Patreon LogoYour support makes Blue Moon possible (Patreon)

Yu-gi-oh 5Ds: Rise of Darkness and Corruption (Athene/ImaginaryMuse & Razgriz)

If she had explained exactly what happened, then Jack wasn't remembering that part. Only that she wasn't born this way, but made; that alone was enough to disgust him. Little did he know what he was about to see would completely redefine the word 'inhumane'.

He felt the tension in his body rise as she shakily undid her blindfold; what could be so bad under there that she was having such a hard time showing him? Something that she had never let anyone else see? He would get his answer when the fabric fell by the wayside. And what he saw could only be described as horrendous.

There was nothing. Nothing at all where eyes should have been.

And while he didn't run away screaming, Jack was utterly frozen, not even a gasp leaving him as his breath caught in his throat. Not out of fear or shock...But out of disgust and revulsion. Who would do such a thing?! Why would they? No crime was ever an excuse to excise someone's eyes! Whoever did this, was far worse and immoral than anyone he had ever met.

"Fayth...." he would finally say after a few moments of silence, his voice trembling ever so noticeably, a hand coming to rest on her arm. "I...I'm sorry, I honestly had no idea....But....How? Who would do something like this? And to someone like you, no less?"
___________________________________________________________​

Bommer would keep up his pace, watching as she would summon the monster she had retrieved from her Graveyard not two turns ago. In truth, he was going to take a hit here. And while his face-down worked best with a monster on the field, if only to keep his Life Points safe, in a pinch it could work even with him taking a direct attack. And with how he had nothing else.

"Trap Card, Open! Fake Explosion Penta! When this card is activated, after damage calculation during battle, I can Special Summon this monster from my hand or Graveyard! Erupt, Summon Reactor AI!" And with that, a Level Five monster with 2000 ATK would materialize from the card, staring down Ling's monster.

Not one to waste time, Bommer would go into his own turn. "My turn! Draw! I activate my face-down, Tribal Solidarity! So long as there's one original Type of monster resting in the Graveyard, monsters I control of the same Type gain 800 Attack Points!" And with this, his Summon Reactor would jump to 2800 ATK. More than enough to put a dent in her life...But the presence of her own face-downs, along with the overall strategy of his deck, would halt his turn.

"For now I will end my turn!" he would say; if she were to summon anything, she would get a taste of his monster's ability.
 

While it wasn't unexpected, the silece was, without a doubt, slightly unnerving. Okay. Scratch that; not somewhat. More like very. Her head quickly turned, already having a fair guess that by now, it was too late to make Jack forget what he was looking at. Or not gazing at, depending on how technical a person wanted to be.

"I'm sorry ... I shouldn't have ... "

Her right hand quickly shot out, aiming to grab the cloth. At around the same time, Jack's own hand fell upon her arm. Her muscles tensed. Fayth had no idea what would happen.

The previous events from not so long ago, however, indicated simply making contact to try to reassure her hadn't been it.

After several moments of mentally reminding herself she was with Jack and not Mukuro, her own hand slowly moved away from the cloth, resting instead upon her lap.

"If I'm about to repeat anything we may have talked about back in my studio, sorry in advance. But the answers are included in this possible reminder. Back in the Pendulum Dimension, we're fighting a war with a group known as The Academia. Me and a couple other students from LDS, the dueling school over there, were fighting the Obelisk Task Force. Essentially, they're .... very similar to Sector, truthfully. Few morals, almost zero mercy seen in every member. And equally as corrupt. I was the only spared from being carded - which is exactly as it sounds. Being trapped in a card. So ... if you were put in the spot where your Red Daemon's Dragon is instead of the respective art that should be there."

Knowing this was going to be a lot to take in, she allowed Jack a minute or two to catch up. When she felt confident he wasn't lost in her talk, Fayth resumed.

"One of their elites - Sora Shiunin - decided to spare me. Use me as a ... stronger example to show the Academia could do more than simply card people away and keep them hostage. So .... "

She gestured shakily to herself, shrugging.

"He .... well ... yanked them out. All while several of the Obelisk Force members kept me held in place."

A weak chuckle passed her lips.

"I appreciate the 'someone like me' part, but honestly? I am a soldier - at least back home, I am. I .... well .... I did know there would be risks. Not to this extent, no. But I was ready to face consequences if they ever arrived. That being said, the real reason I came over was indeed to deliver a message. The leader of The Academia is trying to merge all of the other dimensions together. If they got in close enough proximity ... he could effectively send any number of the Obelisk Task Force or his elites to here and every other dimension. At the same time."

If their last talk hadn't made sense or seemed real enough ... hopefully this was changing his point of view.

"And if I had to be brutally sincere? I'd be terrified - not just of the possibility. More than that ... of the Obelisk Task Force aligning with Sector or any other factions I've yet to hear about within this realm. The combined power would be .... devastating."

And that was probably too generous of a word to use.
___________________________________________________________
​
Hmm ....

He still wasn't attacking. Granted, it made perfect sense. She had sets. But Aki had possessed some also .... hadn't she?

Then again, he also had the monsters keeping her traps and spells sealed.

Nodding to herself, Ling drew her next card. Good. Even with Solidarity having been recently activated, she could work with the cards still in her hand, and on her field.

"I'll tribute Luster Dragon for Strong Wind Dragon! Since a Dragon was used as a tribute, Strong Wind gains half of the attack of the tributed monster."

Which thus made it jump from the normal 2400 to well over 3000 attack.

Ling would accept the damage from its summoning. When she ordered it to move forward and attack, however ....

"Trap Card, Open! Divine Wrath! I'll discard open card from my hand to negate and destroy your Summon Reactor - SK."

Which, therefore, left Bommer wide open, forcing him to take the full blow. He was dangerously low - barely above 1000 life. Granted, his own effects had made Ling's own life plummet below the 4000 mark. But her moves made it clear she was still not done fighting, nor were her dragons.

"Turn end!"
 
As Fayth would go into her explanation, Jack was starting to recall some of what she had said. Except this 'carding' thing was new; they could actually trap people in playing cards? Why would they do that...But he supposed that She had mentioned the group 'Academia' before; were they something like Goodwin's Iliaster? Working from behind the scenes towards some strange and utilitarian goal? It certainly seemed to be the case, especially if they would go so far as to rip out her eyes.

He decided to save his questions until after she had finished speaking; it was likely he was going to have a few of them. More about what the place was like, and what they hoped to gain out of invading all these 'other dimensions'. Something she seemed to stress about the severity of if they managed to succeed with their plans.

Only when her talking finished did he speak up, "Fayth...I honestly don't know what to say. But...Let me clarify that I do believe what you're saying. Even so...Why would they attack here? What do we have that they could possibly want? If it's like you said, they have more advanced Summoning methods, more people clearly."

Was this what that Reiji character was also trying to explain to him? "I suppose that's my biggest concern: If they do attack....Who exactly are they?"
​

___________________________________________________________​

Bommer watched on as Ling would release her monster to Advance Summon a much stronger beast. Strong Wind Dragon, huh? What an interesting deck she has...And thankfully, she was being rather gracious. They had both taken a significant chuck out of each other's Life; it was truly a fine duel. However...She would find his resolve starting to crack; the fact was that if he didn't win this, his younger siblings would suffer.

And when it tried to attack, he would declare, "I use Summon Reactor's effect! Once per turn, I can negate an attack by an opponent's monster!" But as his mechanized monstrosity tried to spin up its four rotors. Only to have a beam of light shatter it, her Trap rendering his monster ineffective. And when she would attack, he cried out as her monster buffeted him with hurricane-force gusts of wind. His Runner, despite its size, nearly peeled off the track.

"AND WHAT A STRONG ATTACK! BOMMER IS BARELY HOLDING ON! AND LEARNING IS DOWN TO LESS THAN HALF! WHAT A DUEL, WHAT A DUEL!" MC announced, Bommer's mouth twitching as he declared "My turn! Draw!" And what he saw made his eyes light up, "I activate the Magic Card, Resurrection of the Dead! I target the Red Daemon's Dragon in your Graveyard and Special Summon it to my field!"

And just like that, her Synchro Monster was staring at her from his side of the field...But when he looked, he saw that Strong Wind's effect wasn't gone. It was still at 3350 ATK...He had thought it would only last until the end of the turn, but it was clear that he was sorely mistaken.

His mouth tightened even further, realizing he had just cost himself the Duel. "Damn it...Not like this! Goodwin! Even if it costs me this Duel, I will make you pay for what you've done!" It was here that he then pushed a button on his Runner, the second set of wheels on his back axles falling away to reveal massive chariot scythes rotating rather rapidly.

"Ling...You've dueled well, but I cannot afford to lose here! I end my turn!" he bellowed, MC announcing "Whoa, whoa, hey now! No weaponizing Duel Runners! This is supposed to be a friendly competition!" The crowd seemed equally shocked, most of them holding their hands to their mouths in shock. Mukuro trying to ram Fayth was bad....But this was even worse!

"The hell happened!? Why is Bommer trying to turn Ling into Swiss cheese!?" Yamichi stood up, shouting his outrage; he had even started to run to his own machine when he felt Takeshi lock him. "Don't man! The guy's off his rocker!" The tech struggled, "Let go man! I'm not letting that asshole attack her like that!"

