"Thanks for taking care of the Branch for me while I'm gone, Rachel." Maxios said, packing a black suitcase in their bedroom. It wasn't very large, just having enough space for a wardrobe, a king sized bed for the couple, a wooden table with four draws in it, two on each side, and a black chair which Rachel occupied while she sat, looking into a mirror. He was sitting cross-legged on the bed in his pyjamas, shoving clothes clumsily into the suitcase whilst grinning.

"No problem." Rachel replied, tying up her long, hazel coloured hair. "Enjoy yourself in Malaysia. And don't get crippled there, please..." She said in a joking tone, laughing.

"I'm sure there won't be random steel bars falling on me in the forest. If they do though... I'm cursed." Maxios cringed with a chuckle. He swallowed a lump in the back of his throat.

(Opening here)

"I'll call you soon."

Standing outside of a train station, Maxios ended a call he was on with Ryuzaki. Pulling the luggage behind him, and holding a bouquet of white camellias, he walked down the streets of Tokyo with a solemn expression. His eyelids were lowered, and his usual grin had a slight grimace to it. Maxios' hair was combed and tied up properly, leaving him with a high pony-tail. His black suit was done up properly, and he looked like a businessman of sorts heading for a trip overseas. This was far from the truth, as Maxios had been strolling towards a valley of graves.

"Finally."

He breathed in and out, feeling his heart pound. Walking down the path that lead towards the gravestones, Maxios put his luggage down as quietly as he could, trying to respect everyone at and in the graveyard. Walking past an aisle of grey slabs that stood upright, Maxios stopped at one gravestone. It was shaped like a rectangle, but the top of the grave was curved like a semi-circle. Looking down at the grave, Maxios read the carved in words, "Yza Blade... 16th November 2001 - 16th November 2017". Putting down the bouquet of flowers on the layer of dirt and mud the gravestone was placed in, Maxios put his hands together, closed his eyes and prayed for him. Five minutes passed by, as the wind breezed through quietly. Opening his eyes, and bowing, Maxios knelt down to Yza's gravestone.

"Hey, bro." Maxios started. "It's been a real long time, hasn't it? I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you when you and mom needed me the most. I realise now... I should've gone through everything with you guys. And now your dead, I..." Swallowing a lump in his throat, Maxios squinted his watery eyes and put his teeth together, sniffling. His hands curled into tight fists. "I can't ever be with my wonderful little brother ever again..." Rolling down his cheeks were streams of tears, as he lifted his head up high to try and stop them from rolling. "So, I want to do the best I can, for both of us." Wiping his cheeks, Maxios put on a forced smile with closed eyes. "I'm gonna go to Malaysia now, and get a Zeroth Dragon to stop whatever is coming at us now... so please rest peacefully. You deserve it." Standing up, he looked down at the grave once more, before closing his eyes and turning away. "I'll see you soon, bro." Maxios breathed out a shaky sigh, before walking away from the gravestone.

By the docks of the sea, Zeon stood on them, looking out towards the peaceful sea, and the sound of men yelling about their big catch of the day, and the chirps and screeches of birds. While he stood on the concrete floor, he waited for someone. He also wore a black hoodie, which casted a shadow over his eyes, concealing his identity.

"So, you showed up." A voice spoke, walking over to Zeon. He looked exactly like Inferno; a figure with sand brown cloak, but also had a mask on. This mask was white with one, black circle where his left eye would be, and had a purple glittering effect on them. "Hello. My name is Spectre."

"It's nice to meet you, Spectre. My name is Jion."

"Jion, huh... If you want to know about Yza, cardfight me." Spectre replied, showing his FiCa. "Make sure you win... or else, you won't get any information."

"Alright." Zeon clicked his tongue. "We can play with those rules."

"Excellent..." Spectre rubbed his hands together. "Let us commence."

Slouching in his green, patterned seat in the plane, Maxios looked out the window and pulled his tie so that it was loosely hanging off his neck. Turning back to look at the seat in front of him, Maxios covered the window with the blinds, and closed his eyes with purple bags under them. "I can get some good shut-eye..."

"Maxios...?"

Opening his eyes with a glare, Maxios tilted his lazy head up to see Zak.

"...uh?" Maxios looked at Zak blankly, before letting out a loud groan of tiredness. "Wtf y r u on the same flight as me"

"I can ask you the same thing." Zak laughed, sitting down next to Maxios. "Funny seeing you also going on a flight to Malaysia."

