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 research on 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.
From a deck of cards, five rise up, lining up underneath a banner with the symbols to spell out "Card of the Week". Rua and Ruka spring up with raised fists, landing on their tiny feet and shift their weight from one to the other, arms rigid and stretched out to the side. Together they chime.
"What will it be? What will it be?" Together they twirl from the five cards, opening an arm to the selected. "This is what we have for this week".
The five cards turn over revealing Junk Synchron, Depth Charge, Freezing Fitzgerald, Reed Butterfly and Support Warrior. The central card - Freezing Fitzgerald - is enlarged to signify its status as the Key Card. Rua and Ruka gaze at it with discomfort.
"D- Dark Synchro Monster?" Rua yelps.
"It's a strange card" Ruka comments calmly. "I wonder who could have it? What kind of power could it have?"
The pair look away from the card, both relaxed and smiling. "Let's find out!" Rua beams.
-Satellite: B.A.D. Lands-
It was the dead of night, but still, the ice monster shimmered like the sun were shining onto its crystal skin, posing as a majestic creature under the power of shadows. Yusei glared at the monster, knowing it to only mean trouble; the robed man called it a Dark Synchro Monster - the polar opposite to the Synchro Monsters that had become a vital component to the game, proclaiming that these tainted counterparts would slay their predecessors and the Signers of light with them. Behind the beast, the unidentified duellist sneered; amused by the fact that Yusei was struggling to deal with the revelation, revelling in his uneasiness.
"It seems you're stumped, Fudo Yusei" he taunted with a sly tone. "Could it be that you don't understand the mechanics of my monster?"
"Don't screw with me" Yusei growled. "What is this thing?"
"You may as well learn now - you won't have much longer to find out otherwise. It's only fair that you know the power of the monster that's going to extinguish the light of your Birthmark and bury you under the ground of this forsaken place" the man replied smugly. "This Dark Synchro Monster is the polar opposite of a Synchro Monster - it's the tool given to me to cast away the poisonous Synchro Monsters and Signers. It works by subtracting the low level of a normal monster from a Dark Tuner, pushing beyond the limit of zero and into negative levels. It surpasses the impossible and drags up new possibilities".
"It ventures into dangerous territory" Yusei summarised with a glint of frustration in his eyes. "Given to you by a superior in your twisted cult; who are you working for?"
The man grinned wickedly, entertained by Yusei's desperate need for knowledge over the mysterious enemy. "I won't reveal myself until I am ready, Fudo Yusei" he taunted. "You'll have to win".
Yusei growled again, thrusting his right arm forward and pointing at the man. "Fine then, I'll unmask you before you can threaten anymore lives. I'll defeat you with the true power of Synchro Monsters" he bellowed. "I trust the Synchro Monsters in my deck and I won't allow you to use counter-measures against them for the sake of destroying life".
The enemy's lips parted again, twisting into a demonic smirk. "Good luck with that" he wished in a mocking tone. "Catastrophe's effect activates".
Yusei braced himself for whatever was to come, tensing the muscles in his legs and narrowing his eyes, keeping them fixed onto the enemy field. By his side, Junk Warrior exploded abruptly, snapping his neck back to where the purple-armoured warrior had been floating.
"Junk Warrior!" he cried in shock.
The dark grin of the anti-Signer deepened. "When Catastrophe is used for a Dark Synchro Summon, it can destroy a card on the opponent's field, leaving you wide open".
Yusei growled, tensing his arms and clenching his fists; there was only one face-down card between the strange Dark Synchro Monster and his lifepoints, There was no guarantee that the shady figure would leave it in tact; he was being forced deeper into a corner, losing all control before he could make a plan to defend himself. All to the amusement of the figure who appeared in the middle of the night and lured him away from those he'd hoped to protect.
Chapter 26 – Dark Synchro Summon!
[Daaku Shinkuro Shoukan!]
KEY CARD – Freezing Fitzgerald
-Neo-Domino: Tops-
Rua yawned when he was pulled back to the living world, rubbing his eyes to excavate grains of sand and clear his view. He assessed his room briefly with half-open eyes, adjusting to the darkness in his drowsy state. It dawned on him that he was thirsty; in need for a drink of water and that could have been what brought him back from his twilight fantasies. The boy crossed his room to the door, pulling down the handle and throwing it open with the small amount of strength in his weary body. With a path open, he began to stumble forward, heading towards the kitchen.
Something caught his attention, however, a small silhouette standing in front of the French doors that stood almost like a fourth wall to complete the room. Recognising his sister's form, Rua came to a halt, staring at her bewilderedly.
"Ruka?" he murmured. "What's wrong?"
Ruka didn't answer, she didn't move, as though she stood in a catatonic state, unable to pick up his voice. With this lack of response, Rua grit his teeth and frowned impatiently.
"Ruka, stop sleepwalking and get back to bed" he scolded.
He took a step towards her; that was as far as he marched before she twitched and opened her tiny mouth.
"Something's wrong" she announced without looking back, without taking her eyes from the cloudy night sky.
Rua paused and gazed at the back of his sister, puzzled by what exactly she meant; what it was she was worried over. She hesitated for half a minute and then turned, revealing her left hand clamped over the permanent Birthmark etched into her skin, the pink sleeve of her pyjama top pulled up. Worry glistened in her eyes; she was confused and anxious about what lied ahead. Rua said nothing, but watched his sister, just as confused, immune to her concern without a mark of his own; he was an outsider, unable to share her emotions.
-Neo-Domino: Carly's Apartment-
Across the City, Jack also stood out of bed, watching the unsettled sky whilst clutching his Birthmark; that which had been imprinted onto his right forearm for almost two years. He was used to waking in his sleeveless black shirt to find the ancient symbol attached to him. His back was on Carly's living room, a blanket set out for him to use tossed over the sofa roughly. His violet eyes were set on the swimming black clouds, erasing the glimmering stars from the night sky. There was a cold feeling about the night; something not quite right.
The blonde glanced over his shoulder to the door that led to Carly's bedroom where the girl slept peacefully, undisturbed by the matters too complex for her to be getting tangled in. It occurred to him that her life had been changed dramatically by the past week; she had been unable to leave home and pleaded with her editor that she was too ill to carry out her job; she was under house arrest just as much as he was. Within his mind, the question of what she would have been doing over the past week without him came up; would her life have been any better if not for him?
