A/N: All your suggestions for Normal Monsters were terrible, and you should all feel bad. I hope you feel bad.

Nah, they were good. Two people suggested Red-Eyes, and it was the perfect level to get things rolling. So now, Red-Eyes B. Dragon gets time to shine in this chapter.

Fun Fact: Rin believes she's a good writer. She isn't.

Description: Rin rides again.


Back in the Xyz Dimension, Shun was at his parents' house. He and his family sat at a kitchen table, enjoying a simple, peaceful meal of rations together. Mr. Kurosaki read his newspaper to his family, while Mrs. Kurosaki and their son ate their food.

But then, Shun felt a shiver. Instantly, he knew that he was betrayed. He didn't know how he knew, he didn't know what exactly happened. All he knew was what his senses told him: his best friend had kissed his sister(s.) He just knew it.

"Argh... Yuto..!"

Enraged, Shun's first instinct was to throw his plate off the table. The plate smacked into a wall and shattered, while the food dripped down to the floor.


Rin rode her D-Wheel through Street Pass. A low highway used almost exclusively by the Commons, it was nowhere near as clean or smooth as the roads that towered above. It served as a quick gateway to the rich parts of the city, and could branch off to some of the elevated highways, or to other roads of the city. For the Commons, it had been the heart of the city, where they could ride anywhere... So long as they could avoid Security.

Today, it was surprisingly not too busy. As Rin went down the road, she was free to admire the sights and sounds of the city: buildings, a tree... a grocery store that would be coming up in about five minutes... the elevated roads, the skeleton of an dead ape-like... thing on the other side of the road, which had been there for years...

Okay, so this part of the city didn't have the most exciting sights to see. But beneath its exterior, it had heart. The heart of a great, supportive community, where everyone stuck together and worked to help their own kind, even in the face of the oppressive Tops and Security. And that heart what Rin really cared about.

With the ride being smooth, the roads mostly clear, and the destination was in sight, Rin had time to relax and think about life. And immediately, she was reminded that she had to spend all her money on groceries because Yuto wanted to be fancy.

"R.I.P., dreams of buying Dad a birthday present," Rin sighed.

But hey, he'd probably say that I'm doing the right thing, came Yuzu's voice. He'd be really proud of us for this.

"I suppose you're right," Rin replied. "Still, it feels like we're being punished for something we didn't even do."

Think of it as us helping the kids. They were able to have a good meal becasue of Yuto, and you're keeping them from hurting for it.

And Yuto's food is delicious, Ruri added. So we have that waiting for us.

Rin's stomach grumbled. Now, she was fully aware that she and her sisters hadn't eaten at all today. They'd been neglecting their own needs to take care of those kids. And those kid better be freaking grateful for it.

Rin's thoughts were broken by the sound of someone shouting. Coming up on her road's shoulder, she could see a group of people. A small group, crowded all around something.

Curious, Rin started to slow down. As she came up to the scene, she tilted her head to watch and see the display.

The people were crowding around a man who was sitting on a motorcycle. His black helmet was tucked under his left arm, while his right arm leaned on the bike's dash. He was shouting to the choir, speaking quickly and excitedly.

"So yeah!" the man concluded. "No one can beat me, because I'm super amazing and strong."

"You talk big," another, more muscular man said. "But can you back it up?"

"Duh, 'course!" the first man answered. "But I don't like to waste my time on scrubs."

"You calling me a scrub?"

"Sounds like he's trying to back out!" a woman replied.

"Maybe he's afraid to duel," a teen girl added.

Fernando shook his head. "I only duel for money. Like, betting money. Any takers?"

The people started to speak amongst themselves. By now, Rin had slowed to a crawl so she could try and listen to the crowd and the man.

"Put up at least a hundo, and I'll duel," the D-Wheeler told them. "If you win, I'll double your money back. That's two hundred bucks you get back, minimum."

By now, Rin had stopped. The man had her attention now. And judging by what some of the other people were saying, they also had their interests piqued.

Oh, this is pretty good for us, Serena said.

"What do you mean?" Rin asked.

We fight him, win, get double our money back.

"Riding duel only, no Action Cards, solo only," the duelist explained. "Any takers?"

Are you crazy?! Yuzu cried. What if we lose?

Pssh! Serena pssh'd. Come on, we beat Zarc. I think we can handle some punk on the side of the road.

Oh, and what if he cheats? What if this is some sort of trap?

We can handle it!

"Serena raises a good point," Rin said.

What? Yuzu gasped. You can't be serious.

"We could use the cash," Rin said. "And like, there are four of us, and one of him."

We can't all fight him at once.

"No, but we're strong together... Not that I'd need any help to beat someone in a Riding Duel, of course. But-"

"You there, the girl who's talking to herself!" the man called out.

Rin blinked. "Huh? What?"

"You have a D-Wheel, I see!" the man said excitedly. "Maybe you'd like to make a bet?"

Let's think about this, Ruri advised.

Do it! Serena told her.

"Well?" the man asked.

Don't be so headstrong, Serena! Yuzu said harshly. You should know better.

I kicked the Doktor's ass, okay? Serena barked back.

"Well, kid?"

I know we can do anything now.

"O-okay!" Rin exclaimed.

The man nodded. He stepped from his bike and pushed his way through the crowd.

He was an tall man, seemingly in his twenties. He wore pale blue jeans, and a black leather jacket, which was completely zipped up. His jacket and pants both featured gold band-like designs around, both on his forearms and on his thighs. His skin was sun-kissed, and his eyes were a deep red. The roots of his flowing, shoulder-length hair were white, but they faded into his black hair almost seamlessly. And a circular gold medallion hung from his neck.

This man was a man of mystery, and had his own complex, adventurous tale to him. He had a past, but the future he would have was vastly more entertaining. But Rin would only go on to learn only the barest of details about this man's life.

"You got cash?" the man asked.

"I got a cool hundo and a half," Rin said confidently. "You got double that?"

"I might, I might. Already won a few duels today, so I got some cash burning a hole in my wallet."

Rin egao'd. "I'll be glad to take it off your hands, then."


They had driven up the road and reached one of the elevated highways. Now, the two D-Wheeling duelists were side by side, facing down the long stretch of road before them. The highway was empty, giving both duelists the perfect opportunity to go all-out, without worrying about the safety of other riders and drivers.

"Ready when you are!" the man told her. His voice was broadcasted through her helmet. This was par for the course in Riding Duels, where the wind and distance would make it too difficult for people to speak to each other.

