Yu-Gi-Oh! Dissidia

Though he triumphed against God itself, Yusei has been snatched away from the conflict and deposited in another place.

Now he peers into the possibilities of power, and is tempted as he has never been in this life.

Yet is there an ulterior purpose for this event?...

Destiny Draw 3-31

Yusei felt the cold ground against his cheek, and he slowly opened his eyes. "Uhh…" he groaned. "Where am I?" he asked.

"You are at the Dimensional Temple, Yusei Fudo," replied a sneering, yet respectful voice. "You are at my primary laboratory."

Yusei looked around at the computer equipment, and he noticed the cracks in the walls. "Looks like someone else roughed this place up," he commented to Doctor Faker.

Faker smiled. "Yes. I'd been hoping to get your thoughts on the matter, although the important materials are safe," he explained.

"My thoughts on the matter?" Yusei asked in surprise.

"Forgive me, Yusei," Faker replied with a bow. "I am simply in awe of your skill at creating Fortune, that wonderful program that stabilized the hearts of the people and protected Ener-D." He held up a black-bordered card, one of the xyz monsters that Yusei had heard about. "And with the advent and popularity of xyz monsters, what you started was completed. The future of my allies never came to be in your timeline."

Yusei wasn't entirely sure how to respond to the compliment. Here was a man who was aiding their enemies, complimenting him with the utmost sincerity. Or at the very least, he seemed to be.

"Did you bring me here?" Yusei asked. "What happened to Marik?"

Faker snorted. "The tombkeeper may have lost his own Shadow Game, but rest assured that he made sure the stakes weren't fatal, only painful," he replied.

"I'd rather that monster wasn't all right, if it's all the same to you," Yusei replied.

Faker walked over to an equipment screen and studied it. "Hmm," he mused. "I would normally agree with you if his intentions in this conflict were startlingly innocent compared to what history paints him as," he commented.

"How can anything that guy is involved with be innocent?!" Yusei yelled. "And you still haven't answered my first question; did you bring me here?"

"Calm down, Yusei," Faker replied. "I did, of course, have a hand in bringing you to this location for a more specific reason – actually, several reasons – than simply enjoying casual conversation with you. This is a matter that transcends dimensions."

"Transcends dimensions?" Yusei asked in confusion.

"I don't know how, but counterparts of your dragons are in this dimension," Faker mused. "I have obtained one of these counterparts, and I'm curious to see just how you handle it."

"What are you talking about?" Yusei asked.

"A duel, Yusei Fudo," Faker explained. "Preferable to a battle with monsters, in my opinion." He slapped his hands together. "Now!" he said. "I am a reasonable man, whatever you may think, so I'll allow you to take your time before you decide to duel against me." Faker sat down at a console. "You'll find sustenance in the fridge, and you can just speak up whenever you're ready. But you will have to duel me, Yusei. You can't expect to stay here forever, now, can you, and a duel is your only way out."

Yusei frowned, but he walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out an energy drink to get his stamina back to normal faster. He shook his head in bemusement. I'm drinking an energy drink in the middle of a war, he thought. In some guy's...lair, really.

He sat down and opened up the bottle, then took a cautious sip. He figured his Mark would warn him if there was any malicious intent, but so far, it had stayed dormant.

Faker looked over at him and smiled. Looks like he's overcome his suspicions, for whatever reason, he thought, before he looked over at the monitors to make sure Vector wasn't eavesdropping. As a matter of fact, where is that Barian?, he wondered.

It felt oh so good to have one over Vector, especially after the Barian Emperor had manipulated him for so long.

Yusei, meanwhile, was wondering about the voice that had stopped him before he could make a third attack on Marik. I know that it was one from my timeline, he thought. Let's see…it's either Goodwin, which I very much doubt, Aporia, or Z-one. And I wouldn't be surprised if it was Z-one. After all, it's not the first time that he's interfered in my business like that.

