YuGiOh! 5D's Sequel: Beyond the Future

by GoldenUmi

10 years after the events of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, the members of Team 5D's become the target of an underground German organization wielding technology similar to that of Yliaster. Jack and Yusei become the target of vengeance. Aki's past begins to haunt her. Rua and Ruka search for their missing father. Their fates intertwine as the multiple shadows of Urteil reveal themselves.

37. Dolls

Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Beyond the Future

Chapter 37: "Dolls"

---

As intense cheers filled the Neo Domino City Dome Stadium, two ambulance medical staff members dashed out into the sidelines. The men looked exhausted as they pushed a stretcher in search of the latest victim.

"Where is Team Unicorn?! We were told that one of you needed medical attention!"

"Over here!" Andre shouted, rising from his chair with a wave of his arm. "The guy's name is Breo! He's the one standing by the D-Wheels over there!" Andre pointed to his best friend, who was leaning against his D-Wheel, holding his hand against his bleeding chest.

"What a horrible wound!" one of the staff members cried as he got close enough to see all the blood. "How in the world did this happen?!"

Pale and sweating, Breo looked relieved to see the men as they helped him onto the stretcher.

"Just what is going on here?" the second man asked, scanning the stadium for any clue of misconduct. "This man makes the seventh Duelist from this tournament we've had to treat, and his wounds are just as gruesome! Yet it feels like there's nothing out of the ordinary going on despite the fact that this man is gushing from the chest!"

"Whatever, man," the first man said, gripping the other's shoulder. "Don't worry about that now. Just get this man to the hospital. We can question the sponsors of this tournament later!"

As Breo was carried away, he turned his head toward the track where Jafar and Deangelo were speeding down the track toward the first corner. "C'mon, Deangelo… You can do it…"

At the same time, Deangelo was going at his maximum speed, the wind slicing into his skin like steak knives, as he tried to outpace Jafar's massive D-Wheel. "Damn it…! I will…!"

"Comical!" Jafar cried over the roar of their engines. "You challenge my ride with such a tiny machine?! Or do you merely have a death wish?!"

"Shut up!" Deangelo managed, his eyelids flapping in the wind. "I may be a newer member of Team Unicorn, but I swore I was gonna help them! Know what I'm talkin' about?!"

Just as Jafar was about to respond, he gasped when he saw Deangelo's D-Wheel gradually inching his way past him. "What?! There's no way you could be faster than me!" Pausing for a second, Jafar noticed the steel shredding off his opponent's ride. "Now I see," Jafar grunted, narrowing his eyes. "You're pushing your D-Wheel to its limit in order to surpass me. I'm impressed, but you're digging your own grave in the process!"

"Shut…UP!" Deangelo screamed at the top of his lungs. At that very second, just a hair in front of Jafar, Deangelo passed over the first corner of the stadium in first place. Grinning, Jafar pulled right behind him, both D-Wheelers' Monsters following behind their masters.

"Amazing!" MP cried, tears in his eyes. "Contestant Deangelo managed to push himself to the limit just to give Team Unicorn a fighting chance against Exodia the Forbidden One! Incredible team dedication!"

"But," MC continued, pointing his finger out in front of him, "that does not guarantee his victory! Even if he managed to take the first turn, if Jafar still holds all five pieces of Exodia in his hand at the End Phase of Deangelo Lombardi's turn, it will be an automatic win for Team Judgment!"

"The odds of removing a card from his hand are low," Yusei said in his team's booth. "Will he be able to pull it off?"

In the Team Exploration booth, Crow looked far from calm. "It's not Exodia you need to worry about right now! Jafar has an extremely powerful Monster under his belt! Be careful!"

"It's my turn first!" Deangelo cried, swiping his cards off his deck as he completed his turn. "Draw!"

[SC: Unicorn 2 / Judgment 1]

[Deangelo's LP: 4000]

[The Fabled Unicore: LV4/2300/1000] [Attack Position]

[Face-Up Traps: Howl of the Wild, Bewitching Tricolore]

[2 Set Cards]

[Jafar's LP: 4000]

[Ally of Justice Thunder Armor: LV8/2700/2200] [Attack Position]

[Face-Up Traps: Forbidden Zone]

"Here goes!" Deangelo cried, raising one of his cards. "I Summon Moja in Attack Position!" Appearing beside the mobster Duelist was the black fur ball matching his hair.

[Moja: LV1/100/100]

"I then release Moja to Special Summon King of the Beasts in Attack Position!"

A shadow creature appeared behind the ball of fluff, promptly devouring it to manifest its hairy three-legged form on the track.

[King of the Beasts: LV7/2500/800]

"Then I activate Speed Spell – Count Up! When I have two or more Speed Counters, I can discard any number of cards from my hand to gain three Speed Counters for each!" Deangelo reached for his Speed Spell – Chain Strike and his Minotaur, sending both cards to the Graveyard. "By discarding two cards, I gain six Speed Counters!" His speed tripling, Deangelo quickly left Jafar in the dust as he surpassed him on the track.

[Unicorn's SC: 2 - 8]

After pausing a moment, Deangelo revealed the card he'd been saving. "This card will get rid of your Exodia! I activate Speed Spell – Confiscation! This card activates by removing seven of my Speed Counters and paying 1000 Life Points!"

[Unicorn's SC: 8 - 1]

[Deangelo's LP: 4000 - 3000]

"I can then view my opponent's hand, select one card, and send that card to the Graveyard!"

A light smile came to Jafar's lips as he revealed the five Exodia pieces in his hand. "Superb. Truly."

"Naturally, you'll discard Exodia the Forbidden One!"

As Deangelo pointed at him, Jafar did as he was told and sent the Effect Card into his Graveyard. "I'm impressed that you managed to stop my Instant Win from happening."

"Turn end!" the D-Wheeler declared, whipping his arm into the air. "The likes of Exodia won't defeat Team Unicorn!"

As he passed by the audience on the track, Jafar couldn't hold back a light laugh as he prepared to draw. "The likes of Exodia, was it? Then I guess I need to show you something more…on your level." As he drew his card, Deangelo felt a sudden shiver creep up his back.

"My turn! Draw!"

[SC: Unicorn 2 / Judgment 2]

[Jafar's LP: 4000]

As Deangelo watched his opponent, he felt a strange presence filling the track around him; a presence that felt as if it was strangling the breath out of him. "What the hell…is this?"

The presence quickly made its way over to the Team 5D's booth, striking a glowing red reaction from their Crimson Dragon birthmarks. Rubbing his arm, Jack glared up at Jafar as he passed by them. "That's the guy we met before, right? The one who somehow has Dark Synchro Monsters? Let's watch closely. Maybe we'll learn more about who he is and what kind of Monsters he has."

Out in the track, Jafar started laughing as the dark aura surround his body became visible to Deangelo. The dark-skinned man's ponytail began floating above his head as he revealed the card he was holding. "When my opponent controls two or more Monsters on the field, I can Special Summon Dark Tuner - Chaotic Executioner from my hand!"

Upon hearing this, Deangelo and his fellow teammates went wide-eyed. "Dark Tuner?! What the hell is that?!"

Jafar gave a laugh as his blood-soaked creature swung its executioner's blade out in front of it.

[Dark Tuner (DT) - Chaotic Executioner: LV12/0/0] [Attack Position]

"Then I activate Chaotic Executioner's Monster Effect!" Jafar declared, giving a sharp raise of his arm. "When Summoned, it targets every Synchro Monster my opponent controls on the field and switches them into Defense Position! Chaos Intimidation!"

Suddenly feeling the Dark Tuner's bloodlust, Deangelo's noble steed succumbed to the pressure and lied down on its stomach.

"Next," Jafar continued, his pitch-black eyes flashing, "I Normal Summon Left Arm of the Forbidden One!"

[Left Arm of the Forbidden One: LV1/200/300] [Attack Position]

"Welcome to the World of Darkness!" Jafar grinned, unleashing his full black aura. "I'm Dark Tuning my Level 12 Chaotic Executioner with my Level One Left Arm of the Forbidden One!"

Deangelo went pale as the dark aura surrounded both Monsters, a massive shadow appearing in front of Jafar's D-Wheel. "In order to Dark Synchro, the subtracted levels of both Monsters must equal the negative value of the Dark Synchro Monster!"

(1-12=-11)

"Oh mighty demon of the guillotine, it is time once more to bring dark judgment to my opponent! The shadows have spoken and the verdict is guilty! Let the judgment commence! Dark Synchro Summon! Stahl, the Demon Guillotine Master!"

[Stahl, the Demon Guillotine Master: LV-11/4000/2800] [Attack Position]

"Dark Synchro Summon?! What in the world is that?!"

As the two commentators freaked out, Deangelo tried to maintain his cool. Because of his own Dark Tuner, his Synchro Monster was forced into Defense Position. He should be able to withstand this attack to some degree…

"First," Jafar continued his turn, "I reveal the top card of my deck in order to destroy your Trap Card, Bewitching Tricolore!" Jafar revealed his Ultimate Offering Trap Card, shattering the card that was keeping his Monsters from attacking.

"Go, Stahl! Attack The King of Beasts! Life-Stripping Blade!"

[King of the Beasts' ATK: 2700]

Deangelo let out a scream as his hairy beast was sliced in half, the force of the dark blade piercing his own flesh as well. Coughing up blood, Deangelo kept one eye open as the next attack was imminent.

[Deangelo's LP: 3000 - 1700]

[Unicorn's SC: 2 - 1]

"I'm not done yet!" Jafar cried, whipping his arm forward. "Ally of Justice Thunder Armor! Attack The Fabled Unicore! Spark Press!"

Just as a blast of electricity was about to vaporize The Fabled Unicore, the attack faded away before reaching its target. Confused, Jafar looked closely to see a sudden Trap Card flipped up on his opponent's field. "That is…?"

"Trap, activate!" Deangelo cried, completing a lap as he drove past the starting line again. "Call of the Haunted! This Trap Special Summons a Monster from the Graveyard!"

Appearing in front of the Trap was a tiny white mouse with a golden key around its neck.

[Key Mouse: LV1/100/100] [Attack Position]

"Key Mouse?" Jafar scowled as the tiny creature scurried about on his opponent's side of the track. "I see. That must be one of the seven cards Breo sent to your team's Graveyard with Voltic Bicorn's effect. But I have to question what good bringing out a weak Monster in Attack Position will do you. When a new Monster appears on my opponent's field, the situation changes, as does the battle. However, I have not yet battled with Ally of Justice Thunder Armor. Instead of stopping the attack, you've allowed me to instead direct the same attack toward your weak Monster. Now go!"

"I won't let you!" Deangelo shouted, giving a sharp flick of his wrist. "Trap, activate! Urgent Tuning!"

Jafar's expression loosened slightly as he saw the card, his Monster's attack fading once again as he peered over his shoulder at Deangelo's side of the track. "Urgent Tuning? That's a card that lets you Synchro Summon during the Battle Phase as long as you have the appropriate materials. So Key Mouse is a Tuner Monster?"

