BATTLE OF THE PLAGUES: CONCLUSION

[yugioh_drmods]

 They can't do anything in this fight.

For all that they cooperate, for all that they try, they can do nothing. "HAVE YOU ACCEPTED YOURSELVES YET?" Pestilence roars from on high, the darkness becoming unbearable as the storm rains down upon them. Setting buildings and people aflame, shocking them into crisps, and pounding them relentlessly with hailstones the size of cannons. The monsters cannot survive--and for those who summon them, time is limited.

"HAVE YOU READIED YOURSELVES, FOR THE TENTH PLAGUE?"

There is a click. 

A bang.

And abruptly, all goes silent, the clouds parting. Those who can see, those who can fly, have had their efforts rewarded, an exhausted, semi charred and frosted Hatsu standing behind Pestilence as vines latch the demon's arms to the ground. He holds a gun to the back of the other's head with cold eyes...

...And this time, Pestilence is afraid.

He laughs, of course. "What do you think you will achieve?" he chuckles nervously. "I already took from you what I want... ...You already know you can't kill me..!" There is no answer from Hatsu, and fear becomes rage. "All of you are INFECTED," he hisses, snarling with choking breaths. "Even escape won't save you now! I am more than your prisoner, or even your end; I am DISEASE-"

"Disease, is it?" Hatsu finally asks, his voice ringing clear over the air. His eyes narrow but a fraction, and his finger begins to pull upon the trigger. "If that's the case, then consider me to be 'Traditional Medication'... If you're the disease," he announces, face twisting for one brief second of rage as he fires. "Then consider this the CURE!"

The bullet fires. And for a moment there is nothing--until choking meets the air. Until a plant begins to blossom at the back of the other's skull, vines and roots alike poking out through the ears, the throat, the eyes... The plant grows, and continues to grow, Pestilence's red-form staining the tower beneath him, until finally the body bursts into that same noxious spore filled gas he threw upon others not long before.

And even this is devoured by the roots of the plant.

The jailer is gone.

And with a steady rumble, their efforts are rewarded. All the buildings of the city have long since returned--but with the darkness gone, it is now time for the barrier to follow. Entrances to the outside world open, and the dome above collapses into ash. Outside, those watching will notice further platforms rising up from the sea...railway tracks forming beneath the waves, while great pillars meant for duel-roadways spear through the waves. Pestilence is gone--and the world has 'welcomed' them back.

....Leaving all others to clean up the aftermath.

=======================

[[OOC - First off, thank you to everyone who participated in this Summer Long event! I hope you enjoyed it, and I much appreciate any critique you have on how things went.

Relating to that, I apologize profusely for the sudden dip in my own activity regarding the event in the final battle; things arose IRL, but it is no less my fault and responsibility for what occurred. All the same, I hope you were able to enjoy yourselves despite this, and that you are able to look forward to another year at the YGO-DR!

For those who participated in the event by the way, you get a Unique Prize; while an event is being run through the RNG from the Single Vote received, all participants can have their muse affected by another event from the existing list, regardless of what else is going on. Choose wisely, and have fun!]]

Comments

[subject_0v]

Today was supposed to be the day that Rysr and Yuuto took Yuuya, to the doctors. However, the boy did look a lot healthier than he did yesterday. Still, Rysr insisted they go out (more Rin than anyone) and so that's how they were walking through the streets when-

. . .

"H-heartland... The Barrier is gone!"

[therewasnoraccoon]

Yuto stares.

...

He really is surprised, he just doesn't want to show it. Then glances at the Yuya with them.

[oddeyespendulum]

[Is this weird?

It must be weird. But is it a bad sort of weird? He doesn't know. So he's just going to blink at Yuto.

AT least for a little while. He's curious too.]

[subject_0v]

"... Should... should we go look?" Ruri asks. "That's my home." That's right, Ruri recovered her memories that morning. She holds her head in pain and whimpers.

"N-no... We should take care of Yuuya. We should go to the hospital first."

"But we need to see Heartland, Rin."

"Serena! Rin is right..."

"You want to go too, Yuzu! What about Ruri?"

. . .

Arguing girls cannot be good, but Heartland and Yuuya are important topics to them.

OTA

[helldiveslasher]

So with the demon dead, the city restored, everyone healed, and the force field gone...

A dragon-armored teen soars in the skies still... Yugo's split away from the tomato to look around for Yuto again, really. But he's not so high that he won't recognize people that are on the ground or that they can't see him.

Recognizing Yugo like this is another matter, unless you're familiar with a certain dragon's eye-catching crystalline wings.