All he understood was that he owed her his life, hoping he would never have to pay it back, never to see her in that kind of danger just for the sake of repaying a debt. He took his eyes from the door and through the window, in the direction of Satellite; although he couldn't understand why the Birthmark had woken him with a faint pulsing, he could feel through it that something was wrong - something involving Yusei.
-Satellite: B.A.D. Lands-
A tense moment passed following Junk Warrior's destruction; a drawn out moment of victory for the hooded duellist, savouring his advantage and taking pleasure in Yusei's misfortune. But it couldn't last forever - he threw his arm forward, pointing to the vulnerable Signer.
"Freezing Fitzgerald, attack that pathetic Signer directly!" he yelled. "Erase the light of his mark - Blizzard Strike!"
The gangling arms opened up, creaking away from the rigid torso and produced small shards of ice, glinting with the light of the flames around pelting them. They charged forward together, storming to Yusei's empty field. Determined not to be caught out by the strike, Yusei pulled back, throwing his right arm over the face-down card - his only barrier.
"Trap card open!" he yelled in protest. Miniature bolts of an electric pulse flashed around the card, paralysing it mid-rise, Yusei looked down to it in surprise, puzzled by its sudden pause. "What?"
"When Freezing Fitzgerald attacks, it prevents you from activating any Magic and Trap cards on the field until the End Phase" the robed duellist stated with a sly grin.
"Shit…" Yusei hissed, bracing himself for the impact.
The ice pellets bombarded his body, a few slicing through the sleeves of his jacket and ultimately overwhelmed him, throwing his battered body into the flames behind. But he didn't sink through them, an invisible barrier kept him from connecting with the scorching flames and pinned him against its disguised wall until the barrage came to an end, dropping his body like a corpse onto the ground, weakened grunts knocked out of him.
YUSEI - DARK SIGNER
1000 -LP- 2700
"Seems the Crimson Dragon's chosen duellists are weaker than we expected" the robed man chuckled. "Magic card activate - Snow Blanket [*]. While this remains on my field, any Magic and Trap cards on the opponent's side are destroyed during my End Phase".
Yusei stayed down, his body shivering from the barrage of attacks and the force of the impact that followed, his chest moaning in agony. Seeing him felled served to amuse the Dark Signer more, provoking a maddened cackle from him, making clear there were two tones to his voice.
"It's a surprise to think that the secret Duel King is so weak" he commented. "It makes us wonder why the Crimson Dragon chose you sometimes".
Yusei's head rose, slowly, wincing at the extra rise, watching the man with one eye half-open and the other squeezed shut. "You… you know about that?" he asked faintly.
Another sinister snigger. "The Dark Signers will find out whatever they need to topple you pathetic Signers and light in this unreasonable world. We know Jack Atlus lost; the public may believe he's invincible, but we know he lost. And to you".
Malice laced itself around the words, intertwining with amusement; Signers fighting amongst themselves, pitting their allied dragons against one another as enemies. They revelled in it; knowing that as they waited as a united force, their predetermined enemies were clashing with one another not far away. Yusei pushed himself up from the ground, a twinge of pain shooting through his left shoulder, beckoning his right hand over it. He pressed down beside the orange bubble fixed into the shoulder of his jacket and rose, his body still trembling from the sudden loss of strength. There was no lack of emotion in his eyes, however, the piercing glare latched onto the Dark Signer with the same ireful blaze.
"So you're eager to die" the Dark Signer mocked with a grin. "I'll escort you to Hell; the descent begins now. I set a card face-down and end my turn". Yusei was about to reach for his deck, to pull the next card of his deck when a sneer from the faceless man interrupted. "Don't forget Snow Blanket - it destroys your face-down card".
Yusei flinched when the card shattered, removing his Spirit Force from the game. With another sharp look to the unidentified man, he pressed the tips of his fingers against the deck's top card and stripped it from the rest.
"It's my turn!"
FOURTH TURN – YUSEI
Yusei laid his eyes onto the card granted to him by his deck, smiled briefly and then turned it for his opponent to see. "I summon Synchron Explorer [ATK 0]" he called.
A spherical machine rolled onto the field, coated in maroon paint with the exception of a large black hole situated in the centre of its chest, like a giant mouth with two small oval eyes pressed into the armour above it. Arms and legs were bolted onto the body into four spots each equally apart from its neighbours and a head standing above a collar of silver. Three silver claws glistened from the red metal at the ends of the arms
"Another pathetic Synchro-related card?" the Dark Signer asked, sounding less entertained than a moment before.
"Synchron Explorer's effect allows me to search my Graveyard for a monster with 'Synchron' in its name and return it to the field" Yusei explained, ignoring the comment of his opponent. The only applicable monster card slid out of the Graveyard, snatched away from the abyss by Yusei's hand in a swift movement. "I choose to revive Junk Synchron [ATK 1300]".
The small orange-armoured Tuner cried out as it reappeared on the field, glimmers of revived light shaking from its small body.
"And due to its effect, Doppel Warrior [ATK 800] is also summoned" the dark-haired Signer added, throwing the third Monster card of his refreshed arsenal onto the Duel Disk.
A man dressed in a black uniform was what leapt through the portal that opened, clutching a strange blue weapon that could easily be mistaken for a toy. A straw-coloured scarf was wrapped around his neck and the eyes of his face concealed by shadows cast by the detached hood over his head, not unlike the Dark Signer watching sceptically.
"What?" the Dark Signer hissed. "How can you summon another monster like that?"
"Doppel Warrior's effect allows it to be Special Summoned when a Monster is revived from the Graveyard" Yusei stated bluntly. "With these three pieces, I can bring forth something much stronger to take on your Dark Synchro. I tune my Level 3 Junk Synchron with Level 2 Synchron Explorer and Level 2 Doppel Warrior".
The orange Tuner creature tugged on the string dangling from its chest plate, surrendering its form to become three green rings that descended over the other two creatures, pulling four stars from them to dance in the midst of the ritual.
