Season 0: Theme Keycard #1 C27: No Grave Too Deep (3)

The first thing Lieutenant Colonel Arata Saito noticed when he stepped out of the armored personnel carrier wasn’t the stench of burning rubber, nor the distant wail of sirens, nor the deafening roars of Monsters bouncing off the valley that separated Domino City from the rest of Japan.

It was the wall.

Not of concrete, nor steel, but of Magic and Mystery.

A violet barrier stretching all the way from the ground and into the sky, sustained by five gargantuan Monoliths that, from afar, looked like the Fingers of a God sealing the city away from the rest of the world.

And then the surface pulsed—veins of black energy spiderweaving across its surface before vanishing like dying embers.

Arata adjusted his helmet, jaw tight.

“… Shit looked a lot smaller on screen.“

Behind him, the JSDF’s 1st Special Operations Group hurried to set up their gear: First checking their rifles, testing comms, and then putting up tents, all the while staring at the unnatural phenomenon near the horizon… A few muttered prayers under their breath.

Arata didn’t blame them.

"Colonel!"

A young soldier—no older than twenties—jogged up to him, tablet in hand. The screen should have shown a thermal scan of the city. Instead, it looked as if someone had scorched the feed with a blowtorch.

“We’d tried everything, sir. The sensors couldn’t penetrate the barrier. Satellites kept getting interference, and every drone we’d sent in the past hour lost signal the moment it crossed. The last transmission from inside was…” The boy hesitated, swallowing the giant lump in his throat. “That livestream.”

Arata didn’t need to ask which one.

The whole damn country had seen it by now: Some grinning lunatic covered in blood and bits, casually explaining that Magic was real and Domino City had somehow been turned into a Sacrificial Altar.

“Sacred Fire had said in his video that it was safe to enter the City now, since the… Well, the Ritual,”

Arata twitched, fighting a desperate battle against the urge to yell at the top of his lungs: 'Magic isn't real, idiot!'

They were grown-ass men, armed to the teeth with guns, artillery and some of the most advanced technologies of modern warfare, and here they were, discussing the Unexplainable. Just what had the world come to?

“The Ritual had been designed to keep people in, not out, sir.” Colonel Arata pressed his temples, bloodshot and half‑lidded eyes flicking toward the officer as if he could will this nightmare to end through sheer willpower. “Have someone verify the information… And check with the guys in the office—find out if anything has turned up on our Mystery Man.”

“I did, sir. The PSIA says Sacred Fire—real name Lenix Owens—doesn’t exist. He does have a Social Security number, a phone number, and most his papers seem to check out, but when they started to dig deeper, there was nothing.“

“He’s a plant?”

“The Agency doesn’t seem to think so. His files are just too sloppy.

No school records, no family ties anywhere in the country… Hell, he doesn’t even have medical insurance, ever. By all accounts, Owens just popped up out of nowhere, and nobody cared to bat an eye.”

“Great.” Just what Arata wanted to hear.

He had a major catastrophe on his hands, their most knowledgeable advisor—Pegasus Maximillion—was still stuck in Domino City and their sole source of information was a fucking phantom who could have orchestrated this whole mess for all they knew…

Fuck.

Just when he thought it couldn’t get any worse, it got worse. “Fantastic… And the Americans?"

“ETA ten minutes. They’re bringing heavy ordnance."

The Colonel exhaled through his nose.

Heavy ordnance… “Elaborate.“

“They're bringing five F-22, and eight M1A2, sir.“

“Here’s to hoping that's enough.” Arata downed his beer in one long swallow, then set the bottle aside with a hollow clink, eyes glued to the barrier. Fingers trembling, he lifted his gaze skyward and whispered a prayer, “God, please let it be enough.”

— [SK(GX)] —

Meanwhile…

Lenix Owens—self‑styled Sacred Fire, Savior of Domino City, and undefeated Champion of 'Most Likely to Die Covered in Zombie Guts'—stifled a yawn as he skimmed the latest chat logs.

“Oi, Jinzo. How’s the signal holding up?”

The Android’s ocular lenses pulsed. “Stable. For now.”

“Good.” Lenix cracked his neck and flung the tablet aside. “'Cause shit’s about to get real.”

On the screen in front of him, a fresh alert blazed in red letters:

[JSDF & US Forces mobilizing at perimeter. ETA: Sunrise.]