"That's right!" Deangelo said, a grin coming to his face. "I'm Tuning my Level One Key Mouse with my Level Four The Fabled Unicore!"

(1+4=5)

"Dash over the rainbow with your graceful wings! Raise your sword for justice! Synchro Summon! Unicorn Warrior!"

Jafar watched as a two-legged beast-warrior with the horned head of a unicorn appeared on his opponent's field, raising its sword with a sharp neigh.

[Unicorn Warrior: LV5/2300/1800] [Attack Position]

"Then," Deangelo continued, "when Unicorn Warrior is successfully Synchro Summoned, I can Special Summon one Level Four or lower Beast-Warrior-Type Monster from my hand! Come, Cat's Ear Tribe!"

Joining his newest warrior was a group of cat triplets of pink, blue, and white, each dressed in thick armor.

[Cat's Ear Tribe: LV1/200/100] [Attack Position]

"You fool!" Jafar cried, narrowing his eyes. "You mock me by playing those weak cats in Attack Position in the face of my 2700 Attack Power Monster?! You will suffer intense pain as the consequence! Go, Ally of Justice Thunder Armor! Change your attack target to Cat's Ear Tribe! Spark Press!"

Just as the blast was about to make contact, Jafar gasped when the three cat warriors hopped into the air and took the electrical charge head on. "What?!"

"I activate Cat Ear Tribe's effect!" Deangelo cried, raising his arm. "When one of the opponent's Monsters attacks it during their turn, the original Attack Power of the attacking Monster becomes 200 during the Damage Step!"

[Ally of Justice Thunder Armor's ATK: 2700 - 200]

"Damn!" Jafar grunted, the blast from his attack discharging over him as he shielded his eyes. "Their Attack Points are equal! They'll both be destroyed!"

Just as Jafar stated, both the cats and the machine were shattered and destroyed, neither player taking any damage.

As the sparks leftover from his attack rained down on both D-Wheelers, Jafar couldn't help but smirk. "I compliment you for being aware of Ally of Justice Thunder Armor's Piercing Damage effect. Had you allowed the first attack to go through, your Unicore holding 1000 Defense Points, you would have undoubtedly lost this turn." Raising both his arms, Jafar continued calmly. "Moreover, to actually bait me into attacking your weak Monster only to instead use it to destroy my Monster is quite impressive indeed."

"Flattery won't get you out of this in one piece," Deangelo replied with a narrow of his eyes. "But I appreciate the compliment."

"Turn end," Jafar declared, returning his hands to his side as he drove through another corner of the stadium. "You may have destroyed Jonas' Monster, but you still face a Monster with 4000 Attack Points on the field. Do you think your weak Unicorn Warrior will be able to survive?"

Clicking his tongue, Deangelo proceeded to draw his next card. "My turn!"

[SC: Unicorn 2 / Judgment 3]

[Deangelo's LP: 1700]

After glancing at his card, Deangelo quickly inserted it into his Duel Disk. "I set one card face-down! Turn end!"

"My turn!" Jafar bellowed, drawing as his opponent's card manifested on the field. "Draw!"

[SC: Unicorn 3 / Judgment 4]

[Jafar's LP: 4000]

As he added the card to his hand, Jafar's expression suddenly fell flat as he met eyes with his opponent through his rearview mirror. Catching a glimpse of his face through the reflection, a sudden chill crept up Deangelo's back.

What was this feeling?

Deangelo felt his hand start trembling as the man's bloodlust filled the entire arena, the same black energy from before becoming visible once again. Deangelo felt as if he was riding behind a wild beast in search of fresh prey, and it definitely made him uneasy.

"You deserve to be called a member of Team Unicorn for your quick thinking and reflexes," Jafar started, his voice deeper and darker than before. "I would never be able to witness such potential if I didn't give my opponents some fighting chance."

This caught Deangelo off guard, whose expression fell apart as he tailed the enemy on the track. "What are you trying to say?"

"It's very simple," Jafar continued, a black coating covering his eyes once again. "I prefer to instill just a small shard of hope into my opponent's heart before utterly crushing them. It's far more fun that way."

Unable to respond, Deangelo found himself sweating under the enemy's gaze, angry with himself for displaying such vulnerable emotions.

"I'm going to demonstrate what I mean by that," Jafar growled, lifting a card from his hand. "But first, I activate Speed Spell – Pot of Greed from my hand! When I have two or more Speed Counters, I draw two cards from my deck!"

Once he had his two cards, Jafar proceeded to reveal another card from his hand. "I then activate the Speed Spell – Angel Baton I just drew. When I have two or more Speed Counters, I can draw two cards and then discard one card."

As he drew his cards, Deangelo gave an irritated grunt. "Lucky bastard actually drew Speed Spell – Angel Baton with Speed Spell – Pot of Greed…"

Jafar continued his assault by slapping one of his drawn cards onto his Duel Disk. "I Special Summon The Tricky by discarding one of the Exodia pieces from my hand!"

[The Tricky: LV5/2000/1200] [Attack Position]

Jafar's faceless magician manifested beside his D-Wheel, following his executioner along the track. With a second Monster now at his disposal, Jafar continued by revealing yet another card. "By Banishing two Dark Tuner Monsters from my Graveyard, I can Special Summon Dark Tuner – Omegaus! Become the food for a new darkness, Chaotic Executioner! Hell's Bane!"

Grinning, Jafar gave a battle cry as a thick dark fog consumed his field. Appearing from within that fog was a faceless creature that seemed like it was a part of the very darkness itself.

[Dark Tuner (DT) – Omegaus: LV12/0/2800] [Attack Position]

"I'm Dark Tuning my Level Twelve Omegaus with my Level Five The Tricky!"

(5-12=-7)

Jafar raised both his arms as the dark fog surrounding his field turned a bright red, a large shadow forming from within the embers.

"The dwindling ember hidden in the darkness, break free from the ties of suppressing darkness and take the form of a Demon of Fire! Burn them to ashes with your unending inferno! Dark Synchro Summon! Goethe, the Burning Apostle!"

Emerging from the dark flames, Jafar's fiery demon gave an ear-shattering roar.

[Goethe, the Burning Apostle: LV-7/2800/2600] [Attack Position]

"Now," Jafar said with a point of his finger, "it's time for you to learn the terrifying power of my Dark Synchro Deck! When Omegaus is used as Synchro Material for a Dark Synchro Monsters, my opponent must either discard their entire hand or destroy one Monster they control on the field with the highest Attack Power!"

"What?!" Deangelo went pale as he heard this, realizing that he currently didn't even have a hand, leaving him with no choice at all here.

"That's right!" Jafar said, grinning as the wind slapped his ponytail around. "You can only destroy your Unicorn Warrior!" Snapping his fingers, the only line of defense between him and two powerful Monsters was taken down in an explosion.

"I will now explain the effect of Stahl, the Demon Guillotine Master that I did not activate on my previous turn!" Hearing this, Deangelo's attention immediately turned toward his opponent, eyes wide. "By discarding two cards from the top of my deck, all Monsters on my opponent's side of the field lose half their original Attack Power!"

Striking Deangelo like a ton of bricks, the Unicorn team member sank in his chair as this sudden realization washed over him. "Then…"

"I chose not to activate this effect," Jafar continued, "but if I had done so, your King of the Beasts would have only had 1350 Attack Points, and your Life would have fallen to 350 instead of 1700. In addition to that, I purposely attacked Cat Ears Tribe, knowing full well its effect due to the fact that one of our members, Yukio Kyoji, has that card in his deck and I've already studied all the cards he's played. Do you understand?" Jafar's voice fell flat as he asked this, his pitch black eyes as cold as stone. "I allowed you to live during that first turn. But that all ends now!"

His eyes going blank, Deangelo turned to the one card he had set on his field in a hurry.

"Go, Stahl!" Jafar ordered, pointing his finger. "Attack Deangelo Lombardi directly! Life-Stripping Blade!"

[Stahl, the Demon Guillotine Master's ATK: 4000]

[Deangelo's LP: 1700]

As the demon unleashed the full wrath of its blade, a sudden barrier blocked the attack and sent it back. Jafar flinched slightly, turning to see the identity of the card activated.

"Trap, activate! Defense Draw!"

"I see," Jafar replied calmly, eyes narrowing slightly. "So you've negated the Battle Damage and you can now draw one card. Very tactical, but that won't be enough to help you! For I still have one attack remaining!" Shooting his arm upward, Jafar gave the final attack order. "Go, Goethe, The Burning Apostle! Direct Attack!"

Frantically drawing the card he earned, Deangelo barely had enough time to even try to shield himself against the pillar of fire headed his way. Going wide in the eyes, he could only accept the cyclone of hell itself face first.

"Hell Inferno!"

Letting out an appropriate scream, Deangelo's body burned and charred inside the wall of flames, his scream echoing throughout the stadium. As the fire finally subsided, he was left an empty shell of his former self, his body black and his eyes blank as the EXPAIN System created a literal living hell for the D-Wheeler of Team Unicorn.

[Deangelo's LP: 1700 - 0]

[Unicorn's SC: 3 - 1]

The rest of the Unicorn members dashed from their pit booth to help their fallen comrade, not even waiting for MC to announce his loss.

The bloody even attracted attention from the neighboring Duelists, including Team 5D's, who were rightfully worried about the half-dead D-Wheeler.

As Team Unicorn ran out onto the track where Deangelo had crashed, an older man with a similar appearance to the 19 year old rushed over to scoop his unconscious body into his arms. "Son! Deangelo, my boy! Speak to me!"

Not even feeling so much as a twitch, the Fourth Wheeler of Team Unicorn, the father of Deangelo Lombardi, Antonio Lombardi, used every ounce of hatred in his body to send a threatening glare up at Jafar, who watched from atop his D-Wheel. Grinning, Jafar returned the glare with double the intensity.

"If you wish to avoid more casualties, you'll learn your place and surrender this tournament. If not, you'll join the young man on your deathbed!" Lowering his brows, Jafar's tone suddenly took a dive as he continued speaking. "If you believe I'm the devil for what I've done, you're going to think my actions were saint compared to the monster you're about to face next!" Laughing, Jafar sped off the field, leaving a cloud of dust behind him.

At the same time, the other members of Team Judgment, excluding Fynn and Jafar, were freaking out suddenly.

"You need to calm down, Leah Kruger!" Jonas was yelling, grabbing the woman by her arm. "If you don't calm yourself, you'll take half this stadium apart! Heilandes told us not to rampage in the audience, remember! Remember?!"

"Shut up!" Leah growled, shoving Jonas off her. Unintentionally, her Psychic powers sent the masked Duelist flying several feet into the air across the stadium sidelines. Hitting his head, he instantly fell unconscious.

Leah's boyfriend, Anton, did his best to calm her down by gently rubbing her shoulders. "Leah, you need to suppress your energy! Come on! How many times must I tell you?!"

