Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Beyond the Future
Chapter 51: "What we're worth"
Previously…
After reuniting after 10 years in Neo Domino City, the members of Team 5D's entered the Riding World Future (R.W.F.) tournament in order to draw out the infiltrating members of the underground organization known as Urteil in order to find details regarding the whereabouts of Ruka's and Rua's missing father. After being on the sidelines for many of the previous Duels and learning the terrible strength the ten members of Urteil possess, Yusei and his friends have found new resolve to defeat the organization and avenge those D-Wheelers who fell in the previous Duels.
With Crow having previously fallen into a coma after losing to Team Fortune Ark and their Cards of Darkness, Team 5D's finally began their match alongside Team Pride against Team New Generation. As Moki of Team Pride enters into a fierce Duel against Jafar of Urteil, Rua now faces none other than the fierce Pirate Keith who defeated the strongest member of Team Mythology in the previous matches!
Laughing, Keith flashed a grin as he and Rua drove up right beside one another on the track. "Draw your cards and let's get this on, kid!" Keith cried, his sunglasses catching a ray of sunlight from up above. "Try to make this at least a little entertaining, okay! Don't go losing on your first turn!"
"Right back at ya!" Rua replied, flashing a smirk of his own. "My deck's really powered up lately, ya know! I can't wait to test it on you! For Crow and the rest of my friends, I don't intend on losing this Duel!"
"Now that's the spirit!" Keith roared, flashing a thumbs-up. "Let's have a blast, kid!"
ooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooo
As the roar of the audience washed over the stadium track, Moki Kaiba whizzed past the bleachers with Jafar just starting to catch up behind him. With an accelerating boost and a clash of sparks under his wheel, the young Kaiba heir turned just enough in his seat to glare over at the Urteil General Jafar inching his way closer and closer. Gritting his teeth, he narrowed his brows through his helmet's visor as his wavy brown hair flapped behind him. Though Moki dominated the field in terms of speed, the Full Throttle Trap Card Jafar had on the field set up Team Judgment's field so that they gained two Speed Counters each turn. It wouldn't be long before the bulky man caught up to and even surpassed the Kaiba, allowing him to access the full powers of Final Speed World.
Noticing the Kaiba's grimacing expression, Jafar gave a light scoff before calling over to the teen. "What's wrong, kid? What happened to that arrogance you had mere moments ago?" Grinning, the general extended his palm as he continued. "Did you finally grasp the vast power gap between our strengths?"
[SC: Judgment 6 / Pride 11]
[Jafar's LP: 2400]
[Face-Down Card: Full Throttle – Continuous Trap]
[3 Set Cards]
"Hmph," Moki scoffed back, raising his voice over the roar of the engines and the crowd. "That's big talk coming from someone who doesn't have a single Monster on the field! After I destroyed your Dark Synchro Monster or whatever, you've been doing nothing but defending!" Moki stopped, giving a quick glance over to Seto and Mokuba watching the match up in the owner's box above. With a wide grin and a flash in his eyes, Moki snapped his head back toward his rearview mirror, meeting his opponent's gaze fiercely. "Never underestimate the Kaiba family!"
[Moki's LP: 4000]
[Face-Up Trap: The Dragon Beads]
[1 Set Card]
"I activate the effect of Blue-Eyes Baby Dragon from my Graveyard!" Moki cried, the petite light blue dragon popping up behind his D-Wheel in a cloud of white smoke. "By Banishing this card from my Graveyard, I can Special Summon up to three Blue-Eyes White Dragons from my hand!" With a cry, the baby vanished into thin air once again, leaving behind a trail of glitter leading right to the three center cards in Moki's hand.
"I see," Jafar replied stately as three forms began manifesting in front of him on the track. "Blue-Eyes Baby Dragon is a Synchro Monster whose sole purpose is to get Blue-Eyes out onto your field. It seems like a lot of effort, though I admit getting all three into your hand and utilizing this effect was rather impressive."
"Thanks for the compliment," Mokuba shot back sarcastically, his grin widening as the classic dragons roared in front of him. "But don't expect any mercy from me!"
[Blue-Eyes White Dragon: LV8/3000/2500] [Attack Position] x3
"But still," Jafar continued plainly, his eyes narrowing slightly under his visor, "at the end of the day, Blue-Eyes White Dragon is a mere relic of the past. Powerful it may be, but a mere Level Eight Normal Monster doesn't hold a candle to my Dark Synchro Deck!"
"What'd you say?!" Moki cried, raising his fist. "Don't you dare look down on the Blue-Eyes, old man!"
"Your dragon is unable to strike fear into my heart!" Jafar screamed, his eyes stretching as he raced down the track at top speed. "Allow me to demonstrate with my face-down Trap Card!" Moki stopped as he anticipated the coming card slowly raising up on the opposite end of the track. Upon seeing the image, the teen did a double take. "Wh-Why use that card?"
"Continuous Trap Card! All-Out Attacks!" Jafar proclaimed with a triumphant raise of his palm. "As long as this card remains active on the field, all Monsters Special Summoned on our fields are forced into Attack Position where they must attack if possible!"
Sweating a bit, Moki observed no noticeable change on his field despite the card's activation. "Why even bother playing a card like that? Obviously I intended to attack with my Blue-Eyes from the very beginning!"
The man merely laughed at this, a mischievous smirk curling about his face. "Yes, but now you won't be able to run away with your tail between your legs in the presence of my two remaining face-down cards." Jafar pointed downward toward the cards in question below his ride, causing the teen to grit his teeth in frustration "Now then… Let's see that pride you kids like to brag about so much as you enter your Battle Phase!"
"Fine!" Moki yelled, whipping his arm forward. "You'll regret angering me! Go, my Blue-Eyes! Wipe out the rest of his Life Points in a Direct Attack!"
[Jafar's LP: 2400]
[Blue-Eyes' ATK: 3000]
With a screech, the Blue-Eyes leading the pack charged up a ball of white energy around its jaw. At the same time, Haizuru and Hikari jolted from their seats in the Team Pride booth, both wide-eyed and flustered.
"This has to be a trap!" Hikari cried, sweat dripping down her face.
"It's not like he has much of a choice!" Haizuru said, gritting his teeth. "Dammit!"
Still grinning, Moki gave the order as Seto and Mokuba watched proudly from above in the owner's box.
"Burst Stream of Destruction!"
The Blue-Eyes unleashed a stream of energy powerful enough to shake the dirt ground beneath their D-Wheels. Despite the oncoming beam of white lightning, however, Jafar's pitch-black eyes lit up fiercely with a wide grin accompanying them. "You walked right into my hands! I activate a Trap Card!" Followed by a whip of his hand, Jafar's card shot open to reveal itself, a powerful dark aura suddenly blowing across the stadium. "Behold! Synchronization from the Dark Dimension!"
Moki flinched as the dark wind smashed against him, the teen using his forearm to protect his face.
"This card can only be activated when I have at least one Dark Tuner Monster in my Graveyard," Jafar explained as he dashed along the track. "By Banishing one Dark Tuner from my Graveyard along with a Dark-Attribute Non-Tuner Monster, I can Dark Synchro a Dark Synchro Monster from my Extra Deck!"
"Impossible!" Justin cried from his seat, his usually cool expression melting a bit as he leaned forward in his chair. "A Synchro directly from the Graveyard?!"
"That's right," Jafar grinned, a black aura pouring out of his body like a thick fog. "A good Duel is all about tactics! By letting my tactics overtake yours, you've played into my hand! Now behold!" With a swing of his arm, the muscular man continued his declaration. "I Banish the Level 12 Dark Tuner Monster, Chaotic Executioner, along with the Level Two Dark-Attribute A Cat of Ill Omen from my Graveyard!" As he spoke, the sickle-wielding demon and gold-armored black cat vanished into black fog that quickly joined together as one entity.
(2 – 12 = -10)
"Here goes! Dark Synchro Summon!" As the mist behind him slowly took on a solid form, Jafar closed his eyes and began chanting something in his own language. After his spell was finished, the dark-skinned man shot his open once again as his tone doubled in volume. "Blackened Stone from Ancient Times, break free from the World of Darkness! Reveal your true form of the Adamantine beast! Shatter through their defenses! Dark Synchro Summon! Gesell the Diamond Archfiend!"