"You too... so what reason are you on this plane?"

"Afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I am your pilot, Tenya, and today, we will be flying to Malaysia. Everyone, please turn your phones onto airplane mode, and strap in your seatbelts. There are complimentary snacks if you wish to get them."

"Me? Relatives." Zak put his seatbelt on meticulously, and put down his backpack. "That's about it, really." He took out his phone from his suit's inner pocket, and switched it to airplane mode.

"You're Malaysian?" Maxios blinked. "That's neat."

"Yeup." Zak nodded. "Anyways, how about you? What brings you to go there as well?"

"Oh uhh..." Maxios scratched his chin. "I was gonna meet with a friend... or something."

"You don't even know..." Zak laughed. "That doesn't surprise me."

"We will be taking off now."

"Shaddap, this is the part I don't like about flights!" Maxios grimaced, before squeezing his eyes shut. The sleek, white airplane started to drive down the runway, before slowly lifting itself up, and clearing off into the clear blue skies.

"I am failing to see how this part is unlikeable. It's just a plane taking flight."

"I know that your eyesight is fucked up, but your sense of touch shouldn't be." He replied, sitting up. Maxios took out a packet of gum from his pocket and took one, and started to chew on it. "So, if you can't understand why, I feel like you're a lost cause for feeling things too."

"Whatever man. Sure my eyes are kinda messed up, but my sense of touch is fine." Zak shrugged. "Maybe yours is. See a doctor. Anyways, did you see the news?"

"Nah, I can't be fucked enough, and no, I don't read, why?"

"In America, some red dragon appeared out of nowhere and started to spew fire and stuff! It wasn't CG or anything, it was legit!"

"That's probably Drachma." Maxios slouched again, yawning as he looked very mildly intrigued at Zak's story. "Go on."

"Well... that's about it. No one actually knows if it was some freak hallucination or mass hysteria, or believe there was an actual real dragon there. Some people say it's for a movie, but then others say aliens are behind it or whatever." Zak kept going on. "I think it's really interesting."

"That... that sounds scary..." Maxios shook his head. "Imagine a dragon in front of you. I'd be shitting bricks..."

"I would take a video of it while running away." Zak laughed. "Though, if I can be honest, I want it to happen in Japan too."

"Seriously? It'd be like a kaiju movie, but in real life..."

"Kaijus are cool! Plus, having another dragon appear would mean dragons are real! Wouldn't that be cool?"

"No, it's not cool! You said earlier that dragon tried to spew fire! It's a hazard, and thus no one should want it to appear again!"

"Party pooper." Zak slouched in his seat, opening his eyes.

Zeon and Spectre looked at each other with a nod, the wind blowing gently between the two. It carried the distinct smell of the salty ocean.

"Stand up Vanguard!!"

"Dragwizard, Vicreau!" Spectre declared.

"Deranged Singular!" Zeon shouted.

"I'll have the first move, if I can?"

"Go ahead." Zeon nodded.

"Thank you. I ride, Dragsaver, Esras, and move Vicreau back. End."

Spectre:
Hand: 5
Damage: 0
Ritual: 0
OXO
OXO

Zeon:
Hand: 5
Damage: 0
Soul: 0
OXO
OOO

"Stand and draw. I ride Jaegar, and move Singular back! Call, Pure Love and use her skill. Revealing Scharhrot and grabbing another from deck, and putting it into the drop zone. Pure Love, attack! (7000)"

"No guard. (Dragfencer, Dagda)"

"Vanguard! (12000)"

"No guard."

"Drive check! (Succubus of Jealousy)"

"Damage check. (Mage of Rogue Eye, Arsur) Power to vanguard. (11000)"

"Turn end."

Spectre:
Hand: 5
Damage: 2
Ritual: 0
OXO
OXO

Zeon:
Hand: 5
Damage: 0
Soul: 0
XXO
OXO

"Draw for turn. Ride, Slaptail Dragon, and call Gaunan. His skill, counterblast and discarding Fuamnach from my hand. Drawing two cards. Again, call Gaunan and discarding Daellad. Drawing two. Skill of Fuamnach from my hand. Resting Vicreau, discarding her and drawing a card."

"Ritual 3 already..." Zeon gulped.

