![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
AU History
Judai's friend group all have various Dark Items that they won off the villains in one of the years (not sure which yet). Here's the complete list:
Judai: Dark Pendant
Johan: Dark Tiara
Sho: ?
Rosemary: Dark Choker
Jun: Dark Ring (literal ring, not Bakura-style)
Kaitou: Dark Bracelet
Jim: Dark Earring
Yuriko and Yumiko don't need a Dark Item, as they were born with the magic.
➤ 10,000 Years Before the Series
Long ago, there was a completely separate dimension where Judai's soul originated. The crowning jewel of this dimension was the Spacian Kingdom, a beautiful kingdom that swept across a huge amount of their world and ruled by benevolent kings. A dimension of darkness, the members of this world worshiped it and the moon more than the light, and many sometimes outright shunned that opposing element.
One generation, a small boy was born as the heir to this kingdom -- Judai's initial life, named Tiadrus. Friendly and kind, he became very popular very fast with those at the castle and those outside that he met, but his mother noticed quickly that he was a very lonely child. With no other children at the palace, he had no one even close to his own age to play with, something that the Queen decided she couldn't let stand.
Using her influence, she hit on two solutions for it. From a poor family far at the edge of their kingdom, she bought their daughter, a young girl named Yubel, for a price that brought them into abundance for a generation. From a family of one of the knights in the castle, she arranged for his son, named Anastasios, to be added to the royal family instead. The girl would be "given" as a servant -- the boy would be trained from the very moment he arrived to act as Tiadrus' guard.
But though they were different in status, Tiadrus took to both wonderfully, befriending them, and before long, the three were a family of their own right. Tiadrus was insistent on that part to frustration for some, in fact, and made sure to teach the other two all that he was being taught, even if he had to do it secretly.
As time went on, the three became closer and closer... but horrifying news came in as well. A hostile force had been detected by their scouts -- decades away, but so powerful that it could easily wipe out the kingdom. This "Light of Destruction" was not something they could possibly hope to deal with right now, and it sent the royal family into a panic. Anastasios' training increased significantly, as did Tiadrus' schooling; knights were sent far and wide to find some solution, while priests and sages alike were sent to dig through their books.
And, finally, an answer came.
An ancient book, nearly falling apart and recovered by one of the priests, gave a detailed explanation of a ritual to tie one's soul to darkness. Through this, the subject would, in a way, become darkness, their soul tied to the element, becoming the element, allowing a pure, if not entirely natural, font of that power. While the priest begged for more time to fully translate it, the royal family initially ignored him -- in a panic, they used Tiadrus as the subject and carrying out the ritual.
A mistake that very nearly cost the boy his life. In its unfinished state, the ritual tore at Tiadrus' very soul, and though it lasted only a few seconds before the circle was broken, it left him in agony, weak, and sick. His parents confined him to his bed for the time, leaving Yubel and Anast to tend to him as they spoke with the priest. Though frustrated, the priest was thankful for the time he now had, throwing his all into trying to translate what was left. And though he did find out what had gone wrong, and how to ensure the ritual succeeded...
It was not as a pleasant cost.
The ritual would work to grant the power exactly as it said, the priest explained. But in order for it work, a sacrifice must be made to the darkness itself to make that tie. And not just any sacrifice... it had to be someone very dear to the one who sought the power. With the prince as the only true choice, considering when the Light would come, that left only two choices... choices which, when Tiadrus caught wind of the ritual, he would not let them make. How could he possibly allow this, if it meant losing one of the two people he cared most for in this world?
It was Yubel who stood forward and refused his protection. Insisting that he would be able to live with Anastasios alone -- and that Anastasios must be the one to stay because of his strength -- she pleaded with Tiadrus to think of his people, his kingdom. A king must put the needs of others before their own, just as his parents did, and this was no different. Over and over, she reminded of this, begged him to reconsider, and it was only as Tiadrus neared recovery that he finally caved to her wishes.
The moment he was healthy enough for the ritual, the two were whisked off to a spare room. Anastasios was sent on a special training mission both to prepare him and get him out of the way; the poor boy didn't need to see this, after all. Given one last chance to speak, Tiadrus broke down crying on Yubel, soothed only once Yubel promised she would stay with him in some way -- a promise which she would keep, though she had no idea how.
The ritual was as agonizing as before, drawing out screams from the king, but this time, it was clear power was flowing into him instead of out of him. Yubel needed no help, stepping into the circle of her own will once it came time... and both her body and soul were ripped to shreds before Tiadrus' eyes, devoured by the darkness and destroyed completely.
