"You two." Backlion looked at Rukia and Zeon. He took a deep breath. "I have a selfish request."
"What is it?" Zeon asked.
"Once the barrier between Cray and Earth is broken... please leave the Яeverse."
"...huh?" Zeon blinked. "You're telling us to... leave?"
"It's for your safety." Backlion said. "Once Cray and Earth are connected... it's my fight. And my fight alone."
"That's such a cheesy thing to say..." Rukia facepalmed.
"What she said..." Zeon pointed to Rukia.
"Yeah, you're right." He laughed. "Although. On a more serious note... you two must leave once the portal is open. No if's, and no but's."
"Alright then." Zeon nodded. "You got my word. My only question, how do we leave the Яeverse?" Zeon scratched his head.
"You were never properly Яeversed in the first place." Backlion replied. "Think of you... being a "special" type of Яeverse. You had control over your actions, right? Яeversed fighters don't."
"So, we can leave at any given moment?" Zeon raised a brow.
"Pretty much."
"If we can... May I leave now?" Rukia raised a brow. "My part in the operation is done. I don't want to stay here any longer..."
"Go ahead. You won't remember anything though." Backlion replied.
"That's okay. I hope they'll forgive me."
"Me too." Zeon laughed nervously.
"Alright." Rukia closed her eyes. "I no longer want to be a Яeverse member... or something along those lines." She mumbled, before slowly being released from the Яeverse. Opening her blue eyes slowly, she looked at Backlion and Zeon. "...What am I doing here? Sorry for the short notice, but I'll have to see you guys later!" She laughed and ran off.
"Did it work?" Zeon looked at Backlion.
"Yeah." Backlion looked at Zeon. "You have one more job. Can you do it for me?"
"Of course. Anything for my best friend." Zeon grinned.

(Opening here)

Shika was walking on the streets, navigating his way back home. His hands were in his pockets, and he was thinking about things.
"Oh, Shika!!" A familiar voice called out at him. Shika ignored it at first. "Shika!" The voice kept calling. Shika tried to ignore it. The sound of footsteps got closer. Shika turned his head with a frown. "Shika!" The voice grabbed him by the arm, pinching him. "Why weren't you responding?"
"Rukia..." Shika grit his teeth. She let go of his arm. "Cardfight me!" He shouted in desperation.
"Huh? Now?" Rukia blinked. "Firstly, can you tell me where Yza is? He's not picking up his phone."
"What the... You should know where he is! You Яeversed him!" Shika shouted at her.
"Яeversed him?" Rukia blinked innocently. Her face turned into a deadpan. "Is that meant to be a sex joke between me and him?..."
"E-eh? Of course not... don't you know what the Яeverse is?" Shika looked down at her.
"First time I'm hearing of it." Rukia looked at him with genuine confusion. Shika grabbed her wrist.
"You're coming with me!"

Yza laid in the cell, with a bored face on. His bangs casted shadows on his eyes whilst he mulled through things in his mind, trying to fit the pieces of what he knew together. The door of the room he was stuffed in opened. Appearing from it was a masked Ayato, who had a tray in his hands. A half filled bottle of water and a plate of buttered and burnt toast moved on it.
"Here's breakfast." Ayato chucked it into his cell without a care, the plate of food landing on the floor face down, and the bottle of water hitting the floor hard enough that the lid flew off and the thin liquid spilled. He dropped the tray in front of the cell and left. Sitting up, Yza took the remains of the water and drank it quickly, trying to drink each and every drop. Picking the plate up, he grabbed the burnt toast and picked off the parts that didn't hit the floor and ate it with a disgusted face on.
"This food tastes like shit... but it's better than nothing..." He mumbled out loud, eating almost like an animal. A week had passed since his imprisonment. He got the bare minimum for food and drink, and was bored out of his mind. His phone died, and his FiCa was taken off him. Yza had hid the cards into the body before that, however. All ways to communicate or entertain himself were gone. He was alone.

