Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's - The Neo-Domino Purge
Originally an RPG after the airing of Episode 6. Following the events of Episode 8; Rex Godwin uses the information regarding Akutsu's 'momentum' to plan an attack and elimination of the Satellite residents. When a leak reaches Satellite, the residents band together. All but Yusei Fudo, who is forced to watch from the outside.
Contains violence, language, character death.
Godwin's eyes travelled to the corner of his view, Jeager appeared on the transparent monitor, smirking as though the lips had been painted upon his face. The sun was beginning to peak over the horizon, the night had been long and eventful; Godwin could only assume that Jeager lacked sleep throughout the twilight hours to contact him at such a time.
"Director, I've word from the Detention Centre" he reported, his arm pressed against his chest.
"Is it regarding Yusei?" Godwin inquired, raising an eyebrow curiously.
"It does, but not in the way you'll expect" the dwarf man answered, chortling at the rare occasion of Godwin uninformed about the latest turn of events. "It seems the warden has prepared a duel atop the roof of the Detention Centre for him".
"He's taking matters into his own hands and challenging him?" Godwin intoned, raising the second eyebrow parallel to the first.
"It seems that's the case. Unless you ordered it?"
"I did not" Godwin replied sternly, lowering his eyebrows again. "Takasu issued this challenge out of nowhere; I can only assume he is trying to proof that Yusei isn't a Signer. That or he's sore about recent events and has chosen him as the target of his rage".
"I see. Should we intervene?"
"No. Let them be. It's just a duel; I can deal with Takasu later".
Jeager bowed in response to his superior's command, allowing the transparent monitor to vanish before Godwin's eyes. The Director turned, setting his eyes on the sky coloured with the sun's rise.
Chapter 7 - Pushed to Limitations: Junk Warrior vs. Chain Dragon!
[Genkai ni Osu Koto: Jyanku Woriā basasu Chen Doragon!]
The space inside the elevator remained silent and the air thick with tension. Neither guard said a word, Yusei didn't even glance at them in the corner of his eyes; his mind remained fixed on the purpose of dragging him to another floor, he hadn't needed to ascend or descend through the layers of the Detention Centre when Takasu had tested his body for any sign of the Birthmark that had once shone. Questions ran through his mind; all brought on by what Godwin had presented him with - not only his words, but the monitor that had shown his former comrade demolishing streets of the district. His mind wandered to Godwin's intentions of bringing the device and using Jack, outside of bribing him to join their side. But why had Jack agreed? What was happening while he remained shut in the compact space sliding up the levels of the Detention Centre?
The doors swung open; the thick air instantly replaced with the cool morning breeze. Yusei's glare lifted when he found himself staring at the sky, an array of pale colours accompanying the sunrise. The vast majority of the heavens already coloured the peaceful blue that reflected the ocean; thin strips of shades similar to a rainbow slowly fading away, rising above the red orb hovering over the horizon. Though his time in observing the scene was cut short when the guards pushed him forward, striding proudly behind him, wearing the same smug grins they usually held. Yusei glanced at them in the corner of his eye finally, glaring in silence. But they were of little importance; he turned his eyes forward once again, meeting the sight of Takasu. The warden was grinning sinisterly; Yusei's urge to learn what was happening had already faded, sinking into depths of regret in co-operating. The wind blew once again, threatening to topple not only Yusei, but the guards behind him; he raised his arms defensively against the merciless gust. Takasu chuckled at the sight of the struggle.
"Welcome, Satellite brat" he called, stretching his arms open wide. "Quite a view, isn't it? There's more than just that".
He laughed once again before he produced a switch in his hand, pressing the switch on it. A whirring sound roared beneath them, Yusei stared at the ground in shock when the stretch of roofing between himself and Takasu began to split, a gap hole opening up between them; the sight of the empty cells leading down to the floor of the centre sent a shiver down his spine. They stood over the area for long-term inmates, a place he had never seen since entering the building, seeing the entire stretch from roof to floor stunned him, the prison complex towered over anywhere else he had been inside the structure. The guards behind Yusei advanced, one staying by him and the other passing the gaping pit cautiously, eventually making his way to Takasu's side. Both attached chains to each duellist's ankle, the other end of each chain had been fixed onto identical crates. Despite the size, neither dragged Yusei or Takasu towards the abyss. The sound of Takasu's voice diverted Yusei's attention back to the warden.
"These crates are tied to our lifepoints. As your life decreases; the weight of your crate increases. Until eventually…" he explained, then imitating someone falling the immense height mocking with his hand. Yusei didn't need for him to demonstrate the end, yet he did for his own amusement. "The Director believes you're linked to some legend of the Crimson Dragon. I wonder if that will stop you from painting the detention centre with your blood.
'The Legend of the Crimson Dragon? Jii-san mentioned the same thing the night before last' Yusei recalled mentally; glaring at Takasu as if he had gone mad. He began to wonder if that was the case.
Takasu cackled in delight of the set-up, he fixed the Duel Disk he had kept under his arm to his wrists, the rainbow aura shone; the silent declaration of the device's activation. Yusei narrowed his eyes sharply; he couldn't understand why Takasu was going so far. What's more; Godwin wasn't even in on the duel either, not unless this was another sick test, but Takasu hadn't mentioned the Director's approval. If he was a Signer; why would Godwin risk losing him like this?
He reached for his belt, removing the deck he had recovered; the guard launched a Duel Disk into the air. Yusei caught it singled-handily with ease, slipping his cards into the deck holder while turning back to face Takasu. He was ready to fight back. But between the constant threat of falling to his death - whether the gusts knock him down or by losing the duel - and the possibility of sending Takasu to his death glared down on him. An invisible pressure that wasn't going to evaporate suddenly. It was unlike anything he had done before; he glared at Takasu, eyes filled with burning fury. Determined not to allow his anxiety to get to him and cause his downfall, his mind turned to Satellite once again; the district that floating upon the surface of the vast body of water, nothing more than a cloud of smog resting on the horizon over the sparkling water in the corner of his eye. If he were to die; who would be the one to return to Satellite to help his friends? He set the grim potential fate to the back of his mind, his eyes met Takasu's; simultaneously they called the start of the battle.
"Duel!"
--Neo-Domino: Tops--
Rua pulled a white jacket over his blue sleeveless shirt, yellow paths marked patterns matching those on Ruka's red shirt. She appeared in the doorway to the bedroom, sporting her own pink jacket. Rua's eyes fixed upon her for a moment, her insistence in travelling into the City - towards Satellite even - was much unlike her. His brow furrowed at her unusual behaviour, he couldn't cease wondering what had gotten into her. Ever since the day before - the day Neo-Domino had launched their assault - she hadn't been acting like her usual self. And her focus on Stardust, it deepened his concern. Why would she worry over a dragon that neither of them had seen before? She was usually powerless to stop a spirit in pain, but for reasons unknown to him, she was determined to help this one as much as she could.