He remembered when Z-one had given him the blank card that would become his Shooting Star Dragon. The feeling of elation at that first Accel synchro summon, made possible by Z-one and his pawn…Bruno.

When does it end?, Yusei wondered. I'll stand on my own two feet. I'll use my own power to get through this.

Doctor Faker, meanwhile, was tapping keys at his monitor, looking at the various areas of the dimension. He brought up a window that detected the recent openings and closures of overlay networks, and frowned. Is that the Mirror Labyrinth?, he wondered. Good lord. I can only hope that everyone in there makes it out alive from that nightmare.

"Hey, Doctor Faker, can I ask you a question?" Yusei asked. "Aside from that one, I mean."

Faker smiled. "Quick-witted, I see, Yusei," he remarked. "Of course. Ask away."

"Why are you here?" Yusei asked.

Faker remained silent for a good half a minute.

The he sighed, bowing his head. "I am here to see my son…one last time…"

"Who's your son?" Yusei asked in surprise.

"My son is Kite Tenjo," Faker replied sadly.

"Kite?!" Yusei asked in shock. "He's your son?!" He looked at the floor in shock. Man. No wonder he walked off on his own with a secret like that under wraps. I can certainly sympathize with him.

Faker bowed his head, putting his hands on his desk, leaning over heavily. "When my son battles against the Barian Emperor Mizar, he will prevail against all odds, against a monster that bends time to its will," he explained to Yusei. "The Earth itself at that point is doomed, merging with Barian World. But Kite is on the moon, and when his spacesuit fails, he will run out of oxygen." He looked up at the screen, which showed Kite and Jesse driving on Orbital 7, still weaving through the pillars.

Do you understand why I am here, Yusei Fudo?" Faker asked sadly. "I am here to see my son…one last time before I die." He clenched his fists. "First Hart was dangled in front of me on a silver platter, and I would have destroyed a world to save him! And now Kite has been claimed from me! Can you even understand what that's like?" he asked.

Tears were pouring down Doctor Faker's face as he continued talking. "I know the consequences of my actions. I've been doomed since Vector blackmailed me anyway. If I can just see my son again…one last time before he dies, then it will all be worth it…"

He glared into the mirror. "Until then, I will do what I can…" he murmured. "Yusei Fudo!" he declared. "Refresh yourself and prepare to test yourself against me! No strings attached, just a duel between fellow scientists!"

"All right, Faker, I'll take your bait!" Yusei replied. His duel disk shimmered and his wrist dealer auto-shuffled his deck.

Faker strapped a deck holder to his wrist, and tossed a crescent-shaped card zone out in front of him. It hovered there as both duelists drew five cards.

"Let us have a duel of souls, Yusei!" Doctor Faker declared.

"I'll take the first move!" Yusei called, drawing a card. He smiled at the Quillbolt Hedgehog that he'd drawn.

"First, I'll discard one card from my hand to special summon the Quickdraw Synchron tuner monster!" Yusei explained, sliding Quillbolt Hedgehog into the graveyard. A mechanical cowboy appeared on the field, clad in tattered, bright clothing. (700/1400)

"Next, since I control a face-up tuner monster, I can special summon Quillbolt Hedgehog from my graveyard!" Yusei continued, sliding the card from his graveyard slot. A hedgehog with bolts protruding from its body appeared on the field. (800/800)

"Now, level five Quickdraw Synchron, tune with level two Quillbolt Hedgehog!" Yusei called. Quickdraw Synchron drew a pistol and blew a hole through a spinning wheel of cards, punching through Nitro Synchron's card. "Take the place of Nitro Synchron, and synchro summon Nitro Warrior!" Yusei yelled as Quickdraw Synchron became the motes of light, transforming into the five green wings, surrounding Quillbolt Hedgehog and turning it transparent, revealing its level motes. "Let's rev it up!" Yusei yelled as a spear of light shot down the center of the rings, revealing the brutish green and grey skinned warrior. (2800/1800)

"I end my turn with two facedown cards!" Yusei finished, slotting the cards into his duel disk.