Or at least, almost completely. Brimming with Yubel's love for her king and her desire to protect him, two tiny shards of her soul lingered in the darkness, flowing into Tiadrus' soul and binding there, though none were aware of it. Tiadrus himself was exhausted, trembling and shaking, and was quickly tucked into his bed back in the palace.
But a problem quickly became apparent. Though his soul had been tied perfectly, the surge of power was too much for him to actually control, and it often went out of control, destroying things nearby and wounding those who stayed near. To further complicate matters, a deep fever had set in as his body tried to adjust, leaving him not only dangerous, but dependent. As the weeks passed, fewer and fewer servants came to his side, leaving Tiadrus to his fate.
This action infuriated Anastasios, who often chewed out the servants and took the care of Tiadrus' health all on himself. While straining enough on its own, especially when Tiadrus accidentally hurt him, it soon became far more of a stress once Anastasios was given temporary control of the throne by the Queen -- the King had been murdered by a feral creature while wandering like a man possessed in the forests, and the Queen herself knew that her own sickness would claim her life soon. Not trusting anyone else with the position because of her son's state, she begged Anastasios to be strong enough for all of them, and to tell her son that she was sorry she couldn't spare him this pain.
With both the kingdom to run and Tiadrus to tend, Anastasios was run ragged, becoming tense, stressed, and often snappish to anyone but the king himself. Though he tried to keep up a strong front in front of Tiadrus, the boy saw what had happened too easily, and the hatred of the ungrateful people began to stew in both of them. Yubel had given her life for them... Tiadrus was suffering through agony so that he could protect them... how could they be acting like this? How could they discard their king so easily?
It was hatred that festered, twisting in the king's heart and increased one day when his guard simply collapsed on his bed. It was that night that Tiadrus confessed his love to his precious friend, two years after he was bedridden, and promised to forever take care of him, no matter what the world threw at them. Anastasios, in return, swore that he would never leave his king's side, also no matter what the world threw at them.
Two weeks later, Tiadrus stood from his bed, organizing the coronation to be hosted immediately and taking that burden off of Anastasios. But his time while weak and bedridden had poisoned his heart, and Tiadrus very quickly became a tyrant, oppressing those who he deemed unworthy and crushing rebellion and discussion under his heel equally viciously. The once peaceful kingdom turned into one of fear and obedience instead, headed by a king apathetic to their suffering. For Tiadrus, only one person's comfort mattered, and that was the guard that doted on him and his every need.
Which is why, one night, he made a decision. Unwilling to let Anastasios go, Tiadrus used a mild version of the same ritual used on him to tie Anastasios' soul to his own. The benefit to this was a connection to darkness -- though he would never be as powerful as Tiadrus, Anastasios could now very easily tap into and harness darkness, adding it to his already powerful body and skills. But that benefit was not Tiadrus' reason for doing it. Tied together like this, their souls would forever be attracted to one another, and even if one were to die, their reincarnation would find themselves drawn back to the one who survived.
Knowing this, Anastasios took it one step further, kneeling before his king and swearing that it would be him who would make the journey, each and every time; no matter who died, or how often, he would come in search of Tiadrus, and all that his king needed to do was wait patiently. With oath and ritual, the two became tied permanently, and Tiadrus' heart was soothed...
Though not enough to show mercy. As time went on and the Light of Destruction came closer, the king instead turned to the darkness and the creatures who lived there for preparation. Demons and monsters unheard of even in his world answered his call, coming to pledge their allegiance to him -- some willingly, some only after he had proven his strength. Some even came to make a secret attempt to usurp the king or take his soul... but all of them were doomed to fail. Made cruel by his own hatred and Tiadrus', Anastasios had become like a demon himself, gaining the nickname of the King's Feral Guard Dog, and his suspicion and lack of empathy ensured that all of those who would so much as insult his precious king soon found out just how poisonous those fangs of his were.
Throughout this time as well, the shards of Yubel began to develop, becoming two spirit beasts tied to Tiadrus' very soul. Her affection and desires instilled in them loyalty, and they began to do everything in their power to assist their king and his guard.
When the Light of Destruction came, Tiadrus did not ride out to meet it. He let it come, seep along the edges of his kingdom, tear and ruin those at the furthest reaches. Why ride out to face an enemy so far? Especially for people who had rejected him? He would risk no such thing... and so he waited, waited until the light had come close to his front door...
And then he fought. Anastasios, Tiadrus, his demons, and his two spirit beasts fought fiercely and violently. The soldiers that stayed went down first. The demons were next. Even Tiadrus' two spirit beasts were forced back... but it was when Anastasios was brought down that his full fury was unleashed. The result was that the Light of Destruction was obliterated, driven back... but his kingdom was left in nothing but ruins.