"Rua, are you ready?" she inquired, bringing an end to the tense silence that had hung about the apartment since she had declared that she would find Stardust's true place.
"Ruka…" Rua muttered uneasily.
"I understand you're confused, Rua" Ruka mumbled, lowering her head gradually. Her eyes slowly met with the carpeted floor between them. "I know that I'm not acting like my usual self. But I've seen many Duel Spirits suffer. And, maybe, you were right. Maybe we could have done something by meeting the duellists that are fighting Satellite. I don't know why, but there's something about that dragon that calls out to me like nothing I've ever felt before".
"That sounds bizarre, Ruka" Rua called in surprise. "The fact that you can hear them is surprising enough. Why would one feel different? One that you've never seen before, I might add".
"I don't know, that's why I want to find out" Ruka replied, her voice gradually building the strength to fight back. "That dragon is important in some way. People are hurting it and I can't let that happen, I've let it happen when I had no power before. I don't' want something calling out in such a unique way to suffer because I couldn't be brave and save it".
"I had no idea you were so determined" Rua mumbled, he stared at his sister in shock at her sudden burst of courage. He had always had to protect her, even when they were too young for memories to last in their minds anymore. "I'm proud that you've decided to commit to something like this. Maybe we can find out what's going on".
"I hope so" Ruka answered, nodding her head swiftly. The sense that something had gone terribly wrong somewhere within the City grasped her. "I'm sure there are others like that dragon that are hurt. It has to be to do with the people that contacted duellists to attack Satellite".
"Do you know who they were?" Rua asked, dropping to his knee to slip his trainers on.
"One of the men I heard gloating said it was something to do with Security" Ruka replied. "But there's that Security Maintenance office. I don't know whether the order came from that high or if it was just Security stretching their power".
"We could try both. Maybe they worked together on this" Rua called. He smirked optimistically, all he wanted to was keep Ruka from worrying herself too much, to keep her healthy.
"But I don't understand why. They'd have a lot of officers at that Detention Centre. Those people are the scary ones" Ruka mumbled, her tiny frame beginning to tremble at the thoughts of the inmates of the Centre and their pasts. "So why do they have to attack the innocent people left?"
"Ruka, calm down" Rua called, rushing to Ruka's side and laying his hands onto his sister's shoulders. "We'll do what we can. Don't worry".
"You're right" Ruka released in a sigh. "I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to worry you. It's just not right. The City only cares about their own. What about the people on the other side? What about the Duel Spirits getting hurt?"
"They'll see if we can get through to anyone. If we can't, then we'll have to prove ourselves somehow" Rua called. Either side of his head, his fists shot up, punching in the air enthusiastically. Ruka only nodded slightly, her own belief in their presence anywhere involved in the struggle seemed to waver. "Ruka, maybe we should see if there's been any update on what's happening, maybe it'll explain what's really going on. After all, you did say you heard two guys talking and that was it".
"I suppose you're right" Ruka muttered at the same time of raising her golden eyes and gazing into his. There was more between them than just difference in gender; much more.
Rua jogged past her; despite the gravity of the situation, he still wanted to gaze on in the hopes of seeing his idol in action, wiping out Satellite opponents before they could even damage his lifepoints. He reached for the remote laying beside the monitor, his fingers dragging it into a range in which he could snatch it away. He released a call hanging in his throat when he pushed down on the controls. The monitor flashed in a sudden burst of light, almost blinding Rua for a brief second, Ruka watched over his shoulder, gazing at the sights of Satellite that had been shown. A woman with long blonde hair in a crimson dress stood before them, speaking about the attack, the other side had been weakened enough for even civilians to charge in and do whatever they pleased. The woman spoke of the Satellite residents as cowards, as individuals easily overpowered; either alone or as a group, Ruka frowned while the woman continued.
"…Led by the King, the duellists of the City have easily overthrown the duellists within Satellite and are now working on evacuating the premises after high ranked members of the Public Security Maintenance Bureau spoke of threats within Satellite. Residents declared as suspicious will be transferred to the Detention Centre while those that are innocent will remain in sections of the area that have been cornered off until investigators can determine what the threat is that officials claim Satellite holds. Due to the decision to send criminals to the Detention Centre, we tried to get a statement from the Centre's staff, however, after last night's breakout which saw the vast majority of inmates pour into the city and towards Satellite, we were unable to get anything from the officials there…"
'A breakout?' Ruka wondered, staring at the woman's face. She displayed no emotion nor sympathy for the victims of the attack. The City had never cared about the residents of Satellite before, why would they be putting so much effort into evacuating areas of the district for the sake of the civilians there? What happened to the conflict over the edge of the City? Why was none of footage showing the battles?
"…The number of escaped convicts is unknown, but out of the thousands that had been held in the facility, it is believed that little over a hundred are left. Security have called in every officer they can in order to find the inmates, scouring both the City and Satellite for those that had been inside during the breakout in order to bring them back to justice. Residents of the City are recommended not to approach anyone baring a Marker due to the likelihood that they had been in the Detention Centre prior to last night's escape…"
"I can't believe so many people were able to escape the Detention Centre. They always said that place was impossible to escape" Rua commented, gazing over his shoulder at Ruka whose eyes remained fixed firmly on the screen.
A roar rang out, catching Rua's attention and whipping his head back. The sight of a large emerald dragon could be seen rising the background, jewels gleaming in the light of the morning sun. The reporter seemed to be avoiding it, continuing the report like nothing was happening. The creature opened it's mouth, pouring flames down upon whatever it floated over.
"What the- ?" Rua cried in shock.
"That's the conflict! That dragon is attacking innocent people, what they claim to be doing isn't the case. There are many spirits that are hurt. We have to go out there and stop this before things get too far" Ruka protested.
"Ruka, wait…" Rua called, looking over his shoulder at her again. "I don't understand what's going on. We're going to help those people, but then won't people hate us? They might turn on mum and dad when they get back".
"There's more going on than we know. Than anyone else knows" Ruka growled, glaring sternly at her twin. "The only people who really understand everything must be those that spoke of a 'threat' in the Security Maintenance Bureau. For all we know, they're attacking Satellite because of a personal grudge".
"Then why wait so long?" Rua questioned, staring in disbelief at his sister. She had been a completely different person since the moment they had seen the dragon hovering over the Pipeline connecting the two places. Their only connection. Ruka shook her head.
"I don't know. But what I do know is that something's telling me I have to help out. Maybe it's the spirits from the people being hurt" she added. "I don't know what wants me to go or why, but the only way we're going to find out is if we go out there and find the answer ourselves".
Rua jumped up from the sofa, standing with his back to the news that continued to stream; the words were falling on deaf ears, neither twin listened.
"Alright, I'll go with you. I'm trusting you not to lead us into trouble" he called enthusiastically.
"Who's the one that usually gets in trouble?" Ruka inquired, raising an eyebrow.
Rua could only chuckle nervously in response.
