Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V: The Fifth Circuit

by scififan599

To Yuji, Den City is his home. Fighting to protect it as Kingmaker, he ends up pulled into a war between dimensions alongside the Lancers. Follow alongside him and his comrades Hanako Zaizen and Go Onizuka as they navigate the dimensions and do their best to restore peace to their world and others. AU of ARC-V with the addition of the Link Dimension. Second Arc: Synchro Arc

17. Chapter 17: Feathers in the Void

Responses to Reviews

Thank you to ZarcEternal, Unknowedz, D3lph0xL0v3r, RevTrickshot, SoulMatter, HunterHQ, RoyalTwinFangs, Guest, Unknown, Lightning, YuGiOh fan, Alien Force, ThePLOThand, SakushiRyu, Ethan Kironus, Guest, king, suppes1, Dinomain, Noobmaster, Guest, savagemaster1999, skydragonknight57, yuman28, streetlife34, LazinessRules, FlameFireZero X, Yugifan101, Lindia Fullmoon, Slimslam, Dyna-mate, Guest, the dragoon of END, electriuser, Lind. , Gigagagagigo, and Kai b-19 for reviewing Chapter 16.

In response to several reviews asking for updates, let me dispel a popular illusion: Asking. For. Updates. Doesn't. Make. Me. Write. Faster.

yuman28: Yuji will not use Spiritcode Talker or Decode Talker Heatsoul ever. Decode Talker Extended… we'll see.

Yugifan101: There's already a deck list of Yuji's cards on my profile page. It's near the bottom since the Hidden Memories card and deck lists are up top.

electriuser: Yes, that's a duel I don't plan to change. And because of the damage it caused to the arena, it will also be the very last duel of the Round of 32.

Lind. : No opening as of yet. Might get one later, but not now.

Gigagagagigo: No.

Now, please enjoy Chapter 17!

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Chapter 17: Feathers in the Void

Yuji yawned and rubbed his eyes. Sitting up in bed, he looked out the window at the Duel Palace far below.

"Today's the second day of the Friendship Cup," he noted with a frown. "I wonder who's dueling today." And if it is me, then I'll win.

He didn't have to wait long for breakfast to arrive – pancakes with maple syrup, a fruit bowl, and orange juice – and shortly after he finished eating, the television turned on as fireworks went off around the tower.

"The City is one! We are all friends! Doing great, everyone!" Melissa cheered into her microphone. "Now, the second day of the Friendship Cup is upon us! The first match in today's line-up is… Crow Hogan vs. Lua!"

Yuji blinked. "Crow? So it's his turn?" Then he frowned at the picture of Crow's opponent. "That's…"

"What the hell?" Go growled, glaring at the screen. "That's a kid!"

The picture showed a young boy with green eyes and blue-green hair pulled back into a ponytail, except for two bangs on the sides that fell down to his shoulders. In the picture, he wore a blue shirt with golden lines across it under a short-sleeved white jacket, along with white shorts, a dark blue belt, and blue sneakers. And it was clear to everyone that the boy couldn't have been older than Reira.

Go scowled. "I thought that when Reira was replaced, they'd decided to not allow children to participate. Guess I was wrong."

Yuji continued to frown at the screen. "If he managed to enter the tournament, he must have skills, at least around Katsumi's or Sawatari's level."

Shinji scowled at the television. "Even if this is a kid, he's still a Tops," he muttered. "Don't forget that, Crow."

"And now our first participant enters!" Melissa said. "Give it up for Crow Hogan!" Crow and his Blackbird shot in through the entrance. Unlike most participants and like Shinji, Crow wore his normal clothes.

The orange-haired man grit his teeth. I don't want to put on a show for the Tops, he thought. And there's no way I want to duel a kid. But this is my chance! He looked up at the tower where he had spent the night, along with the other participants. Shinji, I'll fight alongside you! To provide justice for the Commons that the Tops have trampled over!

"Next, we have our youngest competitor, since Reira ended up not dueling!" Melissa said. "Give it up for Lua!" The boy, wearing a light blue racing suit, entered the stadium. The Duel Runner he rode was smaller, colored yellow, and had three wheels with two antennae extended upwards in the back.

"Yeah!" Lua cheered, waving at the crowd. The he pointed at himself with his thumb, grinned, and winked. "I'm going to win this!"

Yuji frowned. So that's now children ride Duel Runners, he mused. They ride smaller ones.

Lua rode up to the starting line where Crow waited. "Hey, man!" he said. "Don't take it easy on me! I want to go all out!"

Crow narrowed his eyes. "I'm not in this to put on a show!" he said. "You should probably go home, kid. I don't want to-."

"Kid?!" Lua repeated. Then he grit his teeth angrily. "Don't call me that! I may be twelve, but I'm a good duelist! My Duel Runner may be small, but it can keep up with the best! Don't look down on me just because I'm small!"

"I wasn't-."

"You were! Well, it doesn't matter! This kid will be kicking your butt!"

Crow blinked and then sighed. "I give up…" he muttered.

"Looks like our competitors are already fired up!" Melissa said. "Let's get this show on the road! Action Field, on! Field Spell: Crossover Acceleration!"

"Duel mode, on. Auto-pilot, standby."

The countdown appeared as Crow and Lua both readied themselves. "Turbo Duel! Acceleration!" The timer hit 0, and they both shot forward.

"Duel!"

Crow Hogan: 4000 LP

Lua: 4000 LP

"Crow Hogan takes the lead!" Melissa said as Crow pulled ahead. "Will he take the first corner?"

Crow grit his teeth, determined to press forward, until he caught something out of the corner of his eye. Turning to look, he gasped.

"Frank! Amanda! Tanner!"

The three kids were being chased by two guards. What are they doing here? he wondered. Then he gasped and looked ahead. He had only been distracted for a couple of seconds, but those seconds had been enough for Lua to pull ahead and take the first turn.

"In a complete reversal, the first turn goes to Lua!"

"Yes!" the boy cheered. "My Duel Runner may be smaller than yours, but it has the latest technology in it! It can go just as fast as all the others!"

Shinji grit his teeth. "Typical Tops, rubbing their wealth in our faces…" His scowl turned into a frown. Why did you fall behind, Crow? You looked like you saw something…

"My turn!" Lua declared. "I summon Morphtronic Celfon!" A yellow cellphone appeared on his field. But then it shifted into a yellow humanoid machine.

Morphtronic Celfon ATK 100 DEF 100 LVL: 1

Yuji raised an eyebrow. "A Level 1 monster with 100 attack points? It must have a strong effect…"

"Celfon's effect activates! When it is in Attack Position, I can dial a number between 1 and 6, and then reveal that number of cards. And if there is a Level 4 or lower 'Morphtronic' monster among them, I can Special Summon it! Dial… on!" The numbers on Celfon's chest lit up, before settling on 3. "The result is three! So I'll reveal three cards!" Lua took the top three cards of his Deck, looked at them, then smiled. "Yes! I Special Summon Morphtronic Magnen!" A giant blue magnet with red ends appeared in Defense Position.

Morphtronic Magnen ATK 800 DEF 800 LVL: 3

"So long as Magnen is in Defense Position, you cannot attack my other monsters!" Lua said.

"I see," Go nodded. "His Morphtronic monsters' effects change depending on their battle positions. An interesting playstyle, and they seem to have strong effects." He frowned in thought. "However, they have very low attack points. How is he going to compensate for that?"

"I Set two cards," Lua said. "I end my turn."

"Lua brought out two monsters! Lua may be our youngest contestant, but he's doing well for himself!"

Crow grit his teeth. "I'll have to finish this fast so I can look for those kids!" he muttered. "My turn! Draw! When there are no cards on my field, I can Special Summon Blackwing – Gust the Backblast!" A birdman with gray and green feathers and dark blue wings appeared in Attack Position.

Blackwing – Gust the Backblast ATK 900 DEF 1400 LVL: 2

Lua smirked. "I was hoping for that! Trap activate! Triggered Summon!"

"What?" Crow gasped.

"That's just like what that Katsumi girl did!" Sawatari remembered.

"Since you Special Summoned, we can now both Special Summon monsters from our hands!" Lua continued. "I summon a 2nd Morphtronic Magnen!" Another large blue and red magnet appeared in Defense Position.

Morphtronic Magnen ATK 800 DEF 800 LVL: 3

"And now that my second Magnen is on the field, everything is perfect!" The two Magnens shot electricity at each other, creating an electric gate. "Since both Magnens are in Defense Position, you cannot attack! This is my Magnet Lock!"

"Amazing!" Melissa cheered. "Lua has created an attack lock!"

Crow frowned but then smirked. "Of course, that card lets me Special Summon as well. Come, Blackwing – Harmattan the Dust!" A long-legged bird with dark brown feathers and a yellow belly appeared in Attack Position.

Blackwing – Harmattan the Dust ATK 800 DEF 800 LVL: 2

"Harmattan the Dust's effect activates! When it is Normal or Special Summoned, I can increase its Level by that of another 'Blackwing' monster I control. I increase its Level by Gust the Backblast's Level!"

Blackwing – Harmattan the Dust LVL: 2→4

"Since there is a 'Blackwing' monster on my field, I can Special Summon Blackwing – Oroshi the Squall!" A short bird with black feathers and wings and a red belly appeared in Attack Position.

Blackwing – Oroshi the Squall ATK 400 DEF 600 LVL: 1

"I tune the Level 1 Oroshi the Squall to the Level 2 Gust the Backblast and Level 4 Harmattan the Dust!" Oroshi the Squall became a single green ring that encircled the other two birds, who turned into six white stars. Light surged through the rings as Crow chanted.

"Spread your jet-black wings, and storm forth in tandem with the roaring thunder! A slash of lightning! Synchro Summon! Cascade, Assault Blackwing – Raikiri the Rain Shower!" A man wearing purple armor with two wings – one made of metal and the other made of black feathers, emerged from the light in Attack Position and swung a katana.

Assault Blackwing – Raikiri the Rain Shower ATK 2600 DEF 2000 LVL: 7

"Crow's brought out a Synchro Monster with 2600 attack points!"

Yuji frowned. "That's Crow's ace monster. But what is he…?"

Lua smiled widely at Crow's monster. "Oh, that's so cool! A Synchro Monster like that…" Then he shook his head. "Ahem! Cool or not, so long as my Magnet Lock is in play, you cannot attack!" He looked at Crow's face and became confused. Crow was looking out over the audience. What was he doing?

"Since I used Oroshi the Squall to Synchro Summon," Crow said, "I can change the battle position of a monster on the field!"

"What?" Leo gasped.

"I change your first Magnen to Attack Position!" One of the magnets transformed, turning into a humanoid machine with claws.

"Oh! With this, Crow has broken Lua's attack lock!"

"However, since one Magnen is in Defense Position, he can still only attack that one," Selena remarked.

"Next, I summon Blackwing – Blizzard the Far North!" A white bird with a black brow appeared.

Blackwing – Blizzard the Far North ATK 1300 DEF 0 LVL: 2

"Blizzard's effect activates! When it is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Blackwing' monster from my Graveyard in Defense Position. Come, Harmattan the Dust!" The long-legged bird with dark brown feathers reappeared.

Blackwing – Harmattan the Dust ATK 800 DEF 800 LVL: 2

"Harmattan the Dust's effect activates! I increase its Level by Blizzard's Level!"

Blackwing – Harmattan the Dust LVL: 2→4

"I tune Level 2 Blizzard the Far North to Level 4 Harmattan the Dust!" Crow proclaimed. The former monster became two rings that encircled Harmattan, who turned into four stars. Light surged through the rings. "This heroic bird of prey wields the sword of legends! Synchro Summon! Come, Level 6! Blackwing – Nothung the Starlight!" Another humanoid bird, this one with black wings and black armor, wielding a massive sword with four prongs on the hilt, emerged from the light in Attack Position.

Blackwing – Nothung the Starlight ATK 2400 DEF 1600 LVL: 6

In their respective rooms, Yuji, Shinji, and Kiryu all frowned.

"Nothung the Starlight's effect activates! When it is Special Summoned, you take 800 points of damage and one of your monsters loses 800 attack and defense points!"

"What?" Lua gasped.

"I target Celfon!" Nothung swung his sword, generating a beam of light that struck Celfon, then moved on to Lua. The boy and monster both screamed.