[subject_0v]

". . . So... this is Heartland? It's so..." Damaged. Ruri is visibly saddened to see it wasn't the beautiful home she remembered, but was at least glad to see it wasn't a charred husk. By herself, Rysr walks back and front, her hair glimmering in the sunlight, and hair down.

But...

"Clear-wing?" Rin murmurs, looking up. But... If Clear-Wing Synchro Dragon was here... that meant...

No...

Could it be?

The nexus could bring people from anywhere, but...

She hadn't seen him in so long.

"Are you okay?" Yuzu asks herself. Rin nods their head, and nods.

"Yeah... I..." She then breaks off into a sprint. For an unstable girl, she sure has a powerful body. "Yugo! Yugo! YUGO!"

And colorblindness strikes!

[helldiveslasher]

Eh? Yugo looks down to see the girl running up from below and...

No way, how long was SHE here..?

"RIN...!" And he's swooping down to meet her, de-materializing the armor when he lands, and scoops Rysr up into a tight embrace when she's close enough.

Of course

[subject_0v]

She didn't expect that flying thing to be him. She stares in shock as the look-alike becomes him again and as he runs up, her eyes well with tears. She doesn't hear how Ruri is saying that he's cute under her breath, nor does she hear Yuzu gasping, she just is swept away and she hugs him tightly.

"Yugo! I... I never thought I would see you again!"

Re: OTA

[duelreporting]

So this was Heartland.

When the Demon was defeated, Melissa made the trip there. She expected that whatever she found here would be different than what she expected, and yet, she tilted her head in curiosity at the sight of the dragon in the skies.

"Clear Wing...?" She murmured, staring up into the air.

[helldiveslasher]

Well the shape also has the tail and bulky "claws" too, but the rest of the body is distinctly human. Melissa will still find herself half-right, in the middle of his sensing for Dark Rebellion, the dragon within Yugo notices her staring.

"Hmm. Someone from the City..?"

"Eh..? Who?"

Clear Wing takes over to gesture at the woman below. Huh, well maybe it couldn't hurt to get a closer look at least... He lands in front of Melissa.

".... I remember you. You're Melissa Clare yeah?" That one reporter and a regular on the tv, but that's a given.

[duelreporting]

Another Yuugo. One that was, apparently a part of Clear Wing.

Tilting her head, she nodded. "That's right. This is a little strange for me to take in though. The Yuugo I know, wasn't like you are right now."

[cadetibet]

It's over.

The sun breaks through the clouds as the barrier falls. It's hot against her dirty face but she doesn't try to shield her eyes.

Yuura turns her weakened vision to the buildings, then to the monsters she summoned in the fight. She signs her thanks, then before they can protest, desummons them.

Her body is heavy with exhaustion, and there's no way she's going to be able to make it to her apartment in her present state. Surely no one would care if she lied down somewhere, right?

Ha... No one even knew the 'siblings' were here at all, did they...? She can't even remember being here herself. Where was she, what was she doing, these past three months? She's a failure.

Yuura sinks to the ground and lies spread eagle on the clean pavement. Her eyes slink shut.

[keres_in_damons_clothing]

He knew.

He could sense her all this time. He had been trying to find her so desperately during the event. For the last three months, he had been tirelessly searching for Yuura.

And when the barrier around Heartland goes down, all of III's power floods back. He nearly cries with relief (more like roars because he's a keres, he doesn't cry) when he feels Yuura's blood running through him again, and he can sense her essence, picking her out like a shining beacon in the blackest night.

Even those he's bruised and battered, even though he's missing one arm, he flies straight to her, racing in the shadows. He appears, and his good hand reaches out, gently stroking her face with his claws.

"You're alive..."

[cadetibet]

She hears his voice, and feels his claws, and Yuura's eyes snap open.

"III!" It's like she never ran out of energy. Her body jerks up, both arms wrapping tight around his shoulders. Fresh tears - the first in months - prick at her eyes. "III..." She pulls out from the hug to look at him. "I thought-"

Something catches her attention, and she looks down at his hand. Her stomach churns, but she doesn't flinch or turn away. A bitter smile crosses her face. Yuura removes her duel gauntlet and places her ruined right hand on - or next to, she's not going to touch it if he doesn't want her to - where his arm used to be.

"We match." She says, voice hoarse. Yuura's eyes steel over. She doesn't need to ask what happened. She knows who did this. And she didn't get to do anything to that bastard! No death was painful enough for what he did to her III. Not even that one. And it looked like it sucked

[keres_in_damons_clothing]

"Ngh! I know it's nice to see me, but please," III laughs softly. He hugs her back though, wings folding around their embrace too, like a silken blanket.