Rin looked over the edge of the highway. They were still in the Commons area of the city, and quite a distance above the grocery store, a marketplace, and several homes. Sure, it wasn't much to look at, but it had its own sense of humble charm to it-

"Hello?" the man called out.

"Oh, right!" Rin answered. "Yeah, I'm ready for this!"

"RIDING DUEL, ENGAGED," Rin's bike spoke. "AUTO-PILOT, STANDBY."

"Ready to go?"

"Ready!"

The two revved up their engines and started riding. They soared down the highway, and only went faster from there. With the man in the lead and Rin trailing behind him, the two were all set to deck.

"DUEL!"


The two zoomed through the road at an amazing pace. Rin could feel the winds flow against her body. It was powerful, cold, and a reminder of how dangerously fast they'd be going. It helped to wake her up and pump up her adrenaline. It made her feel more alive than she'd felt in months.

"Since I'm ahead, I'll go first!" the man called out. "I'll show you why people call me the master of Neo Riding Duels!"

"Neo Riding Duels?" Rin asked.

"Well, yeah," Mr. Cool Dude replied. "Everyone's doing them now. Or are you a Neo Speedwunner?"

Rink tilted her head. "What is...?"

"Riding Duel puritists who cling to Neo Speed World, because they're stuck in the past and dumb and stupid."

"... Alrighty."

Rin looked down at her screen, which displayed the field, her hand, the amount of cards in her opponent's hand, and two bars on the side of the screen. One bar had her name written under it, while the other one said "Fernando." Both bars were divided into twelve little sections, and the bottom section of each bar had lit up.

Fernando: 1 Speed Counter

Rin: 1 Speed Counter

"What are those little lights on the side of my screen?"

Fernando scoffed, clearly annoyed with the question. "Don't you know anything? Those are your Speed Counters."

"Right, right. And what are those?" Rin asked.

Fernando rolled his eyes. "It's what makes Neo Riding Duels. Each turn, we both get a Speed Counter. We can use them to get little bonuses."

Rin tapped the counter on her screen. A small pop-up displayed at the center of the screen, giving her a list of what they had to offer:

4 Speed Counters: Inflict 800 damage to your opponent.

7 Speed Counters: : Draw 1 card.

10 Speed Counters: Destroy 1 card on the field.

12: Special Summon one monster from your Extra Deck, ignoring its summon conditions.

Unfortunately for Rin, all those options were grayed out. If she wanted to use those bonuses, she had to get more counters.

Rin looked up to her opponent. "Okay, I think I've got this."

Though Rin couldn't see it, the man nodded. "So now, I'll rock things out. I activate the Spell, Ancient Rules!"

The back of a card was projected behind Fernando. Rin couldn't see the artwork from that angle, but she was able to see it on her screen.

"I can Special Summon a Level 5 or higher Normal Monster from my hand!" Fernando declared. "I summon Red-Eyes B. Dragon!"

Long, dark claws appeared from the front of the card. It grabbed the card's borders, then used it to help drag itself out of the card. The creature exposed more and more of itself, revealing itself to be a red-eyed, black dragon. (ATK 2400)

The dragon flew above Fernando, casting a dark shadow over him. Its slow, heavy wingbeats could be heard even above the sound of the rushing winds.

"Next, I summon Level Eater!"

Now, a puppy-sized ladybug materialized to the right of Fernando. It spread its wings and flew, matching its summoner's speed. (ATK 600)

"When I control a Normal monster, I can special summon the Level 1 Tuner, Tuning Heart from my hand!"

Now, to Fernando's left, a small, female humanoid made its debut. It wore a thin pink dress and had flowing, lime-green hair. Dark green feelers sprung from its head. While Rin couldn't see the creature's face upfront, the card on her screen told her that it had dark green eyes, a perky nose, and no mouth to speak of. (ATK 400)

But if it had no mouth, how would it scream? Rin had to chuckle at her admittedly intelligent, esoteric reference. Even though she never actually read the short story she was referencing, she still felt pretty smart for her thoughts.

"I tune my Level 7 Red-Eyes, and my Level 1 Level Eater with my Level 1 Tuning Heart!"

The three monsters flew forward, far ahead of Fernando. Tuning Heart became a green ring, and the other two monsters became the eight Level stars that ran through it.

"Dragon of the frozen world," chanted Fernando. "Burst through the ice, and reign destruction down on our enemies! Synchro Summon!"

The ring and the stars melded together, forming a ball of light. The light spread itself forward, in three different directions. They became the heads. The light spread further back, forming the wings, and the feet, and finally the tail.

"Level 9, Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier!"

Once the dragon was fully-formed, the light faded. The dragon turned itself around to face both duelists, letting out a mighty roar of triumph. (ATK 2700)

Rin was in awe. She didn't care to admit it, but it took quite a bit effort to bring out a Level 9 or higher Synchro monster. Let alone a Synchro monster so famous as this one. Yet on the first turn, she was facing one of the three Dragons of the Ice Barrier.

That card must have cost him a pretty penny.

"Not done yet!" Fernando shouted. "When this card is Synchro Summoned, I can banish up to 1 card each from your hand, field, and Graveyard."

Rin looked at the screen. The card third from her left was highlighted blue, encouraging her to pick up the card and place it in the Banished Zone. Though reluctant, Rin had no choice but to comply.

"You don't have any cards on your field or Grave, but that's fine," Fernando said confidently. "I hit you hard already. I'll set one card face-down, and end my turn."

A face-down card briefly appeared behind Fernando's bike, before quickly fading away. And with that, Fernando ended his turn with an empty hand, full Life Points, a monster on the field, and one face-down Spell or Trap.


Fernando: 2 Speed Counters

Rin: 2 Speed Counters

Alright, Rin's turn to tumble. She drew her next card, giving her five cards to work with. And with just a cursory look at her cards, she was starting to form some basic combos that would help lead her to victory.

Rin presented two cards two her opponent. "With my Scale 2 Windwitch - North Wind, and Scale 5 Windwtich - South Wind, I set the Pendulum Scales!"

Pillars of blue light rose from either side of Rin. To her right, a masked girl in a blue tuxedo was riding a broom, while a number 5 trailed after her. And to Rin's left, a grinning, masked girl in a pink dress rode sat sideways on a broom, while a number 2 appeared beneath her.

"North Wind's effect!" Rin announced. "Once per turn, when I place a Windwitch monster in my other Pendulum Scale, I can take a Pendulum Tuner monster from my Deck, then place it face-up in my Extra Deck."