Lua: 4000→3200 LP

Morphtronic Celfon ATK 100→0 DEF 100→0

"Eh? He targeted Celfon?" Melissa said confusedly. "Not Magnen? Why?"

"Raikiri the Rain Shower's effect activates!" Crow declared. "Once per turn, I can destroy cards you control up to the number of 'Blackwing' monsters I control. I'll destroy both Magnens!" Raikiri swung his sword and created a blast of lightning that tore through both Magnens and made Lua wince.

"With both Magnens gone, Celfon is all alone!" Melissa said. "If Crow attacks with both monsters, Lua will lose! Will we witness a one-turn-kill!?"

"Battle!" Crow said. "Raikiri attacks Celfon!" The swordsman sent another blade of lightning, this time aimed at Celfon.

Lua smirked and gestured to his field. "Continuous Trap activate!" he declared. "Morphtronic Bind!"

"What?" Crow gasped. An interwoven net of wires appeared in front of Lua's field. Raikiri's attack struck the net but dissipated and left the net intact. "What is this?"

"So long as I control a 'Morphtronic' monster, Morphtronic Bind prevents your Level 4 and higher monsters from attacking or changing their battle positions!" Lua revealed.

Crow grit his teeth. "Damn it. I end my turn."

"Crow attempted to beat Lua in one turn, but with a single Trap Card, Lua has turned the duel around!"

Yuji frowned. "What was that, Crow?"

"Raikiri can destroy cards up to the number of 'Blackwing' monsters on the field," Kiryu noted. "But Crow could have activated it prior to Synchro Summoning Nothung and destroyed three cards instead of two. He either could have gotten rid of Morphtronic Bind or Celfon but didn't."

Shinji scowled. "What's with you, Crow? Why are you distracted? And why are you trying to end this so quickly?"

Lua laughed. "My plan worked! Even though I lost my Magnens, I retained Celfon. This is what you get for underestimating me!" He turned back to look at Crow, only to see that he was looking over the audience again. "What are you…?"

Lua grit his teeth. "Hey, pay attention to the duel!" he shouted. "Are you not taking this seriously? Are you mocking me?" He growled. "Fine then! I'll show you just how strong I am! My turn! Draw!" When he saw the card he drew, he smirked. "I activate the Spell Card: Machine Duplication! This lets me Special Summon two monsters with the same name as a Machine monster I control with 500 attack points or less!"

Crow gasped. "What?"

"I Special Summon two more Celfons, one in Attack Position and another in Defense Position!" Two more yellow phones appeared, but one changed into its humanoid form while the other stayed as a phone.

Morphtronic Celfon ATK 100 DEF 100 LVL: 1 x 2

"Lua now has three Celfons!" Melissa said cheerily.

"I activate the effect of the Defense Position Celfon!" Lua continued. "Once per turn, I dial a number between 1 and 6, then I can look at the cards on the top of my Deck equal to the number I dial!" The numbers on Celfon dialed, then stopped at 4. "I dialed 4, so I look at four cards." Lua looked at the cards, then placed them back on his Deck. "Now I activate the effect of one of my Attack Position Celfons! Dial… on!" Another Celfon dialed, and this one stopped at 2. "Yes! I reveal two cards and Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Morphtronic' monster among them. I Special Summon the Level 4 Morphtronic Slingen in Attack Position!" A slingshot appeared, but then transformed into a purple and pink humanoid, with the sling attached to its hands.

Morphtronic Slingen ATK 1200 DEF 800 LVL: 4

"I activate the effect of my last Celfon! Dial… on!" The third Celfon dialed, then stopped at 3. "3! So I pick up three cards!" He looked at the cards and grinned. "Yes! I summon Morphtronic Remoten in Attack Position!" A white remote appeared, then arms and legs extended from its sides.

Morphtronic Remoten ATK 300 DEF 1200 LVL: 3

"Five monsters all at once…" Yuzu said in surprise.

Lua laughed. "It's time to show off just how awesome my Deck really is! Slingen's effect activates! Once per turn, when it is in Attack Position, I can Tribute a 'Morphtronic' monster to destroy a card on the field!" Crow gasped. "I Tribute the Celfon you weakened with Nothung's effect to destroy Raikiri the Rain Shower!" Celfon leapt into Slingen's slingshot, which then launched it at Raikiri. The birdman cried out as it exploded, making Crow wince.

"And now you lost your ace monster!" Lua taunted. "The Attack Position Remoten's effect activates! By banishing a 'Morphtronic' monster from my Graveyard, I can add a 'Morphtronic' monster with the same Level from my Deck to my hand. I banish the Level 1 Celfon to add the Level 1 Morphtronic Smartfon to my hand. And now, by banishing a Magnen from my Graveyard, I Special Summon Morphtronic Smartfon!" Another phone appeared in Attack Position, except this one was pink and had no number buttons. The phone then transformed, gaining legs, arms, and eyes at the top.

Morphtronic Smartfon ATK 100 DEF 100 LVL: 1

"Smartfon cannot be Normal Summoned or Set," Lua said. "But when it is in Attack Position, I can dial a number between 1 and 6, then pick up cards equal to what I dial. And if there is a 'Morphtronic' card among them, I can add it to my hand!"

"I see," Yuji noted. "A variation of Celfon's effect; it has more targets than Celfon but adds to the hand instead of summoning."

"Dial… on!" A keypad appeared on Smartfon's chest and started flashing. Then it stopped on 4. "The number is 4, so I pick up four cards!" Lua looked at his cards and smiled. "Yes! I add Morphtronic Revenge to my hand."

Lua's face turned serious. "And now it's time for me to show what I'm really capable of! I tune Level 3 Remoten to Level 4 Slingen!" Said monsters turned into three rings that encircled four stars. Light surged through the rings. "Freely rain down the imperial wrath of steel upon this guy! Synchro Summon! Come, Level 7! Power Tool Mecha Dragon!" A large yellow mechanical dragon with red lines covering its body emerged from the light in Attack Position. A drill was attached to its left arm and a shovel to its right.

Power Tool Mecha Dragon ATK 2300 DEF 2500 LVL: 7

"Oh! Lua has brought out his own Synchro Monster!" Melissa said as the audience cheered.

"That monster is weaker than Nothung," Serena noted. "It must have an effect that can compensate for it."

"How's that? Isn't my Power Tool Mecha Dragon so cool?" Lua asked Crow. "Well it's too soon to be impressed! I activate the Equip Spell Card: Power Pickaxe and equip it to Power Tool Mecha Dragon!" The shovel on the dragon's right arm was replaced by a large orange pickaxe. "Power Tool Mecha Dragon's effect activates! Since an Equip Spell Card was equipped to it, I can draw a card!"

Lua drew and smirked. "Perfect! I activate the Spell Card: Level Mirroring! This lets me change the Level of a monster I control to the Level of a monster you control!"

"A monster I control?" Crow blinked.

"I change Smartfon's Level to Nothung's!"

Morphtronic Smartfon LVL: 1→6

Crow's eyes widened. "Level 6? And he has two Celfons left…"

"I tune the Level 6 Smartfon to Level 1 Celfon!" The former monster turned into six rings, while the Attack Position Celfon turned into a single star. Light surged through the rings as Lua chanted, "Docking strength with courage to protect the world's peace! Synchro Summon! Come, Level 7! The envoy of love and justice, Power Tool Dragon!" Another yellow metal dragon, this one identical to Power Tool Mecha Dragon, save for a lack of red lines on its body, emerged from the light and roared in Attack Position.

Power Tool Dragon ATK 2300 DEF 2500 LVL: 7

"Just like Crow did last turn, Lua brings out two powerful Synchro Monsters!"

Yuji frowned. "Those two dragons look very similar. Like they are counterparts or something…"

"Power Tool Dragon's effect activates! Once per turn, I can reveal three Equip Spell Cards from my Deck, then you randomly choose one to add to my hand. I reveal Double Tool C&D, Rocket Pilder, and Break! Draw!"

Crow grit his teeth as three face-down cards appeared on his Duel Runner's screen. "I choose the middle one," he said.

Lua grinned. "Perfect! You just added the Equip Spell Card: Double Tool C&D to my hand, which I'll now activate and equip to Power Tool Dragon!" The mechanical dragon's drill and shovel were replaced by an even bigger drill and a buzz saw. "Double Tool C&D's effect changes depending on whose turn it is. When it's my turn, Power Tool Dragon gains 1000 attack points!" Crow gasped.

Power Tool Dragon ATK 2300→3300

"I activate Power Pickaxe's effect! Once per turn, I can banish a monster from your Graveyard whose Level is equal to or lower than Power Tool Mecha Dragon's. I'll banish Raikiri from your Graveyard!"

Lua smirked and pointed to his field. "Time to show you my awesomeness! Battle! Power Tool Mecha Dragon attacks Nothung the Starlight!"

"Eh!?" Melissa gasped in shock as the mechanical dragon with a pickaxe charged the birdman with a sword. "But Power Tool Mecha Dragon has fewer attack points than Nothung!"

Lua's smirk never left. "The effect of the equipped Power Pickaxe activates! When Power Tool Mecha Dragon attacks, it gains attack points equal to half the attack points of the banished Raikiri!"

Crow gasped. "What?"

Power Tool Mecha Dragon ATK 2300→3600

"Continue your attack! Full Metal Demolition!" The dragon brought the pickaxe down and cut Nothung head to toe, destroying it in an explosion and making Crow wince.

Crow Hogan: 4000→2800 LP

Power Tool Mecha Dragon ATK 3600→2300

"You have no cards left, 2800 Life Points, and Power Tool Dragon has 3300 attack points!" Lua pointed out. "Victory is mine!"

Crow grit his teeth. "Don't count on it! I can still turn this around!"

"No you can't!" Lua shouted back. "You lost the moment you stopped paying attention!" Crow's eyes widened. "I'm not an idiot; I know you made a misplay earlier with Raikiri's effect! You haven't taken this duel seriously since the start! Why? What's so important to you that you can't focus on your opponent?!"

Crow grit his teeth and looked at the audience again. This time, he found what he was looking for. "Those kids!" he said aloud. Lua gasped and turned to look. Sure enough, there were three kids, all younger than him, being cornered by three guards.

"Run!" Crow cried out. Frank pushed one of the guards down, then led the other two kids towards an exit.

"That's what you're focusing on?" Lua asked in surprise. "Those kids? Who are they?"

"…"

Crow frowned. "They were some kids I found one day, huddling together for protection from the rain. At first, I thought I'd just let them have some food before chasing them out, but…" He smiled to himself. "They made me laugh. I don't even know how many years it had been since I last laughed. So I took them in, and we stayed like that since."

Lua remained silent as Crow continued, "If I didn't have them, I don't know what would have become of me. That's why I want to set an example for them. And why I agreed to join this tournament. I want to win and show them that even we can do something!"

"…You're just like him," Lua said, sounding like he just had an epiphany.

"Huh?" Crow blinked. Lua sped down so that he was right next to Crow.

"I have a twin sister," Lua explained. "Luka. Both of our parents work all the time, so it's just us all the time. And Luka gets sick easily. Three years ago, when we were alone and Luka was healthy, I dragged her out on an adventure. I was bored, and sick of being left alone in the Tops all the time. So I took her to the Commons."

Crow gasped. "I didn't think that Luka and I would get in trouble; I just wanted some excitement. Well we found it; we got attacked by a gang, who were upset to see a few Tops down there. It didn't matter that we were children, or that my sister wouldn't hurt anyone. All that mattered to them was that we were Tops. I'm not sure what they had planned, and I really don't want to know. But then… he appeared."

Lua smiled excitedly. "He just leapt into the gang's midst and beat them all up! It was the greatest thing I ever saw! And once they were all down, he took me and Luka back to the Tops. But once we were there, he left. We didn't even get a chance to thank him. Or even learn his name… Until he won the Friendship Cup a month later."

Crow's eyes widened as he stared at Lua. "Jack Atlas saved me and my sister. Despite us being Tops, and him being a Commons, he saved us and didn't even ask for a reward or anything. And in all this time… Ever since that adventure, my parents had forbidden me and Luka from leaving our house. This is the first time I've been out of that place in three years. I never got to go to the parties Jack went to, or even get close to him. I never got to say the one thing I always wanted to say. The one thing he deserves."