"Be quiet, Anton!" Leah snapped, crushing the table in front of her with her bare hands. "Jafar's bloodlust has my blood boiling!" Leah's dark blue eyes doubled in size as she spoke, filled with intensity and insanity. "If I don't unleash this energy, I really will take half the stadium!" Unleashing a beastly growl, Leah pushed Anton to the side and rose from her seat, her dark green hair fluttering about. "Unless you want to see blood wash over these bleachers, you'll get off me and let me go, Anton!"

With that said, Leah used her powers to levitate her body toward her purple D-Wheel.

"Hold on, Leah!" Anton cried after her, running onto the driveway of the Judgment booth. "You have to pull your punches in this Duel! Killing the opponent isn't acceptable either! Leah!"

As she started her engine, a wide grin stretched across Leah's face. "It's too late! I'm about to rampage!"

Laughing, Leah slammed the gas, driving out onto the stadium track, Anton's voice fading into the distance.

---

BREAK

---

My name is Leah Kruger. I grew up in a very poor European country, struggling just to survive from the moment of my birth. At the tender age of six, I came to realize that I had been abandoned by God and my fellow people. My peers in school treated me like the plague and blamed me for the recession due to the strange powers that had begun to surface.

Perhaps I really was plagued. Those who touched me suffered mysterious illnesses soon after, some even dying before they had a chance to enjoy their lives. Even the adults in our neighborhood gave me stares cold enough to freeze my body on the hottest of days. Eyes as cold as glaciers.

By the time I reached ten years old, I had given up all hope of living in this world. My emotions had died. My heart was merely beating. In a sense, I merely existed. I contemplated suicide, but even that was too much of a hassle. You can say that I had even lost the motivation to end my own life. Was it even possible for human emotions to fall to such a low?

On my eleventh birthday, however, a sudden light illuminated my darkness, as if guiding me to the end of a tunnel I had been wandering for years. That light came before me in the voice of a young teenager only two years older than me.

"Hey, your eyes are really pretty! You shouldn't hide your face like that!"

The voice referred to the large white hat I started wearing to hide my eyes when I was eight years old. I usually walked with my head down while at school and out in public before retiring to the apartment I lived in by myself, but a sudden chance encounter that day made a pleasant rift in my schedule.

"I happened to peek at the list of birthdays on the poster in the back. I can't believe it was your birthday today! The teacher didn't even say anything! How rude!"

The boy's face was far too radiant for someone as gloomy as I. The first time I met his eyes, it was as if I was staring into the center of the sun. Surely this had to be a dream. A handsome young man actually taking the time to talk to a Psychic like me?

"Hey, I'm a pretty good cook, you know! Wanna hang out with me? I'll make you something special tonight!"

There I stood, frozen in place, as the boy's hazel eyes scanned me excitedly, as if I was one of the most popular girls in the school? That was far from the cast. Not only did everyone despise me, but I was as pale as a ghost and I had deep bags under my eyes. What could he possibly find attractive about me?

"Huh? Am I scared?! Why would I be? Oh, if you mean the whole Psychic thing, who cares?! I'm a Psychic too, you know! I'm also a Duelist, and that makes me a Psychic Duelist!"

Slow down. This was all too fast for me to take in at once. Are you telling me this boy also had the same curse I did? Does that mean he was also forsaken by God? Did the other children view him as they viewed me? Did he just pity me because we were the same?

So many questions filled my head that day as I spent my first day with the boy named Anton Bartholomew. From that day forward, my days were as bright as can be! Anton gave me the will to live in this cruel world I was born in.

The two of us were both orphans, like many of the other children in this poor country. A recent civil war in Germany had devastated the European economy, and that was the reason this tiny country was so poor. Apparently the smaller the country, the harder it was to recover when our government was practically nonexistent. I learned this from Anton, who had researched the matter himself. Anton was a very intelligent young man, far more intelligent than I will ever be. Every time I told him that, however, his reply was always the same.

"My intelligence pales in comparison to your beauty and your kindness, Leah. And you're far more intelligent than you give yourself credit for. You should be more confident in yourself."

By the time we reached our teens, Anton and I could no longer afford to attend High School due to the rising costs. Forced to drop out, every day was a struggle to find food and stay alive among the dangerous people living on the streets. Children were given a free education until High School, but those who could not afford High School were forced out of the educational system. Despite all this, Anton never once lost his smile. Using books we stole, the two of us educated ourselves inside an abandoned warehouse we found.

One day, a strange foreigner suddenly appeared inside our hideout. He was a tall, thin man with blonde hair and deep blue eyes. As he spoke to us, his tone was surprisingly intimidating for a man only appearing about ten years older than the two of us.

"You two are far too talented to be cooped up inside this country. Would you like to come along with me to find some purpose in your lives? There's a certain someone who would like you meet you."

The stranger's name was Alf Kappler. I didn't know it at the time, but this man would quickly become a driving factor in my life. Anton and I went along with Alf Kappler to meet the man he spoke of. Upon seeing the one called Jophiel Omniel for the first time, I felt instantly drawn toward him as if he was a beacon of hope for lost Psychic Duelists like myself and Anton.

Jophiel had eyes that looked as if they were made of glass, reflecting one's soul. They looked fragile enough to shatter with the touch of a finger, yet the aura that surrounded his body was like nothing I had ever felt before. Anton had always said that my aura was far more powerful than any other Psychic he had met during his travels, but Anton admitted to me in private that Omniel's presence was at least double that of mine, if not more. Unlike me, Anton never once trusted Omniel, and Omniel showed no interest in him either.

"The boyfriend is no good, but you, my dear, have a certain…spark in your eyes that ignites my passion. How about it? Care to become my protégé? With the right training, you can overcome Psychics and non-Psychics alike. No one will ever look down on you again!"

Anton was against me involving myself with Omniel, but there was something about his charisma when he spoke to me that intrigued me. Anton couldn't understand because he hadn't gone through the kind of torment that I had, and he always had a positive attitude. I loved Anton with all my heart, but I wish he could have tried to understand my point of view.

And so, the rift between Anton and I grew as I accepted Omniel's training. After a month, however, another man entered the picture who quickly broke up the brief relationship I shared with Jophiel Omniel.

His name was Murdock Willard, a man with more knowledge than even Anton and Jophiel. It seems that Anton had brought this man to me after conversing with him in private. Murdock Willard, through years of intense research, said something to me that I will never forget to this day.

"The way you are now, you two will never be free of your curse. Even if you train with Jophiel, all that awaits you is an endless pit of despair. You will never find true happiness as a Psychic Duelist, my children. But if you come with me, I can help you. I can make you normal. If you agree to become my test subjects, I can use my medical knowledge to cure you of your disease and remove the Psychic essence from your souls. All you have to do is reach out your hands and I will be your light of hope."

His eyes seemed to sincere, unlike the emptiness that filled Jophiel's gaze. I felt as though I could trust this man. Moreover, Anton actually felt the same. I decided that day to end my training with Omniel, but he did not take it well. For the first time in the four months I knew him, Jophiel Omniel was thoroughly angry, even grabbing me by the arms.

"Think this through, Leah! That old quake has no idea what he's talking about! You and I aren't diseased! He's the sick one if he thinks you actually need to be cured! You're the first one I've seen potential in, Leah! If you back out now, you're going to live the rest of your life in regret!"

The two of us argued for hours before I struck Jophiel with all my might, using some of my Psychic powers. Naturally, this hardly fazed him, but the look he gave me gave me shivers that lasted for weeks. I was convinced on that day that Jophiel Omniel was a devil reincarnated, far more than any of those kids back in my school saw in me. I came to the decision that he was evil and Murdock Willard was righteous. Placing my life in his hands, I decided to embark on the next stage of my life.

My first day under Dr. Willard's care begins tomorrow. I'm so excited! What should I wear?! Maybe something that Anton will enjoy? ;)

As I go to sleep, I am certain that the next page of this diary will be filled with nothing but positive messages from now on.

~Leah Kruger

---

"…I am certain that the next page of this diary will be filled with nothing but positive messages from now on," Murdock Willard, still disguised with his mask, said mockingly as he read Leah's diary out loud in the Team Royalty booth.

Behind him, Misaki Emu lowered her head somberly as she listened to her master read through the most personal memories of Leah.

Laughing loudly, Murdock gave a tilt of his head as he tossed the open book down on the table in front of him. "Yet, not a single page after that has any writing in it! Do you know why, Emu?!"

"…"

"That's right! Test subjects have no will of their own, nor do they have emotions! It was such a waste watching her throw her potential away under the training of that despicable Jophiel Omniel! There was no way I could allow her to steal her! Thanks to Anton's foolishness, I was able to create a weapon of war far more powerful than any Psychic Duelist!"

As he rose from his chair in excitement, he saw Leah ride out onto the track with bloodlust written all over her face.

"The first Psychic Duelist Hybrid infused with the influence of science: Leah Kruger! For the first time in our 13 year relationship, I have set her loose! Now she will demonstrate the full potential of her abilities as she surpasses the pureblood Psychic Duelists in every way!" Laughing, Murdock raised his palm open as he spoke, as if he was grabbing Leah's image in the horizon within the palm of his hand. "There will be no home for you if your opponent leaves this arena alive, Leah!"

"Leah!" Anton cried, running up to the fence separating him from the track. "Pull your punches! Listen to me!"

Over in the Team 5D's booth, Aki found her body shivering as Leah unleashed more of her bloodlust. As the others tended to her, asking her was wrong, she felt a strange sensation that she couldn't even begin to explain to her friends. This Leah Kruger's powers were easily double that of her own, but they felt different from Jophiel's. Her presence reminded her of herself before she met Yusei, and that was what scared her the most. Seeing what her friends could not, Aki quivered at the sight of the purple aura surrounding Leah's body that now towered above the stadium roof.

"If this woman goes all out, what will happen?" she mumbled.

As this was happening, Jophiel was walking in front of Sly and Divine inside the interior stadium when a sudden grin came to his face. Divine noticed his expression and quickly questioned him on it.

"What is it this time, Jophiel?"

"Nothing much," Jophiel replied with a laugh. "A certain lab rat is about to run amuck. Oh, how your aura has expanded, my dear Leah…" His smirk widening, Jophiel's eyes held a peculiar glint as he turned toward the direction of the stadium down the hallway. "Such a waste you turned out to be, you little doll."

As Jophiel soaked in the energy expanding from Leah, Sly rubbed his numbing arm uncomfortably. "What a presence…! How can we feel it all the way inside here? I always knew Leah Kruger was to be feared, but this is…"

---

BREAK

---

The fourth Duel had already begun, and Antonio took the first turn. Leah's expression remained as unrestrained as ever while she rode ahead of the avenging father out on the track. Cocking her neck just enough to see what Antonio was up to, Leah noticed several familiar Monsters swarming the field.