"Tsudoishi ikari ga bōga senshi ni kishin wo yadosu. Hikari sasu michi tonare! Shinkuro Shoukan! Hoero, Janku Bāsākā! [ATK 2700]" [1]
A black-skinned behemoth in blood-red armour emerged from the brightness, plates pressed over its bulky body with golden edges. The creature's midsection was left bare, matching the blackened wing sprouting from its back. In the place of another, a slender sword locked against the large shoulder pad with a golden spike curling out, an oval azure implanted into the cross section of the weapon. A third bright horn protruded from the front of the helm hanging around its grey face.
"Doppel Warrior's secondary effect activates: because it was used for the Synchro Summon of a Warrior monster, two Doppel Tokens are summoned to my side of the field" Yusei yelled. In front of him, the small twin creatures resembling the aforementioned monster appeared, standing either side of the new Synchro Monster that descended in front of him [ATK 400 x2].
"Those monsters will do nothing to save you" the Dark Signer sneered venomously. "Freezing Fitzgerald can inflict Piercing Damage. Even if you destroy it with that Junk Berserker, it will only destroy it and then take out them, reducing you to nothing".
"I won't leave myself vulnerable to your kind of poison" Yusei scowled. "I removed Junk Synchron from the Graveyard to activate Junk Berserker's effect. By removing Junk Synchron from play, Junk Berserker lowers the attack power of an enemy monster by the same amount as the monster I removed from the game".
"Then that means Freezing Fitzgerald loses 1300 attack points" the Dark Signer cried, a tone of fear laced in his voice. A blue aura waved around the edges of his monster, its arms sank out of fatigue while its power was drained. [ATK 1200]. "Damn it, even with its effect, an attack is going to inflict far too much damage".
"Junk Berserker, attack Freezing Fitzgerald" Yusei hollered, pointing to the weakened Synchro shadow. "Scrap Cleaver!"
The immense beast unsheathed its narrow sword, slicing through the air with it. From the flying blade, a wave of bright blue light shone, cutting through the air with a ferocious vigour. The light crashed into the Dark Synchro beast, chipping away at its wide chest. The ice monster shattered quickly, showering the robed man with shards of his own monster. Combined with the force of the gusts, he was thrown back, landing on his back and groaning; the ground in front of him was shredded with ease, proof of how dangerous the duel had become the instant the strange ring of fire erupted from the cold concrete road.
YUSEI - DARK SIGNER
1000 -LP- 1200
In front of the struggling shadow Signer, a blue vortex opened in the ground, an opening from the burial ground; Freezing Fitzgerald floated upwards and back into the duel, dyed blue by its defensive stance once more. The Dark Signer behind it pushed his back from the ground, sitting with white knuckles supporting him from behind, sneering at the enemy that had obliterated his comfortable lead.
"Freezing Fitzgerald returns to the field" he stated. "And destroys your bothersome Junk Berserker". The large Synchro exploded in front of Yusei, scattering its remains across the field before they evaporated into nothing. As though it hadn't existed. "Let's see him be of use to you from the Graveyard".
The Dark Signer resumed his rise from the torn ground, pushing himself from one knee to his feet and standing wobbly. He grunted whilst trying to stabilise himself, glaring at Yusei once he had achieved balance, mutely hissing revenge. Yusei ignored the full extent of his opponent's hatred, lifting a Magic card from his hand and sliding it into the Duel Disk.
"I activate One For One" he called. "By discarding my Grind Warrior [*], I can summon a Level 1 monster from my hand to the field". Yusei slid the small green-armoured warrior's card into the Graveyard; once it vanished into darkness, a blue light shone from his bare field. "I summon Mystic Piper [ATK 0]".
The Mystic Piper was a man that skipped onto the field, dressed in a robe of rose and orange, a shirt of pink and trousers of white. Blue locks curled out of the sides of his head, the back of the style tucked into a large hat resembling wilting fruit, the tip like a withered root ripped from the ground. The man held a flute to his pale lips, playing it incessantly; a melody of its mischievous plot.
"Mystic Piper's monster effect - I can release it to draw a card from my deck" Yusei bellowed, cutting the musical man's time short. The figure vanished from the field. "If it's a Level 1 monster, I can draw another card".
His fore and middle fingers laid themselves on the top card, his eyes falling shut. Every ounce of his spirit was concentrated into the draw, holding out for a play that he could make use of. He tore the card away, the muscles in his arms tightening with the adrenaline that pumped through him, flooding him with raw fighting spirit, trusting in the deck to have granted him the right card. Keeping the card at his arm's full length, his eyes snapped open, capturing the sight of a familiar yellow monster at the end of the limb.
"The card I draw is Level 1 One Shot Booster" he announced, holding the machine for his opponent to see. "By Mystic Piper's effect, I can draw another card". He placed the additional cards into his hand, clutching them tightly between finger and thumb, lifting his piercing eyes to the robed man standing opposite. "Turn end".
FIFTH TURN – DARK SIGNER
The Dark Signer snarled, drawing from his deck. "My turn. Freezing Fitzgerald attacks one of those pathetic Doppel Tokens".
The frozen behemoth opened his arms, exposing the spiked chest. With the swift swinging of its arms, a shower of icicles rained down over Yusei's field, showering one of the twin tokens with the improvised blades. The small replica moaned and exploded, golden shards leaping around its place and past its horrified twin. Smoke billowed out from the miniature explosion, wiping itself across Yusei's field and obscuring the Signer from view. The Dark Signer cackled with victorious ecstasy at the fall of the leading Signer.
"Farewell, Fudo Yusei" he laughed.
The fuming cloud slowly dispersed, opening the hooded man's hiding eyes to the state of the enemy's territory. His confident smirk was erased in an instant when he recognised a silhouette through the black cloud - Yusei was still standing. A drop of sweat slid down the man's jaw.
YUSEI - DARK SIGNER
1000 -LP- 1200
"What? Impossible!" he cried. "How are you still alive?"
Yusei said nothing, but glared at the man, motionless until the air was cleared. The silence irked the Dark Signer, his jaws clenched tighter as he grimaced. Yusei only held one card in response.
"Devotion Gardna" he announced coldly. "By discarding it, I can reduce damage from the attack to zero".
"Why you…" the Dark Signer hissed. "If you want to play that way, I activate Depth Charge [*]. With this, when a Water monster is Special Summoned from y Graveyard, you'll take 700 points of damage. Maybe it's not enough to wipe you out in one decisive blow, but with Freezing Fitzgerald's ability, it won't be long before your life reaches its end".
