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

Chapter 52: "That Fleeting Moment"


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. After Aki was taken out in a suicide attack by Team New Generation's Esper, Rua has taken up a fierce Duel against Pirate Keith, who wields the legendary Pirate Deck modeled after the popular One Piece franchise. Faced with Keith's shrewd tactics and the speed of his Pirate Deck, Rua just barely manages to defend himself.

"Pretty damn good," Keith grunted, his glasses slipping enough to reveal one of his blood-shot eyes.

Keith chuckled lightly to himself, his glasses slipping down his nose to reveal his beady eyes. "I've got a lesson to teach you in order to whip your ass into shape for the coming war against Urteil, kid!"

But just as the two D-Wheelers were focused on their intense battle, a sudden explosion catches their attention just a few feet up ahead of them where Team Pride Duelist Hikari is seen flying through the air!

[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.

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…!"


oooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOO


Rage.

Frustration.

Sorrow.

Anxiety.

What a strange feeling.

Leah laughed as she lunged forward, her yellow pupils mere slits as she blitzed through the stadium like a wild beast about to tear its prey from limb to limb.

Up until now, my head's felt like it was about to explode, but now it feels as light as the air around me! No, even lighter!

Is this feeling satisfaction? Curiosity? Confusion?

Leah leaped through the air with her arms and legs out in front of her as if she were a mountain lion prancing through a vast valley, her jaw hanging wide open and exposing her front canines as she cackled.

No, this feeling is what I've been searching for all this time! Unparalleled freedom from all pain!

Desire! Control! Power! Lust!

As she ran, Leah felt the stadium around her fade away into nothingness, the roar of the audience now as quiet as a cold winter evening. Despite her incredible speed, Leah herself felt an incredible sluggish restriction over her body, as if she was being smothered. The woman's smile slowly began to fade as sudden fear replaced her newfound emotions, her slit eyes now mere pencil lines.

What's going on?! I'm running with all my might, yet I can't reach my prey!

Leah's movements then stopped altogether, her body completely frozen in place as her surroundings and the people around her went completely white. Growling unsightly, Leah struggled with all her might but quickly realized she no longer had control over her body. "What is this?!" she thought to herself, sweat pouring down her face. "I'm so close…! Who dares to interfere?!"

Half-shutting her eyelids, Leah suddenly made out a hazy image in the white light in front of her. "What…?! Who is…?"


Minutes Earlier…


"This ends now!"


During the past few moments of the fierce clash between Rua and Keith, Hikari and Leah were also locked in combat as the final minutes of their Duel lead up to the current phenomenon occurring within the stadium. Contrast to Leah's wild movements and expressions now, mere moments earlier she wore a lethargic and empty expression on her face, one completely void of all feeling.

"Go, Haipa!" Hikari cried, motioning toward her new Monster. "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…"

Hikari's eyes wandered past Leah a bit up ahead where Rua and Keith where riding close together. The teen girl listened closely and heard Rua as he explained one of his moves. "He's a Dark-Attribute Monster, so he was able to destroy the Dark-Attribute Pirate Archeologist!" A slight smile came to Hikari's lips as she watched Nico Robin disappear into digital dust after being destroyed by the effect of Genex Ally Duradark.

"That's right," Hikari thought, her smile fading to a more serious expression. "Rua-san is fighting up ahead with all he's got, so I've got to do my best to keep up with him or I'll look disgraceful!"

[SC: Judgment 4 / Pride 12]

[Leah's LP: 4200]

[Sealed Beast Dharmjul: LV3/1200/1400] [Attack Position]

[Face-Up Traps: Full Throttle, All-Out Attacks]

[3 Face-down Cards]

[Hikari's LP: 4000]

[Karakuri Shogun mdl 00 "Burei": LV7/2600/1900] [Attack Position]

[Karakuri Steel Shogun mdl 00X "Bureido": LV8/2800/1700] [Attack Position]

[1 Face-down Card]

"Go, Burei!" Hikari ordered, whipping her finger out while skidding around a corner. "Attack Sealed Beast Dharmjul!" Leah's eyes narrowed slightly as the bulky armored warrior raised its long-ranged weapon above its head.

"Wooden Spear!"

The knight dashed toward the much smaller reptile, preparing to chop it in two just as a red vortex popped out of thin air and absorbed the impalement before it could hit. Mostly unfazed, Hikari glanced down the track to where Leah's Trap Card had flipped face-up. "Negate Attack activates when the opponent's Monster attacks," Leah explained dryly. "It negates the attack and ends the Battle Phase."

"In that case," Hikari said with a nod, "I'll instead activate Burei's Monster Effect! Warrior's Taunt!" The armored wooden warrior clamped its two hands together, giving off a low-pitched cry. "Burei's Warrior Taunt can change the Battle Position of one Monster I target on the field," Hikari continued, gripping her D-Wheel's handles firmly. "And his target is…himself!"

Burei moved his still clamped hands inward toward his chest, sending pulsing waves into his own body that forced him into a kneeling position on the track.

[Karakuri Shogun mdl 00 "Burei"'s DEF: 1900]

"This in turn activates Bureido's effect," Hikari continued, raising her hand slightly. "When a Karakuri Monster I control on the field has its Battle Position changed, he lets me draw one card from my deck!" Beside her, the second massive warrior gave a sharp grunt and a jerk of his two swords, causing pulsing waves to pass through Hikari and her Duel Disk in the process. "Warrior's Trigger!"

After glancing at the card she drew, Hikari immediately slid it into her Duel Disk. "I then set one card face-down and end my turn!" As the card image appeared out on the track, a fierce smirk came to the teen girl's lips as she glanced at Leah's field through her side view mirror. "That's it, Leah Kruger. You may think you're pulling a fast one on me, but you're the one following my expectations!"

Lips tightening, Leah lazily lifted pressed a button on her D-Wheel, causing another of her cards on the field to flip face-up. "During your End Phase," Leah said, "I activate the Continuous Trap, Forbidden Zone."

Hikari raised her head toward the open sky of the dome where a thin film began spreading about, dimming the sun above. "Exactly as I figured," Hikari thought, her smile widening. "After all, her trump cards depend entirely on normal Spell Cards, so it would be impossible for her to pull off without that cheat card of theirs that allows them to play Spells that aren't Speed Spells."

"It's my turn," Leah continued, placing her hand over her deck. "Draw."

Hikari's eyes flashed in anticipation as Leah picked a card off her deck. "Now you'll activate the Sealed Mantra you added to your deck last turn when I forced you to activate your Trap, just as I planned."

[SC: Judgment 6 / Pride 12]

[Leah's LP: 4200]

Her speed doubling thanks to Full Throttle, Leah wasted no time revealing the card she'd been saving in her hand. "I activate the Continuous Spell, The Sealed Mantra, from my ha-."

"Now!"

Before Leah could even finish speaking, Hikari gave a sharp thrust of her hand to reveal a card of her own. "Trap, activate! Dust Tornado!" Upon activation, the card whipped up a massive twister that crashed over Leah's D-Wheel and obliterated the Spell Card just as its image was beginning to form on the field.

Grunting as the tornado subsided, Leah merely narrowed her eyes. "When The Sealed Mantra is destroyed, I can add a Sealed Beast Monster from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand…" After adding the card of choice into her hand, Leah continued in her monotonous voice. "I then activate the Spell Card, Magic Planter, to send the face-up All-Out-Attacks on my field to the Graveyard in order to draw two cards from my deck."

