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(Yeah new op change. It's still the same opening but with a lot of differences.)

(3rd Person PoV)

"It is now your turn," Dimark stated as Rua shook slightly.

"Rua...," Yusei was worried for the teal haired boy.

"Can he even withstand all the damage? Can we even do anything?" Ushio asked.

"Right now, we can't do anything," Joel sighed, sadly.

"Are you not going to draw? You can surrender and I can grant you a painless death," Dimark offered.

"Stop mocking me! I chose this duel because I wanted to protect my sister! And I will protect Ruka no matter what happens!" Rua shouted and then drew a card.

Morphtronic Magnen Bar. I really need to come up with a plan, he thought and went over multiple strategies in his head.

After a short bit...

"I summon Morphtronic Magnen Bar (ATK: 100. DF. 100) in defense mode. And then I set a card down and end my turn," Rua stated.

Another magnet appeared on his field but this one was different. It turned blue.

"Hmm, are you at the end of your ropes?" Dimark asked.

Rua didn't respond to this.

Ruka...I'll beat him for you, he thought.

(In the Spirit world. Get used to it, this place will be visited frequently this chapter)

Ruka was running through the forest with Kuribon floating beside her.

I need to save Ancient Fairy Dragon as quickly as possible and I have to return back to the real world or else Rua will be in danger! She thought.

Something that Ancient Fairy had said to her once appeared in her thoughts.

(Flashback)

"My servant, Regulus, will be waiting for you when the time comes. Join forces in order to free me," Ancient Fairy said.

(Back to the present)

Did Ancient Fairy Dragon call me here? She has done it before back when I was little. Well whoever called me here agrees that it's necessary to free Ancient Fairy Dragon in order to beat the Earthbound Immortals, she thought.

Eventually, Ruka and Kuribon arrived at a town that appears to be deserted. Despite that, Ruka could see glimmers of worried eyes looking at her from alleyway corners.

"Hey, what are you doing?" She asked but the spirits ran off.

"Hey wait! Don't go!" Ruka called out and chased after them.

The spirits were fast and by the time, Ruka reached the corners, the spirits were gone.

This would go on until Ruka got tired of it and gave up.

I wonder what that was all about? She thought with a sad sigh. Kuribon cooed at her as if sharing the same sentiment.

They both sat down on a bench later.

"What's that all about?" Ruka wondered out loud.

Kuribon then noticed something and wandered off.

"Kuribon? Wait up, what's wrong?" Ruka followed her.

Kuribon was staring at an alley and Ruka could hear something rubbery.

Suddenly, a yellow ball appeared that was bouncing up towards them. Ruka caught it and inspected it.

"How did a ball managed to do that?" She asked and looked around.

She then spotted a staff with a half circle at the end and it was standing near a tree. Nothing new, since they got here, Ruka and Kuribon spotted those staffs around the town but something told Ruka that those staff weren't here for decorations.

She ran towards the staff and noticed that the leaves were being...different. Instead of falling off the tree like normally, the leaves were going up.

"Do...things move backwards here?" Ruka asked.

!

A sharp wind suddenly blew through the town making Ruka flinched and then she heard a screech, "THEY'RE COMING! THEY'RE COMING TO CATCH SPIRITS!"

A couple of spirts made a dash for it to more safe places. One spirit spotted Ruka and Kuribon and said, "You better run too!" And ran off.

"Run? Run from what?" Ruka asked and saw that they were running from.

A large dark fog came from an alley which scared Ruka in dropping the ball and ran off with Kuribon following her.

The ball rolled into the fog and was crushed by a mechanical foot.

A group of monkeys holding staffs appeared and were sniffing the air. They seemed to be searching for something or someone.

"I smell...spirits," one of them said.

"Well split up and find them!" Another one screeched.

Meanwhile, Ruka was hiding in another alley way while being scared with Kuribon.

"What was that fog?" She asked but Kuribon had no answer for her.

She felt something warm in her pocket and saw that her cards were glowing. Ruka took them out and felt her deck was just as scared as she was.

She clasped her hands on them and said, "Don't worry. We'll find another way out."

After she said this, a group of spirits ran by while being chased by a group of monkeys.

"Huh? Who are you? Wait, is that spirits I smell?" One of the monkeys spotted her and Ruka squeaked at this.

Kuribon ran off and two other glows appeared from Ruka's deck. A white unicorn with blue flames for a mane and a small pixie girl with orange clothes and pinkish hair.