"I was looking for you for so long, you know..." He mutters, showing his right hand black and shrivelled. He lets her touch it though. If anyone was allowed to touch it, it was her. Always her. He looks at the charred, decaying skin and Yuura's hand, unable to fight the smirk on his face.

"We do... Just another way we're connected." He looks her over.

"Were you hurt? Are you alright?" Human bodies are so much weaker, after all, and if he's crippled like this...

OTA

[ddd_override]

. . .

Guys... there's a naked Reiji (dressed only in his glasses) looking for Serena.

. . .

Guys, he's badly injured.

. . .

Guys someone help him or give him some pants.

[cadetibet]

Well, she's not got a pair of pants but she's got a vest and a trained loyal disposition. And a pair of working eyes allowing her to see his injuries.

Yes, his injuries. Even if it were appropriate to gawk, there's no time to waste. She's not sure how much time she's going to have to observe him before he spots her or keels over, so talking seems like a good idea.

"Akaba-sama," she stands at attention somewhere off to the side, in his normal range of vision. It's been a while since they last spoke but she's hoping he'll remember her, or at least recognize an underling when he sees one. Please tell her what to do she doesn't want to take charge of a commander that can't communicate

[ddd_override]

"Saikou-san." Reiji looks at her, not at all bothered by his appearance or his injuries. He's bleeding from his arm, and his glasses are skewed to the left, but he seems okay to walk. Nothing is broken, even though his wrists have been rubbed raw and ache a lot.

"So Pestilence has been defeated..." He says, looking around. "... That means the tower should be free to search."

BRING HIM THE BAE AND NO ONE GETS HURT

[academiaraptor]

That.

Was glorious.

Graphic, gorey, godlike... that's right. Hatsu wasa god, wasn't he?

And he was his boyfriend.

God-DAMN he missed him.

"Hatsu! Hatsu!" GET DOWN HERE YOU BASTARD. HE'S WAVING HIS ARMS LIKE AN EMBARRASSMENT JUST SO HE CAN WRAP THEM AROUND YOU. "Over here! Hatsu!"

OTA

[raidcuckoo]

Look who is looking distinctly human again and not a giant bipedal cow. Unfortunately all of Cuckoo's clothes except for his scarf and ruined pants are the only things he's wearing.

He still misses his badass coat, still painfully yearns for the treehouse on his island, and....

And...

He wants nothing more to do with Heartland after those three months of hell. Trying to keep his sanity together was torture, hiding most of it from Ruri even more painful.

Don't even say the name of the city in his earshot. Please don't.

[therewasnoraccoon]

Away from Rysr and the Yuya they've been looking after, Yuto spots this one and watches. Is this his Shun?

..... Well standing in front of him is the only way to find out. What the hell happened to his clothes?

FEEL FREE TO BREAK THESE TWO UP

[raidcuckoo]

And the Cuckoo notices this one. Something seems... familiar about this Yuto. And not in a good way.

"Yuto."

"Shun."

Yep, this is the one they know, they both think. There's no mistaking it. No mistaking it at all.

"What the hell are YOU doing here?!?!?!"

"I could ask you the same thing."

Cue the angry stare-off between these two.

[queen_of_kings]

[Nearly as soon as the fight commenced, Reiji knew that this was something the Sakaki with her couldn't handle. Too many traumatic and unsettling imagery was coming from the mockery that held his face, and she herself was likely stressing him out enough with the injury she had sustained earlier when Pestilence had stabbed her spoilers that was set to happen in that other thread IT TOTALLY HAPPENED SHUT UP. All of this leads to the conclusion that she has to sit out of this battle, a result that doesn't sit well with her.

Despite her misgivings, it didn't stop her from freezing the blood underneath them into a pillar to take them upwards and away from the fight, as well as letting her survey the battlefield for any interesting developments. It's this pillar that starts to recede as the battle ends, and as soon as their feet touches solid ground she winces and drops to one knee, one hand tightening on the stab wound in the side of her abdomen, currently frozen over to prevent damage from spreading.]

[tamagushi]

Yuuya, worried, drops to his knees beside her, tears in his eyes from worry. He reaches out his hands, wanting to help, but not sure how. He looks at the other Reiji for help, but what can they do?

His vision is blurry and his hands are shaking and he feels awful. He knows his eyes are glowing. But they can't do anything now.

He hopes Hatsu comes back soon.

[queen_of_kings]

[Her free hand takes one of his to steady him as much as it does herself.]

It's over, Sakaki. We can get back...and ensure everyone gets their needed treatment. Don't worry.

[Her stitches, your sealing...all of it.]