___________________________________________________________
​
Before Jack could get any more answers from her though, he heard the commotion outside; weaponized Runners? The hell was happening now? "Fayth, stay here." he would say, running out to check out what was going on. " Running outside, he would see that Bommer had activated some kind of hidden mechanism on his machine, blades now emerged from the wheels. "Damn it all...." Jack muttered; regardless of the risks, he would then run to get his own machine. Ling wasn't a Signer; this kind of foolishness was needless endangerment.

Ling would just need to hold on, and try to avoid the titanic death machine as long as possible until help would arrive.
 

A soft sigh passed Fayth's lips when she heard Jack was at least believing her words. Not knowing what to think about everything she'd finished relaying was more than fair enough. In all honesty, even she didn't know every single thing. So when he thus gave his inquiries, she had to think about the answer.

"Hmm .... it's hard to explain them. The best way would be to show them. I have --- "

Before she could finish her explanation, however, her head turned. Even she could hear something outside. Concern immediately flooded her. Was Ling okay? Fayth's head turned to Jack, eyebrows shiftig until they rested in a way that revealed she was worried. Her mouth opened to ask if she should accompany him.

.... Probably not. It likely was for the best she stayed here. While Fayth was feeling better, she was still upset about the Mukuro incident.

Besides, on the off-chance said bastard had come back somehow, it'd be smarter for her to stay here.

"Sure. I'll wait. I can finish telling you everything when you return. Careful, Jack."

While he headed out, Fayth reached down and grabbed back onto the blindfold. She wasn't counting on anyone else to enter. Those types of moments were always the ones where surprises were least expected, and Fayth had already been caught off-guard once. She didn't intend to repeat that mistake again.
___________________________________________________________
​
Ling's head tilted slightly. At first, Bommer was murmuring. Was he that frustrated? Well ... it wasn't that she couldn' blame him.

Still, what did he expect? Bommer knew she wasn't a novice.

"My -- HUH?! HEY!"

Ling slammed roughly on her accelerator, aiming to get as far ahead of Bommer as possible.

"W-WAIT A SEC! BOMMER-SAN! CAN'T WE TALK THIS OVER?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

According to her rear view mirror, the answer was no. The last thing he wished to do was negotiate. That made Ling grimace. Her focus remained on the road ahead of her as she gripped onto her lower lip.

"Fine then .... draw!"

Good. So long as he hadn't drawn another version of Mirror Force, she could win. Surely, he'd stop when the duel came to a halt. Right?

Well ... in case not, she prepared to keep driving around the course.

"I'll summon Alexandrite Dragon! Strong Wind Dragon will attack Red Daemon's Dragon!"

So far, so good. No traps or spells were activated.

"And now, Alexandrite Dragon! Direct attack!"

Now it was Ling's turn to hear the tell-tale beep. Instincts kicked in as the Asian simply kept driving. Between the 'fight or flight' mindset, she was favoring 'flight'. Especially now that the fray she expected to be a part of was done. Whatever was going on with Bommer ... she hadn't intended to upset him. Worse off, something told her this wasn't even her doing.

Which made him all the more dangerous at this moment.

"OI! LOOK, WHATEVER'S GOING ON, I CAN SAFELY SAY, I'M NOT THE ONE YOU'RE MAD AT! I WON THIS FAIR AND SQUARE SO ... PUT THOSE AWAY! PLEASE!"
 
Last edited:

"Folks, I have no idea what's going on! But it seems Bommer has a bone to pick with the Dragon Empress, despite having lost the Duel!" MC announced, the crowd panicking more than a little as the man became increasingly enraged. But it was starting to become less evident that his anger was directed at her, save for the initial outburst; with how he was gaining speed though, it would seem like he was more than willing to run her over.

"GOODWIN! I KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE! YOU'VE COST ME EVERYTHING! I FOUGHT FOR YOU, AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?! WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THEM NOW?!" Bommer roared, the words more than evident even with the ear-shattering noise of his engine. Closer and closer he would to get to the Asian beauty's wheels, attempting to both get around her and shred her ride...And whatever else those blades could possibly touch.

"BOMMER!" Another voice would then yell, none other than Jack Atlas himself now out on the track on his own Duel Runner. And after a few bumps on Bommer's back axle, the dark-skinned male would slam on the brake, Jack barely able to move out of the way. "ATLAS! ALWAYS GOODWIN'S LITTLE PUPPET! ARE YOU GOING TO STOP ME TOO?!" "No! But this has to! I don't know what you think Goodwin did, but there has to be a better way!" "THERE IS NO BETTER WAY, YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT HIS ATROCITIES! JUST WATCH! I'LL EXPOSE EVERYTHING HE'S DONE!"

"What's this?! The King has come out to try and stop Bommer, folks! But how will the Wheel of Fortune stand up to this man's monstrosity of a machine?!" MC continued, Jack shouting to Ling, "Pull off in the middle, his attention's on me!" And sure enough when she would, the madman would be chasing him, leaving her free and clear. Jack trying to hold his attention long enough until Sector would get their own Runners and hopefully try to decommission Bommer's own.

"Ling! Ling! My god, are you alright?!" Yamichi yelled, running up to check on her once she was able to disembark, embracing her strongly once he found that she was physically okay. "Ling, shit...I'm really sorry that happened...But on the bright side, you won!" he would then add, hoping to try and alleviate any tension. Himself joined by a multitude of the others. "What the absolute hell? First Mukuro, now this guy? No one does background checks on the people in these tournaments?" Takeshi asked incredulously, Shimoda speaking up, "I hardly would even expect someone to have something like that in their Runner...Even so, you're right. Whoever inspected his ride dropped the ball."

And with Jack still managing to outpace Bommer, two armored Sector Runners would soon join the fray, tailing close behind the larger man. Each passenger on the bikes wielding what appeared to be a portable spikestrip launcher, clearly intent on blowing out the man's tires to prevent him going anywhere. However, their plan came up short when Bommer would slam on the brakes once more, forcing the officers to scatter and pull away, the one on the left nearly wiping out from the sudden evasion and the other actually sliding on the grassy middle before Bommer would throw his beastly machine into overdrive. Seeing his opportunity, one of the ramped walls having just the right curvature to catapult him into the box room, he would jerk his Runner hard left before starting to drift to the right.

Jack had seen this though, and after spinning half-circle would accelerate right at Bommer. "ATLAS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU MADMAN?!" MC shouted, Jack doing probably the most reckless he'd done as of recently: Reaching near red-line, he then laid down his Runner, the metal screeching before it would collide with Bommer's Runner, casting both men off their vehicles and landing hard on the ground. The massive machine spinning out before finally flipping; and as luck would have it, the impact on the back wheel shattered one of the spikes. Sending it careening right at Goodwin's office.

Yeager and Akutsu were quick to duck, fearing the worst; Goodwin however, would react with impressive reflexes and actually catch the spike with his hand after it shattered the viewing window...The sheer momentum tearing his glove and suit arm to partially reveal what appeared to be a prosthetic limb. Though with the angle, it was difficult for anyone at a distance to discern what it could be. "E-eh?! Director! Director, are you alright?!" MC would ask, the crowd shocked that their leader had just caught what was surely a lethal projectile as if it were nothing. "I'm fine...Trust me, I'm fine." Goodwin would reply, hiding his arm behind his back after tossing the spike aside, before excusing himself to go see to Ling; poor girl must be traumatized.

"Ling, was it?" Goodwin's voice would then come over more clearly as he would approach her from behind, stating "I sincerely apologize for the scare. Guards, if you would please escort that man out of the arena...And get his runner off the field as well." The crowd was still in a bit of a tizzy after everything that had happened, Goodwin then raising a hand, "People, people...I realize that these unexpected developments were a shock...As such, I'm instituting a half-hour recess from the tournament while we do a thorough check on the other contestants before resuming."

Jack meanwhile, had pushed himself up with a groan; his clothes were badly torn and he had more than a few deep scrapes on his left side and back. He would see Bommer being forcibly restrained, his burly arms locked behind his back as four officers struggled to get him in control. "Atlas...Don't think this is over! Goodwin is a traitor! A murderer! My whole family died because of him!" Bommer shouted, the guards yelling at him to shut up and move it...Soon the man taken off the field.

"Jack!" the blonde would then hear, turning to see his old friend riding up on his own set of wheels. "You alright?" Yusei would ask, Jack nodding "Going to probably need some serious bandage work, but I've suffered worse." Yusei's eyes narrowed, "That was incredibly stupid what you just did; you could have gotten killed." Jack gave a low 'Hmph', "I knew what I was doing; Ling was a clear target of his outrage, and as the Duel King it's my responsibility we don't have any casualties in this tournament. I'll not have this arena of skill tarnished by the likes of Bommer and Mukuro."
 
Last edited:

Fayth's feet tapped rapidly against the mattress. Even with the distance, she could hear enough to discern whatever was going on outside wasn't good. Her eyebrows narrowed as she finally elicited a frustrated sigh. In the end, it came down to heeding Jack's advice and waiting for him to return. Even if she could put together whatever was going on, it wouldn't be something she could solve. Not likely, anyway.

.... Maybe she should give Yuna a call. Sure, her abilities were sealed. But they weren't erased or gone, nothing like that.

Which was why it'd simply start out as a talk. Getting information first and foremost. Though with her envy taunting her more and more, it was feeling like regardless of any warnings Fayth was expecting to hear, those may very well go ignored.

