The city was in chaos. Lightning continued to strike, randomly destroying whatever it touched. The streets and duel lanes were littered with broken glass. Most hopeless of all, was Yusei's tiny Formula Synchron facing down Mechlord Emperor Wisel combined with Mechlord Emperor Skiel. Worst of all, was the Emperor wielded Stardust Dragon. The dragon, his friend, used as a weapon. It was like Placido had torn out Yusei's hope.

Yusei: 3300

Placido: 1800

"What should I do?" Yusei couldn't keep the anguish, the fear, out of his voice. "Now that Stardust has been taken… How do I beat him?"

Placido was loving this. He was winning. He had Stardust Dragon. He was destroying this miserable city. Everything was perfect. "By absorbing Stardust Dragon, Mechlord Emperor Wisel's attack points are at five thousand! Your Synchro Monster is now my tribute!"

Why? Why couldn't I Accel Synchro back then? "Am I not strong enough to defeat him?!" Yusei cried, slamming his fist into his duel disk in his frustration. I need help! But I'm all alone out here…

Vizor bit his lip. He was still following Yusei and Placido's duel. This wasn't good. Yusei's losing himself. He couldn't meet the requirements of Clear Mind. That's why the Accel Synchro failed.

Placido grinned devilishly. "Foolish human! Kneel before my Mechlord Emperor! Accept the fate you've been given!"

A column, bigger than anything he'd summoned before, of purple lightning crashed down onto the Mechlord Emperor. The purple beam of light was so big and bright, everyone in the city could see it.

Yusei's mark flashed on and off. The Crimson Dragon was trying to protect him.

/

Jack had to come to a stop. The pain was so great. Yusei was fighting so hard…

/

Leo caught his sister. She'd sunk to her knees from the pain of her arm.

"It's Yusei," Luna explained. "He's hurting…"

/

Both Akiza and Crow came to a stop. Their arms were glowing. Like a beacon, a call for help.

Lise had to stop too. Her back glowed with the seal of the Crimson Dragon. The star marking on her chest glowing a soft blue and orange. She rested her fist on her heart. Yusei…I'm here…

/

As long as I can't get back Stardust Dragon, I can't win against that Mechlord Emperor! Yusei stared at his deck. He didn't have a single card that could save him. What should I do?

Placido wasn't about to give Yusei the time to come up with a strategy. "Mechlord Emperor Wisel Infinity has another power. I activate the trap Wise A3! I send Wisel Attack from my field to the graveyard, and special summon Wisel Attack 3 from my hand!"

The Emperor's upgrade boosted its attack points up to five thousand four hundred!

"It's attack went up again?" And Yusei thought five thousand was bad enough.

"Not just its attack power," Placido's evil grin widened. He was going to crush this boy into dust. Just like the worm he was. "Wisel Attack 3's special ability allows Mechlord Emperor Wisel to deal piercing damage even if your monsters are in defense mode!"

"What?!"

"Formula Synchron has fifteen hundred defense points, and you have thirty-three hundred lifepoints. If my attack goes through, your lifepoints go to zero!" Placido laughed, cruelly. "Go forth, Mechlord Emperor Wisel!"

"Trap activate; D2 Shield!" Yusei countered. He couldn't do much, but he could at least hang on. He had to. For his friends. For the city. "This card doubles a defense position monster's defense points until the turn's End Phase!"

Yusei: 900

Placido: 1800

Wisel used Stardust Dragon's essence to wipe away Yusei's lifepoints. Both monster and duelist felt the pain. Friends hurting each other. Yusei needed to get his friend back.

Placido shook his head. Pathetic. "Barely holding onto your life there? It's fitting for a pathetic little insect like you! Skiel Carrier 5's ability activates! When one of your monsters is destroyed in battle, you take another three hundred points of damage!"

