Apologise for the delay. But I will release another chapter on the very next day.
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[3rd POV]
With a thunderous roar, a dazzling light gathered in Exodia's palm, radiating immense power. With a fierce push, Exodia unleashed a brilliant beam that struck Zorc Necrophades square in the chest.
The god let out a spine-chilling howl and stumbled backward, reeling from the impact. Seizing the moment, Exodia charged forward, refusing to give Zorc Necrophades any chance to recover.
*BOOOOOM*
Exodia's fists came crashing down like hammers, eliciting a furious roar from the evil god. Struggling to regain its footing, Zorc Necrophades lunged, only to be seized by the horns and hurled across the city like a rag doll.
"It's working!" Kisara exclaimed excitedly. Yet, her excitement was short-lived as she glanced at Shimon's pallid face. Controlling Exodia was taking a heavy toll, and Shimon's exhaustion was becoming palpable.
As Exodia closed in on the fallen Zorc Necrophades, the dragon head protruding from the malevolent god's stomach lashed out, sinking its teeth into Exodia's arm. The colossal statue struggled to free itself, but before it could break free, Zorc Necrophades summoned a massive tendril, striking with incredible force.
BOOOOM
Exodia crashed into the palace, obliterating the ancient and beautiful structure that had stood for centuries.
Cracks spread across Exodia's body as Shimon fell to one knee, the strain of controlling the spirit taking its toll. Although Exodia's wounds healed, the energy it had consumed was alarming.
Gritting his teeth, Shimon struggled to rise, his gaze fixed on Zorc Necrophades in the distance. The injuries inflicted upon the evil god had already regenerated, and Zorc Necrophades grinned wickedly. While one drew from the boundless power of darkness, the other relied on the lifeforce of a single human...
As Shimon's condition deteriorated, Kisara and Shada pleaded with him to unsummon the spirit. Yet, they both knew that Exodia was the only force keeping them in the fight.
In a bid to aid their struggle, Yami Yugi quickly commanded the Egyptian Gods to join the attack on Zorc Necrophades. With these powerful reinforcements, a glimmer of hope rekindled in their eyes as they saw the evil god being visibly pushed back...
Yet...
"BEHIND YOU!!" Kisara suddenly screamed.
*STAB*
To everyone's shock, Shada coughed up a mouthful of blood as a sharp claw pierced through his stomach, lifting his body into the air. When the claws retracted, Shada dropped to the ground, revealing a sizeable grey demon with horns and a snake-like lower body standing behind him.
Suddenly, a familiar, crazed laughter echoed from the rubble. Yami Yugi's expression instantly darkened as he glared at the figure emerging from the debris.
"Bakura..." he spat, his voice filled with loathing.
"Good evening, Pharaoh. Are you surprised to see me again?" Yami Bakura sneered, his eyes glinting with malice.
"How are you here? Your life was sacrificed to summon Zorc Necrophades," Yami Yugi questioned, his voice edged with suspicion and disbelief.
"Yes, for a normal human, that is..." Yami Bakura chuckled before explaining in a sly tone, "Pharoah, we are not so different..."
"What are you sprouting about..." Yami Yugi uttered in confusion.
"As you may already know, Pharaoh, in the past, you were fortunate enough to best Zorc Necrophades and seal both yourself and the god within the Millennium Puzzle. At that time, you believed it was the end. But that was far from the truth..."
"With the last of its power, Zorc Necrophades fused a part of its soul with Thief King Bakura, whom you slew, and placed that new soul into the Millennium Ring, biding its time for revival in the real world once again!" Laughing maniacally, Yami Bakura spread his arms wide. "That time is now!"
"Then Bakura this entire time..."
"He's merely a mindless host for me to manipulate, similar to your pathetic companion that freely lends his body to you." Yami Bakura spat in disgust. "But that's not the point now. I will finally have my revenge..."
Lost in thought, Yami Yugi stared at Yami Bakura in a daze, grappling with the weight of this revelation. However, Kisara's urgent cries jolted him back to reality.
"Shada, Shada!!" She screamed and held him in her arms, "Just stay awake; I will go and find a doctor..."
"No..." Shada croaked, his voice weak as he stopped Kisara from trying to help. Slowly, he lifted one trembling hand and gently tapped her forehead with a wry smile. "Already too late..."
"Don't say that!" Kisara cried, her voice cracking as tears streamed down her face. "Look, if I just stop the bleeding, we can buy enough time to get the wounds stitched up!"
Kisara tried to act optimistic and maintained a calm smile. However, as the blood continuously flowed through the holes in Shada's chest, her expression cracked, and she bit her lips to suppress the tears.