[SC: Unicorn 2 / Judgment 5]

[Antonio's LP: 4000]

[Beast Striker: LV4/1850/400] [Attack Position]

[Moja: LV1/100/100] [Defense Position]

[The Fabled Cerburrel: LV2/1000/200] [Attack Position]

[Activate Cards: Howl of the Wild]

[Leah's LP: 4000]

[Stahl, the Demon Guillotine Master: LV-11/4000/2800] [Attack Position]

[Goethe, the Burning Apostle: LV-7/2800/2600] [Attack Position]

[Activate Cards: Forbidden Zone]

"Now I see," Leah said quietly, her blank eyes scanning Antonio's field closely. "Your deck is fundamentally the same as your teammates. Do you really think you can defeat Jafar's Dark Synchro Monsters using the same cards your son failed with?" Her eyes stretching, Leah continued with a sharper, more excited tone. "Do you really intend to avenge your son that way?! Show me!"

"You shut your mouth, bitch!" Antonio snapped, giving a pump of his fist. "Be grateful that I didn't kick your ass with my fists instead of my cards! I didn't want to get my team disqualified! My deck may be similar to my son's and my friends', but you're about to understand just what makes it special!"

"Oh?" Leah scoffed, tilting her head to the side. "That sounds intriguing! Go on and show me!"

"I shall!" Antonio cried, leaning forward in his D-Wheel. "I'm Tuning my Level Two The Fabled Cerburrel with my Level Four Beast Striker!"

(2+4=6)

As the Synchro Summoning light engulfed the field, Antonio clasped his two hands together in an honorable pose.

"Great warrior of mythology, carry the spirits of your fallen comrades and may you tear through the enemy like a raging torpedo! Synchro Summon! Smash to dust, Steel-Tailed Unicorn!"

Giving a mighty cry, an armor-covered unicorn emerged onto the scene, pointing its steel horn at its foes.

[Steel-Tailed Unicorn: LV6/2900/2700] [Attack Position]

"I activate Steel-Tailed Unicorn's effect!" Antonio continued, crossing his fists out in front of him. "When this Monster is successfully Synchro Summoned, it negates the Monster Effects of all Monsters on my opponent's side of the field until the End Phase! You won't be able to halve the Attack Power of my Monsters this turn!"

Leah's smile remained, her aura continuing to spill over the entire track as she sped along. "Which Monster will you attack? Because Jafar used its effect last turn, Stahl was automatically switched into Defense Position, and it has 2800 Defense Points. Likewise, Goethe has 2800 Attack Points. Your Steel-Tailed Unicorn has enough power to kill either of these Monsters, but leaving Stahl on the field will prove dangerous to you next turn. So, what'll it be?! I look forward to your decision!" Leah licked her lips, a disturbing flash gleaming in her eyes.

"You'll find out soon enough!" Antonio said. "But first, I release Moja in order to Special Summon King of the Beasts from the Graveyard!"

[King of the Beasts: LV7/2500/800] [Attack Position]

"Then, I activate the second effect of Steel-Tailed Unicorn!" With a pump of his fist, Antonio gave an explanation. "This card gains 300 Attack Power for each Beast-Type and Beast-Warrior-Type on the field! I currently have two Beasts, including itself, on the field, so that's a 600 power boost!"

[Steel-Tailed Unicorn's ATK: 2900 - 3500]

"Here's my answer!" Antonio cried, tears in his eyes. "This attack is for my son! Go, Steel-Tailed Unicorn! Attack Goethe, The Burning Apostle! Steel Tail Whip!"

[Goethe, the Burning Apostle's ATK: 2800]

Leah's grin widened as Jafar's Monster was pounded to digital specks, not seeming to take any damage from the EXPAIN System at all due to the intense energy surrounding her body.

[Leah's LP: 4000 - 3300]

"That was a poor decision!" Leah spewed, the wind whipping her hair in front of her face. "Had you attacked Stahl, you could have avoided me activating its effect next turn!"

Giving a deep scowl, Antonio responded by inserting two cards into his Duel Disk. "I set two cards face-down! Turn end!" Eyeing the cards manifested out in front of his D-Wheel, Antonio silently vowed to use the card his son left him to utterly crush his opponent in the most humiliating way.

Wasting not even a second, Leah swiped her next card off her deck. "My turn!"

[SC: Unicorn 3 / Judgment 6]

[Leah's LP: 3300]

After viewing the card she drew, Leah proceeded to reveal it out in front of her. "I activate Pot of Greed! This card allows me to draw two cards from my deck!" When she had her two new cards in hand, Antonio noticed a flash in the woman's eyes that struck him as concerning. If he had to describe it, he'd say her dead eyes were suddenly filled with uncontrollable lust, as if these urges were injected into her by the card she now grasped.

After staring at the card for a moment, Leah began turning her neck up toward Antonio in a lethargic, choppy fashion, almost like an old puppet doll in need of oiling. When her eyes met his through her side view mirror, Antonio felt as if he was staring into an endless abyss.

"I…activate…the Continuous Spell…Sealed Mantra…from my hand!"

Leah's arm twitched uncontrollably as she inserted the card into her Duel Disk. As the card activated, a strange scroll with several ancient writings written on it began transmitting a visible stream of energy into the woman's body. As the energy transferred from the scroll to Leah's skull, the dark aura surrounding her body began to transform, thickening the air around Antonio and casting a red fog all across the stadium's track.

"What the hell…is going on?" Antonio asked, looking around him in shock at the sight.

Off to the side of the track, Jean and Andre found themselves coughing violently as the inhaled the red smoke. "I suddenly can't breathe…!" Andre cried, covering his mouth. "What in the world is that card?!"

Feeling Leah's spiritual energy double in strength, Anton gave a sharp turn toward the Team Royalty pit booth where he saw Murdock laughing. "That damn old lunatic…! What the hell has he done to Leah?!"

In his booth, Murdock's eyes widened in excitement as he saw the event unfold. "What a success! At long last, the result of ten years' worth of intense research is about to pay off!" Cackling, Murdock raised his arms above his head joyously as he continued his bragging. "Leah has finally unleashed the Sealed Mantra!"

"Murdock-sama," the old man heard his assistant, Misaki, ask from behind him, "what exactly is a Sealed Mantra?"

His eyes hardening, Murdock shot the woman a glare before answering in a far raspier tone. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood right now, Emu. I don't appreciate being bothered, as you are well aware. However, I suppose I'll enlighten your puny mind this one time!" Turning back toward the track, Murdock gave a point of his finger toward the unraveling scroll above Leah's head. "The Sealed Mantra is a card I created that holds within it thousands of strips of data. I've spent the last decade preparing Leah's body for this very moment! The energy entering into her body is the manifested form of these data strips, being created in reality by reacting with Leah's Psychic powers and my EXPAIN System."

As he pointed, several veins started popping of Leah's arms and neck, her eyes going bloodshot.

"The longer that cards stays on the field, the more of these data strips will enter into her brain, altering the very structure of her brain itself! Through this technique, I can forcefully open the section of the human brain that even Psychics can't step foot in! I can then expand that section into other portions of the brain, expanding her limitations exponentially!"

Noticing Misaki's silence, Murdock gave a light chuckle. "I see that explanation was too much for your insect-sized mind. In simpler terms, using this method, I can break the boundaries of Psychic Duelists and create new hybrid Psychics with power as strong as…no, surpassing that of Jophiel Omniel!"

Hearing his chatter from the other side of the table, Etzel gave a soft scoff. "A despicable man as always."

Out in the track, Leah's body was beginning to loosen up as she lifted another card from her hand. "I Summon Sealed Beast Boa Bolan in Attack Position!"

Joining the Dark Synchros on Leah's side of the track was a strange reptile-like creature with no arms and a skull mask for a head.

[Sealed Beast Boa Bolan: LV4/1700/1200]

Still laughing, Murdock continued to admire his creation as the creature appeared. "The Sealed Beast deck… a series of cards that will unleash bits and pieces of Leah's full power through her Duels! Every card she plays will continue to feed new data into her brain through the Sealed Mantra. By the time this tournament is over, she'll be deemed worthy of being called the ultimate war potential!"

Her grin returning, Leah's blue eyes turned a sharp cat's yellow as she continued with her turn. "The Sealed Mantra is a card that unleashes the hidden abilities of the Sealed Beasts! As long as it remains on the field, all Sealed Beast Monsters can activate their effects, and increase their Attack Points by 100!"

The armless reptile let out a shriek as the mantra sent energy into its body.

[Sealed Beast Boa Bolan's ATK: 1700 - 1800]

In the Team 5D's booth, Aki was visibly shaking as she felt the now red aura pouring out of Leah Kruger's body. Eyes wide with fear, Aki quickly tried to hide her expression from her friends. Yusei caught a glimpse despite her attempt, but he knew it was pointless to ask her. Even with Psychic powers, Yusei could feel the uneasiness in the air being emitted by this card.

At that same moment, Leah passed by the Team 5D's booth in the track with Antonio following quickly behind her. Seeming to finally gain full control of her body again, Leah continued with her turn. "I set two cards face-down!" As her cards manifested out in front of her, the woman continued by inserting yet another card into her Duel Disk. "I then equip the Equip Spell, Mage Power, to Sealed Beast Boa Bolan!"

The reptile received another boost of energy, this one a bright yellow in color.

"Mage Power increases the Attack Power of the equipped Monster by 500 points for each Spell and Trap Card I control!" Leah explained, her smile stretching wider. "I currently control three face-up cards—Forbidden Zone, Sealed Mantra, and Mage Power—as well as two set cards on the field! That means by Boa Bolan gains 2500 Attack Points!"

[Sealed Beast Boa Bolan's ATK: 1800 - 4300]

"Outrageous…!" Antonio cried, his eyes twitching as he watched. "This woman has two Monsters with 4000 or more Attack Points on her field!"

"Unbelievable!" MC bellowed over the intercom. "Only one turn into the Duel, Antonio Lombardi must face two high-class powerful Monsters! Just how will he survive?!"

Laughing in a quiet yet creepy manner, Leah proceeded to swipe two cards off the top of her deck. "I activate the effect of Stahl, the Demon Guillotine Master! By sending two cards from the top of my deck to the Graveyard, I halve the Attack Points of every Monster my opponent controls on the field!" With a grin and a flick of her wrist, Leah sent the Molting Escape Equip Spell Card and the Jar of Greed Trap Card floating into her Graveyard via Psychic powers.

Antonio gave a grunt as a black wave washed over his field, severely crippling his army of Monsters.

[King of the Beasts' ATK: 2500 - 1250]

[Steel-Tailed Unicorn's ATK: 3500 - 1750]

"Your life ends now!" Leah hissed, her teeth flashing as she pushed her arm forward. "Stahl, the Demon Guillotine Master attacks King of the Beasts! Life-Stripping Blade!"

Unfazed, Antonio gave a jolt of his arm in response as the massive demon's blade fell toward him. "Did you think I hadn't planned for this, idiot?! I activate the Trap Card, Dimensional Prison!"

Her smile fading, Leah could only watch as Jafar's powerful Dark Synchro was sucked into a sudden worm hole, taken away from the field into a different dimension entirely.

"Dimensional Prison activates when the opponent's Monster attacks and Banishes it!" Antonio explained, panting. "Consider that one for Deangelo!"