Her head shook before finally Fayth's gaze rested towards the flap of the tent.

Damn well better come back safely ...

Funny how life worked. If she had spoken with her month-ago self, she'd be laughed at for thinking such a thing, especially about Jack of people. But right now, even in her very chaotic mind, Fayth knew one thing for certain. She definitely did not want to be alone.
___________________________________________________________
​
Oh god! You really never forge your firsts, huh?

It wasn't like she'd used up too much gas, thankfully. But if this kept up? Then Bommer would be able to easily catch up. And for what felt like forever, it seemed as if that were the case. Her heart pounded as she glanced somewhat reluctantly up in her rear view mirror every now and again. Still behind her. Still pursuing her.

... But now, he was attempting to explain himself. And just as he thought, it wasn't her whom Bommer was infuriated with. The engines made it a bit hard to hear every word. But there was one - a name, in fact - that stood out.

"GOODWIN!"

... While it was true that even Ling openly admitted to Yamichi she had never been fond of the man, was it possible for him to do something to another person that led to circumstances as dire as what she was trying to survive?

"S-SEE?! BOMMER, PLEASE STOP! I'M DEFINITELY NOT GOODWIN! HURTING ME WILL ONLY MAKE WHATEVER'S GOING ON BETWEEN YOU TWO WORSE, NOT BETTER!"

Still nothing, which resulted in a fearful whimper. Nothing. No words were getting through to him. Trying to negotiate was about as wise as going toe-to-toe against a literal berserker.

Let him run out of fuel first. Something. Please .... this isn't quite how I wanted to make history, let alone with my first turbo duel ....

Ling shuddered, suddenly fearing and half-expecting that somewhere, her parents were watching this. Would it be more merciful to let Bommer get what he wanted or not?

Before Ling could decide, she caught sight of a new voice. A quick peek in the rear-view showed it was .... really now? Jack actually came personally onto the track? That was ... a tad unexpected. But certainly not something she'd complain about. Offering a quick nod, she gave a wave to reassure him she heard his advice and pulled hastily into the middle. Within a few more minutes, Ling was able to safely get off the track and away from Bommer's immediate reach.

"I .... yeah. I'm just .... "

Her hands rose, shakily wrapping around Yamichi as she trembled against him.

"What happened?" she whispered softly, still very confused and horrified at nearly getting sliced to death. Or at least wounded to a degree which would have required her to be hospitalized. Though her head rested upon Yamichi's shoulder, it continued staring at the ongoing chase between Jack and Bommer. And even when it came to a rather abrupt - if not also violent - halt, her attention was still on the aftermath. It wouldn't be until another voice caught her attention that the Asian finally looked away - and found herself staring up at none other than Goodwin himself.

"Y-Yes sir, Ling is the name. I umm ... I appreciate the apology, though I doubt this was planned or anything .... "

Now that she was mere inches away from the Director, she could better feel her guess about him being shady was certainly accurate. It was whether he would sink so low to piss another man off and have him take his wrath off on a completely innocent person that baffled her.

Either way, she wanted to be away from Goodwin - preferably as soon as humanly possible. For now, there was a saving grace; he was being civil with her, if nothing else. Certainly an appreciated gesture, even if it may be fake.

"Atlas...Don't think this is over! Goodwin is a traitor! A murderer! My whole family died because of him!"

The words may not have been directed at her .... but now that engines weren't loudly revving, she certainly took note of them. Ling couldn't help but sneak a sideways glance towards Rex. Murder definitely made sense as far as what could have triggered Bommer's reactions. But was he being honest? He seemed desperate enough, if nothing else.

"I umm .... think the break will be needed. Thank you."

Keeping at last one arm draped over one of Yamichi's shoulders, Ling nodded towards where they had been sitting. Although if Ling had to be completely honest? Anywhere would suffice. Just as long as she could get ample distance from Goodwin and time to psychologically recover, he could lead her anywhere truthfully.
 
Yamichi would certainly appear a bit more defensive as Goodwin approached his girlfriend; much like Ling, he was getting nothing but bad juju from the guy. Even more so after Bommer's declaration. "Well, if you require anything young lady, just let me know...If you'll excuse me, I must see to Mr. Atlas; he took quite the tumble." the Director would say, leaving them alone. And once Rex was off on his way, Yamichi would hold Ling close and keep her company

With Jack's Runner heavily damaged from his reckless stunt trying to keep Bommer from going out of control, Yusei would be seen giving him a lift back to the medical tent. "Say what you will, Jack...But that was incredibly dumb what you just did. What were you thinking, driving your Runner into his like that?" Jack scoffed as he was led into the medical tent, "He'd nearly disabled two Sector vehicles and four officers trying to keep the audience and other contestants safe; I had to do something"

Of course, both men would have temporarily forgotten that Fayth was still in the tent itself. And able to quite clearly hear their short conversation. "Atlas, sir! Please sit!" the doctor would say, Jack taking off the torn coat from his shoulders to let him examine the wound. "Thankfully at least, the damage seems to be minor considering what you pulled. You'll have to wear a proper dressing for a few days, however, to make sure it heals properly." the medic would say, Jack grimacing a little, "Will I be able to ride once the Title Match comes up?"

The medic sighed, "Even if I told you no, you would still do it anyway. Thankfully, the injuries aren't so severe that you won't able to utililze your Runner's controls. At the same time though...I would stick to Ground Duels if you want to practice. Now then...Please hold still."

Of course, if Jack were to look up, he would see Yusei smiling. "And what are you finding so amusing?" he would ask, Yusei saying in a surprisingly level voice, "Nothing really. Just glad you're alright." Of course, he wanted to say it was amusing that Jack hadn't seem to have changed in the slightest; but then again, no one really knew that he was from the Satellite and it wasn't his place to bring that sort of thing up.

___________________________________________________________

​
And with Ling safely out of harm's way, Yamichi stayed close by; thankfully their match wasn't until the end of the rounds today, so he would be right by her side until it was his turn. "Man, who the hell's running Security here, huh?!" Takeshi huffed, more than a little annoyed that this was three instances now where assholes had to try and ruin a game meant to bring people together and have them compete for fun.

Shimoda shook his head, "It's ridiculous honestly; first that Mister E hacks the selector, now Mukuro and Bommer try to assault other duelists?" Yamichi would then interject, "Guys....No offense, but can we change the subject?" Both Shimoda and Takeshi would give sheepish grins, the former replying "Eh...Sorry. Just sucks is all; supposed to be fun and now all this is going to hell." Takeshi just added, "Yeah...But bright side is, all the bad apples got chucked. Which means it's only the premium picks now! Speaking of which...Where'd Yusei get off to? I know we got a break, but aren't you guys supposed to be next?"


___________________________________________________________

​
Moments later, Goodwin would appear in the medical tent. "Sir!" the doctor would say, standing up straight. "Pardon me, my good man...But could you leave us with some privacy for a moment?" And once he was gone, Rex would continue "Jack...Must admit, that was quite the stunt you pulled. Glad to see you're alive and...well, mostly unhurt. How is it?" Jack just shook his head, "Nothing serious. I'll be able to ride so long as my Runner gets repaired on time."

At this Rex chuckled a little, "That will hardly be an issue." It was here that he would then turn to Yusei, "So...Yusei Fudo, in the flesh. Heard quite a bit about you. Hold yourself quite well under pressure."

Yusei would just cross his arms, "You know where I'm from; that kind of skill is a necessity if it means surviving." Goodwin's face was neutral, but it was clear that the implication was not a welcome one. "Well....I best be going. Jack, when you're free...Please come and speak with me." He knew better than to try and engage Fayth in conversation; oh the stories she could tell of her incarceration. Ones that neither Jack nor Yusei had even heard of.

"Jack...Why do you ally yourself with him?" Yusei then asked, Jack replying "Because for now, he has been my sole lifeline in this place. An anchor amidst a raging tempest...But, trust me, Yusei. I know now, even more so right now, that he is dangerous. Even so....He has a plan in mind, and I swore to him that I would see it through to completion. Something that would help everyone, the Satellite included."
 

In reality, it was only a few minutes. Two, three ... no more than five for sure. But Ling didn't speak. Hardly moved. Her head lightly plopped onto Yamichi's shoulder as she accepted and enjoyed the embrace. Her mind was almost literally racing. She knew what had happened - and yet all at once, she didn't. It was a very confusing sensation, one she certainly wasn't accustomed to.

It wouldn't be until Yamichi requsted a topic change that her head lifted and a weak grin spread over her face.

"Well ... I can't blame them too much. Unfortunately, this plus the Mukuro incidents are very likely going to be on the news for a while. Much like .... "

And then, as if a light bulb turned on over her head, Ling's eyes widened as she stared righ at Takeshi.

"Wait a minute! You were the same Takeshi when the dueling field went all weird?! Against .... the Amazoness user. Shivini, was it?! God, I feel so stupid. It just clicked .... you are the same one, aren't you? But um ... yeah. This is gonna be kinda like back then, unfortunately."

Ling paused, now thinking. Had there even been a competition as large as the Fortune Cup?

If there had been, she was too young to remember it.

"Plus ... it's kinda hard to change the subject. I can't really forget that wild-ass chase - and I'm not sure if I'm gonna anytime soon. Don't get me wrong though; I am trying to think of positives and stuff. Like having a potential rematch against Yamichi. Just ... "

Her head quickly shook.