A slow grin spread across Lenix’s face. “About damn time.”

He knew he stood no chance in a one‑on‑one against Skullie, but if the locals decided to pull their weight, they might just scrape by.

Typing in the headline and adding snapshots of the troops and equipment amassing at the perimeter of the Barrier, he followed up with a short caption.

[Chat Logs]:

[JINZO_MAIN| #general]

SacredFire (Lenix):

“Looks like we're all saved, boys and girls. [IMG_2743.jpg] [troops.parkinglot.mov]”

Miri_Mecha:

“Is that the actual JSDF? Why do they look like they’re cosplaying Master Chief?“

And boy, wasn’t it a surprise to learn Halo was still a thing. Heck, most games were doing quite well, all things considered, since even the most diehard Duelists needed breaks every now and then… People could only grind for Duel Points and cards for so long before it all started to feel like a chore, and companies like Nintendo, Square Enix, Sega, and the rest had not forgotten to capitalize on the opportunity.

Yumika99:

“Americans too? Are they bringing tanks or just motivational speeches?“

Jinzo_AI:

“Hideout: Domino Hospital. Likelihood of physical intrusion: 72%. Recommending immediate fortification of Hospital South flank.“

Wheeler_Wheeling:

“On it.“

"Well, that's not good..." And the growing crowd of survivors clustering around Domino Hospital was only making it worse. Sure, their defenses were holding for now, but how much longer could they last?

Goat_Lord:

“Did you get this close to the barrier for those pics, or are you just trawling reconnaissance satellites for fun?“

SacredFire (Lenix):

“Neither. I stole the jpegs off an online news station.“

Goat_Lord:

“Damn. Shoulda thought of that.“

DannyBoyWheels:

“Imagine surviving zombies, shadow magic, AND the US Air Force. My LPs are NOT prepared for this!!!!!!!“

GoatLord:

“Can someone please explain to my grandma the Wall isn’t ‘5G radiation’? She's barricading the stairwell again… (ー_ー;)“

EmilyBlue:

“She might be right. My reception died in the middle of ordering a pizza.“

Miri_Mecha:

“Domino's still up? Are you serious?“

EmilyBlue:

“You know how it is with our capitalist overlords.“

Genuinely curious, Lenix turned to Jinzo expectantly. “Is Domino up?”

What would their shipping policies even look like in the middle of the Apocalypse?

“Up, and run by the Zombies, Contractor.”

“Heh…” Lenix snorted.

Unfeeling employees with endless stamina? That sounded like a Capitalist’s dream.

KingOfChumps:

“Is it just me, or are the Zombies getting dumber? I just saw one try to eat a traffic cone.“

Miri_Mecha:

“That’s lunch for them now. Next thing you know they’ll be fighting over vending machines.“

SacredFire (Lenix):

“@all—Alright, listen up people! Military’s arming up outside, so steer clear. Last thing we need is friendly fire. Also: Map updates in 30.“

Nephthys and the Insects should be back from reconnaissance any second now, hopefully with good news.

At this point, Lenix would settle for the population of the Dead not increasing, though he wasn’t about to cross his fingers.

EdgeLord6969:

“Airdrop request: Flamethrower, 3 beef bowls, Tylenol.“

SacredFire (Lenix):

“Request denied: No air superiority, no Ubereats, no mercy.“

EmilyBlue:

“Anyone at Domino Hospital, we need medkits here. Zombies trashed our first aid stash again.“

Goat_Lord:

“Requesting trade: Fresh bread for actual sleeping pills.“

Yumika99:

“Bartering post-apocalypse style. Next we’ll be trading double-sleeved Blue-Eyes cards for clean socks.“

SacredFire (Lenix):

“Speaking of, if anyone finds a Secret Rare Jinzo, please return it. Jinzo says he’ll haunt your nightmares if not.“

Jinzo_AI:

“Statement: I do not 'haunt.' I reformat.“

Dumpster_Duelist:

“You heard the bot, folks. Jinzo's coming for your search history.“

SacredFire (Lenix):

“Good luck out there, everyone. Eyes open, Decks ready, and remember: If you’re streaming your death, remember to mute your mic first. Nobody got time for all that screaming.“

EdgeLord6969:

“Counterpoint: My battle cries boost team morale.“

Goat_Lord:

“Speak for yourself. Your screaming nearly gave my grandma a heart attack.“

After a bit more back-and-forth with the survivors—because God knew they all needed it—Lenix finally reached out to the Spirits, had Jinzo update the horde's position, and then continued on his way to Kame Game.