Hikari's smile returned as she turned in her seat to watch Leah's Trap disintegrate into a blue dust. "Then she'll use her Spells and Traps to spam her Sealed Beasts onto the field in order to get another copy of The Sealed Mantra back into her hand."

After adding her two drawn cards into her hand, Leah leaned forward in her seat to press a button on the dash board of her D-Wheel. "I then activate the effects of Final Speed World. By removing three of my Speed Counters, I can Special Summon a Level Four or lower Monster from my hand." Leah's speed cut in half as she skidded even further behind Hikari on the track, kicking up a wall of dust in the process.

[Judgment's SC: 6 - 3]

"Come out, Sealed Beast Inun," Leah said with a raise of her hand. In a puff of smoke, the small armless reptile hopped out onto the track with a hiss.

[Sealed Beast Inun: LV1/200/300] [Defense Position]

Brows slanting, Leah continued by lifting the card she just added to her hand. "I then release Sealed Beasts Inun and Dharmjul in order to Advance Summon Sealed Beast Bronn." The two smaller reptiles bended and twisted around each other, melting into one another's skin to take on the form of a slightly larger armless creature with sharp bones protruding from its neck, sides, and tail.

[Sealed Beast Bronn: LV8/2700/2100] [Attack Position]

"Sealed Beast Inun's effect activates," Leah continued, a slight gleam flashing across her eyes. "When this Monster is sent from the field to the Graveyard, I am able to add a Sealed Mantra Spell Card from my deck to my hand." After retrieving the card from her deck, Leah immediately slipped the card into her D-Wheel. "You may have been able to stop its activation before, but-"

"Counter Trap, activate!"

Leah's eyes widened slightly when she heard Hikari call out, jerking her head up to see yet another card flipping up on her opponent's side of the field. "Karakuri Cash Shed!" Hikari called out, whipping her arm to the side. The card on the field glowed brightly, manifesting a small house out in the middle of the track. "This Counter Trap activates while I have a face-up Defense Position Karakuri Monster on the field," Hikari continued, all-smiles, "and then negates the activation of one of my opponent's Spells or Traps and destroys it!"

Leah's frown loosened slightly as she watched a wooden soldier dressed in a Japanese blue-grey robe step out through the doors of the small house, dash across the track, whip out a small pitch fork which he proceeded to stab the Spell Card's image with, and then toss the card inside the doors of the house. The soldier then finished the job by lighting a match and tossing it inside, creating a bond fire of Leah's trump card before her very eyes.

Hikari chuckled to herself at seeing Leah's now frustrated expression, her smile widening as she cut around a corner of the track leading toward the bleachers. "She's beginning to lose her cool now," Hikari thought to herself. "She began this Duel expecting nothing from me, but now I'm the one who's managed to dominate the field!"

Gritting her teeth, Leah waved her hand over the two remaining cards she was holding, her fingers notably trembling. "I get it now," Leah said, her voice a bit shaken. "You purposely set this card up using Burei's effect to change its Battle Position…! But…!"

Noticing Leah's hesitation, Hikari's smile tightened into a deep frown. "I'm a member of Team Pride! As long as we exist, our goal is to uphold the honor of Dueling! We won't let dishonorable Duelists like you destroy this tournament any longer! Thanks to Moki's sacrifice, I'll defeat you and then Tatsuya will go on to defeat your leader!"

Leah paused above her cards, cracking the bones in her fingers awkwardly as if she was restraining herself from ripping them in half. Though it was subtle only to the few who knew her best at this time, a small spark in her eyes set the first sign of danger into motion. Perhaps if they had acted then…

Completely oblivious to these signs, Hikari continued to reassure herself of her strategy. Her objective was a simple one, yet highly effective against the type of deck Leah ran that relied heavily on the effects of a single card. If Hikari was able to force her to play all three copies of Sealed Mantra and then destroy them, dealing with her weak Sealed Beast Monsters without their effects would be easy. With this in mind, Hikari felt confident that the final two cards among Leah's hand would allow her to activate the final copy of Sealed Mantra, in which case she would be able to deal with it and effectively cripple the woman's deck.

Watching from a corner of the stadium away from the bleachers, Jophiel couldn't help but smirk a bit. Despite his amusement, he decided to stay out of the current situation and merely observe how things ended.

A bit closer to the scene, Anton stood in front of his team's pit booth with gritted teeth, his hand tightly balled into a fist. He was torn between his own emotions, undecided on whether or not to force Leah out of the Duel. Though her initial emotionless appearance threw him off guard, the tiny spark he felt just seconds ago was like nothing he had ever felt from her before. If she were to rampage like that, there was no telling what would happen. However, he was also worried that his interference would make matters worse, so he merely stood on standby, waiting to intervene if absolutely necessary.

Back out in the tracks, Leah finally controlled herself enough to successful grip the two cards in her hand without tearing them, raising one of them toward her Duel Disk's Spell/Trap Zone. "I see it now," she finally spoke, her words still dull but somehow more intense in tone than moments earlier. Leah's words drew Hikari's attention toward her, the teen meeting her eyes through her rearview mirror. "I'm beginning to see what your strategy is," Leah continued, "but you won't be able to cripple my deck so easily!" Eyes flashing, Leah whipped the card into her Duel Disk as she continued. "There's nothing more terrifying than a cornered beast! I'm going to give you a good dose of reality as I teach you just what that means!"

"Give it your best shot!" Hikari shouted back, closing her fist and raising it out in front of her. "It will take more than a ferocious, mindless beast to deflect the sword of my warrior's pride!"

"Worthless prattle!" Leah cried, jerking her arm to her side. "First I set one card face-down!" As the card image appeared by her tires, Leah raised the final card in her hand with a snap of her wrist. "Then I activate the Equip Spell, Mage Power, and equip it to Sealed Beast Brron!"

"Wha-?!" Hikari's eyes shot open as her brain processed what just happened. "Mage Power?! She was holding onto Mage Power in her hand all this time?!"

Tatsuya and Haizuru jumped from their seats in the Team Pride pit booth with dropped jaws. "That woman played her this entire time!" Tatsuya cried, his eyes twitching. "Her aim this entire time wasn't related to the Sealed Mantra at all! She merely wanted to gather enough cards on her field for a powerful one-shot powered up attack!"

"Tch," Haizuru growled, sweat forming above his forehead. "A simple, yet effective strategy. With Mage Power, her Sealed Beast Monster gains 500 Attack Points for each Spell or Trap she has active on her field, including the Equip Spell itself. In other words…"

A smirk stretched over Leah's lips as she raised her palm out in front of her face. "I currently control the Equip Spell, Mage Power, along with the Continuous Traps Full Throttle and Forbidden Zone as well as my face-down card! That's a total of four cards, which means my Sealed Beast Brron gains 2000 Attack and Defense Points!" The reptile gave a sharp screech as a yellow glow surrounded its body, gathering energy from the four mentioned cards out in front of Leah's D-Wheel.

[Sealed Beast Brron's ATK/DEF: 2700/2100 - 4700/4100]

Hikari barely had time to digest the drastic change in points as Leah whipped her arm forward. "Go, my powered up Brron! Eradicate that miserable wooden soldier! Attack Karakuri Steel Shogun mdl 00X "Bureido"!"