Not that Tiadrus cared. Crying, he cradled his precious guard in his arms, begging to not be left alone. He tried desperately to call his powers to him, to heal, but the fight had left him completely drained. Even so, even in agony, Anastasios thought only of his king, reminding him of that promise -- that when he was reborn he would come find him again, and again, however many times it took.
In the ruins of the battlefield and among the bodies of the dead, the fierce "Guard Dog" of the Spacian Kingdom died of his wounds, leaving the king to wail like a lonely child in the crushing silence. Even once he was too exhausted to cry any more, Tiadrus didn't move from his spot, cradling his guard's body until exposure and deprivation finally claimed his own life as well. Tiadrus' anger faded as he lay there, curled up against the cold body of his beloved, with his last breath sending out his wish into the world.
"Please... let us be reborn together... in a world where we can live in peace...!"
➤ Childhood
Millennia later, Tiadrus' wish was granted, and both he and Anast's souls were reborn into a completely different world -- himself as a Japanese boy named Yuki Judai, and Anastasios as a Norwegian boy named Johan Andersen.
Judai's childhood was a very lonely one. With his parents almost constantly busy, he was often left to care for himself, with only paid or concerned people dropping in occasionally to ensure he was living well. While this was a lonely existence, the loneliness wasn't the worst of it -- because his soul was tied forever to darkness, even in this new universe, the power began to go wild again from Judai's lack of control. Rather than lash outwards, however, it instead lashed inwards, often leaving the boy with vicious attacks of agony and making it difficult for him to breathe.
These attacks meant that any time not spent alone at home was instead spent in hospitals around the world, doctors of all kinds trying to figure out some cure to his problems and failing like the ones before them. The pattern of suffering continued for far too long, leaving Judai as an even lonelier child -- how could one make friends if he was always sitting in a bed, watching adults talk?
But one day, near Judai's seventh birthday, a miracle happened. Put in a room with a terminally ill teenager named Isao, the two became close friends, bonding over Isao's games. Isao himself did what he could to soothe Judai's fits, but it was his wish to help that drew out the spirit beasts of the boy's soul once more, having now taken the forms of Burst Lady and Featherman from the cards Judai so loved. It was they who explained the ritual of so long ago to Isao... and explained that it could be used again, not just to strengthen Judai's powers, but to seal them. Though the seal would fade when he was in his late teenage years, by that point he would be old enough that he could control them, and they would cause him no suffering.
Knowing his own fate, Isao agreed... and when Judai awoke the next morning, it was to find his friend quietly tucked into his bed, a smile on his face and his body cold. Though the next few days are blurred even beyond childhood memories, what Judai remembers most is the note left behind, with Isao begging him to live happily and granting him all the games they played together.
Holding that note close to his heart, and with the pain and episodes now gone, Judai became a much more outgoing, friendly boy, reaching out to everyone he could find and trying to make as many friends as possible.
➤ Year 1
This continued even after his acceptance into Duel Academia; accepted into Osiris Red, though he became close friends with two boys named Marufuji Sho and Maeda Hayato. Despite his poor performance in classes -- often failing papers or falling asleep during lectures -- Judai's natural talent for dueling always shined through, and he quickly rose up to be undefeated, leading to a "rival" in Manjome Jun and making him a target for one of the Obelisk Blue teachers known as Cronos de Medici.
Unfortunately, Cronos' crusade ending up unleashing something that had meant to stay dormant for a few more years. During a duel with a sham artist named Titan, the vengeful spirits in their arena of choice brought about a real Dark Game between the two of them. Seeped in his now-natural element, the seal on Judai's powers came undone, leading him to become hostile and aggressive throughout the entire duel, increasing more and more the longer it went on. From simple protectiveness at the start to outright mocking him at the end -- and eventually, it was Judai who cast him into the darkness before the combined might of Winged Kuriboh, Burst Lady, and Featherman manage to disperse the duel, leaving an unconscious and very much confused Judai to be found by his friends.
From his loss against Sho's brother, to the Dark Game with Jinzo further drawing out that power of his, to accidentally becoming Tenjoin Asuka's fiance, to dueling a copy-cat using Yugi's deck, Judai's powers only surfaced briefly, but intensely, during points in duels, though never to the degree it's fully noticed -- mostly only ever showing up as conversations with his monsters as if they can understand him.
This "Tyrant King Form" of his (known most often as Haou Judai) finally resurfaced against the duel with Manjome as representatives. Though harsh and intense at first, the call of his friends managed to bring Judai back down to himself. Even so, that rush of magic had already taken effect, awakening Manjome to the innate (if weak) magical talent of his and allowing him to hear the voice of his spirit partner, the Light and Darkness Dragon settled neatly in his deck. Though Manjome lost again, Judai defended him fiercely from insults, and Manjome ended up deciding to stay at Duel Academia.
