finger into the sky. The two humans, following his gaze, suddenly caught sight of the second Chaos Number gently burning high above them. Their eyes flicked back to Giant Red Hand which, sure enough, was now devoid of its demonic face.

"W- when did-"

"When you two were lying on the ground feeling sorry for yourselves," Gilag said, cutting off Yamikawa. "Though I'm glad that you're both feeling nice and resilient. You'll need that for what's coming next."

"What's it doing?" Rokujuro asked, rather afraid to hear the answer.

"Volcanic Visor's last effect," Gilag explained. "By sending it to the Graveyard while equipped, I can inflict damage to every player equal to the ATK of the equipped monster. Giant Red Hand's ATK is 2600-"

"Which means 2600 damage for all of us..." Yamikawa finished, his face growing even paler.

"Correct. So as you wished, you'll both be dying together."

"Hold on!" Rokujuro said. "But your Life Points are only 1400. You'll be wiping yourself out as well as us!"

Gilag laughed again. "As if I'd be that reckless, humans. Due to Giant Red Hand's effect, while it's in Attack Position, all damage I would receive from card effects is negated!"

"What?!" cried both humans together.

As if on cue, the smouldering Number above them suddenly shot downwards as an arrow of fire. Far from attempting to strike the two of them however, it turned in mid-air and was absorbed into the eyepiece at the centre of Giant Red Hand's palm in a similar matter to its Overlay Unit. The Chaos Number's body began to glow and smoulder, just Volcanic Visor's had done.

"No matter what you do, everything is pointless before Giant Red Hand!" Gilag said, clenching his fist before him. "Let me have you crushed!"

The Chaos Number lurched forwards one final time. Its body twisted, the inferno reignited, and it was on top of the humans in an instant. Both of them screamed as Giant Red Hand struck them, their bodies lost in the whirlwind of flames. Gilag allowed his fist to fall, and watched as his opponents were blasted backwards from the force of the attack as though they weighed nothing at all.

Yamikawa LP: 700 → 0

Rokujuro LP: 1900 → 0

Gilag LP: 1400 [WINNER]

Yamikawa landed on his back with a thud, for what he knew – without really knowing how – was the last time. He barely had time to blurt out, "n- no regrets..." before his body disintegrated into a shower of red particles.

Rokujuro was given a little more mercy. He had heard what his student had said, and although his heart swelled with pride, he couldn't say the same for himself. His regrets were endless. Though the pain was great, he managed to force his eyes open, taking in the sky above him.

"Yuma... my disciple... I can't watch you grow up. Please forgive me... your useless teacher..."

Then, he too disappeared. Together with what was left of his student, his particles soared up into the sky he had got one last look at, to be absorbed into the Barian Pipeline.

Gilag watched them go. He didn't really know what he was feeling. He cared nothing for these humans. For all their taunts and tricks and insults, he felt no particular animosity towards them, and thus felt no savage satisfaction from their defeat. They were humans after all. It was in their nature to be cruel.

Nor had he viewed it as a duel especially worth winning. They had pressed him hard, it had to be said, but at the end of the day their persistence had only served to delay what he knew had always been inevitable. Yuma and Kaito were the only humans he had considered a threat, and that was before Nasch had returned to them. Now, there was no question. These beta humans had never really stood a chance.

So it was only a moment that Gilag stared up into the dark red sky, pondering his fallen adversaries.

Then, his mind returned to his task. Yuma and the others would almost certainly have escaped by now. They needed a new plan. He Summoned up a portal behind him, and slowly allowed his body to be absorbed into it.

It was time to regroup with Nasch.

Custom cards:

Chaos Number 58: Volcanic Visor
Pyro-Type/Xyz/FIRE/Rank 5/ATK 1500/DEF 1500
3 Level 5 monsters
This card cannot be destroyed by battle, except by a "Number" monster. You can target 1 other face-up Xyz Monster you control; equip this monster to that target. It gains 1500 ATK, also it can attack all monsters your opponent controls once each. You can send this equipped card to the Graveyard; inflict damage to each player equal to the equipped monster's original ATK. If this card is Xyz Summoned by Ranking Up "Number 58: Burner Visor", it gains this effect. *Once per turn: You can inflict 500 damage to your opponent for each Overlay Unit attached to monsters on the field.

Author Note #32: Okey dokey, that's most of the cannon fodder out of the way. Just Gauche, Droite and some other moron left to kill off now.

Author Note #33: More clever timing and positioning to make sure all unaccounted-for-cards would be out of shot in the actual episodes.

Author Note #34: When we started writing these particular duels, we decided that in addition to fleshing out the Barians' Decks with existing cards, we wanted to give each of them a new Chaos Number. Mizael got C95 (we toyed with the idea of a CXyz of Galaxy Stealth Dragon for a while) and Gilag got C58. This is another reason we went for Death Chimera-ex machina in the last chapter rather than a new Chaos Number. We'd already prepared C58 for Gilag, and didn't want to show favouritism by giving him two Chaos Numbers and everyone else one.

Author Note #35: It's come to my attention that I repeated a hand pun between The Finale and this story (the upper hand one). Nothing could be more shameful.

Hand Pun #10: Nothing quite like getting one's hands dirty.

Hand Pun #11: Nasch: "Hands off my Barian Lord, Donny-boy!"

Hand Pun #12: He doesn't really need either of their help. Gilag's already a dab hand at dealing with humans.

Hand Pun #13: It's going to take him a little while to wash all the blood off his hands.

Hand Pun #14: He'd better do it hand-over-fist, Nasch'll be waiting.

Hand Pun #15: Let's be honest, it's lucky that he still had that second RUM card on hand.

Hand Pun #16: Show of hands; who misses the Barian Lords?