[Karakuri Steel Shogun mdl 00X "Bureido"'s ATK: 2800]

The Sealed Beast slashed its powerful boney tail through the soldier's armor, smashing its face in and causing the Monster to shatter into digital dust. The force of the impact collided against Hikari's fragile body, practically snapping her like a twig and jerking her around in her D-Wheel's seat. Grunting heavily and uncontrollably clamping her teeth together, the girl coughed up blood as she went into a tailspin.

[Hikari's LP: 4000 - 2100]

[Pride's SC: 12 - 11]

"I end my turn!" Leah said, whipping her arm to the side as her Monster returned. Despite her victorious strike, Leah was now panting heavily and sweating a river down her forehead, which Anton noticed immediately.

"What's going on with this sudden change in Leah's pressure?" Anton asked out loud, crippling over in pain and grasping his chest out of nowhere as if his body was suddenly being constrained. The Psychic's eyes widened suddenly after he worked up the strength to lift his head enough to see Leah, who was now holding the side of her face and grunting uncontrollably. "What is this…?!"

Leah was beginning to make unusual growling noises in between her pants and her eyes were slowly coating with a deep yellow shade.

Over in the Team Royalty's booth, Murdock chuckled a bit and folded his arms casually. "So Leah's finally at her cracking point, eh? Should be interesting to see where this goes. After my other failures today, let's make this experiment a success." Misaki eyed her master from the corner behind him cautiously, but remained silent.

Off in the side hallway toward the bleachers, Jophiel laughed a bit as he danced his fedora around in his palm. "That old geezer did it again, didn't he? What a powerful, dense Psychic energy that girl's starting to emit now…" Jophiel's smirk widened as a vicious glare flashed in his eyes. "I suppose I'll give the fool some sort of praise for successfully creating an aura almost as powerful as my own in terms of density, but I'm afraid the old fart isn't quite ready for my level just yet…"

Still shaking off the pain, Hikari forced a shaking hand over her deck. She vaguely heard Tatsuya and Haizuru screaming to her as she drove by, but their voices quickly began to fade along with the shouting of the crowd around her as her focus turned toward one thing and one thing alone. Eyes bloodshot, Hikari swiped a card off her deck, ignoring the pain she felt. "My turn…! Draw!"

[SC: Judgment 5 / Pride 12]

[Hikari's LP: 2100]

"No matter what happens," Hikari started between pants, "I won't let you leave this stadium victorious!" Blood dripping down her lip, the teen glanced past her opponent to where Rua and Keith were Dueling intensely up ahead and where the members of Team 5D's where entirely focused on that ongoing match. "I'll defend our pride with my life using every weapon I have at my disposal!"

Leah scoffed with a tilt of her head, her pupils beginning to stretch unnaturally like that of a cat's as they continued to yellow in color. "You're nothing but talk!"

"Say that after you see what I've got!" Hikari roared, slamming her foot on the gas and pressing a button on the front screen of her D-Wheel. "I activate Final Speed World! By removing four of my Speed Counters, I can inflict 800 points of damage to my opponent for each Speed Spell I hold in my hand!" Shifting her hand swiftly, Hikari revealed one of the three cards she held to Leah. "I have one Speed Spell in my hand; Limiter Removal! So you take 800 points of damage!"

As she cut around a corner, Hikari leaned her weight against her D-Wheel just enough to shift the front toward the direction of her opponent. As her speed heavily decreased, Hikari's D-Wheel discharged a blast of yellow light that blasted Leah through her stomach. The Psychic's energy absorbed most of the pain, but the force of the assault caused her to jerk forward in her chair. Grunting, Leah wiped dirt from her mouth while glaring daggers into her opponent.

[Pride's SC: 12 - 8]

[Leah's LP: 4200 - 3400]

Hikari couldn't help but smile a bit despite the sweat dripping down her cheek. "Yes!"

Though she hadn't yet realized it at the time, Hikari's biggest mistake just then—if you could call it that—was her lack of knowledge about the threat she faced or the gravity of the conflict she and her teammates had involved themselves in. To her and the other members of Team Pride, they were fighting an enemy equivalent to that of some cocky street punks who beat up a few of their buddies. She did not grasp the true danger of the woman before her nor the shadow of the man who controlled her from behind. It was such an innocent lack of foresight that would serve to raise the curtain over the first stage of the coming conflict…

"Next I switch Burei back into Attack Position!" Hikari continued with a raise of her hand, her knight responding by raising his wooden spear.

[Karakuri Shogun mdl 00 "Burei"'s ATK: 2600]

"Then," Hikari continued by taking a second card from her hand, "I Summon Cyber Dragon Zwei Attack Position!" As she slapped the card down on her Duel Disk, a golden yellow light flashed across the track of the stadium, the slithering form of a metallic snake-like dragon appearing from within.

[Cyber Dragon Zwei: LV4/1500/1000] [Attack Position]

"Go, Burei!" Hikari commanded with a point of her finger. "Attack Sealed Beast Brron! Strident Burst!" With a screech, the metal dragon opened its jagged jaw and unleashed a stream of golden energy straight for Brron.

[Sealed Brron's ATK: 4700]

"She's attacking with her weak Monster?!" Leah started, then gasped and went wide-eyed. "No, she has that card…!"

"Yes!" Hikari said, once again raising her Speed Spell from minutes earlier. "I activate the Quick-Play Speed Spell, Limiter Removal, from my hand! By removing eight of my Speed Counters, this card doubles the Attack Power of all Machine-Type Monsters I control on the field until the end of the turn!" As Hikari said this, a large speed gauge appeared behind her and rose its red arrow from 90 to 180 in a heartbeat. This action caused the wooden armor on Burei's body to heat into a dark crimson and the metal surface of Cyber Dragon Zwei to glow red.

[Karakuri Shogun mdl 00 "Burei"'s ATK: 2600 - 5200]

[Cyber Dragon Zwei's ATK: 1500 - 3000]

Hikari grunted fiercely as she slammed the breaks of her D-Wheel, now coming to a screeching halt as her Speed Counters flat lined.

[Pride's SC: 8 - 0]

Burei's attack continued as the warrior gave a thrust of his spear toward his adversary.

"Wooden Spear!"

Yellow eyes flashing wickedly, Leah let out a roar as she clenched her outstretched fist. "I activate the Continuous Trap, Rise of the Sealed Beasts!" As Burei's spear was mere inches from Brron's beady eyes, the card image intercepted the two along with the spirits of Leah's fallen Sealed Beasts floating around it. "This Trap increases the Attack Power of all Sealed Beast Monsters by 200 points!"

[Sealed Beast Brron's ATK: 4700 - 4900]

"It's still not enough!" Hikari shouted as she came to a complete stop off to the side of the track. "Now go!" Burei nodded and proceeded to slice and dice Brron into slivers of its formal self. Though she attempted to shield herself from the EXPAIN System with her powers, Leah's unstable state of mind caused her to slip up and allow some of the pain to pass through. She grunted in pain, clutching her chest as her eyes rolled back in her head.

[Leah's LP: 3400 - 3100]

Through her panting, Leah mustered enough strength to flash Hikari a devilish grin. "Stupid girl!" Before Hikari realized what was happening, her Karakuri Monster suddenly exploded, shards of its armor slicing the teen across her cheek. "What…?!"

Leah gave a sharp cackle as she stretched both her palms out to her side. "The Continuous Trap, Rise of the Sealed Beasts, has another effect as well! When activated, its name is automatically treated as The Sealed Mantra, allowing Brron's special ability to activate!" Leah's voice intensified as she spoke, her eyes boggling back and forth in their sockets. "And those Monsters that battle against Sealed Beast Brron are automatically destroyed after the Damage Step!"