They all ran for their lives but in doing so, caught the attention of the other monkeys.

"Be turn to minus!" One of the monkeys yelled and shot a blast with its staff.

"Stop!" Ruka shouted but it was too late.

The blast caused all three of her monsters into stone tablets that were similar to Duel monster cards but the levels were of minus levels.

Sunlight Unicorn...Sunny Pixie...Kuribon! Ruka thought.

One of the monkeys walked over to the tablets and mocked, "what does it like to be minus?"

What do I do? Ruka thought in a panic!

As she was panicking, the monkeys spotted her as well.

"She had the spirits! Get her!" One of them shouted and Ruka squeaked at this and ran off, barely being missed by a blast.

She ran and ran through different places until she reached an alley only to find out...

"A dead end," she stated.

Then a stone on the ground began to move and a spirit popped their head out from underneath the stone and motioned her to come inside.

Ruka followed the spirit underneath the stone to see a secret underground space where they could hide.

The spirit moved the stone back in place just in time for the monkeys to walk by and not notice them.

They were safe for the time being.

(Back to Satellite)

"It is my turn," Dimark said and drew a card.

"I use Magician Ape's effect to take control of one of your monsters. Cursed Needle!" he stated as he discarded a card.

His monster lifted up his staff, which was similar to what Ruka saw in the Spirit World, and a beam shot out of it, grabbing onto Rua's monster.

"Oh no, his monster has been taken again," Ushio gasped.

"No, look! I think I know what Rua is doing," Yusei told him.

"Hahaha! You fell for it! With Magnen Bar on the field in defense mode, your monsters can't attack!" Rua explained.

"He found a way to stop him from attacking," Etho noted.

"Is that so? I suppose this intruder will have to go," Dimark said which caught them all by surprise.

"I release Magnen Bar to Advance Summon Fighter Ape (ATK: 1900. DF: 1200)," he stated.

"1900 a-attack points?!" Ushio gasped.

"Direct attack!" Dimark shouted and the monster raised it's fist to attack Rua but he had a plan.

"Trap Card, Remake Puzzle! By destroying a Morphtronic monster on the field, I can end the Battle phase," Rua cut in and Fighter Ape's attack stopped with his fist just barely missing Rua.

It went back to Dimark's field, being the only monster there now that Morphtronic monster that he had was gone.

"And also I get to special summon a Morphtronic monster whose level is lower than the destroyed Morphtronic. I choose my Morphtronic Magnen Bar," Rua added on.

"Heh, you saved yourself some pain but I wonder how long you will last," Dimark noted.

Ruka...I'm trying my best, Rua thought.

Rua is doing the best he can but what can he do if an Earthbound Immortal gets summoned? Dang it! Why did Ruka get summoned to the Spirit World when this is her fight? Joel thought, frustrated.

"Ancient Fairy Dragon needs to be saved from both the Spirit World and the real world since Dimark has her physical card," Giant Wall Life Dragon explained.

I get that but..., Joel's thoughts trailed off.

"I can feel it in your heart that you so desperately want to help. Well it is part of your destiny to go into the Spirit World," Giant Wall told him.

I don't even know what my destiny is supposed to be, Joel thought with a sigh that didn't go unnoticed by Etho.

"Let me show you a part of it," Giant Wall said and Joel suddenly felt his insides were getting warmer and warmer.

"What the-," he didn't get to finish as he was enveloped in a yellow glow and disappeared the same way Ruka disappeared.

Meanwhile, Aki and Jack could see the monkey geoglyph in the sky wherever they were but their Signer marks were not glowing.

"That means a non Signer is dueling," Jack realized.

(Back in the spirit world)

The monkeys were looking around and wondering where did Ruka went?

"She couldn't have gotten that far! Follow me this way," one of them suggested and the rest of the monkey's nodded.

They left and after a while, the stone was lifted up again.

The spirit observed the area and stated, "ok they're gone now. Coast is clear."

Both him and Ruka got up from under the ground.

"Thank you for saving me," Ruka said as the spirit placed the stone back.

"No problem, little miss. And I'm going to bet that you're from another world," the spirit said.

"Huh?" Ruka asked.

"Good grief. What's a little kid wandering around the spirit world like that? What would have happened if I wasn't here, huh?" The spirit asked.

"Well that's just rude! Is that anyway of speaking to someone who's older than you? You're still a kid!" Ruka snapped.

"Ha! Despite how I look right now, I'm actually an old man. I'm Torunka and it's nice to meet you," the spirit said with a cheeky smile.