“There’s a horde near Kame Game, Contractor.”

Jinzo’s warning came half a second too late as their stolen Audi whipped around the corner where thousands of glowing eyes immediately locked onto them.

“No shit.” Lenix muttered, white-knuckling the wheel and yanking the handbrake.

The Audi shrieked into a sideways drift, tires howling as it spun a clean 180.

The front tires clipped a zombie mid-lurch, sending it cartwheeling into a storefront with a crunch of glass and bone as the car screeched to a stop just 500 meters from advancing wall of rot.

"Contractor," The android intoned, "Your driving remains statistically suicidal."

“Flatterer.” Lenix grinned, jerking the wheel hard to the left and laying on the horn like a pissed-off Thai moped racer. “COME AND GET US!”

He stomped on the gas, and the car lurched forward just as a rotting hand slapped against the rear windshield.

Hurling a full case of bottled gasoline out the window, Lenix roared, “Light 'em up, Jinzo!”

The android cackled with static as two Cyber Energy Shocks tore through the front of the horde, setting the lead corpses ablaze in a blast of shrieks and charred rot that flooded the street with burning stench.

“Warning: Vehicle integrity at 67%.” Jinzo reported, as a particularly ambitious corpse bounced off the hood.

“Yeah, yeah—just keep ’em off our ass.”

Slamming on the pedal, Lenix swerved onto a narrow side street, shearing off the Audi’s side mirror against a lamppost.

“Vehicle integrity: 53%.“

The road ahead looked clear.

No Zombies lurking in the alleys.

No ambushes.

Just shattered storefronts and the distant echoes of Monsters circling like vultures.

That was the problem… If there was one thing Lenix had learned after being startled damn near to death one too many times, it was that looks were almost always deceiving.

Keeping the Audi dead-center on the asphalt, he drummed his fingers on the wheel and muttered, “This feels too easy…”

Jinzo’s optics pulsed. "Probability of imminent catastrophe: 89%."

"Don't jinx it—!"

Then the screaming started.

The engine roared as they sped up, just in time to avoid two fresh hordes spilling onto the main road from opposite side streets. Lenix's grin was all teeth as he screamed. “I called it! I fucking called it!!!“

"Contractor—"

"I KNOW!" Swerving onto the sidewalk, Lenix braced himself as a Zombie in a tattered uniform exploded against the hood, its head bouncing off the windshield with a wet thunk.

Behind them, the ground suddenly shuddered, as not one, not two, but five Monsters crawled out of the crack.

Hulking masses of bone-white armor and muscl cobbled together from piles of grinning skulls and jagged steel.

Crimson eyes burning gleefully beneath skeletal brows, jaws splitting open in wicked grins packed with serrated teeth that looked like they'd fit right in inside a meat grinder, the Ryu Kokkis wormed forth, crushing even their fellow Zombies into paste in pursuit of new preys.

Ryu Kokki (×5)

Attribute: DARK

Level: 6

[Zombie / Effect]

Effect(s):

At the end of the Damage Step, if this card battled a Warrior or Spellcaster monster: Destroy that monster.

ATK: 2400

DEF: 2000

For a brief second, Lenix couldn't help but wonder whether he counted as a Warrior or a Spellcaster, and if their Effects would, well, have an effect on him, but realizing he had no time for fear or dread, he closed his eyes shut, swallowed the emotions and grinned instead.

Eyes rolling in their sockets, he howled laughingly, “JINZO, YOU EVER PLAYED GTA?!“

“WHAT’S GTA?!!” The Android hissed, completely forgetting his usual Cyborg Act as he clung to the handler like a panicking cat.

“WELL, YOU'RE ABOUT TO FIND OUT!!!“

The Audi’s tires left the ground as they launched off a truck ramp. Lenix locked eyes with a Zombie mid-air—its jaw unhinged, fingers grasping—before they slammed back down, skidding into an intact parking lot while the road behind them quaked under the tons of plastic and steel. Turning the wheel, Lenix let out a breath of relief as the mashing hordes shrank in the rearview, growing smaller with every second.

“Contractor, forgive me for being blunt, but I'd rather walk than let you drive again.”