"I'm probably not sounding as organized as usual. I hope, though, that helps emphasize what point I am trying to make. Quite frankly, I'm in no rush for the break to end. I'm more than fine waiting a bit longer to resume. Best to let Goodwin and whoever else will be helping him to make sure nothing like that happens again."
___________________________________________________________
​
Fayth, meanwhile, would quickly sit up as she heard footfalls approaching the tent. Her own smile spread as not one, but two, familiar voices registered to her ears. "Jack .... Yusei. You .... two okay?"

When she heard ample evidence to deduce Jack had gotten wounded, she grimaced slightly. Whatever had ended up going on out there was indeed as bad as Jack had assumed.

... Well, fuck.

As if dealing with Mukuro hadn't been annoying enough ...

And if things hadn't gotten dire enough, Goodwin's presence did it. All three men would notice Fayth visibly tense up from simply listening to Rex speak.

Out! Out! Out! NOW!

Thankfully, he left as quickly as he arrived, very much to Fayth's relief. "I agree with Yusei. An anchor? If you want that, I suppose that's your decision. Fair enough. But isn't there one that's less .... shady?"

And before she could think for very long, the next inquiry slipped past her lips. It seemed fair enough to get this of her chest, anyway - especially with another Signer in the tent. And if there was something going on, it seemed like bits of information Fayth and Yusei both deserved to know.

"Jack ... what's the real point of this competition? I heard the Professor make it a point to ask Bommer yesterday why he wasn't happier with defeating Aki whom, apparently, was a Signer. So ... me, you, Yusei, this Aki .... forgive me if this is feeling less and less like a coincidence. Before my incarceration, in fact, Goodwin assured me when I privately met with him he would have advanced me even if you hadn't after the Mr. E incident. But between talks since then .... especially in the Facility .... and everything as of late?"

Her head shook.

"I don't believe Goodwin's doing anything out of good will. I truly think he has an ulterior motive, and a lot of it involves this competition. Was being put against Mukuro and having my sign activate on purpose? I can't help but feel it kind of was, even if the decision wasn't yours."

Fayth turned her head, lightly latching onto her lower lip before adding.

"I'll confess that maybe I'm over-thinking. If so, my bad. But ... considering some really bad news I got yesterday combined with what happened not too long ago, I'm on a bit of an adrenaline rush. I just know ... you're better than Goodwin. You've proven that to me since we first met. The more I hear him speak, the more it strengthens my fear he is indeed using you. And I wouldn't want anything unfortunate happening to you just because one man was a grade-S prick to you."
 

​
Yamichi was more than happy to stay by Ling's side, the others seemed to be alright with it as well. "No kidding...It'll be on the headlines for weeks. I can't believe this guy is the Director; what is he thinking, letting people like this in here?" Takeshi would say; of course, if Ling knew exactly who they were, who knew how she would react. But...No reason to stress her out even more, nor potentially reveal themselves to Sector for that.

But when she pointed out that Takeshi was the same one who got slice-and-diced by Shivini's monsters, the brunette just laughed, "Yeah, that was me. Man, you really do need a break; you were there too when it happened you know?" he would joke, earning a bit of a poisonous glare from Yamichi. Making Takeshi just grin sheepishly and shrug, as if to wordlessly say "Sorry".

"All the same...This whole tournament feels off now. I mean, I get one bad apple...But even some of the earlier contestants, it all feels too coincidental." Shimoda then said, making Yamichi ask now, "What do you mean?" The young man would then clarify, "Well, remember the Professor? Sure, he was a nice guy and a graceful loser...But he seemed almost too non-chalant and accepting. Same went for that Un woman. Gill was the only one among them who actually seemed to try and want to win. The others....Well, call me paranoid, but it just felt like they were kind of...'There', you know? Like they were just filling a spot."

Takeshi nodded, "You know, now that you mention it...Those duels did seem kind of off. What are you thinking though, Shimoda? Because I'm kind of lost." Shimoda then shook his head, "I don't really know what it means...But I'm getting the feeling there's more to this tournament than we know. Call it gut instinct, you know?"

___________________________________________________________

​
Yusei and Jack would look over as Fayth made her own assertion about how off this tournament was feeling; the former arching an eyebrow as she mentioned Aki being a Signer, while the latter was tensing up as she had essentially called him out. Something that Yusei took note of, but at first would misinterpret, "Jack....Did you know that Aki was a Signer as well?"

The blonde seemed to stare hard at the floor before long taking a small breath and saying, "I did not...But somehow Goodwin did." Yusei's eyes narrowed, Fayth's words starting to make more sense. In truth, he hadn't really felt too comfortable in this tournament, but he could never really pin down why. But now that it was clear there was more going on, at the very least he had some solace in that his gut wasn't entirely wrong.

"Admittedly, having all of us in one place is more than a little coincidental. Especially if Goodwin knew about Aki, as you said. But what does he hope to gain from this?" Yusei then asked out loud; he knew only what Yanagi-san had told him of the marks in the Facility. That they were signs of them being descendants of those that held the power to fight against a rising evil. What that evil was though, he didn't know; though with the news of Kiryu's resurrection, Yusei was starting to suspect Goodwin's motives even more.

"Whatever it is he wants...It's clear this is important to him. He even went so far to hold my friends hostage to force me to join." Yusei would then say, making Jack's eyes widen in shock. "What? You mean Rally and..." he would start to say, Yusei nodding "Nerve, Blitz and the others. I wasn't sure why he would want me to join so badly to go that far...But with so many Signers being challenged here, now I know it's because of that. Jack...Does Rex know about the Signer legend?"

Jack's expression hardened, seriously conflicted about how to answer...But he would decide they deserve to know, simply replying "Yes." Fayth and Yusei seemed to be more and more right, himself adding "Admittedly....I have no idea why, but it's clearly not just me he's using. He believes that if we are all here...Then the Crimson Dragon will appear. That's all I know; I have no real idea why he's trying to summon it."
 

" ..... I ..... oh. Right. Well, see? Point made."

Ling's face almost immediately turned a deep red as Takeshi reminded her she'd been there. She simply remained more in the background when that incident happened. It was only when he duel ended she attempted to help Shivini out at all. Otherwise, Takeshi was right.

When a good chunk of the other duelists - including Un - were mentioned, Ling nodded. "Un not only seemed to give no damns, but ... it was like she willingly set herself up for failure. Worse tthan that, she sounded fine with that. Something more to this tournament?"

Now she was beginning to wonder, her mind instinctively going back to the recent incident with Bommer.

"I hate to agree with that theory ... but with how things have gone? I'm starting to believe that as a very real possibility."
___________________________________________________________​
"I did not...But somehow Goodwin did."

Those very words made Fayth's blood freeze.

"Then .... I'm fairly guessing he's known about me since ... a while. Which - considering I recently found out I was a Signer - is incredibly creepy. Hell, I'm not even from here. Jack, how is he getting all of this information? Any ideas?"

With both Yusei and Jack already knowing her origin story, there was no need to be secretive on the topic. Just cautious - but from what she was hearing, they were clear and free of any unwanted eavesdroppers.

When Jack revealed what Goodwin was going for, her eyebrow raised.

" ... I mean, I don't get what that'll earn him. Aside from likely more unwanted attention. The sight alone would probably make a good chunk of the audience panic, as I doubt many - or any - of them would even understand what it means."

But maybe it was that simple? He just wanted to cause a ruckus?

... No. That was too easy. Even Rex had hinted during their talks he was a man of purpose. Shady, no doubt, but purpose nonetheless. There was definitely something that would come from getting what he wanted. She just ... was as clueless as Jack on what that 'something' was.

"I stand by what I said, then. I'd cut ties with him while you still can. But .... the end call is yours."

Fayth softly sighed, reaching back beside her and picking up the half-finished bottle of water. After taking a sip, Fayth would set it back down before proceeding to lay down again on the mattress. The psychological stress was gone now, thankfully; but in its stead had arrived a considerable amount of emotional and even some physical exhaustion. She didn't intend to sleep - but at least give her body a chance to relax, if nothing else.
 
Last edited:
The half-hour recess came and went without further incident; talk was heavy among the crowd about what was happening, especially with Mukuro and Bommer both seeming to have tried to assault their fellow competitors. But, given the stillness that the arena had fallen back into, it would seem things would finally get back to normal.

"Alright, folks! We're just about ready to get this show back underway! And HOPEFULLY...That'll be the last of the nasty surprises! And this I say to the rest of you: I want us to have good clean, action-packed Duels, alright?" MC would announce, Shimoda laughing "Well...He ain't got nothing to worry about with me. I'm just here to see how far I can go, you know?" Takeshi nodded, "Well...I'm just hoping whatever modifications you made, you manage to get that beast out. I want to see it in action!"

Shimoda let a small grin cross his face, pulling his deck out and seeming to look it over. "Yeah...Me too; I saw how well Yusei was able to handle himself against Luca. If I'm not careful, it could turn around on me real quick." Yamichi would then say, "Just do your best; that's all anyone asks here." Shimoda nodded, standing up as he would see both his and Yusei's Runners being towed out to the starting line.

"HERE WE GO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THE THIRD MATCH! YUSEI FUDO VS. SHIMODA NAIZEN!" MC then shouted more enthusiastically, the brunette rolling his shoulders "Guess that's my cue...Wish me luck!"