Yusei: 600

Placido: 1800

Yusei wrestled with his controls. He'd lost so many lifepoints. The real damage being dealt, the overwhelming power of the Mechlord Emperor, losing Stardust Dragon… All alone… But this could not be the end!

"I activate D2 Shield's other effect! If the monster it's equipped to is destroyed, I can draw one card from my deck!"

Placido threw his head back for another cruel laugh. "I love this dance you're weaving with death, Yusei! It fits the writhing worm you are!"

Yusei ground his teeth together. He wanted to say something back, but what? They both knew Yusei was hanging on by a thread. The way this is going, I'll be beaten in no time!

"And you're going to continue dancing…But not just you! All of humanity will dance in accordance to their fate! Just as they have danced since the beginning of time!"

"What do you mean?" Yusei demanded. It sounded like Placido was going to do something worse, but how much worse could this situation get?

"Oh Yusei, you've never seen a bee dance, have you?"

Bees? Is this guys nuts? "Um, no…can't say that I have."

Placido raised his hand. "Yes, bees dance beautifully. They dance to show each other what they are. They believe they are doing so of their own free will, when in reality, they are being controlled by what fate has established for them. They repeat the same thing over and over again."

"So?"

"I mean, that all you humans are exactly the same! Humans can do nothing but dance through their assigned destiny for the rest of their lives! I end my turn! Now…" Placido snickered, his expressions becoming more and more unhinged. "Show me the beauty of the dancing bees, Yusei!"

Yusei took a deep breath. The odds were against him. True, but when had they ever not been? "I won't let you do whatever you want any more! It's my turn!"

Okay…I have nothing in my hand that can turn this around… In that case…

"I remove seven speed counters! Thanks to Speed World 2, by removing seven speed counters, I can draw another card from my deck!" It was a gamble, losing all his speed counters. But Yusei had to do something.

"Next, I summon Necro Linker from my hand in Defense Mode!"

(Necro Linker: Atk: 600 Def: 0)

Yusei's new monster looked like the grim reaper's cousin. A skeleton with a traveler's cloak, tunic, and staff.

"I set a card, ending my turn!"

Placido crossed his arms. Just like a worm, already on its hook, struggling despite knowing its life is over. "No other choice than to grovel before me, huh? In that case, I'll use the power of my Mechlord Emperor to make you dance even more!"

He's right. There's still other abilities the pieces of the Mechlord Emperor has that I don't know about. But there's nothing I can do but survive this next assault. At least until I can get Stardust back to me!

"My turn!" Placido drew a card. I activate the trap Wise T3! I send Wisel Top from my field the graveyard, and special summon Wisel Top 3 from my hand!"

"It's attack points went up again…" Yusei didn't like the new fifty-five hundred attack points the Mechlord Emperor had.

"The Mechlord Emperors are capable of anything!" Placido yelled. "They're infinite! Battle! Mechlord Emperor attacks your Necro Linker!"

Yusei grit his teeth again. Just gotta hang on! "I play my trap Scrap-Iron Scarecrow! It activates when my opponent declares an attack, nullifying the attack!"

Placido smiled. Useless. "But the Mechlord Emperor holds another power! Wisel Top 3's effect activates! Once per turn, one of my opponent's spell or trap cards is negated and destroyed! Wipe out Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!"

"What?! No!"

"No matter how hard you try to oppose the Mechlord Emperors, it's all futile! Vile worm, dancing like a bee… Bow before me!"

Mechlord Emperor Wisel closed in on Necro Linker.

Yusei reached for his hand. "When a card on my field is destroyed during the Battle Phase, I can send Arbitrator of Meditation from my hand to the graveyard, and force the Battle Phase to end!"

"What?" Placido had to watch his monster's attack retract. "Quite the defense. Turn end."

Yusei took a deep breath. Made it through this round, but the only way I'll beat that Mechlord Emperor is if I Accel Synchro! "Please…answer me…my deck," Yusei pleaded. He rested his thumb and forefinger on his cards. "Please give me a way to free Stardust! It's my…turn!"

