A/N: I OWN NOTHING! EVERY BIT OF YU GI OH 5DS GO TO THEIR CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN IS MY OCS!

Chapter 53

With the Soul of a Burning Nova

Jack's POV

"Duel fans of all ages, welcome to the semifinals where Team 5Ds is going up against the formidable Team Ragnarok! This will all boil down to what will be an incredible duel!" the MC called. I looked at Dragan who returned the gesture as we got ready to duel. The light flashed green and Dragan and I shot off like a bullet racing for the first turn. "And they're off!"

I was successful in taking the first turn and drew my card. "I summon Top Runner (Attack 1100/ Defense 800) in attack mode and set two cards face down to end my turn," I declared.

"Then it's my turn," Dragan stated drawing his card from his deck. "I summon Garmr of the Nordic Beasts (Attack 800/ Defense 1900) in attack mode and set a face down. That's all for now."

I drew my card. "If we're reliving that old duel then this might add it up. "I summon Power Breaker (Attack 1900/ Defense 0) in attack mode. Now I tune Power Breaker with Top Runner to synchro summon a beast of great power. Come forth, Red Dragon Archfiend (Attack 3000/ Defense 2000)!" I declared. "Red Dragon Archfiend, attack Garmr!"

"This will be different because I activate my face down known as Nordic Relic Brisingamen! This increases the attack of Garmr to equal the attack of Red Dragon Archfiend until the end phase (Garmr of the Nordic Beasts: Attack 3000)," Dragan returned. "Oh, and if Garmr destroys a monster by battle this turn, the attack of the destroyed monster will be inflicted to you as damage."

"Well I activate my face down, Reaction Summon to special summon Top Runner from my graveyard. And due to the effect of Top Runner, the attack of my face up synchro monsters increase by 600 (Red Dragon Archfiend: Attack 3600)," I retorted. Red Dragon Archfiend destroyed Garmr in the one attack dropping Dragan's life points to 3400. I groaned in pain and that's when both our teams realized the all too real truth that the damage in this duel was going to be felt and real. "Just keep dueling, Dragan. We'll finish this one way or another."

"You really have changed," Dragan replied with an impressed grin. He then returned to the duel and became deadly serious again, "Since a monster I destroyed was destroyed by battle, I can special summon Tanngnjostr of the Nordic Beasts (Attack 800/ Defense 1100) from my hand in defense position."

Though Top Runner went to attack Tanngnjostr, it failed due to the attack and defense of both monsters being equivalent. I only attacked to prevent Top Runner from being destroyed by the effect of my demonic looking dragon.

"I set a face down to end my turn," I responded. 'If Arch was here, he would be able to help this pain,' I thought. 'I'm sorry, Arch. I'll win this for you and your sacrifice to make sure I would live to do this. It's the least I can do.'

Dragan drew his card. "I switch my Tanngnjostr into attack position. Because it switched battle position, I can activate its effect allowing me to special summon Tanngrisnir of the Nordic Beasts (Attack 1200/ Defense 800) from my deck in attack mode. And since you control a synchro monster, I can special summon Guldfaxe of the Nordic Beasts (Attack 1600/ Defense 1000) from my hand," he declared. "Now I tune my Tanngnjostr and Tanngrisnir with Guldfaxe to synchro summon Thor: Lord of the Aesir (Attack 3500/ Defense 2800)! Now I activate the effect of Thor which negates the effects of your Top Runner until the end phase and have Thor gain Top Runner's effect for this turn only (Red Dragon Archfiend: Attack 3000; Thor: Lord of the Aesir: Attack 4100). And now I think I'll have Thor attack that dragon!" Red Dragon Archfiend was destroyed and my life points plummeted to 2900. "I set two face downs and end my turn." Since Dragan had ended his turn, Thor's attack points returned to its normal 3500.

I drew my card. "I summon Barrier Resonator (Attack 300/ Defense 800) in defense mode. Next I switch Top Runner to defense and end my turn with a face down," I declared.

