Goodwin and Jack were watching the repair crews continue to work on the duel arena and the turbo duel track. "Well Jack, it looks like you'll get to duel Yusei in the final match after all," Goodwin said. "Good. Now I can prove what happened before was just a mistake," Jack said. "Director Goodwin sir, there's something I need to say," Officer Trudge said. "And what would that be?" Goodwin asked.
"It's my official position that you should stop the tournament," Trudge said. "Funny, I thought your official position was mall security," Goodwin said. "Very funny," Trudge said sarcastically. "Sir, I think that continuing this tournament is a bad idea. You've witnessed the damage done in the last duels. I'm concerned that things will get worse and people will get hurt." Trudge said. The truth is, while Trudge may look down on people from the Satellite, he's a dedicated officer of the law whose top priority is protecting the people of New Domino City.
"Officer, I don't pay you to be concerned," Goodwin said, his patience with the man wearing thin. "But sir," Trudge tries to reason with the man. "I pay you to do as I say. And as for what you think, if I was going to pay someone to think, it certainly wouldn't be you, now I suggest you leave before I have you fired," Goodwin warned. That's when Yusei came in the room. "Goodwin, I want answers from you," he said, his eyes narrowing on the Director of Security. Trudge would've said something to Yusei, but seeing as he was standing on thin ice with Goodwin, he thought it would be best to leave. "Now, what can I do for you Yusei?" Goodwin asked.
"It's time you gave me some answers Goodwin. You forced me into this tournament, threatened me, locked up my friends, and on top of that, you unleashed Alastor from Alex's subconscious. If I hadn't beaten him, he'd still be running around putting people in danger. I want the truth, and I'm not dueling Jack until you tell me why you've done all this." Yusei demands.
"Are you dense Yusei?" Jack said, walking up to the two of them. Jack then pulls off his glove, revealing his Signer Mark to Yusei. "It's because of this. The Mark of the Crimson Dragon. Goodwin wants to harness the power of the Crimson Dragon, so he's been trying to gather everyone who has a mark." Jack said. "But that still doesn't explain why Alex was brought into this tournament. If he was a Singer, his mark would've shown up when he dueled me or Akiza," Yusei said.
"While Alex may not be a Signer, he does hold a great power. One that for the sake of the world, we had to test the full strength of. And since most of his power had been locked away, we had to see to Alastor's release so we could see his full power," Goodwin explained. "What do you mean for the sake of the world?" Yusei asked. "For now, it's better if you don't know. I'll tell you more after you duel Jack," Goodwin said.
"I have a demand to make Goodwin," Jack said. "And what would that be?" Goodwin asked. "I want you to release Yusei's friends. He doesn't need to be coerced into dueling anymore. I want this to be a clean duel, no threats, no tricks, just us," Jack said. "If that is what you want, so be it," Goodwin said. Yusei walked off to get ready for the duel, and Leo and Luna come running up to him in the hallway. "Yusei, look what appeared on my arm during Alex and Akiza's duel," Luna said, rolling up her sleeve to reveal a red mark in the shape of a dragon claw. "You're a Signer?" Yusei asked. "It looks like it," Luna said.
Timeskip to duel
"The time has come. The final showdown is about to begin. Satellite's very own Yusei Fudo has won the chance to take on Jack Atlas." the MC announced. Sayer was watching the duel field from one of the side halls in the arena. So you're gonna try and summon the Crimson Dragon? This should be interesting. he thought to himself.
Down at the duel track, Yusei and Jack had pulled up to the starting line. "This is it Yusei, I'm finally gonna show you that you don't have what it takes to be the best, you never have," Jack said. "Are you sure we should be doing this right now Jack? There's still a lot we don't know about the Crimson Dragon." Yusei said. "This is exactly what I'm talking about Yusei, you don't have any guts. You never wanna take any risks. Don't you wanna reveal the fifth Signer?" Jack asked.
That's right, Yanagi said there were 5 marks of the dragon. There's me, Jack, Luna, and Akiza. And if Jack's right, then there's gotta be one more Signer in the arena. But who is it? Yusei thought to himself. "Alright, it's time to activate the Speed World field spell." the MC declared. "This is the moment. Will Jack Atlas continue to reign as the king of turbo duels? Or will he be dethroned by Satellite's Shooting Star Yusei Fudo? It's time to find out," he said as the countdown hit 0.
Yusei: 4000 LP
Jack: 4000 LP
"Admit it Yusei, the roar of the crowd is more appealing than the scamper of the rats," Jack said. "Let's just duel. I summon Shield Wing in defense mode." Yusei said.