Yusei held his breath. He peeked at the card. "Good! I summon Rescue Warrior!"

(Rescue Warrior: Atk: 1600 Def: 1700)

Rescue Warrior, true to its name, was dressed like a firefighter in bright orange gear. Big, blue water barrels were strapped to his back, poised with a shooter in his hand to blast fires.

"Battle! I attack Mechlord Emperor Wisel with Rescue Warrior!"

Placido raised an eyebrow. "Attacking my Emperor with a mere sixteen hundred attack points?"

"When Rescue Warrior attacks, all damage I receive is reduced to zero," Yusei explained.

"I haven't the slightest clue as to what you're plotting, but allow me to give you a taste of Skiel Carrier 5's effect! When a monster is destroyed in battle, you receive three hundred points of damage!"

Yusei: 300

Placido: 1800

Losing lifepoints, again. It'd be okay. Yusei trusted his deck. "But when Rescue Warrior is destroyed in battle, I can take control of a monster on my opponent's side of the field!"

"You can what?!" Placido looked worried for the first time since the duel's beginning.

"Stardust Dragon will be set free! Come back to me, Stardust!" He wasn't out of the woods yet, but Yusei felt a little better to have Stardust again. "Welcome back, my friend," he whispered up to the dragon. "Now that Mechlord Emperor's attack will go down to three thousand! I'll also be activating Necro Linker's ability! By releasing this monster, I can special summon a Tuner monster from my Graveyard! Be revived: Formula Synchron! Formula Synchron's effect allows me to draw another card from my deck. Unfortunately, the Tuner monster I call using Necro Linker's effect can't attack this turn. I end my turn."

Placido relaxed. This fool was going to try again. "You managed to reset all your ingredients, but you didn't even do anything with them."

Yusei inhaled… Slowly... Exhale… I somehow managed to get Stardust back, and Formula Synchron…But will I be able to Accel Synchro? I've already failed… Can I really pull this off? No, I won't let my fear stop me. I just have to try again! I have to believe in my strength and in my cards!

"Let's do this together, Stardust!"

"No!" Placido screeched. "Learn the extent of your worthlessness!" He was NOT going to let this worm defeat him! He wouldn't even let the worm try!

More purple light burst forth from the Mechlord Emperor. A cyclone kicked up. The winds were so powerful, they disrupted Yusei's coarse. He had to keep a steady hand on the controls, or he'd risk a nasty crash.

Cars were thrown through the air. Trees were practically flat to the ground, pulled so heavily by the winds. The fallen glass shards swirled dangerously in the wind.

"This tornado…the city!" Yusei realized Placido was once again putting the city's people at risk. Because he hadn't been defeated yet. "No!"

/

Jack and Kaz hung onto the side of the highway. It was hang on, or risk being blown away. Or worse.

"Yusei, please be okay down there," Jack murmured.

/

"Mizoguchi!"

"Lady Sherry!"

The two of them hung onto each other. They had to pray the duel lane would protect them.

/

Trudge, Mina, and their officers watched and waited.

"We'll be blown away!" Mina found the strength to point behind the supposed safety of their police cruisers. "All of you, take shelter! Right now!"

"Just what is going on here?" Trudge murmured.

He and Mina followed their officers. It wouldn't do any good if they got hurt trying to protect the policemen under their care too.

/

Carly, Leo, Luna, Sasha, Jarra, Jose, and Garrett hunkered down together in the stadium. Every audience member did the same. They had no chance. Waiting out the storm was their best bet.

/

Crow, Akiza, and Lise pulled up to the hospital just as all the glass windows shattered!

"Everyone, get back!" Akiza shouted up at the doctors, nurses, and patients. Too many of them were way too close to the windows. She dismounted her bike, but kept her helmet on. More protection wasn't a bad idea with all this broken glass.