Yusei narrowed his eyes, scowling at the obnoxious claim by his opponent; Freezing Fitzgerald would have to be utilised twice on its own to finish him off; there was still time to try and fight back - there was only a small difference between their lifepoints. There was still hope.
"I won't die" Yusei murmured bluntly. "Not while there is still a reason to live; not while there are people to protect. I won't lose to you".
The tip of his finger stroked the top card; even with a small amount of lifepoints left he was in a predicament once Freezing Fitzgerald was revived; if he couldn't get rid of it permanently, it would lead to his end. There had to be something he could do.
"It's my turn!"
SIXTH TURN – YUSEI
The card slipped away from the rest. Yusei twisted it to catch sight of the monster he had drawn, a glint flashed across his eye; he knew how to deal with the dark threat.
"I summon Nitro Synchro in attack mode [ATK 300]" he called, throwing the card onto the central space of the Duel Disk.
Into the centre of the field, the small canister Tuner emerged, pink pattern acting as a second shade against a bland creature. The arms hung limply, the hands tucked into yellow gloves. Above its body, the needle in the rounded meter sat at the low default reading.
"One-Shot Booster's effect - it can be Special Summoned if a monster is summoned normally during my turn" the Signer added. "Appefar now, One-Shot Booster! [ATK 0]
The small yellow machine given by Rally soared through a vortex and next to the Tuner, its arms swinging tamely and then coming to a halt. Between the large shoulders, the small head with white eyes was tucked, seemingly fixed onto the Dark Synchro beast directly opposite it.
"And because there's a Tuner on the field, Bolt Hedgehog's ability activates - allowing me to summon it from the Graveyard" Yusei continued firmly. "Be revived, Bolt Hedgehog! [ATK 800]"
"An army of weak monsters" the Dark Signer hissed. "All in the vain attempt of Synchro Summoning something. You'll fail to defeat Freezing Fitzgerald, however".
"We'll see" Yusei scowled. "Because there's a Synchro Monster on your field, I can Special Summon Reed Butterfly from my hand [ATK 300]".
A small blue butterfly appeared on the field, long slender tentacle-like strings hanging from its picturesque body. A small orange middle hung between the wings decorated cobalt and sapphire, flapping majestically between the larger low-level allies.
"No matter what 'light' you try to fight with, the darkness will override you, Fudo Yusei" the Dark Signer scowled. "You and this world".
"I won't be taken in by your lies; there are people worth fighting for and I won't be turned against them by someone aiming to destroy this world" Yusei snapped. "I'll show you and your allies the true power of the light. I tune my Level 2 Nitro Synchron with Level 1 Doppel Token, Level 1 One-Shot Booster, Level 2 Bolt Hedgehog, and Level 1 Reed Butterfly".
"Wh- what?" the Dark Signer cried. "You're combining all five of your monsters at once?"
A glimmer from the centre of Nitro Synchro eroded its body, compressing its essence into a pair of sparkles that danced around, painting two rings of green that descended over the other four monsters clustered together. From each, another star emerged, an additional from the revived Bolt Hedgehog. The five lined up, all in place for the stream of light that would link them all together.
"Tsudoishi omoi ga, kokoni aratana chikara tonaru! Hikari sasu michi tonare! Shinkuro Shoukan! Moeagare, Nitoro Woriā! [ATK 2800]" [2]
The immense green-skinned Synchro Monster powered from the light, roaring with a deep tone, clenching its massive fists with a renewed power. The cannon hanging from the rear of the warrior swung faintly, ready to fire itself up and show the raw power of the beast's potential; that of a Synchro Monster born of light.
"No way" the Dark Signer yelped, fear leaking evidently through his voice.
"Nitro Synchron's effect grants me another card when it's used to Synchro Summon a monster with 'Nitro' in its name" Yusei added, removing the top card and glancing at it in the corner of his eye. "I summon Support Warrior [ATK 400] [*]".
A mechanical warrior dwarfed in size by Nitro Warrior's intense build leapt onto the field, coated in armour plates of ash grey, four levels built over its chest and single-layered accessories like gloves and boots over its forearms and calves. The skin underneath was of a crimson shade, stripes of dark grey pressed over its hips. Over its shoulders, dark grey vices gripped to the joints, small crimson wings standing from each side.
"Another blasted low-level monster?" the Dark Signer fumed.
"Support Warrior's effect allows it to be Special Summoned when there is a 'Warrior' Synchro Monster on the field" Yusei stated, opening his hand forward towards his enemy. "It also adds 300 attack points onto a 'Warrior' Synchro Monster when it attacks. Nitro Warrior, take out Freezing Fitzgerald! Dynamite Impact!"
The fists of the massive green monster began to glow, the flames turning blue as a result of the streams of energy flowing through the air from the small warrior [ATK 3100]. Once the stream ended, the large cannon placed at the base of the creature's spine ignited and shot it forward, thrusting its large fists forward and smashing into the enemy. The ice Dark Synchro stood like a barrier, doing its best to survive. The attempt was in vain, however, and the force of the enemy's knuckles eventually cracked its body, shattering it like a pane of glass, generating a blast that roared around the Dark Signer behind.
YUSEI - DARK SIGNER
1000 -LP- 600
"Freezing Fitzgerald revives itself" the man yelled in vengeance. "And with its return, Depth Charge will bring you to your knees!"
The icy Dark Synchro Monster emerged from a white light opening from the ground, elevating it through a blue vortex and returning it to the field, coated in blue [DEF 2500]. The Magic card to its side began to glow, unleashing a stream of energy that leapt across the field. Yusei tensed his muscles, crossing his arms in front of his chest before the blast could sear his chest, the Duel Disk managing to take most of the blast. The earth shook and the spikes of his hair waved frailly; other than the vibrations trembling through his body, he stood unaffected.
YUSEI - DARK SIGNER
300 -LP- 600
The Dark Signer smirked confidently, his spirits raised with his Dark Synchro Monster back on the field. Yusei's eyes shone with the fighting spirit that blazed inside of him still. It was all a front to the shaded eyes hiding in the shadow of the hood.