➤ Year 2
While he's all too happy to return to Duel Academia, what Judai didn't expect for the most important even of his life to happen. Even before he was properly introduced in the opening ceremony, Judai was surprised by a boy of his aged named Johan Andersen. He and Johan had a surprising amount in common, it seemed, and not just their ability to speak with and see Duel Spirits -- despite their differences in level, with Johan being in Obelisk Blue, it was barely days before the two became an inseparable pair, almost always seen close to one another.
Something that came to be very necessary a few weeks after the start of the school. One morning, the sky had torn itself open, the entire island shaking as a magical seal was placed around it, dragging it into a place between dimensions. Now sealed off from any help, creatures calling themselves demons -- using decks of their own and bearing no resemblance to Duel Monsters -- begin to storm the school, challenging and severely wounding students as they look for the two they came for.
It's as Judai and Johan engage the demons to protect their friends that part of the dark truth is revealed -- rather than fight them, the demons instead bowed before them, referring to Judai as King Tiadrus and Johan as Sir Anastasios. When questioned, they further explained that Judai's and Johan's original lives came from a completely different dimension, and that under Tiadrus' last will, they had come to retrieve them.
The natural refusal ended up causing a brief "war" between the students and the demons, getting some of them killed, others badly hurt, and trashing parts of the buildings. As the damage rolled higher, Johan slipped away from everyone else, going out to engage the leader alone to save them all at the cost of his own life. This sacrifice replaced the school in their proper dimension, but a demon appeared to dig the knife in Judai's heart, causing the boy to leap through the port after him just as he wanted. What he didn't expect was for Judai's friends to follow him, leaving them all temporarily stranded in the Spacian Kingdom.
But the demons still knew how to use this. Kiting Judai and his friends around, they put them all through more and more trials and suffering, triggering Judai's dark half over and over to try and force it to take, or for at least his memories to resurface so they could have their king back. Though Judai showed no sign of fully regaining his old self -- only becoming more and more aggressive -- their plan did work, in a way. The darkness triggered in him sent ripples all throughout itself...
...and came to rest in Johan. Trapped and caged, kept out of the way so he would be safe but that his absence could be used against Judai, he began to suffer fuzzy, almost feverish dreams of a man him yet not him. Though what came up was in pieces, those pieces themselves were clear -- the use of darkness and magic, the martial arts he knew, the skill he had... and above it all, a desire, deep and ancient, to protect the one person that matter.
The last dream that Johan had came through clearly. A voice, loud, yelling at him, urging him on. "Judai is trouble! He needs you! Go! GO! GO GO GO GO! SAVE HIM!" With that voice came instinct, the memories of darkness surging in his mind as he all but shattered the cage, then tore his way through the demons between him and the exit. By the time he was free again, the haze that had seized him was gone, but his own darkness had been fully reawakened.
Johan's own dark side had awoken, the "Feral Guard Dog" form of his (called Hellbeast Johan) ready to run across the entire world if that's what it took.
In the end, it was close. Judai had been almost consumed by the hatred, fear, and anger rising in him not just from Johan's absence, but from the memories and feelings that the world kept stirring in him, and nothing his friends could do could break him out of it. Especially not since the duel he had been dragged into was against the demon lord himself, someone who knew just what points to hit to stir his anger. It was as Judai prepared for the final blow, readied Shining Flare Wingman to kill him, that Johan finally scrambled onto the scene, screaming out and managing to -- after some difficulty -- talk Judai back down to himself.
And while this was a relief for everyone to see... the exhaustion from running his powers at full tilt left Judai unconscious, allowing the demon lord to claim victory in the duel. His victory meant that he would keep them, he claimed, but feeling cocky, he offered to duel all the rest of them for Judai's and Johan's freedom, something which everyone accepted.
While the duel was brutal, everyone falling out one by one, it was Sho who landed the final hit, defeating the shocked demon lord. Though he tried to hinge back on his deal, the darkness around them -- responding to the barely-conscious Judai's thoughts -- turned on him, forcing him to open the portal. Though it was only open briefly, it allowed everyone to get back through to Academia safe and sound, where they were met with a warm welcome and some much needed care for all of them.
In mind of what happened, at the end of the year, Judai opted to go home with Johan, promising to see everyone again once they returned.
➤ Year 3
Used to living with Johan by now, Judai actually left Academia during all its breaks (rather than staying) to go back to Norway and live with his partner for those times. While this often involved him coming back sniffling, sometimes with a cold, it was the worst after winter break. Judai actually returned days late, because he had ended up with hypothermia and seriously ill after a playing session with Johan outside ended up with him buried in an entire pine's worth of snow.