Lua looked Crow in the eye, as serious as he could be. "I want to thank Jack. I entered the Friendship Cup because it was the only way to do so. I'm going to win this duel, I'm going to face Jack in the finale! And when I do, I'll look him in the eye and thank him for saving me and my sister!"

"Jack… saved you?" Crow whispered.

"He did." Lua smiled. "You're the same as him, aren't you? You took in those three kids because you were worried about them, right?"

"I… I did do that, but…"

Crow frowned. Jack Atlas is a traitor to the Commons, he thought. We thought he would make things better for us, but he didn't lift a finger. He just became a Tops. But he saved this kid and his sister, without even asking for a reward… Who are you, Jack Atlas?

"Crow!"

The man gasped and turned to the stands, where Frank, Amanda, and Tanner had evaded the guards and were now cheering. "Do your best!" "Win this!"

Lua smiled. "They really look up to you, just like I look up to Jack," he said. "So for their sake, are you going to take this duel seriously now?"

Crow blinked and then smiled back. "Yeah! You bet!" He sped up, this time taking the lead.

"The battle isn't over!" Lua declared. "Power Tool Dragon attacks you directly!" The mechanical dragon charged Crow, a buzz saw raised.

"Is it over?" Melissa wondered.

Crow grit his teeth, then charged up the side of the stadium. He flipped through the air and grabbed an Action Card. "I activate the Action Spell Card: Sacred Gem!" he declared. The card showed a blue gem with a lighter blue cross on it. "This increases my Life Points by 600!"

Crow Hogan: 2800→3400 LP

Power Tool Dragon's buzz saw, struck true, hitting Crow and making him spin out. But it didn't take him long to regain control of his Blackbird and resume a position behind Lua.

Crow Hogan: 3400→100 LP

"That riding technique was so cool!" Lua cheered. "Still, I clearly have the advantage. I Set one card. I end my turn."

"Crow managed to survive the turn by the skin of his teeth!" Melissa cheered. "Will he be able to turn this around?"

"Possibly, but it will be difficult," Yuji thought aloud. "Lua has Power Tool Dragon, Power Tool Mecha Dragon, and Morphtronic Celfon in Defense Position. Even without them, Lua's Morphtronic Bind Trap Card keeps Crow's Level 4 and higher monsters from attacking or changing their battle positions." He narrowed his eyes. "How will you solve this, Crow?"

"My turn! Draw!"

"Since it is no longer my turn, the effect of Double Tool C&D changes," Lua interjected. "Power Tool Dragon loses its attack boost, but in exchange, you cannot attack my other monsters, and any monster that battles Power Tool Dragon is destroyed at the end of the Damage Step."

Power Tool Dragon ATK 3300→2300

Crow looked at his card and frowned. "I suppose I'll have to work with this. I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Burial from a Different Dimension! This lets me return up to three banished monsters to the Graveyard. I return Raikiri to my Graveyard. Then, since I control no monsters, I can Special Summon Blackwing – Gofu the Vague Shadow!" A small brown bird wrapped in chains and surrounded by a pale-yellow shadow shaped like a bird appeared in Attack Position.

Blackwing – Gofu the Vague Shadow ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 5

Yuji's eyes widened. "Crow, you're-!"

Kiryu smirked. "So that's Crow's endgame."

"Since Gofu the Vague Shadow was Special Summoned, I can Special Summon two Vague Shadow Tokens in Attack Position!" Two ghosts that resembled birds appeared.

Vague Shadow Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1 x 2

"I tune Level 5 Gofu the Vague Shadow to the two Level 1 Vague Shadow Tokens!" Crow smirked as the chained bird became five rings. "When I use Gofu the Vague Shadow to Synchro Summon, I can Synchro Summon from the Graveyard instead of the Extra Deck!"

Lua gasped. "From the Graveyard?!"

The two tokens turned into stars and light surged through the rings. "Spread your jet-black wings, and storm forth in tandem with the roaring thunder! A slash of lightning! Phantom Synchro! Cascade, Assault Blackwing – Raikiri the Rain Shower!" The armored birdman reappeared in Attack Position and swung his katana.

Assault Blackwing – Raikiri the Rain Shower ATK 2600 DEF 2000 LVL: 7

"What?" Melissa said as she and the audience reacted in shock. "Crow Synchro Summoned from the Graveyard and revived his ace monster!"

"I didn't even know a Synchro Summon like this existed…" Lua said in awe.

Crow smirked. "The cards of the Commons don't die that easily. We can't afford all the powerful ace monsters many Tops use in their Decks. That's why we have to make do with what we have. And we Commons treasure every card we have!"

"Well spoken, Crow," Shinji muttered.

Kiryu smiled to himself.

"I activate the Spell Card: Synchro Treasure!" Crow continued. The card showed a briefcase that contained numerous Synchro Monster cards. "This lets me draw a card for each Synchro Monster on the field, but I cannot add cards from my Deck to my hand for the rest of the turn. There are three Synchro Monsters, so I draw three cards."

Crow placed his hand on his Deck. "This draw will determine the outcome of this duel!" he declared. "Here I go!" He drew and looked at his cards. He smiled.

"Yes! Since I control exactly one 'Blackwing' monster, I can Special Summon Blackwing – Gladius the Midnight Sun!" A humanoid bird wearing gray armor with white wings wielding two short swords appeared in Attack Position.

Blackwing – Gladius the Midnight Sun ATK 800 DEF 1500 LVL: 3

"I summon Blackwing – Kochi the Daybreak!" A black bird with long legs and a long beak appeared.

Blackwing – Kochi the Daybreak ATK 700 DEF 1500 LVL: 4

"Raikiri's effect activates!" Crow declared. "Once per turn, I can destroy cards you control up to the number of 'Blackwing' monsters I control. I control three, so I'll destroy Morphtronic Bind, Power Tool Dragon, and Power Tool Mecha Dragon!" Raikiri shot a burst of lightning from his sword at Lua's field.

The boy grit his teeth but gestured to one of his dragons. "If Power Tool Dragon would be destroyed, I can send a card equipped to it to the Graveyard instead!" The lightning struck and disintegrated Lua's other dragon and Trap Card, but Power Tool Dragon's hands simply returned to their original forms.

Crow smiled. "It would be boring if that was all it would take. I tune Level 4 Kochi the Daybreak to Level 3 Gladius the Midnight Sun!" His monsters turned into four rings that encircled three stars. Light surged through the rings. "Jet-black wings, spread to the edge of the world! Become the master of the gathering storm! Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 7! Blackwing Tamer – Obsidian Hawk Joe!" A man with black feathered wings, red feathers attached to his head and right shoulder, and gold armor covering his left shoulder and arm, emerged from the light in Attack Position.

Blackwing Tamer – Obsidian Hawk Joe ATK 2600 DEF 2000 LVL: 7

"Another ace monster? That's so cool!" Lua said with excitement.

"Wait till you see what he can do!" Crow said. "Obsidian Hawk Joe's effect activates! Once per turn, I can Special Summon a Level 5 or higher Winged Beast monster from my Graveyard."

"What?" Lua gasped.

"Resurrect, Nothung the Starlight!" The black-armored birdman with a large sword reappeared in Attack Position.

Blackwing – Nothung the Starlight ATK 2400 DEF 1600 LVL: 6

"Nothung the Starlight's effect activates! Since it was Special Summoned, you take 800 points of damage, and Power Tool Dragon loses 800 attack and defense points!" Nothung swung his sword and sent a beam of light crashing into said dragon and its owner, making both of them cringe.

Power Tool Dragon ATK 2300→1500 DEF 2500→1700

Lua: 3200→2400 LP

"Battle!" Crow declared. "Nothung attacks Power Tool Dragon!" The birdman slashed right through the mechanical dragon, destroying it and making Lua wince.

Lua: 2400→1500 LP

"Raikiri now attacks Celfon!" Said monster cut through Celfon with his katana, destroying it.

"Lua is defenseless now!" Melissa said.

"Defenseless but not out!" Lua countered. "Trap activate! Morphtronic Revenge!" The card showed a monster falling into a hole while Morphtronic Boomboxen and Morphtronic Celfon watched and laughed. "Since my 'Morphtronic' monster was destroyed by battle, I can target and destroy a monster you control!" Lua smirked. "I'll destroy Obsidian Hawk Joe!"

"If Crow loses that monster, then Lua will survive the turn," Yuji noted.

"Ha! With this, I'll beat you next turn!"

"Are you sure about that?"

Lua gasped as he realized Crow was smirking. "Obsidian Hawk Joe's effect activates! If it is the target of your effect or attack, I can change that target to another 'Blackwing' monster I control!"

Lua's eyes widened. "What?"

"I change your target to Nothung!" Said monster disintegrated at Crow's words.

"Lua attempted to destroy Obsidian Hawk Joe, but Crow redirected it!"

Lua stared at the winged monster. "So this is why you attacked with Nothung and Raikiri first… to trick me into targeting Obsidian Hawk Joe!"

Crow nodded in response. "This is the end! Obsidian Hawk Joe attacks directly! Assault Claw!" The red, black, and golden man launched a burst of energy from his clawed right hand. Lua screamed as the attack hit him, making his Duel Runner vent steam and come to a stop.

Lua: 1500→0 LP

"The duel is over! The winner is Crow Hogan!"

"Well done, Crow!" Shinji cheered.

Kiryu smirked and crossed his arms. "Glad to see you mastered that trick, Crow."

Yuya frowned to himself. "A kid like that… is being sent underground. I definitely won't accept this tournament!"

Crow stopped at the pit areas and removed his helmet with a sigh. "Damn. That was more intense than I thought it would be," he muttered.

"Crow!"

He turned to see Frank, Amanda, and Tanner cheering for his victory in the audience. More amusingly, the two guards who had been chasing them were cheering right next to them. When the kids realized this, they started running again.

"Crow, keep doing your best!" Frank shouted. "We'll come cheer you on again!"

Crow smiled in relief as a crowd of people cut the guards off from chasing his kids.

"That was awesome!"

Crow turned as Lua walked up to him with a big smile. "You're just as cool as Jack!" the kid said excitedly.

Crow's smile turned bitter and then he frowned. "You children in the Tops… you really admire Jack, don't you?"

"Huh?" Lua blinked as he noticed Crow's expression. "Yeah, we do. Isn't the same for kids in the Commons?"

"…Yeah, I suppose it is."

Lua frowned in thought. "That Shinji guy from yesterday, do you know him?"

Crow nodded. "Yes. He's my friend. Though… we do disagree on some things."

Lua's frown deepened. "He talked about how all the Tops are bad, about how all we do is oppress the Commons. But my sister… she hasn't oppressed anyone! She's the nicest, sweetest person I now! She couldn't hurt a fly! Does she deserve to be hated just because she's a Tops?"

Crow gasped and then frowned. "…No. No, she doesn't."

Lua blinked and then smiled. "Hey, sorry for being all heavy there. But, if you see your friend, could you ask him to tone it down? I mean, I know there are bad Tops like there are bad Commons, like the gang who attacked us, but there are also good Tops and good Commons, like you and Jack!"

Crow mulled those words over for a few seconds before smiling. "I suppose you're right, Lua." He held out his hand. "Good luck from now on."

Lua took his hand and shook it. "You too! And seeing as how I can't tell Jack myself, will you thank him for me when you meet him in the finals?"

Crow nodded. "Yeah. I will."

Lua was then led away by two guards while Crow was led back to the Duel Palace. All the while, he was frowning to himself. Shinji isn't wrong in his hatred of the Tops, he thought. They steal away everything good that happens to us. But… that kid wasn't bad. He just wanted to look out for his sister and thank the person who saved them. And Jack… he's a traitor to us, but he still helped those two. His brow furrowed in confusion. Is Shinji's way really for the best?

---

Yuji leaned back in his chair. "Well, that was more like it," he said. Crow had made a misplay his first turn, but he had redeemed himself the second turn. It just went to show that like Yugo, Crow was a brilliant idiot.

"And now that we're all pumped up, let's move on to the second match of the day!" Melissa cheered. "First on the scene is Makoto Tanaka!" The images showed a man with sweptback blonde hair in a black and gray three-piece-suit. The man himself came out riding a golden Duel Runner in a gold and gray riding suit.