WIND/Winged-Beast/Level 2
ATK 0/DEF 900
"I place two cards face-down and end my turn," Yusei said as two cards appeared in front of his duel runner. "Then it's my move. And I summon Twin-Sword Marauder in attack mode," Jack said.
DARK/Warrior/Level 4
ATK 1600/DEF 1000
"And now Twin-Sword Marauder attacks your Shield Wing. And due to his special ability, when he attacks a monster in defense mode, the difference between his attack and your monster's defense is dealt to you as damage," Jack explained.
Yusei: 3300 LP
"But due to Shield Wing's effect, it can't be destroyed in battle twice each turn," Yusei said. "I'm well aware of that, but due to Twin-Sword Marauder's effect, if he attacks a monster in defense mode, he can make a second attack that turn, so attack his Shield Wing again!" Jack ordered.
Yusei: 2600 LP
"I place one card face-down and end my turn," Jack said. "It's my turn. I summon Junk Synchron in attack mode." Yusei said. "And now level 3 Junk Synchron tunes with level 2 Shield Wing, in order to synchro summon Junk Warrior." Yusei said. "And next I play my continuous trap Synchro Blast, so now when a synchro monster on my field attacks one of your monsters, you take 500 points of damage," Yusei explained. "Now Junk Warrior, attack Jack's monster with Scrap Fist!" Yusei shouted.
Jack: 3300 LP
"And next the effect of Synchro Blast activates, so you take 500 points of damage," Yusei said as a beam of light fired from his trap, striking Jack.
Jack: 2800 LP
"I end my turn," Yusei said. "Now you're dueling Yusei, but you won't be for long. I draw." Jack said. "From my hand, I summon the tuner monster Dark Tinker."
DARK/Fiend/Level 3
ATK 1000/DEF 1300
"And now I play the trap Powerful Rebirth. This will allow me to summon my Marauder back with 100 more attack and defense points and its level raised by one," Jack said. "And now level 3 Dark Tinker tunes with the now level 5 Twin-Sword Marauder to synchro summon Red Dragon Archfiend," Jack declared as his ace monster appeared.
DARK/Dragon/Level 8
ATK 3000/DEF 2000
"And now attack Junk Warrior with Scorching Crimson Fire!" Jack shouted. Red Dragon Archfiend cloaked his fist in fire before driving it into Junk Warrior's stomach, destroying him.
Yusei: 1900 LP
"I place 3 cards face-down and end my turn," Jack said. Meanwhile, storm clouds started to gather overhead. Goodwin and Lazar watched the clouds roll in. "It's the sign we've been waiting for. Soon the Crimson Dragon will awaken from its long slumber." Goodwin said. "Um, just one question about all that. I thought we needed 5 Signers for that, and at this point, we only have 4. And are we even sure we can control its power, what if Trudge had a point?" Lazar asked, bringing up the conversation Goodwin had with the policeman earlier.
"Don't you trust me Lazar? And besides, I know who the fifth signer is." Goodwin said. "That's good, if you know who the fifth signer is, I'll just relax and watch this match," Lazar said before having a double take moment, turning back to Goodwin. "Wait, you know?! Who is it, are they here?! How exciting! Then that means we can unlock the dragon's power!" Lazar said.
"That's right Lazar. But first we must see if we can harness the power the Crimson Dragon's summoning will create." Goodwin said. Back at the duel, Yusei was about to start his turn. "It's my move Jack. And I play the trap Descending Lost Star. With it, I can summon Junk Warrior in defense mode, but his effects are negated, his defense becomes 0, and his level is reduced by 1." Yusei explained as Junk Warrior reappeared on the field. "And now that he's back, I summon the tuner monster Hyper Synchron." Yusei said.
LIGHT/Machine/Level 4
ATK 1600/DEF 800
"And now level 4 Hyper Synchron tunes level 4 Junk Warrior, in order to synchro summon Stardust Dragon!" Yusei shouted as his ace monster appeared. "Welcome to the party, Stardust," Jack said as everyone's Signer Mark begins to glow. "This is the moment we've been waiting for, so get ready, because these 2 beasts are about to battle it out," the MC said. "Since Hyper Synchron was used to summon Stardust Dragon, he gains 800 attack points and can't be destroyed in battle," Yusei explained.