"Kisara..." Shada interrupted, his voice barely above a whisper as he coughed.
"Just stop talking. You must save your strength!" Kisara yelled and pressed her palms against the wound, "Focus on staying awake!"
"Stop... It's useless now..." Shada muttered and weakly removed Kisara's hands.
"Kisara... Don't mess up now... You guys better win..."
"Shada..."
With a faint chuckle, his eyelids slowly fluttered closed. And with one final, laboured breath, Shada passed away, his body still warm in her arms.
It all happened so suddenly. Kisara sat frozen, her hands trembling as she cradled Shada's lifeless body. Her lap was soaked with his blood, and she shivered uncontrollably, her mind struggling to process the loss.
But before she could even mourn, a wicked laugh echoed through the air. Bakura's Diabound struck again, this time aiming straight for her.
*BOOOOOM*
Suddenly, a massive fist swung into the path of Diabound, halting the demon's advance. With a furious roar, Diabound staggered back, but Shimon's voice cut through the chaos. "Snap out of it!!" he shouted, his words strained with effort as he coughed, "We can't lose focus now!"
Kisara flinched at the intensity of her master's tone, but as she looked closer, she noticed a single teardrop fall from Shimon's eye, a silent testament to the grief he couldn't fully contain. Despite his determination to remain strong, even he could not escape the sorrow of their loss.
Without wasting any more time, Shimon commanded Exodia to swiftly turn around and punch Zorc Necrophades in the face, shattering one of its horns.
In retaliation, Zorc Necrophades unleashed a torrent of dark magic, sending a cascade of explosions rippling across Exodia's body. Before the spirit could even recover, the evil god gathered a massive amount of power and hurled a colossal vertical blade toward Exodia.
"Obliterate!!" Shimon roared, his voice filled with desperate strength as Exodia fired another beam of pure energy from its palm.
The blade collided with the beam, cleaving it in two with a deafening crack before slashing into Exodia's form. The statue howled in agony as a deep gash tore vertically across its body, running from its face all the way down to its lower body, leaving a trail of burning light in its wake.
Light seeped through the wound as Exodia's body split apart before bursting into the sand.
"KARGH!!" Shimon screamed and grasped his chest. His heart bursting from the insurmountable backlash to the death of Exodia.
"Master!" Kisara yelped with a pale expression, unable to comprehend everything that was happening.
Gritting his teeth, Shimon fought against the overwhelming darkness threatening to consume him. His vision blurred, but his gaze remained fixed on his last remaining student.
With every ounce of his remaining strength, he extended his trembling hand, holding out the Millennium Key, "Take it..."
Kisara froze in shock, but under Shimon's urging, she hesitantly reached out her palms. Placing the Millennium Key in her hands, Shimon nodded with satisfaction, "Protect the Pharoah... Fulfil your duty..."
As Shimon fell forward, Kisara quickly caught her master and hugged him tightly.
"Live..." With one final whisper, the light in Shimon's eyes dimmed, joining Shada in the afterlife...
Kisara sobbed, her heart shaken tremendously at the sudden death of her master and best friend. Gently setting Shimon's body on the floor, Kisara brought the Millennium Key close to her chest.
"It was about time for that old geezer to croak," Yami Bakura remarked in the distance, causing the Pharoah and Kisara to flinch.
"BAKURAAA!!!" Yami Yugi shouted ragefully and directed Obelisk the Tormentor towards his opponent. However, the Egyptian God's path was stopped by Zorc Necrophades, who grinned maliciously.
"It's pointless, Pharoah," Yami Bakura, "You cannot afford to send away even one God! Now you're completely defenceless!!"
Diabound charged, and Yami Yugi rolled to the side as the demon's claws left a deep mark on where he was standing just a few seconds ago. As Yami Yugi was about to reach for the sword at his waist, Diabound was suddenly blasted by a white beam, sending the demon crashing into a pile of debris.
"No, you won't be fighting the Pharoah..." Kisara spoke calmly as Blue Eyes White Dragon roared behind her, "Your opponent will be me."
Despite her tranquil tone, her pupils showed an indescribable fury and hatred. Yami Bakura clicked his teeth and frantically called upon Diabound, and the demon burst out from the rubble.
However, Kisara seemed unfazed, and she stared at the spirit as if it were a pest. Slowly raising her right hand, her voice devoid of any emotions as she uttered a single command towards the white dragon.
"Kill him..."
Blue-Eyes White Dragon rampaged towards Yami Bakura, destroying everything in its path. He barely managed to dodge the dragon's onslaught, shock flooding his senses as he was caught off guard by the spirit's overwhelming power.