"You've just sealed your fate, Fudo Yusei" he laughed. "Nitro Warrior is strong, but not strong enough. Next turn, your Nitro Warrior will only have 2800 when Freezing Fitzgerald is free to attack it. I'll have spare lifepoints, but you won't be so lucky. Don't delay your demise, there's nothing you can do now".
"That's not true" Yusei murmured determinedly.
"What's that?" the Dark Signer sneered.
"Nitro Warrior has a second ability that activates after it destroys a monster" Yusei stated. "It can switch a monster that's in Defence mode into Attack mode and then attack it again".
"What?" the Dark Signer yelled in horror.
"Nitro Warrior, Dynamite Impact!"
The large green creature swiped its arm across, unleashing a wave of blue energy that slammed into the icy beast, knocking it back and raising its fragile arms up to shield itself. The blue was drained from its body, leaving only clear and exposing both the beast itself [ATK 2500] and the shady man standing behind it.
"Nitro Warrior, attack Freezing Fitzgerald and purge Satellite of this darkness" Yusei yelled, throwing his fist forward. "Dynamite Knuckle!"
Fuelled by Support Warrior, the massive green monster unleashed a terrifying roar, lifting its large muscular arms from its sides and thrust the immense fists in front [ATK 3100]. The opening at the back of the creature burst to life with flames, launching it forward and across with the creature in the line of fire. The Dark Synchro failed to escape the large bones of the green-skinned fighter that ploughed into its body, ripping apart the chest and scattering icicles across the street, sending out heavy shockwaves across the small area. Unable to withstand the force, the Dark Synchro exploded, dying again and finally, losing the ability to finish off Yusei through a last-minute revival.
YUSEI - DARK SIGNER
300 -LP- 0
DUEL END
The figure groaned in faint agony, tipping backwards and onto the ground with a gentle moan. The ring of purple flames began to fade, dispersing into nothing, leaving only the damage by attacks exchanged by either side. With his adrenaline dropping to standard levels, Yusei began to feel dizzy; the aftermath of real direct attacks was taking its toll, but the man was still down and he needed answers. Forcing his body straight, he charged across the field, dropping down onto one knee and pulled the dull figure from the concrete.
"What are you planning to do?" he growled. "Tell me what the Dark Signers are planning for Satellite!"
The man didn't stir from his unconscious state; Yusei threw the hood from his head, revealing messy brunette hair. He frowned and allowed him to sleep on the ground again, removing the cards from his deck. It was then that he realised both Birthmarks had vanished, hastening his assessment of the deck - there was nothing that would support a Dark Tuner or a Dark Synchro; both themselves missing. A drop of sweat formed at the edge of Yusei's forehead, his eyes haunting and disturbed as he looked through the machine-based deck - the man was a helpless pawn and nothing more.
He looked back to the sleeping figure, clutching his cards in one hand and shoving his shoulder with the other. A moment later, he came to; slowly, dazed and lost.
"Oi, what's going on?" Yusei asked firmly.
The man pushed himself from the ground slowly, leaning forward until his forehead almost touched his knees, pressing a hand over the left side of his face. He groaned, sounding like a man with a hangover.
"What the… City…" Yusei made of his murmurs. "Have to help him… in the garage…"
"City?" Yusei echoed. It hit him then - the man had been brainwashed and his memories of the incident erased. He was of no use; an interrogation was out of the question now.
There was no real alternative - he would have to take this man back to Daedalus and keep him around until he could find out more. He leaned forward, grabbing thte man's right arm and throwing it over his shoulder, pulling him from the ground. The man offered a weak protest, but his words were slurred. His resistance was short-lived and he settled into a calmer state, leaning on his escort. Ignoring his dependence, Yusei pushed forward, ignoring the black spaces that haunted the corners of his vision.
-Satellite: Daedalus Bridge-
Crow paced back and forth in the light of the new morning, grumbling to himself irately over the disappearance of his friend. At the edge of the open space; Rally, Nerve, Taka and two of the children - the young redheaded girl and the boy whose brunette hair stood spike - with their young dog, watched the repetitive track of their host. Himuro emerged from one of the numerous huts, brushing the curtain door aside.
"He's not here" he reported bluntly.
Crow moaned in fury, clenching his fists and pressing them either side of his head; anything to stop himself tugging at the wild orange hairs sprouting from his head.
"Damn it!" he yelled. "I know Yusei left on his own. His D-Wheel may be here, but he left by his own accord. I know him well enough; rarely would a night go by when one of us would try to sneak off. He's up to something".
Rally cast an uneasy eye over his friends, slinking away from them towards Crow, outwardly looking as though he was aiming to comfort the older redhead. His approach slowed Crow to a halt, his eyes locked onto the boy who moved unusually close to him.
"Crow" he whispered, raising a hand to block the movement of his lips from the others. "I'm worried. You remember what Yusei and the other said back at Security? About that vision?"
"The vision?" Crow resonated. He took a moment to recall the details that Yusei had confided in him over; the flames ripping through their homes, reducing everything to rubble. It dawned on him what Rally was referring to. "Maybe you're right - that could have something to do with Yusei disappearing like that. Maybe he wanted to take on whoever's responsible before they could carry out something like that".
"Hey, Crow" Nerve called. "What're you two whispering about?"
"If you guys know something, you should be sharing with us" Taka added irately. "Yusei's our friend too".
"It's nothing" Crow snapped back with a grin. "We're just as confused as you guys".
From the edge of the settlement, a shadow crawled along the ground; a deformed figure moving deeper into the sheltered homes of orphans and their friends. Crow turned to the shape moving in, clenching his fists tighter before the identity of the shadow revealed itself: Yusei dragging the brunette man along, his arm draped over the Signer's shoulder.
"Yusei!" he yelled.
Before the others could register more than the name of their friend, Crow charged towards the arriving pair, clenching his teeth until he arrived in front of Yusei, whose movements were slowed to resemble a tired limp.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, running off in the night like that?" he hollered. "You had everyone worried sick. Listen, you may have all that crazy stuff from Security swimming around in your head, but you're not alone in all this; we're here to help you. Use us if you need to, don't just run off without letting anyone know. For all we knew, someone grabbed you and ran off!"
Yusei, who was brought to a stop by his friend's appearance in front of him, watched Crow with a somewhat surprised face, smiling at his friend's overreaction laced with concern. Crow had a right to be annoyed, he could understand the outburst; it was all a measure of protecting his friends that had been mistaken for something sinister. By protecting them through not confessing the strange antics in the night, he had done little more than worry them.