Rin's deck was shuffled. It spat out a card from its center. Rin grabbed the card, flipped it over, and placed it on top of her Extra Deck.

"Now, South Wind's effect!" Rin announced. "Once per turn, when I place a Windwitch monster in my other Pendulum Scale, I can add one Windwitch monster from my Deck to my hand, but I can't Special Summon any monsters from my Extra Deck this turn, except or WIND monsters."

Rin drew a cases, then presented it to her opponent: Windwitch - Ice Bell. And with that, she now had four cards in her hand.

Rin closed her eyes. This is it now. I've done all the prep work; now, I need to put it all into motion. Good luck, Rin.

Rin held up Spell Card. She placed the card on her field, and a large version of it materialzed before her. The artwork depicted Windwitch - Ice Bell, who egao'd as she flew above a cat with a bell on its tail.

"I play Witch's Familiar! I can add a Level 1 Pendulum Monster from my Deck or Extra Deck to my hand, then gain Life Points equal to its ATK."

Rin lifted up the card: Windwitch's Familiar - Snowball. It was the white cat depicted on the Spell card. (Rin: 4000 → 4400)

Rin revved up her speed. Now, she was starting to close the gap between her and Fernando. She wanted to get a better look at her opponent... And also, she just liked being ahead.

Fernando kept his eyes on the road. But Rin could hear his confident voice speak through the speaker in her helmet. "So you're a Synchro user, huh? Interesting."

"Of course I am, genius," Rin scoffed. "What else would I be?"

"We've been getting a lot of tourists here. Mostly Fusion and Xyz users. They don't stand up too well against my deck, though."

Rin was about to make a smart remark, like Your deck? The one with Normal monsters?

But, being a Common herself, she knew that such thoughts were beneath her. Or rather, above her; such dismissive attitudes toward cards was the thought process of the Tops. The same people she grew up resenting. People who had it all, and looked down at her for having nothing.

Rin had to bite her tongue here. She caught herself underestimating her opponent and thinking like a Top. She needed to check her card privilege. Come on, Rin. Be classy.

"Since you're probably going for a big move..." Fernando interjected. "I'll activate my Trap: Dangerous Drawing!"

As Rin passed by Fernando, she could see the face-down appear behind him. It flipped over and revealed itself: its art depicted a Duel Disk amongst a sea of smoke and flame. From the top right of the card's artwork, a hand was reaching down to try and pick up the cards that spilled from the Duel Disk's Deck slot.

"When I take 2000 or more battle damage this turn, I can draw two cards."

"But what if I don't inflict that much damage?" she asked him.

"Then nothing happens. But I can tell by the way you play, it's gonna happen. You thought this through."

Rin smirked. "So you're pretty clever, then. Because I like to get rough."

Rin turned her head to the road before her. She squeezed her bike's handles and pushed on forward.

"When I control no monsters, I can summon Windwitch - Ice Bell from my hand."

Rin placed a card on her field. Windwitch - Ice Bell materialized to her right. The speed of her broom matched the speed of Rin's D-Wheel's. (ATK 1000)

The playful witch looked back to her opponent, then moved her gave to the speeding road before her. With a wave of her want, a thick blue mist enveloped Rin's side of the field.

Fernando raised an eyebrow at this. As the mist rolled in, it became harder and harder to see Rin, or even beyond her. He slowed down his bike just a smidge, lest he get too close in that mist, and all the dangers it'd give him.

"... Then, I can Special Summon a Windwitch monster from my deck, but it can't be Tributed, and I can only Special Summon Level 5 or higher WIND Monsters from my Extra Deck."

At last, the mist started to dissipate. Fernando could make out the shape of Rin and, when more of the mist rolled out of sight, the two monsters beside her. In addition to Ice Bell, Windwitch - Glass Bell was flanking Rin's other side. (ATK 1500)

"When Glass Bell is Normal or Special Summoned, I can add a Windwitch monster ftom my Deck to my hand," Rin went on. "I can't Special Summon anything but WIND monsters this turn."

Rin's deck spat forth a card: Wintwitch - Snow Bell. She pulled the card out and placed it in her hand. Or rather, the little card... holder thing D-Wheels had. For for the sake of simplicity, let's call it her hand, even though it's not her physical, human hand.

"Hey, that's whack!" Fernando barked, causing Rin to reach up and cover her ear.

"What's the matter, Nandy?" Rin chuckled. "Think I can't deal with the costs?"

"That's the problem; I'm worried that you can."

Rin egao'd. Boy, this guy provided some great banter.

"When Ice Bell is summoned, I can inflict 500 damage to my opponent!"

With another wave of her want, Ice Ball sent a blustering, ice-cold wind down the lane.. Fernando gritted his teeth and squeezes his handlebars, trying to grit through the cold.

He closed his eyes for a second. Somehow, he had hoped that the cold would stop its sting. But no, he simply had to bear it until the effect stopped on its own. (Fernando: 4000 → 3500)

"You're a cold chick, kid," he muttered.

"When I control two or more WIND monsters, I can special summon Windwitch - Snow Bell from my hand!"

The third monster Rin played now took to the field. Materializing behind her was a large, glass ball. Its body was primarily white, with gold trimming and blue gems. It featured a golden, crown-like object on top, which had its own crown-wearing gem. Angelic wings spung from the crown-like object, allowing the monster to fly alongside the witches. (ATK 100)

"Feel free to give up now," Rin said to her opponent. "I'm just getting started. And believe me, I don't like to go easy on my opponents."

Fernando didn't reply at first. He let a small silence grow between them. As the two took a left turn onto another road, nothing but the rushing wind could be heard.

But finally, Fernando let out a chuckle. "Let me tell you something, girlie. I never give up."

"Fine by me!" Rin replied. "I get the money either way."

"We'll see."

Rin looked back at her monsters. All three of them gave affirming nods to show their support. Seemed as though they knew of Rin's plans and approved. They were in this together.

Rin looked straight ahead and, in a commanding voice, said, "I tune my Level three Windwitch - Ice Bell with my Level 4 Windwitch - Glass Bell!"

The two witches flew forward. Glass Bell became the four green rings, and Ice Bell became the four Level stars. Together, they combined and created a light that shone before the duelists.

"Midwinter wind. Make ice and snow my power and blow through!" Rin chanted. "Synchro Summon! Level 7, Windwitch - Winter Bell!"