The black fog surrounding Jafar's D-Wheel began to harden into a bright glowing blue shadow that highlighted an obviously massive creature. Jafar's smirk faded, however, when his fog once again began to dissipate. "What…?"
Jafar shot his eyes over to his opponent, now wearing a smirk of his own. "You're the one who walked into my hands!" Moki cried, raising his finger as the card hidden on his field came into view. "Counter Trap, activate! Champion's Vigilance!"
Jafar frowned as the teen went on to explain. "Champion's Vigilance only activates with a Level Seven or higher Normal Monster! It then negates the Summoning of my opponent's Monster or one of their Spells or Traps! What was that you were saying about powerful Normal Monsters being useless?!" Moki cried, pointing his finger accusingly. "Of course, I choose to negate the Summoning of your Monster! Now be go-"
Moki's face went pale when his card suddenly shattered before his eyes. "Wh-What?! What just happened?!"
Moki shifted his gaze toward his side view mirror where he could make out Jafar's devilish grin. Laughing, Jafar pointed toward the final card he had hidden on his field mockingly. "I admit that you've got some tactics as well, but unfortunately for you, I was already two steps ahead of you while you were only one step ahead of me! Counter Trap, activate! Trap Jammer!"
"Trap…Jammer?!" Moki repeated, sweat dripping down his face.
"That's right," Jafar confirmed, his expression stoic yet mocking at the same time. "When my opponent activates a Trap Card during the Battle Phase, I can negate and destroy that card! I'm afraid that my strategy was superior!"
"What a twist!" MP boomed over the intercom. "Due to the rules of a Chain, Player Jafar's Trap Jammer activates first, destroying Champion's Vigilance before its effect can resolve! With nothing to destroy it, the Continuous Trap, All-Out Attacks, forces Player Kaiba to attack with all three of his Blue-Eyes! What kind of Monster did Player Jafar Synchro Summon!?"
"Dammit," Moki grunted, slamming his fist against the display board of his D-Wheel. "If his Monster is stronger than my Blue-Eyes…" The teen's voice cut off into a choked gasp as the dark fog surrounding Jafar's D-Wheel finally dispersed with the chain of Trap Cards gone, revealing a pair of glowing, menacing ice-blue eyes attached to a creature big enough to rival mountains. Moki began to sweat at the sheer size of the creature, both D-Wheelers now the size of small rodents in comparison. Though not as large as the Norse Gods or the Elemental Five-God Dragon, it was enough to send shivers down the Kaiba's spine.
"Behold, boy," Jafar said arrogantly with his arms folded against his chest behind his demon. "You are not worthy, but you will be defeated by the mighty Gesell regardless! Curse your luck for having to face this demon!"
[Gesell, the Diamond Archfiend: LV-10/3750/2700] [Attack Position]
"Oh shit!" Haizuru cried, slamming his hands against the table of his team's booth as he rose from his chair, his eyes shooting open. "He'll take massive damage if all three of his Blue-Eyes are destroyed!"
The leader, Tatsuya, was far more reserved, merely folding his hands on the table in front of him while his teammates freaked out. "Yes, but that is where Moki's counterattack lies," he said solemnly, his eyes narrowing. "After all, nothing is what it seems…"
Back on the track, a deep cackle escaped Jafar's throat as he waved his hand tauntingly at his opponent. "You were awfully proud of those dragons earlier, weren't you?! Why don't you put their strength to the test?! Due to the effect of All-Out Attacks, all Monsters Special Summoned must assume battle position and attack no matter what! That applies to both Gesell and your dragons! Now!" Wagging his finger toward him mockingly. "Fly to your deaths, Blue-Eyes White Dragon! Use your Burst Stream of Destruction!"
Moki could only watch in shock as his three dragons roared uncontrollably, flapping their wings up and down as they prepared for flight.
[Blue-Eyes White Dragon's ATK: 3000] x3
Unable to be stopped, the three dragons attacked one after another, the streams of white lightning merely scraping off the side of the Diamond Archfiend's massive body. After taking the three attacks, Gesell proceeded to smash the three dragons into blue bloody paste, the force of the attack shaking the entire stadium and cracking the dirt track a bit. Moki grunted in pain as the EXPAIN System tore through his insides, gritting his teeth together to stifle his scream, blood streaming down his lip in the process.
[Moki's LP: 4000 - 1750]
As the dust settled, the audience fell silent for a few seconds as Moki's trembling arm raised just enough to take a card out of his hand. Eyes strained and the blood pouring down his lip, Moki slowly inserted the card into his Duel Disk, mustering enough strength to glance over the cracked track toward Jafar's sinister grin. "I…set one card face-down. Turn end…"
Up in the owner's box, Mokuba pressed his hands against the window while staring down at his son with concern in his eyes. "Dammit…! This isn't over yet, Moki! You can still turn this Duel around!"
Seto's expression remained as stoic as always, but his gaze remained fixated on his nephew down below while Hayato and Yeager continued their meeting. "There's no way a Kaiba, my nephew, would be defeated like this," he growled under his breath, his hand twitching slightly as he folded it against his chest. "You can't bury the Blue-Eyes so easily… Isn't that right, my dragons…?" Seto's eyes shifted down toward the deck resting in his side pouch along his waist as if he was waiting for a response.
Back down on the track, Jafar finally placed his hand over his deck after cutting around a corner, his eyes squinting slightly as a low-pitched chuckle escaped his throat. "It's my turn! Draw!"
[SC: Judgment 8 / Pride 12]
[Jafar's LP: 2400]
[Moki's LP: 1750]
With a wry smile, Jafar gave the card he drew a quick glance before adding it to his empty hand. "Time to stop drawing this out, kid," he grunted, shrugging his shoulders a bit and leaning forward in his ride. "Regret your humiliating defeat as you perish from this Earth! Go, Gesell the Diamond Archfiend! Attack Moki Kaiba directly!"
[Gesell, the Diamond Archfiend's ATK: 3750]
With a whip of his arm, Jafar sent his massive beast into battle, the creature unleashing a stream of black matter from its mouth.
"Glacier Death Stream!"
As the black matter was about to collide with Mokuba's chest, however, a sudden black hole appeared out of thin air to absorb the stream before it could hit. Jafar's expression loosened slightly at this new development, though he remained considerably calm.
"I thought I told you to not underestimate the Kaiba's!" Moki cried, his eyes going bloodshot as he raised his hand before him. "I activate the Trap Card, Dimension Wall!"
"Dimension Wall," Justin repeated in the Team Pride pit booth, narrowing his eyes. "A Trap Card that absorbs the damage you take from an attack and redirects it toward your opponent instead! If this works, Jafar will take 3750 points of damage, wiping out his 2400 Life and winning Moki the Duel!"
"Now you're the one who's gonna perish and sink into Hell!" Moki screamed, his eyes stretching wildly as he whipped his pointer finger forward. "Now chew on the same 3750 points you just-"
Mokuba went pale suddenly when the attack passed through the black hole, continuing its way toward his empty field. "I-Impossible…! What's going on…!?"
"What happened, indeed?" Jafar mocked, his lips curling into a devilish smirk. "I merely activated the effect of Gesell the Diamond Archfiend! Listen carefully as your mind slips away from this world, as these will be the last words you hear!" Moki cringed in pain as the black matter slammed through his chest, tearing through his back behind him and continuing for several yards into the sky before dissipating altogether. Sweating profusely and his facial features writhing and scrunching up, Moki could only stare at his opponent in utter shock as the man explained.
"I activated Gesell the Diamond Archfiend's second effect," Jafar said, his mighty creature growling behind him. "As you are ware, its first effect allows him to attack all Monsters on my opponent's side of the field by skipping my next turn's Draw Phase. But my Gesell also has a special effect that activates in response to the activation of my opponent's Spell or Trap Cards! By Banishing a Dark Tuner Monster from my Graveyard, I can negate the card's effect and send it to the Graveyard! I activated this effect by Banishing Plagus from my Graveyard!"