"Impressive," Faker admitted. "Impressive indeed." He drew his own card. "My turn!" the scientist declared. "I summon the tuner monster, Junk Synchron!" he called.

"What?!" Yusei gasped, as the orange armoured warrior appeared on the field. (1300/500)

"You use Junk Synchron as well?!" Yusei asked Faker in surprise.

"Indeed," Faker replied. "Synchro monsters faded into obscurity in my age, but I maintain a respect for the classics of the ages. And I admired both your work and your dueling skills, Yusei Fudo," he explained. He selected a card from his hand. "I now special summon Junk Servant from my hand since I control a Junk monster!" he called. A red and yellow robot appeared on the field. (1500/1000)

"And now, I'll tune my level three Junk Synchron to my level four Junk Servant, and unleash a force of sheer rage!" Faker declared. Junk Synchron tugged its cord, transforming into triple green rings that encircled and faded Junk Servant. A spear of light shot down the revealed motes of light.

"I synchro summon the howler, Junk Berserker!" Doctor Faker declared.

With a mechanical screech, a gigantic red and black warrior wielding a massive club-like axe appeared on the field. (2700/1800)

"I activate Junk Berserker's effect!" Faker declared. "By banishing a Junk monster from my graveyard, I can weaken one of your monsters by its attack value!" Junk Servant appeared from a graveyard portal, and Faker's monster swung its weapon through the shade, shattering it and sending a shockwave towards Nitro Warrior. The monster groaned and crumpled to the ground as its attack points dropped to 1300.

"Junk Berserker, attack Nitro Warrior!" Faker ordered. The monster charged forwards, swinging its weapon.

"I activate a trap card, Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!" Yusei called. The battered scarecrow emerged from the card and blocked the sword slash.

"I'm sure you know that it negates the attack, and then it gets re-set on the field!" Yusei explained as the scarecrow disappeared back into its card, which proceeded to flip face-down again.

Faker smiled. "I suppose I should have expected that," he admitted, slotting two cards into his card zone. "I set two cards face-down and end my turn!" he declared.

"Then it's my turn again," Yusei replied, drawing a card.

"I activate a trap card!" Faker declared. "Battle Mania!"

Yusei groaned as he recognized the card.

"Now, this turn your monsters will be forced to attack me," Faker explained.

Gritting his teeth furiously, Yusei's expression brightened when he looked at the card he'd drawn. "You're gonna wish that you hadn't done that, Doctor Faker!" he warned his opponent. He plucked Nitro Warrior's card off his duel disk. "By releasing a warrior-type monster, I'm allowing to special summon Turret Warrior from my hand!" Yusei explained, placing the card that he'd drawn on his duel disk.

A broad warrior that appeared to have been constructed from towers appeared on the field. (1200/2000)

"And then, my Turret Warrior gains a boost equal to the original attack points of the monster that I released!" Yusei explained. His warrior groaned as it went up to 4000 attack points.

"Next I normal summon the tuner monster, Turbo Synchron in attack mode!" Yusei called, placing another card down. A monster that was clad in armour resembling a green race car appeared. (100/500)

"Now, I attack Junk Berserker with Turret Warrior!" Yusei yelled. Turret Warrior levelled its shoulder cannons and opened fire.

"I reveal my trap card!" Faker declared. "Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!"

Yusei frowned. "So, you've got Scrap-Iron Scarecrow too, huh?" he asked as the scarecrow appeared, blocked the cannon-shots, and then disappeared back into the card. I guess I should have picked up on that, he admitted to himself. Especially with all this talk of idolizing me. He pointed at Faker. "I assume you do realize that I'm familiar with that card's strengths and weaknesses?" Yusei pointed out. "Now I attack with my Turbo Synchron!"

The little tuner monster charged.

"I activate Turbo Synchron's effect!" Yusei called. "I can switch the monster it battles into defense mode! And then, after I take the resulting damage, I can special summon a monster from my hand with attack points that are either equal or less than the damage that I took!"