The light spread its wings and became a flying... airplane lady with boobs. (ATK 2400)

The two duelists sped down the road, their monsters in tow. Rin watched the numerous streets and buildings far below her. The houses were shoddy, had chipped paint, and didn't tower over everything. Looked like they were still in the slums of the city.

It seemed as though not much had changed, despite the efforts of Yuya and the Lancers. The city was no longer divided and hate-filled, but the differences in class still existed.

She did notice one thing, though: construction. An area that was once a landfill was now cleared out, replaced with construction equipment. People, who looked like ants from her viewpoint, where moving around the lot.

She egao'd. She didn't know what it was, exactly. But it was change, in a positive direction. It was hope for something better for her people. Maybe it was a school? Maybe it was a shopping mall? Maybe it was just a proper dump? Whatever the case, it was a sign that things were starting to change.

Rin looked back to her opponent. Right, the duel. The city can keep on fighting and growing. And so will I.

"Winter Bell's effect!" Rin announced. "I can target a Windwitch monster in my Graveyard, then inflict damage to you equal to that target's Level, multiplied by 200."

Winter Bell turned around to face Fernando. Once again, a cold, blustering wind struck the man. He started to swerve to his right, hoping to dodge. But the cold still flowed through his entire body.

"And I target my Level 4 Glass Bell!"

His wheels started to waver, and his D-Wheel leaned to the right. Fernando quickly realized that he wasn't focusing on the road, so he squeezed his handles and adjusted his balance. (Fernando 3500 → 2700)

"Hey, mind cutting that out?" he snapped. "Nearly crashed my bike there!"

"Try and keep up with me," Rin told him. "I tune my Level 7 Windwitch - Winter Bell with my Level 1 Windwitch - Snow Bell!"

Snow Bell flew forward and expanded into a green ring. Winter Bell flew through the rings and let its body divide itself into seven starts. Everything came together to give birth to a new creation.

"A cold winter's bite freezes the world solid. Spread your wings and bring a season unending! Synchro Summon!"

The light exploded outwards, in a bright flash. And once the light faded, everyone could see the creature that flew above and ahead of Rin. It was like Winter Bell, but it wore a flowing, steely cloth around its waist, like a long skirt made of armor. Its wings grew, but also drooped down, and made them look more like scythes. The ball that made up part of its lower body had shattered, now replaced with a glowing , blue gem that connected the body to its fins. And finally, the monster's purple helmet had broken off at the back, letting long, white hair flow in the wind.

"Arise, queen of frost! Level 8, Windwitch - Frost Bell!" (ATK 2800)

Fernando shivered. "More cold? Really?"

Rin looked back to her opponent's side of the field. "Battle! Windwitch - Frost Bell attacks Trishula!"

The monster flew towards Trishula, its scythe arms extended outward. In an instant, it lunged at Trishula, struck it in the stomach, and continued to fly right on passed it. The monster stopped right in front of Fernando, who could only stare at it, and the exploding dragon behind it. (Fernando 2700 → 2600)

"Here's where it gets good," Rin explained. "Frost Bell requires its non-Tuner components to be Synchro monsters. And each time it destroys a monster, it inflicts damage equal to those Synchro monsters' level, multiplied by 200!" (Fernando 2600: → 1200)

"At this time, Dangerous Drawing activates!" Fernando declared. "Since I took 2000 or more damage this turn, I can draw two cards!"

Fernando pulled out the two top cards of his deck, then placed them in his hand. His duel-hand, not his hand-hand. Now, he had two cards at his disposal.

"Looks like I was right about you," he said to Rin.

Rin egao'd confidently. The odds were in her favor now. "I'll end my turn here."

Rin ended her turn with 4400 Life Points, and her Pendulum Scales and Windwitch - Frost Bell on her field. She had three cards in her hand, including her Windwitch's Familiar - Snowball.


Fernando: 3 Speed Counters

Rin: 3 Speed Counters

With Fernando's next draw, he now held three cards. Admittedly, he was starting to feel the pinch with this opponent; he was throwing out a lot to take her down, but she was able to take it and throw it back at him.

Of course, he wasn't scared. He'd fought worse than her, and he'd fight wose in the future. It wasn't in his nature to give up in the face of adversity.

Fernando held up a card. "When I control no monsters, I can pay one Speed Counter to Special Summon Tribute Salvo from my hand."

(Fernando SC: 3 → 2)

When Fernando placed the card on his field, a large, white ball appeared to his right. The ball had a gentle egao and soft, blue eyes, and an unlit wick on the side of its head. (ATK 1200)

"Next, I play Monster Reborn, and revive by Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier!"

Monster Reborn appeared behind Fernando. The card dissolved until only the ankh remained. The ankh itself started to glow and take the shape of Trishula. (ATK 2700)

"Level Eater's effect: when it's in my Graveyard: I can reduce the Level of a Level 5 or higher monster I control, then Special Summon my Level Eater."

Level Eater itself materialized on the top head of Trishula. It flew through the air, carrying a Level star in its arms, and took its place at Fernando's side, opposite Tribute Salvo. (DEF 0) (Trishula Level 9 → 8)

"Tribute Salvo's effect: by Tributing itself and another monster, it can Special Summon a Tuner monster from my deck, if its level is equal or less than the total of the Tributed monsters' Levels."

Tribute's Salvo's wick finally ignited. A small fire grew at the top, and it burned down the wick. Once it reached the body, the monster exploded, casting a thick smog over Fernando's field. And it was at this point that Rin was glad that she had auto-pilot on, because riding through smog would be extremely difficult.

The smog soon cleared, and Fernando was left with his Level Eater, and a strange, white-skinned doll monster with blue hair and a green dress. (ATK: 400)

Rin looked at her screen. Fernando had brought out a Level 3 Tuner called Blank Heart. It was, to her surprise, a Normal monster.

What game are you playing, guy? Rin wondered.

"I tune my Level 1 Level Eater with my Level 3 Blank Heart!" Fernando called out.

Blank Heart became three green rings, and Level Eater became the Level star that danced between them. They clustered together and became a shining light.

"Peaceful angel, sing a song of life to those with no voice! Synchro Summon!"

The light became a four foot-tall, thin, white doll, again with no mouth. From the waist down, its body was simply a white, featureless coffin. Its head was bald, and its arms and chest were bare. Its eyes were a pale green, making them the most notable feature on this creature.