"I see…" Moki replied, his eyes going blank and his body tilting to the side. "So you discarded a Dark Tuner all those turns ago using Speed Spell – Angel Baton…? You got me…!" Forcing a smile, Moki's eyes rolled into his head as he slumped face-down into his D-Wheel's display panel. Though unconscious, the teen's cheek pressed against the screen, hitting a button in the process that caused the bike to flash.
"Duel Mode, off. Autopilot Engaged."
"Heh," Jafar grinned, raising his hand in amusement. "So you got lucky and didn't crash, huh? Your luck is strong, but your skills are still lacking! Regardless, Gesell loses 500 Attack Points whenever its second effect is triggered, but that hardly changes the outcome of this Duel."
[Gesell the Diamond Archfiend's ATK: 3750 - 3250]
[Moki's LP: 2400 - 0]
[Pride's SC: 12 - 9]
"Enjoy your nightmare, young one," Jafar grinned before turning his D-Wheel around and leaving the unconscious teen still riding aimlessly on the track.
"Moki!" Hikari and Haizuru screamed, leaping from their chairs with Justin hesitantly following behind. As his teammates continued to scream for him, Tatsuya stayed behind clenching his fist hard against his side. Growling deeply, the team leader moved his gaze toward Fynn I the booth across from his, nothing but raw hatred being emitted from his eyes. Fynn merely grinned at this, flipping him the middle finger to add insult to injury.
"Moki!" Mokuba screamed, tears swelling in his eyes as he pressed himself against the window up above. "Someone call an ambulance! Seto!" Mokuba spun around, stunned to see his brother gritting his teeth hard enough to draw blood down his gums. Though he didn't utter a sound, Mokuba hadn't seen his brother looking so fierce in a long time.
BREAK
At the exact same time across the Dueling track, Rua and Pirate Keith were facing one another fiercely as they prepared for their Duel.
"For Crow and the rest of my friends, I don't intend on losing this Duel!" Rua cried, his gaze narrowing as he drew the remaining cards from his deck to make a hand of six.
"Now that's the spirit!" Keith roared, flashing a thumbs-up. "Let's have a blast, kid!"
A sudden explosion up ahead caught their attention, both D-Wheelers spinning in their chairs toward the direction of Moki getting done in by Jafar. The black energy dispersed above the sky, causing an eerie blue glow that reflected off the visors of Rua's and Keith's helmets.
"Poor kid," Keith muttered, his brows lowering a bit beneath the blue glow. "But they were aware of the danger before accepting this match. I feel sorry for him, but I have to focus on completing my mission…" Keith's frown raised into a subtle smirk as he glanced down at Rua's reflection in his side view mirror. "Sorry, kid, but I don't have the luxury to keep the kid gloves on today when our match against Urteil lies in the balance!"
"Don't mock me!" Rua cried, flashing his teeth viciously. "This isn't about Urteil right now! I plan to defeat you as a member of Team 5D's to uphold our honor and defeat whoever our opponents are in the Semi-Finals! Right now you're nothing but an obstacle I need to overcome!"
Turning his head, Keith stared into Rua's eyes for a moment before chuckling arrogantly. "Sorry, kid, but this match already belongs to me!"
"What!?" Rua growled, tightening his grip on his D-Wheel's handles. "Get off your high horse, Pops! You can't be certain of the outcome until after the Duel ends!"
"No, you're mistaken," Keith replied, a wide grin on his face. "You just lost your Duel the other day against the former Pro D-Wheeler Saiga. It's astronomically impossible for you to have gotten stronger from your loss in a single night, no matter how much you may have wracked your brain!" Rua gritted his teeth as Keith continued. "And for the record, during my time as a Pro Duelist I beat Saiga and his partner Yuuji! How do you plan to defeat me if you couldn't even defeat him, huh?!" Keith gave a laugh as he pointed his thumb toward himself.
"You're starting to piss me off!" Rua growled, shaking his fist. "There's only one way to find out if what you're saying is true, right?! How about you let our cards do the talking, jerk?!"
"Heh!" Keith scoffed, cracking his knuckles before spreading his six cards out in front of him. "I'm game! I rather like reckless little punks like you who defy the data despite the odds they face! If anything, you've got a pair down there, kid! But that ain't gonna be enough for you to beat me! You're facin' my Pirate Deck and there's no way you're escaping in one piece!"
"I ain't running!" Rua called back, flashing a grin of his own. "I'll face your pirates head on with the force of my Machines! Bring it on!"
In the Team 5D's pit booth, Yusei remained silent as he watched the ongoing Duels, shifting his gaze toward where the members of Team Pride helped get Moki off the track. Beside him, Aki raised her hand to her chest and lowered her eyes to the table. "Yet another victim," she said softly. "When will this end?"
"Tatsuya and the others went into this knowing full well the risks," Jack replied dryly, keeping his eyes firmly on Rua. "It's not that I don't sympathize with them, but we're at the point of no return now. Whether it's Urteil or our allies, everyone within this arena is our enemy in the long run. No doubt that Murdock freak will only continue strengthening his EXPAIN System before we have our final showdown with them, so it's probably more merciful for them to be defeated here than later in the Finals."
Aki and Ruka looked saddened by this, but could say nothing. Yusei nodded his head, glancing up at the track over at Rua's starting Duel. "It pains me to say this, but the only thing we can do is avenge the fallen by learning from their Duels and ensuring their sacrifices aren't in vain. Still, Tatsuya and Hikari remain, so we can't count Team Pride out just yet." Closing his eyes briefly, Yusei opened them again, hardening his expression even further. "Even so, we're members of Team 5D's. We must keep our eyes firmly on our teammate battling no matter what happens."
The others nodded, falling silent as their focus returned to Rua's Duel.
Keith let out a sharp laugh as he went full throttle down the lane of the track, his sunglasses reflecting Rua's back. "Ready or not, kid…here I come!"
[SC: 5D's 7 / New Generation 1]
"The first turn's mine! Draw!" Keith cried, his grin widening as he whipped three new cards from his deck.
[SC: 5D's 8 / New Generation 2]
[Keith's LP: 4000]
[2 Set Cards]
[Rua's LP: 4000]
[Arms Aid: LV4/1800/1200] [Equipped to Drill Warrior]
[Drill Warrior: LV6/2400/2000] [Attack Position]
[Traps Face-Up: Synchro Blast, Sneak Exploder]
[1 Set Card]
"Not so fast!" Rua interrupted with a raise of his hand. "I activate the effect of the Trap Card, Sneak Exploder Big Sis Aki activated during her last turn! During the opponent's next Standby Phase following this card's activation, I send this card to the Graveyard and inflict 500 points of damage to their Life Points for each Monster I currently control on the field! I currently control two Monsters, so eat 1000 damage courtesy of Jack!"
Keith narrowed his eyes as the Trap Card transformed into a stream of fire headed straight for his field. Keith could only brace himself by raising his arms in front of his face, grunting in pain as the fire smashed against his skin.
[Keith's LP: 4000 - 3000]
"The King's flames sure pack a punch," Keith grinned, lowering his arms to reveal his sunglasses reflecting the orange of the vanishing fire in front of him. "But everything up until now's been nothing but setup!" Keith roared, giving a swift jerk of his arm. "I activate the Continuous Trap Card, Skull Invitation!"
As the card raised up to reveal an image of a sinister horned corpse demon, Rua immediately felt a strange sensation consume the air around him. "What's that card…?" he asked out loud, peering at the man through his side view mirror.
"Then I Summon Pirate Sniper in Attack Position!" As Keith slapped the card down onto his Duel Disk, a short metallic creature with electrical wires sticking out of its limbs appeared in a flash. The Monster's right arm took on the shape of a sniper while its left arm appeared bulky and powerful.
[Pirate Sniper: LV3/1000/800]
"Yusei Fudo played a decent strategy by equipping Arms Aid to Drill Warrior," Keith started, "but that's child's play against my deck! Now behold! I activate Pirate Sniper's Monster Effect!" Rua stiffened a bit as the warrior raised its sniper arm, aiming it directly toward the back of his D-Wheel. "When Pirate Sniper's Summoned, it automatically destroys one Monster on the field!"
Before Rua could even gasp, the Sniper unleashed a powerful gunshot straight to the back of Drill Warrior's head, causing both it and the Arms Aid attached to its arm to crack apart and turn to dust.