Judai: Dark Pendant
Johan: Dark Tiara
Sho: ?
Rosemary: Dark Choker
Jun: Dark Ring (literal ring, not Bakura-style)
Kaitou: Dark Bracelet
Jim: Dark Earring
Yuriko and Yumiko don't need a Dark Item, as they were born with the magic.
➤ 10,000 Years Before the Series
Long ago, there was a completely separate dimension where Judai's soul originated. The crowning jewel of this dimension was the Spacian Kingdom, a beautiful kingdom that swept across a huge amount of their world and ruled by benevolent kings. A dimension of darkness, the members of this world worshiped it and the moon more than the light, and many sometimes outright shunned that opposing element.
One generation, a small boy was born as the heir to this kingdom -- Judai's initial life, named Tiadrus. Friendly and kind, he became very popular very fast with those at the castle and those outside that he met, but his mother noticed quickly that he was a very lonely child. With no other children at the palace, he had no one even close to his own age to play with, something that the Queen decided she couldn't let stand.
Using her influence, she hit on two solutions for it. From a poor family far at the edge of their kingdom, she bought their daughter, a young girl named Yubel, for a price that brought them into abundance for a generation. From a family of one of the knights in the castle, she arranged for his son, named Anastasios, to be added to the royal family instead. The girl would be "given" as a servant -- the boy would be trained from the very moment he arrived to act as Tiadrus' guard.
But though they were different in status, Tiadrus took to both wonderfully, befriending them, and before long, the three were a family of their own right. Tiadrus was insistent on that part to frustration for some, in fact, and made sure to teach the other two all that he was being taught, even if he had to do it secretly.
As time went on, the three became closer and closer... but horrifying news came in as well. A hostile force had been detected by their scouts -- decades away, but so powerful that it could easily wipe out the kingdom. This "Light of Destruction" was not something they could possibly hope to deal with right now, and it sent the royal family into a panic. Anastasios' training increased significantly, as did Tiadrus' schooling; knights were sent far and wide to find some solution, while priests and sages alike were sent to dig through their books.
And, finally, an answer came.
An ancient book, nearly falling apart and recovered by one of the priests, gave a detailed explanation of a ritual to tie one's soul to darkness. Through this, the subject would, in a way, become darkness, their soul tied to the element, becoming the element, allowing a pure, if not entirely natural, font of that power. While the priest begged for more time to fully translate it, the royal family initially ignored him -- in a panic, they used Tiadrus as the subject and carrying out the ritual.
A mistake that very nearly cost the boy his life. In its unfinished state, the ritual tore at Tiadrus' very soul, and though it lasted only a few seconds before the circle was broken, it left him in agony, weak, and sick. His parents confined him to his bed for the time, leaving Yubel and Anast to tend to him as they spoke with the priest. Though frustrated, the priest was thankful for the time he now had, throwing his all into trying to translate what was left. And though he did find out what had gone wrong, and how to ensure the ritual succeeded...
It was not as a pleasant cost.
The ritual would work to grant the power exactly as it said, the priest explained. But in order for it work, a sacrifice must be made to the darkness itself to make that tie. And not just any sacrifice... it had to be someone very dear to the one who sought the power. With the prince as the only true choice, considering when the Light would come, that left only two choices... choices which, when Tiadrus caught wind of the ritual, he would not let them make. How could he possibly allow this, if it meant losing one of the two people he cared most for in this world?
It was Yubel who stood forward and refused his protection. Insisting that he would be able to live with Anastasios alone -- and that Anastasios must be the one to stay because of his strength -- she pleaded with Tiadrus to think of his people, his kingdom. A king must put the needs of others before their own, just as his parents did, and this was no different. Over and over, she reminded of this, begged him to reconsider, and it was only as Tiadrus neared recovery that he finally caved to her wishes.
The moment he was healthy enough for the ritual, the two were whisked off to a spare room. Anastasios was sent on a special training mission both to prepare him and get him out of the way; the poor boy didn't need to see this, after all. Given one last chance to speak, Tiadrus broke down crying on Yubel, soothed only once Yubel promised she would stay with him in some way -- a promise which she would keep, though she had no idea how.
The ritual was as agonizing as before, drawing out screams from the king, but this time, it was clear power was flowing into him instead of out of him. Yubel needed no help, stepping into the circle of her own will once it came time... and both her body and soul were ripped to shreds before Tiadrus' eyes, devoured by the darkness and destroyed completely.
Or at least, almost completely. Brimming with Yubel's love for her king and her desire to protect him, two tiny shards of her soul lingered in the darkness, flowing into Tiadrus' soul and binding there, though none were aware of it. Tiadrus himself was exhausted, trembling and shaking, and was quickly tucked into his bed back in the palace.