"Level 4, Normal Heart!" (ATK 1450)

This time, Rin focused on the road and keeping her speed. To her, it was clear that Fernando wasn't done with his turn. That's just how duels often were in the Synchro Dimension: combo-heavy strategies that involved multiple Special Summons, and even multiple Synchro Summons.

She had to relax and see where the duel took them.

"When Normal Heart is Synchro Summoned, I can Special Summon a Normal monster from my hand or Graveyard," Fernando explained. "Come forward, Red-Eyes!"

Normal Heart bent forward and opened up its coffin. Light spilled out over Fernando and his side of the field. Red-Eyes B. Dragon now materialized to Fernando's right, flying right beside him.

Rin raised an eyebrow. "You sure like Normal monsters. I hope bringing back Red-Eyes was worth it."

"Let me tell you something about Normal monsters," Fernando said with a rueful chuckle. "Did you know that I'm a Common?"

"I'm not surprised," Rin responded. "Normal monsters aren't something you'd expect from a Top."

"I know. Believe me, I know. And I had to pay for it."

Rin turned back to the man. "What to you mean?"

"I dueled a lot of people, and lost," Fernando went on. "You know how hard it is to use Normal monsters? Against monsters with effects, or even the toys the Tops have?"

"Then why did you use them?" Rin asked. "Unless... You didn't have any other choice."

The man nodded. "Right. In my early days, Normal monsters were the best I could get. So I had to make do with that I had, and improve."

Fernando looked to his Red-Eyes. The dragon's eyes fell on him, too. It threw back its head and let out a loud, prideful roar.

Now, back to Rin. Fernando said, "And I got better, and better, and better. I learned to win, even with Normal monsters. And when I got the cash, I started building my deck around Normal monsters."

Rin nodded. "That's pretty impressive. But why did you keep your Normal monsters for so long?"

"Because we're friends," Fernando confirmed. "Red-Eyes and the others, they were there for me from the beginning. And I'll always be there for them."

Rin couldn't help but egao over that. "You're the kind of person I'd like to duel. So keep on dueling me!"

Fernando nodded again. "Right! I tune my Level 7 Red-Eyes with my Level 4 Normal Heart!"

Normal Heart became the four green rings that wrapped around Red-Eyes. Red-Eyes became the seven stars that joined with the rings to make a new, more powerful form.

"A dragon that's a blank canvas. Your indomitable spirit will color the world! Synchro Summon! Level 11, Plain White Dragon!"

The new form was of a large, winged dragon, not unlike a Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Its body was a pale, peach-white, and its head was round and smooth. It had a jaw full of sharp teeth, but its gray eyes were small, almost vestigial. Its tail was long and scraggly, like it wasn't fully formed or developed. (ATK 3200)

"Plain White's first effect: it gains 400 ATK for each Normal monster in either players Graveyard," Fernando explained. "Color Canvas! The monsters paint their legacy upon you!"

Sections of the dragon's body turned black, and others turned into a pale gray, or a pale blue. The colors of the Normal monsters stained Plain White's body, showing that their presence didn't completely leave the field just yet. (Plain White Dragon ATK 3200 → 4000)

Rin gulped. Oh boy.

The two duelists drove through the roads, high above the city. By now, they had started to drift into the richer parts of town; skyscrapers started to become more common, and the tops of buildings were much closer to the highways.

Outside of her element, that's what Rin was. Both in and out of the duel, he was in a position that she wasn't too keen about.

"Plain White, fire at Frost Bell! Palette Cleanser!"

Plain White opened its mouth. A colorful rainbow beam blasted through its mouth and down the road. It ripped through Frost Bell's body, tearing the monster apart until nothing remained. (Rin: 4400 → 3200)

Rin was starting to sweat now. She found herself starting to slow down her pace. But Fernando and his dragon, much more spirited, simply rushed right passed her.

"I set a card and end my turn," Fernando concluded. "Good luck, kid."

Fernando ended the turn with an empty hand and 1200 Life Points. But he had a 4000 ATK-strong monster and a face-down Spell/Trap card, putting him in a comfortable position of strength.


Fernando: 3 Speed Counters

Rin: 4 Speed Counters

With Rin's next draw, she had four cards in her hand. And honestly, he was really proud of herself for not using up her hand in a couple of moves, like so many other duelists did. But you know, she likes to think ahead. That's just the kind of responsible, mature person she was. Unlike Yugo or Serena.

"I use the effect of Speed World 3," she announced. "I four Speed Counters to inflict 800 damage to you!"

(Fernando SC: 4 → 0)

"Not so fast!" Fernando cried out. "Trap, activate! Go on, Healing Heart! I gain 500 Life Points for each Normal monster in my Graveyard."

(Fernando 1200 → 2700 → 1900)

"Can't get rid of me that easily!" the man said with a smirk.

"Good," Rin replied. "I like challenges. Bring it on."

Rin threw a hand up, and a swirling pendulum appeared high in the sky. It carved arcs of light in the air; brilliant, circular patterns.

"Pendulum Summon! Come forth, Windwitch - Sleet Bell!

A light fell from the sky and onto the field, smack between Fernando and Rin. Now flying in front of Rin was a pale, dour-looking girl in a sweater and summer dress, and a witch hat. She rode on a broom, and her movements seemed to leave a cool breeze to hit Rin. (ATK 1300)

"When Sleet Bell is summoned, I can Special Summon a Windwitch monster from my Graveyard, with its effects negated," Rin explained. "Also, I can't Special Summon any monsters from my Extra Deck, except WIND monsters."

Sleet Bell's hands let go of the broom. She slowly raised her hands up, and a flowing green wind escaped from her finger tips. The wind floated down to the monster's right side, and it took the form of Windwitch - Glass Bell. (ATK 1500)

"I summon Windwitch - Snowball from my hand," Rin went on. "Then, I Special Summon Windwitch - Snow Bell from my hand."

A white cat materialized on the field, to Sleet Bell's left. (ATK 400) Sleet herself looked at the monster, though seemed less than pleased with its appearance. And once Snow Bell (ATK 0) appeared next to Snowball, she looked even more bemused.

"Nice field," Fernando commented. "But can Synchro climbing save you? Something tells me that strong attack-power can't win this duel for you."

Ignore him for now, Rin. Time to rev it up. "I tune my Level 4 Windwitch - Sleet Bell with my Level 1 Windwitch - Snowball!"

Yadda yadda yadda, synchro rings and stars, light combines, dramatic chant, boom.

"Synchro Summon! Level 5, Windwitch - Cold Bell!"