"You're right, Crow. I'm sorry" he replied with a smile. His eyes then moved to the man slumped against his side, seeming to have drifted off after their burdensome trek across Satellite's most populated region. "But this guy showed up, wanting to duel. Though it seems he's different now to what he was back then. Something seems off".
Crow let out a suspicious moan. "I bet he's just faking; he'll be fine the instant he gets you cornered".
"Not likely" Himuro insisted.
The others around set their eyes on the brawny ex-convict, the eyes outside the twin Markers painted either side of his nose set sharply onto the brunette man.
"And why would that be?" Crow growled. "What makes you so sure just because you tower over him just like you did everyone else?"
"Because that's Saiga" Himuro replied.
Rally, Nerve, Taka and Blitz reacted unanimously. Crow lifted his eyebrows, astonished that the Saiga they had been introduced to before had appeared in Satellite before them.
"You mean this is the guy who sent Uryu after?" he asked in disbelief.
"Uryu?" Yusei muttered, surprised to hear the name once again.
Himuro nodded, then moved his eyes to the brunette hanging opposite him. "Although I'm just as confused as to why he's here; he would have said something if he was coming".
Saiga moaned, drawing Yusei back to his vaguely shaking head that moved upwards. "I don't… recall coming… Satellite?"
"I told you he was faking" Crow barked, pointing accusingly at the dazed man.
"Himuro" Yusei called, seeing his eyes onto the large former-Pro he had met barely a fornight ago. "Get him somewhere to rest, Yanagi can check over him".
Himuro nodded and moved forward, striding past the four collected by the orphans, still struggling to contemplate why Saiga would leave Uryu alone in Neo-Domino; that maybe something terrible had happened. They watched as Himuro lifted the arm wrapped around Yusei's shoulder from the young Signer and helped Saiga himself towards one of the nearer doorways, one of the last he had searched.
Rally turned to Yusei, relief shimmering in his young eyes. "Yusei, I'm glad you're alright. What Crow said was true - we were really worried".
Yusei nodded with a reassuring smile, a twinge of guilt pulsed inside of him, suppressed quickly by his successful justifcating the absence. His focus then moved to Crow, signalling him over. Crow glanced at the others, who seemed to be more focused in bringing Rally back to their side, before he sauntered towards Yusei, both moving to one side.
"Crow, something's not right" Yusei murmured. "I think that the Dark Signers are brainwashing people. People like Saiga. They're using innocent people against us".
"'Dark Signers'?" Crow echoed, surprised that the group had given themselves a name. His fists clenched and a smirk flashed across his face. "Yusei, I'm here to fight with you. Don't shut me out".
Yusei nodded, accepting the open hand of his comrade, understanding that the help he was trying to supply him with was going to be necessary. The Crimson Dragon may have shown only the Signers the grim future, but it didn't rule out everyone else fighting for their lives.
"Before we plan anything" he spoke. "I want to see Yanagi - we need to know more about these Birthmarks and Dark Signers".
-Neo-Domino: Public Security Maintenance Bureau-
In front of the dull grey door, Godwin straightened his shoulders; last-minute preparations before he met with the figures waiting behind the ominous barrier. Automatically, like his straight pose was a signal, the door hummed, sliding to one side and granting him entrance into the dimly lit chamber. He took a step forward, crossing through the threshold and from the grey into the black. Five figures were seated across curved desks, seated much higher than standard seats would allow, looking over Godwin like superior judges, ready to try him for the launch of the invasion.
"So, Director…" the central figure breathed. "Why is it you've decided you wish the invasion of Satellite to end?"
"I believe, senators, that the conflict is no longer necessary" Godwin proposed professionally. "After almost two weeks of fighting, there has been little difference in Momentum than normal. An clear increase did occur, but it lasted for a couple of days at most. It seems that there is nothing more that Satellite can provide us with".
The five heads twisted, looking to one another and passing their thoughts on the matter between their professional lips. There was a tense atmosphere that unnerved Godwin: he may have been Director of the City, but, together, these five individuals had just as much power as he. The discussion came to a quick end and the central man set his cold eyes back onto Godwin, who remained frozen, waiting for an answer to return him from the statue-like stillness he had adopted.
"It seems, Director, that the Board and myself disagree with your proposition" he commented bluntly. "If it is, as you say, difficult to replicate the levels of Momentum that were recorded at the beginning of the attack, then it is likely we would agree that this campaign is fruitless and call for a withdrawal of the duellists. However, you underestimate Momentum".
"Come again?" Godwin asked; he knew Momentum more than most people, the lead governor's opinion would be baseless without the same levels of knowledge.
"Papers into Momentum suggest that it can be easily powered by the emotions in people's hearts - Momentum is a reflection of us as a collective species" the governor continued. "That night… when hundreds or thousands of duellists rode into Satellite, emotions peaked and fed Momentum. The power of the D-Wheels, Duel Disks and the duellists themselves operating those devices flooded Momentum and led to the increase. If a drop in emotion is responsible for Momentum's return to regular levels, there is a simple solution - another wave of duellists enters Satellite as a unit".
"There is also the claim that the lives of people in the City would be at risk should Satellite be lift as it is" a woman spoke from the right-wing of the gathering. "Perhaps this was a cover story for the Momentum investigation; however, it seems that there are rebels in Satellite - people who threaten chances of peace and we must ensure there is not a single threat left to terrorise Neo-Domino City".
Form the opposite end, another man stood, his chestnut hair showing the faintest signs of grey strands growing amongst them, his eyes glinted with determination.
"There are also the incidents that have taken place since the attack began that are still under investigation. Warden Takasu's death and the break-in at Security" he called. Izayoi Hideo - the father of Izayoi Aki, unaware of the role his daughter played in the latter incident only a week before. "We know that Jack Atlus has been missing since that night when Security was attacked; he has all but been officially convicted of Takasu's death, as well as that of Tetsu Ushio. Yet he still wanders around freely, there are people whose lives could be at risk because of developments such as these. How do we not know he has escaped to Satellite? There are rumours spreading that the Duel King is actually from Satellite; the media is turning against you, Director".