But a problem quickly became apparent. Though his soul had been tied perfectly, the surge of power was too much for him to actually control, and it often went out of control, destroying things nearby and wounding those who stayed near. To further complicate matters, a deep fever had set in as his body tried to adjust, leaving him not only dangerous, but dependent. As the weeks passed, fewer and fewer servants came to his side, leaving Tiadrus to his fate.
This action infuriated Anastasios, who often chewed out the servants and took the care of Tiadrus' health all on himself. While straining enough on its own, especially when Tiadrus accidentally hurt him, it soon became far more of a stress once Anastasios was given temporary control of the throne by the Queen -- the King had been murdered by a feral creature while wandering like a man possessed in the forests, and the Queen herself knew that her own sickness would claim her life soon. Not trusting anyone else with the position because of her son's state, she begged Anastasios to be strong enough for all of them, and to tell her son that she was sorry she couldn't spare him this pain.
With both the kingdom to run and Tiadrus to tend, Anastasios was run ragged, becoming tense, stressed, and often snappish to anyone but the king himself. Though he tried to keep up a strong front in front of Tiadrus, the boy saw what had happened too easily, and the hatred of the ungrateful people began to stew in both of them. Yubel had given her life for them... Tiadrus was suffering through agony so that he could protect them... how could they be acting like this? How could they discard their king so easily?
It was hatred that festered, twisting in the king's heart and increased one day when his guard simply collapsed on his bed. It was that night that Tiadrus confessed his love to his precious friend, two years after he was bedridden, and promised to forever take care of him, no matter what the world threw at them. Anastasios, in return, swore that he would never leave his king's side, also no matter what the world threw at them.
Two weeks later, Tiadrus stood from his bed, organizing the coronation to be hosted immediately and taking that burden off of Anastasios. But his time while weak and bedridden had poisoned his heart, and Tiadrus very quickly became a tyrant, oppressing those who he deemed unworthy and crushing rebellion and discussion under his heel equally viciously. The once peaceful kingdom turned into one of fear and obedience instead, headed by a king apathetic to their suffering. For Tiadrus, only one person's comfort mattered, and that was the guard that doted on him and his every need.
Which is why, one night, he made a decision. Unwilling to let Anastasios go, Tiadrus used a mild version of the same ritual used on him to tie Anastasios' soul to his own. The benefit to this was a connection to darkness -- though he would never be as powerful as Tiadrus, Anastasios could now very easily tap into and harness darkness, adding it to his already powerful body and skills. But that benefit was not Tiadrus' reason for doing it. Tied together like this, their souls would forever be attracted to one another, and even if one were to die, their reincarnation would find themselves drawn back to the one who survived.
Knowing this, Anastasios took it one step further, kneeling before his king and swearing that it would be him who would make the journey, each and every time; no matter who died, or how often, he would come in search of Tiadrus, and all that his king needed to do was wait patiently. With oath and ritual, the two became tied permanently, and Tiadrus' heart was soothed...
Though not enough to show mercy. As time went on and the Light of Destruction came closer, the king instead turned to the darkness and the creatures who lived there for preparation. Demons and monsters unheard of even in his world answered his call, coming to pledge their allegiance to him -- some willingly, some only after he had proven his strength. Some even came to make a secret attempt to usurp the king or take his soul... but all of them were doomed to fail. Made cruel by his own hatred and Tiadrus', Anastasios had become like a demon himself, gaining the nickname of the King's Feral Guard Dog, and his suspicion and lack of empathy ensured that all of those who would so much as insult his precious king soon found out just how poisonous those fangs of his were.
Throughout this time as well, the shards of Yubel began to develop, becoming two spirit beasts tied to Tiadrus' very soul. Her affection and desires instilled in them loyalty, and they began to do everything in their power to assist their king and his guard.
When the Light of Destruction came, Tiadrus did not ride out to meet it. He let it come, seep along the edges of his kingdom, tear and ruin those at the furthest reaches. Why ride out to face an enemy so far? Especially for people who had rejected him? He would risk no such thing... and so he waited, waited until the light had come close to his front door...
And then he fought. Anastasios, Tiadrus, his demons, and his two spirit beasts fought fiercely and violently. The soldiers that stayed went down first. The demons were next. Even Tiadrus' two spirit beasts were forced back... but it was when Anastasios was brought down that his full fury was unleashed. The result was that the Light of Destruction was obliterated, driven back... but his kingdom was left in nothing but ruins.