"And stay down!" Lise added, getting off her bike. We won't let anyone else get hurt!

"I'll go inside and check on everybody! You two stay here!" Crow ran through the doors.

"No! My cards!" A small voice yelped. A deck of duel monsters cards flew out the window, and next came a small girl! She screamed and flailed, but was able to grab the outdoor stair railing.

"Shit," Lise swore. She raised her hands, amassing an army of red, hexagonal energy shields. They covered the windows, protecting the people already inside, but that little girl was still in danger.

What do I do?! Should I use my psychic powers? Akiza was frozen. That girl needed help, and she needed help now! But was Akiza capable? Was she enough?

Akiza shook her head. She couldn't think about that now. Crow was doing something. Lise was blocking more broken glass from slicing the crap out of them. Akiza could do one thing for this girl.

"Hang on! I'm coming to help!" Akiza dashed over to the bottom of the stairs. The girl was only three stories up, but it must have felt like miles to such a small child. "Let go! I'll catch you!"

"I-I c-can't!" The little girl wailed. Her entire body shook, not just from the wind. She was hanging on with everything she had left to that railing. Her dark brown braids whipped erratically in the wind. Tears streamed down her face, fogging up her glasses.

How do I get this girl to trust me? Akiza bit her lip. She had to be quick. This girl didn't have long. "My name is Akiza!" She shouted up to the girl. "What's your name?!"

"H-H-Haruka!" She must have been too scared to question such a strange request.

"Okay, Haruka! I'm your big sister, Akiza, okay? I promise, I'll catch you!"

Whether Haruka believed that or not, didn't matter. The wind was too much. It ripped her away from the railing like a scrap of paper.

Akiza took off running immediately. Haruka screamed, flailing about helplessly in the wind. The ground coming closer.

"Gotcha!" Akiza snagged the little girl's hand. I was able to reach her! I was enough!

Haruka screamed again. The wind was trying to take both girls! Akiza pulled Haruka into her arms, hanging on tight, and hoping for the best.

The wind stopped.

That was weird.

"Huh?" Akiza opened her eyes. She hadn't realized she'd squeezed them shut.

"You two okay?!" Lise shouted over to them. She had encased the girls in a bubble of energy.

Akiza sighed. "Thanks to you!"

Haruka was having a hard time stopping her sobbing, but she clung to Akiza like her life depended on it. Which it kinda did.

"We're okay now. It's gonna be all right," Akiza assured her new friend.

"Thanks…big sis…" Haruka sniffled.

/

Placido laughed wickedly. He loved wreaking havoc and destruction. This city would soon be just a memory. Just like the boy he was about to crush into the dirt. Like all worms. "My turn! You cannot defeat the Mechlord Emperor! This duel has already been decided by fate!"

"You're wrong!" Yusei shouted back. "Fate is something you decide for yourself!"

"Ha!" Placido scoffed. "Someone who couldn't even use the card granted to him by God shouldn't get so full of himself! All you need to do is dance like the bee until the Circuit is completed!"

"Circuit?" Yusei murmured. That was new. What was Placido talking about?

"Destiny is something only the almighty gods are permitted to control! It isn't something some lowlife nobody like you can control!"

"I can't believe that!" Yusei insisted. "Every human being follows their own path, and writes their own portion of history! Those paths flow into a larger pool, eventually guiding humanity into an ocean of potential!" And he was a portion of that potential. A drop in the ocean. Just like Lise had said before the Spirit World. That felt like a lifetime ago, but it was true. All of it.

Placido rolled his eyes. "And what, exactly, does humanity gain in the end after finding this 'ocean' of theirs? Aren't you just leading yourselves into a 'gutter' of destruction? Son of the Momentum disaster! The Synchro Summons themselves represent what happens when humanity tries to interfere and alter power themselves! No matter how many times you snatch it back, your Synchro monster will once again be taken in by the Mechlord Emperor when my turn starts!

