Chapter Two - Party

Night had already fallen when Yusei drove his D-Wheel into his own garage beneath his family's house. Although it was still summer, the days were already getting shorter and shorter. After giving one quick look at the clock on the D-Wheel screen – it was 6 o'clock on the dot – he carefully turned it off and covered the machine up with a large cloth, tucked away his helmet, and went up the stairs to go inside his home.

The Fudo family had the privilege of having a real house in Neo Domino City, complete with a proper garden and upper stories. While it was nothing compared to Rex Goodwin's mansion, Yusei was content – he lived here his whole life. He remembered gazing out from the balcony into the blue sky as a child, chasing his friends up and down the grand wooden stairs during school summer breaks, secretly testing out his father's Duel Disk in the garden, and hammering away in the covered garage when he bent his entire will into creating a D-Wheel for himself. The cool interior of the house soon dispelled the lingering perspiration on his face, and Yusei was greeted by his mother's concerned voice from the kitchen.

"Yusei, you made it back just on time!"

"Sorry Mum, I spent quite some time at Saiga's place fixing my D-Wheel." Yusei replied rather apologetically. He really shouldn't be pushing his luck too far. He spent more time with Aki than he usually did, pondered about various things while lying on the grass beside the marble, covered by the dancing shadows of the dark-green oak leaves above. He would have dozed off had the alarm he set in his D-Wheel not gone off. The King literally rushed to Saiga's place for their arranged check-over for the D-Wheel and he had all but sprinted back home, just on time to make himself ready by 7 o'clock.

"I'm gonna take a shower, Mum." He yelled as he dashed into his room to grab his towel. "Don't worry about the party. Uncle Rex will send me back when it is over."

He didn't spot any signs of his father being home even when he finished taking his shower and dressed himself up. Even now, eighteen years after his momentous invention, Professor Fudo worked long hours with the Momentum machine. It pained Yusei to see his father's hair, once as raven-black as his son's, faded into grey and then to white. He understood his father's scientific passion for Momentum, but now that the machine was pretty much complete, Yusei didn't see a reason for his father to stay on site for so long. Nonetheless, he was used to it. It actually came as a small surprise when his father stepped through the front door as Yusei gave a final tug to his tie.

"Hey, Yusei." His father nodded towards his son as he placed his briefcase down on the table. "Looking great as usual."

Yusei chuckled in embarrassment. "Dad, it's just another KaibaCorp function." He took a deep breath and gave one last look to his own figure in the mirror. Blue suit, black shirt and blue tie: his standard attire for official functions. He'd have loved to wear his usual blue jacket and black sleeveless shirt. Sometimes it can be rather tiresome, being the King.

A hand was placed on his shoulder. His father came up to stand beside him.

"Yusei, I probably shouldn't be repeating this," his father's face wore the serious expression he reserved for important businesses, "but I had another meeting with the Senate. So, if Senator Midorikawa comes up to you tonight –"

"I'll be fine, Dad." Yusei replied. "I won't sign his contract. I already made it clear to him."

Professor Fudo sighed. "I'm sorry to bring that up, then." He patted his son's back. "Go enjoy yourself tonight, son. This is the end-of-season party for the King, after all." He checked the clock. "Rex's chauffer should be here any minute… Oh, there we go. A knock on the door as we speak."

Yusei nodded his parents goodbye as he walked out of his house and settled inside the car, absentmindedly running his hand over the leather seats while the vehicle slowly drove away. He had tried to ride his D-Wheel to the annual end-of-season party when he first took the champion's crown, only to be reprimanded by KaibaCorp. Another pity, really, especially as this means he wouldn't be able to leave the function whenever he wished.

Innumerable stars have peeked out from the evening clouds, sparkling faintly far above the high-rise buildings, inquiring eyes looking down with curiosity upon this glorious city. The round face of the moon glowed in the night sky, but the streetlamps were brighter. By the time the car had arrived at the party, traversing the web of highways spanning through the entire Neo Domino City, those celestial brilliances have been all but disappeared from Yusei's view.

"The King! It's the King!" He could imagine the rustle of journalists outside, waiting for celebrities to arrive, just with the sound seeping into the car's quiet interior. He stepped out, wincing against the glare of camera flash lights, sparing a few customary nods to some guests whom he was acquainted with. As he walked briskly past the row of reporters lining up in the entrance hall, he caught a familiar figure waving eagerly at him further back within the main hall. Yusei quickly moved up, glad to be out of the suffocating white flares the other reporters were showering upon him.