Yusei would hear his name, stating "Guess they're getting it started again...Jack, can you..." But the blonde would say, "Don't worry, I'll stay with her until she feels ready to come back out." Yusei would nod in approval, "Good." And with that he would run out of the tent to join Shimoda on the track.

Once both Duelists were set for the match, Shimoda set-up on a deep-blue Runner with mahogany accents, the young man would look over to Yusei after donning a helmet with a similar color scheme, "Well....Here goes nothing. Right, Yusei? Let's give these people a real Duel. Something to remind them about what this game's really about. May the best man win." And once their exchange was finished, both would be prepared as MC led them through the countdown once more.

" COUNT IT DOWN WITH ME! 5! 4! 3! 2! 1!"

"RIDING DUEL, ACCELERATION!"

And with a tremendous burst of speed, Shimoda's Runner blasted off the start, catching an early lead into the first corner and granting him the first turn. "My turn! Draw!" Shimoda declared, going for the first move without any hesitation. "I summon Knight of the End in Attack Mode! When it's Summoned, I can send one DARK monster from my Deck to the Graveyard! I'll use Knight's effect to put Despair God Anti-hope there! Then I'll set one card-face down and end my turn!"

"He sent that monster to the Graveyard?" Takeshi muttered, Yamichi seeming just as confused, "I know there are monsters that can Special Summon themselves from there, but that thing doesn't seem the type that can do so easily...But maybe he has Monster Recovery, and just used Knight to get it out of his deck?" Takeshi would then ask, "If that's the case, then it's not in his hand....What is he planning, I wonder?"
 

"Indeed," Yusei agreed, offering a small smile to Shimoda as he heard his offer to make this a pleasant duel. "If nothing else, the elimination of Bommer and Mukuro should make tomorrow a lot brighter for everyone."

He would leave it at that, revving his own engine and speeding away as the countdown ended.

Normally, he was quick and able to make the first turn. However, Shimoda's ended up proving to be quicker than he'd planned, making him smirk in amusement. It wasn't often he got passed, let alone so easily.

... Hmm. Interesting first turn.

What was he going for? Time would tell, he supposed. Yusei's eyes closed behind his visor. He took a slight breath, allowing his focus to go away from his comrades being held hostage or anything else that would distract him. He needed to be in the here and now, not fretting over all the factors haunting him.

"Draw!" he declared, his eyes opening again to look at his starting hand. "I summon Road Synchron! I then equip it with Junk Barrage! Road Synchron! Attack his Armageddon Knight!"

While the attack did succeed, Shimoda's own trap prevented - outright destroyed, technically - his Junk Barrage. The extra damage would have been nice, but ... ah well. At least he still had his monster.

"Turn end!"
___________________________________________________________​

By the time the recess had come to an end, Ling was feeling better. Honestly, dinner plus a really good night's rest would be the best solution to remove any lingering uneasiness within her. For the time being, she was simply content to watch beside her boyfriend.

"Nervous, Yamichi?" she half-teased, half-seriously asked. "I don't think anyone would blame you if you said yes. I definitely would be. His deck's as vicious as yours."
___________________________________________________________​
Luckily, Jack wouldn't need to wait too long before Fayth would sit up, grabbing the water bottle in one hand. "I umm ... I think I'm fine now. Besides .... you're being waited for. And even if Goodwin could wait until this duel's over .... I don't wanna make you push your luck somehow."

There were other reasons. More positive ones. But for now, Fayth decided to reveal the most logical incentive.

"But .... thank you again, for everything. It does mean more than you may immediately know to me."

Fayth would then extend her hand out, waiting to feel Jack's own intertwine with it so she could go back with the group.
 
Jack would sit with Fayth as promised, standing up as she seemed to be ready to leave. When she brought up him potentially getting in trouble for taking too long, Jack let a smirk crack across his face. "It's not a problem, Fayth; besides.....If I'm going to admit something, spending this time was actually pleasant. So...You're welcome."

And when she would take his hand, Jack would enclose his ever so gently about hers...Leading her out of the tent and back to the others.

___________________________________________________________​


Shimoda watched on as Yusei summoned a monster capable of destroying his Knight, the massive behemoth barreling down the track alongside his controller. And the Equip Card was certainly a troublesome thing, able to inflict damage to him. Even if it would only be 700, Shimoda wasn't too keen on losing even more Life than he needed to.

"Reverse Card, Open! Twin Twister! I discard Water Spirit from my hand and destroy Junk Attack!" he would declare, sending the monster from his hand to the Graveyard, a small tornado erupting and shattering Yusei's card. Even so, his Knight being literally steamrolled meant he would take 200 damage from the attack. Much better than nearly 1000.


"Whew...That was a close one, Yusei! Your deck's dangerous, brother!" Shimoda laughed; yeah, this was what a Duel should be about. Fun and playful competition....Not getting all pissy because someone happened to win.

___________________________________________________________​

When Ling teased him about being nervous, Yamichi would just give a nervous chuckle, "Definitely am, yeah; even if I know his deck, the moves he can make are more than a little overwhelming." At this Takeshi just laughed, "Hah, you're one to talk! How many times have I seen you able to put your Synchro monsters back into the extra deck by using your monster effects? Or summon two Dragons in one turn?" His cheeks tinging a bit as he brought that up, Yamichi couldn't help chuckle, "Yeah...But your deck is stupidly good at field control and Special Summoning."

Takeshi shook his head with a grin, "Oh boy...Yamichi, you need to learn to take a compliment, brother. But hey....Once it's our turn, we'll finish this round off strong! Just you wait!"

"So....Yusei's finally dueling then?"

The group would look up to see Jack helping Fayth into one of the empty seats. "Ah, yeah he is...The duel just started, but Yusei already got off a hit. Now it's Shimoda's turn, and we're waiting to see if he can pull off anything." Jack just nodded, "Apologies...But there's somewhere I have to be. Could I ask you to watch over her?" Takeshi nodded, "Don't worry; we're not going to let any other dickheads near her." And with that, Jack would give a curt nod and make his way back to see the Director.

___________________________________________________________​

"AND WE'RE GOING INTO THE SECOND STRETCH, FOLKS! YUSEI'S SCORED A SMALL BUT EARLY LEAD! CAN HE MAINTAIN IT!?" MC announced, the distance between the two racers getting shorter with each passing second. "Here I come, Yusei! My turn, draw!" Shimoda shouted, grinning as he saw the monster he drew. Perfect!

"I summon Treasure Panda in Attack Mode!" he would go first, the pudgy explorer-dressed creature rising to fly alongside him. "Next, Panda's effect! I remove Twin Twister from the game and Special Summon Guard of Flamvell from my Deck in Defense mode!" A beam of light from Shimoda's Disk would fly up and strike the treasure chest his monster was holding, the lid flying open to reveal the immolated draconid, its form blue from the position. "Next, because I Normal Summoned Treasure Panda, I can Special Summon One-Shot Booster from my hand!" Doing so, he would then have a field of three monsters. "I then activate a Magic Card from my hand, Machine Duplication Technique! I target a Machine monster I control with 500 or less Attack Points, and Special Summon two more from my Deck! Appear, two One-Shot Boosters!"

"AND JUST LIKE, SHIMODA'S GOT A FULL FIELD, EVEN A TUNER! IS IT GOING TO HAPPEN!?" MC announced, the tension in the crowd rising as they anticipated a Synchro Summon. Only to find that Shimoda had a much different trick up his sleeve.

"I activate Despair God's effect in the Graveyard! I send the Level One Guard of Flamvell and my three Level One One-Shot Boosters to the Graveyard and Special Summon it! Let your roars of anger bring hopelessness against all who would face you! Crash with the force of ten thousand men down upon your foes! Rise and decimate! Despair God - Anti-Hope!"

And what came next would be both incredibly amazing and terrifying; the Solid Vision system would play out the ground cracking the middle of the track, a titanic fist rising from the earth as it punched through, the massive armored behemoth climbing from its 'grave' and standing many stories tall before throwing its arms outward and emitting a deafening roar. "WHAT A MONSTER! SHIMODA'S MANAGED TO PULL OFF WHAT HE DID AGAINST KODO! 5000 ATTACK POINTS! THIS IS INCREDIBLE!"

Shimoda just grinned, drinking in the booming applause and cheers, looking back to Yusei as he then said, "Despair God, attack his Road Synchron! Final Crash!" The titanic beast would then turn, its red eyes tracking Yusei's movement before bringing a fist up and rapidly downward. The blowback quite impressive even for a hologram as Shimoda's opponent would lose his monster and almost half his Life in one strike. "Turn end!" Shimoda would then say, keeping his eyes back on the track.
 
Last edited:

Fayth's own grin crossed her face, albeit a now slightly red one. "Wow. You can actually be quite the charmer when you want to. I don't think even Pendulum you has learned how to do that yet. Well ... I'm glad to hear that. Especially ... well .... I wouldn't blame you too much if I did creep you out earlier ... "

First impressions - Fayth had learned over the years - counted with a lot of people. From Fuyu to Reiji, Masumi, and many more aside from herself. So it wouldn't have been too surprising if her own friendship with Jack ended the second she removed her blindfold.

It was certainly a pleasant surprise though. One she would definitely cherish.

"So umm ... one of these days, maybe we can meet again? Alone? So I can show you -- "

"Oh, Celeste! Good to see you again! Feeling better?"