--Satellite: Daedalus Bridge--
BlackBird flew along the street leading towards the base of Daedalus Bridge, those around him were of no concern, Crow was set on defending the monument; his inspiration. He couldn't stand by idly while the chaos continue to spread like wildfire around him, the kids were still close by; it would only be a matter of time before they were discovered. Why the invasion had happened was beyond his understanding; it made his blood boil. If only he weren't alone throughout the clash. BlackBird screeched when Crow slammed on the brakes, sliding towards the edge of the land by the base of the bridge. The squeals of the bike ceased, trails of smoke rising all around Crow and the sound of another engine reached his ears. He glared through the veil of smoke rising between the two of them, mutely cursing whoever stood opposite him, the D-Wheel seeming much larger than his own.
The veil gradually thinned, revealing to Crow the mighty white D-Wheel facing him, his eyebrows lifted upon recognizing the vehicle. He removed his helmet; his red hair springing up in its usual style, the blonde rider didn't follow the move.
"Jack" Crow called; he had been half-expecting them to face each other since the attack had commenced.
The King gave no reply, Crow scowled at the fact; Jack was too good for Satellite, for his former friends. The City had tainted him from the man he had been, it sickened him. He was attacking his birthplace and showed no remorse, he had simply been twisted that much in two long years.
"I was hoping it had been a lie…" Crow muttered to himself, reaching towards the sky to stretch his arms. "Hey, Jack. What's going on? I thought we could at least have time to catch up before we clashed".
Jack grunted; lifting his helmet from his head, blonde spikes of his hair stood as though he had been riding without anything over them. He glared at Crow coldly, while they may have been acquainted in the past; that was nothing to him now. He was the Duel King, he needed no-one. He wanted no-one.
"You don't even understand what's going on, do you?" he asked bluntly.
"Of course I don't. I've been busy struggling to survive" Crow laughed, even trying to maintain his usual disposition was a challenge. He missed the days of his allies, his friends, being together. "I suppose it's a blast being the Duel King, huh?"
"This isn't a game" Jack growled.
"I figured that when you guys started destroying whatever you could" Crow replied with his own growl of fury. The attempt at continuing like they were friends had failed miserably. "But why Jack? Why attack somewhere so close to you? Somewhere that holds more of you than anywhere else in the world".
"Hmph" Jack sounded, closing his eyes. "I thought even you would have understood that I escaped this place because there was little for me here anymore. I outgrew this place Crow, unlike you, clinging to the fable of this bridge. Satellite will fall and when it does, that bridge and anyone else like you who are unable to move on will fall with it".
"You talk big, but you forget about all the duellists here that'll stand and fight until their last breath" Crow chuckled with a grin.
"You mean people like Yusei" Jack called.
Crow's eyebrows lowered and his grin widened, Jack knew him so well, even after so long. Jack sniggered, causing Crow's smug expression to fade out of curiosity.
"You don't even know where he is" Jack continued.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Crow asked. "We haven't seen each other for a while, but it's not like he's disappeared off the face of the planet".
"I know where he is" Jack added, cutting off any further yammering from Crow. The redhead's eyebrows rose higher. "He won't be coming to your rescue. None of you understand the true purpose for this assault; revolt and you'll only be helping them. Not even Yusei would know and he's right in the centre of everything".
"I don't understand" Crow replied.
"I didn't expect you would" Jack scoffed; tearing his eyes from the sight of his former ally and to the City nestled upon the watery horizon. "You will in time, Crow".
--Neo-Domino: Detention Centre--
Simultaneously, Yusei and Takasu pulled five cards from their decks, glaring across the pit between them at each other. They couldn't afford to be anything short of enemies; their very lives depended on their ability to fight each other in such conditions.
DUEL START
YUSEI -- TAKASU
4000 --LP-- 4000
Takasu grinned and pulled a sixth card, adding it to his hand; declaring without words that he would begin the battle. Yusei didn't react, he only watched the large man sternly, his usual frown in its place; despite his unease at the position he had been left in; he seemed willing to fight back.
FIRST TURN - TAKASU
Takasu inspected his hand, eyes darting from one card to the next. After a moment of tense silence, even from the morning gusts, Takasu lifted a card from his hand, laying it onto one of the monster zones on his Duel Disk.
"I summon Chain Repairer [ATK 1600] in attack mode" he declared, regarding the shadow of blue pixels that shone in the space before him.
Over the edge of the pit hung the creature emerged, brandishing a large iron hammer in its hands, the weapon that Takasu intended to deal as much damage to Yusei with. Takasu grinned when Yusei continued to stare at his field like nothing, almost like he was daydreaming in another world; he hadn't made a single movement since drawing his five cards which stood in his firm grip. He pulled another card from his hand, placing it in the level of the Duel Disk beneath the card depicting his Chain Repairer.
"I set one card face-down. Turn end" he added, grinning smugly when his end camef to its end. "Your turn, Signer".
SECOND TURN - YUSEI
Yusei's hand made its way to his deck, stripping it of the top card; his arm froze at its limit, his eyes meeting the card he had pulled. He laid it on top of his Duel Disk, a familiar card. Just as Takasu's, the creature Yusei had called for emerged in a shower of blue pixels.
"I summon Speed Warrior [ATK 900] in attack mode" he called as the creature struck its usual pose, ready for battle. "During its first turn on the field, Speed Warrior's attack points are doubled".
The edges of Speed Warrior's form began to shine in the same golden glow as the sun would in the hours to come, it's attack power soared from it's standard value to an amount much higher. Yusei pointed at Takasu's lone monster, leaving the warden to admit his judgements about Yusei's attention during his turn had been misplaced.
"Battle!" Yusei commanded to his warrior. "Speed Warrior [ATK 1800], destroy Chain Repairer. Sonic Edge!"
The creature lunged forward, almost skating over the empty air over the pit to the ground level of the building, taunting the duellists at the ability to do so. When it had crossed to Takasu's field, it leapt into the air over the field, positioning itself to eliminate the opponent monster with a single blow.
"Trap card open - Soul Anchor" Takasu yelled with a grin.
The air around Chain Repairer became thick in a purple aura, one which Speed Warrior failed to break through. The two monsters remained locked in position for a number of seconds before Speed Warrior leapt away from the monster, failing in destroying the enemy that had been right before it. It leapt back to Yusei's side of the field, standing over the edge once again, staring down the opponent. Yusei's eyebrows lowered slightly at the failed attempt to empty Takasu's field, the warden only chortled in amusement at foiling the plot.
"When my Soul Anchor activates, it becomes an equip card that will prevent my monster from being destroyed in battle" he laughed, fiddling with his right nostril, his lifepoints slipped down as a result of the battle damage.