Turbo Synchron threw a punch at Junk Berserker. Faker's monster swiped the little tuner monster out of the air, glowing as it hovered beside Yusei.

"And now, with Turbo Synchron's effect, I can special summon my Sonic Chick from my hand in defense mode!" Yusei called, slapping a card down as his life points decreased to 2300. The pink feathered bird emerged onto the field and shielded its head behind its wings. (300/300)

"Next I activate my Urgent Tuning!" Yusei called. "I'm now allowed to synchro summon during the battle phase! So I tune my level one Turbo Synchron to my level five Turret Warrior!"

Faker frowned as Turret Warrior and Turbo Synchron lifted into the air. Turbo Synchron exploded into a single mote of light, which transmuted into a green ring that surrounded Turret Warrior and turned it transparent.

"Now from two come one, and from one come great speed and might!" Yusei chanted as five motes of light aligned themselves in the ring. A spear of light shot down it.

"I synchro summon my Turbo Warrior!" Yusei called as a red-armoured warrior with engines attached to its back appeared. (2500/1500)

"Now, Turbo Warrior, attack and destroy his Junk Berserker!" Yusei called.

Turbo Warrior blasted itself forwards, angling its arm to stab at Junk Berserker's gut. The blow hit home, shattering the other monster.

Faker smiled. "Impressive," he admitted.

"I end my turn!" Yusei replied.

Faker raised his hands and he began to clap. "Good work, Yusei. I knew that you'd be able to find a way around my Scrap-Iron Scarecrow. After all, Z-one did, didn't he?"

Yusei frowned. "Are you trying to annoy me, or something, Doctor?" he asked. "Cause maybe you should take a look at the last guy who pushed my buttons, and rethink your life's work."

"Don't worry, Yusei," Faker replied, drawing a card. "All I plan to do is set a monster on the field in defense mode, as well as a face-down card." He slotted a card into his card zone, and placed another horizontally upon it, and the two images materialized.

Yusei drew his card. I can't destroy his monster with Scrap-Iron Scarecrow guarding the field, he thought dejectedly. Looks like I'll have to hold onto this for later, he thought, looking at his Descending Lost Star trap card. "I pass," Yusei muttered. "I end my turn."

Faker chuckled, drawing his card. "I thought that might be an issue," he commented. "Now it's time for you to face your next trial!"

He flipped the monster on his card zone up. "I flip summon Junk Synchron!" Faker called. Another Junk Synchron leapt onto the field.

"Next, by sending Garbage Ogre from my hand to my graveyard, I can add Garbage Lord from my deck to my hand!" Faker continued, discarding the card into his card zone. A card slid out of his deck, and then it automatically reshuffled.

"I now pay two-thousand life points to special summon Garbage Lord from my hand!" Faker declared, slapping the card down as his life points decreased to 2000. A pink robed robotic looking fiend appeared, holding a staff.

"I tune level three Junk Synchron with level five Garbage Lord!" Faker declared. Junk Synchron tugged its cord again, transforming into the triple motes, then the triple rings, surrounding Garbage Lord.

"Flash of light that splits the sea and stars!" Faker chanted as Garbage Lord faded to reveal the five motes of light. A spear of energy shot through them. "Shake our souls and roar through the world!" he roared, drawing out a white bordered card and holding it up in the air. "I synchro summon the Stardust Spark Dragon!" he declared.

"You summon the WHAT?!" Yusei yelled.

With a keening cry, a darkened white and blue dragon burst out of the ground behind Doctor Faker. Yusei looked at it in horror, aside from the darkened colour scheme and marks on its body that resembled Jack's Mark of the Dragon, it could have been a clone of his Stardust Dragon, with the stats to back it up. (2500/2000)

"Stardust Spark Dragon, attack Turbo Warrior!" Faker ordered. "Cosmic Blast!"

The new dragon monster breathed a blast of energy at Turbo Warrior.