"Carly!"

"King!"

A wide grin under her coke-bottle glasses made her appearance look even more childish and unsophisticated. Clad in a simple white dress with her long black hair left to fall unadorned down her shoulders, the girl in front of him almost jumped in delight. Hugging her camera tightly, Carly beamed towards Yusei when he stopped in front of her.

"I told you, you don't need to call me King, Carly."

"Sorry." The blush was quick to climb up her cheeks. "Everyone else… calls you that…"

"King…? What are you doing here?"

Yusei and Carly's conversation stopped abruptly. The two of them turned towards a hesitant, cautious voice that sounded behind Yusei.

"Mikage-san?" The young woman who had spoken bowed reverently when Yusei addressed her. Despite the occasion, she was dressed in her daily attire of blue suit jacket and skirt. When she looked up again, her bronze eyes focused concernedly on Yusei.

"King, it's almost the time for you to address the guests. For you to loiter here with reporters, in public view…"

Carly lowered her head. Yusei sighed. Mikage took in his displeased countenance.

"I'm sorry to have spoken in such a way… but as your assistant, King, I cannot allow your public imaged to be marred. Please forgive me."

"It's alright, Mikage-san." Yusei waved his hand in the air to signal that he understood. Sagiri Mikage, the assistant that Goodwin had assigned to him, was sharp and efficient as always, never wavering from what she knew as should be done. However he may dislike the motion, Yusei had to admit that what she spoke of was the truth. He shouldn't be dallying here with Carly.

"I guess I'll be heading off then, Carly. Enjoy your night."

"Um… you too, Yusei." The young reporter waved him goodbye, then stood watching Yusei's back as he walked deeper into the hall and up the stairs with Mikage. Her gaze was not missed by the blue-haired young assistant.

"King," Mikage's eyes were fixed on Carly as she and Yusei headed towards the balcony on the second floor, where he was to address the guests, "what's Nagisa Carly doing here?"

Yusei glanced at her. "She's a reporter, Mikage-san."

Mikage bit her lip, which did not escape Yusei's eyes. He stopped mid-stride. Caught off guard, Mikage stopped unsteadily beside him.

"Mikage-san," Yusei's voice was even, his eyes focused on the other end of the corridor, "you've known me for three years now, and I've never hidden much from you. As for Carly and I… there's nothing for you to worry about."

"That… that's not what I mean!" As if having a replay of Carly's behaviour moments before, Mikage's face rapidly went pink. Aware of this, the young woman quickly put turned around, putting Yusei behind her. "No matter what… Nagisa Carly is still the reporter who was in charge of Izayoi-san's case three months ago. I was simply afraid that…" she sighed softly, "afraid that it'll bring back bad memories when you're with her, King."

"It wasn't Carly's fault." Yusei walked to the balustraded side of the corridor, overlooking the main hall where Carly's long black hair was clearly visible. "She was simply assigned to report that case. She didn't choose to do what she did."

"King…" Mikage muttered, turning around, but Yusei had set his eyes firmly on the hall down below. She walked up beside him.

"King… Please. Izayoi-san's already gone. I'm sure she wouldn't want you to keep on grieving like this."

Yusei simply turned and continued walking towards their destination. Mikage clutched her hands into fists.

He was suffering. The King was suffering, but he wasn't allowing anyone near him. Not his parents, not his friends, and not even her, his assistant. For one moment, Mikage wondered wildly if he should probably take a break from duelling, but immediately realised that as the summer season was already over, there won't be any regular duels for a while.

"But… in this state of mind… should he still be attending frivolities such as this?" Mikage murmured to herself. She knew that Yusei never liked formalities, even less so when it came to those parties that KaibaCorp frequently held. Yusei wasn't born to be caged in like this.

"Maybe that's why… he likes Izayoi-san." Mikage's fingers gripped the balustrade. "She was different, she wasn't caged. However, couldn't he see that she's not normal, either…?"

Taking a deep breath, Mikage looked up from her thoughts just in time to catch a visible stir in the crowds packed down below.

"Speaking of Izayoi-san…"

She narrowed her bronze eyes in irritation when she saw the newcomer that was being greeted by the eager politicians and journalists around the main door.

That woman, clad in a rich crimson gown, with a thin smile beneath her slanted blue eyes, and sporting another head of flowing raven black hair – Mikage gritted her teeth. Yusei should never have come to this party. This new guest was able to bring even more pain to the already scarred King.