Shinji grit his teeth. "Another Tops. And this one has absolutely no shame in displaying his wealth…"

Makoto reached the starting line and sneered. "It doesn't matter who I duel," he said. "It is my destiny to reach the top."

"And now we welcome our second competitor! Give it up for Lotten!"

Kiryu and Shinji both gasped. "Lotten?!"

On his way back to his room, Crow looked up in surprise. "Lotten?! Seriously?!"

The Duel Runner that came out was about twice the size of a regular Duel Runner, with two wheels in front and two larger wheels in back. It was painted black and gray, and the front and back ends both resembled drills. The man riding it wore a white button-up shirt underneath a dark brown vest, while he himself had tanned skin and dark brown hair pulled back into a ponytail with three long bangs.

Shinji grit his teeth. "Damn it! What is that bastard doing here?!"

Makoto looked up at his opponent as he reached the starting line. "Hmm. Another Commons dreg," he said dismissively. "You should give up now. Someone like you will fall easily before the power I possess."

Lotten sneered right back. "Well, we're in agreement on one thing," he said. "This duel will be short. Tops dogs like you always fall so easily."

"What was that?! You dare talk back to me?!"

"Hey!" Melissa complained. "No fighting! This tournament is meant to bring people together!"

"If you wanted to bring people together, you shouldn't have brought him," Kiryu muttered darkly, glaring at Lotten with dislike.

"Oh, I'll just start! Action Field, on! Field Spell: Crossover Acceleration!"

"Duel mode, on. Auto-pilot, standby."

The countdown appeared. "Turbo Duel! Acceleration!" The timer hit 0 and both duelists shot forward.

"Duel!"

Lotten: 4000 LP

Makoto Tanaka: 4000 LP

"Both of them are going full throttle from the start!" Melissa cheered. "But who will take the first corner?"

Makoto smirked as he pulled ahead. "Obviously me! No way a Tops like me would fall behind a Commons dog!"

Sure enough, Makoto took the first turn. As he laughed and boasted about his superiority, he failed to notice the small smile on Lotten's face.

"It's my turn!" Makoto said. "I activate the Field Spell Card: Temple of the Six! Now, each time a 'Six Samurai' monster is Normal or Special Summoned, I place a Bushido Counter on my Field Spell, and your monsters lose 100 attack points for each Bushido Counter it has."

Yuji frowned on noticing that the surroundings didn't change. "Perhaps its dependent on the type of Field Spell," he mused. "Or maybe Reiji removed that feature for this version."

"I now activate the Spell Card: Shien's Smoke Signal! This lets me add a Level 3 or lower 'Six Samurai' monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Secret Six Samurai – Genba to my hand. And now I summon Legendary Six Samurai – Kageki!" A four-armed swordsman in orange samurai armor appeared and swung his swords.

Legendary Six Samurai – Kageki ATK 200 DEF 2000 LVL: 3

"Since I summoned a 'Six Samurai' monster, Temple of the Six gains a Bushido Counter."

Temple of the Six: 0 BC→1 BC

"Kageki's effect activates! When it is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Six Samurai' monster from my hand. Come, Secret Six Samurai – Genba!" A ninja armed with several bandoliers of bombs appeared in Defense Position.

Secret Six Samurai – Genba ATK 500 DEF 2100 LVL: 2

Temple of the Six: 1 BC→2 BC

"Kageki's additional effect! When I control a 'Six Samurai' monster with a different name, it gains 1500 attack points!"

Legendary Six Samurai – Kageki ATK 200→1700

Makoto sneered. "The time is now. Since I control at least two 'Six Samurai' monsters, I can Special Summon Great Shogun Shien!" A man wearing red spiked armor and a purple cape appeared in Attack Position and swung a katana.

Great Shogun Shien ATK 2500 DEF 2400 LVL: 7

"So long as Great Shogun Shien is on the field, you can only activate one Spell or Trap Card per turn! But that's not all! I tune Level 2 Genba to the Level 3 Kageki!" The former monster turned into two rings that encircled Kageki, who turned into three stars. "The warrior's flame that burns eternal! Become the fire that signals death! Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 5! Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En!" A man in orange armor gilded with gold emerged from the light. He swung a sword even longer than Shien's as he took his place in Attack Position.

Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En ATK 2500 DEF 1400 LVL: 5

Temple of the Six: 2 BC→3 BC

"I Set one card. I end my turn."

"A strong opener by Makoto Tanaka! How will Lotten respond?"

Makoto smirked. It doesn't matter how he responds. He cannot possibly win. Great Shogun Shien's effect prevents him from activating more than one Spell or Trap Card per turn. While Shi En can negate the activation of a Spell or Trap Card and then destroy it. Thus, his Spell and Trap Cards are sealed. My Set card is Swift Samurai Storm, a Continuous Trap Card that increases my "Six Samurai" monsters' attack points by 300 after they battle. And to top it off, in case Shi En would be destroyed by an effect, I can simply banish Genba from the Graveyard instead. His smirk widened into a sneer. It doesn't matter what this Commons trash tries to do; my field is perfect!

"Heh," Lotten chuckled. "Not bad. But everything you do is pointless right now. My turn! Draw! I Set five cards!"

"What?" Makoto and Melissa gasped. "You Set five cards?" his opponent asked. "What are you up to?"

"I summon Gatling Ogre!" A purple-skinned fiend with spiky blue hair appeared. It wore a brown trench coat embroidered with gold, and its left arm had been replaced by a magazine holder that fed a belt of bullets into the gun barrel attached to the fiend's waist. It's right hand held firm on a rotating handle.

Gatling Ogre ATK 800 DEF 800 LVL: 3

Makoto barked out a laugh. "800 attack points? Seriously? What can you do with that?"

"Defeat you," Lotten said dismissively. "Gatling Ogre's effect activates! By sending a Set card in my Spell & Trap Zone to the Graveyard, I can inflict 800 points of damage." His smirk widened. "And I can activate this effect as many times as I want."

Makoto's eyes widened. "W-What?!"

"I send all five cards to the Graveyard!" Gatling Ogre rotated its handle and started firing. Makoto screamed in pain as bullets rained down on him in a continuous hail. And when they finally stopped, his Duel Runner stopped as well.

Makoto Tanaka: 4000→3200→2400→1600→800→0 LP

"Uh… huh?" Melissa grunted in shock. The audience was likewise slack-jawed at the display. "T-The winner, with a one-turn-kill, is… Lotten?"

Yuji stared at the television. "A one-turn-kill strategy?" He grit his teeth. "A strategy like that will be very difficult to overcome…"

Crow, who was back in his room, grit his teeth. "Lotten…"

"Normally I'd cheer the defeat of a Tops," Shinji growled. "But at the hands of that man…"

In the Security center, Roger smiled to himself. "It looks like Lotten has agreed to play his role." His smile widened as he remembered something…

---

Gah! Get the hell off me! Do you have any idea who I am?!"

"I know exactly who you are, Mr. Lotten."

The man, restrained by two Security officers and surrounded by several others, looked up and gasped as Roger walked up to him.

"You have been the leader of the Commons' most notorious underworld group for the last three years," Roger said succinctly. "Ever since your brother Malcolm's most unfortunate passing. Since then, you have had a hand in pretty much every criminal enterprise that goes on in the Commons."

"The Security director?" Lotten said in surprise. He grit his teeth. "Hey, what is this? I thought we had a deal-!"

"Deal? What deal? I certainly don't recall making a deal with you."

"Don't joke with me! Your people agreed! I keep my people from going too far and give info on suspected people, and you leave me and mine alone! It's thanks to me that you caught that Kiryu bastard! And now you're arresting me?"

"Hmm. I do recall an arrangement similar to what you discuss. But the other party started getting too bold, started expanding to the Tops. I can't exactly have that, can I?"

Roger's smug smirk widened. "But, don't worry. This isn't a permanent arrest." Lotten gasped. "There is something I need from you. Something that, if you do it, will make me look the other way should you try such ventures again."

"…What do you want?"

---

"Hopefully, Lotten will play his part well." Roger looked over his shoulder at the hulking figure behind him. "Oh? Do you want to duel him? Well, that can be arranged for the finals, but for now, we'll need Lotten to root out the undesirables."

"W-Well, that was shocking, but the duel is over. And we have to move on. Yes, move on." Melissa cleared her throat. "With that out of the way, let us move on to the third duel of the day! This duel's opponents are… Kyosuke Kiryu and Duel Chaser 667!"

Yuji blinked. "Kiryu's dueling? Against a Duel Chaser?" He frowned. "667? Why does that number sound familiar?"

"So it's Kiryu's turn," Crow muttered. "Good luck, old friend."

"Now, entering the stadium first is Kyosuke Kiryu!" The blue-haired man himself entered, still wearing his shirt and trench coat, riding a silver and gray Duel Runner with an angular nose and raised back.

Crow's eyes widened. "That Duel Runner is-!"

"That bastard still kept it?" Shinji whispered, his own eyes wide.

"Oh, Yuji's new friend is up now," Dennis said, crossing his legs with a smile. "Well, he handled three officers before, so one this time shouldn't be an issue."

"And now his opponent! Give a warm welcome to Duel Chaser 667!" The Duel Chaser rode in on his Security Duel Runner.

"Is that the guy I beat?" Yugo wondered before shaking his head. "No, that guy's number was 227. Who's this 667 guy?"

Yuji blinked and then narrowed his eyes. "Wait. Now I remember. 667 was the one Crow dueled."

DC-667 smirked to himself. This is my chance! he thought. After I failed to catch those two criminals, I was fired. But now the Security director has given me another chance! Then he frowned. Even so, to have to face off against him?

"Looks like both duelists are ready!" Melissa said as Kiryu and DC-667 reached the starting line. "So let's get this-!"

"Wait!"

Melissa blinked as DC-667 interrupted her. "I have something I need to say!" he shouted. "Something everyone here needs to know!"

Yuji blinked. "What is he doing?"

"Oh?" Roger raised an eyebrow. "What are you up to, 667?"

"Hey, what are you doing?" Melissa complained. "We were just about to start the duel!"

"I know, but I cannot stay silent on this matter!" DC-667 continued. "I cannot stay silent while the most dangerous criminal in the City is right in front of me!"

"Most dangerous criminal?" "What does he mean?" "Now that I think about it, the name Kiryu…"

Crow narrowed his eyes. "Wait, is he going to…?"

"Three years ago, numerous Security stations across the City were bombed!" DC-667 declared. "Though no one lost their lives, many of my fellow officers, my friends and comrades, were severely injured. And the resulting panic that swept across the Tops and Commons gripped the entire City in fear! Fear of the one known as the Death God!"

Yuya, Sawatari, Serena, and Dennis all gasped.

"The one who did this most heinous crime was captured and imprisoned in the Facility's maximum-security wing! He was supposed to stay there for the rest of his life! And now I find out that he is right here in front of me!" He pointed dramatically at Kiryu, who simply raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Kyosuke Kiryu! The man responsible for the bombs, who tried to start a revolution! The so-called Death God himself!"

Excited, shocked, and terrified murmurs broke out among the crowd.

"N-No way," Yuya said in shock. "Kiryu bombed people? But… he's Yuji's friend. Yuji wouldn't make friends with someone like that, would he?"

It is impossible for any of you to understand me. That is why we cannot be friends.

Yuya's eyes widened as he remembered Yuji's words in the helicopter. Then he looked down in sadness. Did… Did Kiryu understand Yuji?

The crowd's murmurs turned into shouts, shouts of outrage and horror. And throughout it all, Kiryu just sat on his Duel Runner, looking ahead.

"Well?" DC-667 asked. "Don't you have anything to say, Death God? Will you attempt to deny the truth?!"

"No."

"You- what?"

Kiryu's single word had quieted the audience. He calmly looked at his opponent. "Denying the truth is foolish. Denying the past is even more so. Yes, I bombed Security. And yes, I was sent to the Facility for it."

"…And?" DC-667 asked through gritted teeth. "Do you have no regrets? Do you not feel ashamed of what you did?!"

"…Not really," Kiryu said, shocking his opponent. "Should I feel guilty for what was ultimately my choice? Do you feel guilty for any of the people you arrested?"