Later, while the monkeys were still searching, Ruka and Torunka were hiding in a house.

"So is everyone here a Spellcaster spirit?" Ruka asked and Torunka nodded.

"Everyone else who isn't in hiding have been captured. And those who escaped with hit by the Minus Curse, turning into kids like what happened to me. It might be because of the energy that reverses time," he explained.

"Can you be more specific?" Ruka asked.

"The spirit world used to be a peaceful place where spirits lived in harmony together. We would all use our abilities to help one another in everyday tasks. However...," Torunka trailed off.

Ruka pictured the town filled with life and friendly spirits like how they were in her childhood from what she could remember.

Torunka picked up again, "one day, since the monkeys appeared in the town of Schwank, everything changed. Our peaceful lives were no more as, from what I have heard, they're trying to Minusize any and all things in the world. When they switch their Cursed Needles to minus, the Minus Curse gets casted and any spirit caught in it gets captured and turned into a stone tablet."

Just like Sunlight Unicorn, Sunny Pixie and Kuribon, Ruka realized.

"Hey...do you happen to know a spirit named Regulus?" She asked.

"How do you know Regulus?" Torunka asked.

"Because I came to this world to rescue Ancient Fairy Dragon," Ruka replied.

"Hmm? Does this mean that you're a Signer?" Torunka asked.

"Do you know? Please, Torunka. Where can I find Regulus?" Ruka asked.

"No way, it's too dangerous to go see him now. Master Regulus has been in a bad mood lately. For anyone who comes near him, he bares his fangs at and lashes out. Perhaps he's upset that he couldn't protect Ancient Fairy Dragon when she needed it has driven him mad?" Torunka suggested.

"But without Regulus, Ancient Fairy Dragon can't be saved! We also need to save Kuribon and everyone else from the Minus Curse. So please, tell me where Regulus is?" Ruka asked.

"...he has concealed himself in the forest of Pojar, way past the village," Torunka explained.

"Take me there," Ruka stated.

"That's crazy talk! We'll get caught if we step outside of the house!" Torunka pointed out.

Ruka ignored him and got up. She carefully poked her head out of the house to check if the coast was clear before leaving with Torunka following her.

She ran and Torunka was still following her but slowly.

"Come on, keep up!" She called to him.

"Stop picking on the elderly," Torunka complained.

As they ran, one of the monkeys spotted them and shouted, "There they are! Get them!" And rest of the monkeys chased after them.

"They spotted us!" Ruka gasped.

"I told you so!" Torunka yelped.

Ruka looked around and spotted some glass bottle ahead and one of those staffs nearby.

I got it! She thought.

"Stop! Wait a minute," she said and stopped near those bottles. She placed them on their side.

"Ruka! This isn't the time to play," Torunka scolded her.

Ruka, however, turned to the staff and turns a clock part of the staff. The glass bottles then began to roll towards the monkeys, making them slip and roll away.

"This is our chance. Run!" Ruka shouted and Torunka nodded. He was so impressed with what Ruka did that he didn't notice a monkey coming up from behind him.

"Torunka watch out!" She cried and Torunka yelped in surprise.

"Be turned to mi-!" The monkey started but got interrupted by some screaming from above.

CRASH!

Something -or someone- fell from the sky and landed on the monkeys, knocking it out.

"Nnngh. That's the last time I'm going on an unexpected world travel," the person grumbled.

Ruka took a closer look and gasped, "Joel?!"

"Huh? Ruka? Does this mean this is the Spirit World?" Joel asked and got up.

"There's no time for this! We got to go!" Torunka stated and Ruka nodded.

"You better explain how did you get here later," she told them.

"Oh it's a long story. Trust me," Joel explained as they all ran off.

Later, all three of them could be found walking towards a mountain, out of breath from running.

"I...I think we lost them," Ruka said.

"Yeah. What were those monkeys?" Joel asked. Ruka was wondering that too. Who sent those monkeys?

"Well I'm not taking another step! I'm too tired," Torunka sank to the ground.

"Oh come on! You can't give up now," Ruka sighed at this.

"I'm an old man ok! And I'm not leaving this spot," Torunka stated which confused Joel. This little kid is an old man?

"Ok. Suit yourself," Ruka shrugged before lowering herself and held her hands behind her.

"Ruka, what are you doing?" Torunka asked.

"I think she's offering to give you a piggyback ride since you're tired," Joel replied.

"Oh. Oh I see. Thank you," Torunka said and got on her back.