Hikari wiped the dirt from her cheek, scoffing a bit as her opponent drove past her. "That makes little difference since Burei would have been destroyed at the End Phase anyway! Are you stupid or something?!"

Leah cocked her neck back a bit, her cat-like eyes going bloodshot. "Huh?!"

It was at this moment that Hikari made her gravest error yet. Whether intentional or not, Hikari completely ignored the warning from her team leader not far from her current location on the track. The words Tatsuya shouted gone completely unheard by Hikari Marufuji, were derived from the most basic of human emotions upon viewing Leah Kruger's current expression: fear. Perhaps Hikari had not seen enough of the woman Psychic's expression to feel this same fear, or perhaps she was too obsessed with the idea of revenging her teammate. Or perhaps she was blinded by her desire as a Duelist to defeat the rival across from her on the track. Whatever the reason, the teen's unwavering confidence despite the situation caused both Murdock Willard and Jophiel Omniel to grin as they watched from their respective locations. Whether by coincidence or not, for the first and last time, both Jophiel and Murdock had the same thought pass through their heads at the exact same time:

Pitiful child.

"I still have one attack left!" Hikari continued, whipping her finger forward. "Go, Cyber Dragon Zei! Attack Leah Kruger directly!" The dragon slithered its head forward, slacking its jaw open to reveal its blade-like edges. "Strident Burst!"

[Cyber Dragon Zwei's ATK: 3000]

[Leah's LP: 3100]

As the dragon spat a flash of golden energy from its mouth, Leah Kruger jerked her head toward the oncoming attack with twitching, raging eyes popping with red blood vessels.

Disgusting…! By this snot-nosed brat from the back woods…

Leah crossed both her arms out in front of her chest as the stream made impact, using her Psychic energies to absorb most of the impact but missing a bit that managed to slide past and cut a gaping wound under her eye.

hurt this much!?

Leah screamed in agony as she and her D-Wheel were sent sliding a good distance backward on the track, kicking up a wall of dust in the process.

Revolting!

Disgraceful!

Sickening!

Clutching her chest, Leah's speed cut in half as she made eye contact with Hikari through the slowly fading dust. As their eyes met, faint as it was, Leah could make out a subtitle smirk coming to the girl's lips.

Who the hell does she think she is?!

[Judgment's SC: 5 - 2]

[Leah's LP: 3100 - 100]

Leah managed to stop herself from sliding anymore using her powers. As she came to a stop, she gritted her teeth hard enough to draw blood from her gums.

She dares to look down on me?! Unforgivable!

"Damn," Hikari groaned, tapping her hand in annoyance. "If it wasn't for that Trap of hers, my plan to defeat her this turn would have been successful!" Sighing, Hikari took the final card she was holding and inserted it into her D-Wheel. "I set one card face-down and end my turn!"

Just as Hikari returned her hand to her D-Wheel's handle, she felt it for the first time. The teen stopped dead in her tracks, instantly breaking out into a cold sweat. Eyes widening and her expression dulling, the girl slowly turned toward her opponent, whose body was now surrounded by an intense yellow aura. "Wh-What…?"

As she placed her hand over her deck, Leah started into a quiet but creepy chuckle that quickly escalated into a full blown cackle as she jerked back into her seat. "My turn! Draw!" As Leah swiped the card off her deck, the force alone from the whip of her arm sent a powerful blast of energy blowing past Hikari's face, causing her to yelp. "What is this?!"

Leah cackled again, her pupils stretching thinner than pencil lines. "Since you seem incapable of showing fear before me, I'll have to burn the terror of my power into your body for the rest of your miserable life! You'll be the last person to ever look down at me with those eyes! Because I'll erase every single one of you from existence!"

Hikari attempted to shield herself from the aura with her arms, but it was pointless. She was dripping sweat down her face and trembling, feeling a hidden terror deep within her gut that wanted to do nothing but drive her D-Wheel as far away as possible. "She's a completely different person than she was before!"

Indeed, the gravest mistake Hikari made during this Duel was continuously angering Leah Kruger and acting as the switch that would unlock her true Psychic powers.

"Here goes, trash!" Leah shrieked, grinning as she raised the card she just drew. "I can sense from your mind's eye that you want to run from me, but I won't let you!"

[SC: Judgment 4 / Pride 1]

[Leah's LP: 100]

"I activate the Spell Card, The Body's Hidden Mantra!" Leah said, inserting the card into her Duel Disk. "When Sealed Mantra is face-up on the field, I can draw one card for every Sealed Beast in my Graveyard!" Leah crossed her hands in front of her chest, her eyes glowing yellow as the spirits of Inun, Dharmjul, and Brron moved over from her Trap Card to her deck. "Because Rise of the Sealed Beasts is treated as Sealed Mantra and I have three Sealed Beasts currently resting in my Graveyard, I can draw three cards from my deck!"

Hikari started gritting her teeth as Leah's three cards floated off her deck straight into her hands. "When Sealed Mantra is face-up on my field," Leah continued bug-eyed, "I can Special Summon Sealed Beast Nunurao from my hand!" The rattle snake-like creature hissed as it appeared out on the track, slithering alongside Leah's D-Wheel.

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

"I'm not done yet!" Leah cried, her hair flying wildly around her as she zipped across the track. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Inferno Reckless Summon!"

"Damn," Haizuru growled, gripping the table in front of him hard as he flashed his teeth. "That woman's using her trick to spam her Sealed Beasts again." Sweat trickled down Haizuru's face as he continued, his brows lowering. "What's worse is Hikari doesn't have multiple copies of her Monsters like Leah does, so she can't also make use of the effect…"

"She's likely going to sacrifice them so she can Advance Summon a high-level Monster," Tatsuya said, his hands balling into fists at his side.

[Sealed Beast Nunurao: LV2/500/800 - 700/800] [Attack Position] x3

Leah laughed again, nodding mockingly toward where Tatsuya and Haizuru were watching. "I can hear your little friends, and they're right! I'm releasing two of my Nunuraos in order to Advance Summon Sealed Beast Nibunu in Attack Position!" Hikari braced herself as the two snakes were absorbed by a powerful creature emerging from the shadows of the stadium, a pair of golden eyes leering at her. The creature was black with gold plating over its body, accompanied by razor sharp teeth and claws.

[Sealed Beast Nibunu: LV8/2700/2000 - 2900/2000] [Attack Position]

"Then I activate Ninbunu's effect!" Leah continued, snapping her wrist in front of her. "When Summoned, Ninbunu allows me to Special Summon one Sealed Beast Monster from my Graveyard! Return to me, Sealed Beast Brron!" The familiar face returned all the snarl, saliva splashing from its jagged jaw.

[Sealed Beast Brron: LV8/2700/2100 - 2900/2100] [Attack Position]

The color in Hikari's face quickly began to drain as the two powerful Monsters faced her now empty field. To the teen girl now, the confidence she had but two minutes earlier felt like a long lost dream. Nothing filled the girl's head now but an indescribable fear as Leah's glowing eyes pierced through her from across the track. For the first time in their Duel, Hikari locked eyes with her opponent and both saw and felt the demonic aura pouring out of her body, literally eating away at her own spirit. "D-Damn it!" Hikari began to cry, terror filling her eyes as she revved her engine to full speed and "Stay away from me!"

As this was happening, Rua and Keith were still clashing back and forth just up ahead.

"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-?!"