Godwin was stunned by the unanimous defiance of the five-strong board; he couldn't admit the true purpose behind the invasion; exposing Yliaster wasn't an option - he'd have to settle with their decision. If the senators wanted to put the lives of their people on the line, that was their decision, but he would make it known that he was now unhappy with the attack before more lives were lost. With a heavy sigh, his shoulders drooped.
"I see then" he uttered. "Your decision will have to stand, however, I shall publicly inform the public that the Public Security Maintenance Bureau has handed over responsibility to the government. Should anything happen, the media will look to you for answers".
Hideo's face distorted; confusion splashed across his face at the words Godwin chose so precisely. The Director turned away and paced casually to the door; a small part of him still holding out for the board to understand where he was coming from suddenly and overturn their decision; to backtrack and let the matter rest in Yliaster's secret hands. None of the governors spoke through his retreat, his eyes firmly closed until he passed through the door that hummed shut behind him. Following a handful of seconds, he looked to Jeager, who stood nearby having arrived during the conference.
"Director?" the clown-like man asked uneasily.
Godwin didn't answer the wavering tone of his colleague. He only reached inside his grey jacket and removed a small mobile phone, tapping a few times with the tip of his thumb before pressing it against his ear. A few seconds passed between a voice answered.
"What is it?" Jack's voice growled suspiciously.
"King" Godwin greeted indifferently. "I'm afraid matters are out of my hands. We can't avoid this any longer".
-Satellite: Daedalus Bridge-
Away from the others, Crow and Yusei had called Yanagi to one of the huts, using Himuro and Saiga as a diversion to keep the kids, Rally and the others from listening to the private conference. Yanagi stood on the other side of a small table, a simple sheet was laid over it; much more subtle than the wide meeting room that Godwin departed from not long before.
"Jii-san, go over it all again" Yusei requested. "You gave me an overview of what the Signers are in the Detention Centre, but Godwin said there was much more. What are these Dark Signers and where have they come from?"
Yanagi tucked his chin into the palm of his hand, looking thoughtful as he pondered the inquiries made to him. A doubtful moan came from his sealed lips and then his hand fell.
"I'll warn you now, Sonny, this is all from artefacts I saw a long time ago" the traveller murmured. "But if I remember it correctly, there seemed to be a legend that spoke of a legendary conflict involving the Crimson Dragon. Around the time I told you about before, there was something that came out of the Earth. The Crimson Dragon's five servants fought against these demonic beasts and defeated them, sealing them into the ground. But as they went down, they left a mark - the Nazca Lines".
"Nazca Lines?" Crow echoed. "What the hell are they?"
"A series of large pictures drawn into the ground over in Peru" Yanagi answered. "Most are animals; Lizard, Snake, Dog, Parrot, Condor, creatures like that. There are some others as well, like the Giant, Hands, Tree, Spiral. No-one knows how they got there, but one theory is that the creatures defeated by the Crimson Dragon were sealed into those very spots. Like I said, I can't be sure, but I'll look into it for you, sonny".
Yusei frowned; he had been hoping to get more out of the discussion, but was grateful to Yanagi regardless. Yusei was about to smile to show that appreciation when the glowing Spider-shaped Birthmark flashed in his mind.
"Jii-san, you mentioned symbols in the shapes of animals" he said grimly. "What about a spider? Just how many Birthmarks are these?"
"Spider?" Yanagi repeated, his voice rising in a surprised tone. "Hm… Crow, do you have any paper? It would be easier if I sketch out what I can see in my mind".
Crow flashed a thumbs-up and smirked. "I'll see what I can do. We sometimes get lucky enough to fish out some scraps from rubbish heaps. The kids have some old crayons that we can use too".
He strode towards the thin doorway, brushing away the ragged sheet door with a single swipe of his arm, opening the room to sunlight for a couple of seconds. Yanagi and Yusei waited, the latter not taking his eyes from the passage, even when the elderly man focused on his former cellmate. Crow returned a few moments later, marching in with sheets of crumpled paper in one hand and a few crayons in the other with victorious chiming. He moved back to the table, laying the crayons to one side and massaging the paper, hoping to flatten it with only his fists as tools. Yanagi said nothing, but let the convict put his best efforts into compressing the paper.
"Alright, jii-san, that's the best I can do" the redhead chuckled.
Yanagi smiled at the young man's optimism and seized a red crayon, carefully drawing out an almost completed circle, adding in a few features that Yusei recognised; two wings, two claws, the tail emblazoned on his arm and a strange pattern for the head of the creature. Yusei gazed at the image once it was completed, blind to Yanagi's stare and deaf to his questioning if he had drawn the features accurately. What Yanagi had drawn was identical to the completed collection of Birthmarks that had been engraved into the flat panel fixed above the entrance to the Stairway to the Sky. As he watched the image, transfixed by the familiar emblem, Yanagi picked up a black marker from the small selection Crow had brought back, presenting it to the young Signer.
"Sonny, what about the Birthmark you saw?" he asked. "There are only five Birthmarks from the Crimson Dragon; what you're talking about seems to be something else".
Yusei, snapped back from his thoughts, plucked the pen from Yanagi's hand, snapping the cap from the body and pressing the tip against the sheet of paper, drawing out a spider almost identical to that which he had seen glowing on Saiga's arm. When the form was completed, Yanagi leaned forward, clutching his chin thoughtfully once more.
"It appears as though that's it - it's the same as the Spider in the Nazca Lines" he asserted.
Yusei frowned, disturbed by the idea that they were facing creatures from thousands of years ago whose origins lied in another country. Crow was the one to step forward and verbalise his doubts, crossing his arms over his chest.
"How the hell are we supposed fighting monsters buried in Peru?" he asked sceptically.
"To be honest, I don't think they are buried anymore" Yanagi murmured gravely. "If Sonny's right, they're breaking loose of their seals".
Crow nodded, smirking briefly. "Thanks, Jii-san; that's what we needed to know" he said. "Could you check on Saiga? I want to see if he's remembered anything".
"Yeah, I'll send him over if he can recall something" Yanagi replied with a smile.
The elderly man paced across the room, hobbling out of the doorway and into the camp, leaving Yusei and Crow alone. The redhead looked to Yusei, whose eyes were fixed onto the sheet of paper again, lost between the Crimson Dragon's emblem and the disturbing enemy in black.