"Not the smartest move to leave both your Monsters attached to each other, huh?!" Keith taunted, giving a cackle before continuing. "And the fun's only just begun! The effect of the Continuous Trap, Skull Invitation, now activates!"
Mere seconds after Keith finished speaking, a sharp pain suddenly assaulted Rua from behind. Screaming, the young man could only grip the side of his D-Wheel to keep from falling off.
[Rua's LP: 4000 - 3400]
"Wh-What's going on?!" Ruka cried, gripping the edge of the table in shock. "Why'd Rua suddenly take damage?!"
"It's because of that Trap," Yusei said, narrowing his eyes. "So this was part of Team New Generation's plan from the start…"
"That's right!" Keith gloated, stretching his hand out in front of his chest. "Thanks to the Skull Invitation card Ghost laid out on the field before his disgraceful defeat at the hands of Jack Atlas, both of us will take 300 points of damage every time a card is sent to the Graveyard!"
"What…?!" Rua grunted, his left eye twitching from the attack as he attempted to pull himself up in his seat. "You too…? But that's only putting you at a disadvantage as well!"
"Ya sure you should be worrying about others?!" Keith yelled, whipping his finger forward. "When your field's wide open?! Go, Pirate Sniper! Direct Attack!"
[Pirate Sniper's ATK: 1000]
The robot shot another bullet straight into Rua's gut, causing him to gag and grunt in pain as he grasped his stomach.
[Rua's LP: 3400 - 2400]
[5D's SC: 8 - 7]
"I then set one card face-down on the field!" Keith said as Rua coughed violently ahead of him. "Turn end!"
"I won't let your card intimidate me!" Rua grunted through clenched teeth, placing his hand over his deck. "My turn! Draw!"
[SC: 5D's 8 / New Generation 3]
[Rua's LP: 2400]
After glancing at the card he drew, Rua immediately placed the card on his Duel Disk, casting a glow around his card and on the field. "I Summon Genex Doctor in Attack Mode!" Emerging from the light, two dark green robots with blue outlining appeared on the track. The first robot was taller and had a large box attached to its left forearm, a wide shield sticking out of the box's front. The second robot was a bit wider but half the height of the first robot.
[Genex Doctor: LV3/1500/1000]
"I then set a card face-down!" Rua continued, inserting a card into his Spell/Trap Zone. "Then-"
Rua found himself hesitating slightly, his eyes shifting up toward his rearview mirror where the image of Keith's face-down card caught his attention. Sweating a bit, the young man shook his head fiercely, gritting his teeth hard together. "No," he thought to himself, feeling his hand shaking slightly at his side. "Now isn't the time to hesitate! We've got too much on the line!"
"Go, Genex Doctor!" Rua ordered, forcing his shaking hand outward as he turned in his seat to point toward Keith's field. "Attack Pirate Sniper!"
[Pirate Sniper's ATK: 1000]
"I like that expression!" Keith grinned as the smaller robot shot forward and pierced through the machine Monster on Keith's field. The Duelist grunted a bit as his Monster exploded, shielding his face from the blast while maintaining his toothy smile.
[Keith's LP: 3000 - 2500]
"Now your own card gives you 300 points of damage!" Rua cried, narrowing his eyes as Keith felt another pinch from his own card image.
[Keith's LP: 2500 - 2200]
"Turn end!" Rua finished, letting his arms fall into his lap and gasping for air as he sped past the cheering audience.
"Are you starting to understand now, kid?" Keith asked, his eyebrows raising excitedly. "The pressure of taking 300 points of damage every time a card is sent to the Graveyard? 300 may not seem like much, but you'll find out quickly that it adds up quickly. I'm curious to see if you have the mindset necessary to hold out when faced with a strict time limit!"
…
Not far up ahead, Hikari from Team Pride had already ridden out onto the field, turning toward Moki, who was already being carried away via stretcher to join the many other fallen Duelists. Her opponent, Leah, tailed just behind her. Sweating a bit, Hikari eyed the woman through her side view mirror. "Of all the opponents I had to end up fighting against her," she muttered, shivering slightly at the Psychic's ice cold eyes eyeing her like a hunk of raw meat. "But something seems…different about her."
Leah, who had previously worn the wicked grin of a murderer, now appeared cool and collected while simultaneously distant, as if she herself was not present but a mere shell of her former self.
Standing on the sidelines with his hands gripping the side of the fence tightly, Anton gritted his teeth as he watched the next match unfolding. "It's exactly as I was afraid of… At first glance Leah seems in control, but that's not the case…! It's like she's become a merciless machine…! Just yesterday her aura was leaking all over the place, but now I can't sense a thing!" Sweating uncomfortably, Anton's eyes shifted slowly over to where Murdock and Misaki were walking toward their team's pit booth. "Damn you, Murdock…! What the hell have you done to Leah?!"
Hikari forced a smile despite the situation, attempting to calm her shaking hand. "Well, whether I like it or not, I have a duty to see that Moki is properly avenged! With that said, Leah Kruger, it's my turn first! Draw!" After drawing a fresh hand of six cards from her deck since Moki had used all his cards in the Duel against Jafar.
[SC: Pride 10 / Judgment 10]
[Hikari's LP: 4000]
[Trap: The Dragon's Bead]
[Leah's LP: 4000]
[Gesell, the Diamond Archfiend: LV-10/3250/2700] [Attack Position]
[Traps: Full Throttle, All-Out Attacks]
"Even the greatest of pinches can work to your advantage!" Hikari said, taking the card she just drew out and slapping it onto her Duel Disk. "When my opponent controls a Monster and I don't, I can Special Summon Cyber Dragon from my hand!" In a flash of light, the metallic serpent wrapped itself around its master protectively. Leah's expression didn't so much as flinch at this.
[Cyber Dragon: LV5/2100/1600] [Attack Position]
"Let me borrow your strength, Dad!" Hikari said, eyeing Shou from the VIP seats toward the owner's box. Receiving a nod back from the man, Hikari turned back toward her opponent and slapped a second card down. "I then Normal Summon Karakuri Barrel mdl 96 "Shinkuro" in Attack Position!" Joining the metal snake was a small wooden barrel, opening slots in its front and sides to reveal a pair of yellow, glowing eyes and wire legs and arms.
[Karakuri Barrel mdl 96 "Shinkuro": LV2/400/400]
"Here goes!" Hikiari shouted, giving a wave of her arm as she spun around a corner of the track. "I'm Tuning my Level Two Shinkuro with my Level Five Cyber Dragon!"
(2+5=7)
The field lit up with the usual green light of the Synchro Summon, casting a glaze over both D-Wheelers as bright stars engulfed the two Monsters.
"From the depths of the Earth rises the Knight of Wood! Synchro Summon! Engage, Karakuri Shogun mdl 00 'Burei'!"
As Cyber Dragon's energy entered the wooden barrel, its body began to warp and shift, opening up to reveal thick wooden armor and a tattered red cape.
[Karakuri Shogun mdl 00 "Burei": LV7/2600/1900] [Attack Position]
"I activate Burei's Monster Effect!" Hikiari continued, her purple hair shifting as she gave a thrust of her arm. "When this Monster is Synchro Summoned, I can Special Summon a Karakuri Monster from my deck! Come out, Karakuri Komachi mdl 224 "Ninishi"!" In a puff of smoke, a wooden mannequin dressed in a lime green kimono with blue and pink flowers on it joined the warrior, its three green eye sockets bouncing up and down.
[Karakuri Komachi mdl 224 "Ninishi": LV3/0/1900] [Attack Position]
"I then activate Ninshi's Monster Effect! When Ninshi is on the field, once per turn during my Main Phase I'm able to Normal Summon again! Show yourself, Karakuri Merchant mdl 177 "Inashichi"!" Beside her, another wooden Monster with the circular Japanese hat and robes of a feudal lord appeared.
[Karakuri Merchant mdl 177 "Inashichi": LV2/500/1500] [Attack Position]
"Inashichi's Monster Effect then activates!" Hikari continued, raising her two fingers as the feudal lord's wooden box began to open. "When this Monster is Normal Summoned, I can add a Karakuri Monster from my deck to my hand!"