"So the forest is up ahead?" Ruka asked and Torunka nodded.

"While we're on the way to this forest, do you mind if you can catch me up on what's happening?" Joel asked, placing his arms behind his head.

"I don't mind," Ruka told him.

Hmmm. This man can also travel to the Spirit World. I wonder..., Torunka thought before turning to Ruka and saying, "You're a kind and strong child. Offering to lend a hand to an old man and explaining the situation to a newcomer."

"Oh...well I'm anything from strong. I was always sickly," Ruka told him.

"I can sense the heroic strength from you though," Torunka pointed out.

"It's not mine. You must be sensing the power of someone else who has been protecting me for a long time," Ruka explained.

"Ancient Fairy Dragon?" Torunka asked but Ruka shook her head.

"Someone who has been at my side for a long time...how's Rua doing?" Ruka turned to Joel.

He made an uncertain face at this which worried her.

"He's...doing better than expected. He's giving that Dark Signer a run for his money last I saw him," Joel explained.

Despite the assurance, Ruka was still worried.

(Back at Satellite)

"It's my turn!" Rua shouted and drew a card, not noticing the commotion beside him.

"How did Joel just disappear like that? He was right next to us this whole time!" Ushio was shouting at Etho.

"How am I supposed to know?" Etho asked, awkwardly. He could feel that Joel was still alive because of the soul bound but he can't tell where did Joel go.

Yusei had suspected about Joel's power and is now suspecting that Joel was also pulled to the Spirit World like Ruka was.

It seems like even Etho doesn't know about Joel's ability. Damn...please stay safe, Ruka and Joel, he thought as he turned his attention to the duel.

"I summon Morphtronic Celfon (ATK: 100. DF: 100) and I'll use its effect!" Rua shouted.

A yellow flip phone appeared and transformed into a robot with a human like shape.

"Once per turn, it can dial a number between one to six and I can draw that number of cards and I can special summon a level four or lower Morphtronic monster among them while ignoring its summoning conditions. Dial on!" Rua explained.

The numbers began to flash and after a while, it landed on a three.

"Alright!" Rua cheered as he drew those cards and got a monster that he wanted.

"I special summon the tuner Morphtronic Remoten (ATK: 300. DF: 1200)!" He shouted.

A small beige old remote appeared.

"Oh? A tuner monster? How interesting," Dimark noted.

"And now I'll use the spell card Level Mirroring to change the level of my Magnen Bar to that of your Magician Ape," Rua shouted.

He silently counted the levels of his three monsters on his field.

Seven. Perfect, I have all the materials to summon my pride and joy out, he thought.

"Level 3 Remoten tunes level one Celfon and level three Magnen Bar! Docking strength with courage in order to protect world peace! Synchro Summon! The envoy of love and justice, Power Tool Dragon (ATK: 2300. DF: 2500)!" Rua shouted.

A yellow machine dragon with red eyes and had tools for claws appeared.

"Alright! He synchro summoned a monster before his opponent did!" Ushio cheered.

Etho wasn't as excited as he was still worried for Joel but he did agree with maybe Rua had a chance of defeating this Dark Signer.

Rua...you analyzed your opponent's field perfectly and managed to come out on top with your dueling, Yusei thought before saying out loud, "you have matured, Rua."

"Ha! A toy dragon? That suits a non Signer like you," Dimark mocked.

"Don't underestimate me! I use Power Tool's effect. I can add a random equip spell from my deck to my hand. I use the equip spell Break! Draw!" Rua explained.

"And now I attack with Power Tool Dragon! Crafty Break!" He shouted and with a mighty swipe, Power Tool Dragon destroyed Magician Ape.

4000 —> 2500 LPS

"And now thanks to Break! Draw!, I'm able to draw a card," Rua added on and drew a card from his deck.

"I end my turn. How's that for a comeback? Don't underestimate me like that just because I'm not a Signer. I have the mightiest dragon on my side, isn't that right, Power Tool Dragon?" Rua turned to his dragon whose eyes glowed red and roared at this.

A/N: it's been like what two months since I have updated this? Hello there, hi!

I haven't forgotten about this don't worry. This whole duel and traveling to the Spirit World is probably the longest duel in the Dark Signers arc in terms of actually dueling the Dark Signers (in my current opinion. I haven't seen the last Dark Signer duel yet so that may be longer).

I'm not sure how long will this take me to finish. A long time is all I'm saying.

But what did you think of this chapter? Let me know!

Cya in the next one -Flare

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