He's up to something!, Yusei thought. Why else would he attack when our monsters' attack points are equal? "I activate my Scrap-Iron Scarecrow again!" Yusei called.

"Counter-trap!" Faker retorted. "Go, Wiretap!"

Yusei gritted his teeth as the familiar card flipped up and lightning engulfed his own trap. He returned it to his deck irritably.

"Stardust Spark Dragon's effect activates!" Faker declared. "Once per turn, I can prevent any one monster on the field from being destroyed once a turn! Go, Sonic Barrier!" he called, and Stardust surrounded itself with a barrier, blocking Turbo Warrior's retaliatory strike before its own attack destroyed Turbo Warrior. Both Yusei and Sonic Chick ducked away from the explosion.

"This is your task now, Yusei Fudo," Faker commented. "Destroy and tame Stardust, and prove you have the strength to subdue it!" The darkened dragon roared in agreement.

Yusei glared angrily at Faker. "What is that monster?" he asked. "Tell me, what is it?"

Faker chuckled. "I'm afraid I don't know, Yusei," he replied. "All I know is that it serves a darker power, the power of the Shadow Miasma, unlike your ace monster, the servant of the Dragon Star, the Crimson Dragon."

Yusei growled angrily. He didn't like hearing about dark powers.

"But that doesn't mean that its fate is set in stone," Faker replied. "By defeating it, subduing it and bringing it to its knees, you will be able to tame it, purify it, and make its power your own," he explained.

Yusei was somewhat intrigued by that. Does he mean that it's a monster that serves the shadows, and yet it can be used for the light?, he wondered. Only one way to find out, I guess, he thought. And one way or another, that's going to involve defeating that monster and winning this duel.

"I set a card face-down, and end my turn!" Faker declared, slotting a card into his card zone.

Yusei drew a card. I'll have to wait it out, he thought, looking at his Miracle Lotus trap card. He slotted both cards in his hand into his duel disk. "I play two face-down cards!" Yusei called. "I'll keep Sonic Chick in defense mode, and end my turn!"

Faker chuckled, and he drew another card. Another Garbage Lord…, he thought in irritation. "Stardust Spark Dragon, attack Sonic Chick!" he ordered.

"What?" Yusei gasped.

Faker smiled. Now, we'll see if his trap cards are just a bluff, he thought in satisfaction.

Yusei ducked behind hisarm as the blast slammed into Sonic Chick, but it didn't destroy it.

"You know perfectly well that my Sonic Chick can't be destroyed in battle by a monster that has at least nineteen-hundred attack points, so I assume you're trying to bait out my two face-down cards, aren't you?" Yusei asked.

"Not just that!" Faker cried, pointing to the trap card on his field. "My Meteorain trap card allowed my monster to inflict piercing battle damage to your Sonic Chick!"

Yusei yelled out in pain as his life points took a hit. They fell way, way down, all the way to 100.

Chuckling, Faker put a hand on his hip and looked at the ground in amusement. "Thank you, Yusei," he said. "I admit I'm enjoying this contest of ours."

Yusei was quite surprised, but then he smiled grimly in response. "Okay, I wasn't expecting that," he admitted. "But the stakes are too high for me to have fun for the moment."

"Then you go against everything that Maximillion Pegasus intended the Duel Monsters game for," Faker replied.

"Oh, sure, like you're one to talk!" Yusei retorted.

"I told you why I was here," Faker replied. "I'm sure you understand that I take no pleasure in the destruction of the world! Or any hope that it will happen!"

"That's not good enough!" Yusei yelled, drawing a card. Come on, please be a tuner monster!, he begged internally. But it wasn't, it was his Shield Warrior. He sighed, and placed the monster down. "I summon Shield Warrior in defense mode," Yusei said. (800/1600) The shield and spear-toting warrior appeared, kneeling on the field.

"Is that all?" Faker asked, drawing a card. "I'll crush it!" He raised his hand and pointed at the monster. "Stardust! Destroy that warrior with Cosmic Blast!" he ordered.