"Of course not! They were criminals and lawbreakers who deserved to be punished!"

"And how many actually deserved that? How many were arrested under false charges, or because someone just didn't like them?" Kiryu closed his eyes. "I am aware that what I did was wrong. Do I regret it? No. But I accept it. I accept that what I did was wrong. But your organization, your Security, perpetuates a system where its people blind themselves to the whims of one man."

Kiryu opened his eyes. "Hate me if you wish; you have that right. But don't lecture me on guilt or morality when Security has no leg to stand on."

DC-667 grit his teeth. "If that's how it's going to be, then I'll just arrest you here and now! Once I beat you, I'll take you back to the Facility myself!"

"W-Well, it looks like our duelists are fired up," Melissa said nervously. Then she looked at the calm, almost bored look on Kiryu's face. "Or… at least one of them is. Anyway, let's get things started! Action Field, on! Field Spell: Crossover Acceleration!"

"Duel mode, on. Auto-pilot, standby."

The countdown appeared in front of the two riders. "Turbo Duel! Acceleration!" The counter hit 0, and the two sped off.

"Duel!"

Kyosuke Kiryu: 4000 LP

Duel Chaser 667: 4000 LP

"I'll take the first corner, you bastard!" DC-667 declared.

Kiryu didn't respond. Instead, he sped up and took a slight lead that ended with taking the corner.

"And the first turn goes to Kyosuke Kiryu!"

"Tch."

"My turn! I summon Infernity Mirage!" A slightly transparent fiend in blue shaman's robes with a red feathered headdress appeared.

Infernity Mirage ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1

"I Set two cards. I end my turn."

DC-667 gasped. "That's it? A monster with 0 attack points in Attack Position?" He grinned smugly. "Then this will be easier than I thought! My turn! Draw!"

"Take down that criminal, Duel Chaser!"

"Beat that Security's ass, Kiryu!"

Yuji raised an eyebrow as the crowds became divided again. The Tops started cheering for DC-667 while the Commons cheered for Kiryu. Or rather, half of the Commons cheered for Kiryu. The other half seemed divided on who to cheer for.

"I summon Marauding Captain!" An armored blonde man with two swords appeared.

Marauding Captain ATK 1200 DEF 400 LVL: 3

"Marauding Captain's effect activates! When it is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower monster from my hand. Come, Jutte Fighter!" A short man in robes armed with a jutte appeared in Attack Position.

Jutte Fighter ATK 700 DEF 900 LVL: 2

"I tune Level 2 Jutte Fighter to Level 3 Marauding Captain! A chase to the ends of Hell! Behold! The soul of integrity! Synchro Summon! Come forth, Level 5! Goyo Chaser!" A man wearing voluminous red and black robes and armor appeared in Attack Position, armed with a particularly large jutte attached to a rope.

Goyo Chaser ATK 1900 DEF 1000 LVL: 5

"I activate the Equip Spell Card: Goyo Arrow and equip it to Goyo Chaser!" A six-mouthed cannon appeared in Goyo Chaser's hands. "Once per turn, Goyo Arrow can inflict damage equal to Goyo Chaser's Level times 100! Take this!" The cannon fired a burst of energy at Kiryu, whose Duel Runner wobbled.

Kyosuke Kiryu: 4000→3500 LP

"Duel Chaser 667 draws first blood!" Melisa commentated as the Tops cheered.

"Summoning a monster with 0 attack points. You really are arrogant," DC-667 mocked. "Now pay for that arrogance! Goyo Chaser attacks Infernity Mirage!" The monster spun his jutte and then threw it, but Kiryu gestured to his field.

"Continuous Trap activate! Depth Amulet! By discarding one card, your attack is negated!" Kiryu discarded as a barrier formed around Infernity Mirage, deflecting the jutte.

"What? Tch. I Set one card. I end my turn. But this isn't over! I'll win this duel and return you to the Facility, you scum!"

Kiryu just grunted. "My turn! Draw! Trap activate! Infernity Inferno! By discarding up to two cards, I can send the same number of 'Infernity' cards from my Deck to the Graveyard. I discard both cards in my hand to send Infernity Archfiend and Infernity Avenger to the Graveyard."

"Eh?" Melissa blinked. "Kiryu just discarded his entire hand! How is he going to do anything without any cards in his hand?"

Yuji smirked. "Don't underestimate Kiryu," Crow smugly said to himself. "He's the most dangerous when he has no cards in his hand."

Kiryu allowed his own small smirk to blossom. "Infernity Mirage's effect activates! Since I have no cards in my hand, I can Tribute it to Special Summon two 'Infernity' monsters from my Graveyard!"

"What?" DC-667 gasped.

"Resurrect, Infernity Archfiend and Infernity Destroyer!" Two fiends, one thin and wearing blue and green robes, the other large, brown-skinned, and wearing a blue vest; appeared in Attack Position.

Infernity Archfiend ATK 1800 DEF 1200 LVL: 4

Infernity Destroyer ATK 2300 DEF 1000 LVL: 6

"Archfiend's effect activates! When it is Special Summoned while I have no cards in my hand, I can add an 'Infernity' card from my Deck to my hand." Kiryu took the card, then played it. "I Set one card. Battle! Destroyer attacks Chaser!" The fiend charged and punched Goyo Chaser, destroying it and making DC-667 wince.

DC-667: 4000→3600 LP

"Destroyer's effect activates! When it destroys your monster and I have no cards in my hand, you take 1600 points of damage!" Destroyer lobbed blue flames at DC-667, who screamed in pain.

DC-667: 3600→2000 LP

"N-No way!" "He just wiped out half of his Life Points!" "That's how you do it, Kiryu!"

Crow smirked. "Kiryu's Handless Combo is still as deadly as ever."

"And now Archfiend attacks you directly!" The fiend raised its hand and shot orange flames at DC-667, who grit his teeth and gestured to his field.

"Trap activate! Spirit Force! Since I would take battle damage, that damage becomes 0. Then, I can add a Warrior Tuner monster with 1500 or less defense points from my Graveyard to my hand." The flames sizzled out as DC-667 returned Jutte Fighter to his hand.

Kiryu just grunted in response. "I end my turn."

"DC-667 gained an early lead, but now Kiryu has seized the advantage!"

DC-667 growled. "I won't lose to criminal scum like you! My turn! Draw! I summon Jutte Lord!" A man in green and gold robes covered by black armor wielding a jutte appeared.

Jutte Lord ATK 1600 DEF 1200 LVL: 4

"Jutte Lord's effect activates! When it is Normal or Special Summoned, I can Special Summon a 'Jutte' monster from my hand. Come, Jutte Fighter!" The small man reappeared in Attack Position.

Jutte Fighter ATK 700 DEF 900 LVL: 2

"I tune Level 2 Jutte Fighter to Level 4 Jutte Lord! You who bares the fangs of a wild beast, seize your prey! Synchro Summon! Level 6! Goyo Predator!" A monster in purple and green robes wielding a jutte in its right hand emerged from the light in Attack Position.

Goyo Predator ATK 2400 DEF 1200 LVL: 6

Yuji narrowed his eyes. "That's the monster he used against Crow…"

"I activate the Equip Spell Card: Goyo Halberd and equip it to Goyo Predator!" The monster's jutte disappeared and was replaced by a long spear with two prongs on the end. "While Predator is equipped with Halberd, you cannot activate cards or effects when it attacks, and when Predator destroys your monster, you take damage equal to that monster's Level times 200!" Kiryu narrowed his eyes. "I Set one card.

"Battle! Predator attacks Infernity Destroyer!" Predator spun his new spear, then charged Destroyer. He cut the fiend in half, making Kiryu's Duel Runner wobble.

Kyosuke Kiry: 3500→3400 LP

"And now Halberd's effect activates!" Predator lifted the spear and shot a bolt of lightning at Kiryu. The blast made his Duel Runner spin around, but he soon righted himself.

Kyosuke Kiryu: 3400→2200 LP

"And now the Duel Chaser has struck back, and Kiryu is the one on the defensive!"

"I activate the effect of the Tuner monster Infernity Avenger in my Graveyard!" Kiryu declared, surprising his opponent. "When my monster is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard while I have no cards in my hand, I can Special Summon Avenger!" A cowboy with a skeletal face appeared in Defense Position.

Infernity Avenger ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1

"In addition, Avenger's Level then becomes equal to Destroyer's Level!"

Infernity Avenger LVL: 1→6

"Tch. You aren't the only one who can bring out a monster! Goyo Predator's effect activates! When it destroys your monster by battle, I can Special Summon that monster!" The destroyed fiend reappeared, this time on DC-667's field in Attack Position.

Infernity Destroyer ATK 2300 DEF 1000 LVL: 6

"You have no cards in your hand to use for Depth Amulet, I have no cards in my hand, and your Archfiend has 1800 attack points," DC-667 stated. "With Destroyer's effect, you'll only have 100 Life Points left! Destroyer attacks Archfiend!" The fiend charged the lesser fiend, but Kiryu just gestured to his field.

"Trap activate! Infernity Force! When you attack my 'Infernity' monster and I have no cards in my hand, your monster is destroyed!" Destroyer shattered at Kiryu's words to DC-667's shock. "Then, I can Special Summon an 'Infernity' monster from my Graveyard. Resurrect, Infernity Dwarf!" A short gray-skinned man in a prospector's uniform armed with an axe appeared in Attack Position.

Infernity Dwarf ATK 800 DEF 500 LVL: 2

Yuji smirked. "The same trick he used on me," he muttered.

"Tch. I end my turn."

Go crossed his arms with a frown. "Kiryu's past actions aside, he is a good duelist. While he didn't avoid damage, he managed to turn it to his advantage and set up a perfect field for a Synchro Summon." His frown deepened. "But his demeanor throughout the duel… it reminds me of Jack Atlas's."

"My turn! Draw!" Kiryu looked at his card. "I Set one card." Then he turned back to look at DC-667. "You showed some decent moves, but you're unable to give me satisfaction. Because of that, I'll end this duel right now."

"What?"

"I tune Level 6 Infernity Avenger to Level 2 Infernity Dwarf! The dead and the living… The moment they meet at zero, the demonic dragon will be released from the cage of eternity! Synchro Summon! Come forth, Infernity Doom Dragon!" A large black dragon with tattered wings, two claws on each hand, and yellow spines on its head emerged from the light in Attack Position and roared.

Infernity Doom Dragon ATK 3000 DEF 2400 LVL: 8

"Oh! Kiryu has brought out a Level 8 Synchro Monster!"

"3000 attack points?" DC-667 said in surprise.

"Its attack points aren't what should worry you." Kiryu gestured to his monster. "Doom Dragon's effect activates! Once per turn, when I have no cards in my hand, I can destroy a monster you control and inflict damage equal to half of its attack points!" His opponent gasped. "Infernity Death Breath!" The dragon breathed blue flames at Goyo Predator, who cried out in pain as it was destroyed. DC-667 cried out in similar pain as his Duel Runner was sent spinning.

DC-667: 2000→800 LP

DC-667 righted himself. "Damn it!"

"This duel is over. Battle! Archfiend attacks directly!" The thin fiend charged DC-667, who grit his teeth. Then he gasped on noticing something. He sped up, passing Kiryu, who raised an eyebrow.

DC-667 reached down and grabbed an Action Card. "Yes! Action Spell Card: Evasion! The attack is negated!" Archfiend overshot, leaving the Duel Chaser unharmed.

"Hmm. Doom Dragon cannot attack the turn its effect is activated. I end my turn."

DC-667 growled to himself. "I can't lose here. If I lose here, there won't be another second chance. To reclaim my rightful position, and to punish this most heinous criminal, I must win! My turn! Draw!"

He smirked when he saw what his card was. "Trap activate! Descending Lost Star! This lets me Special Summon a Synchro Monster from my Graveyard in Defense Position. However, its effects are negated, its Level is reduced by one, and its defense points become 0. Resurrect, Goyo Predator!" The robed monster reappeared.

Goyo Predator ATK 2400 DEF 1200→0 LVL: 6→5

"I summon Torapart!" Two clowns attached to a disc appeared.