YUSEI -- TAKASU
4000 --LP-- 3800
The weight of the box beneath increased slightly, just enough to nudge his leg. There was little in the strength, Takasu had no problem in resisting the pull. Yusei grunted, his eyes dropping anxiously to his cards. He had been hoping to destroy Takasu's monster due to a lack of cards to support his Speed Warrior in his hand. He could easily predict Takasu's next move, he was already in a deadly position with little choice and only a single turn had passed. His eyes rose to Takasu who watched with a grin, just waiting for Yusei to put up any defence he could. A drop of sweat slid down the side of Yusei's face, there was nothing more he could do, his mouth opened subtly to utter what he had dreaded the past half a minute.
"Turn end".
THIRD TURN - TAKASU
"My turn" Takasu snarled, his disposition falling to one similar to a vicious dog bearing its teeth. "I summon Chain Snake [ATK 800] in attack mode".
To the right of the Chain Repairer that floated before him, a lone chain with the head of a snake appeared, wiggling its way from the shower of pixels into reality. It tilted its head in Yusei's direction. It was the perfect chance for Takasu to deal Yusei the same he had been dealt. The current field would leave Yusei with a massive dent in his lifepoints, they would fall as quickly as he would when the duel's conclusion saw him thrown over the edge and his body shatter against the cold floor of the prison below. Takasu grinned at the same moment when his Chain Snake lunged forward, coiling itself around Speed Warrior. Yusei's brow creased watching his monster helpless in the grip of the snake, twitching without hope for escape. Takasu cackled at the scene, almost like a foreboding of the conditions of their duel, another drop of sweat began to slip down Yusei's forehead while Takasu's laughter faded into words.
"Chain Snake becomes an equip card targeting your monster, lowering its attack power by the same value as the creature that binds it possesses - 800 points" he proudly declared, watching the snake tighten its grip on Speed Warrior, sending its attack plummeting down to just a hundred attack points. "And if it's destroyed, it'll send cards from your deck equal to its level to the Graveyard".
Yusei's jaws locked at the sight of his only monster constricted in the grip of the creature that had emerged on the field so recently. The warden opposite, however, couldn't seem to get enough of the scene.
"Now I activate my permanent Magic card - Paralyze Chain. Because of this card's effect, when cards are sent from your deck to the graveyard, you'll take 300 points of damage".
After his explanation of the effects of his deadly cards, he launched his fist forward, signalling to his Repairer to attack. The monster thrust itself across the field, raising its hammer over its head. Yusei grit his teeth when Speed Warrior could do nothing more than struggle again fruitlessly, freezing when the iron hammer fell upon it, resulting in a downwards explosion. The gusts around whipped at Yusei more violently, threatening to knock his slender frame about like a mere toy; if it didn't, Takasu would. The warden's cackle resumed when the thunderous roar of the explosion ended, smoke reducing Yusei's vision, Takasu continued nonetheless.
"When Chain Repairer destroys a monster, the controller of said monster takes 300 points of damage. Combing that with the effect of Paralyze Chain and battle damage; it's a total loss of 1800 lifepoints" he taunted, satisfied with the efficiency of his turn. The cloud of smoke over Yusei's field cleared gradually, Takasu pointed to the chain connecting Yusei's left leg with the box hanging below. "All of which becomes extra weight on your leg".
YUSEI -- TAKASU
2200 --LP-- 3800
Yusei sneered while his lifepoints plummeted from the full four thousand to just above half: Before he could retort in any manner, the chain tugged fiercely. No matter what resistance he put up, the box dropped above the halfway limit; Yusei found himself felled, lifting his right arm as a shield to avoid his torso colliding with the base of the roof, his right leg also bent itself defensively. The air was filled with Takasu's taunting cackle during the seconds he was dragged towards the pit, his heart pounded against his chest anxiously. The weight of the box beneath had grown so drastically, it had been too much for his body. The feeling was surreal; Takasu was really putting their lives on the line over a simple card battle. Just because he was suspected of being a Signer, just because he had played a role in the breakout. There was no chance that Godwin could have possibly approved of the duel.
When he stopped moving, he didn't stand immediately, he took a brief moment to evaluate his position: halfway between his starting point and the edge of the pit, nothing to defend himself with and Takasu overpowering him with whatever card the large warden would pull. Yusei eventually picked himself up; glaring hatefully at Takasu, there was only one other occasion he could recall feeling so helpless, so anxious. Perhaps it was something about him that led him to face great heights as a reaper, standing upon the ground level with a scythe ready to slay him with.
"I'll place a card face-down on my field and bring my turn to an end" the warden proclaimed, smirking arrogantly. "Too bad your friends that escaped aren't here to save you now. Judging by the fact you were captured again, I'd say they weren't of any use in the first place".
Yusei scowled, forcing his mind from wandering amongst the past and ejecting another card from his deck.
"My turn".
FOURTH TURN - YUSEI
Glancing briefly at the card, Yusei's expression remained unfazed, giving Takasu no clue just what it was he had been capable of pulling from his deck. The warden raised an eyebrow, seeing the card descend from the height Yusei had been holding it and connect with the Duel Disk attached to his arm.
"I summon Shield Warrior [DEF 1600]" the younger competitor declared tonelessly. The creature bearing a large shield of placed defensively before its form as Yusei called it's name, kneeling in the air behind the tall barrier, Yusei scowled at how little his choice of options remained. "I'll set one card. Turn end".
FIFTH TURN - TAKASU
"Seems you're running low on options already" Takasu snorted, drawing from his deck. "I wonder what those others would say if they could see you squirming now. Words of encouragement? Pleas to not surrender? Nothing they would say could make a difference, the fact that they've left you behind is a reward more than anything. At least they won't be yelling nonsense throughout the duel".
Yusei's eyes narrowed slightly at the words Takasu spoke, nothing short of insulting his friends' very existence. Other than sharpening his glare discreetly, he made no physical reaction to the claims; Takasu smirked whilst proceeding.
"I activate Psychic Cyclone" he called. "This card allows me to guess whether your face-down card is a Magic or a Trap. If I guess correctly, then the card is destroyed and I draw one card". Yusei scowled at the elucidation of the card's effect, the situation could only scream the obvious answer into Takasu's ears. "Given the pitiful state your field is in, it's clear that whatever your hiding is a Trap card".
The card on Yusei's field rose, revealing its identity as his handy Scrap-Iron Scarecrow briefly before the hologram imploded, Yusei grunted as the golden shards scattered across his field, dissolving into the air pathetically. Takasu grinned widely at the result, stripping his deck of the card granted to him by the correct guess. His eyes rested upon the card, no indication that his grin was going to fade because of a bad draw; instead he laid it onto his Duel Disk.
"I summon Chain Shooter [ATK 1100]" he yelled conceitedly, allowing the metallic launcher to appear beside his Repairer. "This monster's effect allows me to revive a Chain monster from my Graveyard. Chain Snake, appear on the field once again!" The steel reptile materialized amongst Takasu's forces, a trio of deadly Chain monsters facing Yusei's lone defensive Shield Warrior. Takasu smirked darkly at the field's standings.