Meanwhile in Ryuzaki's Mansion, the group held an interrogation for Rukia there. Shika, Wyvon and Serena were sitting around wooden table tossing about ideas and papers and what not, Ryuzaki and Payic we're handling the computer work, Rino was cooking some snacks and Ryu was helping Maverick out with the interrogation of Rukia and some of the muscle work.
"A week's worth of questioning and it's like... she wasn't even part of the Яeverse..." Serena said flustered. "Can we really trust her?"
"Well, she passed the lie detector test... that's something, right?" Wyvon shrugged. "I'm tryna look at the positive and so far... everything about her at the moment screams she's in the clear."
"She could be acting." Rino replied. "I mean, she put on an act for Yza."
"Speaking of Yza, where has he and Ayaza disappeared off too? We haven't heard from them in... forever." Ryu said.
"God knows what those two idiots are doing." Payic shook her head. "I hope Yza's gone for good... he creeps me out more than Ryuzu at times..."
"Hey, I'm not that weird!" Ryuzaki replied. She giggled.
"But you can be."
"Uhh... guys." Maverick held his hand up.
"What is it?" Ryuzaki looked at Maverick.
"A guy whose calling himself Scarecrow just called me. He's saying that some of us need to go to their school." He pointed at Shika and Serena. "And he's saying to bring Rukia."

"It's time." Ayato spun some handcuffs in his hands and opened the cell door. He placed himself at the front of it. "Come on out here. Orders are to cuff you."
"..." Yza didn't move. Ayato narrowed his eyes and entered the cell, and closed the door, locking it. Ayato then walked to him, who was sitting down. Ayato grabbed Yza's wrists and cuffed them together, before kicking him in the back to try and get a reaction.
"Stand up." Ayato commanded. Yza didn't stand, and Ayato rolled his eyes, dragging him up to stand. Yza's arms were chained behind his back. Ayato dragged Yza by the arm to the cell door and unlocked it, before forcing him out; keeping a tight grip on him. "Start moving." Ayato sighed as he was forced to push Yza along, who refused to move. Reaching the door of the room, he kept pushing Yza, until they reached a wall. Using a card, Ayato opened a space in the wall, revealing an elevator exactly like the one Yza and Rukia were in. Shoving Yza into the space, Ayato followed after him, and the wall closed. A gentle rumbling going up could be heard, and Yza was lying on the ground, unresponsive. A couple of minutes later, the wall opened up and Ayato grabbed Yza's body and carried him up the stairs bridal style, before kicking down the door in his way.

(Play song in media here on repeat)

The two were now on the roof of school. The sky was blazing orange and red because of the sun was setting. The floor of the roof was however, quite peculiar. A massive stone wall on the south of the roof, with straps and chains to hold someone in place. Ayato approached the stone, and chained Yza on it. About 5 kilometres apart was a throne, where Backlion sat in it. In between each of these monuments was a large, ritual circle drawn in chalk, out-lining the portal.
"Ayato, you are free to do as you wish now. Your use has been done." Backlion commanded.
"Alright, Dad." Ayato nodded. "Thanks for nothing." He waved, and left the school roof by jumping off it.
"Zeon." Backlion looked at him. "Be my guard. I feel like some people might try to ruin the ritual."
"Right." Zeon drew his katana. "I won't let anyone get in your way."
"Thank you. Spectral Duke." Backlion clicked his fingers, and Spectral Duke Annihilation appeared by his side.
"Yes, sir?"
"Let's begin the Void's Plan." Backlion got up from his throne and grabbed a green plastic bag filled with various FiCas. He walked towards the circle, taking out a FiCa. "We shall destroy the barrier that separates us and units! This will be Cray's Collapse! This is my sacrifice to the lord, Messiah, and the lord, Gyze! The first piece, Izo!" Backlion chucked the device into the middle, breaking it. Izo's blood oozed out, alongside his cards scattering within the circle. "The second piece, Sanda!" He grabbed Sanda's FiCa and did the same, it being destroyed into pieces, blood escaping and cards scattering. "The third piece, Kaiko!" He continued to do it for all of the FiCa's. "The fourth piece, Shouri! The fifth piece, Hiyori! The sixth piece, Kyle! The seventh piece, Aya! The ninth piece, Backlion!" He chucked his own FiCa into the middle, it breaking and oozing blood, as well as his deck of cards escaping. "And the eighth piece, Yza... Spectral, sacrifice him." Backlion chucked in Yza's FiCa last, and a Stardust Knight card he got off Yza while he was imprisoned. It was Shooting Star Dragon. It gently flew on top of the pile of destroyed plastic and blood.
"Yes sir!" Spectral Duke Annihilation flew to Yza.
"...is this my end?" Yza muttered bitterly. "If so... please be gentle..."
"Yes. It is." Spectral Duke drew his scythe, and spun it, before puncturing a cut in his forearm. A painful scream came from Yza as his blood ran down, and trickled slowly into the pile.
"The enigma from those nine... was you! That's why you have to be sacrificed this way!" Backlion cackled in his throne, watching Yza be tortured by Spectral Duke, who kept slamming his scythe into him, toying with him. "No hard feelings, alright Yza?" Backlion grinned in an insane manner. "EVERYONE THAT HAS DIED FOR THIS, YOU HAVE DIED HEROES!"