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]

While Rua was recovering from the electrical shock, Hikari was still attempting to outrun her opponent on the track, desperation on her face like never before. "I said to stay away from me!" she cried, seeing Leah catching up quickly from behind.

Leah cackled madly, throwing both her arms over her head as if she was attempting to grab onto the air itself. "You can run all day, little mouse, but this cat already has you in her grasp!" Leah continued to laugh, her eyes gleefully slanting. "After putting up that front, you revealed you're nothing but a terrified coward! Unfortunately for you, I'm not feeling like sparing your miserable little life today, so I'm going to eliminate your body and soul without even a trace left behind!" Licking her lips, Leah continued excitedly, "but I won't stop there! The other Duelists in this arena have been making quite a ruckus!" Laughing, Leah eyed Rua through the corner of her eyes.

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]

"Annoying!" Leah shouted, gripping the air tightly with her hand. "I'll crush their bones into the ground! As for the rest of Team 5D's completely ignoring our Duel right now…" Leah continued, frowning as she glanced over at the Team 5D's pit booth where Aki and the others were looking pleased with Rua's successful strike.

"Rua managed to use the card I left him perfectly!" Aki smiled, tightening her fist excitedly.

"I'll rip them to shreds with my bare hands!" Leah cried, releasing her hand to crack her knuckles. "Then I'll use my powers to turn your little friends inside out as you take your last breath, Hikari Marufuji!" Leah continued, laughing it up as the energy around her began to seep out onto the field. "But it all begins with you! Go, Sealed Beast Nibunu!" Leah's Monster took an offensive stance, flashing its teeth wildly as its master gave the order. "Attack this pitiful Duelist directly!" Nibunu roared as it began charging toward Hikari's unguarded back, ready to take a chunk out of her flesh.

Hikari's father, Shou Marufuji, was desperately running through a crowd of spectators near the VIP seats on the other side of the stadium. "Run, Hikari! Get out of there!" he screamed, reaching the side fence at last but unable to move any further. Tears streamed down the older blue-haired man's face, steaming his glasses. "Damn it! Don't you dare hurt my daughter!" Manjoume, Kenzan, and Rei from the Duel Academia special guests were right behind him, looking equally worried about the girl but unable to do much of anything.

Leah scoffed at the sight, hearing their voices through the loud stadium as if they were as clear as day. "I can hear you, but you're far too late!" Leah laughed, her eyes flashing wildly. "Perhaps you should have stopped her from challenging me in the first place if you cared that much!"

[Sealed Beast Nibunu's ATK: 2900]

[Hikari's LP: 2100]

Hikari's eyes went wide as the Monster was just about to make contact with her.

Just up ahead, Keith was shaking off the electrical attack sent flying back at him thanks to Aki's Trap Card. "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!"

At the same time, just as Sealed Beast Nibunu was about to take a bite out of Leah's back, a sudden flash of light caught the beast off guard. The creature hesitated slightly as a familiar blue-skinned dragon emerged back onto the field in a burst of white light.

"Continuous Trap, activate!" Hikari cried desperately, her eyes still wide with fear. "Call of the Haunted! Revive, Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

[Blue-Eyes White Dragon: LV8/3000/2500] [Attack Position]

"Give me your strength, Moki!" Hikari screamed, her voice shaking and cracking beneath the fierce roar of the Blue-Eyes.

Tatsuya and Haizuru breathed a simultaneous sigh of relief, panting heavy after holding their breath for several minutes.

Despite the turn of events, Leah continued to cackle and flash her eyes viciously. "So in your final seconds of desperation you turn to your friends for help, huh?! It's true your friend's Blue-Eyes has 100 more Attack Points than my Monster…" Leah paused for a second, giving a soft laugh and slanting her eyes excitedly, "But…"

At the same time, 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.

Hikari's mouth fell wide open alongside that of her teammates nearby as Sealed Beast Nibunu took a bite out of the Blue-Eyes' stomach, causing a powerful blast as the creature erupted into digital dust. "H-How…?" Hikari stuttered, only just realizing a card image appearing on the field in front of Leah's D-Wheel.

"Finally noticed?!" Leah cried, laughing as she pointed to the Spell Card below her on the track. "I activated the Quick-Play Spell, Rush Recklessly, from my hand just as your Blue-Eyes appeared! This card allows me to select one face-up Monster on the field and raise that Monster's Attack Power by 700 points until the turn's End Phase!"

[Sealed Beast Nibunu's ATK: 2900 - 3600]

[Blue-Eyes White Dragon's ATK: 3000]

"So my Nibunu has 600 more Attack Points than your resurrected dragon! It's become nothing more than my Sealed Beast's meal!" Hikari screamed in pain as she felt the Blue-Eyes' pain, gripping her chest tightly as her teammates and father called out to her.

[Hikari's LP: 2100 - 1500]

Leah laughed a bit softer as her beast returned to her side of the field. Grinning widely, Leah looked past Hikari toward the Team Royalty pit booth where a very pleased Murdock watched on. Scoffing upon seeing his face, Leah said softly, "That prune of a man thinks he has full control over my body, but he's wrong…! When this is over, I'll send him to Hell along with the rest of this stadium!"

Leah moved her eyes over to where Anton watched on in horror off to the side of the Duel track, licking her lips. "And Anton, I'll send you there to join them all… Also…" Leah shifted her eyes to where Jophiel watched on not far from Anton with a big grin on his face, narrowing her eyes in disgust. "I'll save you for last, Jophiel, and make you suffer a death far more painful than you ever could have imagined! I'll make sure you never make that expression again, because I'll turn your face inside out!"

Turning back toward a terrified Hikari, Leah whipped her arm forward for the finishing blow. "This is it! Rest for all eternity, Hikari Marufuji! Sealed Beast Brron, Direct Attack!"

[Sealed Beast Brron's ATK: 2900]

Leah laughed in bliss as the final attack slammed into Hikari, rolling her eyes back into her skull. Blood splattered everywhere as the beast tore her lower stomach open, causing a massive explosion in the process. Leah's eyes went pure yellow as she laughed, her aura spreading across the entire stadium in a matter of seconds.

For the first time, both Rua and Keith became aware of what was going on in the other Duel as they turned to face Leah with a look of horror on their faces.

In an intense burst of energy, Hikari was sent flying through the air as the remainder of the already destroyed Blue-Eyes 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…!"

[Pride's SC: 1 - 0]

[Hikari's LP: 1500 - 0]

Leah grinned as her opponent fell, her stats flashing for all of the shocked audience and other teams to witness:

[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.

"Time for the next victims!" Leah cried, hopping off her D-Wheel through midair with both her hands outstretched. As Leah 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 Leah dashed forward, both Sly and Divine up in the top of the bleachers watched the event unfold with shock on their faces. "How can one young Psychic Duelist be this powerful?!" Divine grunted, shielding his eyes from the light. "This presence of hers almost feels like…"

"…Jophiel," Sly finished, narrowing his eyes. "It feels similar to his presence in terms of power, but there's something very different about it as well…"

As he watched from the hallway of the pit booth, Jophiel began laughing hysterically, tilting his head back and whipping both his arms out to his side as he stared into the sky. "Now things have finally gotten interesting! The way she eyed me early made it seem like she thought we were equals!" Still laughing, Jophiel lowered his head enough to glare at Leah through the corner of his eyes. "I'll admit that Murdock succeeded in replicating a Psychic Duelist with strength on par with mine, but…"

Jophiel's smirk widened just as Leah suddenly froze in place amongst her own white aura looking around in confusion. "Learn well, Leah, dear… And you, too, dear old Dr. Murdock Willard…" Jophiel's own green aura began spreading around him, his eyes intensifying. "Becoming a wild beast may make one powerful, but holding amazing power without the ability to control that power does not make one a true Psychic…" Jophiel paused for a second so he could push his hat down over part of his face, concealing the left side of his face in shadow. "It merely makes one a monster."