"What do you plan to do then?" Crow asked, shrugging his shoulders lightly.
Yusei took a moment to consider how to confess. "Something doesn't feel right; something inside of me feels off. It has been for a while now… Maybe it's a warning, maybe I'm not strong enough".
Crow smirked and laid a hand onto Yusei's back, drawing his friend's azure eyes to the face decorated with various Markers. "Don't be so hard on yourself; you're still upset about siding with Neo-Domino back then".
"That is true, but… that's not the only reason" Yusei replied, looking away from Crow and back to the symbols. "I don't know what's triggered it, but I haven't been feeling myself for some time now. Something feels off; these Dark Signers decided to show themselves while there were so many people still in Satellite, have they been waiting for this attack, expecting it?"
Crow sounded his confusion with a simple hum. "What are you going to do about it?"
Yusei bit his lip. "I don't know".
-Neo-Domino: Daedalus Bridge-
Dusk had sprayed the sky with flames of orange and cotton clouds of pink, the sun falling towards the watery horizon that lapped tamely. Godwin was standing on the edge of the Daedalus, watching the evening waves tumbling towards the City. His eyes were set on Satellite, fixed on the minature version of the bridge frames he stood between on the opposite end. A whirring noise returned him to the advanced side of the water, shifting himself to face the white D-Wheel roaring towards him. He smiled, relieved that the scheme to get the famous Wheel of Fortune out of Security's hands had worked – using Jeager's authority over the Security forces, he had managed to convince the officers charged with guarding it to take it from their hands, claiming it could be used as evidence to be investigated in relation to the Ushio case. Jack pulled up by the edge of the bridge, narrowing his eyes locked onto the Director before he pulled himself out of the D-Wheel's body, striding towards the grey suit.
"What do you want?" the blonde growled. "I heard you called Yusei to a similar set-up like this before he came after me. If you're going to tell me Yusei's been captured, I'll-"
"Yusei is fine" Godwin stated abruptly. He took a moment to simulate various ways of going about the discussion, sighing when most resulted in the same way – it seemed there was no escaping Jack's rage. "But he may not be for much longer".
"What?" Jack snapped. "What's going on?"
"Things are spiralling out of control" Godwin said. "I was hoping to evacuate Satellite, but it seems the governors aren't willing to risk transferring so many people into the City".
"Haven't you always been with them?" Jack asked with a scowl. "You only ever wanted me because you thought I was a Signer – you didn't care about Yusei, Rally and the others".
"What the governors don't know is their reluctance will save lives, but damn others. If we evacuate Satellite as I had been hoping, it could have led the Dark Signers into the City, but with Yusei in Satellite, they'll be preoccupied with hunting him down".
"Dark Signers?" Jack repeated. "You mean they're who are going to cause that massive fire in Satellite? You're using Yusei as bait to keep them from other people?"
"For now, Yusei is the only Signer in Satellite – he's chosen himself as bait" Godwin calmly replied.
"Yusei didn't have a choice; he had to go back to Satellite so Security wouldn't be able to track him!" Jack snapped, throwing his arm across the space in front of him and back to its designated place by his side.
"King, there are still thousands of City duellists in Satellite; they're all at risk" Godwin spoke firmly. "Yusei has gone to protect them all, but he can't do it alone, because the situation is reaching a critical state – the Dark Signers are about to strike".
"What?" Jack asked with a gasping breath. That had been what the Birthmark was warning him of during the night.
"I haven't heard anything from Yusei, but I fear that the first battle has begun between Signer and Dark Signer" Godwin elucidated. "I believe that it's possible Yusei has already been targeted, but there's nothing to suggest fate turned against him".
Jack clenched his fists; that was right, Yusei and Crow were in Satellite. His friends of years and those he had experienced Satellite with – they were all in the line of fire. Without so much as another word to Godwin, he turned on his heels and darted back to his D-Wheel, throwing himself into the heart of its circular body, casting a sharp look in the frozen Director's position.
"I'll take out those Dark Signers before they threaten anyone else – no-one screws with my allies" he growled.
His violet eyes moved away before Godwin's smile shone. The machine roared to life and stormed down the direction it had been parked, skidding into a sharp U-turn before rolling down the route it had taken to reach the monument.
Carly's smiling face flashed in his mind, reminding him of the girl who laid her life on the line for his, how worried she would be to wake and discover him missing. There wasn't time to waste, though, he had to head back into Satellite and take out the shadows lurking over his friend's shoulder, waiting to strike while he was alone and vulnerable. Carly wouldn't be happy when they would eventually reunite, but he had a mission to carry out. A mission that could hopefully redeem his blemished name.
PREVIEW
Yusei: These Dark Signers must be what the Crimson Dragon was trying to warn us about. I have to get back to Neo-Domino.
Crow: Don't think I'm missing out on all the fun.
Jack: There's no point in staying here if no-one cares. I should head into Satellite to help Yusei and the others.
Mukuro: Heh, you think I'm going to let you get away that easily, Jack Atlus?
Jack: You… Don't try and stand in my way! Next time: "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's: The Neo-Domino Purge, Chapter 27 – Treading an Old Road! Mukuro Blocks the Way" Riding Duel, Acceleration!
NEXT KEY CARD – Strong Wind Dragon
[1] "Clustering anger becomes an entranced warrior born from a brutal god. Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! Howl, Junk Berserker!"
[2] "Clustering minds will now become a new force! Become the path its light shines upon! Shinkuro Shoukan! Blaze on! Nitro Warrior!"
[*] Cards made for The Neo-Domino Purge
Hey, check us out using late Time Skip monsters early on here~ (solely because the duel was a pain and we had to keep reworking it, we do things like notice faults during the writing). I'll apologise now for the substantial wait; exams and coursework got on top of things. I only hope this makes up for that time, and will get to work on sorting out Path Two immediately (again, sorry about that too). Right now, my thoughts are with the Japanese and praying for every soul out there; what's happened is truly terrible and shouldn't have happened. Back home, I have much of the next weeks off with the Easter holiday coming, so will dedicate a lot more time to updating my fics and try not to take so long again, although coursework and revision for finals in June will clearly take priority. And with 5D's ending, I'll be doing whatever I can to cling onto what I've got to keep its afterglow alive. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed.
- CuteYami, 14th March 2011