Stardust Dragon: 2500-3300
"I play the trap card Tuner Capture. Since you synchro summoned a monster, I get to summon the tuner monster you used to summon it to my side of the field." Jack said as Hyper Synchron appeared on his field. "Stardust, attack Red Dragon Archfiend with Cosmic Flare!" Yusei shouted. "You're so predictable Yusei. I play the trap card Tuner's Mind. With it, Red Dragon Archfiend returns to my extra deck and the monsters I used to summon him are revived, and then you're forced to attack the tuner monster revived by this effect," Jack explained. Stardust's attack was launched at Dark Tinker, destroying it. "Due to Synchro Blast's effect, you take 500 points of damage," Yusei said as a light fired from his trap at Jack again.
Jack: 2300 LP
"Maybe, but due to Dark Tinker's effect, since Stardust destroyed it, I can draw 1 card from my deck," Jack explained, drawing a card. "I end my turn," Yusei said. "It's my turn. And I tune Hyper Synchron with Twin-Sword Marauder, in order to synchro summon Red Dragon Archfiend again," Jack said, resummoning his ace monster. "And since I used Hyper Synchron to summon him, he gains 800 attack points," Jack said as Red Dragon Archfiend powered up.
Red Dragon Archfiend: 3000-3800
"Bring it on Jack," Yusei taunted. "Consider it brought. Red Dragon Archfiend, attack with Scorching Crimson Fire," Jack responded. Red Dragon Archfiend cloaked his fist in flames before trying to deliver a punch to Stardust, but Stardust blocked the punch with his arm and pushed Red Dragon Archfiend's fist away. "Don't forget, since Stardust Dragon used Hyper Synchron as material, he can't be destroyed in battle," Yusei said as his life points decreased.
Yusei: 1400
"Which is why I play the trap Fiend's Cannon. With it, if I attack your monster, but it's not destroyed, you take 500 points of damage." Jack said.
Yusei: 900
Suddenly, the clouds overhead began to swirl, and red lightning started flashing in the sky before running through the arena. The bolts of lightning then joined together into the form of a dragon. Everyone in the audience watched in shock of the enormous dragon that had appeared. Sayer was also shocked. "It can't be. They actually awakened the Crimson Dragon?" he asked himself.
Meanwhile in the infirmary, Alex was groaning and squirming in his sleep. "Alex? Hey, wake up," Alexis said, shaking him gently in an attempt to wake him up. Her attempts were futile as Alex remained asleep. Darkness began to roll off of Alex in waves. "Alexis, stand back," Jaden warned her. She backed away and let Jaden walk up to him. "What's happening to him?" she asked. "I don't know. It looks like his powers are responding to his dreams," Jaden told her. He began to shake Alex, trying to get him to wake up. "Alex, come on, you need to wake up," Jaden said. As Alex's powers continue to run wild, a purple symbol of a spider appeared in the air above Alex's chest.
"What in the world is that?" Jaden asked, wondering where it came from. Alex's powers then surged, pushing Jaden back and wrapping Alex in a sphere of darkness before it disappeared. Meanwhile at the duel field, the Crimson Dragon rose up in the air, stirring up a whirlwind, and transported Luna, Akiza, Jack, and Yusei away from the arena.
Suddenly, Yusei and Jack were riding their duel runners on a road made of light and could see the stars overhead. "Where are we?" Yusei asked. "Beats me," Jack said, just as confused about the situation as Yusei. Then, two red orbs, holding Luna and Akiza in them, appeared and flew up to Yusei and Jack. "What happened to the stadium?" Luna asked. She turned her head to the side and saw Akiza in the other orb. "What's going on?" Luna asked her. "I don't know," Akiza responded. She then saw Yusei and called out to him. They then looked ahead and saw they were approaching a large monument with people kneeling at the base of it.
They looked at the top of the temple and saw 5 people wearing robes with their hands raised to the sky. "Yusei, those people look exactly like the people of the stars," Jack said. "What are they doing here?" Yusei asked. As Yusei and Jack drive past them, they see that the people on top of the temple have Signer marks just like them. "Jack, they're all Signers," Yusei said. "Like us. Goodwin told me about these people. He said somehow we're all linked to the Crimson Dragon," Jack said, looking at the mark on his arm. They passed the temple and drove over the Satellite. "Down there looks just like the Satellite, Jack," Yusei said.
Suddenly, purple fire started springing up in the Satellite, destroying everything it touched. "What's happening?" Luna asked, scared of what she was seeing. The fire continue to spread, before it formed the outline of a spider, exactly the same as the one that had appeared over Alex. "Is that a giant spider surrounding New Domino City?" Akiza asked.