"Fool!" Leah snapped, her eyes bugging intensely. "You'll be joining your son in the hospital…no, in the afterlife! Even if you took Jafar's Monster off the field, the Sealed Beasts are more than enough to torment you with pain so horrifying…you'll feel it from your grave! Now make him dance, Sealed Beast Boa Bolan! Attack Steel-Tailed Unicorn! Infinite Rapture!"

[Sealed Beast Boa Bolan's ATK: 4300]

[Steel-Tailed Unicorn's ATK: 1750]

Antonio's eyes widened with fear as the powered up lizard gaze a slicing whip of its boney tail, slashing through his Monster's armor and tearing its flesh before shattering it off the field. The pressure from the attack smashed down on Antonio's head like a ton of bricks, drawing a pained scream from his throat.

[Antonio's LP: 4000 - 1750]

[Unicorn's SC: 3 - 1]

Recovering just enough to raise his arm, Antonio quickly lifted his final face-down card he had on the field. "I…activate the Trap Card, Call of the Haunted, to bring Steel-Tailed Unicorn back to the field!"

Reviving in full health, the armored unicorn made a glorious recovery, its own effect granting it an additional 300 Attack Points for itself.

[Steel-Tailed Unicorn's ATK: 2900 - 3200]

"I see," Leah said, her grin loosening slightly. "So you allowed your Unicorn to be destroyed so you could bring it back at original strength. Clever, but futile. As long as I have Boa Bolan on the field, your powered up Monster won't stand a chance!"

Attempting to return the glare, Antonio felt a sharp pain strike his spine, once again groaning in pain.

"That's right," Leah said mockingly, "I forgot to mention that. The EXPAIN System isn't draining you in this Duel, but my Psychic powers. Your friend who fought Andre should consider himself lucky that he's such a weak pacifist!" Veins stretching across her eyes, Leah flashed a distorted grin as she continued. "I'm not nearly that considerate of others…"

Panting from the hit, Antonio mustered enough strength to keep himself from falling off his D-Wheel.

"I activate the effects of Final Speed World!" Leah continued with a push of the button on her D-Wheel. "By removing two Speed Counters, my Life Points recover by 1000!"

[Leah's LP: 3300 - 4300]

[Judgment's SC: 6 - 4]

Laughing quietly, Leah lowered her head as she fell in speed closer to her opponent on the track. "My turn's over…"

Still having a hard time breathing through the thick red fog, Jean peered ahead to see what was going on. "Just hold on a little longer, Antonio… Just follow the plan and everything will work out!"

"My…turn!" Antonio declared, drawing his card with a pained expression. "Draw…!"

[SC: Unicorn 2 / Judgment 5]

[Antonio's LP: 1950]

Giving the two set cards on Leah's field a wary glance, Antonio noticed the card he drew and decided to make a gamble with it.

"I won't give up until the last moment! I Summon Lock Cat in Defense Position!" Joining his armored unicorn, a white cat with pink areas gave a sharp meow as she ran along the track, a noticeable padlock around her neck.

[Lock Cat: LV3/1200/1000]

"With another Beast-Type Monster on the field, Steel-Tailed Unicorn gains another 300 Attack Points!"

[Steel-Tailed Unicorn's ATK: 3200 - 3500]

"Then," Antonio continued, "when Lock Cat is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon one Level One Beast-Type Monster from my Graveyard in face-up Defense Position with its effects negated! Come back, Moja!"

[Moja: LV1/100/100] [Defense Position]

[Steel-Tailed Unicorn's ATK: 3500 - 3800]

"I then release Moja in order to Special Summon King of the Beasts in Defense Position!" The hairy creature emerged yet again with a roar, at full power.

[King of the Beasts: LV7/2500/800] [Defense Position]

"So close!" Rua said, snapping his fingers in annoyance. "But even if he had another Monster, their Attack Points would be equal…!"

Growling, Antonio knew he had no choice but to go on the defensive for the moment. Glancing back up at Leah, Antonio continued with his turn. "I also switch Steel-Tailed Unicorn into Defense Position!"

As the armored unicorn took a kneeling stance, Leah's twisted expression showed the man that she had no intention of letting him off the hook so easily. "If you want to run away so badly, I'll make it so you can never oppose me again! Continuous Trap Card, activate! Mantra's Curse-Binding!"

Antonio gasped as a new stream of energy emerged from the Sealed Mantra, this time wrapping around his own Monster. "What is this?!"

Laughing, Leah gave her explanation through a wide, toothy grin. "By paying 800 of my Life Points, this card binds one Monster on the field! Under the influence of this mantra, the targeted Monster can't attack, and it loses 500 Attack Points during each of the controller's End Phases!"

"Shit…!" Antonio snarled, slamming his fist on his D-Wheel. "She got me…!"

[Leah's LP: 4300 - 3500]

Groaning in disgust with himself, Antonio knew he had no choice but to give up this turn now that his Monsters were switched to Defense Mode. "Turn…end…!"

[Steel-Tailed Unicorn's ATK: 3800 - 3300]

"My turn!" Leah declared, a card floating off her deck into her hand. "Draw!"

[SC: Unicorn 3 / Judgment 6]

[Leah's LP: 3500]

"Quiver in fear before me!" Leah screamed, whipping her body forward as she increased in speed. "I Summon Sealed Beast Jharmjul in Attack Position!" Joining her reptile was a creature similar in appearance minus the skull mask, once again bearing no arms.

[Sealed Beast Jharmjul: LV3/1200/1400]

"I activate Jharmjul's effect!" Leah cried, pointing her arm toward Antonio's field. "While Sealed Mantra is face-up on my field, I can select and destroy one Spell or Trap Card my opponent controls! Your Howl of the Wild is now gone!" Antonio flinched as the reptile whipped its tail forward to destroy the card hologram.

"Also," Leah continued, "Jharmjul gains an additional 100 Attack Points because of Sealed Mantra!"

[Sealed Beast Jharmjul's ATK: 1200 - 1300]

"Then I battle!" Leah said, thrusting her arm forward. "Go, Sealed Beast Jharmjul! Attack Lock Cat!"

[Lock Cat's DEF: 1000]

The cat cried out in pain as the lizard's tail smashed it into the track ground.

[Steel-Tailed Unicorn's ATK: 3000 - 2700]

"I'm not done! Sealed Beast Boa Bolan attacks King of the Beasts! Infinite Rapture!"

[King of the Beasts' DEF: 800]

The poorly guarded wall of fur suffered tremendous pain before being sliced and diced, its body vanishing from the field and Antonio shielding himself from the force of the strike.

[Steel-Tailed Unicorn's 2700 - 2400]

"Turn end!" Leah finally called, returning her arm to her side. "Now you've lost all your defenses! The next turn will be your last! And during my End Phase, Steel-Tailed Unicorn's Attack Power drops another 500 points because of Curse of the Mantra!"

[Steel-Tailed Unicorn's ATK: 2400 - 1900]

The members of Team 5D's felt a familiar sensation as they watched Leah Kruger terrorize her opponent. Due to their company, they kept their thoughts to themselves, but Aki knew better. In fact, she herself saw an eerie resemblance in the woman that reminded her of herself when she used to strike fear into the citizens of Neo Domino City as the Black Rose Witch. Seeing Leah in action made Aki realize for the first time just how the audience felt as they watched her, and it made the doctor sick to her stomach.

At the same time, Antonio, holding firmly to his determination, drew another card off his deck as he announced his turn. "My turn!"

[SC: Unicorn 4 / Judgment 7]

[Antonio's LP: 1950]

"I activate Speed Spell – Pot of Greed!" Antonio started, immediately drawing two additional cards from his deck. "Then, using Final Speed World, I recover 1000 Life!"

[Antonio's LP: 1950 - 2950]

[Unicorn's SC: 4 - 2]

"I'll show you that no matter how many times you destroy my Monsters, they'll continue to return to the field!" Antonio said, slapping one of his drawn cards onto his Duel Disk. "I Summon the Spirit Monster, Kinka-Byo, in Attack Position!" Guarding the D-Wheeler, a small white cat with a devilish shadow manifested onto the track.

[Kinka-byo: LV1/400/200]

"When Kinka-byo is Normal Summoned," Antonio said with a grin, "I can Special Summon one Level One Monster from my Graveyard! Revive, Moja, and become the food for my King of the Beasts once more!"

As soon as it appeared, the black fur ball was immediately replaced by the ever-so nostalgic furry ape with a mysterious face.

[King of the Beasts: LV7/2500/800] [Attack Position]

[Steel-Tailed Unicorn's ATK: 1900 - 2500]

"I then switch Steel-Tailed Unicorn into Defense Position! There's no use in leaving it in Attack Position when its Defense Power is greater than its Attack Power!"

[Steel-Tailed Unicorn's DEF: 2700]

As his armored unicorn took a defense stance, Antonio gave a sharp turn on the track before glaring up at Leah. "You made one miscalculation, woman! Even if your Boa Bolan is powerful, don't expect me to cower and miss an opportunity to destroy that weakling!" Leah narrowed her eyes as her opponent pointed to the obviously vulnerable lizard creature. "Go on, King of the Beasts! Attack Sealed Beast Jharmjul!'

[Sealed Beast Jharmjul's ATK: 1300]

One pound from the giant ape was all it took to crush the lizard into a yellow bloody stain before sending the damage to Leah, which resulted in a mere flinch on her pain index.

[Leah's LP: 3500 - 2300]

[Judgment's SC: 7 - 6]

"And Antonio has managed to turn the tables!" MC bellowed excitedly. "What will Leah's reaction be?!"

'Finally," Antonio said, "Kinka-byo must return to my hand during my End Phase, being a Spirit Monster. Are you beginning to understand my infinite loop yet?! Turn end!"

[Steel-Tailed Unicorn's ATK: 2500 - 2200]

Scoffing, Leah drew another card, waving it in front of her as she eyed it. "My turn."

[SC: Unicorn 3 / Judgment 7]

[Leah's LP: 2300]

"Now I see," Leah said with a smirk as she added her card to her hand. "Your main strategy is to keep the field populated with a powerful Beatstick Monster like King of the Beasts in order to maintain an advantage, even in the face of my powered up Boa Bola. In order to do so, you use Monsters like Kinka-Byo, a Spirit Monster that returns to your hand at the end of your every turn, so you can keep resurrecting Moja, in turn reviving King of the Beasts back to the field, no matter how many times I destroy it."

"You catch on quickly," Antonio said, narrowing his eyes. "Me and my son are tenacious fellows, you see! Can you really withstand the pressure of facing the same enemy over and over?! You will eventually have to use your two face-down cards, and when that happens, Mage Power's effect will reduce by 1000 points, dropping Boa Bola's Attack Power to 3300. Then, if I can successfully draw a card to power up King of the Beasts, defeating your Ace Monster will be a walk in the park!"

Leah gave a sharp laugh in response, catching Antonio off guard. "What's so funny?!"