He averted his eyes to Chain Shooter, observing the newly revived snake creature transfiguring into a pink orb of energy and leaping atop the Shooter's head.
"Chain Shooter has an ability of its own" the warden chortled. "Once a turn, I can release a Chain monster on my field and Chain Shooter will blast you with it, dealing you 800 points of damage".
The orb, having sunken into the cannon of the Shooter extended instantaneously into a large beam, aimed at Yusei. His eyes narrowed firmly at the mass racing towards him, a fireball with the searing hatred that Takasu held against him. Against Satellite.
"At this rate, your friends won't have worry about how you're doing!" Takasu roared with laugher.
Yusei hated to admit it, but Takasu was close to the truth - if he couldn't save himself and end the duel before his lifepoints reached zero, then he would die, a drop of sweat raced down the side of his face. His deck was strained; his cards couldn't assemble themselves into a strategy capable of defending himself. He was running out of opportunities to save himself.
--Neo-Domino: Tops--
Rua dragged the zip of the rucksack holding his Duel Disk along its fixed path. The machine was still trouble to wear and duel with, despite the twins growing towards their development of teenage years. The emerald haired boy sighed, he couldn't wait that long to grow into the Duel Disk for real. His neck twisted at the sound of footsteps coming from the bedroom, Ruka stood in the doorway, wearing her matching sack on her back; she smiled gratefully at him.
"Rua, I'm glad you're coming. I wouldn't want to do this with anyone else" she muttered, bringing the silence since the cluttering of getting Rua's Duel Disk into the bag to an end.
"Yeah, yeah. I know" Rua sighed, waving his hand almost like he had been forced into the situation. "I hope Tenpei doesn't mind us doing this without telling him".
"Rua, this is going to be dangerous for us, let alone dragging him along" Ruka protested.
"I know" Rua repeated, setting his eyes on his sister. "I'm just worried about you".
Ruka stared at him baffled, she couldn't understand what he meant or what it had to do with dragging Tenpei into their search that could expand anywhere in the conflict. Without a response from her expected to come, Rua continued on.
"Ever since you saw that dragon last night, you've been acting strange. No, even before that. I came out and saw you just standing there, like you weren't paying attention to anything else than it. I mean, I know it was beautiful, especially in the night, but you can't let it control your life. Normally, you wouldn't try something like this, Ruka. What's going on?"
"Nothing's going on. I just want this to stop. So Satellite may be a scary place and there may or may not be hundreds or thousands of criminals hiding away there. But we can't let them all suffer, for all we know, they could be normal people" Ruka protested. "What's going on is almost like a civil war, we can't just stand by while people are getting hurt. Something's guiding me - us - there to stop this".
Rua nodded his head, even for reasons indistinct to himself, all he wanted was to stay by her side, to protect her and make sure no-one was there to bring any harm to his sister. He pulled the straps to his sack, slipping his arms through and allowing the carrier to fall against his back, he smile at her again, gripping both straps. She stepped forward, laying a hand on his shoulder.
"Thank you, Rua" she echoed once again.
Rua chuckled with a slight blush, rubbing the back of his head. Ruka's hand fell from his shoulder, a sharp pain shooting through it. She clutched the burning forearm with her other hand, trying her best not to let on anything was wrong, failing easily. Rua stared at her, his smile faded in the moment of tension surrounding her grip.
"Ruka!" he cried, his hands moving forward towards her arm, sharply pausing.
"It's nothing" Ruka insisted, her tiny frame shivering despite what she claimed.
"Something's wrong. Maybe we should leave this until you're feeling better" Rua protested.
"No, it's probably just a cramp or something. It'll go away soon" Ruka added, her eyes locking with Rua's.
"Are you sure?" Rua asked, gritting his teeth when he finished. In her eyes, he could see pain, almost suffering, he couldn't bare it. He turned his eyes away; it broke his heart to see her in such a way.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's calming down now. It's nothing major" Ruka replied, smiling.
"Fine, but if that starts up again, we'll come back here" Rua called. "I don't want you getting hurt because of this".
Ruka nodded her head, the smile she had worn just the moments before the sudden burning pain had returned like nothing had happened. Rua turned from her, marching towards the door, she followed, her mind still stuck on the pain.
'What could that have been? It wasn't anything like I've felt before. And it was so sudden, what can it mean?' she asked herself within her mind.
--Neo-Domino: Detention Centre--
The ray from Chain Shooter shot over the edge of Yusei's field, slamming into him and engulfing his field in smoke from the blast. Yusei grunted again, his arms rose defensively before him. Without giving his opponent a chance to recover from the blow, Takasu resumed his turn, pressing down on the control for his other face-down card to rise.
YUSEI -- TAKASU
1400 --LP-- 3800
"I activate my face-down card - Poison Chain!" the large man commanded, pointing towards the card laying before him as it rose automatically. "During my End Phase, if I didn't attack, you'll be forced to send cards from your deck equal to the total of my Chain monsters' levels. And currently, that number stands at six".
He motioned towards the card as it began to glow with its reactivation, forcing further damage upon Yusei when he would discard from his deck. The warden chuckled coldly once again, declaring the end of his turn had come. Yusei glared at him whilst ejecting six more cards from his deck, laying each one into the graveyard of his Duel Disk.
YUSEI -- TAKASU
1100 --LP-- 3800
Another three hundred lifepoints drained away, the weight of the box beneath began to increase again, dragging Yusei forward again. His lifepoints had fallen to a value barely over a thousand and the view of the prison ground floor was slowly creeping into his view, his heart pounded against his chest, faint memories trying to drill themselves back into his mind.
SIXTH TURN - YUSEI
"Draw" he called, stripping another card from his deck to his hand. "I summon Junk Synchron! [ATK 1300]. Junk Synchron's effect allows Speed Warrior to revive [ATK 900]".
The two creatures appeared on Yusei's field, side by side; partners that usually appeared alongside each other - one a small humanoid dressed in orange armour that shielded its body parts, the other a grey-suited human shaped being, skating onto the field through the vortex that granted it liberation from the Graveyard. Junk Synchron pulled on the cord to its back; beginning the tuning process, green rings surrounding Speed Warrior which then faded into two orbs of light.
"I'm tuning my Level 3 Junk Synchron to my Level 2 Speed Warrior" Yusei declared in the light of the new hope to prevent his demise, a blinding light engulfed the pair. "Tsudoishi hoshi ga, aratana chikara wo yobiokosu! Hikari sasu michi tonare! Shinkuro Shoukan! Ideyo, Jyanku Woriā! [ATK 2300]" [1]
The stronger creature emerged from the light in its usual pose, ready to take on the fight ahead. Its body shielded by the purple and grey armoured it had inherited partially from Speed Warrior; around its neck was the remnants of Junk Synchron - the white scarf hanging limply. Yusei pointed in the direction of Chain Shooter, the indication that was the first target to take out.