Not that Tiadrus cared. Crying, he cradled his precious guard in his arms, begging to not be left alone. He tried desperately to call his powers to him, to heal, but the fight had left him completely drained. Even so, even in agony, Anastasios thought only of his king, reminding him of that promise -- that when he was reborn he would come find him again, and again, however many times it took.
In the ruins of the battlefield and among the bodies of the dead, the fierce "Guard Dog" of the Spacian Kingdom died of his wounds, leaving the king to wail like a lonely child in the crushing silence. Even once he was too exhausted to cry any more, Tiadrus didn't move from his spot, cradling his guard's body until exposure and deprivation finally claimed his own life as well. Tiadrus' anger faded as he lay there, curled up against the cold body of his beloved, with his last breath sending out his wish into the world.
"Please... let us be reborn together... in a world where we can live in peace...!"
➤ Childhood
Millennia later, Tiadrus' wish was granted, and both he and Anast's souls were reborn into a completely different world -- himself as a Japanese boy named Yuki Judai, and Anastasios as a Norwegian boy named Johan Andersen.
Judai's childhood was a very lonely one. With his parents almost constantly busy, he was often left to care for himself, with only paid or concerned people dropping in occasionally to ensure he was living well. While this was a lonely existence, the loneliness wasn't the worst of it -- because his soul was tied forever to darkness, even in this new universe, the power began to go wild again from Judai's lack of control. Rather than lash outwards, however, it instead lashed inwards, often leaving the boy with vicious attacks of agony and making it difficult for him to breathe.
These attacks meant that any time not spent alone at home was instead spent in hospitals around the world, doctors of all kinds trying to figure out some cure to his problems and failing like the ones before them. The pattern of suffering continued for far too long, leaving Judai as an even lonelier child -- how could one make friends if he was always sitting in a bed, watching adults talk?
But one day, near Judai's seventh birthday, a miracle happened. Put in a room with a terminally ill teenager named Isao, the two became close friends, bonding over Isao's games. Isao himself did what he could to soothe Judai's fits, but it was his wish to help that drew out the spirit beasts of the boy's soul once more, having now taken the forms of Burst Lady and Featherman from the cards Judai so loved. It was they who explained the ritual of so long ago to Isao... and explained that it could be used again, not just to strengthen Judai's powers, but to seal them. Though the seal would fade when he was in his late teenage years, by that point he would be old enough that he could control them, and they would cause him no suffering.
Knowing his own fate, Isao agreed... and when Judai awoke the next morning, it was to find his friend quietly tucked into his bed, a smile on his face and his body cold. Though the next few days are blurred even beyond childhood memories, what Judai remembers most is the note left behind, with Isao begging him to live happily and granting him all the games they played together.
Holding that note close to his heart, and with the pain and episodes now gone, Judai became a much more outgoing, friendly boy, reaching out to everyone he could find and trying to make as many friends as possible.
➤ Year 1
This continued even after his acceptance into Duel Academia; accepted into Osiris Red, though he became close friends with two boys named Marufuji Sho and Maeda Hayato. Despite his poor performance in classes -- often failing papers or falling asleep during lectures -- Judai's natural talent for dueling always shined through, and he quickly rose up to be undefeated, leading to a "rival" in Manjome Jun and making him a target for one of the Obelisk Blue teachers known as Cronos de Medici.
Unfortunately, Cronos' crusade ending up unleashing something that had meant to stay dormant for a few more years. During a duel with a sham artist named Titan, the vengeful spirits in their arena of choice brought about a real Dark Game between the two of them. Seeped in his now-natural element, the seal on Judai's powers came undone, leading him to become hostile and aggressive throughout the entire duel, increasing more and more the longer it went on. From simple protectiveness at the start to outright mocking him at the end -- and eventually, it was Judai who cast him into the darkness before the combined might of Winged Kuriboh, Burst Lady, and Featherman manage to disperse the duel, leaving an unconscious and very much confused Judai to be found by his friends.
From his loss against Sho's brother, to the Dark Game with Jinzo further drawing out that power of his, to accidentally becoming Tenjoin Asuka's fiance, to dueling a copy-cat using Yugi's deck, Judai's powers only surfaced briefly, but intensely, during points in duels, though never to the degree it's fully noticed -- mostly only ever showing up as conversations with his monsters as if they can understand him.
This "Tyrant King Form" of his (known most often as Haou Judai) finally resurfaced against the duel with Manjome as representatives. Though harsh and intense at first, the call of his friends managed to bring Judai back down to himself. Even so, that rush of magic had already taken effect, awakening Manjome to the innate (if weak) magical talent of his and allowing him to hear the voice of his spirit partner, the Light and Darkness Dragon settled neatly in his deck. Though Manjome lost again, Judai defended him fiercely from insults, and Manjome ended up deciding to stay at Duel Academia.