Now floating before Rin was a smaller, less sophisticated version of Winter Bell. It was a monster with a blocky, lumpy body and thick legs. Its wings were now hands, and its fins and armor were smaller, less developed. Its eyes were bigger, and its body had less of a shine to it. (ATK 2100)

They were now deeper into the rich part of town. The buildings grew higher, and helicopters could be seen high in the sky. The air blowing at her face felt cooler and cleaner than the air of the world below. It was soothing, to be honest.

"Cold Bell's effect," said Rin. " When it's summoned, all non-WIND monsters on the field lose 500 ATK and DEF."

Fernando looked back. The blocky monster put its hands together and sent a frosty wave of air at him and his monster. Air so powerful, it was able to completely resist the flow of the wind and reach Fernando, freezing hims to the bone. (Plain White Dragon ATK 4000 → 3500)

He didn't care for the Windwitch archetype right now.

"Next, I tune my Level 5 Windwitch - Cold Bell with my Level 1 Windwitch - Snow Bell!" Rin cried. "Ice and snow create the coldest breeze! Fly through this wind and bring create a mighty storm!"

Behold, the next shape of weather: it was a creature that looked like an in-between form of Cold Bell and Winter Bell, with more developed and defined body parts, airplane-like arms, and a body that was slimmer and more human.

"Synchro Summon! Level 6, Windwitch - Storm Bell!"

The creature had a more human, feminine face, and its chest was becoming more developed. Its body was a brilliant azure, and pulsating, glowing green lines spread over its form. Its feet were now joined as one fin, underneath a bumpy sphere that made up the monster's midsection. (DEF 2600)

The path to victory was in Rin's mind. She could see every step, every card, every opportunity before her. The man was putting her through the ringer, but she knew that she could pull off something great.

"When Cold Bell is used as Synchro material, I can Special Summon a Windwitch Tuner from my deck, but now I can only summon Level 5 or higher WIND monsters from my Extra Deck this turn."

As Fernando pondered the fairness of Rin's deck not suffering for its restrictive side-effects, a monster materialized beside her. This time, it was traditional bell, colored white and gold, and decorated with blue gems. Its top held a blue gem, along with feathery angel wings. (ATK 200)

"But that's not all!" Rin said emphatically. "Once per turn, Storm Bell can inflict damage to you, equal to the number of cards in my hand multiplied by 200!"

Storm Bell flew through the air. While it was much slower than Frost Bell, it was soon flying passed Fernando and his dragon. And once again, Fernando was assaulted by the chill in its wake. (Fernando: 1900 → 1700)

"I tune my Level 6 Windwitch - Storm Bell with my Level 2 Windwitch - Frosted Glass Bell!"

The bell monster flung itself forward, right over Fernando's head. (It was so close to hitting the back of his helmet that he was a bit worried.) One the card hit Storm Bell, it became a green ring that surrounded her body. Storm Bell became the stars, and everyone would unite to make the light.

"A cold winter's bite freezes the world solid. Spread your wings and bring a season unending! Synchro Summon!"

The light exploded outwards, in a bright flash. And once the light faded, everyone could see the creature that flew above and ahead of Rin. It was like Winter Bell, but it wore a flowing, steely cloth around its waist, like a long skirt made of armor. Its wings grew, but also drooped down, and made them look more like scythes. The ball that made up part of its lower body had shattered, now replaced with a glowing , blue gem that connected the body to its fins. Add finally, the monster's purple helmet had broken off at the back, letting long, white hair flow in the wind.

"Arise, queen of frost! Level 8, Windwitch - Frost Bell!" (ATK 2800)

Rin revved up her speed. Her monster was flying ahead of her and opponent, but she aimed to catch up to her creation. And to surpass her opponent.

But as she was catching up to him, she could see his face. Though his eyes were covered, she could see the sweat roll down the bottom half of his face. He was baring and gritting his teeth. And he was shivering from the constant assault of cold.

"Fernando, let's make a deal," Rin said.

Fernando turned his head to look at her. "What?"

"If I win, I'll only take as much money as I put up. No need to give me double, okay?"

"Why would you want that?" he asked, suspicious.

As Rin passed his shoulder, she looked back on him. She gave him a friendly, sympathetic egao. Then she kept her head forward and rode on by.

"Listen, I'm a Common, too. I know what it's like to struggle and want for more," Rin explained to him. "Believe me, I've spent my life trying to climb the hill."

"I still don't get it..." Fernando told her. "What's your game?"

Rin sighed, then egao'd to herself.

"That doesn't sound very fair..."

"Us Commons need to stick together," Rin told him. "Plus, you're already giving me cash for winning."

Fernando chuckled. "So, you think you can win?"

"Frosted Glass Bell's effect," Rin stated. "When used as material for the Summon of a WIND Synchro monster, that monster gains 1000 ATK."

(Windwitch - Frost Bell ATK 2800 → 3800)

Fernando gulped. "Kid, I-"

"Battle!" Rin declared. "Wintwitch - Frost Bell attacks Plain White Dragon!"

The monster flew towards the dragon, its arms extended outward. In an instant, it was able to strike through Plain White's neck. Frost Bell's sharp arm ran through its enemy, digging into its scaly hide. The dragon let out a horrid, painful roar, while its wing beats started to falter.

Eventually, Frost Bell was able to cleanly cut through the neck to decapitate the monster. And as Frost Bell continued to fly towards Fernando, the monster behind was obliterated in an explosion. (Fernando: 1700 → 1400)

"At this time, Frost Bell's effect activated," Rin explained. "When it destroys a monster, it inflicts damage equal to those Synchro monsters' level, multiplied by 200!"

(Fernando: 1400 → 200)

"Like I said, I don't like to go easy on my opponents. I'm a nice kid, but I'm still ruthless."

Fernando let out a gasp. Frost Bell flew right back to its summoner, but kept its steely eyes on him; a cold (haw-haw) reminder of his immediate future.

He wasn't even mad at the outcome. The duel, though short, was fun. And this girl had a sharp tongue on her; made the fight more interesting.

"What's your name again?" he asked his opponent.

"Rin," she responded. "It's on your screen, genius."

"Right, right," he chuckled. "Rin, you're not half bad. Attitude aside."

"Oh, I'll show you attitude."

Rin looked to her remaining monster, Windwitch - Glass Bell. "Now, let's finish this fight."

Fernando closed his eyes. No sense in worrying at this point. Time to relax and accept what was about to happen.

he could hear Rin's voice: "Attack, Glass Bell!"