Leah's movements then stopped altogether, her body completely frozen in place as her surroundings and the people around her went completely white. Growling unsightly, Leah struggled with all her might but quickly realized she no longer had control over her body. "What is this?!" she thought to herself, sweat pouring down her face. "I'm so close…! Who dares to interfere?!"

Half-shutting her eyelids, Leah suddenly made out a hazy image in the white light in front of her. "What…?! Who is…?"

After closing her eyes and opening them again, Leah's face went pale as soon as she realized she was staring into the back of herself charging toward the other D-Wheelers on the track. "Impossible…! I'm right over here! How can I be here and there at the same time…!?" Leah gripped the side of her head in agony, her eyes suddenly losing their cat-like appearance and reverting to normal as an intense pain ripped through her head. "What's going on here!? What's going on!?" Leah screamed at the top of her lungs, leveling a quarter of the track in the process.

Just as Leah's scream began silencing, Anton suddenly dashed out onto the track, grunting in pain as he dashed head-first into Leah's powerful aura, using his own Psychic powers to protect himself. Despite raising his own energies, Leah's overpowering—though weakening—aura still managed to cut several wounds across his body, but he continued charging forward despite it. After a minute or so, Anton managed to wrap his arms around Leah, grasping her toward him in a tight hug.

Leah moaned a bit in surprise, attempting to struggle against the man's grip. Before she could speak, however, her consciousness began to fade. "Damn you, Anton…" she growled, her voice fading as her mind went black. As her eyes closed, her eyes reverted completely back to their normal state. Anton tightened his grip on Leah's back as she sank into his arms, raising his head to stare pure hatred into Murdock over in his pit booth.

Murdock merely grinned at Anton's expression, folding his hands neatly on the table in front of him. "There's not a thing you can do to oppose me now, Anton Bartholomew," Murdock grinned, an evil gleam flashing in his eyes. "Leah Kruger belongs to me now. She lacks the ability to fully control the immense power I've blessed her with through the Sealed Mantra. However, with just one more session tonight, I'll have my new weapon of war ready for the Finals tomorrow morning… That you can be assured of."

As Anton continued staring daggers into Murdock, Jophiel let out a scoff as he spun around toward the stadium's exit. "Enough of this nonsense," Jophiel said lazily, waving his hand. "I'm getting bored already. I guess I'll go see what Divine and his boy are up to…"


BREAK


Rua was still stunned from what he just witnessed, staring down at his shaking palm with wide eyes. "Even Hikari-san, too…? Just how many people will they kill before they're satisfied…?!"

In the Team 5D's pit booth, Yusei gritted his teeth as his Signer mark began to vanish. "Damn you all, Urteil…!" Narrowing his eyes, Yusei glanced from where Tatsuya and Haizuru were carrying an unconscious and bloody Hikari over to where Rua remained stunned out on the Dueling track. "It's no use. Having these dangerous Duels at the same time makes it difficult for someone as emotionally sensitive as Rua to focus."

"He's still inexperienced when it comes to fighting dangerous enemies," Jack said, closing his eyes. "Even though the Duelist thing to do is to fight on to make the sacrifices of the fallen mean something, he can't bring himself to continue Dueling."

Beside the King, Aki rubbed her arm uncomfortably as she stared at Anton carrying Leah off of the track, a look of hesitation in her eyes.

"Still," Jack continued, opening his eyes again as he focused on where Pirate Keith was driving not far from Rua on the track. "It doesn't look like his opponent feels the same."

The other members followed Jack's eyes to where Keith drove, the man's eyes lowered as he stared down at the ground. Rua noticed the man's unusual demeanor through his mirrors and was about to consult him when Keith suddenly erupted into a round of uncontrollable laughter. Rua jumped at the man's sudden response, his mouth parting slightly in shock.

"Now that's what I call a Duel!" Keith roared, both his hands stretched outward. "Ever since I was a kid, I heard rumors about warriors meeting on the battlefield who were so intense that time itself slowed down around them, allowing them to feel every second for what seemed like an eternity! The same holds true to the most legendary Duels in Duel Monsters history, dating back to the days of the original Duel King, Yugi Mutou!"

Rua's shocked expression slowly scrunched up in disgust as he turned to the older man. "What the hell is wrong with you?! Hikari-san could die and all you care about is-"

Before Rua could finish, Keith clicked his tongue and shouted back to him. "You're the one who doesn't understand, brat!" Rua flinched a bit, staring at the man with bewildered, widened eyes. Keith then continued, taking his sunglasses off to reveal his sharp eyes underneath. "That girlfriend of yours fought her opponent with all she had until her final breath! Aren't you the one belittling her by chickening out?! If you claim to be a Duelist, you'll see our Duel through until the very end! No! I won't let you leave this arena until you finish it!"

In the Team New Generation pit booth, Hell-Eyes remained silent as he watched, his brows lowering slightly above his sunglasses.

"Now come, Rua Heartlily!" Keith roared, a grin stretching across his lips. "Let's enjoy a Duel where time itself slows down around us as warriors on the battlefield, just like those two did!"


…..


"After an intense explosion of attacks, Hikari Marufuji from Team Pride has fallen to Leah Kruger of Team Judgment! As Rua Heartlily continues his fierce Duel against Keith Howard, the two team leaders of Pride and Judgment are preparing to duke it out before our very eyes!"

The Master of Ceremonies addressed the still-stunned audience as Tatsuya gripped the handle of his D-Wheel tightly. His eyes were as hard as stone as he watched Haizuru help load Hikari's lifeless body into the ambulance just across the fence. As the ambulance drivers cautiously eyed the totaled field on their way to the front of the truck, Haizuru stopped to face his leader's back. "Tatsuya…"

"Go," Tatsuya replied softly, not even turning to look at the teen. Haizuru hesitated for just a moment before nodding and stepping into the back of the truck with Hikari.

No words were needed, nor even an exchange of looks. For the name of Tatsuya's team was chosen for one reason and one reason alone. There was an unspoken code of honor between the five Duelists making up Team Pride that stated a defeated member must be avenged no matter what. Though Hikari and her other teammates were heading into battle without understanding the depth and power of the enemy they faced, Tatsuya now took the burden of two fallen comrades on his shoulders. Despite knowing the danger that lurked, the grandson of legendary Katsuya Jounouchi, Tatsuya Jounouhi, remained fiercer than ever as he drove out onto the track.

Tatsuya's eyes met with Fynn Hartmann's for the first time as he sped out onto the track. As Fynn saw Tatsuya, a wide grin spread across his face as if he were in pure bliss. "Now that's an expression I've been dying to see!" Fynn said excitedly, hitting the gas fiercely. "I love reckless trash like you the most in this world!"

Fynn began laughing as the two circled around each other on the track, Leah's cards appearing out on the track again as the final Duel began.


…..


Pirate Keith continued to egg a shaken Rua on as he followed behind on the track. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon! If you don't make a move, I'll consider it a pass and take another turn!" Keith cried, his glasses catching a ray of sunlight. "Don't be a pussy and make your move, kid!"