"Those screams..." Rukia was mumbling as she, Ryu, Shika, Wyvon, Rino and Serena ran to the roof of the school. "Are Yza's...!"
"What's going on...." Ryu grit his teeth. Eventually, they arrived at the roof of the school. Taking in their surroundings. they saw Yza bleeding from all over his body, and Backlion laughing like a maniac.
"...What the fuck..." Shika spoke up from the collective silence of shock and horror.

In the mansion, Ryuzaki, Payic, Maverick and Inu were watching from the computers due to a hidden camera in Shika's shirt.
"So... they're sacrificing him..." Ryuzaki deducted. "..."
"Should we g-" Maverick was cut off.
"We were too late..." Ryuzaki slammed his fist on the table. "There's... no saving them. A miracle has to happen."
"Damn this guy! I knew he was a weirdo the first time I fought him!" Inu growled.
"What can they do....?" Payic thought quietly.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" Yza screamed from the bottom of his lungs while blood ran out of him like crazy. Each drop resulted in adding to the pile.
"We gotta get to him!" Ryu shouted and pointed at Yza.
"Not if I can stop you first!" Zeon charged at them with his katana, with three blades fanned open.
"Everyone, disperse!" Rino shouted as the group scattered. Zeon slashed the ground.
"Can you feel it...?" Gear Eagle asked Rino.
"Feel... what?"
"The barrier between us... is breaking. Even though that is a bad thing... it allows me to do this!" Gear Eagle cawed; Rino being covered in brass coloured armour with neon green highlights. He also had wings on his back, and a neon green visor. In his belt there was a small, brass pistol.
"What is this...?" Rino looked in shock.
"I guess it's the same thing me and Gavrail has." Serena showed off her scissor blades.
"WOAH! THAT'S AWESOME! NIGHTROSE, DO THE SAME!" Wyvon shouted excitedly. Soon, Wyvon had two bright green cutlasses in his hand and a pirate's hat.
"Here you go!" Nightrose replied.
"W-what-?! I didn't expect this...." Zeon grit his teeth. Backlion didn't seem too bothered as he watched everything happen.
"Spectral Duke, take care of these intruders!" He commanded.
"Yes sir!" Spectral took his attention away from Yza, who was soaked in his own blood from shoulders down. He flew off towards Serena. "I challenge you!"
"So, this'll be my revenge from last time, huh..." Serena grit her teeth. "You're on you oversized dragon!"
"I guess we can free Yza..." Shika looked at Rukia and Ryu.
"Then hurry!" Rukia ran towards Yza's mutilated body. Stopping in shock, she was shaking whilst looking at his bloodied body. "Oh my God... Yza...."
"This is too much... even for me..." Ryu shied away from it, his breathing getting more intense.
"Help me untie the restrains!" Shika shouted as he started to fiddle with them.