"I activate Mechlord Emperor Wisel's effect! Your Stardust Dragon belongs to me!"

"No! I won't let you have Stardust again!" Yusei accelerated. Here. Now. This was the time. Zero Reverse was not caused by him, or even Lise. They were not responsible for the actions of their fathers. They would be responsible for a new, brighter future. Starting right now. "I won't ever allow that disaster to happen again! We will protect the city with our own hands!"

Yusei's mark responded in kind. He was not alone! He had Stardust, and everyone he loved!

/

Jack grinned down at his glowing arm. "Win, Yusei!"

/

"We believe in you," Luna whispered to her red, glowing arm.

"Yeah, go Yusei!" Leo added cheerfully.

/

Crow had just learned Andre and Jean were all right. As would the rest of the hospital. He'd checked each room, one by one. He had to make sure. No one was going to die today.

His arm glowed. Crow smiled knowingly. "Yusei, we're here with you."

/

"Look, your arm!" Haruka gasped, her glasses and eyes illuminated with light and wonder.

"Yusei," Akiza grinned. "It's going to be okay."

Lise's entire body glowed, the markings as bright as possible. She held her hand close to her chest, the blue portion of her soul swirling through her. You give us hope…my love…

/

The bonds with my friends… Yusei smiled. He felt stronger and lighter than he'd felt for a long time. I can feel all of them… Right here with me! I can do this. WE CAN DO THIS!

The light of Accel Synchro surrounded Yusei and his duel runner again. Everything was fading away. His bike, his cards, even his body. His self.

I'm entering the world of speed… One with the wind…

He opened his eyes to his new card, pulling him through the speed force. "Shooting Star Dragon…"

"Clear Mind! I tune level eight Stardust Dragon with the level two Synchro Tuner monster Formula Synchron!"

"What? Synchro summoning on his opponent's turn?!" Placido gasped. There was nothing he could do.

"ACCEL SYNCHRO!" Yusei yelled. He pulled out his new card, just in time for he and Stardust Dragon to vanish.

Placido's mouth dropped open. "He's gone!"

A green portal opened up behind him. Yusei came speeding out of it a moment later. Yusei and a new monster!

"Be born…Shooting Star Dragon!"

(Shooting Star Dragon: Atk: 3300 Def: 2500)

The new dragon was beautiful! Soaring through the air, it left a trail of stardust in its wake. But Shooting Star Dragon didn't stop there. It burst through the dark black and purple clouds, pushing the darkness away. A rainbow of colors and light descended on the city. A literal ray of hope.

"What…is that?" Placido almost whimpered. He knew. He was in trouble.

"This is my new power! Shooting Star Dragon!"

The light of Shooting Star Dragon touched the entire city. Everyone could see it. Felt hope in their hearts again. The darkness was retreating.

/

Luciano drummed his fingertips on the arm of his chair. "What's he gonna do? Looks like something troubling came out." Placido may have, technically, been Luciano's ally. But he wouldn't mind watching Placido's gambit fail.

"How intriguing," Joel commented. "This is the card the Gods gave him…"

"So what does that mean for us now?"

Joel ignored him. "Will the Gods side with us and our objectives? Or are our views mistaken? Let us observe carefully."

/

"Here I go!" Yusei declared, smiling at his new monster. "Shooting Star Dragon!"

(I love these kinds of chapters/episodes. People regaining their hope and strength after failing? Getting back up again after being k nocked down for the billionth time? Gets me every time.

After the next chapter, 77, I'm putting in an original chapter. Just to give the characters time to breathe, ya know? These last few chapters, AND the Spirit World? These kids have been through A LOT. They need to relax, so I'm letting them before more shit hits the fan.

Might not be tonight, or tomorrow for the next chapter, but it will be coming to you as soon as I can write it!

Thank you all, again, so much for sticking with me! I appreciate all the readers that are still here. Let's keep going into the future together!)