"I can't believe this is happening, we have to stop it," Yusei said. "It can't be real. Maybe we're seeing a vision of the future," Jack said. "Well if that's the future we'd better stop this duel right now. We gotta get home," Yusei said. "We will, once we finish this duel," Jack responded. "What? Jack have you lost your mind?" Yusei asked.
"Yusei, this is a duel. The Crimson Dragon won't let either of us go back until one of us wins." Jack said. "Are you insane?" Yusei asked. "Don't you get it? Dueling is what brought us here, and dueling is what's gonna bring us back home. And whoever wins will show the Crimson Dragon they deserve the power to save the world, and I'm gonna be that person. I place 2 cards face-down and end my turn." Jack said.
"You're nuts," Yusei said as he started his turn. "But if you wanna keep dueling, you'll get more than you bargained for Jack. I play the Speed Spell Silver Contrails. This will give Stardust 1000 more attack points until the end of this turn," Yusei said as Stardust powered up.
Stardust Dragon: 3300-4300
"Stardust, attack Red Dragon Archfiend with Cosmic Flare!" Yusei shouted.
Jack: 1800 LP
That attack, I could feel it. It was real. I guess the Crimson Dragon wants Yusei and I to play for keeps. Well that's just fine by me. Jack thought to himself. "Next I activate the effect of Synchro Blast, which means you take 500 points of damage," Yusei said as a light shot from his trap and hit Jack again.
Jack: 1300 LP
"And you thought I had short memory. Since Hyper Synchron was used to summon both our monsters, neither can be destroyed in battle," Jack said. "I place three cards face-down and end my turn," Yusei said. Three face-downs? Looks like Yusei is making his big move. Too bad it's too late. Jack thought to himself. "Here we go," Jack said, starting his turn. "I may not be able to destroy Stardust, but I can still inflict damage. Red Dragon Archfiend, attack!" Jack shouted.
Yusei: 400 LP
"Yusei," Luna said, realizing all the damage is real. "He's really hurt. It's just like when Alex and I duel people," Akiza said. "What was that? I could actually feel his attack," Yusei said. "That's right Yusei, this duel is winner take all," Jack said. "I play the trap Cross-Line Counter, and since I took battle damage on your turn, Stardust gains attack points equal to twice that damage, and now he and Red Dragon Archfiend have to battle again," Yusei said.
Stardust Dragon: 3300-4300
"Not a bad move Yusei," Jack said, as he braced himself for the attack. "Let's not keep him waiting Stardust, let him have it," Yusei said as Stardust fired a blast at Red Dragon Archfiend.
Jack: 800
"I play the Speed Spell Overboost, and with it, I get 4 more Speed Counters, giving me a total of 11," Jack said. "With that kind of power, there's no telling what he'll play next," Yusei said. "That's right, now get ready for me to call on one of my favorites. I play Speed Spell - The End of the Storm. Now all monsters are destroyed, and we both take 300 damage for each of our monsters that was destroyed." Jack said.
"I activate Stardust Dragon's special ability. By sacrificing himself, your card is negated and destroyed." Yusei said. "As expected. Now I play the trap Sneak Exploder. This card can only be played when you have no monsters on the field. Now, by sending this card to the graveyard during your next standby phase, you take 500 damage for every monster on my field, so with Red Dragon Archfiend out, you'll take 500 damage and lose," Jack said. "At the end of this turn, Stardust Dragon will revive due to his special ability," Yusei said as his monster comes back.
ATK 2500/DEF 2000
"And now I play the trap card Meteor Stream. Since Stardust sacrificed himself and was then brought back, you take 1000 points of damage," Yusei said. "I was waiting for that. I play the trap card Crimson Fire. Not only is your trap card negated, but you take damage equal to twice the amount of damage I would have," Jack said.
"I play the trap Shining Silver Force. With it, your trap is negated and all your spells and traps are destroyed," Yusei said. "You're still as annoying as ever," Jack said through gritted teeth. "I never was one to give up, and since your speed counters are about to drop to 1 due to Overboost's effect, I don't plan on starting now," Yusei said, pulling ahead of Jack. "How's the new view?" Yusei asked as he passes him. Jack just glares at him as he passes. "Time to get us home," Yusei said as he draws his card. "I play the Speed Spell - Final Attack, and since I have 8 speed counters, Stardust Dragon gets his attack points doubled," Yusei said.
Stardust Dragon: 2500-5000
Jack looks on in shock and said, "5000? But my Red Dragon Archfiend only has 3800, which means," "Which means I win this duel. Stardust Dragon, end this duel with Cosmic Flare!" Stardust Dragon's attack washed over Red Dragon Archfiend and Jack. They all returned to the arena, and Jack fell off his duel runner before it crashed. Yusei stopped his duel runner, panting heavily.