"Battle!" he called, the warrior lunging forward. "Destroy Chain Shooter. Scrap Fist!"
The mechanical warrior leapt into the air, stretching out its right arm aimed at Chain Shooter as the target. Seconds passed before it shot down from the height, its fist smashing into the creature and disappearing in the resulting explosion. Neither Yusei nor Takasu did anything outside of watching the destruction of the creature. Following the successful counterattack, Yusei continued, laying a card face-down behind the space where Junk Warrior had emerged down.
YUSEI -- TAKASU
1100 --LP-- 2600
"Turn end".
SEVENTH TURN - TAKASU
The weight of the crate beneath suddenly increased sharply, throwing Takasu's balance off and sending him wobbling about whilst inching closer to the edge. His lifepoints had taken a heavy blow. He slowed the process down by anchoring his sheer weight, snarling when he drew another card from his deck.
"M- My turn" he snarled, lifting the new card from his stack fixed into his Duel Disk. "Now I'll activate Chain Repairer's effect to revive Chain Shooter".
The massive cannon-shaped creature returned, a monster that had just left the field returning so suddenly. Yusei lowered his head slightly, his jaws locked as his eyes remained on the creature, waiting for the effect of the revived creature to activate.
"I activate Pot of Greed" the warden continued surprisingly, revealing the Magic card in his hand. "So I'll draw two cards and…" Pot of Greed entered the Graveyard, the prematurely drawn cards as a result of its sacrifice stood in Takasu's right hand. Two that forced the corners of his mouth apart, moulding his large lips into a smirk. "I summon Chain Coil [ATK 1100]".
The undersized steel creature appeared amongst its daunting brethren, arms hanging from its body simply compiled of a small mass of chain looped over.
"Tuner?" Yusei sounded, observing the creature in minute perplexity.
"Exactly. What do you suggest, we battle Synchro Monsters. Sounds fun doesn't it?" the large warden chuckled.
'His confidence gives the impression that his Synchro Monster will be stronger in points than Junk Warrior' Yusei mentally analyzed, simply envisage the Synchro beast's arrival.
"Tuning Level 4 Chain Coil to Level 2 Chain Shooter!" The Coil's body unravelled, the chain protruding the forward vertically until it extended until its form dissolved inwardly, leaving nothing more than a vacant hologram glowing until it vanished. The green ring of the Tuner's existence descended over Chain Shooter, stripping it of its standard form and locating the two stars hidden within it. The pair lined up, entering the final stage of their purpose - a stream of light expanded from the two until it touched the edges of the rings encasing it. "Synchro Summon! Come out, Chain Dragon! [ATK 2500]"
The massive grey creature appeared, shrieking into the bitter morning air. Blue tattered wings extended from its back, stretching out to show off its form, suppressed by the chain hanging over its shoulders.
'I knew it' Yusei averred inwardly.
"My dragon's effect activates now - All Chain monsters in my Graveyard are removed from play and my dragon gains 200 attack points for each Chain monster in my Graveyard" Takasu declared across the field. "Currently, Chain Snake, Chain Shooter and Chain Coil are removed; so Chain Dragon gains 600 attack points!"
"3100 attack power?" Yusei echoed, gazing at the dragon.
"My dragon is the most powerful creature on this field now, your Junk Warrior doesn't stand a hope of surviving - just like you don't" Takasu taunted smugly, grinning throughout his claims that he couldn't possibly lose with the dragon on the field. "But your monster gets slightly longer to live, I play Blind to Contract [*]. This card freezes my dragon's attack power, so its effect doesn't wear off. The cost is my Battle Phase for this turn. But that doesn't mean you get off easy. I place one card face-down and now Poison Chain will activate again".
Yusei's eyes remained set on the dragon while 10 cards left his deck, entering the Graveyard one by one as he placed them at the mouth of the opening. Opposite him, Paralyze Chain began to glow - the discard had activated its effect.
YUSEI -- TAKASU
800 --LP-- 2600
The crate beneath descended marginally, pulling Yusei slightly closer to the edge of the cavity in the roof. His lifepoints were dropping too low, he had to draw something before he found himself in a position that he couldn't escape. Shrugging off the doubts, he proceeded, his fingers touching the top card of his deck.
EIGHTH TURN - YUSEI
"Draw" he called, observing the card briefly before stretching his arm over the face-down card on his field. "Trap card open - Angel Lift. This card will allow me to revive a Level 2 monster from my Graveyard. Return now, Speed Warrior! [ATK 400]"
The Trap card that rose began to shine, a vortex that allowed Speed Warrior to return to the field, the grey suited creature skating through the threshold and back onto the battlefield.
"Junk Warrior's effect then absorbs the attack power of Speed Warrior and adds that amount to its own offensive" Yusei added, stretching his arm in the Synchro warrior's direction, a blue aura beginning to glow around the creature. "Junk Warrior, [ATK 3200] attack Chain Dragon. Scrap Fist!"
The purple armour clad warrior lunged forward, its right fist glowing as the momentum of its assault poured into the hand, the fingers gripping the knuckle duster that dealt a deadly force with its attack. Despite the increased power of the warrior putting it at a stronger offensive value, Takasu simply grinned at the choice to battle.
"Trap card open - Chain Binding! [*]"
"What?"
Junk Warrior's fist connected with a transparent barrier surrounding the enemy dragon. Try as it might, the humanoid fighter simply couldn't break through and submitted to the play, repelled back to Yusei's side of the field.
"Chain Binding protects my creature from being destroyed. The cost is simply one card from the top of my deck, which heads to my Graveyard, but it's worth it to see your hopes of ridding the field of my beast fade".
YUSEI -- TAKASU
800 --LP-- 2500
Yusei resisted the urge to respond to the warden's taunting, waiting for the card from the top of his deck to sink beneath the Graveyard and continue his turn. The card slid within the internal of the Duel Disk attached to Takasu's arm, leaving Yusei free to proceed, plucking a card from his hand.
"I set two cards face-down. Turn end".
NINTH TURN - TAKASU
"Draw!" Takasu bellowed; removing what had become the top card of his deck. "I activate Chain Repairer's effect to revive Chain Snake [ATK 800]".
"But you removed your Chain Snake from play when you Synchro Summoned your Chain Dragon" Yusei protested.
"Chain Binding required a discard from the top of my deck, guess what it was" Takasu chortled darkly.
"It can't be…" Yusei gasped. "Another Chain Snake?"
The replica of the steel reptile long absent from the field materialized beside the man-shaped creature responsible for its return. As quickly as it reappeared, it vanished from Takasu's field, re-emerging behind Junk Warrior."We both know what comes now" Takasu chortled in a low tone.
The snake shot forward, beginning to coil its body around Junk Warrior's form, binding its arms to its torso and restricting any hope of fighting back against Chain Dragon. Yusei scowled, watching powerlessly as his warrior's attack power slid almost back to its original value.