(Fernando 200 → 0)


The road had carried them to the outside of a public park, somewhere in the rich side of town. The two now sat opposite each other on park benches, with their D-Wheels parked close by.

Rin was leaning back on her bench, arms and legs spread. Normally, a wood bench wouldn't be too comfortable. But after spending so much time riding a bike, it was a godsend for her. Too bad Serena was in her head and her business.

We could have used that extra cash! Serena barked.

Money doesn't grow on trees, Rin said sternly.

That's why we should have kept it! We could have payed for more groceries!

... Oh yeah. Well, he's a Common; I'm sure he needs money, too. That's just how it is here.

I agree with Serena on this one, Ruri said. I mean, the man was willing to make the deal. He probably had some cash to burn, if he could match and double the bet.

Fernando, meanwhile, flipped through the money in his wallet. After a moment, he produced two hundred dollars: ten 10 dollar bills, and the rest in 20 dollar bills. All in Synch currency, of course.

"You sure you just want the basic 200?" he asked Rin. "Not that I'm complaining... or letting you take back what you said."

"Yeah, keep the change," she replied, exhausted. "And keep talking; I need you to drown out the voices in my head."

Fernando paused for a moment, taking in Rin's strange statement. But he let the awkward moment pass without much worry. "You know, this actually means a lot to me."

Oh boy, here came the backpats and adoring compliments! Rin looked at the guy. "Oh?"

"Yeah. I've been making a lot of money on gambling, but not enough to pay off my huge debts. Every little bit of cash helps."

"Oh."

"The guy I owe money to?" Fernando sighed. "It was his idea to gamble cash like this. Figured it'd be a great way to help both of us: I can earn money, and he can scope out duelists."

"What does he need duelists for?" Rin asked.

Fernando shrugged. "Duels, mostly. I heard it pays good, but Garome has me working this beat to bring in new blood."

The sound of sqeaky shoes made Fernando look up from his wallet. Speak of the Devil and he shall show up, because Garome was approaching the scene.

Fernando could see the man's limousine in the distance. He wondered if Garome had waited here for them, or simply drove here after he and Rin took their break.

Garome's presence, or rather, the smoke coming from his cigar, also alerted Rin. When the little man approached then, she quickly straightened herself out and took a more poised, lady-like position, with her hands folded on her lap.

"Can I help you, sir?" Rin asked him.

"Yes, quite!" the man exclaimed. "I happened to see your duel, young lady, and I liked what I saw."

"How did you see the duel? I didn't see you on the road."

"Oh, my man, Fernando was recording it."

Rin turned to Fernando and gave hi a death glare. "The f... you were recording me, like a creep?"

Fernando shrugged. "I told ya, I scout duelists for my boss. So my helmet has a camera, and the sounds are broadcasted."

Rin shivered. "You're so creepy! I take it back, I want my extra cash."

Garome threw his hands up. "Wait wait wait a second, kiddies! While we're on the subject of money..."

"You're going to offer me a deal to duel, or whatever," Rin interjected. "Yeah, Fernando explained it already."

"And are you interested?" Garome asked hopefully.

Rin put a finger to her chin, thinking. "Honestly? It sounds fun, but I make it a point not to follow strangers and do what they say. Plus I really need to buy groceries."

Garome had to smirk at this. He was used to people turning down. People would see the him and instantly know that he was not a pleasant guy. Not that he really concerned himself with their opinions.

He looked to Fernando, then gave him a nod. A nod that Fernando instantly recognized and deciphered.

"Rin, it's a pretty good opportunity," Fernando stated. "I'd suggest taking it."

Rin looked to Fernando. "Yeah, I'm not listening to his accomplice. Something tells me you're kind of a biased source."

"I'm serious," the man lied. "You wanted to use the money for your orphans, or whatever? Think of how much you can help them."

Rin bit her lip. He... had her there.

"You won't lose anything by trying," Fernando went on. "Just duel and get payed for your work. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Listen to the boy, girl," Garome advised.

"What's a boy-girl?"

Ignoring that inane comment, Garome went on, "This guy here, he was in a bad place when I found him. No money, no family, fresh out of prison. A real loser, a complete failure in life."

"... Charming," Fernando grumbled.

"Salt of the Earth? More like scum of the earth. A real piece of human garbage, if you can even say he's human."

"You can stop at any time."

"No, keep going," Rin said.

"You're brutal as ever, kid."

"Look, my point is!" Garome exclaimed. "My! Point! Is! I saved him from his old life. I'm a miracle worker. I give people what they need to save them from themselves."

Garome extended a hand out to Rin. "What do you say? At least come and scope out the scene? You don't have to make any deals right away."

Rin looked at the hand with disdain. It was decorated with jewels, but it reeked of smoke and sweat. It didn't help that it was attached to a creepy old guy.

Let's hear him out, Serena said. Just don't go in his car, though.

I'm conflicted, Ruri said. Fernando's vouching for him, but he's not exactly excited over it.

What do you guys think? Rin asked.

Go, Serena told her. The money could help a lot of people.

Maybe don't go, Ruri told her. We don't know if we can trust this can.

See what he has to say, Yuzu said. But don't go in his car, message Yuya first, and don't make any rash deals.

Rin could hear the three girls, all speaking in her head. They couldn't decide on what to do, and neither could she.

She looked to Fernando for guidance on this one. He was egao-ing at her, but his eyes were heavy and sad. Regardless, he was giving her a small nod.

Rin sighed, then pushed Garome's hand away. But she did rise up and face him directly.

"I'm willing to listen," she told the man.

Fernando sighed.

"Excellent!" Garome said, rubbing his hands together... And smooshing his cigar. "Now, follow me to my limo. You're gonna love the-"

Rin shook her head. "Yeah, I'm not going in your car."

"Fine, fine. Then you can meet me at my duel stadium."

Garome dropped his cigar, then held up his left arm before him. He lifted up his sleeve, revealing a Synchro Dimension Duel Disk, which he then turned on.

"I'll message you the location. Come as soon as you can. Bring friends, family, pets, whatever - I don't care. I'm a dependable guy."

"I doubt that," Rin admitted.

Garome frowned. "You're a very honest kid."

"Thank you."

"Yeah, cut it out."

After a few minutes, Garome had successfully given Rin his contact information, which she wrote down in her own Disk. Rin, of course, refused to share her Duel Disk's number or mail address; she was in it for the business, after all. Not to give her private deetz away to strange, older men she met at a park.