Meanwhile, Stardust Dragon and Red Dragon Archfiend had gone back to being holograms, and were frozen in place. "Ladies and gentlemen, we seem to be experiencing some technical difficulties at the moment, your patience is appreciated as we try to sort this matter out." the MC said over the speakers. Then, the holograms of the 2 dragons disappeared.
"What just happened?" Tanner asked in the stands. "First they were dueling, then they disappeared, now they're back and their dragons are gone!" Yanagi said, trying to make sense of what was going on. "Look there!" Leo cried out, pointing to the screen where the life points were showed. "Check out Jack's life points! They've hit 0!" Leo exclaimed. "Yusei won, he's the champion now," Luna said calmly, having seen the whole duel happen. Yanagi and Leo just looked at her with their mouths hanging open in shock. Meanwhile, Lazar and Goodwin were watching the scene, and Lazar was having what could be described as a panic attack. "Jack lost!" he exclaimed.
Yusei ran over to check on Jack. "Jack, are you okay?" he asked. Jack turned to face Yusei. "You beat me Yusei. I don't know how you did it, but you're the new champ," Jack said weakly. "If that vision was true, none of this matters, because it looks like we all might lose, we're in danger and our cities might be destroyed, and we have to unite to stop that from happening," Yusei said.
"You always wanted to be a hero, now here's your chance," Jack said before passing out. "Has anyone heard from the director?" the MC asked, still unsure of what happened. A screen then appeared next to the man with Goodwin on it. "The duel's over, the winner is Yusei, tell them all," Goodwin said. The MC turned to the crowd and starts speaking. "It's over. Yusei is our winner. From the refuge of refuse he rose, from the slums of Satellite he now reigns supreme. I now present New Domino City's newest hero, Yusei Fudo!"
It was then that Jaden burst into the room Goodwin was in, with some of the security guards following close behind him. "Where's my son Goodwin?!" he asked, ready to knock the Director's lights out. "What are you talking about? Didn't Yusei bring him to the infirmary?" Goodwin asked. "He's disappeared, check the footage of the infirmary!" Jaden shouted. Goodwin pulled up a screen and watched the footage of what happened, only to recoil in shock.
He then called in the security guards and ordered them to mount a full scale search of the building. In the meantime, he broadcast screens into the arena. "Can I have everyone's attention please? Alexander Yuki has gone missing. We ask everyone to remain where they are as we conduct a search of the building for him. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. Anyone attempting to leave the building will be viewed as a suspect and will be arrested," Goodwin warned before the screens shut off.
"What?! Alex is gone?!" Yusei shouted. He ran up to the stands to check on everyone else. "Is everyone alright?" he asked once he got there. "Yeah, but what happened to Alex?" Luna asked, worried about what could have happened to him. "I don't know, but we're going to find out," Yusei said. "Yusei!" Jaden's voice could be heard. "Jaden! What happened to Alex?" Yusei asked him. "I don't know, he started groaning in his sleep in the infirmary, then a glowing purple spider mark appeared above his chest before he was concealed in a ball of darkness and disappeared," Jaden explained. "Wait, did you say a spider symbol?" Yusei asked. "Yes, why?" Jaden asked. "Yusei, in the vision we saw, there was a spider mark over the city," Luna reminded him.
"What vision?" Jaden asked. Yusei and Luna explained what happened during Yusei and Jack's duel. "This isn't good, there's no telling where he is by now," Jaden said, worried about his son. "Don't worry, I'm sure they'll find him," Yusei assured him. 15 minutes pass, and there was no update on the search. Suddenly screens appeared throughout the arena. "Attention everyone, Alexander Yuki has not been found. Anyone with information on the boy's whereabouts are encouraged to come forth. Everyone now has permission to leave the arena." Goodwin said, before the screens disappeared again. "No, they didn't find him," Jaden said. "It's okay, I'm sure Goodwin will have the entire police force out looking for him," Yusei said, trying to reassure him.
"So you think the boy was taken by the Dark Signers?" Lazar asked. "Undoubtedly. We must figure out where they are holding the boy. Send word to the police station to have all available officers search the city for Alex. The longer we wait, the more time they have to turn him against us." Goodwin said. "Right away sir," Lazar said.
Hey everyone. So Alex has been taken by the Dark Signers. What do they have planned for him? Stay tuned to find out. Hope you all are enjoying the story so far, and I'll see you all in the next chapter.