Torapart ATK 600 DEF 600 LVL: 2

"I tune Level 2 Torapart to Level 5 Goyo Predator! Let authority rest in your blade and bring an end to all crimes! Synchro Summon! Come forth, Level 7! Goyo Samurai!" The monster that emerged from the light wore a light green tunic and pants covered by dark purple armor. Like the other Goyo monsters, it wore kabuki face paint, and its black hair was in the shape of a topknot. The katana it unsheathed from its left hip gleamed in the light as the monster posed in Attack Position.

Goyo Samurai ATK 2500 DEF 2000 LVL: 7

Crow frowned. "That's not a Goyo monster I've seen before…"

"Goyo Samurai's effect activates! When it is Synchro Summoned, I can increase its attack points by half the attack points of a 'Goyo' monster in my Graveyard until the end of the turn. I give half of Predator's attack points to Goyo Samurai!"

Goyo Samurai ATK 2500→3700

Kiryu frowned. "And since Torapart was used to Synchro Summon it, I cannot activate any Trap Cards."

"That's right! This is the end of the line for you! Battle! Samurai attacks Doom Dragon!" Lightning danced across the swordsman's blade as he charged the dragon. He swung downward, cutting the monster in half and destroying it. Kiryu's Duel Runner wobbled and the man himself grimaced from the attack.

Kyosuke Kiryu: 2200→1500 LP

"Samurai's additional effect activates! When it destroys your monster by battle, that monster is Special Summoned to my field!" Kiryu's Synchro Monster reappeared on DC-667's field in Attack Position.

Infernity Doom Dragon ATK 3000 DEF 2400 LVL: 8

"Samurai's effect then allows it to attack again!" Kiryu's eyes narrowed. "This is the end, you criminal filth! Samurai attacks Infernity Archfiend!" The monster charged the fiend, but Kiryu only moved his Duel Runner so he was driving along the wall.

He reached out, calmly as always, and took an Action Card. "Action Spell Card: Take Flight! Archfiend gains 600 attack points until the end of the Battle Phase."

Infernity Archfiend ATK 1800→2400

"That's not enough!" Samurai cut Archfiend in half, destroying it and making Kiryu's Duel Runner spin back onto the course.

Kyosuke Kiryu: 1500→200 LP

DC-667 growled as Kiryu righted himself. "Goyo Samurai's effect can only be used once per turn. Even so, you'll still lose! And at the hands of your own monster! Doom Dragon attacks you directly!" The dragon blasted Kiryu with blue flames, but he just gestured to his field.

"Trap activate! Battle Break! This destroys your monster and ends the Battle Phase!" Doom Dragon shattered as DC-667 gasped.

"Kiryu managed to last the turn, but things aren't looking well for him!" Melissa commentated.

Crow frowned. "Kiryu's gotten out of tougher spots than this. But that Samurai's a tricky monster."

"Come on, Kiryu," Shinji muttered. "Defeat that Duel Chaser. Prove that the Commons can resist their 'authority.'"

"I end my turn," DC-667 said reluctantly. "During the End Phase, Goyo Samurai's attack points return to normal."

Goyo Samurai ATK 3700→2500

"And since it is your third End Phase after its activation, Depth Amulet's effect destroys itself as well," Kiryu informed him. Said card disintegrated at his words.

"Hmm." The Duel Chaser glared back at Kiryu. "You may have survived this turn, criminal, but on my next turn, you'll be finished!"

Kiryu ignored the Duel Chaser. "My turn! Draw!" He looked at his card, then placed his hand on his chest. He closed his eyes. Like I thought. There will be no satisfaction in this duel.

He opened his eyes and looked up at a certain balcony. For a brief moment, he locked eyes with Jack Atlas. Two stoic masks stared back at each other, though Kiryu allowed a brief smirk to cross his face before the moment broke.

"I suppose there will only be two people in this tournament who can give me what I want," he mused aloud. "So if I'm going to get to them, I'll have to end this. I summon Infernity Phantom!" A fiend with blue skin, wearing a massive orange robe over its body, exposing only two blue arms at its sides, appeared.

Infernity Phantom ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 2

"Phantom's effect activates! When it is Normal Summoned and I have no cards in my hand or control other monsters, I can Special Summon an 'Infernity' monster from my Graveyard with its effects negated. Resurrect, Destroyer!" The larger brown-skinned fiend reappeared in Attack Position.

Infernity Destroyer ATK 2300 DEF 1000 LVL: 6

"I tune Level 2 Phantom to Level 6 Destroyer!" Kiryu allowed another smirk to cross his face. "And when I use Infernity Phantom to Synchro Summon, I can Synchro Summon from the Graveyard!"

DC-667 and Melissa both gasped. "What?!" "From the Graveyard?! But that's-!"

"The dead and the living… The moment they meet at zero, the demonic dragon will be released from the cage of eternity! Phantom Synchro! Come forth, Infernity Doom Dragon!" The large black dragon with thin wings and yellow spines atop its head reappeared and roared in Attack Position.

Infernity Doom Dragon ATK 3000 DEF 2400 LVL: 8

"P-Phantom Synchro?" DC-667 gasped. "This is the same power Crow Hogan had! How do you have it too?!"

"I am the one who created Phantom Synchro," Kiryu revealed. "And the one who taught it to Crow." The aforementioned young man smirked to himself in his room.

"What? You created it?!"

"Just as a God of Death never truly dies, neither do my monsters!" Kiryu's eyes narrowed. "Doom Dragon's effect activates! I'll destroy Goyo Samurai! Infernity Death Breath!" The dragon shot blue flames at the swordsman.

Panicking, the officer looked over the course. "T-There has to be-!" He gasped. "There!" He sped up and leaned over, grabbing the Action Card. "Action Spell Card-!" He gasped again.

The card was Evasion.

The blue flames struck, destroying the Synchro Monster before going onward and consuming DC-667. He screamed in pain before his Duel Runner stopped.

DC-667: 800→0 LP

"And the winner is Kyosuke Kiryu!" Melissa cheered. Though only half of the audience cheered with her. The other half were rather worryingly muttering amongst themselves.

Crow smiled. "Good job, Kiryu!"

Shinji nodded. "Always good to see a Duel Chaser humiliated like that."

Roger frowned to himself. "Well, it seems 667 failed again. No matter; 227 should be able to pick up the slack." His frown morphed into a smile. "Though I suppose a little aid from me would not be unwarranted."

---

Kiryu stopped at the pits and took his helmet off with a sigh. "So disappointing," he muttered, standing up from his Duel Runner. "I didn't get any satisfaction from that win."

"Hurry! Hurry! Yes, I know he's scary, but when am I going to get an opportunity like this?! Just hold the camera! E-Excuse me, Mr. Kiryu!"

Kiryu turned and raised an eyebrow at Melissa, who had raced down from the commentator's booth, followed by a rather haggard looking cameraman. She gulped nervously as he stared at her.

"I-Is what the former Duel Chaser 667 true?" she asked, panting slightly. "Are you really the one who bombed Security three years ago?"

Kiryu looked from her to the camera, then back at her and nodded. "Yes, that was me."

"W-Why?" Melissa asked. "Why would you attack Security?"

Kiryu frowned in thought, then sighed. "Because there was something I wished to achieve."

"Eh?" Melissa blinked. "To achieve? Then was what DC-667 true? Did you try to start a revolution?"

"I did not," Kiryu shook his head. "I do not care about the tensions between Commons and Tops. What I hoped to achieve was personal. Sadly, I failed, and attacking Security was ultimately pointless."

"Oh. Do you regret it?"

Kiryu raised an eyebrow again. "Do I regret that I failed, or do I regret that I attacked Security in the first place?"

"Uh, either one?"

"Hmm. To the first one, yes, I regret failing my goal. My actions ended up pointless and I separated myself from those who called me a friend. I will regret the pain I caused them to the end of my days."

"Kiryu…" Crow muttered. In his own room, Shinji frowned to himself.

"But if you are asking if I regret my actions themselves… then no, I do not regret them."

"Eh?" Melissa gasped in surprise. "You… don't regret fighting Security?"

"The action itself? No, I do not."

"But why? It got you arrested, didn't it?"

"Indeed. I spent the last three years in the Facility because of those actions. But I do not regret performing them myself." Kiryu frowned seriously. "Whenever a person takes action, they must be willing to live with the consequences of that action. When you make a choice, you do not know who that choice will affect, or how other people will react to it. To spend time in regret, to feel guilty about what you did, is to deny responsibility."

Kiryu looked up at the crowds. "I do not regret my actions. But nor do I take pride in them. I merely accept them for what they were, and I accept my reasons for those actions. To do anything else would be an insult to myself. Because in the end, we must all take responsibility for our actions."

"…Those are very deep words right there," Melissa said, a hint of awe in her voice. "Still, there's no denying your actions increased tensions between the Commons and Tops. Do you support what Shinji said earlier?"

"I do not." Kiryu shook his head. "Because his argument is based on hatred and ignores a very simple truth: That the only difference between the Commons and the Tops is money."

"What?" Shinji blinked.

"The only difference is money?" Melissa repeated. "What do you mean by that?"

Kiryu closed his eyes and folded his arms. "What I mean is that the Tops and Commons have the same mentality. The same beliefs, the same morals; the belief that life is filled with winners and losers."

His frown deepened. "If what Shinji wants comes to pass, then nothing will change. People will still be oppressed. Those on top will still hold their wealth over the heads of others. The only difference will be who is on top. That won't stop children from crying in fear or hunger. That won't stop the cruelty of others."

"Cruelty of others?" Melissa repeated. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that the Commons are just as cruel to other Commons as the Tops are towards them," Kiryu explained. "I was an orphan, and I grew up in an orphanage. That story isn't anything new; perhaps about half the Commons are orphans, either because their parents died or were arrested. But the place I ended up in was a cut above most other orphanages."

A small sad smile crossed his face. "The matron was a woman named Martha, and she was the kindest soul I'd ever met. She never hated the Tops or resented her lot in life; she accepted it and worked to improve it, both for herself and for her kids. And while there were several children there, there were two who were my best friends. We did everything together. We played together, ate together, dueled together. One of my friends in particular was a prodigy. He was able to take cards that others considered trash and bring out game-winning strategies in seconds. Even as a child, he was a cut above the rest; me and my other friend never managed to beat him."

Kiryu opened his eyes as his look turned downcast. "It was a good life. We were not wealthy, but we had enough money for food, and we had each other. I truly believed that would be enough. So it was only natural that things would come crashing down. One day, a fire burned down the orphanage."

Numerous people in the crowd gasped at Kiryu's words. In his own room, Yuji's eyes widened. "A fire…?"

"A fire? That's horrible."

Kiryu nodded. "Most of the children had been taken on a field trip of sorts by a friend of Martha's. But me and my friend, the genius duelist, we had stayed behind. The two of us and Martha were trapped in that blaze, unable to escape. To protect us, Martha covered us with her own body. But it wasn't enough. When the fire was finally put out, they found me underneath the bodies of my mother and my friend."

"K-Kiryu," Crow muttered. In their own rooms, everyone kept a solemn silence.

"I'm… For what it's worth, I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"Thank you. But your sorrow is unnecessary." Kiryu smiled, softly and sadly. "I became an urchin, living off the streets until I made some new friends. As for my other friend, the one who wasn't there that day, I never saw him in person again. I did hear a few things about him, and I'm glad he moved on. But I never could. I got into fights and duels, and eventually, I fought Security and was arrested. And it was while in the Facility that I learned the truth of the fire."

"The truth?" Melissa repeated. "What do you mean?"

"The fire wasn't an accident," Kiryu revealed, his smile turning into a hard frown. "A few weeks before the fire, a few Tops had decided to do some charity work for the Commons. They decided to provide funds for Martha's orphanage so that we kids could have a better future. But there were other Commons who resented Martha's good fortune. Others who wished for the money themselves or who just hated her for being blessed when they weren't. So when most of the kids were away, a group of Commons burned the orphanage down with Martha inside!"

Shocked gasps and shouts spread throughout the arena at Kiryu's revelations. "W-What?" Shinji's eyes widened. "N-No, that has to be a lie! There's no way a Commons would…"

"I learned the truth myself in the Facility," Kiryu said. "The perpetrators of that fire had been caught by Security, though not for the crime of arson. They had all been caught on other charges. And now, those men will never leave the Facility again." He turned back to Melissa, who was staring at him with wide eyes.