Leah's expressionless eyes didn't even blink as the girl added her selected card into her deck.
In the Team Pride booth, Tatsuya folded his arms against his chest as he watched his team member Duel. "She's using the same strategy she used to win her previous Duel yesterday. As good as it is, it won't be enough against this opponent. Unless she has another trick up her sleeve, Leah Kruger will be able to easily counter this strategy."
Hikari smirked a bit, Tatsuya's voice in her mind as she imagined him saying the exact same thing. "He'd probably say something like that, but of course I knew that! Thanks to the gift Moki left me, I'll be penetrating your defenses, Leah Kruger!" The girl whipped her finger toward the Gesell on Leah's field, using her other hand to insert a card into her Duel Disk. "Activate, Speed Spell – High Speed Crash!"
Leah finally reacted a bit, her frown deepening as a whirlwind appeared around the Continuous Trap Moki left on the Team Pride field. "When I have two or more Speed Counters," Hikari explained, "I can destroy one card I control in order to destroy one card you control on the field! By destroying The Dragon's Bead…"
Leah gasped as Moki's card disintegrated, causing a whirlwind to form around Jafar's Dark Synchro Monster as well.
"…I can destroy Gesell, the Diamond Archfiend!"
Leah grunted as the Monster shattered into pieces, its dark aura finally leaving the field and Leah's field empty with it.
"This is the moment I've been waiting for!" Hikari cried, raising her hand. "It's my Battle Phase! Thanks to All-Out Attacks, I attack with all my Monsters!"
[Burei's ATK: 2600]
[Ninshi's ATK: 0]
[Inashichi's ATK: 500]
Leah's eyes widened slightly as the three Monsters attacked at the same time, piercing their weapons through her chest. The Psychic grunted a bit as she was gutted, her entire face shadowed as she lowered her head.
"Triple Wooden Spear!"
The Psychic gritted her teeth as Burei pulled its sword out of her gut, ordering the weaker Monsters to retreat. Though Ninshi was forced to attack, its zero Attack Power didn't actually do anything and was merely for show, but the other two attacks managed to catch Leah off guard a bit.
[Leah's LP: 4000 - 900]
[Judgment's SC: 10 - 8]
"Finally, I set one card and end my turn," Hikari said as her Monsters returned to her side of the track.
As the dust began to settle, Hikari noticed Leah still had her head facing downward with her hand still clutched against her chest, breathing heavily.
"What's with her?" Hikari muttered to herself. "She took much heavier attacks in her last Duel with hardly any damage due to her Psychic powers, so why is she in so much pain now…?"
Gripping the side gate tightly, Anton's eyes widened suddenly as a powerful sensation stirred within his chest. "It couldn't be…!"
…..
"It's my turn now, kid!" Keith cried, whipping a card off his deck as he leaned back for a sharp wheelie, kicking dust about in the process. "Prepare yourself!"
[SC: 5D's 9 / New Generation 4]
[Keith's LP: 2200]
"First I Summon Battle Warrior in Defense Mode!" Keith started, slamming the card onto his Duel Disk and forming the kneeling image of the blue-leathered Kung-Fu Ultimator floating out on the track.
[Battle Warrior: LV3/700/1000]
"Then I activate the Trap, Call of the Haunted!" Keith continued with a flick of his wrist. "Now revive, Pirate Sniper! And when it's Special Summoned, its effect activates and destroys a card on your field!" Keith roared, his robotic sniper appearing and shooting a bullet through Genex Doctor, shattering it into digital dust.
"What?!" Rua grunted as the particles blew past his face.
[Rua's LP: 2400 - 2100]
"I'm far from done, brat!" Keith grinned, taking yet another card from his hand. "It's time for you to meet our crew's archeologist! When either player activates a Spell or Trap while this lady's in my hand, I can Special Summon her to the field! Greetings from Nico Robin!"
Appearing in a flash of light, the class lady of the Straw Hat Pirates appeared wearing a tight, black dress just down to her thighs and a purple cowboy hat.
[Pirate Archeologist: LV4/1500/1800] [Attack Position]
"Don't let her looks fool you!" Keith said with a chuckle, pointing toward Rua. "This lady's effect is devastating!"
Rua's eyes practically shot out of his sockets when an arm sprouted from his Duel Disk, reaching up and grabbing a card off of his deck.
"Once per turn, Pirate Archeologist's effect allows me to reveal one card from either my deck or my opponent's deck and add it to the respective owner's hand," Keith explained, adjusting his sunglasses. "The owner of the card then takes 500 points of damage!" As Rua began to sweat, Keith noted the card Robin's hand held up as Deformer Lighton. "Ah, I see. I'll keep that in mind!" The hand added the card to Rua's hand before slapping him hard across the face and disappearing into flower petals.
Grunting from the strike to his now reddening face, Rua quickly responded with a raise of his own card. "Trap, activate! Burst Synchro Summon!"
"That's Yusei's card!" Ruka said, recognizing it right away.
"This card activates when I would take damage from my opponent's card effect!" Rua said, forcing a grin despite his stinging face. "The damage I receive is reduced to zero, then I can Special Summon a Synchro Monster from my Extra Deck with Attack Power equal to the amount of damage I would have received!"
"Hmph," Keith scoffed, his smile fading as Robin folded her arms sternly. "The Monster's Attack Power'll be 500. Plus, its effects are negated. What possible good will it do you?"
"I know that!" Rua grumbled, raising his hand as he turned back toward the audience in the background. "Come forth, Genex Ally Triforce! Defense Mode!" Appearing in a kneeling position was Rua's triple laser gun Monster, its face hidden by a red visor.
[Genex Ally Triforce: LV7/500/2100] [Defense Position]
Rua grunted as Skull Invitation blasted him when his Trap entered the Graveyard.
[Rua's LP: 2100 - 1800]
"Well, you did manage to block yourself well," Keith admitted with a light smile, "but that'll only last you so long. Turn end!"
"I hate to admit it," Jack said in his seat, "but this Keith guy's right." The other 5D's members turned toward the King, who had his arms folded tightly against his chest. "We've seen firsthand what Pirate Keith's deck can do, remember?" Jack continued, keeping his eyes glued on the Duel track. "That man's deck relies on high-speed Summoning and quick attacks."
The others recalled the end of Keith's Duel against Jacob of Team Mythology where he was able to finish the match with a surprise Direct Attack from Pirate Speeder.
"If he gets a Monster out like that," Aki said, "Rua's Life Points won't be protected by even a high Defense Power Monster."
"And it's a Duel where the player's Life is reduced drastically every turn thanks to Skull Invitation," Yusei added, narrowing his eyes. "But Rua's not dumb. I'm confident he'll find a way to deal with this strategy."
…
At the same time, the members of Team Pride were looking just as concerned over in their pit booth as they watched Hikari's unfolding match against Leah. Tatsuya in specific was quite frustrated, biting his right pointer finger while glaring at the current Life Point status of the two D-Wheelers.
[Hikari's LP: 4000]
[Leah's LP: 4900]
[SC: Pride 11 / Judgment 2]
"That's the horror of Final Speed World," Tatsuya said, his teeth digging deeper into his flesh as he spoke. "Despite Hikari's early lead, using the accumulated Speed Counters Team Judgment gathered using the Continuous Trap, Full Throttle, Leah Kruger was able to use almost all of her ten Speed Counters to regain her Life and undo all that damage in one go. Damn it all…"
Hikari gritted her teeth out on the track, eyeing her opponent cautiously through her rearview mirror as Leah's speed drastically fell behind hers. Despite receiving massive damage before, Leah seemed disturbingly calm and unresponsive, something that greatly worried Hikari, considering how insane she was earlier.
Her eyes blank, Leah slowly placed a card from her hand out onto her Duel Disk, causing a white glow around the device docked in her D-Wheel. "I Summon Sealed Beast Dharmjul in Attack Position," she said with little emotion, as if she was in a daze. Following a burst of light, Leah's armless reptile with a pair of bone-like pincers on its face and a long, scaly tail appeared with a hiss.
[Sealed Beast Dharmjul: LV3/1200/1400]
"Go, Dharmjul," Leah continued in her cold voice. "Attack Karakuri Komachi mdl 224 "Ninishi"." After a light flick of Leah's hand, the reptile creature scurried forward and lashed its pincers toward the wooden maiden's neck.