-/-/-/-/-/-

"– And as such, I welcome you as the King of Neo Domino City. With the end of one more season, we look forward to even more greatness in the forthcoming year, and we sincerely thank you for the constant support that you've always given us. Now, please, enjoy tonight's festivities and celebrations!"

Rex Goodwin, dressed immaculately in white as always, clapped heartily with everyone else at the speech the youth had just smoothly finished. Yusei knew how to stir up people's hearts, with that confident and gentle tone of his and his steadfast mannerism. With one last wave, the said young man left the podium he was addressing the guests from and walked towards Goodwin.

"Uncle Goodwin, is everything fine?"

"There's nothing for you to worry about." Goodwin smiled, and patted Yusei's shoulder. He had known Yusei since the day the blue-eyed boy was born. Being the son of Professor Fudo, the creator of the eternal machine that granted Neo Domino City's never-failing power, Yusei had naturally grown into a child who knew all the important people in the City. Goodwin wasn't the only one in the older generation who watched Yusei grew up. Various Senators, businessmen, and scientists were all frequent guests at the Fudo house. These included Ruka and Rua's parents, and Izayoi Hideo…

"King," a melodious voice interrupted his reminiscences, "please accept my congratulations on having once again defended your crown."

"Misty-san…"

Goodwin let go of Yusei. The King of Riding Duel merely turned slightly to address Misty.

"Misty-san, thank you, and it's my pleasure to have you here tonight."

Misty returned a graceful smile. As the world's top model, Misty Lola rarely has the time or occasion to return to her hometown. Tonight, in her resplendent crimson gown, the tall woman looked like she was positively glowing with elegance and refinement. It was indeed a pleasure to have her back at Neo Domino.

But Goodwin still frowned, if infinitesimally. Nonetheless, common decorum states that he should not interfere between these two.

"Well, then, if you may excuse me, Yusei, Misty-san, I'll be attending to other businesses for tonight."

The other two both gave an easy nod at Goodwin and watched him leave. After the Director's departure, it was Misty who first broke the silence.

"Yusei-kun, it's good to see that you're alright."

"Same here." Yusei paused for a while. "How have you been, Misty-san? Busy as usual?"

Misty gave a forced laugh. "Yes, busy as usual, Yusei-kun. Although neither of us are really alright. You know that."

Yusei fell silent.

"But I needed to come back here to thank you," Misty went on after a short pause. "Thank you for arranging Toby's memorial for me. I'm sorry that I couldn't get back in time to do so myself."

"I'm glad to have been of help," Yusei replied evenly. "Your grief must have been unimaginable."

Misty shook her head. "Yusei-kun… Life goes on, and justice has been dealt out. I hope you will one day overcome your grief too."

Yusei let out a slow breath. "I'm fine, Misty-san. There's no need to worry about me."

-\-\-\-\-\-

"Oooh, do you see that, Carly? It's the King, with Misty!"

Carly was quietly sipping away at her orange juice and enjoying some rest at last when her personal space was abruptly intruded by a head of blonde hair.

"An… Angela! What are you doing?"

"So Stuttering Carly still hasn't gotten rid of that habit. Just like back in high school, and all the way through journalist collage." The newcomer glanced mischievously at the dark-haired girl with her green eyes. With a flourish of her long blonde hair, she looked Carly over from head to toe.

"You still haven't changed your weird taste in clothes either. Seriously, when are you going to start acting like a proper reporter?"

Carly gritted her teeth. Angela was with her through high school, journalist collage, and had now obtained a job for herself as a journalist too. Beautiful, confident, driven, Angela was everything Carly was not. And as luck would have it, she now worked for Carly's rival publication. They never really disliked each other either, however. Despite the constant banter, and although she would never admit it, Angela looked out for Carly. Carly always tolerated Angela's light mockery with good humour, too.

The blonde girl dug out her camera from inside her bag. "I thought I'd come over and see if you noticed that and would like to take a picture of the King and Misty over there for the news tomorrow. I know you have a special interest in the King, so I didn't want you to miss out."

"Thanks Angela, but I'll pass." Carly gripped her camera tightly. The King would never willingly talk to Misty; Carly knew that better than everyone else. She knew it precisely because she had the chance to know Yusei better than most reporters in Neo Domino. She watched Yusei and Misty talking further away in the hall, all the time feeling a bitter taste in her mouth, something that even the residue of the orange juice couldn't cover up.

"I didn't know he'd even go near Misty…" She muttered to herself in a low voice.