Thankfully, Fayth had heard the familiar voices and stopped talking in time. And on the other hand, it was a slight annoyance she hadn't been able to finish her thoughts. Still, Jack was smart. He could likely piece together what she'd attempted to ask; showing and explaining who Academia was, exactly. And maybe, with any luck, she could even get a hold of Reiji and see about confirming why they'd want to invade the other dimensions. Aligning made sense. Not so much conquering - not fully, anyway. There were a lot of unanswered inquiries, and Reiji was one of he few people who could even have the slightest of guesses as to the desired answers.

Her head shook as Fayth begrudgingly forced her thoughts to hide away into the back of her mind. For the time being, her attention was on the group.

"Yeah ... yeah, I am. Thanks, Ling. I just --- "

"It's fine. You don't need to explain yourself. Anyone would need a break after being around that sorta nonsense."

Fayth merely nodded, her grin further widening as she sat near the others. Even as Jack left, her smile never seemed to vanish - something that Ling took note of, but opted to not bring up. For now. The poor girl had probably had enough for one day. Teasing of any kind - even if on a more positive note - was likely one of the last thing she'd want right then and there.
___________________________________________________________​
"Well, yeah," Yusei replied back without needing to think much. "If this deck were too tame, I probably wouldn't have gotten anywhere in the dueling world."

Not that fame mattered for him. Progress, however, was a different story. That was a good reason he enjoyed duels, aside from them being fun. They were ways to improve himself. Find new and unique strategies no one else would think to use. Or few people, if any. And so far, it seemed to work well for him.

With Shimoda starting up his turn, Yusei paid heed to everything he did. The display resulted in him eliciting a low whistle. The consecutive summons alone were impressive. But when Shimoda easily summoned Despair God ... damn. Even he couldn't help but stare upward in awe.

" ..... Huh. A bit faster than I planned for."

His Wheeler swerved from the abrupt and very dangerous loss to his life. At least it wasn't out of spite - something the audience could no doubt be glad for, as well as Yusei. No, the sheer power had been enough to temporarily make Yusei lose a bit of control. But nowhere near enough to crash into anything.

"Well then ... my turn! Draw!"

He needed time to build up. Luckily, there were some cards sill in his hand that could easily help with that. "I'll set a card and a monster. Turn end!"

It would be a huge risk. One that relied on him hoping Shimoda would use Dystopia to attack first. Otherwise ... he'd be in serious trouble.

___________________________________________________________​
"Holy .... geez. You're all scary!" Ling exclaimed, chuckling nervously. "Goodness! Five-thousand attack?!"

Sure, her Five-God Dragon had the same power. But even Naizen had made summoning this creature look easier ... if that was at all possible.

"So, Miss Encyclopedia - does this even have a weakness? I know my Five-God Dragon does, but ... I've never even heard of this before!"

Fayth playfully scoffed, turning to gaze at Ling in disbelief. "I think I'd rather stick with Datenshi over Miss Encyclopedia, thanks. But for the answer to that question, yes. It's not immune to having its power decreased. Then here are other staples - Mirror Force, Magic Cylinders - and numerous cards that can temporarily prevent the attack and redirect it at the user. However .... from what I recall in Yusei's previous duel, everything he does have requires time. He's gonna have to give himself that in order to come up with something to help him out."

"Think his sets are part of that plan?"

"The spell or trap more likely tahn monster. I mean ... there's a lot of factors to add in. Drawing ratios and percenages in particular. So while it's possible - and one would hope that's exactly what he put down - it also could be a bluff. I'm not sure."

"Don't read minds?"

"Nope!" Fayth quipped back, a smirk mingling in along with her grin.

But I do know someone who can, she silently added.
 
Indeed, Shimoda hadn't done such a move out of bad intent; this was just his way to enjoy a worthy adversary. He'd seen the types of Synchro Monsters at Fudo's disposal; and with this monster, he could at least try to keep him from building materials for a Summon.

And as it stood, Yusei would have an unexpected boon by his side; while Despair God was on the field, none of his other monsters could attack. Which meant that Shimoda could only use the overpowered titan to launch his offensive.

"Eh-he, sorry about that, Yusei! Forgot how real Solid Vision could be!" Shimoda shouted; he knew his monster's attack was ridiculous, but at least the damage wouldn't be real. Even so...That face-down card in his backrow was definitely a concern for him. All the same, there was a use he had for his One-Shot Boosters in the Graveyard.

"My turn! Draw!" Shimoda would shout, "I activate Treasure Panda's effect! I banish Machine Duplication Technique and Special Summon Guard of Flamwell in Defense Position!" With that, done and another monster to his field, he would then proceed with instantly going into his attack. "Battle! At this time, I'll activate my monster's ability! I banish the first One-Shot Booster from my Graveyard, making it immune to card effects and battle destruction until the end of this turn! Crusher Armor!" At this, the 'soul' of his Graveyard monster launched upward, flying into Despair God's body and coating it in a sheen of spectral energy.
___________________________________________________________​

Yamichi just laughed as Ling would make her statement, "Yeah...But I get the feeling Yusei's not the type to go down easy. With how he managed to beat through Luca's lockdown strategy, he's got a very resourceful deck."

And both guys would chuckle when she called Celeste 'Miss Encyclopedia'. "Oh-ho, look at that, Yamichi. Someone else gunning for your title." Takeshi joked, earning a playful elbow from the tech. "I'm not an encyclopedia, you goof" Yamichi would reply with a smile, hearing Fayth's analysis of the strategy. It was fairly similar to what he was thinking.

"Actually...I do think she's right about him having a plan. And....I think it will be his face-down that puts it together for him. Be a good starting point." Yamichi would say.

And all would turn their attention when Shimoda went into his turn, Takeshi raising an eyebrow as Shimoda would declare his monster's ability. "What? It can make itself unkillable?" Takeshi mused; damn, now he was kind of glad that Shimoda wasn't his opponent.

"Battle! Despair God, destroy his facedown! Final Crash!" And when his monster would attack and the smoke would clear, they would see his monster - a tiny pink-feathered bird - still on the field. "Huh...Who'd have thought? Well played, Yusei! Turn end!" he would shout, keeping his pace. "AMAZING! YUSEI'S ROADRUNNER JUST SPRINTED CIRCLES AROUND THAT MASSIVE BEHEMOTH! HOW WILL FUDO RESPOND BEING AT SUCH A DISADVANTAGE?!"
 

I keep fighting, of course, Yusei simply thought as he heard the MC's commentary. Granted, he knew this was going to be anything but a simple fight. In fact, this was likely one of his toughest duels yet - and that was honestly saying something for Yusei. Still, despite Shimoda possessing a 5000 attack point monster, he didn't feel nearly as hopeless as almost anyone else probably would.

"No worries. It can be as realistic as it wants. I'm still in charge of my ride. Don't worry about me. Just keep concentrating on showing our duel off."

His grip on the handlebars tightened as Shimoda went to the battle phase of his turn ... only eliciting a sigh as he did exactly as he hoped and attacked with his Despair God first.

Hm?

.. Could he not have used his other monster to beat Sonic Chick? Oh well. Yusei wouldn't point out anything he may or may not have missed.

"My turn! Draw!"

It was a very, very gradual process. But Yusei could definitely see some sort of plan attempting to come together. For now, he had enough to use in this current turn. "I summon Speed Warrior. I'll go to the Battle Phase and activate its effect to double its attack to 1800! He'll then attack your Treasure Panda!"

With the successful attack came Shimoda losing even more life. Only 700, true, but it was much better than nothing.

"Turn end!"
 

Shimoda nodded as Yusei affirmed he was alright; this was by far the best Duel he'd had so far, and he would do anything to keep it going for as long as possible. And quite luckily, he would indeed be left open with Treasure Panda, Speed Warrior's ability letting overpower the fluffy explorer and dealing a 700 LP blow to him. The attack caused a small wobble but nothing irreparable in his Runner, Yusei making a comeback causing quite the stir in the audience.

"You got me there, Yusei! But now I'm going again! My turn, draw!"

He looked down at his hand; nothing he really needed to use at the moment. Plenty of material monsters to summon his monster again if need be...In fact, he knew what to do after his attack was completed. Yusei would be near zero after this, which would make him even more resourceful to find a way and counter his monster.

"Battle! I might not be able to destroy Roadrunner, but Speed Warrior doesn't have that kind of luck! Despair God activates its effect once more! I remove another One-Shot Booster from the game and make him immune! And then he attacks your monster! Final Crash!"

"Trap Card, Open! Guard Block!"

Well wasn't that just perfect; even as his titan's fist shattered Speed Warrior, the damage would become non-existent. Had the attack gone through, Yusei would be sitting well below 1000 Life at this point. Even so, Shimoda couldn't be mad, a truly happy laugh leaving him as they would round the fourth bank into the last stretch before the next lap would begin, "You're really something, Yusei! I'll set one card face-down and end my turn!"
 

This was going to be it. The tturn Yusei would put his set to good use. He could practically feel it. And sure enough, as Shimoda wet into the next Battle Phase, Yusei merely grinned.

"You're right - Speed Warrior doesn't have that sort of luck. But I do! Trap Card, Open! Guard Block! I'll not only make the damage zero, but draw a card as well!"