"Chain Dragon, destroy his Junk Warrior! [ATK 2400]" Takasu commanded. "When Chain Dragon deals Battle Damage, you'll have to discard from your deck. That with the damage from this attack and your lifepoints are depleted!"
Between the dragon's jaws, energy of a purple shade built - the force of its attack. The flame-like matter poured from its mouth and shot in the direction of Junk Warrior, unable to escape its fate.
"Trap card open!" Yusei yelled, opening his arm over the face-down card to his right. "Synchro Barrier!"
"What?" Takasu spat furiously.
"Synchro Barrier releases Junk Warrior in order to evade Battle Damage" Yusei clarified. "Your dragon's effect won't diminish my lifepoints!"
"But the attack has to go somewhere. Chain Dragon, target Speed Warrior!"
Junk Warrior vanished from the field, Speed Warrior dragged into its place as the new target. The weaker monster didn't react as the stream surrounded its form, scorching its limbs before its endurance swiftly came to an end and its form collapsed. Between the explosion and Yusei, a barrier appeared - the shield left behind from Junk Warrior's sacrifice. Despite the shield, Yusei's eyes closed as the gusts from the collision whipped at his body, unable to shift him due to the crate hanging below. Takasu scowled at the lack of Battle Damage dealt, leaving the remainder of Yusei's deck in tact.
"By removing Chain Snake from my Graveyard, I'll activate Chain Dragon's ability to increase its attack power further" he proclaimed, the card of the aforementioned monster sliding out from the Graveyard's threshold. "And because of Blind to Contract, Chain Dragon's attack power remains at that rather than returning to its base attack at the end of my turn".
Chain Dragon [ATK 3300] roared fiercely as its attack reached the peak throughout the battle, there was nothing that Yusei could summon against it and only one monster remained on his field - Shield Warrior. But Takasu's turn wasn't over yet.
"I activate Twin Sever. This forces us both to discard the top card of our decks".
Yusei adhered to the command of the card, pulling the top card from his deck - Skill Successor - and placing it in the Graveyard. Opposite, Paralyze Chain began to shine, its effect activating again, draining Yusei's lifepoints by 300.
YUSEI -- TAKASU
500 --LP-- 2500
Takasu, too, discarded before he directed his attention to the last card in his hand and setting it face-down in his Duel Disk, leaving nothing else for him to do.
TENTH TURN - YUSEI
"Dra-"
"Trap card open!" Takasu yelled, interjecting Yusei, his hand hovering inches above his cards.
"What?" Yusei gasped.
"I'm activating my Trap card - Zero Hand! [*]" the warden averred loudly. "This can only be activated while I control Chain Dragon and before you draw. You're forced to discard your hand and then the same number of cards you discarded are taken from your deck and join them in the Graveyard!"
Yusei scowled, placing his hand at the mouth of his Graveyard, allowing the Duel Disk to swallow them. Once the threshold was cleared again, he drew two cards from his deck - the same amount as those he had discarded already - and placed them in the same spot as their predecessors. As they disappeared into the Cemetery, Paralyze Chain activated once again.
YUSEI -- TAKASU
200 --LP-- 2500
Before he moved to continue, Takasu's roaring laughter rang out, drawing Yusei's attention. The warden smirked coldly, his hands resting against his abdomen without the need of holding onto any cards.
"Enjoy your final turn; whether I attack or not, you're finished next turn - whether I attack with Chain Dragon and Repairer or I leave Paralyze Chain to finish you off, you're going to lose" he jeered smugly. "You were content on allowing that foolish old man to flee; you gave up your life for him. What's he going to do to save you now? Nothing - just like what he and the others are worth. Even if they do escape into the City, they'll quickly be recaptured, especially once the war in Satellite is over. None of that Satellite scum is escaping from what's happening - including you. Just like you couldn't save everyone you wanted to, they can't save you".
Yusei's fringe hung over his eyes as he listened to what Takasu had to say - it was true that if he couldn't pull off an impressive move in the next turn, he would lose the duel and then his life. The life he had put on the line to allow Yanagi to flee from the courtyard when Godwin appeared. But he wasn't going to throw it away like it meant nothing; he would fight until the last second, his last breath. If he was a Signer, then fate wouldn't allow him to perish here, he would have to fight on. He had to return to Satellite and help those he cared about.
"Perhaps they are powerless in this situation" he intoned. "But they're not worthless; they have value in this world. Nothing is meaningless - not my friends and not my cards. If I don't fight against the City with them, who will? I can't let them down, I won't let them down".
"Eh?" Takasu asked, plucking a nose hair from his nostrils, uninterested in what Yusei claimed yet intrigued by his determination to fight on. "You won't even be able to get back to Satellite, how are you going to defend them from the next world?"
"I won't watch from another world" Yusei mumbled, lifting his head sharply afterwards, the flames in his eyes brighter than they had been previously. "Because I won't die!"
Takasu raised an eyebrow, the situation against Yusei was hopeless; his Chain cards had executed a deadly combo that had Yusei with his back against the wall, ready to descend back to the ground with a harsh force. Gravity would always prevail. Regardless, Yusei lowered his left shoulder, pressing the tips of his fore and middle finger against the top card of his deck, his eyes remained firmly on the warden.
"I'm fighting for my friends now. Draw!"
The card whipped across Yusei's form, his arm suspended as it reached its limit opposite the machine, the back positioned in line of Yusei's sight. His wrist began to twist, gradually revealing just what he had drawn; its identity earning a smile.
"I summon Turbo Synchron [ATK 100]" he declared, placing the card onto his Duel Disk.
The tiny green machine creature appeared on the field ahead of Shield Warrior. At the sheer lack of attack power it possessed, Takasu roared out in cocky laughter once again, perhaps Yusei had conceded - to play something so weak in attack position against his Chain Dragon, it was suicide.
"You've given up, why would you play something like that at this time? You'd have better luck with that Shield Warrior of yours" he taunted proudly. "Is this all your deck could give you in your final desperate draw?"
"Turbo Synchron is everything I need" Yusei muttered calmly in response, lifting his head. "Because there is a Tuner monster on the field, Bolt Hedgehog [ATK 800] revives from the Graveyard".
"What?" Takasu spat.
The small orange rodent materialized on the field through the blue portal granting it passage to the field. Takasu's eyebrows rose at witnessing three creatures had been gathered on Yusei's field. He had enough levels between them to summon a decent monster in order to contend his Chain Dragon.
"When the hell did that runt go to your Graveyard?" Takasu barked, pointing furiously at the small furry creature.
"Much of my deck has been discarded, Bolt Hedgehog was amongst them" Yusei calmly answered. "You've been blindly erasing my cards that you haven't taken the opportunity to realize what it is you're forcing me to throw away - cards that do not deserve to be tossed aside".