Angela gave Carly a look. "I know what you mean." Finished with her pictures, she placed her camera back in her bag. "I didn't think so either. But Carly, the King surely has an image to upkeep. Izayoi's relation with him wasn't widely reported, and Izayoi had little sympathy in the City anyways, so it wouldn't make sense for the King to completely ignore a guest as famous as Misty."

"He wasn't like that at all three years ago…" Carly sounded petulant even to herself.

Angela waved her hand in the air in a gesture of dismissal. "Whatever mould his parents may have brought into the world, the world will certainly re-mould the person to suit itself. Don't tell me you don't know that, Carly."

Carly was about to rebuke this, but Angela started rummaging through her bag again. "Oh dear, it's my phone. I'll be right back, Carly." She quickly ran off to a quieter part of the room to answer the call, leaving Carly alone to one side.

The bespectacled girl gave a small sigh. She'd known Yusei for three years, since the time when he first entered the duelling scene and swiftly took the champion's crown. That young boy back then didn't really care about all the formalities. He was just Fudo Yusei, not yet the King, and he hadn't realised what kind of attention he'll be getting. But everything was alright until three months ago, until that case… that case which Carly herself was in charge of reporting…

When Izayoi Aki's sentence was read out, just for a moment, Carly had felt unreasonably guilty. And now, seeing Yusei talking with Misty, all the while knowing how much it must pained him to do so, the guilt returned. She turned her back to the direction he was at and fixed her eyes on the ground beside her feet.

"Carly…"

She turned around so fast when he spoke, that she was sure her hair made an audible whoosh. Yusei was standing right behind her, his brows lightly but undeniably furrowed, lines of irritation and anger making their mark on his smooth forehead. His breathing was a little too quick, a little too shallow, a little too agitated. Carly peeked over his shoulder to see Misty looking over at their direction with a concerned glance.

"Carly, can you get me out of here?"

"Wha… what? What's wrong? Kin – Yusei, I can't – "

"Please, I need to get out of here." Yusei's jaw tightened in resolution. "You drove here in your car, didn't you? I don't need to make any more appearances tonight, and I'll handle things on Goodwin's side."

"O – Okay." Carly didn't know what else she could have said. She didn't exactly have a choice.

"Let's go then."

Fudo Yusei literally rushed towards the door. Carly stood her ground for a while longer, unsure about whatever may have happened, although she could make a safe guess. She also needed a few moments to steady herself. The blush on her cheeks and her sudden quick heartbeat needed no guesses to discern what they may mean.

-\-\-\-\-\-

Carly had many excuses about why she can't drive for him. Her car was too old and crappy, her driving was too hazardous… Yusei dismissed them all. He knew they were just excuses. Carly was simply startled by the fact that the King had asked to be alone with her. Yusei ran a hand through his dark hair in irritation at the mere thought.

"Yu – Yusei? Are you alright?"

Carly's wavering, uncertain voice spoke softly beside him. She gave a quick look at him and then turned her eyes rapidly back to the road and went back to driving diligently. It had been a while since they left the party. When Carly asked him where he would like to go, Yusei had muttered that anywhere would be fine. Therefore, they had been wondering aimlessly on the innumerable highways that crisscrossed Neo Domino City, their small yellow car following along the endless grey stretches of concrete and bitumen like a fallen flower petal caught in the wind.

"Carly, would you mind stopping here?"

"Huh? No, not at all."

Before he realised it, they had arrived at the sea. Emerging from the stopped car, they were greeted with the endless waves that made up one entire side of Neo Domino city. The waters, shimmering with an unworldly shade of the darkest blue in this night of the full moon, lapped away at the rocks below them with a lullaby that had been sung for the people of this land since time uncountable. Yusei and Carly stood themselves on the pavement that lined the seaside drive. The light breeze stirred up the edges of their clothes, played with the end of their hair, and brought with it the faintest traces of the city's sparkling and lively interior to the dim seashore.

There were no streetlights on this stretch of the sea, no tall lamps to illuminate this surreal scene. It wasn't surprising. They had stopped at the more industrious part of the seaside, the part where very few people would frequent after sunset. The only light source that lit up the world around them was the white, piercing light of the moon, casting crisp and unforgiving shadows into the ground.

"It's a beautiful night."

Carly turned. Yusei was gazing out towards the sea, silent after his remark.

"Yusei… please, what's bothering you?"

He didn't reply for a long while. Finally he said, "I wonder what she'd be doing right now."