"You called Boa Bolan my Ace Monster? Are you trying to act stupid or does it come naturally?" Grinning, Leah gave a cock of her head as she spoke. "Me? Play my Ace Monster against the likes of you? Don't get full of yourself, human! To a Psychic Duelist like me, you're nothing but an appetizer! My true target is sitting close by…" Leah shifted her gaze toward the Team 5D's pit booth, her grin unfading. "Yes, one of these five people over there holds a strength worth testing my newfound power against…"

"I'm not sure what you're talking about," Antonio said cautiously, "but you'd best not underestimate me unless you wanna get hurt! Know what I'm talkin' about?!"

Leah shifted her gaze back to her front, her eyes narrowing. "I activate the card I had set on the field! Pot of Avarice!" As the card raised itself, just as Antonio had pointed out, Bo Bola took a 500 ATK dip.

[Sealed Beast Boa Bola's ATK: 4300 - 3800]

"Pot of Avarice returns five Monsters in my Graveyard to the deck, letting me draw two cards in return!" Leah explained, raising the palm of her hand as the souls of Winda, Priestess of Gusto, Gusto Gulldo, Kamui, Hope of Gusto, Gusto Thunbolt, and Hiro's Shadow Scout entered her deck. Once she had her two cards, she looked pleased with what she saw. Turning back to Antonio, her smirk widened. "Your strategy will no longer be an issue for me."

"Wha…?" Antonio gasped, wondering what she could be up to.

"I activate Hand Destruction!" Leah said, inserting the card into her now vacant Spell/Trap Zone slot. "This card can only be activated when both players have at least two cards in their hand," she explained, revealing the five cards that still remained in her hand. Antonio growled, noticing he was holding two. "This card forces both players to discard two cards and then draw two cards!"

Eyes widening, Antonio realized he'd be forced to lose his Kinka-byo. With that Monster gone from his hand, he wouldn't be able to revive Moja from the Graveyard. "Dammit," he cussed angrily as he forfeited the two cards, replacing them with a fresh draw.

"Now your strategy has been stopped," Leah said darkly, her eyes gleaming. "I told you, human, that you couldn't oppose me!"

Despite his irritation, Antonio's tone suddenly changed when he saw the card he drew among his two new cards. At the same time, Leah, discarded Right Arm of the Forbidden One as well as the Spell Card, Heavy Storm.

"Then," Leah continued, "when I control a Sealed Mantra face-up on my field, I can Special Summon Sealed Beast Nunurao from my hand!" Joining the far more powerful Sealed Beast was a snake-like critter with a skull armor that resembled a rattle snake.

[Sealed Beast Nunurao: LV2/500/800] [Attack Position]

[Sealed Beast Nunurao's ATK: 500 - 600]

"And I activate the Spell Card, Inferno Reckless Summon!" Leah went on to say, inserting the card into her Duel Disk. "When a Monster with 1500 or less Attack Power is Special Summoned to my field when my opponent controls a face-up Monster, I can Special Summon from my hand, deck, or Graveyard two more copies of the same card! Thus, I Special Summon two more Sealed Beast Nunuraos from my deck!"

[Sealed Beast Nunurao: LV2/500/800] [Attack Position] x2

[Sealed Beast Nunurao's ATK: 500 - 600] x2

"Then my opponent can select one Monster and also Special Summon more copies, but…" Leah paused, smirking as she eyed Antonio's field. "The only Monsters you control are a weakened Synchro Monster and King of the Beasts, a Monster of which can only have one copy on the field at a time!"

Pleased by the dirty look Antonio shot her through her mirror, Leah continued by playing yet another card from her hand. "I activate a second Pot of Avarice from my hand! Once again, I return five Monsters from the Graveyard to draw two cards!"

This time, the spirits of two Sangans, Prometheus, King of the Shadows, Gearfried the Iron Knight, and The Bistro Butcher returned to the deck, Leah quickly drawing another two cards.

"Then I release the two Nunuraos to Advance Summon Sealed Beast Nibunu in Attack Position!" With a raise of her arm, Leah gave a loud cry as the red energy emitting from her body consumed the souls of her two lizards, summoning forth a much larger armored reptile, this one having claws.

[Sealed Beast Nibunu: LV8/2700/2000]

"So that's your Ace?" Antonio asked, sweating a bit. "It looks powerful, but you can't-"

"Don't make me repeat myself!" Leah shot back, scowling. "I have no intention of showing my Ace to scum like you! Nibunu will be enough! Using its effect, I can Special Summon one Sealed Beast Monster from my Graveyard! Return to me, Sealed Beast Jharmjul!"

[Sealed Beast Jharmjul: LV3/1200/1400]

"And both my Monsters gain 100 Attack Points from the Sealed Mantra!" The two Sealed Beasts absorbed the red energy being emitted from the mantra, their eyes glowing a deep crimson.

[Sealed Beast Nibunu's ATK: 2700 - 2800]

[Sealed Beast Jharmjul's ATK: 1200 - 1300]

"Now to battle, my Sealed Beasts!" Leah cried, raising both her arms. "Sealed Beast Nibunu attacks King of the Beasts! Vice Slice!"

[King of the Beasts' ATK: 2500]

Antonio let out another pained scream as his Monster was speared and gutted like a fish, coughing up blood.

[Antonio's LP: 2950 - 2650]

"Sealed Beast Boa Bolan attacks Steel-Tailed Unicorn! Infinite Rapture!"

[Sealed Beast Boa Bolan's ATK: 3800]

[Steel-Tailed Unicorn's DEF: 2700]

The armored unicorn met its demise once more, its body torn asunder by the lizard's spiny tail. As it left the field, Leah's Curse of the Mantra left the field as well, weakening Boa Bolan by another 500.

[Sealed Beast Boa Bolan's ATK: 3800 - 3300]

"You don't have time to rest!" Leah screamed, thrusting her hand forward. "Sealed Beast Jharmjul Direct Attacks!"

[Sealed Beast Jharmjul's ATK: 1300]

The snake bit into Antonio's arm as he attempted to shield himself, another curdling scream echoing across the stadium as a result.

[Antonio's LP: 2650 - 1350]

[Unicorn's SC: 3 - 2]

"Finally," Leah said, her eyes flashing wickedly, "Sealed Beast Nunurao Direct Attacks!"

[Sealed Beast Nunurao's ATK: 600]

"I won't let you attack me again!" Antonio managed through pants, extending his arm upward as his D-Wheel tilted to the side. "Trap Card, activate! Defense Draw!"

The card created a barrier that repelled the Monster, sending it back to Leah's field. Scoffing, the woman seemed far from impressed.

"Defense Draw reduces one instance of Battle Damage and lets me draw a card!" Antonio grunted, following through with a swipe off his deck.

"Useless struggle!" Leah said, taking another card out from her hand. "I set one card face-down! Turn end!"

[Sealed Beast Boa Bolan's ATK: 3300 - 3800]

Irritated at the additional card that powered up her Boa Bolan through Mage Power, Antonio knew he needed to end this Duel quickly before she had a chance to strike back again. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Antonio wasted no time in entering his turn.

"My turn! Draw!"

[SC: Unicorn 3 / Judgment 7]

[Antonio's LP: 1350]

As he added the card to his hand, he turned toward his teammates, Jean and Andre, who were attempting to watch him through the thick red fog on the field. "I swore to avenge my son and I will!" he cried, turning back toward Leah. "I'll end this Duel quickly so I can go see him in the hospital and tell him how proud I am of him!"

"End this Duel?" Leah repeated sarcastically, stretching her hands out in front of her. "I have four Monsters on my field! How do you plan to break through my wall of Monsters in just one turn?! You won't be able to reach my heart so easily, you fool!" One of Leah's eyes stretched unnaturally as she spoke, filled with nothing but blood lust and animosity.

"I admit that you were quite clever to stop my infinite Summoning Loop of King of the Beasts with Kinka-Byo," Antonio replied, narrowing his eyes. "But you made one grave miscalculation that will cost you this Duel!" Leah's expression loosened when she saw the card her opponent held up.

"That's right! I also have Moja in my deck! There's no need to rely on my son's Moja when I can easily play my own! Now come to the field, my ace in the hole!" The black ball of fluff made yet another cameo on the track, freaking out at the presence of the lizard Monsters opposite it.

[Moja: LV1/100/100] [Attack Position]

Leah's grin faded, replaced by a raged scowl. "How many times are you going to try the same trick?! I told you it's useless! Even if you destroy Nunurao, I'll still have 400 Life left! Then I'll obliterate you on my next turn! Why do you continue to fight against me when you know it's useless?!"

Lowering his brows, Antonio remained calm despite the woman's taunting. He wasn't as stupid as she made him out to be. He was fully aware of the fact that this attack wouldn't be enough to take her out. However, it would still reduce the number of Monsters on her field. Then, next turn when Leah used Sealed Beast Nibunu to attack King of the Beasts, he'd chain his face-down Trap Card, Super Rush Recklessly, to destroy his King of the Beasts in order to send her Sealed Beast Boa Bolan back into her deck, ensuring her Mage Power would sit uselessly on her field taking up space. Then, when she tried to attack him directly with Nibunu as payback, he'd spring his second Trap, Battle Instinct, to block that attack, providing he drew a Level Four or lower Beast-Type Monster Card on his next turn. It was a risk he'd have to take to try and prolong this Duel.

Nodding to himself, Antonio continued with his turn. "All right! I release Moja to-"

Through the red fog, Antonio gasped when he suddenly saw an evil grin forming on his opponent's face as the card on her field lifted up. "What?! A Trap during this timing?! What is it…?!"

"I told you before…" Leah said creepily, her grin stretching up her face. "The likes of you can't defeat me! Trap, activate! Disappear!"

"D-Disappear…you said?!" Antonio gulped, seeing a card he hadn't seen played in a long time suddenly being used against him. "Are you…kidding me?!"

"Disappear," Leah repeated, raising both her hands upward as she spoke. "A very basic card that Banishes a Monster Card from my opponent's Graveyard. But it's the perfect Trap for a fool who relies on a single Monster over and over and over again!"

Turning pale, Antonio realized the end had come the second his King of the Beasts faded from his Graveyard. "My Monster…is…fading away…!"

[Sealed Beast Boa Bolan's ATK: 3800 - 3300]

Defeated, Antonio resolved to use the final two key cards in his hand, hoping they'd help him somehow. "I…set two cards face-down! Turn end!"

"Not good!" Andre cried, following Jean as they ran out onto the track.

"He'll be defeated at this rate!" Jean cried, his eyes frantic.

"My turn!" Leah shouted at the top of her lungs. "DRAW!"

[SC: Unicorn 4 / Judgment 8]

[Leah's LP: 2300]

Leah's hair stood on end as she unleashed every ounce of bloodlust from her body, turning the red fog a bright crimson. "It's time to drag you into your grave! You were so confident that you left your 100 Attack Power Moja on the field in Attack Position!"

As Leah laughed, Antonio realized that she was right. The weak Monster would be pulverized by even the weakest Monster on his opponent's field.

"First I set one card!" Leah said, manifesting another power boost for her Boa Bolan.

[Sealed Beast Boa Bolan's ATK: 3300 - 3800]

"Then I attack Moja with Sealed Beast Nunurao!" The snake took a bite out of the ball of fluff, leaving red stains in its place.