"Pleasure doing business with you," Garome said to her. "Hope to see you soon, kid."

And with that, Garome turned on his heel and started making his way towards his vehicle. As he walked, he pulled a cigar from his jacket pocket, then brought it to his mouth. This was followed by him pulling out a lighter from his other pocket, then lighting the tip of his cigar with flames.

Garome didn't let his thoughts out, but he knew that Rin would end up coming around to him. That was the funny thing about people: at the end of the day, they still came to him in their time of need, when they wanted something. Because he had the power to fix their problems, and they didn't.

His mind was already filled with plans for her. A duelist this strong? He had a million ways to exploit her skills.

Rin was about to get involved with a dangerous man, she knew. But at the time, she wasn't fully aware of what Garome was capable of.

Rin gave Fernando a nod, then started to move away from the scene, towards her D-Wheel. She figured she could meet Garome at his office in about an hour, discuss deals with him for half an hour, then hit the grocery store when she got home. With any luck, she'd be back at the orphanage before Martha even realized she had left. And tomorrow, she could get to work on dueling for some sweet, sweet do-re-mi.

Which was Common slang for money.

"Rin, wait."

Rin turned around to face Fernando. "What?"

"Just don't take any loans from Garome," he said austerely.

"You owe him money, right?" Rin asked. "He's why you're in debt?"

Fernando nodded. "Garome's right about being a miracle worker. Get on his good side, and he can help you. You don't even need to take money from him; he has ways of getting you whatever you want."

Rin groaned. "I think there's a but coming up."

"Work can for him, but don't ask anything from him," he said to her. "When you ask something of him, you're making a deal with the Devil."

Rin felt a shiver run down her spine. The voices of her head went deathly silent. Hearing Fernando's words seemed to put an entirely new spin on the man. Somehow, it made the man... She didn't know. Garome was obviously bad news. But now, she didn't feel invulnerable to his danger. It felt more real now.

"You owe him money, you owe your life to him. He'll own you."

Rin could tell that she made a mistake.

"Sorry for getting you into this," Fernando told her. "Really, I am. But you don't want to refuse Garome, either. When he sets his eyes on something, he tries to get it."

Even if we didn't accept the deal, he'd come after us, Yuzu surmised.

Maybe we can go back to the Pendulum Dimension, Ruri offered. Get help, then maybe deal with this with allies.

No, let's fight him! Serena demanded. Call Yuri, and Gongenzaka, and Chojro. If this guy's so bad, we should take him down.

Rin didn't respond. She was too busy wondering about Martha and the orphanage now. Would Garome go after them if she ran? From what Fernando said, she was almost sure of it.

"I'm sorry," Fernando said again.

"... Thanks," was all Rin could muster.

"Us Commons stick together, you know?" Fernando said, egao-ing weakly.

Fernando rose from his seat and walked over to Rin. He presented the cash right to her, though she was hesitant to accept it. She kept her hands in her jacket pocket, unwilling to take it.

"I don't want the money..." she told him.

"Huh? Why not?" he asked her.

"You're indebted to him. You need the money more than I do."

Fernando rolled his eyes. "Rin, just take it. I'll be fine."

"Yeah, right," Rin scoffed. "You tell me about this guy being so... predatory. He owns you. How do you expect me to just take the money from you now?"

"I..."

Rin looked away. "I'll be fine, Fernando. I can handle things. Better than you can, at least."

"Look here, Rin."

Rin looked back to Fernando. Now, he was holding up his deck. He quickly ran his fingers through the cards, before stopping at a Spell card.

"Let me give you something," he said to her.

"I don't need anything!" Rin protested. "Just stop-"

"You stop!" the man snapped back. "Just let me- let me do this for you. Please."

Fernando pulled the card from his deck and presented it to her. Rin kept her hands in her pocket, and she once again turned her head away from him.

"Please," he said again.

"I don't need it," Rin said disdainfully.

"Please."

It was a moment of weakness for Rin. She couldn't help but look back to the man pleading before her, to acknowledge him. When she did, she was immediately disarmed by his sad, guilt-ridden eyes. They almost made her cry, herself.

"Fine," Rin sighed.


Meanwhile, in the Pendulum Dimension, Reiji was once again busy with work. The duties of a CEO were never done. Even now, as he walked down a hallway in LDS Tower, he was followed by Nakajima.

The man was continually bombarding Reiji with questions, comments and concerns, as well as listing off meeting times, scheduling conflicts, and pretty much anything else he could think of. Reiji handled it all with quick, concise responses and his quintessential calmness.

"Sir, we've finished the Yuya doll prototype."

"Bring it to me later," Reiji told him. "I'll test it for accuracy. We need to make sure that its hair texture is accurate to that of Yuya's hair."

"On it, sir," Nakajima responded. "We've also started work on the Gongenzaka and Dennis dolls. Would you also like to test them for accuracy."

"No. I don't have the time to focus on everything. Yuya's doll is the most important , and will sell the most. It's the only one worth my time."

"Understood, sir," the employee answered. "And, about Miss Zaizen..."

Reiji stopped in his tracks. "I'll be paying her a visit now."

And then Nakajima had a sudden heart attack and died.


A/N: Unlike Yuzu and Serena, Rin's less receptive to using other Summon methods. It's partly because of her stubborn personality, partly because Synchro Summoning is just so natural to her, that she doesn't really try and use anything else.

Anyway, after I finish this story, I want to write a sequel series. But I'm not sure which one to write. Maybe tell me which one you'd be most interested in, or if you want to see a sequel at all?

A) Taking place thirty years after the end of ARC-V, the story focuses on the students of You Show Duel School, which includes the offspring of several characters. It would have more focus on this fanfic's story developments. The main character is a plucky, friendly girl who's just learning how to duel, and goes to a lot of characters for advice and training. The story is cute and focuses on character interactions and development.

Or

B) Another fic taking place thirty years after ARC-V. It focuses on an original character and his friends, who get involved in a war between Duel Spirits. They become investigators that travel through worlds, investigating suspicious activity related to Duel Spirits and cards. The main character is a responsible, martyr-like big brother whose protective nature sometimes leads him to do questionable things. Less focus on this fanfic's lore and story developments, but they're still utilized. The story is more action-packed and focuses more on plot, deception and mystery.

What do you guys think?

Next time: Garome introduces Rin to a world of underground dueling and illegal activities. Is he really such a bad guy? Yugo seems to think so. Meanwhile, Reiji seeks information from his prisoner.