His smile widened. Good, good. It had been worth waiting to use that trap. Because the way to defeat Despair God was coming closer and closer together. At least one more turn was needed which, thankfully, he had a way of ensuring was doable.

"You are too. I don't think even in your previous duel, you got Despair God out this fast. So give yourself some credit also. But thanks all the same. Draw!"

It was definitely slightly annoying to remain on the defensive. But it'd be worth it. the mantra kept echoing in his head as he took a slight breath and went through with his turn.

"I'll set a monster. Turn end!"

By now, there was a very mixed reaction, with about half the audience still cheering for Naizen, while the other was rooting for him. Encouraging him not to give up.

I have no intentions to do so - you'll see! he thought optimistically. Next turn would help prove his thoughts weren't merely hopeful wishes.
 
"Appreciate it, Yusei; this is one hell of a match! Let's just see if we can't give Yamichi and Takeshi something to live up to!" would be his reply as Yusei would finish his turn. Of course, it was no doubt those two heavy hitters would put on a show. And Yusei was right; against Kodo, it took him more than two turns to get out his monster. Making him very glad that he'd gone through and modified his deck to make summoning this behemoth less of a chore.

And the cheers, for both of them no less, were very much deserved. "INCREDIBLE FOLKS! YUSEI AND SHIMODA ARE TRADING BLOW FOR BLOW! YUSEI MIGHT NOT HAVE GOTTEN RID OF THAT BEAST, BUT HE SURE KNOWS HOW TO BEAT IT BACK! I'M ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT!" MC announced, Shimoda giving a small grin, "My turn! Draw!"

Yes...If he could just get through that Roadrunner...Then maybe he might have a chance. Of course, that would mean going against his core strategy...But if it came to it, he might not have a choice.

"Battle! Despair God, attack his facedown! Final Crash!" Shimoda declared, his monster striking down with that characteristic ferocity...But the blow being deflected as it would reveal itself to be a second Roadrunner. "Man...Hahaha, that is some luck you have there, Yusei! But don't get too comfortable, I'm going to find a way around that wall! Turn end! Come on Yusei, show me what you can do!"
 

... That MC damn well better be getting a fair salary. Anyone could say what they wanted, but the man knew how to do his job. Particularly when it came to hyping up matches. The audience was now more alive than ever before in his duel against Shimoda. In fact, Yusei was willing to bet the MC wasn't the only one on the edge of his seat.

And he'd be right.

Luca was leaning forward, wearing a curious but excited smile on her face. It seemed impossible to beat such a card. But ... he wasn't hesitating. His moves held purpose. So ... unless she was reading things incorrectly, he had a plan.

Yusei chuckled softly as Shimoda's God ran right into his second Sonic Chuck. "Yeah. It's been a blessing and the worst annoyance for most of my opponents. Don't worry - the pace is about to change. Draw!"

And there it was. The last piece of his unfinished, proverbial puzzle was now all but in between Yusei's fingers. "I activate my spell card, Tuning! I'll use it to get Junk Synchron to my hand and discard the top card to my graveyard! I then summon Junk Synchron, which results in his effect to activate! I'll special summon Speed Warrior from the grave!"

"THIS IS IT, FOLKS! A SYNCHRO SUMMON IS ON THE WAY! WHAT'S IT GONNA BE THOUGH?!"

"I'll use both my Sonic Chicks, Speed Warrior and Junk Synchron to tune!"

Just as the MC predicted, the all-familiar vortex appeared, each spirit disappearing into it before a new figure started to emerge. A bright flash of light ... and soon, Yusei would help reveal his choice.

"Synchro Summon! Junk Berserker! I'll banish the Junk Synchron I just sent to the grave to decrease Despair God's attack!"

It wouldn't only be Yusei's words that made Fayth grin. It was another revelation about his strategy. But ... she may be wrong. The only way to know for sure was to wait to see how the rest of this turn played out.

"I'm not done!"

Here would be where - to almost everyone else - Yusei may look and sound crazy. In fact, only one person would even start to understand the logic - and that was Jack himself. "I'll tribute my Junk Berserker to special summon Turrent Warrior!"

Annnnd just like he planned for, a lot of outbursts, whispers, and other mixed reactions resounded through the audience.

"W-WHAT?! WHY THOUGH?! DID ... DID HE TRIBUTE A SYNCHRO MONSTER FOR A TRIBUTE ONE?!"

"Turrent Warrior's effect activates!" Yusei replied, opting to inform the MC and crowd where he was going with this. "Since I used a warrior as a tribute, Turrent Warrior gains the attack of that same monster!"

And all who were old enough to do basic math could add up that now, Yusei had over-powered Despair God. Only by the smallest of margins - 200 points. But compared to a few turns ago where this looked impossible, it was a hell of a feat itself. Now came the true test.

"Turrent Warrior! Attack Despair God!"

A large cloud of smoke flew beween the two creatures .... and when it faded away, it would reveal Despair God was defeated, followed by Shimoda losing yet more life.

"A-AMAZING! WOW! THAT HAS GOT TO BE THE COMEBACK OF THIS TOURNAMENT THUS FAR! HE DID IT! AGAINST ALL ODDS, YUSEI HAS DEFEATED DESPAIR GOD!"

" .... Huh? But I thought he could make it immune to destruction?" Ling mused, causing Fayth's grin to widen.

"I'll admit, that part almost escaped me too. There is another weakness, and apparently, he saw it. It only works on Naizen-san's turn. This was literally the only chance and way for Yusei to defeat Despair God."

You really are amazing, Yusei. Damn god job ... Fayth thought. Now was one of the few times she actually lamented not having her sight. That must have been something incredible to behold.

Suffice to say, the crowd was going insane, having erupted into very loud, boisterous cheers.

"Whew. That was probably the riskiest moves I've made in quite a while. Turn end!"
 
Last edited:
Shimoda rose as a brow as Yusei went into his next turn; it was more than a little clear that Yusei had something in mind. But what exactly was it? It was a tall order to take on a monster with 5000 ATK through sheer battle alone. There was one critical weakness in his Despair God's power though.

And as the turn played out, he would definitely have shown to find it. Something that made Shimoda smile as he would watch Turret Warrior and Despair God clash, Yusei's monster emerging from the rubble and smoke victorious, the victory over felling such a monster creating a surge of energy in the crowd like nothing had been seen before.

"Sugoine! I'd have thought that thing was unkillable!" Lua shouted, looking to Luca, "See? Told you Yusei wasn't a slouch! He always finds a way to make it happen!" Of course, there had been times where even the rambunctious youngster had doubted Yusei's chances. But seeing this? What a comeback, and it make Lua's admiration and envy of Yusei's skill go through the roof.

"Man...Yusei's going to be one tough act to follow if he keeps up that kind of plays." Takeshi mused, Yamichi nodding, "I'll admit, I was at a loss on how to destroy it myself. For him to find it so easily...Who is that guy?" Little did Yamichi and Takeshi know, though, that that particular individual was also from the Satellite himself. Even so, win or loss, him being able to destroy a beast like Despair God was an achievement in and of itself.

"Yusei...This is how far you've come?" Jack muttered, seeing the crowd's joy and cheering from the play...Reminding himself of how he would have dueled. "Impressive isn't it? But I get the feeling that's not the last we've seen of Shimoda's ultimate ace." Rex would say, staring down at the racing duelists. Jack raised an eyebrow when the Director mentioned this; did Yusei's opponent even have a way to revive it?

Shimoda was quiet for a second; and due to his silence one might think he was fuming over having his monster destroyed. It was here that he just let out a hearty laugh, "Damn Yusei, you're insane brother! Still, I can't help but give you props; I wouldn't have even thought your Deck was capable of something like that. But this Duel's not over yet! My turn, draw!"

And much like the crowd, everyone would see that Shimoda's energy was coming back, a happy grin on his face as he shouted, "I'll set one card and a monster face-down! That's it for now, Yusei! Your move!" This plan was hinged on whether or not Yusei would destroy his monster; given the circumstance though, it was more than likely he would, as he now had two facedowns for his Turret Warrior to get through. And having used Despair God's ability twice already, he didn't quite have what he needed....Yet.

"IT LOOKS LIKE WITH DESPAIR GOD OFF THE FIELD, YUSEI'S FORCED SHIMODA TO GO ON THE DEFENSIVE! THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! A TRUE BATTLE BETWEEN WARRIORS, BETWEEN FIGHTING SPIRITS!"
 

"Oi, oi," Luca replied, rolling her eyes playfully. Even giving Lua's shoulder a small shove. "I never said Yusei was a slouch ... nor quite thought this was completely impossible. Every card has a flaw. We've been taught this enough times. Still, with what I've seen from his deck, I never knew nor would have guessed he had anything to deal with Despair God." Her grin further expanded as she added, "He really is something else though. I got that impression when we first helped him into our home. Now I know that's the case."

Luckily, the monitors on D-Wheelers to talk with other duelists made up for Yusei's ears ringing from the repeated cheers. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to hear anything Naizen as saying to him.

Yusei merely smirked, knowing the insane remark was, in this case, a compliment. "Yeah, well .... it was literally the only thing I could do. Sometimes, it's the more unorthodox moves that get me out of pinches, not the typical ones. If it helps? I wasn't sure if this would work, either."

But he'd be damned if he refused to at least try.

"Indeed. They're never over before someone hits zero. You saw what I can do. Your turn, Shimoda!"