Rua began sweating, raising his hand slowly above his deck and wavering it there for a few seconds.

"Is he-" Aki started, stopping short when Ruka's arm raised in front of her. Aki stopped and looked over at the young woman who was shaking her head confidently while her eyes remained glued on her brother. "He may have been shaken a bit," Ruka said softly, "but my brother would never surrender to anyone. You guys should know that better than anyone."

Aki's frown raised into a smile, nodding along with Yusei and Jack. "You're right," Aki said, turning back toward her teammate. "I won't say anything else. I'll watch until the end and trust Rua."

Keith paused for a second as he saw Rua waver over his deck, but his grin quickly returned as he saw Rua's eyes. "Excellent! That's right! Let's fight until the end, kid!"

"Grrr! Shut up already, Pops!" Rua growled, gripping the top of his deck firmly. "Obviously I'm not gonna surrender to you! Because it's my turn! Draw!" Rua whipped a card off his deck, adding it to his hand as he started his turn.

[SC: New Generation 7 / 5D's 12]

[Keith's LP: 1900]

[Battle Warrior: LV3/700/1000] [Defense Position]

[Pirate Sniper: LV3/1000/800] [Defense Position]

[Pirate Cat Burglar: LV4/1800/1000] [Attack Position]

[Face-Up Traps: Skull Invitation, Call of the Haunted]

[2 Face-down cards]

[Rua's LP: 1300]

[Genex Ally Triforce: LV7/500/2100] [Defense Position]

[Genex Ally Duradark: LV4/1800/200] [Attack Position]

[Face-Up Trap: Synchro Blast]

"I activate the effects of Final Speed World!" Rua started, pressing the button on the front screen of his D-Wheel. "By removing seven of my Speed Counters, I can draw two cards from my deck!" With a jerk of his hand, Rua swiped two cards off his deck, quickly lifting them to eye level. As he cut around a corner, his speed drastically fell, smoke rising around him.

[5D's SC: 12 - 5]

As he added his drawn cards into his hand, Rua raised his eyes to the three Monsters on his opponent's field. Narrowing his eyes, Rua examined each of them from the left to the right, starting with the much weaker defending Battle Warrior. Because it was an Earth-Attribute, Rua couldn't use his Duradark's effect to destroy it, as Duradark was a Dark-Attribute. The same applied to Pirate Sniper, who was also an Earth-Attribute. Similarly, the attractive Pirate Cat Burglar—A.K.A. Nami of the Straw Hat Pirates—was a Wind-Attribute, fitting the theme of her navigation abilities and her control over the weather. Similarly, Nami was the only Attack Position Monster on Pirate Keith's field, and it shared an equal 1800 Attack Power with his Duradark. Attacking her would only destroy them both without giving Keith any damage. It would admittedly get rid of her annoying effect and spare himself the 500 damage from her effect, but Rua desired more than that. He wanted to damage Keith without losing his own Monster in the process, and he needed that Monster for his next move.

"Gaahh, enough overthinking!" Rua cried, whipping his finger forward. "I Summon the Tuner Monster, Genex Controller, in Attack Mode!" Popping out of the flash of light was a small robotic warrior with small wheels and drills on its side that made it look like it came from the local dentist's office.

[Genex Controller: LV3/1400/1200]

"Level Three and Level Four!" Ruka cried excitedly, a smile coming to her face. "Then he's…!"

"You need to learn a thing or two about human emotions!" Rua cried, balling his hand into a fist and flashing his teeth. "I'll teach you with my most trusted warrior! I'm Tuning my Level Three Genex Controller with my Level Four Genex Ally Duradark!"

(3+4=7)

Keith chuckled softly as the field lit up with an intense green light, reflecting brilliantly off his sunglasses.

"Docking strength with courage to protect world peace!" Rua continued, his eyes fierce and wide with hatred. "Synchro Summon! Envoy of Love and Justice! Power Tool Dragon!" Rua whipped both his arms forward as his powerful metal dragon ripped through the dirt of the track with a fierce roar, aiming its right blue clawed hand and its left green drill dangerously toward Keith's field.

[Power Tool Dragon: LV7/2300/2500] [Attack Position]

Keith chuckled again slyly, his grin stretching a bit as the dragon's image reflected in his glasses. "That's a nice looking dragon you got there, but he's got a price on his head and you gotta pay the fee!"

"Damn!" Jack grunted, leaning forward in his chair and leaning into the table with widening eyes. "Rua forgot about Skull Invitation!"

Rua screamed in agony as the Trap Card on Keith's field sent a demonic skull spirit passing straight through his body, zapping him with electrical discharge.

[Rua's LP: 1300 - 700]

"Synchro Summoning on average takes two or three Monsters," Keith said, shrugging. "I told you before, but I'll repeat myself. Skull Invitation deals a player 300 points of damage every single time a card enters the Graveyard. That means you'll take at least 600 points to 900 points of damage every single time you try it!" Keith said, pointing directly at Rua. "So you better be damn sure your Synchros are worth it, kid!"

"My Power Tool Dragon's always worth it!" Rua yelled back fiercely, not so much as blinking at Keith's gaze. "Thanks to his effect, I can add one random Equip Spell from my deck to my hand!" One of Power Tool's wings began to glow a soft yellow, its energy reaching into Rua's deck and planting one of the chosen cards into his hand. After this occurred, Rua's Deck Shuffler shuffled his deck and Rua glanced at it before immediately inserting the card into his Duel Disk.

"I activate the Equip Speed Spell, Tune Up!" Rua said as a tool kit suddenly appeared out on the field above Power Tool's head.

"Equip Speed Spell…?" Keith repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Ah, I forgot you had those in your deck. But it's not going to change a thing!"

"Speed Spell – Tune Up can only be activated when I have two or more Speed Counters," Rua explained, "and it equips to one Machine-Type Monster I control on the field! This card increases the equipped Monster's Attack and Defense Points by 300 every time it destroys a Monster on the field!"

"Meaning it's utterly useless right now!" Keith roared back, gripping the air in front of him.

"Power Tool Dragon's got more than enough power to destroy your Monsters!" Rua said, whipping his finger toward Nami. "Go, Power Tool Dragon! Attack Pirate Cat Burglar!" Nami gasped in horror as the large dragon dashed toward her with its claw stretched outward.

"Crafty Break!"

[Power Tool Dragon's ATK: 2300]

[Pirate Cat Burglar's ATK: 1800]

Just as the dragon was about to hit, Keith's sudden laugh caused Rua to break out into an instant sweat.

"You definitely had the right plan," Keith started, his sunglasses slipping down his nose to flash his beady eyes, "but you had no idea of knowing my planned counter! Behold the incredibly rare instant Summon Trap Monster! Sea Prism Stone!"

"What?!" Rua cried, his eyes widening. "What's that?!"

"This Continuous Trap activates directly from my hand during my opponent's Battle Phase only," Keith explained, lifting the card up and inserting it. "It instantly becomes a Trap Monster Special Summoned onto the field in face-up Defense Mode!"

Rua gasped as a pair of green-colored handcuffs floating out on Keith's field beside his other Monsters. Before Power Tool's attack could make contact, the handcuffs intercepted and forced the robot dragon backward, the force of the impact blowing wind over both Keith and Rua. "The attack this turn is also negated," Keith grinned, laughing.