“Was that sarcasm? You probably can't tell, but I'm so fucking proud of y—!“ And then the bumper came loose, lodging itself under the rear tire.

“Oh, shit!” Lenix cursed, yanking the wheel, only for the car to fishtail violently.

They clipped a rusted-out sedan, shearing off its door with a metallic shriek that was entirely too close for comfort while the radio pounded their eardrums with the tunes of 'Another One Bites the Dust.'

The Audi spun twice, before slamming sideways into an abandoned ice cream truck, and then everything went still.

Exhaling, hair on end, Lenix wiped the sweat from his brow. "... We good?"

Jinzo’s optics flickered. "Define ‘good.’"

“Alive?“

“That's an incredibly low bar, Contractor.“

Crumpling into their seats, the duo let out a sigh that wrung the last drop of tension from their bodies.

“Looks like we’ll have to loop around.”

Lenix’s lips twitched as he pressed the pedal, only for the engine to erupt in a ball of smog and fire. Tears welling at the corners of his eyes, he leaned in, gave the steering wheel a soft kiss, and whispered sweetly, “I’m so sorry, baby gurl.”

Then Lenix kicked the Android out, unclasped the belt on an unconscious Takimaru, and dumped his self-proclaimed 'rival' on the sidewalk before bailing out himself, right in the nick of time as the flames ballooned out of proportion. “… We need a new vehicle.”

After hotwiring their second ride—a white van that just seemed to scream 'kidnapper'—they looped around the still rampaging mega-horde and, much to their relief, finally spotted Kame Game in the distance. “You sense anything…?“

“There are electrical lines wired to what I believe is an underground bunker, but no accessible camera, Contractor.“

“Heh, figured.”

Sugoroku did give off the vibe of that one slightly off-his-rockers grand-uncle who lived out in the woods and slept on a rocking chair with a hunting rifle on his chest… Heck, the old man was probably doing the exactly that inside the bunker. After cutting the engine to avoid drawing attention, Lenix adjusted his clothes and got ready, only to pause when a call lit up his Duel Disk. “What now?”

[Caller ID: Unknown]

“Who the hell’s this?”

“Your... father-in-law’s contractor,” Jinzo replied, lenses blinking ominously.

“Yeah, that’s exactly who I wanted to hear from.“

“I don’t follow... You just said you hated him earlier.“ Jinzo paused, lenses flashing with confusion before he straightened. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but your exact words were: ‘I wouldn’t piss on him if I found him burning.’”

“Sarcasm, Jinzo! Sarcasm!”

Lenix hovered over the answer button, tempted to hang up without a word. As reasonable as the guy’s arguments had been, Hiroshi was still in the way—his way. There was no world where Lenix could actually like him.

But something didn’t sit right with him.

Sachi's pop hadn't seemed the type to indulge on social call.

Something must’ve happened.

His first thought was the Hospital, but a quick check in the [Chat Logs] showed Jonouchi boasting as usual, seemingly all smiles and zero panic. 'So it’s not the Hospital…' Which left only one thing: Sachi.

Exhaling through his nose, Lenix gently rubbed his eyelids before picking up. “Owens speaking.”

“—This is Hiroshi, I'm calling regarding Sachi…”

"…She slipped out of the hospital, didn’t she?"

"—You know her too well."

Resisting the urge to say 'I even know her intimately,' Lenix groaned, leaned back and kicked his feet up. “I’ll have my Spirits keep an eye out.”

“—Thank you, Owens… That’s all I could ask for.“

“Hiroshi-san?”

“—Yes?”

“I’m going to date your daughter. Hell, I might even marry her someday—I’m not sure yet.”

“—I won’t object… As long as you agree to retire. We’ve got enough money to keep you two comfortable for several lifetimes.”

Lenix cut in.

“Yeah, that’s not happening. I want your daughter, I want my career and I’m going to have both whether you object to it or not.“

“—The danger Magic poses—”

“Will always be present, whether she's with me or not. Is it not better she has me on speed-dial?“

“—What if you fail?“

"I won't," Lenix answered, surprising even himself with the conviction in his voice.

Silence settled between them, heavy and unmoving, and might've stretched on for hours if not for the sudden roar of explosions.

Poking his head out of the van, Lenix's eyes widened as half a dozen missiles slammed into the Monoliths.