"The best is about to come. Call, Abyssal Owl. Skill, checking top seven. No Luard, and shuffle deck. Gaunan, attack him! (9000)"

"No guard... (Covetous Succubus)"

"Slaptail! (9000)"

"Werkatze, guard! (17000)"

"Drive check. (Cursed Eye Raven) Stand, all to the resting Gaunan. (9000 > 14000)"

"Skill of Werkatze, I send him to soul."

"Gaunan, once more! (14000)"

"No guard... (Closet Balloon)"

"Other Gaunan! (9000 > 16000)"

"Crap... No guard! (Demonted Executioner)"

"That'll be my turn."

Spectre:
Hand: 5
Damage: 2
Ritual: 3
XXX
OXX

Zeon:
Hand: 4
Damage: 3
Soul: 1
XXO
OXO

"Stand and draw. Ride, Baleful Repressor, and move Pure Love back! Call Succubus of Jealously, and use her skill! Since my vanguard has darkness, I look at the top five cards of my deck and put Wertiger Jaeger and Demonted into soul. Jaegar's skill, when put into soul, I counterblast and draw a card! Now, Pure Love boosts, Jealously attacks your rear-guard Gaunan! (9000 > 16000)"

"He can die."

"Vanguard against your other Gaunan too! (9000 > 14000)"

"He can also go."

"Drive check! (Amon's Follower, Abysm Lust) Heal trigger, healing a damage and power to vanguard. (14000 > 19000) I end."

Spectre:
Hand: 5
Damage: 2
Ritual: 3
OXO
OXX

Zeon:
Hand: 6
Damage: 2
Soul: 4
XXO
XXO

"My turn. Stand and draw." Spectre put a card up to his face, smirking under his mask. "Victory is the only salvation for me."

Feeling an uneasy air around him, Zeon stepped back instinctively, looking straight at Spectre with creased brows. "It's almost as if I can see myself in him..."

"I ride, Dragfall, Luard!" The vanguard circle expanded black. "I call Esras. Boosted by Abyssal Owl, Esras attacks! (6000 > 13000)"

"Pure Love! (14000)"

"Luard! (11000 > 16000)"

"No guard!" Zeon exclaimed.

"Twin drive!! (Dragwizard, Morfessa, Belial Owl) Critical trigger, all effects to vanguard! (16000 > 21000/1★ > 2★)"

"Damn it!" Zeon narrowed his eyes. "Damage checks... (Monochrome of Nightmareland, One who Proceeds Towards Daybreak, Scharhrot) Stand. All to vanguard. (9000 > 14000)"

"That'll be it for my turn."

Spectre:
Hand: 6
Damage: 2
Ritual: 3
OXX
OXX

Zeon:
Hand: 6
Damage: 4
Soul: 4
XXO
XXO

"My turn, stand and draw!" Zeon announced, drawing the top card of his deck. The gentle breeze slowly began to pick up.

"A strong word of advice: Win now, or die next turn." Spectre said in a pressuring tone.

"You're that confident?" Zeon snickered, laughing at the thought that he would lose. "You sound just like someone I used to know..." Clicking his neck using his left hand, Zeon's eyes wandered to the state of the board. "I was just like him once... But now, I refuse to be like that anymore." Moving his hand of cards up to his face, Zeon looked at them with a twisted smile. "But... maybe I can afford to break it out for one last time."

"I'm confident that I'll beat you in this match."

"If you say so." Zeon shrugged his shoulders as he flipped a card in his hand, showing it to Spectre. "Final turn."

(Ending here)

Next time on Z World:

#9: Blurred Intentions

"Don't worry, I'll make you eat your words."

"Tell you what."

"No grade 0s? Easy... Generation Guard! Dragwiser, Bronach!!"

"Go after Luard! Rogue Blue Beam!!"

"I guess you won't be getting any information regarding Yza."

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

A/N

Hi （≧∇≦）

So, here's your chapter for today! I'm sorry it's a bit shorter than usual. There wasn't much plot for this... (＞人＜;)

My friend Naru suggested I should add the King's Game, but when I did, I wasn't very happy with the end result, so I decided to split the fight between Zeon and Spectre into two. I hope you'll enjoy it! (๑>◡<๑)

Anyways, that all, (*⁰▿⁰*)

Fox out! (*'꒳'*)