[Antonio's LP: 1350 - 850]

Antonio coughed up more blood as his teammates ran alongside him on the track, calling out to him.

"Not yet!" Leah shouted, looking into the red sky with a devilish grin. "This isn't enough to satisfy me! I need to rampage more! More! MORE!" Turning back to her bleeding opponent, Leah continued the assault. "Go, Sealed Beast Jharmjul! Direct Attack!"

[Sealed Beast Jharmjul's ATK: 1300]

Antonio gave a blood-curdling scream as the creature's sharp tail smashed into his side, knocking his D-Wheel right off the track.

[Antonio's LP: 850 - 0]

[Unicorn's SC: 4 - 3]

Still coughing and panting, Antonio mustered enough strength to help his leader out. "I…activate Moja's effect…! When destroyed by battle, I can add a Level Four Beast-Type Monster from my Graveyard to my hand…!"

As he added the card of his choice back to his hand, Leah started laughing uncontrollably. "This power…! I can barely contain it! I need to…rampage more! More! MORE! MORE! I need blood! I need to grasp the enemy's beating heart in my hand and crush it!"

Clenching her outstretched fist shut, Leah's face filled with countless veins as she contemplated mass murder like it was nothing. Turning toward the fainting Antonio, her dark eyes scanned Jean and Andre as they ran beside him. "Kill those two as well! Turn everything in the vicinity to dust! The Duelists! The audience! The commentators! The hosts! Project A.D.'s! The Signers! Urteil! All of them!"

Off on the sideline, Anton felt the woman's bloodlust as clear as day. "Leah! Don't you dare do it!"

At the same time, Yusei and the others were calling out to Aki as she ran out onto the track as well, sensing the approaching danger. "I'm not sure what I can do to stop her, but I have to do something…! This is really dangerous!"

Leah raised a finger as she sped along the track, pointing directly at Antonio. "Go, Sealed Beast Nibunu! Sealed Beast Boa Bolan! This Duel isn't over! I may have reduced his Life Points, but his true life hasn't faded! Strip him of everything he has!"

Before the attacks could be stopped, the two Monsters smashed into the already unconscious Antonio, shoving him right off his D-Wheel and flying across the track.

"Antonio!" Jean cried, trying but failing to get close enough to catch him. "You bitch!"

"What in the world is going on?!" MP cried, unable to hide his worry. "The D-Wheeler's Life already hit zero, yet she continues her attack?!"

"Not enough! Not enough! This isn't enough!" Leah screamed, clenching her second hand together. As she did, her Psychic powers froze the man in midair, pressing his body tightly together.

"I'll strip him of everything! His flesh! His blood! His organs! His bones! There won't be an ounce of this man left!"

Anton gasped as he saw Antonio's arms breaking under the intense pressure. Knowing he had to act fast, Anton hopped the fence beside him and gave a raise of his hand, using his own powers to cancel out his girlfriend's aura.

"Stop this, Leah! You've done enough! You already won!"

Anton's eyes went wide when he felt the pressure extending to his body, canceling out his own powers. "Wh-What?! This is impossible…! Leah was always stronger than me, but to be able to cancel out my powers…! Just what has Murdock done to her body!?"

At that second, just as Leah was about to finish the man off, she felt a powerful blow to the side of her face. Her grin loosening, Leah cocked her head to see Aki standing on the side of the track, her aura leaking out of her body. Her grin returning, Leah mimicked the gesture, her hair standing on end.

"So it was you, was it?" Leah asked, her eyes flashing excitedly. "You're the Psychic Duelist I felt among Team 5D's. Aki Izayoi, right?"

"Leah Kruger!" Aki cried, freezing Leah's body in place. "I won't let you touch anyone else! Back down immediately!"

The powers emitted from the two Psychics exploded throughout the stadium, washing over the rest of Team Unicorn, Anton, the other Duelists, and the audience.

At that same moment, Fynn Hartmann was riding out onto the track when the pressure enveloped him. Using his boosted muscle strength, Fynn pushed the two auras back with pure brute force alone, screaming at the top of his lungs. Grinning, Fynn hit the gas and rammed his D-Wheel right into Leah, passing by a flabbergasted Aki in the process. Grunting, Leah attempted to concentrate her energy onto Fynn's body to stop his movements, but he was already one step ahead of her.

"I learned your weakness after our previous encounter!" Fynn hissed, holding his forearm out in front of him as he pushed his D-Wheel against hers. "When we fought last time, you were able to subdue me, but only when you focused all of your energy onto my body! While your aura's spread so thin across the stadium, you can't subdue my strength!"

Giving another cry, Fynn used all his strength to pump up the muscles in his arm. With one powerful swing, he slammed his fist into Leah's face, sending her and her D-Wheel sliding off the track. Her eyes going wide, the force of the impact sent Leah and her D-Wheel crashing into the side of the wall. Caught off guard, the energy being emitted from Leah's body came to a halt, letting Antonio's crumbled body fall to the ground in a bloody heap.

"Fynn Hartmann…!" Leah cried, blood pouring from her forehead. "Don't interfere…!"

Laughing as he jumped off his D-Wheel, Fynn glared down at the fallen Psychic. "Take a nap or something, Leah! You've played your part, but it's time for my rampage!" Before Leah could recover from her blow to the head, Fynn swiped the cards off her Duel Disk as well as the cards in her Graveyard Slot. Once he had the cards in hand, the general jumped back onto his D-Wheel. Fynn cocked his neck toward the conscious members of Team Unicorn, eyeing Jean specifically.

"Get on your D-Wheel, Jean! It's time for us to go wild!"

Through all of the chaos, Murdock was cackling madly, loving every second of what he saw. "My experiment was a huge success! With a few more modifications, even Fynn's brute strength won't be able to subdue her!"

Outside the Dome Stadium, the three remaining Psychic Duelists heard the commotion and were facing the direction they just came. Shielding their eyes from the intense light, Divine and Sly stared on in shock as the red flashes burst over the stadium roof.

"What incredible power…!" Divine cried. "I've never felt a Psychic Duelist this strong before…!"

As the light began to fade, Divine and Sly gasped when they felt a sudden release of bloodlust by their sides. Slowly turning, they saw Jophiel with a warped grin on his face that would make a child molester look like the Easter Bunny.

Licking his lips, Jophiel narrowed his eyes as he absorbed the remaining traces of Psychic energy. "That's it, Aki, my dear…! You do have it buried deep inside you…!"

To himself, Jophiel acknowledged that he could make use of Leah's betrayal. Eventually the time would come where Aki and Leah would fight head-on. Using that to his advantage, he could sacrifice the doll to draw forth the true powers lying dormant inside Aki. When that time came…

Back inside the stadium, Aki jumped out of the way when Fynn practically ran her over. "Get out of my way! No one can stop me now! Let's cut loose, Jean!"

Across the stadium, Jean broke down a nearby fence as he stormed out onto the field with his navy blue D-Wheel. As the two D-Wheelers sped toward each other at top speed, Jean shot Fynn a death glare that would make most sane men run for their lives. Unfortunately for Jean, Fynn was far from sane and he found himself immediately turned on by the sight.

"That's it! Hate me with your whole being! If you think your friend's death was brutal, just wait to see what I have in store for you!"

Flashing his teeth, Jean turned toward where Yusei and his friends were running onto the track. Eyes narrowed, his own words echoed in his head.

"But as Duelists, the five of us came here to honor our pride! We won't run away from the enemy, no matter who they are. At the very least, if they are really up to no good, we'll take them down with us and have no regrets doing it."

"That's right," Jean said out loud. "That still hasn't changed. Even if I lose in the process, I'll take this man down with me!"

"Wait!" MC cried through the microphone. "I haven't even declared the start of the next Duel!"

Ignoring the commentators, Fynn and Jean nearly collided as Jean drew his full hand. "I'll send you to Hell! I take the first turn! DRAW!"

Grin widening, Fynn drew his cards and returned the hateful glare. "Unfortunately for you, I was born in Hell! I'll make you understand just what that means!"

As the two D-Wheelers went at it, Aki heard her friends calling out to her. As she turned to them, Aki's face went pale as she saw something she never wanted to see again. Looking past the rest of Team 5D's toward the audience behind them, she saw hateful stares directed mostly at Leah for the threats she made before.

"That woman's a monster!" one man cried, shaking his fist. "Someone needs to put a gun to her head!"

"Monster! Go home!"

"Witch!"

"Go to Hell!"

"Drop dead!"

Hearing the chants, Anton held Leah's bleeding body as he glared hard at the crowd with hatred in his eyes. "Nothing ever changes," Anton grunted, gritting his teeth. "Leah isn't the true doll here, Jophiel… These people, mere puppets to their own ignorance, are…"

Closing her eyes, Aki felt bitter memories of her past stir up inside her. As her friends tried to comfort her, she thought to herself for the first time that, despite how cruel Leah was, she had a true desire to save her the way Yusei had saved her from this life of solitude.

oooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOoo

---

As the crowd chants death threats, the Urteil commander general makes his long awaited appearance! The final Duel of the R.W.F.'s first day concludes next chapter!

To be continued in Chapter 38: "Natural Born Killer"

CREDITS

Writing: GoldenUmi

Characters appearing from anime: Jean, Andre, Breo, Yusei Fudo, Jack Atlas, Aki Izayoi, Rua Heartlily, Ruka Heartlily, Master of Ceremonies, Divine Mizuki, Sly Mizuki

Original Characters (OC): GoldenUmi (Deangelo Lombardi, Antonio Lombardi, Master of Parties, Anton Bartholomew, Jonas, Etzel, Misaki Emu, Fynn Hartmann, Alf Kappler), Aman1216 (Jafar, Leah Kruger), Halo (Murdock Willard), ZeroSaber39 (Jophiel Omniel, Yukio Kyoji)

Duel Writing: hearow2/GoldenUmi/Acer One Three Four (Team Unicorn vs. Team Judgment)

Cards used in chapter (in order of appearance):

Final Speed World (Created by GoldenUmi)

Field Spell

If a Spell Card other than a "Speed Spell" Card is activated, its controller takes 2000 damage. During each player's Standby Phases, each player places 1 Speed Counter of their own on this card (up to 12 each). When a player takes damage, remove Speed Counters of that Player from this card for each multiple of 1000 damage taken. You can remove any number of your own Speed Counters from this card to activate an appropriate effect:

• 1: Recover 500 Life Points.

• 2: Recover 1000 Life Points.

• 3: Special Summon one Level Four or lower Monster from your hand.

• 4: Inflict 800 damage to your opponent for each "Speed Spell" Spell Card in your hand.

• 5: Draw 1 card.

• 6: Add a Monster Card from your Graveyard back into your hand.

• 7: Draw 2 cards.

• 8: Add a Magic or Trap Card from your Graveyard back into your hand.

• 9: Add one card from your deck into your hand.

• 10: Select and destroy 1 card on the field.

• 11: Activate a Trap Card from your hand.