[Karakuri Komachi mdl 224 "Ninishi"'s ATK: 0]
As the creature approached her Monster, a small smile came to Hikari's lips. "That's just what I wanted you to do!" she cried, accelerating around a corner of the track while giving a shoot of her arm. "I activate Ninishi's effect! When it's targeted in battle, I can change its Battle Position!" Leah flinched slightly as the wooden maiden entered sharply into a kneeling position, using its wooden forearm to block Dharmjul's pincers. Though its kimono was slightly torn, the force was enough to send the reptile flying back onto Leah's side of the track.
[Karakuri Komachi mdl 224 "Ninishi"'s DEF: 1900]
Leah's scowl deepened as her Life Points dropped, though she showed no signs of damage from the EXPAIN System despite it clearly still being active on the field. Hikari noticed this, wondering if she was blocking it with her Psychic powers like Anton did.
[Leah's LP: 4900 - 4200]
"I set three cards face-down," Leah finally said, closing her eyes as she inserted the majority of her hand into her Spell/Trap Zone. "Turn over."
"It's my turn!" Hikari responded immediately, drawing a card from her deck.
[SC: Pride 12 / Judgment 4]
[Hikari's LP: 4000]
[Leah's LP: 4200]
"I hereby release Inashichi!" Hikari said, raising her hand as her Monster faded from the field. "In order to Advance Summon Karakuri Ninja mdl 7749 "Nanashick" in Attack Position!" Replacing her smaller wooden robot was a much larger one with a tattered cape draping down its backside and a sword and circular saw blade in its right and left hands respectively.
[Karakuri Ninja mdl 7749 "Nanashick": LV5/2200/1800]
"I then activate Nanashick's Monster Effect!" Hikari continued, still smiling. "When Normal Summoned, I can draw one card for each face-up Defense Position Karakuri Monster I control!" Raising her arm over her deck, the girl continued. "I control Ninishi in Defense Position, so I can draw one card!" After drawing her card, the teen went on. "I then activate Ninishi's other effect! Once per turn while Ninishi is on the field during my Main Phase, I can Normal Summon an additional time! Come out, Karakuri Muso mdl 818 "Haipa"!" Leah clicked her tongue in annoyance as a new wooden soldier appeared.
[Karakuri Muso mdl 818 "Haipa": LV4/2100/1100] [Attack Position]
"Clever!" Haizuru cheered, pumping his fist in the air. "Leah's deck only works if she can get Sealed Mantra out on the field! If Hikari beats her before that, she won't be able to stop her!"
"But will it go that smoothly?" Tatsuya asked out loud, frowning and folding his hands out on the table in front of him.
"Here goes!" Hikari cried, whipping her arm forward. "Assemble, my Monsters! I'm Tuning my Level Three Ninishi with my Level Five Nanashick!"
(3+5=8)
"From the depths of the shadows rises the Knight of Darkness! Synchro Summon!"
Emerging from the shadows in the center of the stadium, the giant wooden knight stood at least half the size of the Norse Gods, casting its shadow over all four D-Wheelers in the arena.
"Defend and Crush, Karakuri Steel Shogun mdl 00X "Bureido"!"
[Karakuri Steel Shogun mdl 00X "Bureido": LV8/2800/1700] [Attack Position]
"Phew!" Keith whistled at the sight of the Monster, his own Pirates miniscule in comparison.
"Damn," Rua cringed. "I'd hate to get on Hikari-san's bad side with a Monster like that!"
"Bureido's effect activates!" Hikari continued, flashing her hand upward. "When this Monster is Synchro Summoned, I can Special Summon a Karakuri Monster from my deck! Come, Karakuri Ninja mdl 919 "Kuick"!" With a flash of light, a new wooden warrior in a purple robe appeared, wielding two daggers and a pair of springy feet.
[Karakuri Ninja mdl 919 "Kuick": LV4/1700/1500] [Attack Position]
"This ends now!" Hikari cried, motioning toward her new Monster. "Go, Haipa! Attack Sealed Beast Dharmjul!" On cue, Hikari's bulky wooden warrior charged toward with its spear, aimed right toward the small reptile's throat.
[Karakuri Muso mdl 818 "Haipa"'s ATK: 2100]
[Sealed Beast Dharmjul's ATK: 1200]
Just as the warrior was about to impale the creature, a sudden red mantra appeared, the foreign letters forming a ring around its body. "Trap, activate," Leah replied absently with a slight raise of her hand. "Mantra of Agony." A pair of demonic, red eyes flashed before Haipa, causing the warrior to fall to its knees in sudden fear, screaming in agony like depicted on the card's image.
"Mantra of Agony," Leah repeated, narrowing her eyes. "A Trap Card that activates while I control a face-up Sealed Beast on my field. When a Sealed Beast I control is attacked, this card destroys the attacking Monster." As Leah said this, the screaming Haipa's body finally disintegrated to black sand, blowing away in the wind past its owner.
"Then," Leah continued, slowly raising her hand above her deck, "I am able to add a Sealed Mantra from my deck into my hand."
"Damn!" Haizuru grunted, balling his hand into a tight fist. "All that effort and that woman still got the Sealed Mantra into her hand!"
Hikari, on the other hand, wore a wide smirk on her face as the Psychic used her powers to scan through her deck. Despite what her teammates were thinking, Hikari had no reason to be angry over this development. "After all," she half whispered, "my true objective is…"
….
Though Rua found himself staring at Hikari, Keith's grainy voice quickly snapped him out of it and brought his attention back to his own Duel. "Hey, quit staring at the girl's tits and get back in gear, kid!" Keith grinned, giving a slight wave of his hand. "Losing your focus against me for even a second'll screw you up big time!"
Gritting his teeth, Rua quickly turned back toward the cards he held in his hand as he jetted past the audience in the bleachers. Taking a deep breath, the young man placed his hand over the top of his deck. "My turn! Draw!"
[SC: New Generation 5 / 5D's 10]
[Rua's LP: 1800]
Rua's eyes widened slightly after glancing down at the card he drew, his lips tightening. "That's it…!" His mouth widened into a smile as he eyed the manifestation of Nico Robin through his mirror. "With this card…!"
"Heh," Keith scoffed with a flash of his teeth. "Kid's got something planned. Let's just see what you've got!"
Rua slapped the card down on his Duel Disk, causing a flash of light around the card's frame. "I Summon Genex Ally Duradark in Attack Mode!" A small robotic warrior in a space-like blue suit and helmet appeared, giving a battle cry as it struck a pose with its palm facing out.
[Genex Ally Duradark: LV4/1800/200]
Keith's smile faded as the robot warrior blitzed through his defenses, slamming its palm into Robin's stomach and overpowering the extra pair of hands she grew to try to protect herself. Crying out, the Pirate Archeologist shattered into digital dust. "What?" Keith grunted, grunting as his own Trap zapped him.
[Keith's LP: 2700 - 2400]
"When Genex Ally Duradark is on the field," Rua explained all smiles, "he can destroy one face-up Attack Mode Monster on my opponent's side of the field with the same attribute. He's a Dark-Attribute Monster, so he was able to destroy the Dark-Attribute Pirate Archeologist!" Rua stopped for a quick laugh before continuing. "But Duradark can't attack the turn I use his effect, so the damage you get from Skull Invitation will have to suffice for now! Turn end!"
"Heh," Keith grinned, wasting no time setting his hand over his own deck as he sped behind Rua on the track. "Pretty good trick, but it'll take more than that to beat me! My turn! Draw!"
[SC: New Generation 6 / 5D's 11]
[Keith's LP: 2400]
"First I switch Pirate Sniper into Defense Mode," Keith started as he added the card to his hand and shifted the card on his Duel Disk horizontally. The pirate robotic warrior immediately entered into a kneeling stance with its metallic hand over its kneecap.
[Pirate Sniper's DEF: 800]
"Then I Summon Pirate Cat Burglar in Attack Mode!"
Rua narrowed his eyes as a new female pirate appeared, this one with long, wavy orange hair and a tight, revealing outfit.