Stardust fired off a blast of energy, punching through Shield Warrior and destroying it.

Faker smiled. "You're only a breath away from defeat!" he warned Yusei. "Can you turn it around before I draw a monster that can destroy your Sonic Chick?"

Yusei panted. "I can!" he yelled. "I can bring that dragon to its knees!"

He drew his card. "MY TURN!" Yusei yelled.

His heart sank as he saw the spell card border, and then lifted as he saw that it was his Tuning spell card.

"I activate my Tuning spell card!" Yusei called. "First I add one Synchron tuner monster from my deck to my hand!" he explained, adding his own Junk Synchron to his hand. "Then I send the top card of my deck to my graveyard!" he continued, sending his Nitro Synchron to his graveyard.

He placed the card on his duel disk. "Next I summon Junk Synchron to the field in attack mode!" Yusei called. The tuner monster leapt into view. "And now I use Junk Synchron's ability, and I revive my level two Nitro Synchron from my graveyard in defense mode with its effects negated!" Yusei added.

"Two tuner monsters…" Faker mused.

"I'm not done yet," Yusei warned Faker. "Cause now I'm activating my Descending Lost Star trap card!" he called. "This card allows me to bring a synchro monster back from my graveyard in defense mode! And I'll use it to bring back Nitro Warrior!"

The burly warrior rose from the graveyard and knelt down on the field. Its defense points dropped to zero and its colour faded.

"Unfortunately, my synchro monster can't change its battle mode, its defense points become zero, its effect is negated, and its level decreases by one!" Yusei explained.

Faker smiled. "I rather think that you were hoping so," he commented.

"Now, level two Nitro Synchron, tune with the now level six Nitro Warrior!" Yusei ordered. Nitro Synchron split into twin motes, which became rings, surrounding the weakened Nitro Warrior.

"From two come one, and from one come great cosmic might!" Yusei chanted as Nitro Warrior faded into six motes of light. A spear of light shot through them.

"I synchro summon the Stardust Dragon!" Yusei yelled.

With a shriek of rage, the white and blue dragon burst onto the field. Yusei looked at it with pride as it settled beside him and glared at its counterpart. (2500/2000)

"Our monsters may be equal in attack strength, Yusei, but Stardust Spark Dragon's special ability will ensure its victory over your monster!" Faker warned.

Yusei grinned. "Don't you forget, Doctor, that I've still got two monsters on the field, including a tuner monster!" he explained. "And now I'll tune level three Junk Synchron…" and the tuner monster tugged its cord, bursting into the triple lights, transforming into the rings of green light. "…with my level one Sonic Chick!" he finished as Sonic Chick moved into the rings, fading into a single point of light. "To synchro summon, Armoury Arm!" he yelled as another spear of light shot through the rings.

A black forearm with nasty red claws appeared on the field. (1800/1200)

"Now I use my Armoury Arm's effect!" Yusei continued. "I equip it to my Stardust Dragon, powering it up by one-thousand points!"

The mechanical arm slid over Stardust Dragon's right arm, and the powered-up dragon flexed its new fingers and spread both its arms with a roar as its attack points increased to 3500.

"Stardust Dragon!" Yusei yelled. "Attack his Stardust Spark Dragon now!"

Stardust Dragon roared, and it blasted a Cosmic Flare at Stardust Spark Dragon.

"I activate my trap card!" Faker declared. "Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!"

The scarecrow appeared on the field again, blocked the attack, and then it returned to its card.

Good. That's where it is, Yusei thought. "I end my turn with that!" he called.

Faker drew cautiously. I can't put another monster on the field, he thought grimly. If I'm not careful, the effect of his Armoury Arm will wipe out the rest of my life points. "I switch my Stardust Spark Dragon into defense mode," Faker declared. The darkened dragon folded its wings over its body and assumed a defensive position.