• 12 or more: Special Summon one Monster from your Extra Deck ignoring Summoning Conditions. This effect can only be used once during a turn.

Howl of the Wild

Continuous Trap

When a monster you control destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, inflict 300 damage to your opponent for each face-up Beast-Type monster you control.

The Fabled Unicore

LIGHT

Level 4

Beast/Synchro/Effect

2300/1000

1 "Fabled" Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters

While you and your opponent have the same number of cards in hand, negate all Spell, Trap and Effect Monster effects activated by your opponent, and destroy that Spell/Trap/Monster.

Forbidden Zone (Created by GoldenUmi)

Continuous Trap

As long as this card remains face-up on the field, all Spell Cards you control are treated as "Speed Spells". This card cannot be destroyed by any card effect.

Bewitching Tricolore

Continuous Trap

Monsters your opponent controls cannot attack. Your opponent can send the top card of their Deck to the Graveyard to destroy this face-up card. Once during each of their turns, your opponent must reveal the top card of their Deck: • Spell Card: Your opponent adds that card to their hand. • Trap Card: Your opponent discards that card and 1 card from their hand. • Monster Card: Your opponent adds that card to their hand, then returns 1 other card from their hand to the top of their Deck.

Ally of Justice Thunder Armor

DARK

Level 8

Machine/Effect

2700/2200

This card cannot be Special Summoned. When an "Ally of Justice" monster you control attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict piercing Battle Damage to your opponent.

Right Arm of the Forbidden One

DARK

Level 1

Spellcaster

200/300

Left Arm of the Forbidden One

DARK

Level 1

Spellcaster

200/300

Exodia the Forbidden One

DARK

Level 3

Spellcaster/Effect

1000/1000

When you have "Right Leg of the Forbidden One", "Left Leg of the Forbidden One", "Right Arm of the Forbidden One" and "Left Arm of the Forbidden One" in addition to this card in your hand, you win the Duel.

Left Leg of the Forbidden One

DARK

Level 1

Spellcaster

200/300

Right Leg of the Forbidden One

DARK

Level 1

Spellcaster

200/300

Moja

EARTH

Level 1

Beast/Effect

100/100

When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, you can add 1 Level 4 Beast-Type monster from your Graveyard to your hand.

King of the Beasts

EARTH

Level 7

Beast/Effect

2500/800

You can Tribute 1 face-up "Moja" you control to Special Summon this card from your hand or Graveyard. There can only be 1 face-up "King of the Beasts" on the field.

Speed Spell – Count Up

Speed Spell

Activate only when you have 2 or more Speed Counters. Send any number of cards from your hand to the Graveyard and increase your Speed Counters by 3 for each card sent to the Graveyard.

Speed Spell – Chain Strike

Speed Spell

Activate by removing 2 of your Speed Counters. Activate only as Chain Link 2 or higher; inflict 400 damage to your opponent times the Chain Link number of this card. You cannot activate this card if multiple cards/effects with the same name are in that Chain.

Minotaur (TCG: Battle Ox)

EARTH

Level 4

Beast-Warrior

1700/1000

Speed Spell – Confiscation

Speed Spell

This card can be activated by removing 7 of your Speed Counters and paying 1000 Life Points. Look at your opponent's hand, select 1 card in it, and discard that card.

Dark Tuner (DT) - Chaotic Executioner (Created by Aman1216)

DARK

Level 12

0/0

Fiend/Dark Tuner

You can Special Summon this card from your hand when you opponent controls 2 or more monsters. If your opponent controls a Sycnchro Monster on their side of the field, switch it to Defense Position. This effect continues until all Synchro Monsters on the opponent's field have been targeted and this effect resolves.

Stahl, the Demon Guillotine Master (Created by Aman1216)

EARTH

Level -11

4000/2800

Fiend/Dark Synchro/Effect

To Synchro Summon this card, the Level of a "Dark Tuner Monster" you subtracted from another monster you control must equal this card's Level. By discarding 2 cards from the top of your deck all monsters on your opponent's side of the field lose half their original ATK. During the End Phase of the turn this effect was activated, this monster is switched to Defense Position.

Call of the Haunted

Continuous Trap

Target 1 monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon that target in face-up Attack Position. When this card leaves the field, destroy that target. When that target is destroyed, destroy this card.

Key Mouse

EARTH

Level 1

Beast/Tuner

100/100

When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, you can add 1 Level 3 or lower Beast-Type monster from your deck to your hand.

Urgent Tuning

Trap

Activate only during the Battle Phase. Synchro Summon 1 Synchro Monster. (Send the appropriate Synchro Material Monsters to the Graveyard.)

Unicorn Warrior (Created by GoldenUmi)

WIND

Level 5

Beast-Warrior/Synchro/Effect

2300/1800

1 Tuner + 1 non-Tuner

When this card is successfully Synchro Summoned, Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Beast-Warrior-Type monster from your hand.

Cat's Ear Tribe

EARTH

Level 1

Beast-Warrior/Effect

200/100

The original ATK of your opponent's monster(s) that battles with this card during his/her turn becomes 200 points during the Damage Step.

Speed Spell – Pot of Greed (Created by GoldenUmi)

Speed Spell

Activate only when you have 2 or more Speed Counters. Draw 2 cards.

Speed Spell – Angel Baton

Speed Spell

Activate only while you have 2 or more Speed Counters. Draw 2 cards. Then, send 1 card from your hand to the Graveyard.

The Tricky

WIND

Level 5

Spellcaster/Effect

2000/1200

You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) by discarding 1 card.

Dark Tuner (DT) – Omegaus (Created by Aman1216)

DARK

Level 12

Fiend/Dark Tuner

0/2800

This card cannot be Special Summoned, except by Banishing 2 Dark Tuner monsters from your Graveyard. When this card is used as Material for a Dark Synchro Summon, your opponent must either discard their entire hand or destroy 1 monster on their side of the field with the highest ATK.

Dark Tuner (DT) - Hell's Bane (Created by Aman1216)

DARK

Level 10

Fiend/Dark Tuner

0/0

When this card is used for a Dark Synchro Summon, by Banishing this card, you can Special Summon from your hand or Graveyard 1 Level 6 or lower Fiend-Type monster.

Goethe, The Burning Apostle (Created by Aman1216)

FIRE

Level -7

2800/2600

Fiend/Dark Synchro/Effect

1 Non-Tuner - 1 Dark Tuner

To Synchro Summon this card, the Level of a "Dark Tuner Monster" you subtracted from another monster you control must equal this card's Level. During a battle between this attacking card and a Defense Position monster whose DEF is lower than the ATK of this card, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent's Life Points. When this card is destroyed, all cards on the field are sent to the Graveyard.

Defense Draw

Trap

Activate only during damage calculation during your opponent's turn. The Battle Damage you would receive becomes 0. Draw 1 card.

Beast Striker

EARTH

Level 4

Beast/Effect

1850/400

Once per turn, you can discard 1 card to Special Summon 1 "Moja" from your Deck.

The Fabled Cerburrel

LIGHT

Level 2

Beast/Tuner

1000/400

When this card is discarded to the Graveyard, Special Summon it.

Steel-Tailed Unicorn (Created by GoldenUmi)

EARTH

Level 6

Beast/Synchro/Effect

2900/2700

1 "Beast-Type" Tuner + 1 "Beast-Type" non-Tuner

During the turn this monster is Synchro Summoned, negate the effects of all monsters your opponent controls until the End Phase. This card gains 300 ATK for each "Beast-Type" or "Beast-Warrior-Type" monster you or your opponent controls on the field.

Pot of Greed

Spell

Draw 2 cards.

Sealed Mantra (Created by Aman1216)

Continuous Spell

While this card is face-up on the field, all "Sealed Beast" monsters gain 100 ATK. When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, add 1 "Sealed Beast" monster from your Deck or Graveyard to your hand.

Sealed Beast Boa Bolan (Created by Aman1216)

DARK

Level 4

Reptile/Effect

1700/1200

While "Sealed Mantra" is face-up on the field, when this card battles a monster, you can send 1 card form the top of your deck to the Graveyard to destroy that monster after Damage Calculation.

Mage Power

Equip Spell

The equipped monster gains 500 ATK and DEF for each Spell and Trap Card you control.

Molting Escape

Equip Spell

Equip only to a Reptile-Type monster. Once per turn, if the equipped monster would be destroyed by battle, it is not destroyed. The equipped monster gains 300 ATK at the end of the Damage Step each time this effect is applied.

Jar of Greed

Trap

Draw 1 card from your Deck.

Dimensional Prison

Trap

When an opponent's monster declares an attack: Target that monster; banish that target.

Lock Cat

EARTH

Level 3

Beast/Effect

1200/1000

When this card is Normal Summoned, you can select 1 Level 1 Beast-Type monster in your Graveyard and Special Summon it in face-up Defense Position. Its effects are negated.

Mantra's Curse-Binding

Continuous Trap

Pay 800 Life Points, then select 1 monster. The selected monster cannot attack, and its ATK is lowered by 500 during each of the controller's End Phases.

Sealed Beast Jharmjul

DARK

Level 3

Reptile/Effect

1200/1400

While "Sealed Mantra" is face-up on the field, once per turn, you can select 1 Spell/Trap Card your opponent controls and destroy it.

Kinka-Byo

DARK

Level 1

Beast/Spirit

400/200

This card cannot be Special Summoned. This card returns to its owner's hand during the End Phase of the turn it is Normal Summoned or flipped face-up. When this card is Normal Summoned or flipped face-up, you can Special Summon 1 Level 1 monster from your Graveyard. When this card is removed from the field, remove from play that monster.

Pot of Avarice

Spell

Target 5 monsters in your Graveyard; shuffle all 5 into the Deck, then draw 2 cards.

Hand Destruction

Quick-Play

Each player sends 2 cards from their hand to the Graveyard, then each player draws 2 cards.

Heavy Storm

Spell

Destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on the field.

Sealed Beast Nunurao

DARK

Level 2

Reptile/Effect

500/800

When you control a face-up "Sealed Mantra", you can Special Summon this monster from your hand.

Inferno Reckless Summon

Quick-Play Spell

Activate only when 1 monster with 1500 or less ATK is Special Summoned to your side of the field while your opponent controls a face-up monster(s). Special Summon all cards with the same name as the Summoned monster from your hand, Deck, and Graveyard in face-up Attack Position. Your opponent selects 1 face-up monster they control and Special Summons all cards with that same name from their hand, Deck, and Graveyard.

Sealed Beast Nibunu

DARK

Level 8

Reptile/Effect

2700/2000

When this monster is Summoned, you can Special Summon 1 "Sealed Beast" monster from your Graveyard.

Super Rush Recklessly

Trap

Select 1 face-up Beast-Type monster you control and 1 monster your opponent controls. Destroy your monster, and return the opponent's monster to the Deck.

Battle Instinct

Trap

Activate only when your opponent declares a direct attack and you control no monsters. Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Beast-Type monster from your hand in face-up Attack Position.

Disappear

Trap

Remove from play 1 card from your opponent's Graveyard.