"You asked me if I supported Shinji's revolution. The answer is no. Because I know the truth: the Commons are just as rotten as the Tops. If he succeeds, then it will just be more of the same. People undermining those more successful than them out of jealousy, and children crying because they don't understand how cruel the world really is."

Kiryu smiled again. "I'm not here for a rebellion, or for a political statement. I'm here for just two things. To see an old friend again, and to find satisfaction." He turned away from Melissa and headed towards the elevator that would lead to the Duel Palace.

Crow grit his teeth. "Damn it, Kiryu. Why did you have to tell that story here?"

"It's as I thought," Go growled. "The Commons and Tops; they really aren't that different. And it's the children who pay the price of their hatred."

Yuji frowned to himself and looked down at his hands. "Satisfaction, huh?" he muttered.

---

Crow Hogan vs. Lua

At the start of the Duel, the Field Spell Card Crossover Acceleration is activated, as per the rules of an Action Duel and a Turbo Duel. It will allow the players to use Action Cards, but they may only have one in their hand at a time.

Turn 1: Lua

Lua Normal Summons Morphtronic Celfon (100/100/1). As Celfon is in Attack Position, Lua activates its effect to roll a 6-sided die, then reveal cards from the top of his Deck equal to the roll and Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Morphtronic" monster among them, ignoring their summoning conditions. He rolls a 3, and reveals Morphtronic Magnen, which he Special Summons in Defense Position (800/800/3). Lua Sets 2 cards. He ends his turn.

Turn 2: Crow

Crow draws. As he controls no cards, he Special Summons Blackwing – Gust the Backblast (900/1400/2) in Attack Position. As Crow Special Summoned a monster, Lua activates his Set Trap Card Triggered Summon, which lets each player Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower monster from their hands. Lua Special Summons a 2nd Morphtronic Magnen (800/800/3) in Defense Position and Crow Special Summons Blackwing – Harmattan the Dust (800/800/2) in Attack Position. As Lua controls 2 Morphtronic Magnens in Defense Position, Crow cannot attack. Since Harmattan the Dust was Special Summoned, Crow can increase its Level by that of another "Blackwing" monster Crow controls. He increases Harmattan the Dust's Level by Gust the Backblast's Level (Harmattan the Dust: 2→4). As Crow controls a "Blackwing" monster, he Special Summons Blackwing – Oroshi the Squall (400/600/1) in Attack Position. Crow tunes Level 1 Oroshi the Squall to Level 2 Gust the Backblast and Level 4 Harmattan the Dust to Synchro Summon Assault Blackwing – Raikiri the Rain Shower (2600/2000/7) in Attack Position. As Oroshi the Squall was sent to the GY as Synchro Material, Crow can change the battle position of 1 monster on the field. He changes one of Lua's Magnens to Attack Position. Crow Normal Summons Blackwing – Blizzard the Far North (1300/0/2). Since Blizzard the Far North was Normal Summoned, Crow can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Blackwing" monster from his GY in Defense Position. He Special Summons Harmattan the Dust (800/800/2). As Harmattan the Dust was Special Summoned, its effect activates, and Crow targets Blizzard the Far North (Harmattan the Dust: 2→4). Crow tunes Level 2 Blizzard the Far North to Level 4 Harmattan the Dust to Synchro Summon Blackwing – Nothung the Starlight (2400/1600/6) in Attack Position. As Nothung the Starlight was Special Summoned, Crow inflicts 800 damage to Lua, then 1 of his monsters loses 800 ATK/DEF. Crow targets Celfon (Lua: 4000→3200 LP) (Celfon: 100→0/100→0). Crow activates Raikiri's effect, destroying cards Lua controls up to the number of "Blackwing" monsters Crow controls. Crow destroys both Magnens.

Raikiri attacks Celfon. Lua activates his Set Continuous Trap Card Morphtronic Bind. While he controls a face-up "Morphtronic" monster, Level 4 or higher monsters Crow controls cannot attack or change their battle positions. Crow ends his turn.

Turn 3: Lua

Lua draws. He activates the Spell Card Machine Duplication, targeting Celfon. He Special Summons 2 copies of Celfon (100/100/1) from his Deck, 1 in Attack Position and the other in Defense Position. Lua activates the effect of the Defense Position Celfon, which lets him roll a die, then look at cards on the top of his Deck equal to the result and return them in the same order. He rolls a 4, looks at 4 cards, then returns them. Lua activates the effect of 1 Attack Position Celfon, rolling a die. The result is 2, so Lua picks up 2 cards. He reveals and Special Summons Morphtronic Slingen (1200/800/4) in Attack Position. Lua activates the effect of the 2nd Attack Position Celfon, rolling a die. The result is 3, so he picks up 3 cards. He reveals and Special Summons Morphtronic Remoten (300/1200/3) in Attack Position. Lua activates the effect of the Attack Position Slingen, Tributing 1 Attack Position Celfon to destroy 1 card on the field. He targets and destroys Raikiri. Lua activates the effect of the Attack Position Remoten, which lets him banish 1 "Morphtronic" monster from his GY to add 1 "Morphtronic" monster with the same Level from his Deck to his hand. He banishes the Level 1 Celfon to add the Level 1 Morphtronic Smartfon to his hand. Lua activates the effect of Smartfon in his hand, banishing Magnen from his GY to Special Summon it (100/100/1) in Attack Position. Lua activates the Attack Position Smartfon's effect, which lets him roll a die, excavate a number of cards equal to the result, then add 1 excavated "Morphtronic" card among them to his hand. He rolls a 4, picks up 4 cards, then adds Morphtronic Revenge to his hand. Lua tunes Level 3 Remoten to Level 4 Slingen to Synchro Summon Power Tool Mecha Dragon (2300/2500/7) in Attack Position. Lua activates the Equip Spell Card Power Pickaxe, equipping it to Power Tool Mecha Dragon. As an Equip Spell Card was equipped to Power Tool Mecha Dragon, Lua draws 1 card. He activates the Spell Card Level Mirroring, which lets him change the Level of 1 monster he controls to the Level of a monster Crow controls. He changes Smartfon's Level to Nothung's Level (Smartfon: 1→6). Lua tunes Level 6 Smartfon to Level 1 Celfon to Synchro Summon Power Tool Dragon (2300/2500/7) in Attack Position. He activates Power Tool Dragon's effect, revealing 3 Equip Spell Cards from his Deck, then have Crow randomly add 1 of them to Lua's hand while the rest are shuffled to his Deck. Lua reveals Double Tool C&D, Rocket Pilder, and Break! Draw!. Crow adds Double Tool C&D to Lua's hand. Lua activates the Equip Spell Card Double Tool C&D, equipping it to Power Tool Dragon. During Lua's turn, Power Tool Dragon gains 1000 ATK (Power Tool: 2300→3300). Lua activates Power Pickaxe's effect, banishing Raikiri the Rain Shower from Crow's GY.

Power Tool Mecha Dragon attacks Nothung. As the equipped monster is battling, Power Pickaxe's effect increases Power Tool Mecha Dragon's ATK by half of the banished Raikiri's ATK during the Damage Step (Power Tool Mecha Dragon: 2300→3600). The attack continues and Nothung is destroyed (Crow: 4000→2800 LP) (Power Tool Mecha Dragon: 3600→2300). Power Tool Dragon attacks Crow directly. Crow finds and activates the Action Spell Card Sacred Gem, which increases his LP by 600 (Crow: 2800→3400 LP). The attack continues (Crow: 3400→100 LP). Lua Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

Turn 4: Crow

Crow draws. During Crow's turn, Double Tool C&D's effect changes (Power Tool: 3300→2300), and Crow cannot attack Lua's monsters except Power Tool. Crow activates the Quick-Play Spell card Burial from a Different Dimension, which lets him return up to 3 banished monsters to the GY. He returns Raikiri to his GY. As he controls no monsters, Crow Special Summons Blackwing – Gofu the Vague Shadow (0/0/5) in Attack Position. As Gofu the Vague Shadow was Special Summoned, Crow Special Summons 2 Vague Shadow Tokens (0/0/1 each) in Attack Position. If Crow would Synchro Summon using Gofu the Vague Shadow, the Synchro Monster can be in the GY. Crow tunes Level 5 Gofu to the two Level 1 Vague Shadow Tokens to Phantom Synchro Summon Raikiri the Rain Shower (2600/2000/7) from his GY in Attack Position. Crow activates the Spell Card Synchro Treasure, which lets him draw 1 card for each Synchro Monster on the field. He draws 3 cards. As the only monster he controls is a "Blackwing" monster, Crow Special Summons Blackwing – Gladius the Midnight Sun (800/1500/3) in Attack Position. Crow Normal Summons Blackwing – Kochi the Daybreak (700/1500/4). He activates Raikiri the Rain Shower's effect, targeting Morphtronic Bind, Power Tool Dragon, and Power Tool Mecha Dragon. As it would be destroyed, Lua activates Power Tool Dragon's effect, sending Double Tool C&D to the GY instead. Morphtronic Bind and Power Tool Mecha Dragon are destroyed. Crow tunes Level 4 Kochi the Daybreak to Level 3 Gladius the Midnight Sun to Synchro Summon Blackwing Tamer – Obsidian Hawk Joe (2600/2000/7) in Attack Position. Crow activates Obsidian Hawk Joe's effect to Special Summon 1 Level 5 or higher Winged Beast monster from his GY. He Special Summons Nothung the Starlight (2400/1600/6) in Attack Position. As Nothung the Starlight was Special Summoned, Crow inflicts 800 damage and lowers Power Tool Dragon's ATK/DEF by 800 (Lua: 3200→2400 LP) (Power Tool: 2300→1500/2500→1700).

Nothung attacks and destroys Power Tool Dragon (Lua: 2400→1500 LP). Raikiri attacks and destroys Celfon. As his "Morphtronic" monster was destroyed by battle, Lua activates his Set Trap Card Morphtronic Revenge, which lets him target and destroy 1 monster Crow controls. He targets Obsidian Hawk Joe. Since Obsidian Hawk Hoe was targeted by a card effect, Crow activates its effect to target 1 other "Blackwing" monster that would make an appropriate target. He targets Nothung. Nothung is destroyed. Obsidian Hawk Joe attacks Lua directly (Lua: 1500→0 LP). Crow wins.

---

Lotten vs. Makoto Tanaka

At the start of the Duel, the Field Spell Card Crossover Acceleration is activated, as per the rules of an Action Duel and a Turbo Duel. It will allow the players to use Action Cards, but they may only have one in their hand at a time.

Turn 1: Makoto Tanaka

Makoto activates the Field Spell Card Temple of the Six. Each time a "Six Samurai" monster is Normal or Special Summoned, Makoto places 1 Bushido Counter on it, and Lotten's monsters lose 100 ATK for each Bushido Counter on it. Makoto activates the Spell Card Shien's Smoke Signal, which lets him add 1 Level 3 or lower "Six Samurai" monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Secret Six Samurai – Genba from his Deck to his hand. Makoto Normal Summons Legendary Six Samurai – Kageki (200/2000/3) (Temple of the Six: 0 BC→1 BC). As Kageki was Normal Summoned, Makoto can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Six Samurai" monster from his hand. He Special Summons Secret Six Samurai – Genba (500/2100/2) in Defense Position (Temple of the Six: 1 BC→2 BC). As Makoto controls a "Six Samurai" monster with a different name, Kageki gains 1500 ATK (Kageki: 200→1700). As Makoto controls 2 face-up "Six Samurai" monsters, he Special Summons Great Shogun Shien (2500/2400/7) in Attack Position. Makoto tunes Level 2 Genba to Level 3 Kageki to Synchro Summon Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En (2500/1400/5) in Attack Position (Temple of the Six: 2 BC→3 BC). Makoto Sets 1 card (Swift Samurai Storm). He ends his turn.

Turn 2: Lotten

Lotten draws. He Sets 5 cards. He Normal Summons Gatling Ogre (800→500/800/3). By sending 1 Set card in his Spell & Trap Zone to the GY, Lotten can inflict 800 damage to Makoto. He activates Gatling Ogre's effect 5 times to send all of his Set Spell/Trap Cards to the GY (Makoto: 4000→3200→2400→1600→800→0 LP). Lotten wins.