He didn't play a card!, Yusei thought. Yes! Now all I need to do is draw a monster that can destroy Stardust Spark Dragon! He drew his card, and smiled. It's not a monster, but this card should do it, he thought, slotting it into his duel disk. "I play one card face-down and end my turn!" Yusei called.

"My turn!" Faker declared, drawing his card, Destruct Potion. So, it seems that fate is on his side…, he mused. Z-one was right… "I shall end my turn, then," Faker said.

"My move!" Yusei called. "And first, I'm going to activate my Wild Tornado trap card!"

The card flipped up, disgorging a tornado that ripped across the field.

"This card destroys one spell or trap card on the field!" Yusei called. "It also allows you to set another one from your hand to the field!"

Faker slotted Destruct Potion into his card zone as Scrap-Iron Scarecrow was ripped apart.

"Now, Stardust Dragon, attack Stardust Spark Dragon!" Yusei yelled. His dragon roared, and it blasted another Cosmic Flare at Stardust Spark Dragon.

"Don't be so foolish!" Faker called. "I activate Stardust Spark Dragon's special ability!" he explained. "Once per turn I can prevent a card on the field from being destroyed once!"

Stardust Spark Dragon shrouded itself in its Sonic Barrier, and the attack was reflected.

"And now I'll play my final trap card!" Yusei yelled. "Go, Miracle Lotus!"

Faker gasped in surprise as Yusei explained the card's effect.

"With this card, you first get to draw one card, and then, my Stardust Spark Dragon gains another one-thousand attack points and it can attack again!" Yusei explained. "Unfortunately, I can't deal any battle damage when I use this effect!"

Faker frowned. Except, of course, that won't matter, because he'll be able to use the effect of Armoury Arm to inflict the attack points of Stardust Spark Dragon as battle damage to my life points!, he thought furiously.

"Now go, Stardust Dragon!" Yusei yelled as his monster powered up to 4500 attack points. "Attack!"

Drawing its head back, as well as its mighty Armoury Arm, Stardust Dragon fired a colossal stream of energy, and it dived alongside it, arm extended to punch.

The combined force of the energy stream and the titanic punch ripped through the Sonic Barrier and impacted with Stardust Spark Dragon's gut. The dragon wheezed, and its colour scheme began to lighten, as the Shadow Miasma began to leave it.

"And now the effect of my Armoury Arm will wipe out the rest of your life points!" Yusei reminded Faker.

Faker winced as Stardust Dragon raised the palm of Armoury Arm and a blast began to form in its palm. This is going to be uncomfortable, he thought.

The blast hit home, and Faker yelled in pain as he was thrown backwards, blasted off his feet and into the wall. His life points decreased to zero as he slumped to the floor.

A portal opened in the wall, and Yusei began to run towards it.

"Wait!" Faker called. "You forgot your prize!"

Yusei wasn't listening until he heard a keening sound in his mind. Then he saw himself standing before Stardust Spark Dragon in his mind's eye, the dragon hovering sadly before him.

Yusei smiled. "Hey, don't be like that," he reassured the dragon. "Everything's gonna be okay. After all, I've always got room for a few more friends."

The dragon smiled back at Yusei, and he held his hand out.

"Welcome aboard, my new friend," he said. "Stardust Spark Dragon…"

The images faded, and Yusei looked at the card in his hand, which bore the lightened Stardust Spark Dragon on its image.

"Congratulations, Yusei," Faker said. "Truly, that was entertaining."

Yusei nodded. "I hope things work out with your son," he said sincerely.

Faker remained silent, so Yusei turned and walked through the portal.

Once Yusei had gone, a single tear trickled down Faker's cheek.

"As do I, Yusei Fudo," he whispered. "As do I."

In another place…

Yusei hit the ground in a crouch, and gasped as he breathed in the moist air. He stood up and looked around in confusion, seeing the pillars surrounding him.

Man, this place feels like a graveyard, Yusei thought grimly.

He heard an engine, and he turned around in surprise. "Is that a Duel Runner?" Yusei asked.