"Two against one isn't very fair...." Zeon said as he dodged bullets from Rino and slashes from Wyvon.
"Too bad!" Wyvon and Rino shouted simultaneously as they attacked Zeon in sync.
"I don't think 3 blades on a sword is very fair either!" Rino shouted as he fired a flurry of bullets, some hitting, but most missing.
"Zeon!" Backlion shouted at him. "Retreat! That is an order!"
"But Backlion..." Zeon looked at him with a pleading face.
"Do as I say." He replied sharply.
"...fine." Zeon ran away from the fight, and jumped off the roof. "Did I make the right choice, Rose?" He thought.
"Hey, get back here!" Rino shouted angrily.
"Leave that trash Rino! Let's help Shika, Rukia and Ryu!" Wyvon ran over to them.
"Alright." Rino nodded and flew over.
"It's too late." Backlion said sinisterly. Helping out, they freed Yza from the stone. Shika carried him over his shoulders.
"Everyone, get into the school!" He shouted, running down the stairs to get inside. Spectral Duke looked over at Yza, then Backlion.
"Let them leave. The ritual has completed." Backlion said. As the group left into the school, Spectral Duke flew beside Backlion.
"The beacon of the world..."
"Is here." Backlion stood up and looked at the circle. Rumbling, the ground beneath them shook, and the chalk markings in the middle started to bubble up. Eventually, it popped open, and a mix of purple and black swirled in the middle, rippling outwards with no control while an explosion of popping sounds filled the once silence air. Peace and tranquility was lost as the sun set as the portal opened. The once bright sky became an ominous dark blue, and the sounds of popping and ripping died down as a whimper. The rumbling stopped of the ground came to a stop. With ripped edges, a portal swirling like a black hole appeared.
"Yes... the Void's Plan has been achieved." Backlion smiled at the creation. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Ayato was sitting on a hanging steel beam, watching everything happen. Zeon was watching from the ground, and the moment he saw the portal open, he ran away, released himself from the Яeverse. Meanwhile, Kurakuya was watching on the hill, taking a bite from his rice cracker.
"So, this is what he meant by Cray's Collapse."

(End the song here)

Inside the school, everyone was gathered in the infirmary. Rukia was doing her best to heal Yza's mutilated body.
"How is he?" Shika asked her, looking over her shoulder.
"He's in a terrible state..." Rukia said as she bandaged him. "We need more time... more time for him to heal his wounds!"
"Guys..." An explosion was heard. Roars of dragons and battle cries filled the air. "There's units from Cray! They're leaking into Earth!" Ryu looked outside angrily. "And they're producing destruction...!"
"We gotta close the portal then... and somehow fight these things." Wyvon rubbed the back of his head.
"Can't we summon our avatars like Backlion? Then use them to fight the units? Of course, we'd need some help..."

Mai watched from her bedroom window, seeing units flood the city.
"...Dax!"
"Yeah?" He burst into the room.
"You see it too right?"
"Of course I do! Vanguard cards in real life?!"
"Good, so I'm not going crazy..." Mai sighed. "I wonder what Yza's doing.... or Kinjuzo... or whoever he is now."

"Check it, emergency evacuation!" Ryuzaki was face-timing Shika. "I'll come as back up right away! You guys need to try and destroy the gate!"
"How though?"
"No clue.... but outside is one panicking mess. Maverick managed to summon Shiranui, and Payic became basically Amaruda. No clue what Inu is doing, but I hope we can get our avatars out as well."
"Alright." Shika nodded. "Come quickly, okay!"
"Sure sure." Ryuzaki grinned. He ended the call.
"We've figured out a plan." Wyvon looked at Shika. "Me, Rino and Serena will fight Backlion, you and Ryu will go fight the units. Yza and Rukia will stay here since they're... kinda useless."
"Sounds solid. Shall we do it?" Shika asked everyone.
"Leggo!" Ryu ran out of the infirmary and ran down the halls to the exit of the school.
"I'm right behind you bud!" Shika ran after Ryu.
"Let's show Backlion that we won't stand around and let him get his way!" Serena smirked.
"Yeah!" Wyvon shouted enthusiastically. "Let's do it!" The three left the room.

"Just me and you now, huh." Rukia looked at the bedridden Yza. A quiet mumble escaped his mouth. A flash of blue was appeared under his bandaged hand, and a card appeared from it. Yza turned his head to Rukia.
"...the card. Take it out and give it to me." Rukia nodded and took the card, giving it to Yza.
"Why do you need it?"
"Because this card will get me back up and running...."
The card started to glow green.
"...a Heal Trigger?" Rukia raised an eyebrow.

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

A/N

And that concludes Volume 21!

The last and final volume (volume 22) is the next one coming up, and will feature the final two turns, Turn 81 and Turn 82 respectively.

But before we can get to that, don't forget to send in your questions and dares for the Q n A!!

REMEMBER!! THIS IS THE LAST Q N A OF THE SERIES! YOU BETTER ASK NOW, BECAUSE WE WON'T BE DOING THIS EVER AGAIN IN THIS BOOK!

That's all,

Fox out!