---

Kyosuke Kiryu vs. Duel Chaser 667

At the start of the Duel, the Field Spell Card Crossover Acceleration is activated, as per the rules of an Action Duel and a Turbo Duel. It will allow the players to use Action Cards, but they may only have one in their hand at a time.

Turn 1: Kyosuke Kiryu

Kyosuke Normal Summons Infernity Mirage (0/0/1). He Sets 2 cards. He ends his turn.

Turn 2: DC-667

DC-667 draws. He Normal Summons Marauding Captain (1200/400/3). As Marauding Captain was Normal Summoned, DC-667 can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower monster from his hand. He Special Summons Jutte Fighter (700/900/2) in Attack Position. DC-667 tunes Level 2 Jutte Fighter to level 3 Marauding Captain to Synchro Summon Goyo Chaser (1900/1000/5) in Attack Position. DC-667 activates the Equip Spell Card Goyo Arrow, equipping it to Chaser. He activates Goyo Arrow's effect, inflicting damage to Kyosuke equal to Chaser's Level x 100 (Kyosuke: 4000→3500 LP).

Chaser attacks Mirage. Kyosuke activates his Set Continuous Trap Card Depth Amulet, which lets him discard 1 card to negate the attack. He discards Infernity Destroyer. DC-667 Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

Turn 3: Kyosuke Kiryu

Kyosuke draws. He activates his Set Trap Card Infernity Inferno, which lets him discard up to 2 cards, then send the same number of "Infernity" cards from his Deck to the GY. He discards Phantom Hand and Infernity Dwarf to send Infernity Archfiend and Infernity Avenger to the GY. As he has no cards in his hand, Kyosuke activates Mirage's effect, Tributing it to Special Summon 2 "Infernity" monsters from his GY. He Special Summons Infernity Archfiend (1800/1200/4) and Infernity Destroyer (2300/1000/6) in Attack Position. As Archfiend was Special Summoned, Kyosuke can add 1 "Infernity" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Infernity Force, which he then Sets.

Destroyer attacks and destroys Chaser (DC-667: 4000→3600 LP). As Destroyer destroyed DC-667's monster while Kyosuke has no cards in his hand, he can inflict 1600 damage to DC-667 (DC-667: 3600→2000 LP). Archfiend attacks DC-667 directly. DC-667 activates his Set Trap Card Spirit Force, which makes the battle damage 0, then lets him add 1 Warrior Tuner monster with 1500 or less DEF from his GY to his hand. He adds Jutte Fighter to his hand. Kyosuke ends his turn.

Turn 4: DC-667

DC-667 draws. He Normal Summons Jutte Lord (1600/1200/4). As Jutte Lord was Normal Summoned, DC-667 can Special Summon 1 "Jutte" monster from his hand. He Special Summons Jutte Fighter (700/900/2) in Attack Position. DC-667 tunes Level 2 Jutte Fighter to Level 4 Jutte Lord to Synchro Summon Goyo Predator (2400/1200/6) in Attack Position. DC-667 activates the Equip Spell Card Goyo Halberd, equipping it to Predator. When the equipped monster attacks, Kyosuke can't activate cards or effects until the end of the Damage Step, and when the equipped monster destroys a monster, Kyosuke takes damage equal to that monster's Level x 200. DC-667 Sets 1 card.

Predator attacks and destroys Destroyer (Kyosuke: 3500→3400 LP). Halberd's effect activates (Kyosuke: 3400→2200 LP). As Kyosuke's "Infernity" monster was destroyed by battle and sent to the GY while Kyosuke has no cards in his hand, he activates Avenger's effect in his GY, Special Summoning it in Defense Position and making its Level equal to Destroyer's Level (0/0/1→6). As Predator destroyed Kyosuke's monster, DC-667 can Special Summon that monster to his field (2300/1000/6) in Attack Position. Destroyer attacks Archfiend. As an "Infernity" monster was attacked while he has no cards in his hand, Kyosuke activates his Set Trap Card Infernity Force, which destroys the attacking Destroyer and lets Kyosuke Special Summon 1 "Infernity" monster from his GY. He Special Summons Infernity Dwarf (800/500/2) in Attack Position. DC-667 ends his turn.

Turn 5: Kyosuke Kiryu

Kyosuke draws. He Sets 1 card. He tunes Level 6 Avenger to Level 2 Dwarf to Synchro Summon Infernity Doom Dragon (3000/2400/8) in Attack Position. As he has no cards in his hand, Kyosuke activates Doom Dragon's effect to destroy 1 monster DC-667 controls and inflict damage to him equal to half that monster's ATK, but Doom Dragon cannot attack during the Battle Phase. He destroys Predator (DC-667: 2000→800 LP).

Archfiend attacks DC-667 directly. DC-667 finds and activates the Action Spell Card Evasion, negating the attack. Kyosuke ends his turn.

Turn 6: DC-667

DC-667 draws. He activates his Set Trap Card Descending Lost Star, which lets him Special Summon 1 Synchro Monster from his GY in Defense Position with its effects negated, its Level reduced by 0, and its DEF becomes 0. He Special Summons Predator (2400/1200→0/6→5). DC-667 Normal Summons Torapart (600/600/2). DC-667 tunes Level 2 Torapart to Level 5 Predator to Synchro Summon Goyo Samurai (2500/2000/7) in Attack Position. As Samurai was Synchro Summoned, DC-667 can target 1 "Goyo" monster in his GY and increase Samurai's ATK by half of that monster's ATK until the end of the turn. He targets Predator (Samurai: 2500→3700).

Samurai attacks Doom Dragon. As Samurai was Synchro Summoned using Torapart, Kyosuke cannot activate Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step. Doom Dragon is destroyed (Kyosuke: 2200→1500 LP). As Samurai destroyed a monster by battle, that monster is Special Summoned to DC-667's field in Attack Position (3000/2400/8) and Samurai can attack again in a row. Samurai attacks Archfiend. Kyosuke finds and activates the Action Spell Card Take Flight, which increases Archfiend's ATK by 600 until the end of the turn (Archfiend: 1800→2400). The attack continues and Archfiend is destroyed (Kyosuke: 1500→200 LP). Doom Dragon attacks Kyosuke directly, but Kyosuke activates his Set Trap Card Battle Break, which destroys the attacking Doom Dragon and ends the Battle Phase. DC-667 ends his turn, and Samurai's effect ends (Samurai: 3700→2500). During the End Phase, Depth Amulet's effect destroys itself.

Turn 7: Kyosuke Kiryu

Kyosuke draws. He Normal Summons Infernity Phantom (0/0/2). As Phantom was Normal Summoned while Kyosuke has no cards in his hand and he controls no other monsters, Kyosuke can Special Summon 1 "Infernity" monster from his GY with its effects negated. He Special Summons Destroyer (2300/1000/6) in Attack Position. If Kyosuke would Synchro Summon using Phantom, the Synchro Monster can be in the GY. Kyosuke tunes Level 2 Phantom to Level 6 Destroyer to Phantom Synchro Summon Infernity Doom Dragon (3000/2400/8) from the GY in Attack Position. Kyosuke activates Doom Dragon's effect, targeting Samurai. DC-667 finds the Action Spell Card Evasion. Doom Dragon's effect resolves, and Samurai is destroyed (DC-667: 800→0 LP). Kyosuke wins.

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Goyo Samurai
Attribute: EARTH Type: [Warrior/Synchro/Effect] ATK 2500 DEF 2000 Level: 7
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner "Goyo" monsters
When this card is Synchro Summoned: You can target 1 "Goyo" monster in your GY; until the end of the turn, this card gains ATK equal to half of that monster's ATK. If this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle: You can Special Summon that monster to your field, also this card can attack twice in a row. You can only activate this effect of "Goyo Samurai" once per turn.

Infernity Phantom
Attribute: DARK Type: [Fiend/Tuner] ATK 0 DEF 0 Level: 2
When this card is Normal Summoned while you have no cards in your hand and control no other monsters: You can target 1 "Infernity" monster in your GY; Special Summon it with its effects negated. If this card is used as a Synchro Material, the Summoned Synchro Monster can be in the GY. Cannot be used as a Synchro Material, except for the Synchro Summon of a Synchro Monster in your GY. If a Synchro Monster that used this card as a Synchro Material would leave the field, return it to the Extra Deck instead.

Sacred Gem Action Spell Card
You gain 600 Life Points.

Synchro Treasure
Draw 1 card for each face-up Synchro Monster on the field. You cannot add cards from the Deck to your hand for the rest of this turn after this card resolves.

Morphtronic Revenge Normal Trap Card
When your "Morphtronic" monster is destroyed by battle: Target 1 monster your opponent controls; destroy it.

Goyo Halberd Equip Spell Card
Equip only to a "Goyo" monster. If the equipped monster attacks, your opponent cannot activate cards or effects until the end of the Damage Step. If the equipped monster destroys your opponent's monster by battle: Inflict damage to your opponent equal to that monster's Level x 200. You can only activate this effect of "Goyo Halberd" once per turn.

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Chapter Preview

Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V: The Fifth Circuit. Chapter 18 – Synchronized

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Question of the Chapter

If the Lancers participated in the Holy Grail War, which Servants would they summon?

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Author's Notes

Let me start by saying that from now on, I'll be releasing Fifth Circuit chapters at the same time – or roughly the same time, there might be an hour's difference or so – as my Hidden Memories chapters. This is in the hope that working on both simultaneously will encourage me not to prioritize one over the other and thus release chapters sooner. Don't know if it will actually work, but hey, it can't hurt.

Now, I feel like a troll with this chapter's name. So many people thought Crow and Kiryu would duel. And they did, just not each other. Sorry, but something like that won't be happening in the first round. Still, I can say for certain that a Crow vs. Kiryu duel will be happening eventually, so just be patient.

Let's start with Crow's duel, where he faced off against Lua, or Leo as the dub called him. Some reviewers suggested a teenage Lua with Jester's Life cards, but I felt like that wouldn't work. The Life Deck's use of Link and Xyz Monsters aside, I really felt that as a child, Lua would have a unique perspective among the Tops. And that's why he dueled Crow; to show Crow that there are shades of gray among the Tops just like there are among the Commons. Of course, while there are good Tops, there are also bad ones who fulfill every stereotype, like Makoto Tanaka.

Makoto in this is an OC character, and a one-shot at that. I originally planned on using a Naturia Deck, but that Deck wasn't suitable for this. So I gave him a Six Samurai Deck, a Deck that, while impressive, can't really do much against Gatling Ogre. And now we have Lotten, another legacy character from 5D's. In Fifth Circuit, Lotten is the biggest crime boss in the City. While DC-667 called Kiryu the City's worst criminal, that's only because Kiryu had a bigger impact. In terms of actual numbers of crimes, Lotten is far worse. These caught up to him before the Friendship Cup, but instead of arresting him, Roger decided to use Lotten as an eliminator similar to Sergey, albeit without the extensive cybernetic changes or mind control chip. How is Roger controlling Lotten? Greed and fear.

Then there's Kiryu's duel. First off, yes; Kiryu's Duel Runner is the first Duel Runner made by Yusei that Jack stole. Why? Because I thought it would be cool. Anyway, Kiryu gets to face DC-667, the same Duel Chaser Crow beat. This duel was a bit slower than the others, but I figured a change of pace would be good. And the Action Card fail at the end was fun to write. There's also the reveal that Kiryu also has and even created Phantom Synchro. Since Crow was the only one in the show who used Phantom Synchro, I thought it would be cool for Kiryu to use it too. And since he taught it to Crow, they both took different meanings from it: Kiryu about how he never truly dies, and Crow about the Commons.

Finally, we have Kiryu's childhood. He was raised in an orphanage by Martha, before a fire set by jealous Commons killed Martha and Kiryu's friend. After that, he was an urchin until he met Crow and Shinji. This tragedy is what made Kiryu feel a void in himself, like something that should be there was missing. A feeling Yuji is all too familiar with. It's also because of this that Kiryu doesn't care about Shinji's revolution. He knows that there's no real difference between the Tops and Commons and that a revolution won't really change anything.

Thank you for reading Chapter 17 of Fifth Circuit. Did you figure out who Kiryu's other friend was? Who do you think will be the next legacy characters to show up? Do you think I'll get the next chapter out before February ends?