Carly frowned, although she tried her best to hide it. It was Izayoi Aki again. Always Izayoi Aki. Even three months of intensive tournament duelling couldn't take his mind off that woman.

"Yusei –"

"Carly, would you listen to my thoughts?" Yusei stated evenly, keeping his face towards the sea.

She bit her lip and nodded. She guessed it would be best for him to untangle this thread from the beginning.

"I've known Aki for as long as I can remember, Carly. Aki and I grew up together. I was the one who first taught her about Duel Monsters. She was my first opponent, on her parent's dining table with my first deck split in half. During my childhood, there was not one week that I spent without seeing her."

"Aki was never a normal child, admittedly. She demanded what she wanted, and it really made her upset if things didn't go her way. She didn't get very popular among the children in our social circle. I was probably her first and only friend. But it was alright. We were still children. Uncle Izayoi was convinced that she would be fine once she grew up. We didn't mind the way she was. We didn't see anything wrong with her."

"But then Aki showed us what was truly inside her. She came into possession of her power, her psychic duelling power."

"Psychic duelling power," Carly muttered after him. Even after researching extensively into this, as if the words themselves held some magic, she still found a chill running down her spine whenever she heard this term spoken.

Yusei nodded. "Yes. She had that extraordinary power, the ability to turn duelling holograms into real, solid beings. A power to create living creatures from cyber data. Creatures that could run, fly, and destroy. She unleashed it accidentally on her father. The Izayois were terrified. Her father... called her a monster."

"It started going downhill from there. In this world, in our city, not being able to duel is unimaginable. Young children spend all their free time duelling each other with their Duel Disks, and Aki was no exception. Uncle Izayoi hoped that her power would go away, and she that may enjoy a proper life in her teenage years. It didn't work out. Instead, she started growing into the ability that she possessed. She terrified her fellow classmates with her real monsters the same way she terrified all of us. She was frequently expelled. As a result, Aki drifted through numerous schools, never making friends, never holding on to anything."

"Uncle Izayoi literally pushed her into Duel Academy when she was old enough. He hoped that the elite and experienced teachers there would somehow find a way to help Aki. She did brilliantly in the Academy, scoring top of the year. She tried not to touch a Duel Disk, but that wouldn't do during the practical examination. Taking out of her Duel Disk meant reawakening that power, but she did it. She couldn't stand being laughed at, couldn't stand forfeiting the practical exam."

"So… she duelled?" Carly asked softly.

"Nothing good came of that." Yusei went on with a low voice. "She was living in the dormitory instead of her house, which only made it worse."

"What happened?"

"After a lot of diplomacy, somehow she ended up staying at the Academy despite strong protests from her fellow students." Yusei sighed. "I don't know much about what happened. I didn't stay at home either around that time."

Carly nodded understandingly. Yusei was a genius. He accelerated through high school and did university-level studies while other kids his age were still labouring through junior high. During that time, when Izayoi Aki first got into Duel Academy, he should have been studying hard. It was reasonable that he didn't know what was happening to her.

"Three years ago, when I came back to my family's circle, built my D-Wheel, and decided to join the professional duelling scene, I realised she was very much changed. Her intellect was undeniably amazing. She scored top marks every single year at the Academy. But that must have made it more of a nightmare. She was the best duelist, but no one would duel her. She was the one who provided model answers for the teachers, but none of them adored her. The only greeting she gave me was a dispassionate glance when I saw her. Even more so than before, her power had become the only thing that guarded and protected her, the only weapon that she could use to carve out her own place in the world. I knew then that she had decided to rebel against the world, against all of us. She was called a monster, so she had set out to become one, out of whether spite or despair I couldn't be sure."

"Her father had given up trying to control her power. Before anyone realised it, her deck had become the only thing that was important to her, her cards the only thing that she treasured and hated, her Duel Disk her only sword and shield. I had thought that perhaps she had found a way to manage her power…" Yusei shook his head slowly. "But I was wrong."

Carly bowed her head.

"That incident three months ago. A group of rich kids got it into their heads that they should force Izayoi, top scholar but barely ever a duelist, into duelling them for real. They provoked her. They enraged her. They didn't know that Aki's power depended on her mood. The more anger she has boiling in her heart, the stronger her power grows, until it's strong enough to kill."

"And it just happened to be that Misty's brother… ended up being Izayoi Aki's opponent," Carly softly continued this narrative that she knew only too well. "Toby didn't mean to make her so angry. It was his classmates who cheered on. Everyone thought it was just going to be a normal duel…"

"They should have stopped while they could." Yusei gritted his teeth. "Then no one would have died. Toby would still be here, and Aki wouldn't have gotten the –" He swallowed.