[Sea Prism Stone: LV1/0/0] [Defense Position]

Rua sweated a bit as the reality sunk in that his attack was just wasted. Keith laughed after seeing his expression, waving his finger mockingly. "Don't underestimate me, kid! You'll have a chance to attack again next turn, but let me tell you upfront that as long as Sea Prism Stone remains face-up on my field, none of your Monsters can attack another Monster on the field until you deal with it first." Keith narrowed his eyes as he continued, his voice taking on a deeper tone. "And I don't plan to let you destroy it that easily." Keith giggled as he pointed down to the remaining set card on his track.

Sighing softly, Rua knew he'd been beat this turn. "I set one card face-down," he said, then leaned forward to press the button on his D-Wheel as his card image appeared. "Then I remove two of my Speed Counters with Final Speed World to increase my Life by 1000."

[5D's SC: 5 - 3]

[Rua's LP: 700 - 1700]

"Turn end…"

Keith laughed and gripped the handles of his D-Wheel tightly. "That ain't gonna do, kid! That still ain't enough! I'm gonna keep pushing you 'til you give me a Duel where time itself comes to a stop! Until you're strong enough to avenge that girlfriend of yours against those Urteil bastards!"

As Keith laughed, both Tatsuya and Fynn were driving side by side on the track as they prepared for their team's final Duel. Fynn couldn't help but bust out laughing as he met eyes with his opponent, causing Tatsuya's eyes to narrow even lower. "I recall you spouting some shit earlier about destroying us with our own EXPAIN System," Fynn said, a lustful gleam flashing across his eyes. "But it looks like you guys were the ones destroyed instead! How pathetic!" Fynn leaned back for a nice, long laugh, spit flying out through his teeth.

"Nothing's what it seems…"

Fynn's laughter stopped as he heard Fynn mutter something up ahead. "What was that? You say something, you little shit?" Fynn mockingly cupped his hand over his ear.

"I said nothing's what it seems," Tatsuya grinned, gripping his D-Wheel hard. "All of our defeats up until now has succeeded in pissing me off more than I've ever been before! I've been holding back in this tournament so far, so it's about time I give you a taste of what the grandson of the legendary Katsuya Jounouchi is capable of! Prepare yourself!" Tatsuya whipped his finger out toward Fynn, who merely smirked in response.

"Oh?" Fynn sang, his smirk stretching into a toothy grin. "Let's see if you can last a bit longer than the last bastard I trashed."


ooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooo


Toward the conclusion! Two fierce warriors, Rua and Tatsuya, Duel side by side in their own difficult Duels! To be continued in Chapter 53: "Respected Opponent"


CREDITS


Writing: GoldenUmi

Characters Appearing from Anime: Rua Heartlily, Aki Izayoi, Yusei Fudo, Jack Atlas, Ruka Heartlily,

Shou Marufuji, Jun Manjoume, Tyrannosaurus Kenzan, Rei Sarotome, Divine Mizuki, Sly Mizuki

Original Characters (OC): GoldenUmi (Hikari Marufuji, Tatsuya Jounouchi, Haizuru Kujaku, "Pirate" Keith Howard, Anton Bartholomew, Fynn Hartmann, Master of Ceremonies/MC, Misaki Emu, "Hell-Eyes" Shaun Daoshin), Aman1216 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.

Sealed 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 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 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.

Dust Tornado

Trap

Target 1 Spell/Trap Card your opponent controls; destroy that target, then you can Set 1 Spell/Trap Card from your hand.

Sealed Mantra

Continuous Spell

While this card is face-up on the field, all "Sealed Beasts" 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.

Magic Planter

Spell

Send 1 face-up Continuous Trap Card you control to the Graveyard. Draw 2 cards.

Sealed Beast Inun

DARK

Level 1

Reptile/Effect

200/300

When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, add 1 "Sealed Mantra" from your Deck to your hand.

Sealed Beast Brron

DARK

Level 8

Reptile/Effect

2700/2100

While "Sealed Mantra" is face-up on your field, any monster that battles this card is destroyed. For each card destroyed by this card's effect, place 1 "Sealed Counter" on this card. When there are 3 "Sealed Counters" on this card, it is destroyed immediately and sent to the Graveyard.

Karakuri Cash Shed

Counter Trap

Activate only if you control a "Karakuri" monster in face-up Defense Position. Negate the activation of an opponent's Spell/Trap Card and destroy it.

Cyber Dragon Zwei

LIGHT

Level 4

Machine/Effect

1500/1000

If this card attacks an opponent's monster, it gains 300 ATK during the Damage Step only. Once per turn: You can reveal 1 Spell Card in your hand; this card's name becomes "Cyber Dragon" until the End Phase. This card's name becomes "Cyber Dragon" while it is in the Graveyard.

Speed Spell – Limiter Removal

Quick-Play Speed Spell

Activate by removing 8 of your Speed Counters. Double the ATK of all face-up Machine-Type monsters you control, until the end of this turn. During the End Phase, destroy all monsters that were affected by this effect.

Rise of the Sealed Beasts (Created by Aman1216)

Continuous Trap

While this card is face-up on the field, it is treated as "Sealed Mantra" and all monsters with "Sealed Beast" in their name gain 200 ATK. Once per turn, by discarding 1 "Sealed Beast" monster from your hand, you can draw 1 card from your Deck. You can only have 1 face-up "Rise of the Sealed Beasts" on the field at a time. When this card is destroyed, you can activate from your Deck another "Rise of the Sealed Beasts" and place it face-up on the field.

The Body's Hidden Mantra

Spell

If "Sealed Mantra" is face-up on the field, draw 1 card for every "Sealed Beast" in your Graveyard.

Sealed Beast Nunurao

DARK

Level 2

Reptile/Effect

500/800

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

Inferno Reckless Summon

Quick-Play Spell

When exactly 1 monster with 1500 or less ATK is Special Summoned to your side of the field while your opponent controls a face-up monster: Your opponent chooses 1 face-up monster they control, you Special Summon all cards with the same name as the Summoned monster from your hand, Deck, and Graveyard in face-up Attack Position, also your opponent Special Summons all cards with the same name as the chosen monster from their hand, Deck, and Graveyard.

Sealed Beast Nibunu

DARK

Level 8

Reptile/Effect

2700/200

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

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.

Skull Invitation

Continuous Trap

Each time a card(s) is sent to the Graveyard, inflict 300 damage to its owner for each card sent.

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.

Genex Controller

DARK

Level 3

Machine/Tuner

1400/1200

Power Tool Dragon

EARTH

Level 7

2300/2500

Machine/Synchro/Effect

1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters

Once per turn, during your Main Phase, you can add 1 random Equip Spell Card from your Deck to your hand. If this card would be destroyed while equipped with an Equip Spell Card, you can send that card to the Graveyard instead.

Speed Spell – Tune Up (Created by GoldenUmi)

Equip Speed Spell

Activate only when you have at least 2 or more Speed Counters. Increase the ATK and DEF of 1 Machine-Type Monster on the field by 300 points every turn it destroys a non-Machine-Type Monster (after Damage Calculation).

Sea Prism Stone (Created by GoldenUmi)

Continuous Trap

This card can only be activated from your hand during the Battle Phase of your opponent's turn. Negate the attack and Special Summon this card onto the field as a Monster [DARK/LV1/Fiend/0/0] in Defense Position. As long as this card remains face-up on the field, your opponent's monsters can only attack it. When this monster on the field is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard by battle, the attacking monster loses 500 ATK every time it battles with another monster on the field.