The air shimmered with golden heat as Parker stepped forward, his Sun Tarot energy radiating warmth across the battlefield. Opposite him stood a grinning figure draped in a black-and-gold jester outfit, his eyes brimming with an unsettling joyful madness.
This Joker was different from the others. He wasn't chaotic. He wasn't cruel. He was… happy.
"Parker, my friend! Finally, someone who understands!" The Joker spread his arms wide. "We both embrace the light! We both know that change is inevitable! But why do you hesitate? Don't you see? To build something better… we must destroy what's weak!"
Parker narrowed his eyes. "That's not optimism. That's just an excuse to tear things down."
The Joker's grin widened. "Oh, but think about it! The sun rises, but before it does, the night must swallow everything. That's balance! We don't run from it, we embrace it!"
With a snap of his fingers, the sky twisted into swirling gold and black, and suddenly, flaming meteors rained down, each one destroying the ground but instantly rebuilding it in strange, unnatural ways. A mountain crumbled and became a tower. A river evaporated and turned into a road.
Parker barely dodged the first wave, feeling the searing heat pass by his face. He clenched his fists, his golden aura intensifying.
"You think destruction is necessary for growth?" Parker's voice was steady. "Then let me show you the real power of the sun!"
He lunged forward, his fists igniting with blazing energy, but the Joker matched his movements perfectly. Their blows clashed, sending shockwaves through the warped battlefield.
The fight was like a dance of fire and light.
Joker attacked with golden fire that shattered everything but instantly rebuilt it into something else.
Parker countered with bursts of pure sunlight, erasing Joker's flames before they could reshape the world.
Every time Parker landed a hit, the Joker only laughed, like he welcomed the pain because it meant "change."
Suddenly, the Joker teleported behind Parker and grabbed his shoulder, whispering into his ear:
"Deep down, you know I'm right. The weak must fall. The strong must rise. That's how progress works."
Parker froze for a moment. A brief doubt flickered in his mind. Was change always painful? Was it truly necessary to tear things down to rebuild?
Then, he remembered his friends. The Tarot Alliance. Ryuta. Yami. Alexia. Cain.
They didn't grow stronger by destroying each other.
They lifted each other up.
Parker gritted his teeth and roared, his Sun Tarot energy erupting like a solar flare.
"Light doesn't need destruction to shine!"
With a final, devastating punch to Joker's chest, Parker unleashed a blinding explosion of golden light, erasing the twisted flames and sending the Joker crashing into the ground.
The Joker chuckled weakly, his body beginning to fade into golden sparks.
"Maybe… you're the only sun that doesn't set."
With that, he vanished into the wind, leaving Parker standing tall, the light of his Sun Tarot still burning bright.
Parker exhaled and looked to the sky.
"That's right. And I'll keep shining, no matter what."
Parker exhaled, his golden aura flickering around him like the burning edge of the sun. The Dark Optimist Joker, still grinning despite his injuries, slowly stood up, his body surrounded by a dark yellow haze—a twisted version of Parker's own radiant energy.
"You're really something, Parker." The Joker chuckled, wiping his mouth. "But even the brightest light casts shadows. You can't change that."
Parker tightened his grip. "Maybe. But I can choose what kind of light I want to be."
He stretched his hand forward, and a sword began to take shape—small, but glowing with pure, golden energy. The Sunlight Blade hummed with power, illuminating the battlefield.
Joker's grin faltered. "Oh? You're serious now?"
Parker dashed forward, his sword slicing through the lingering darkness with every step.
"Time for you to disappear!"
With a swift, precise slash, Parker cut through the Dark Optimist Joker, splitting his form in two. A burst of dark yellow aura erupted, twisting into the air like smoke before vanishing completely.
The Joker smirked one last time before fading. "Even if I'm gone… the shadows will always be there."
Parker stood still, his Sunlight Blade dissolving into golden particles. He let out a slow breath, then looked ahead.
"Maybe… but I'll keep shining anyway."