[Pirate Cat Burglar: LV4/1800/1000]
Keith chuckled as the girl gave a sly smile and a sexy pose with her hands over her hips, his glasses catching a glimpse of early afternoon sunlight. "Don't take yer eyes off of Nami for even a second, kid," he grinned as Rua turned in his seat to glance over at him. "If you do, you'll regret it!"
Just as Rua was blinking in confusion at the statement, his eyes popped out of his head when he saw the orange-haired pirate stick out her tongue and hold up the Speed Spell he had in his hand just seconds before. "What?! When did she-?!"
In the Team 5D's pit booth, Aki grasped the table in shock as she recognized the card Nami held in her hand. "That's the Silver Contrails Yusei left us…! That card can greatly turn the favors for Keith!"
Yusei folded his arms tightly against his chest, his eyes narrowing as he followed Aki's gaze toward the card the pirate held on the large screen. "To think that card would end up helping the enemy…"
Keith laughed a bit as Nami handed him the card, waving his finger mockingly all the while. "Speed Spell – Silver Contrails; a card that raises the Attack Power of a Wind-Attribute Monster on the field by 1000 for one turn when you have five Speed Counters or more… Holding onto your trump card is fine and all, but you never know what tricks the enemy'll pull! This is a Duel where 1000 Attack Points'll mean the difference between life and death!" Grinning, Keith slipped the card into his hand as the Pirate Cat Burglar took her spot beside his Battle Warrior. "But I'll hold onto the card for one more turn and see if you've got what it takes to overcome this pinch."
"Looking down on me…!" Rua growled, flashing his teeth.
"Now, here comes the second effect of Pirate Cat Burlgar!" Keith continued, whipping his finger toward Rua's field. "Depending on the type of card taken from my opponent's hand, one of three effects is activated! The card I stole was a Speed Spell Card, which means my opponent takes 500 points of damage!"
Rua's eyes widened as Nami dashed forward, whipping her weapon of choice—the Clima-Tact—from her chest and smashing it against Rua's shoulder. As soon as the end of the rod made contact with Rua's body, a powerful stream of electricity discharged, ripping a scream of pain from the man's throat.
"Thunder Lance Tempo!"
[Rua's LP: 1800 - 1300]
Despite the sparks still numbing his chest, with a sharp grunt and a forceful jerk of his body, Rua managed to press a button on his D-Wheel to reveal a card of his own. "Trap, activate! Doppelganger!" Rua cried, flinching as the card lifted under his raised arm. "This card activates when I receive Effect Damage from the opponent's Monster and inflicts the same amount of damage back at them! So you can take that shock right back, Pirate Keith!"
"What?!" Keith shrieked, his sunglasses glowing white as Nami's electric blast shot right back at him through his chest, resulting in him grunting in pain.
[Keith's LP: 2400 - 1900]
"Rua managed to use the card I left him perfectly!" Aki smiled, tightening her fist excitedly.
"Pretty damn good," Keith grunted as he recovered, his glasses slipping enough to reveal one of his blood-shot eyed.
"Turn end!" Keith cried, panting a bit as he returned his hand to his side. "But the kid did manage to give me a pretty good blow… Not too shabby!"
Panting hard and wiping sweat from his forehead with his forearm, Rua turned in his chair as he passed along the side fence toward Keith's side of the track, a hint of worry showing through his darting eyes. "Why didn't he use the Speed Spell he stole?" Rua thought to himself, sweat dripping down his face. "After he just lectured me about not holding onto my trump card for too long…! What's he up to?"
Keith chuckled lightly to himself as he noticed Rua glancing his way, his gaze focused on the cards he held in his hand. "So it really does concern you, eh?" Keith thought, his glasses slipping down his nose to reveal his beady eyes. "I'll give you credit for catching on, but you still haven't seen the full picture! After all, this Duel isn't merely about victory… I've got a lesson to teach you in order to whip your ass into shape for the coming war against Urteil, kid!"
Keith continued chuckling as both D-Wheelers stared each other down viciously, nothing but the sound of the audience and a fierce blast further down the track filling their ears. It wasn't until the massive explosion following that where the two D-Wheelers finally caught wind of what was going on with the other two D-Wheelers Dueling on the track, and what they saw caused both of their eyes to widen in horror.
In an intense burst of energy, Hikari was sent flying through the air as the Monster on her field and her D-Wheel were reduced to nothing but ashes. In her last seconds of consciousness, Hikari opened one eye to catch a final glimpse of her opponent as her final thoughts before unconsciousness faded to emptiness:
"She's a true monster…!"
[Hikari's LP: 0]
[Leah's LP: 100]
As Hikari plummeted to the dirt with a thud, a blinding light enveloped the entire Duel Dome within mere seconds, only Leah herself fully visible within the radiation. Though her head was down and her eyes were hidden, every Duelist present within the stadium sensed something coming from her like nothing they'd ever sensed before.
"This sensation…" Keith muttered, his sunglasses flashing as he eyed the woman. "Like time itself came to a sudden stop…!"
"What in the world…is going on?!" Rua cried, shielding his eyes as the heart birthmark on his arm began to throb.
The remaining Signers had a reaction as well along with the still unconscious Crow in the hospital, their energies guiding them directly to the very essence of Leah's soul now visible above her. Aki in particular felt a strong connection as her own Psychic energies seeped out of her toward the emerging presence from within Leah's body.
At that very moment, within a void of seemingly nothingness devoid of all sound and feeling, all the Duelists within the Dome Stadium saw Leah lift her head to reveal a pair of yellow cat-like eyes and a wide, toothy grin stretched across her face as if she found true bliss for the first time. The shadowy presence floating behind her seemed to flicker on and off unstably. As Leah leapt off her D-Wheel and dashed toward the fallen Hikari as well as Rua and Keith, Aki instinctively jumped out of her chair and started running out into the sidelines of the track. "She plans to kill them…!"
As all of this was happening, a wide smirk came across Murdock's face as he sat comfortably in his chair.
ooooooOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Their lives flash before their eyes as a newborn murderer leaps forward! All the while, a single madman smirks!
To be continued in Chapter 52: "That Fleeting Moment"
Credits
Writing: GoldenUmi
Characters appearing from anime: Rua Heartlily, Yusei Fudo, Aki Izayoi, Ruka Heartlily, Jack Atlas, Seto Kaiba, Mokuba Kaiba, Master of Ceremonies
Original Characters (OC): GoldenUmi (Moki Kaiba, Hikari Marufuji, Haizuru Kujaku, Justin Phoenix, Tatsuya Jounouchi, "Pirate" Keith Howard, "Hell-Eyes" Shaun Daoshin, Master of Parties, Anton Bartholomew, Misaki Emi), Aman1216 (Jafar, Leah Kruger), Halo (Murdock Willard), ZeroSaber39 (Jophiel Omniel)
Duel Writing: hearow (Team Pride vs. Team Judgment), GoldenUmi (Team 5D's vs. Team New Generation)
Key Cards:
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.
Debris Dragon
WIND
Level 4
Dragon/Tuner
1000/1000
When this card is Normal Summoned: You can target 1 monster with 500 or less ATK in your Graveyard; Special Summon that target in face-up Attack Position. Its effects are negated. This card cannot be used as a Synchro Material Monster, except for the Synchro Summon of a Dragon-Type Synchro Monster. The other Synchro Material Monster(s) cannot be Level 4.
Totem Dragon
EARTH
Level 2
Dragon/Effect
400/200
This card can be treated as 2 Tributes for the Tribute Summon of a Dragon-Type monster. If this card is in your Graveyard during your Standby Phase and you control no monsters, you can Special Summon this card in Attack Position. You cannot activate this effect if there are any monsters in your Graveyard that are not Dragon-Type. If this card is Special Summoned with this effect, remove it from play when it is removed from the field.
Blue-Eyes White Baby Dragon (Created by GoldenUmi)
LIGHT
Level 6
Dragon/Synchro/Effect
2000/2000
1 Dragon-Type Tuner + 1 non-Tuner Dragon-Type Monster
This card is treated as "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" while on the field and in the Graveyard. When battling against a non-Dragon-Type monster, the opposing monster loses 500 ATK during the Damage Step only. If this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, add 1 "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" from your Deck to your hand. Banish this card in the Graveyard to Special Summon up to 3 "Blue-Eyes White Dragons" from your hand to the field.