Poor guy was, somewhat unfortunately, in the exact spot Yusei had just gotten out of. The defensive. But that also meant if given enough turns ... then he likely had a back-up plan to make up for losing Despair God in he first place. Which thus implied Yusei should try to ruin his plans as quickly as possible. Because honestly? Yusei had no idea if he had much more in his deck that could handle the possibility of a Despair God returning - or even a second one.

"Draw!"

.... Hmmm. He, too, seemed to have more cards that would lead to a slower beatdown. Then again, what was in his hand may also prove useful for future turns, so ....

"I'll set a monster. Turrent Warrior will destroy your face-down! I'll then end my turn!"
 


Shimoda was all too excited for this next turn to play out; with his set card, he would help turn this around for him again. Push Yusei back; he could do this! "Well, like you said, sometimes you just gotta go for it! But seriously man, super stoked I'm your opponent! Best Duel I've had in years hands down! Turbo or otherwise!"

And it was true; this fight, this clash, made him feel more alive than anything he'd done before. He could see more now why people wanted to be like Jack (or at least this was how he viewed). The fame was nice, and he was sure the money from the contracts meant he wouldn't ever have to sweat the small stuff...But here? Giving people a reason to laugh, smile and cheer?

It was ecstasy beyond description...And even if this would have him be the Heel of the show, he would take that role on with glee.

"Oi oi!" Lua laughed as his sister shoved him, "I know that, but I'm just stoked to be here seeing this! Yusei keeps this, he's going to the finals for sure!"

And when Yusei went on to destroy his set card, revealing it to be Large Charcoal 18, Shimoda couldn't help but laugh. "Awesome, awesome, awesome! Let's make this Duel even more exciting! My turn! Draw!"

And it was here that he would put his plan into motion. "I activate a face-down Magic Card! Tri-Wight Zone! With its effect, I select three Level Two or lower Normal monsters in my Graveyard and Special Summon them! Reappear, Large Charcoal 18! Water Spirit! Guard of Flamvell!" And with a raised hand, he would shout, "I send my two Guard of Flamvell, Water Spirit and Large Charcoal 18 back to the Graveyard! Rise again! Despair God - Anti-hope!"

And in a dramatic explosion, the massive armored beast shattered the ground in the center of the arena, throwing its chest outward and bellowing loudly as it would make an appearance for the second time.

Nearly everyone in the audience was stunned, MC even lost for a moment before shouting "I-I DON'T BELIEVE THIS! IN ONE MOVE, SHIMODA'S GONE AND RESURRECTED THAT UNSTOPPABLE DEMON! ALL THAT WORK!"

Even Takeshi was surprised, a look of surprise on his face like nothing anyone had seen. "That thing....Really is unkillable...How did he bring it back?" Yamichi was frozen with shock, finally stammering, "It...must be a cost effect. So long as Shimoda can bring Level One monsters back from the Graveyard...He can revive it as many times as his Deck allows."

Even Lua seemed to bug out a little, "W-what?! Is that even legal!? How can it have that much attack and be Summoned back so easily?!"

Shimoda just laughed, "Sorry Yusei...But I won't let you get rid of my monster without a fight! Battle! Despair God, shatter Turret Warrior! Final Crash!" And like every attack he'd made before, the hulking titan raised a massive fist, striking down Yusei's monster with incredible force and dealing massive damage. "Turn end!" Shimoda would then say, pulling ahead just a little further; though in truth, he was all too curious to see if his opponent could pull off a similar miracle.

Even Rex was impressed, "Impressive, most impressive...That will put the pressure on Yusei quite nicely."
 

"ALL THAT WORK!"

It was this very phrase which shattered Yusei's pride the hardest. This was literally the exact kind of scenario he had hoped to avoid. And now? He had been too slow to prevent the very situation he had feared the most from repeating His mind was trying to go over everything still in his deck. there had to be at least one more card that could deal with this monster. Wasn't there?

Before he could even start figuring a back-up plan out, a familiar pain started burning on his arm.

Shit! N-No!

His eyes shut tightly behind the visor. With everything Jack had revealed, this would just be giving him what he wanted. Besides, he could pass off his own agony. It was primarily Fayth whom he was worried about the most. As far as he knew, Jack, himself, and probably Goodwin were the only people alive who knew of her status as a Signer. Of course, hose were he keywords - the only people alive.

"All that work indeed," Luca lamented, sighing ... then gasping as she quickly covered her arm. "A-Ahh! Why ... ?? It ... it hurts. Really badly."

Fuck! Fayth internally thought, moving so she was sitting sideways and clamping a hand tightly over her shoulder.

"Hey? You okay, Celeste?" Ling asked.

"Y-Yeah. Just a bit sore ... "

" .... Sore? You didn't crash or anything though. Should you get looked at, or ... ?"

"N-no. I'll live. Really."

Ling's mouth opened to protest yet again ... but stopped. She didn't like his. She really didn't. But if Celeste was sure ... there was no point in forcing heer tto do sometthing she didn't want to. Instead, she slowly nodded, sitting back beside Yamichi. "Okay. Just ... if that persists for too long, lemme know. You really should get seen. Things like pain - particularly this abrupt and such - aren't symptoms to be ignored."

"I-I will. Promise."

The words were elicited through gritted teeth, but otherwise done in a stable manner.

Shimoda, meanwhile, would notice Yusei failing to react. Even when he'd ended his turn, Yusei didn't make an immediate move to draw. It'd likely looked as if he gave up. Finally, however, his left hand would leave his right arm.

"We did agree to give everyone quite the duel. Don't worry about it, Naizen-san. Alright. Draw!"

A slight exhale would be taken before Yusei finally pulled the top card off his deck. Hopefully by now, most - if not all - of everyone's pain had vanished. With his focus back on the duel, Yusei finally found an answer. There was indeed something - but he would need even more specific cards than before to deal with this fiend. For the time being, he did have something to help him avoid immediate defeat.

"I'll set a monster as well as a backrow card! Turn end!"
 


Shimoda was kind of worried when Yusei just seemed to clam up, his free hand coming over to cover his forearm. . "Oi, Yusei! Everything alright man?" his opponent, somewhat concerned; he knew the guy was more stoic than anything, but seeing that faint grimace made him think something was up. Should he call for a medic? He didn't know, and frankly he didn't want to insult the guy by having people intervene if it was just a muscle spasm or something.

Jack also clutched his arm, a pained scowl on his face; why did this hurt so badly? Was it because the Crimson Dragon hadn't yet showed up? "Oh my; seems Shimoda's returning of Despair God pushed Yusei even more than I thought it would. Akutsu...What are their readings like now?" the Director woudl ask, the scientist just smiling and replying, "Quite strong, sir; it seems the young one in the stands is also reacting nicely. If this keeps up, we should have the Crimson Dragon appear with little difficulty." Goodwin

"Luca? Luca!" Lua as his sister clutched her arm, his attention now wholly focused on her; while he wasn't freaking out like he normally would when she showed symptoms of not feeling well, he definitely didn't let it. "Hey! You alright?" Should he take her home? "Oh man, sis, I'm sorry. I didn't realize this would be so hard on you...Come on, we should get you back." However, moments later, he would see that while she was still in shock from the apparent and random surge in pain, she wasn't feeling. "Sis? Luca, hey...Everything alright?" he would say, placing a hand gently on her shoulder.

Yamichi and Takeshi would both see that Celeste was holding her shoulder in pain; neither really knew what was going on. "Oi, Celeste...You good?" Takeshi asked, himself and his friends unable to really do much aside from make sure that whatever was bothering her didn't hurt her too badly. "What she said; if anything else comes up, I'll go get the doctor." Yamichi would add; Judai even asked, "Was it something Mukuro did? He did grab her pretty roughly after her match." Takeshi scowled, "If it was that dickhead, I'll break his nose the next time I see him."

Shimoda meanwhile, was starting to get worried even more; his opponent was still able to steer, which was good. "FOLKS! I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE WHAT'S HAPPENING, BUT IT SEEMS DESPAIR GOD'S RETURN HAS SHIMODA'S OPPONENT QUITE LITERALLY TOO STUNNED TO ACT!" the MC announced, the crowd murmuring about how Yusei had yet to make a move. However, soon everything would see that Yusei was getting back into the swing of things, drawing his card. The brunette just smiled as he heard Yusei's determination to go onward, "I won't lie Yusei; I thought you went and gave up on me! Very glad to see I was wrong! Now let's do this!"

And the crowd seemed to share his sentiment, the people cheering Yusei on to keep fighting, some also shouting for Shimoda to keep up the pace as well. Something he was more than eager to do. "My turn! Draw!" he would declare, going right into his Battle Phase. "I activate Despair God's effect! I banish the third One-Shot Booster from the Graveyard and make it immune! Despair God will attack your face-down! Final Crash!"

"Trap Card, Open! Lost Star Descent!"

At this, Shimoda would see the monster that was responsible for weakening his monster previously return. But with a DEF stat of 0 and its effects negated, Shimoda couldn't help but think that Yusei had a way to get around his Despair God's ability. And right as his monster was winding up to attack, Shimoda declared "Despair God, cancel your attack." His monster seemed to visibly relax, but its gaze never stopped staring at Yusei. The titan seeming eerily wanting of its own will to destroy him with every ounce of its ridiculous power.

"Turn end! Your move, Yusei!" Shimoda then said.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom