"Over here, ma'am!" Sasha directed a pedestrian to safety. She and her team were helping usher people into the Stadium until the Ghost bot threat was over.
The woman did as Sasha instructed, joining the crowd in the stadium.
"Okay, I think that clears out most of the streets here," Jarra reported.
"Good," Sasha nodded.
"I feel like ve should be out zhere helping our friends," Garrett grumbled. He wanted to use his newly purchased weapons, but was a little grumpy that the threat wasn't his particular type of duel.
"We are helping them," Jose corrected his friend. "We're making sure the people of their city aren't hurt."
Garrett shrugged, lips drawn in a pout. "I guess vhen you put it zhat vay…"
"We're also trusting our friends," Sasha pointed out.
Jarra spread her hands. "But Garret does have a point."
Everyone gave her mixed looks of confusion.
"Crowd control is boring."
"Oh…"
"Yeah, okay."
"That's fair."
/
"Behold!" Placido gestured grandly to his centaur-like duel runner ensemble. "For this is the form of an evolved duel runner!"
The power from Placido's new form rippled outward. The glass walls of the duel track and the glass windows of the nearby buildings shattered. Broken glass rained down everywhere, following Placido's path. A street of destruction.
"The city…" Yusei breathed. The destruction hurt him deeply, to his core. It was like the Zero Reverse's destruction was beginning all over again. "Stop… Stop!"
Yusei accelerated. He hit Placido's duel runner with his own. Multiple times. The destruction stopped, but only for the moment. Yusei had to keep Placido's attention, or he'd just start all over again.
"What's your goal here? Why are you destroying the city?"
"You fool…" Placido sneered. "Getting in my way means defying the will of Yliaster. The will of God itself!"
"Yliaster?! You…You're like Mako! All of you used Goodwin and the Dark Signers to bring destruction to the world, didn't you?!" Yusei couldn't believe this. Luna and the team had defeated Mako, but his influence was still hurting the city and the world.
"You were given a tablet, and you didn't even know that much?"
"What did you say?" Yusei grit his teeth.
Placido laughed cruelly. Joel's worries were for nothing. This boy, and his friends, would fall. Like the puny, struggling insects they were. "It seems choosing you was a mistake! So, I'll crush you to my heart's content!"
"No, I won't let you! I will stop you!" Yusei's resolve was steeled. No one hurt his friends, his family, and his city. At least no one did and got away with it. He drew a card. The duel had begun.
"To think you'd duel in a situation like this. I'll smash you like an ant with my Mechlord Emperor," Placido scoffed.
The Mechlord Emperors have the power to absorb Synchro monsters. I'll have to be careful, but I also have a new power I obtained inside the world of speed! I'm going to believe in my power and fight!
"Keep going!" Vizor shouted up to Yusei. "I'll take care of the Ghosts!"
Yusei nodded. "I'm counting on you." He and Placido rode on ahead.
Vizor whirled around to face the swarm of Ghost bots. He too drove head on into his challenge.
"Duel!"
Yusei: 4000
Placido: 4000
The infinity light of Yliaster's power encircled both duelists. Light that made their damage real. Real and dangerous.
"My turn!" Yusei knew he had to be decisive to win. What better way to do so than going first?
"I send Quillbolt Hedgehog in my hand to the graveyard in order to special summon Quickdraw Synchron to the field! Next, I can special summon Quillbolt Hedgehog to the field from the graveyard because there's a Tuner monster on my field. I also normal summon Needle Gunner in attack mode!"
(Needle Gunner: Atk: 100 Def: 100)
Needle Gunner, a mechanized, sharp robot, spun into play. Its main color was a sleek purple, and sported a silver drill bit for a head.
"I'm tuning level two Quillbolt Hedgehog and level five Quickdraw Synchron with my level one Needle Gunner! Synchro summon; smash out, Junk Destroyer!"
(Junk Destroyer: Atk: 2600 Def: 2500)
Sporting four arms, and four blades on its back, Junk Destroyer was an intimidating sight. Not just because it was huge, shiny, and sharp, but because the monster's black, yellow, orange, green, and red body were clearly built for destroying. A perfect compliment to the beast's name.
Placido was far from intimidated. He paused his laughter to continue to mock his opponent. "To think that you'd come with a synchro summon at the start of the duel. You really are just a simple worm!"
Yusei ignored Placido's taunts. "I activate Junk Destroyer's effect! When he's successfully synchro summoned, I can destroy one card on the field per material monster I used, minus the Tuner monster! That means I can destroy two cards! I destroy Wisel Infinity, Mechlord Emperor's body, and your facedown card! Go Junk Destroyer, Tidal Energy!"
Yusei was mentally crossing his fingers. As long as the Mechlord Emperor exists, my Synchro Monsters will be taken, but if I destroy the body before his turn, then there'll be nothing left to be afraid of.
Placido wasn't even rattled. "Trap activate. Fork Divergence. When a Machine type monster on my field is attacked or targeted by a Card Effect, I can change the target to another Machine type monster on my field. I change your effect's target to Wisel Carrier!" Placido smirked. This little bug was going to have to do better than that to beat him.
"What?"
"And Wisel Carrier cannot be destroyed by Card Effects."
Yusei grit his teeth. He was forced to watch his gambit amount to nothing.
"A Synchro Monster's effect can't even touch me," Placido snickered.
"But Junk Destroyer still has more attack points!" Yusei reminded him. He wasn't out of options. Yet. "Battle! Junk Destroyer, attack Wisel Infinity! Dynamite Knuckle!"
"Idiot," Placido rolled his eyes. "Have you forgotten that I can change the attack Target to Wisel Guard due to its Monster Effect?"
"The Synchro Monster that used Needle Gunner as synchro material can do piercing damage even if the opponent's monster is in defense mode!"
"What?" Placido hadn't been expecting that.
Yusei: 4000
Placido: 2600
"I set two cards and end my turn," Yusei said.
/
"Why?!" Luciano was practically screeching at the holo-sphere. "Hey, why did Yusei get a tablet?! Those are items only given to us to guide history in the right direction! So, why did a mere human like him get one?!"
"Just shut up and watch," Joel snapped. "By watching this duel, we will know the will of God."
/
"Damn you!" Placido screamed through his teeth. "You mere worm! I do not know what God intends to do with a worm like you! But I refuse to acknowledge it! Someone like you! You're the only one in the world I refuse to acknowledge!"
Placido's rage kicked up a storm. Purple and black clouds gathered. Clouds spit lightning down on the city, raining down more destruction and danger. More glass shattered. Power everywhere was cut off. Blocks and miles of city power was shut off.
It was the middle of the day, but the sky was so dark. Like all the hope was being sucked out of the city.
/
Red Dragon Archfiend destroyed another Ghost bot. That was the last of them. At least the few that had been tailing Jack and Kaz.
"What?"
"What's going on?"
Both men watched the power go off in waves. Building after building. The city was in chaos.
/
Vizor too defeated another Ghost bot. The purple lightning was getting worse.
"What…is this?"
/
Power was lost in the stadium as well. Even the holo-sphere powered down.
"A blackout?" Leo frowned up at the sky. He stayed close to his sister. "What's going on?"
Luna's hand found her marking. "This isn't good."
"We've done as much as we can," Sasha came up to the twins, her team in tow. "All that's left to do is wait."
Leo frowned. "I hate waiting."
/
"M'lady?" Mizoguchi held Sherry up. Her crash had been brutal, but she seemed to be in one piece.
Sherry finally blinked awake. "Mizoguchi?"
He exhaled, shoulders lowering. "You're awake."
Sherry sat up. Her green eyes widened. She'd never seen anything like the storm sweeping across New Domino City before. It looked like the end of days. "What is happening to this city?"
/
Crow, Akiza, and Lise looked up at the murky, inky blackness of the sky.
"What should we do?" Crow whispered.
"I have no idea," Lise admitted. The last time she had felt this much darkness, this unwavering despair and pressure, was her duel against Roman. And she'd only survived that because of Rally.
Rally. The people. Yusei… I hope he's okay… But…
Akiza must have had the same thought. "We should go to the hospital. Check on the people there first."
"Andre and Jean!" Crow gasped.
Lise nodded. "Let's go."
/
Trudge and Mina were managing damage control. Defeated Ghost bot bodies littered the duel tracks. Someone had to clean them up and send them to the scrap heap.
"First an army of Ghosts, and now a lightning storm," Trudge mused. "What do we do?"
Mina was fiddling with a police cruiser's controls. "Whattaya mean you can't contact headquarters?"
The poor police officer trying to help was doing his best. "Well…due to these lightning strikes… We can't-"
His radio exploded in his hands.
/
Carly had done her best to get pictures of the catastrophe. Until Sasha's team had told her she had to return to the stadium or her own safety.
Her camera grew hot in her hands. "Ow! Hot! Hot!"
The twins, Sasha, Jarra, Joel, and Garrett watched Carly play hot potato with herself until her camera exploded too.
"Even digital cameras?" Carly gasped, flabbergasted. "What's happening?!"
/
"My turn!" Placido declared. "I summon Wisel Guard 3 in defense mode! Mechlord Emperor Wisel can absorb my opponent's Synchro Monster once per turn! The Synchro Monster of a foolish worm…become prey to the Mechlord Emperor!"
Tendrils shot out of the Emperor's chest, attaching to all of Junk Destroyer's limbs. All four arms and the two legs were dragged into Mechlord Emperor Wisel.
"My trap card activates; Star Shift! This card returns one Synchro Monster to my deck and then summons another synchro monster of equal level!" Yusei countered.
"What?!"
Junk Destroyer vanished. Negating Mechlord Emperor Wisel's ability.
"Come forth; Stardust Dragon!"
Placido's eyes narrowed. "So you survived this play. However, Mechlord Emperor Wisel and Stardust Dragon's attack points are the same. I set one card and end my turn. You were able to use an effect to dodge the ability of my Mechlord Emperor. You're not half bad for a worm, but don't think your tricks will work for long. A worm is still a worm."
"Just watch," Yusei growled. He was not nothing, least of all a worm, and neither was anyone else. "With my cards and my new power, I will defeat you! It's my…turn!
"I summon Vehicular in defense mode! I activate the trap A Leap to Awakening. When I successfully summon a monster, I can remove another monster on my field from play and then the opponent takes damage equal to the monster's level multiplied by one hundred!"
"Hmph," was Placido's only response.
"I remove Stardust Dragon!"
Yusei: 4000
Placido: 1800
"And the removed monster will return on my next Standby Phase with increased attack points equal to the damage I dealt you. I set one card and end my turn."
Okay. Now I just have to make it through his turn, and I'll have just about everything I need to Accel Synchro. I won't let him destroy the city anymore!
Even if he couldn't totally stop Placido, for the moment, he could slow him down. Yusei gunned his engine, pulling steadily ahead of Placido.
An ugly, warped expression crossed over Placido. "To think a mere human would try to ride before me! Disgusting!" He accelerated too. "My turn! I activate the trap Bomb Blast! I destroy one Machine type monster that has not battled this turn. Then the opponent receives damage equal to that Monster's level multiplied by four hundred points. I destroy Wisel Carrier."
"What?!"
Mechlord Emperor Wisel bore down on Yusei. It's huge shadow all consuming. The monster's legs exploded, leaving behind smoke, and taking away lifepoints.
Yusei: 3600
Placido: 1800
It was only four hundred lifepoints, but the impact still hurt like hell. Yusei couldn't help but let out a small yelp of pain.
"Only destruction awaits anyone who tries to go before the Mechlord Emperor! I summon Skiel Carrier 3!"
"Did you say Skiel? You mean, the Mechlord Emperor Leo and Luna fought?" This was new. Yusei had no idea the different Emperors could cross combine! Yet it was evident now that Emperor Wisel had Skiel's legs.
/
Luciano gasped. He and Joel still had power. That was his card attached to his so-called ally's monster. "When did he-" Luciano reached into his pocket, digging for his cards. "Damn that Placido! Using my card without permission!"
/
Placido wasn't done. "And this card can be special summoned by releasing Skiel Carrier 3!"
"What?"
"Come forth, Skiel Carrier 5! I'll show you the Mechlord Emperor's infinite power!"
Yusei swallowed thickly. Skiel and Wisel? Two different types of Mechlord Emperors combined. If they can change like this, can the Mechlord Emperors power up endlessly?
/
Vizor's last attack took down what remained of the Ghost bots. He smiled at his handiwork. One thing down, then on to the next. "Finally done."
Next second the biggest, blazing bolt of purple lightning hit the duel track. The power was so great, it was like an earthquake.
"This impact… It's like the Earth is trembling in fear…"
/
Yusei felt the power of the earthquake too. He had to right himself, or risk crashing. Placido needed to be stopped and soon, or he would continue until the city was split in two.
"Go, Mechlord Emperor Wisel! Attack Vehicular! Skiel Carrier 5's effect activates! When I destroy a monster in battle, you receive three hundred points of damage!"
Vehicular went up in smoke. Another chunk of lifepoints came out of Yusei. Three hundred should have been nothing, but Placido was so powerful, even so little felt like slowly being crushed to death.
Yusei: 3300
Placido: 1800
But he wasn't giving up here. "When Vehicular is destroyed, I can special summon Unicycular from my deck in defense mode!"
"I set one card. Turn end."
Placido's turn was over, but his monster's power still loomed over Yusei. The monster's dark miasma alone was frightening enough. Combined with Skiel, Wisel was almost too terrifying to face.
"No matter how much a worm may struggle, it can't move an inch before the Chosen people destined to step on it!"
I've gotta do it now! Accel Synchro!
Yusei accelerated in synch with the beginning of his turn. "I draw! This Standby phase, Stardust Dragon returns with increased attack thanks to A Leap to Awakening!"
Placido was less than impressed. He didn't even care that Vizor had caught up to them.
"Yusei, you're finally going to do it," Vizor said softly.
"I'll show you the Synchro which surpasses Synchro; an Accel Synchro summon!"
Placido snickered cruelly, a perfect mirror to Luciano. "A Synchro that surpasses Synchro?" He taunted in a high-pitched voice. "Please," he spoke normally, always with a hint of cruelty. "You can't surpass anything. All you can do is follow your fate and end up repeating the same, stupid history!"
"What're you trying to say?!"
Placido didn't respond. He was waiting.
"Fine then, I'll show you what I mean!" Yusei declared. He could do it. He knew he could do it! "I draw, and I summon Turbo Synchron! I tune level one Turbo Synchron with level one Unicycular! Synchro summon; the power of hope, synchro tuner, Formula Synchron!"
(Formula Synchron: Atk: 200 Def: 1500)
The new monster resembled an old hot wheels car come to life. One with a spoiler and everything. However, this little car was about to do a whole lot more than fall down a loop the loop track.
"Formula Synchron's effect allows me to draw a card from my deck once per turn," Yusei said.
The same light from before engulfed him. Accel Synchro. Yusei was going to do it. He had to.
Placido had other ideas. He accelerated too, using his power to blast out another dose of destruction. Lightning bolts blew up buildings. Broken glass littered the streets.
A whole barrage of lightning hit the duel stadium. Audience members covered their heads as the glass roof rained down around them.
"The Synchro Summon you're trying to perform is the proof of foolish human evolution. But what happened to those who desired evolution? Have you forgotten about the Zero Reverse incident!" Placido screeched, practically in Yusei's ears.
Yusei squeezed his eyes shut. He did remember. Of course he remembered! Roman and his father hadn't been able to stop the destruction their evolution had caused. But he couldn't let that stop him.
"I'm tuning my level two Synchro Tuner monster Formula Synchron with my level eight Synchro monster Stardust Dragon!"
It was working! It was working! Formula Synchron split into stars to change Stardust into a new monster. Yusei could practically see the path, the portal to that new power!
Placido wasn't giving up either. Worms were fallible. Weak. And he would prove it. "You're just gonna repeat the same mistakes your father made! His destiny is cursed and SO IS YOURS!"
Yusei's eyes snapped open. Cursed? No, don't think about that now! Just GO! "Accel Synchro!"
Then…
The light faded.
Formula Synchron snapped back into its corporeal form.
Stardust remained where he was.
Vizor gasped. "The Accel Synchro…failed?"
Placido laughed mockingly. His taunts had worked. Such a weak-minded boy. No, a weak worm. "And here I was wondering what you were going to show me. What a fluke."
Why? A cold sweat dripped down Yusei's back, coated his forehead. Why did the Accel Synchro fail?
"Trying to use the card from your tablet?" Placido pointed at his, or so he thought, proven, pathetic opponent. "You never had that power to begin with! Now you and your entire world can die together."
More purple lightning struck in concert with Placido's cruel laughter. The city was suffering… Again… After everyone had worked so hard to usher the Satellite and New Domino City into the future…
"Stop… STOP!" Yusei cried in his desperation. "Stardust Dragon, attack Mechlord Emperor Wisel!"
Placido smirked. He had this duel. Hands down. "Skiel Carrier 5's ability activates! Once per turn, it cancels an attack on any of my monsters!"
"No way!"
But it was true… That was all there was to it.
Yusei faced forward. He didn't want to see what happened next. "T-Turn end…"
"My turn," Placido sneered with glee. His moment was here. Finally! "Mechlord Emperor Wisel's effect allows me to absorb an opponent's Synchro Monster once per turn. Your Stardust Dragon is mine!"
Helpless again, all Yusei could do was watch. Stardust Dragon was pulled into Mechlord Emperor Wisel by its tendrils. Tendrils that were cruelly wrapped around the dragon's limbs and neck.
"It's impossible for you to defeat the Mechlord Emperor, no matter how much you try! Witness the power of the true Chosen Ones!"
(Haha, first chapter of the New Year! Of the decade! O_O How am I doing? The consistency will probably drop after January 20th, back to school, and all that jazz. My goal is to be organized, meaning I want to get at least one chapter out by each Sunday. Here's hoping… ^^; But I want to knock these next few chapters out while I'm still on break, so who knows what will happen? Always happy to have readers, old and new. I appreciate each and every one of you! Thanks so much for still being here, especially since there's more to come!)