All-Out Attacks
Continuous Trap
All monsters that are Special Summoned are changed to face-up Attack Position and must attack, if able, during the turn they are Special Summoned.
Synchronization from the Dark Dimension (Created by Aman1216)
Trap
You can only activate this card when you have at least 1 "Dark Tuner" monster in your Graveyard. By Banishing 1 "Dark Tuner" and another Non-Tuner monster from your Graveyard, you can Dark Synchro Summon 1 Synchro Monster from your Extra Deck.
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 Posotion. This effect continues until all Synchro Monsters on the opponent's field have been targeted and this effect resolves.
A Cat of Ill Omen
DARK
Level 2
Beast/Effect
500/300
FLIP: Select 1 Trap Card from your Deck and place it on top of your Deck. If "Necrovalley" is on the field, you can add the selected card to your hand instead.
Gesell, the Diamond Archfiend (Created by Aman1216)
EARTH
Level -10
3750/2700
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 skipping your Draw Phase next turn, this card can attack all the Monsters on your opponent's side of the field. When your opponent activates a Spell or Trap card during your turn, by Banishing 1 "Dark Tuner" monster from your Graveyard, you can negate the activation of the card and send it to the Graveyard. If you use this effect, this monster loses 500 ATK.
Champion's Vigilance
Counter Trap
If you control a Level 7 or higher Normal Monster, when a monster would be Summoned OR a Spell/Trap Card is activated: Negate the Summon or activation, and if you do, destroy that card.
Trap Jammer
Counter Trap
When your opponent activates a Trap Card during the Battle Phase: Negate the activation, and if you do, destroy it.
Dimension Wall
Trap
Activate only when an opponent's monster declares an attack. Instead of you, your opponent takes the Battle Damage you would have taken from this battle.
Dark Tuner (DT) - Plagus (Created by Aman1216)
DARK
Level 6
Fiend/Dark Tuner
0/2000
If your opponent controls a face-up Tuner monster, you can Special Summon this card from your hand in face-up Defense Position. During the turn this card is Special Summoned this way, your opponent cannot Synchro Summon during their Main Phases.
Synchro Blast
Continuous Trap
Once per turn, when a Synchro Monster you control attacks an opponent's monster, inflict 500 damage to your opponent.
Sneak Exploder
Trap
Activate only while your opponent controls no monsters. During your opponent's next Standby Phase, send this card to the Graveyard and inflict 500 damage to your opponent for each monster you control.
Skull Invitation
Continuous Trap
Each time a card(s) is sent to the Graveyard, inflict 300 damage to its owner for each card sent.
Pirate Sniper (Created by GoldenUmi)
EARTH
Level 3
Warrior/Effect
1000/800
When this card is Summoned, destroy 1 monster on the field. If your opponent activates a Spell or Trap card in response to this effect, Special Summon 1 "Pirate Sniper" from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard. Banish this card in the Graveyard to negate 1 Trap card's activation and destroy it.
Genex Doctor
DARK
Level 3
Spellcaster/Effect
1500/1000
You can Tribute 1 face-up "Genex Controller" to select and destroy 1 card on the field.
Cyber Dragon
LIGHT
Level 5
Machine/Effect
2100/1600
If your opponent controls a monster and you control no monsters, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand).
Karakuri Barrel mdl 96 "Shinkuro"
EARTH
Level 2
Machine/Tuner
400/400
This card must attack if able. When this face-up Attack Position card on the field is selected as an attack target, change it to Defense Position. Once per turn, this card cannot be destroyed by battle.
Karakuri Shogun mdl 00 "Burei"
EARTH
Level 7
Machine/Synchro/Effect
2600/1900
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Machine-Type monsters
When this card is Synchro Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 "Karakuri" monster from your Deck. Once per turn: You can target 1 monster on the field; change its battle position.
Karakuri Komachi mdl 224 "Ninishi"
EARTH
Level 3
Machine/Tuner
0/1900
This card must attack if able. When this face-up card on the field is selected as an attack target, change its battle position. While this card is face-up on the field, once per turn during your Main Phase, you can Normal Summon a "Karakuri" monster in addition to your Normal Summon or Set. (You can only gain this effect once per turn.)
Karakuri Merchant mdl 177 "Inashichi"
EARTH
Level 2
Machine/Effect
500/1500
This card must attack if able. When this face-up Attack Position card on the field is selected as an attack target, change it to Defense Position. When this card is Normal Summoned, add 1 "Karakuri" card from your Deck to your hand.
Speed Spell – High Speed Crash
Speed Spell
Activate only while you have 2 or more Speed Counters. Destroy 1 card you control and 1 other card on the field.
Battle Warrior
EARTH
Level 3
Warrior
700/1000
Pirate Archeologist (Created by GoldenUmi)
DARK
Level 4
Spellcaster/Tuner
1500/1800
When either player activates a Spell or Trap card, Special Summon this card (from your hand) onto the field. Once per turn, you can choose to either see the top card of your opponent's deck or the top card of your deck. The respective owner then adds the card to their hand, then inflict 500 points of damage to the owner of the card.
Burst Synchro Summon
Trap
Activate only when you would take damage from an opponent's card effect. The damage you would receive becomes 0. Special Summon 1 Synchro Monster from your Extra Deck with ATK equal to the amount of damage you would have taken, ignoring the Summoning conditions. That monster's effect(s) is negated.
Genex Ally Triforce
DARK
Level 7
Machine/Synchro/Effect
2500/2100
1 "Genex" Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
This card's effect depends on the Attribute(s) of its non-Tuner Synchro Material Monsters. ● EARTH: If this card attacks, your opponent cannot activate any Spell/Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step. ● FIRE: If this card destroys a monster by battle, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the ATK of the destroyed monster. ● LIGHT: Once per turn, you can select 1 LIGHT monster in your Graveyard and Special Summon it in face-down Defense Position.
Sealed Beast Dharmjul (OCG: "Forbidden Beast Dharmjul")
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.
Karakuri Ninja mdl 7749 "Nanashick"
EARTH
Level 5
Machine/Effect
2200/1800
This card must attack if able. When this face-up card on the field is selected as an attack target, change its battle position. When this card is Normal Summoned, you can draw 1 card for each face-up Defense Position "Karakuri" monster you control.
Karakuri Muso mdl 818 "Haipa"
EARTH
Level 4
Machine/Effect
2100/1100
This card must attack if able. When this face-up Attack Position card is selected as an attack target, change it to Defense Position. If this card attacks, change it to Defense Position at the end of the Battle Phase.
Karakuri Steel Shogun mdl 00X "Bureido"
EARTH
Level 8
Machine/Synchro/Effect
2800/1700
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Machine-Type monsters
When this card is Synchro Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 "Karakuri" monster from your Deck. Once per turn, when the battle position of a face-up "Karakuri" monster you control is changed (and remains face-up): Draw 1 card.
Karakuri Ninja mdl 919 "Kuick"
EARTH
Level 4
Machine/Effect
1700/1500
This card must attack if able. When this face-up card is selected as an attack target, change its battle position. When this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, select 1 Level 4 or lower "Karakuri" monster in your Graveyard, and Special Summon it in face-up Defense Position.
Mantra of Agony
Trap
When a "Sealed Beast" is face-up on your field when an opponent's monster attacks, destroy the attacking monster and add 1 "Sealed Mantra" to your hand from your Deck.
Genex Ally Duradark
DARK
Level 4
Machine/Effect
1800/200
Once per turn, during your Main Phase, you can select 1 face-up Attack Position monster your opponent controls with the same Attribute as this card, and destroy it. This card cannot attack the turn you activate this effect.
Pirate Cat Burglar (Created by GoldenUmi)
WIND
Level 4
Warrior/Effect
1800/1000
Once per turn, you can take a card from your opponent's hand at random, then activate one of the following effects based on the type of card selected:
• Monster Card - Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Monster from your hand.
• Spell Card - Inflict 500 points of damage to your opponent.
• Trap Card - You take 500 points of damage.
Doppelganger
Continuous Trap
When you take damage from the effect of a monster your opponent controls, inflict the same amount of damage to your opponent.