He peered at the mist in the distance, and tried to make out the oncoming shape, screwing up his eyes and squinting. But he couldn't tell without it getting closer, and very soon, it did get closer.

The object pulled up beside Yusei and he examined it with the fascinated eyes of a scientist and a mechanic. It clearly wasn't a Duel Runner, but it was shaped into the form of a motorcycle.

"Well?" Kite Tenjo asked, sitting up. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh man, I gotta stretch my legs!" Jesse Anderson commented, hopping off the machine.

"Orbital 7," Kite ordered. "Take a break for now, but be ready to go."

"You got it boss!" the motorcycle chirped, before it transformed back into the form of a small robot.

"That's incredible!" Yusei said in awe. "How does it work?!"

"Hey! No poking around there, mister!" Orbital snapped.

But Yusei ignored him, and he examined the robot with a practiced eye. "Let's see…multi-purpose control panel, some kind of extra-dimensional power source…"

"M-Master Kite! Get this guy away from me!" Orbital protested.

"Don't be a baby," Kite snapped. He looked at Yusei thoughtfully. "So, what are you doing all the way out here, by yourself?"

"I could have asked you the same question," Yusei replied. "But your father told me the answer."

Kite grimaced. "My father?" he asked. "What's he playing at, targeting other people?!" he seethed, clenching his fists. "If he wants a fight, then I'm ready and willing!"

Yusei placed his hands on Kite's shoulders. "Hey, man, calm down. Maybe you're just not ready yet," he suggested.

"Not ready?!" Kite snapped. "How can I not be ready?! After what I've already been through, I'm not ready because of what some goddess said?"

"That's not how it works, and you know it," Yusei replied. "Besides, I know what you're going through."

"How?!" Kite yelled. "How can you know what I'm going through? Did your father try to destroy a world?"

"No, but he got blamed for it," Yusei said sadly. "My father's research was used to destroy the Satellite. I believed after I was told about it that it was his own fault, his own error."

"But it wasn't!" Kite snapped. "I know the history books. The Dark Signers, manipulated by your friend Z-one's little Yliaster group, made it looks like that was what had happened!"

"I went through what you're going through now, Kite!" Yusei told him. "I lived under the lie that my father was responsible for so much destruction, so much pain! But I told myself I'd fight back! Just like you're doing now, Kite! And your father's like mine! He's a good man trying to make the best of a bad situation!"

"How?!" Kite snarled. "How can you know that?!"

"Because your father told me that you-" and Yusei stopped himself there.

There's no way that I can tell Kite that he's going to die in the future, Yusei realized.

Now, to answer the questions of the masses.

Peter Kim: Not to be rude, but did you just click on the button for the last chapter? Because it just seemed like you haven't read the one before the one you reviewed. Plain and simple, Crow has Blackfeather Darkrage Dragon on his side now; he's fulfilled the requirements to subdue it. Yes, we will see it (hopefully, when Goodwin next appears), but I will be using its TCG effect to create combos. He will use his anime deck, but some of his manga cards (and, if you've read some of sonofthetrigod's reviews, you'll see a monster that will also show up in his deck, though you may need to search for a while.) I shall give you more! Admittedly, there isn't as much in this arc, but you'll be pleased to know that your request for Chazz is being approved.
No, that was to be unique to Crow, and technically, it's not a dark version of him, that's just the form the Shadow Miasma took.

sonofthetrigod: Good for you on running Aliens. I've faced them before, and Golgar is damn annoying. Out of interest, do you still play now, and what are you running seriously most recently? And thanks again for your praise, because, like I said, I too am very worried about Joey.

Back to the ka chapters for a while, to put the guys through the ringer this time. They are not going to have a pleasant arc, I can tell you that much.

Anyways, this is it for a while, well, possibly. I'll probably get out two or three chapters before getting back into exam mode, and then after that, well, I'll have uni break, but who knows what'll happen? Hopefully I can finish the arc before the year is up, though. I do so want to.

See ya round!

Sanokal.