"My draw!" Dragan exclaimed drawing his card. "I activate Thor's effect negating Top Runner's effect for you and allowing me to use it until the end phase (Thor: Lord of the Aesir: Attack 4100). Now I activate Nordic Relic Mjollnir allowing Thor to attack twice this turn and allowing Thor to inflict 1000 points of direct damage to you should he destroy a monster in battle. Now Thor, attack that Barrier Resonator!" Thor did as he was told and Barrier Resonator was destroyed resulting my life points dropping to 1900. Thor then attacked and destroyed Top Runner with Mjollnir activating and dropping me to a mere 900 life points.

"I activate Tuner's Reflect. This re-summons both Barrier Resonator and Top Runner from my graveyard and inflicts battle damage straight to you equaling the combined attack points of the two monsters," I retorted and Dragan's life points dropped to 2000.

"I end my turn with one face down," Dragan declared and Thor's attack returned to his original 3500 again.

It was my turn again and I drew a card. "I activate the effect of Speed World 2. By removing four speed counters, I can inflict 800 points of damage for every speed spell in my hand," I declared. I showed my Speed Spell- End of the Storm making my opponent's life points drop to 1200. "Next I activate Descending Lost Star allowing me to summon Red Dragon Archfiend from the graveyard in defense mode with its effects negated, its defense reduced to 0 and its level reduce by 1 (Red Dragon Archfiend: Defense 0/ Level 7). Now I double tune Red Dragon Archfiend with Top Runner and Barrier Resonator to synchro summon a monster of extraordinary power," I called.

"Double tuning?!" all three members of Team Ragnarok exclaimed in bewilderment.

"That's right. And with the power of this double tune, I will synchro summon my ultimate beast. Meet Red Nova Dragon (Attack 3500/ Defense 3000)!" I declared.

"Due to the effect of Red Nova, it gains 500 attack points for every tuner monster in my graveyard (Red Nova Dragon: Attack 4500)," I informed Dragan. "Now Red Nova attack Thor: Lord of the Aesir!"

"I activate Raging Sacred Curse!" Dragan responded. "This reduces Red Nova Dragon's attack and Defense by 2000 (Red Nova Dragon: Attack 2500/ Defense 1000). Next I activate Solemn Authority which prevents Thor from being affected by your trap cards for two turns."

"I activate Burning Rebirth!" I retorted. "By tributing Red Nova Dragon, I can special summon Red Dragon Archfiend (Attack 3000/ Defense 2000) from my graveyard." Red Nova vanished leaving Red Dragon Archfiend in its place with Red Dragon Archfiend equipped with Burning Rebirth. "Now I activate the second effect of Burning Rebirth. By sending it and my Trap Eater from my hand to the graveyard, I can special summon Red Nova Dragon (Attack 3500/ Defense 3000) from my graveyard." Since Burning Rebirth was removed from the field, Red Dragon Archfiend was also destroyed. "Now since there are three tuner monsters in my grave, Red Nova gains 1500 attack points (Red Nova Dragon: Attack 5000). Now Red Nova Dragon, attack Thor: Lord of the Aesir!" The attack pulled through and destroyed Thor and knocking Dragan's life points to 0 making me the winner.

"Before I'm down for the count, Thor's ability activates reviving him at a full 3500 attack points and dealing 800 points of direct damage at you," Dragan finished.

As my life points dropped to 100 points, Dragan passed the baton to Broder who went after me with Thor still in tow.

Broder drew his card. "I set two face downs and activate Thor's effect which negates Red Nova Dragon's effect and grants Thor his effects until the end phase (Red Nova Dragon: Attack 3500)," he declared. "Now Thor, attack Red Nova Dragon!" As the attack hit, both monsters were destroyed due to the equaling attack points. Broder ended his turn reviving Thor and knocking my life points to 0 with its effect making Broder the winner.

I came over and Crow took off. 'I at least beat Dragan,' I thought to console myself for losing against Broder. But Broder was guaranteed to win either way. But I knew this was going to be a hard duel for Crow. I knew all we could do is hope he would be alright.