"Holy shit... It's fucking glorious."

“—What's happening?“

"Carpet-bombing." Lenix muttered, whistling as fragments of the Monoliths began to crumble.

The military and government mobilized in a single day? That had to be a first.

"I'll get back to you later."

“—Owens? Owens—!“

Cutting off the call, Lenix sighed. "Oh, no."

Without the Monoliths, the Barrier began to collapse almost immediately, much to the horror of Domino City’s remaining inhabitants as energy debris came down throughout the city.

If only that was the end of it.

The larger fragments would burst apart in plumes of dark smoke, corrupting broad swathes of land beneath them. Black veins spread rapidly across the ground, pulsing with a sickly energy and splitting open pitch-dark portals. And from these rifts, the Skull Servants crawled, as numerous as an ant colony.

Above, a fighter jet suddenly tilted, its wing caught by the talons of a Zombified Winged-Beast.

Vulcarrion The Rotting Phoenix

Attribute: DARK

Level: 4

[Zombie/Tuner/Effect]

Effect(s):

● If you control a Zombie monster: You can Special Summon this card from your hand.

● During your Main Phase: You can return this card from the field to the hand, then you can Special Summon 1 Zombie monster from your hand.

● You can only use each effect of "Vulcarrion the Rotting Phoenix" once per turn.

ATK: 1600

DEF: 0

Despite its name, the Monster looked nothing like a majestic phoenix, more like a mangy wild vulture afflicted with a particularly nasty skin disease. Eager as it was, its pitiful 0 DEF made it laughably fragile…

To the point the air pressure was peeling the decaying flesh from its bones as it crawled atop the jet, yet the Monster hardly seemed to notice.

But that wasn't what unsettled Lenix.

It wasn’t the Monster’s appearance or its 1600 ATK either.

It was its Secondary Type: [Tuner], and what that might mean.

Until now, he hadn’t seen a single Synchro, but if Vulcarrion was here, then odds were the equivalent of astral nuclear reactors in Duel Monsters wouldn’t be far behind.

“That bastard…” The slow escalation, the theatrics…

This really was just a Game to him.

“So… You have decided to stand against me.“ The Skull Servants cackled, thoroughly entertained by the thought, but it wasn’t their laughter filling the dark; it was their Master’s.

“I wouldn’t exactly put it like that…”

“Oh? Then how would you put it?” The Necromancer asked, his voice dripping with amusement as the Skull Servants stiffened, their brittle joints snapping into place under an invisible force.

“Just upping the stakes... Ever played San Andreas? You know, when you slam in all the cheat codes, blow the whole city to hell, and then reload fifteen minutes later because you got so incredibly bored?”

“So what you’re saying I should be thanking you?“

"Honestly?" Lenix jerked his head toward the Android, mouthing, 'Take the car and go,' before stepping out and slamming the door behind him. “Yes. You're welcome.“

"Man, you're just fucking precious, aren't you?"

"You know it."

Lenix stepped in front of the van, doing his best to shield it from view and licked his lips as he scanned the area. Despite the bravado, he had already pumped his sneakers beforehand. “I'm assuming this isn't a social call?“

"You assume wrong... Please, have a seat."

One of the Skull Servants gestured while the others twisted and contorted into chairs and a table.

Lenix stared at the bony excuse of a chair for a good second and couldn't help but grimace. "I think I'll stand, thanks."

“Fair enough… Want a drink?“

"I brought my own." Lenix raised the Bottled Luck, downed it in one go, and tossed the empty glass aside. "Now, what do you want?"

“To tell you a story... My story, if you’re willing to listen.“

"Hoping to sway me with your sob story?" Lenix snorted, not expecting a blunt: “Yes.“

“... I don't get it. You could kill me right now, and there’s not a damn thing I could do about it. Why? Why go through all this trouble?"

“Does it matter?“

"Yes! Because it's confusing. You're confusing me!"

Chuckling, the Skull Servant lifted his teacup and attempted to drink, but the liquid simply fell through his missing throat.

Shrugging at the mess he’d made, the Necromancer laughed again before muttering,

"Because I was you… Because I understand why you’re doing this... That craving to be a hero, to be worshiped in some fictional world, to do good, to make friends with characters you’ve only ever seen on a screen — I know it all too well. Believe me, I do.

I killed my best friends over it, after all."