"Death sentence." Carly quietly finished for him.

Yusei curled his hands into fists. "Yes," he breathed, "she would never have gotten the death sentence."

Carly took in a trembling breath. "Yusei… I'm so sorry…"

"I don't believe she's dead."

Carly's eyes opened wide in shock.

"I've gathered some evidence," Yusei continued in a low voice. "It's nothing concrete, just some records in the detention centre, some conversations the Izayois held, some money movements in their bank accounts… it simply didn't seem right."

Carly was dumbstruck, but not because of Yusei's conclusion. Detention centre records were fine, overheard conversations were acceptable – but bank accounts?

"Yusei, don't tell me that you hacked into –"

"I think I have an idea where she might be."

Yusei drew himself up to his full height and focused his gaze all the way across the sea. Carly took in a shallow gasp as she realised where he meant.

"Satellite…?"

He nodded. "Yes. Satellite."

"Yusei… is there truly a need for you to go to such lengths?" Carly couldn't help but ask that. He was the King, after all. She couldn't imagine what would happen if he was found out.

"Carly." He sighed and turned to look at her. "I only realised how much I miss her when she was gone. For eighteen years, I took it for granted that Aki would be in my life. She was far more than a friend to me… and I wouldn't be able to forget her until I'm sure she had left this earth."

Carly lowered her head and was silent.

Yusei bit his lip as he looked at Carly, whose shoulders were suddenly slumped in dejection. He didn't mean to hurt her, but she needed to know the truth. Even now, after everything, he couldn't deny his feelings for Aki. He believed that he loved, and still love, Aki.

Her memories pursued him by day, haunted him by night. Driven by the little things that he began to notice around him, he couldn't help but spend every moment possible in the past three months trying to find Aki's whereabouts. He had poured himself into the task, vowing that he wouldn't stop until he arrived at a definite answer. But during his search he had deliberately avoided – nah, scratch that – he had dreaded the one question that he would inevitably have to answer.

What would he do once he found her?

She was a criminal. She had killed a child.

And if she was indeed still alive, then she had also escaped the punishment of law.

He loved her, but what she had done was unforgivable.

Deep in his thoughts, the sudden loud crash that sounded further down the seaside drive startled Yusei. Carly also jumped beside him. Looking over, Yusei saw that it came from a fenced building crowned by the Security logo. It was a building that he had secretly itched into his mind during his search.

"The underground pipeline entrance that connects the City with Satellite!" He breathed. Acting without thinking, he began running towards it. Carly, with the sharp instincts of a reporter and a longing to take her mind off the current issue, following right behind him.

A peculiar sight greeted them when they arrived. It was evident that someone had driven out of the pipeline entrance, cleared the empty concrete-paved space between the gate and the fence with one leap of his vehicle, and landed squarely on the driveway outside. Someone had successfully escaped Satellite, that desolate and despised district of Neo Domino inhabited only by labourers, outlaws, or anyone with the ill fortune to be born there.

The person who had accomplished this great feat was lying unconscious on the ground beside Yusei's and Carly's feet. The D-Wheel that Yusei surmised he had ridden – a monstrous silver contraption with a giant single wheel spanning the entirety of the machine, encircling the driver's seat within – was tilted over and lying to the side. Small rivulets of blood were running down the recumbent man's cheeks, staining his blond hair black in the moonlight. Cracks were showing on his helmet, and the white riding suit that he wore bore sooty scorch marks. The red blisters on his chin confirmed that he had ridden through fire.

"Was the pipeline… on fire…?" Carly wondered idly.

Yusei gingerly bent down. He knelt beside the man and tried to see how bad his injuries were.

"Black… Witch…"

Yusei took in a sharp breath. The man had abruptly opened his eyes. Those violet irises were clouded, the mind behind them having yet to regain a sense of reality. Yusei doubted that the man knew what he was talking about. Sure enough, he almost immediately closed his eyes again and lost consciousness. Yusei blinked, unsure of what to make of the man's words.

"Yusei," Carly had come to kneel beside Yusei. Her mouth was hanging open in an expression of surprise. "Do… do know you who he is?"

Yusei looked at her. "No… Should I?"

Carly reached out to lift the man's helmet up a little bit. Yusei glimpsed two distinct earrings, each looking like a capital letter A.

"I do." Carly whispered. "No mistake. He's Jack Atlas."