Takasu growled, his right eye twitching. It was true that his deck had forced Yusei to discard several cards he hadn't seen, he had never expected cards in the Graveyard could have been of any use to him."I'm tuning my Level 1 Turbo Synchron with my Level 3 Shield and Level 2 Bolt Hedgehog". Just as he had witnessed before, the small Tuner creature tugged on a cord to begin the process, vanishing from the form it had appeared in and descending as a handful of rings surrounding the two monsters. The two became hollow swiftly, a total of five stars leaving their forms and lining up before the beam connecting them as they aligned expanded. Throughout, Yusei chanted his usual words for the creature's appearance in a duel. "Tsudoishi kizuna ga, saranaru chikara wo tsumugidasu! Hikari sasu michi tonare! Shinkuro Shoukan! Ideyo, Tābo Woriā! [ATK 2500]" [2]
The large crimson mechanical warrior rose from the light, resembling somewhat the front of a large goods vehicle, wheels hanging beneath the broad shoulders, connected to the torso. At the ends of its large arms, elongated pieces made the equivalent of nails gleaming threateningly in the light of the rising sun. Yusei's mind was focused on the stakes rather than the duel. He had plenty of experience in duelling against various opponents in the past. But never had their lives been on the line. He was hesitating inwardly; but Takasu would be fully prepared to send Yusei to his death, he had proved that by setting up the duel in the first place. He had never killed anyone before, life in Satellite had been rough and he had committed acts normal people wouldn't. But he couldn't allow himself to die, he glared uneasily. One of them had to die and he couldn't allow his life to be wasted through pity.
"I activate my face-down Trap" Yusei added. "Spell Regeneration [*]. This allows me to select one Magic card from my Graveyard and return it to my hand. As long as I relinquish half of my lifepoints. I select Junk Attack".
YUSEI -- TAKASU
100 --LP-- 2500
The card slid out from the mouth of the Graveyard, returned to Yusei's possession, the only card he held off the field that could be of any use to him. But his position stunted the warden - Turbo Warrior was still a deal weaker than his dragon, yet Yusei was preparing for something - something that he couldn't be certain of.
"Next, I equip Junk Attack to Turbo Warrior" Yusei added, slipping the card into the slot closest to the Graveyard. "And Ill remove from play my Skill Successor that was discarded through your Twin Sever. This will increase Turbo Warrior's attack power by 800".
The Trap emerged, removed from the Duel Disk and from the game. In front of Yusei, Turbo Warrior's [ATK 3300] attack rose just as the duellist had stated, Takasu snorted at the revelation.
"It's nothing massive, our monsters share the same attack power now" he scoffed, unimpressed.
"Battle!"
"Huh?"
Turbo Warrior shot forward, its left hand shifting ahead, aiming the large nails at the dragon hovering opposite. Despite what the result of the battle would become, Yusei was unfazed in attacking the enemy. The equal attack power of the monsters wasn't what was bothering him.
"Why don't you just forfeit normally?" Takasu barked. "Do you Satellite punks not believe in surrendering and maintain some pride that way?"
"Turbo Warrior's effect activates when it battles a Level 6 or higher creature" Yusei uttered sternly. "It halves the opponent's attack power".
"What?!"
"Turbo Warrior, destroy Chain Dragon [ATK 1650]! Accel Slash!"
The red machine lifted its left hand, its long nails piercing the skin of the dragon. The injured creature shrieked, the large chain around its neck clattering as it flailed, exploding briefly afterwards.
YUSEI -- TAKASU
100 --LP-- 850
"Now Turbo Warrior's effect ends, just as Junk Attack's begins" Yusei added calmly, in spite of what the combo would mean. The crate dragging Takasu towards the edge didn't prevent him from continuing, he simply wanted to battle to end. "Junk Attack deals damage to you equal to half of your destroyed monster's attack. With Turbo Warrior's effect over, Chain Dragon's attack points rise to 3300.
"Then that means-" Takasu gasped, the figures in his head totalling to an outcome he distasted.
Junk Attack began to glow. Just as Paralyze Chain, the shining began the effect, a jet of flames erupted from the card, charging across the field towards Takasu who yelled out, well aware of what was about to unfold. The flames engulfed his large build, the bellowing incessant as his lifepoints plummeted, Yusei watching the scene without any sign of remorse leaking through his exterior.
YUSEI -- TAKASU
100 --LP-- 0
DUEL END
Following his lifepoints reaching zero, the weight of the crate attached to Takasu became too much, even for a man of the warden's build, throwing him over the edge. He yelled helplessly while descending through the levels of the prison, attracting stares of disbelief from the inmates that could see. Yusei stared down, his entire body feeling numb as he watched the scene slow down, the body shrinking in his view, plummeting towards the terra firma. He, himself, had been seconds away from the same fate, another blow would have sent him meeting with Death. His eyes looking almost glazed over as he simply observed in horror - this was what pride in Neo-Domino was leading to. This was a mere example of what was going to happen in Satellite.
A loud crunching sound of Takasu's body, one of several sounds that came from the impact, ascended to the roof, a wide red splatter of blood like a blooming rose painted the ground level. A shudder ran through Yusei's body, he could feel the guards' loss of words and direction. He glanced at his Duel Disk, seeing his cards stained with the invisible blood of the warden; he brought his right hand up, touching his cheek where he believed he could feel the same sensation. He was hallucinating; seeing the crimson patches of blood that didn't exist already staining him.
The vague memory of a man that he had betrayed in the past, the closest he had been to the position in which he currently stood, a familiar voice in his head. A voice without a face or a name.
"YUSEI!!"
His neck twisted in the direction of the water that stretched to the horizon, his eyes rose to meet the sight of Satellite settled upon the skyline over the water, an array of faint colours fading into each other like a rainbow that expanded across the entire sky. The wind continued to blow wildly as the awkward silence hung in the air, he was far from the person he had left Satellite. Being a Signer, a murderer, he was beginning to wonder if he could ever truly go back.
PREVIEW
Ruka: That feeling…
Rua: Ruka, is your arm hurting again?
Ruka: It's not. But the aura I felt from the dragon, one of being scared, helpless and alone. I can feel it somewhere nearby. Maybe we can find the holder of its card.
Rua: And then see if we can find out what's going on. That dragon in Satellite looked really scary. Next time: "Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's: The Neo-Domino Purge, Chapter 8 - Those who Follow Fate's Call".
Ruka: There's another individual with a similar feel somewhere close by. One filled with rage. Who are these people?
- Please read and review -
[1] "Clustering stars, will call upon a new force! Become the light its shines upon! Synchro Summon! Show yourself, Junk Warrior!"
[2] "Clustering bonds, weave a greater force! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! Show yourself, Turbo Warrior!"
[*] - Cards created exclusively for The Neo-Domino Purge.
Some time after I promised, but a revamp of this story's take on Season 2 and the Dark Signers' arc got me in gear to rewrite the duel, some moves replicate the original version. But thanks to the other half of this fic standing behind the curtain, it's much better.
- CuteYami, 9th August 2009