In a panic, he summoned his other spirits to defend him, but they were obliterated in an instant by a single swipe of Blue-Eyes' claws.
'What kind of spirit is this?!' Yami Bakura thought in disbelief. 'How could it be this powerful?!'
"Diabound!!" he bellowed, calling his demon in a desperate bid to counterattack. Diabound emerged from the shadows, launching a surprise strike. But the attack easily bounced off Blue-Eyes White Dragon's wings, leaving him stunned.
"Who the hell are you..." Yami Bakura snarled warily.
Kisara, who was consumed with anger, paused before glaring at him, "There is no need for you to know who I am... But I will tell you one thing: I will make sure you pay..."
[Yuna's POV]
Meanwhile...
"Ugh... My head..." I grunted in pain and opened my eyes. Enduring the sensation, I sat up. My entire body was screaming in agony as if needles were stabbing into my skin.
Beside me was Kaiba, who was still unconscious from the injuries. Checking his pulse, I was relieved to be able to feel a heartbeat, and I began analysing the situation on the battlefield.
The soldiers were fighting fiercely against the wave of monsters. Yami Yugi attacked Zorc Necrophades with his Egyptian Gods and Kisara...
To my surprise, I found her engaged in an intense duel with Yami Bakura using her Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Their battle was the flashiest out of everyone, with Diabound firing dark magic, which was countered by Blue-Eyes White Dragon's beam, and the whole fight seemed like an unorthodox light show.
As the battle went on, it was clear to everyone that Yami Bakura was losing ground. The strength of Blue-Eyes White Dragon was impossible to ignore, and Diabound was nothing compared to the mighty dragon.
Wanting to join the fight, I called upon the spirits residing in my soul. Starving Venom Fusion Dragon and Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand were still in no condition to battle, which only led to House Dragonmaid being the best option.
When the beautiful maid appeared, she quickly caught my fragile body, "Go and support Kisara..." I ordered, and the spirit nodded.
Carefully setting me back down, Dragon Maid clenched her fists and dashed towards Yami Bakura at a blinding speed. Sensing danger, Yami Bakura instinctively leaned away as clouds of dust blew past him.
*BOOOOOM*
House Dragonmaid's fist shattered the wall behind him before slowly turning around with murderous intent.
"Yuna!" Kisara exclaimed while Yami Bakura's expression soured. Smiling tiredly, I ordered the House Dragonmaid to attack once more, and Diabound frantically rushed towards the maid to defend its master.
However, Blue Eyes White Dragon had already anticipated Diabound's movement and blasted the demon away with its white breath.
*BAMMM*
House Dragonmaid's fist struck Yami Bakura's face, and his body was sent ragdolling across the floor. Instantly, I felt all the pain I went through become worth it as I was able to get a front-row seat to a well-deserved beating...
"Argh..." Yami Bakura gasped and clutched his bleeding nose, "Y... You dare!!" He staggered awkwardly and glared at me with anger.
Unfazed by Yami Bakura's hostility, I commanded House Dragonmaid, who grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. Diabound, still roaring furiously, was pinned down beneath Blue Eyes White Dragon's feet, unable to move.
"You... You really dare..."
*BAMM*
"Shut up," I uttered with disgust, and House Dragonmaid punched him again with her free hand, "You have no idea how much I have been through!"
*BAMMM*
"Scum!!"
*BAMMM*
"TRASH!"
*BAM*
With each swing from House Dragonmaid, Yami Bakura's face became more of a bloodied mess, and he groaned in a daze.
"But you know what angers me the most is that you kept harming people I care about..." I hissed.
"Ku Ku Ku... So what... Are you going to kill me?" Yami Bakura snorted, and I scowled.
"No," I answered, and House Dragonmaid released him, "But she will..."
Gesturing behind him, Yami Bakura nervously turned around and gazed at the massive jaw filled with sharp teeth. Before he could react, Blue Eyes White Dragon bit down, not leaving even a single trace of him behind...
"Yuna..." Kisara collapsed onto her knees.
Her chest heaved with exhaustion, and she stared at the ground in a daze. As I approached her, Kisara slowly looked at me and bit her lips, "Yuna... Shimon and Shada..."
Nodding quietly, I reached out my hand, "We can't stop now... I know this is hard, but for their sake, we have to keep fighting."
"So Kisara, after we win this. Let's cry our hearts out... Together..."
Staring at the outstretched hand, Kisara took a deep breath and slapped both sides of her face. Grabbing my hand, I gently pulled her up and patted her shoulders.
"I bet they are very proud of you..." Smiling, I hugged her, "Now let's win this thing..."
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I hope you enjoy it. The next chapter will be the final one for this arc.