➤ Year 2
While he's all too happy to return to Duel Academia, what Judai didn't expect for the most important even of his life to happen. Even before he was properly introduced in the opening ceremony, Judai was surprised by a boy of his aged named Johan Andersen. He and Johan had a surprising amount in common, it seemed, and not just their ability to speak with and see Duel Spirits -- despite their differences in level, with Johan being in Obelisk Blue, it was barely days before the two became an inseparable pair, almost always seen close to one another.
Something that came to be very necessary a few weeks after the start of the school. One morning, the sky had torn itself open, the entire island shaking as a magical seal was placed around it, dragging it into a place between dimensions. Now sealed off from any help, creatures calling themselves demons -- using decks of their own and bearing no resemblance to Duel Monsters -- begin to storm the school, challenging and severely wounding students as they look for the two they came for.
It's as Judai and Johan engage the demons to protect their friends that part of the dark truth is revealed -- rather than fight them, the demons instead bowed before them, referring to Judai as King Tiadrus and Johan as Sir Anastasios. When questioned, they further explained that Judai's and Johan's original lives came from a completely different dimension, and that under Tiadrus' last will, they had come to retrieve them.
The natural refusal ended up causing a brief "war" between the students and the demons, getting some of them killed, others badly hurt, and trashing parts of the buildings. As the damage rolled higher, Johan slipped away from everyone else, going out to engage the leader alone to save them all at the cost of his own life. This sacrifice replaced the school in their proper dimension, but a demon appeared to dig the knife in Judai's heart, causing the boy to leap through the port after him just as he wanted. What he didn't expect was for Judai's friends to follow him, leaving them all temporarily stranded in the Spacian Kingdom.
But the demons still knew how to use this. Kiting Judai and his friends around, they put them all through more and more trials and suffering, triggering Judai's dark half over and over to try and force it to take, or for at least his memories to resurface so they could have their king back. Though Judai showed no sign of fully regaining his old self -- only becoming more and more aggressive -- their plan did work, in a way. The darkness triggered in him sent ripples all throughout itself...
...and came to rest in Johan. Trapped and caged, kept out of the way so he would be safe but that his absence could be used against Judai, he began to suffer fuzzy, almost feverish dreams of a man him yet not him. Though what came up was in pieces, those pieces themselves were clear -- the use of darkness and magic, the martial arts he knew, the skill he had... and above it all, a desire, deep and ancient, to protect the one person that matter.
The last dream that Johan had came through clearly. A voice, loud, yelling at him, urging him on. "Judai is trouble! He needs you! Go! GO! GO GO GO GO! SAVE HIM!" With that voice came instinct, the memories of darkness surging in his mind as he all but shattered the cage, then tore his way through the demons between him and the exit. By the time he was free again, the haze that had seized him was gone, but his own darkness had been fully reawakened.
Johan's own dark side had awoken, the "Feral Guard Dog" form of his (called Hellbeast Johan) ready to run across the entire world if that's what it took.
In the end, it was close. Judai had been almost consumed by the hatred, fear, and anger rising in him not just from Johan's absence, but from the memories and feelings that the world kept stirring in him, and nothing his friends could do could break him out of it. Especially not since the duel he had been dragged into was against the demon lord himself, someone who knew just what points to hit to stir his anger. It was as Judai prepared for the final blow, readied Shining Flare Wingman to kill him, that Johan finally scrambled onto the scene, screaming out and managing to -- after some difficulty -- talk Judai back down to himself.
And while this was a relief for everyone to see... the exhaustion from running his powers at full tilt left Judai unconscious, allowing the demon lord to claim victory in the duel. His victory meant that he would keep them, he claimed, but feeling cocky, he offered to duel all the rest of them for Judai's and Johan's freedom, something which everyone accepted.
While the duel was brutal, everyone falling out one by one, it was Sho who landed the final hit, defeating the shocked demon lord. Though he tried to hinge back on his deal, the darkness around them -- responding to the barely-conscious Judai's thoughts -- turned on him, forcing him to open the portal. Though it was only open briefly, it allowed everyone to get back through to Academia safe and sound, where they were met with a warm welcome and some much needed care for all of them.
In mind of what happened, at the end of the year, Judai opted to go home with Johan, promising to see everyone again once they returned.
➤ Year 3
Used to living with Johan by now, Judai actually left Academia during all its breaks (rather than staying) to go back to Norway and live with his partner for those times. While this often involved him coming back sniffling, sometimes with a cold, it was the worst after winter break. Judai actually returned days late, because he had ended up with hypothermia and seriously ill after a playing session with Johan outside ended up with him buried in an entire pine's worth of snow.