Say, does someone know what's happening on the official Yu-Gi-Oh! Wiki? The episode lists for several seasons have suddenly vanished, including YGO 5D's. Are they currently making a change on the website or something?
Also, this chapter may seem a bit rushed, because I wanted to hurry up and finish it for the next chapter. You'll see what it'll be about.
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The chapter begins in Yusei's point of view.
Disclaimer: I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!
Chapter 67: Enemies and Allies
Ever since the Turbo Duel with Dark Glass, I had been busy working on the engine prototype, but now I had an extra motivation besides the World Racing Grand Prix. I was determined to achieve and use the Accel Synchro summoning to defeat the Meklord Emperors and stop Iliaster's schemes. I got so lost in my thoughts and calculations that I almost forgot about the hanami (spring picnic) my friends had planned a few weeks back.
The huge park in the middle of the city looked beautiful with the blooming cherry trees. The grass was almost covered entirely by the different shades of pink and white petals like a blanket. Children and adults alike, marked and not, were having a great time as they had picnics and played around while making sure not to disturb the others.
We met up with Carly, Mei, Sakura, Miyuki, Rally and the others, so we sat together in a group while we unpacked the food and drinks. Crow and I had made rice balls with different fillings. We didn't allow Jack in the kitchen because he still needed to practice on his cooking skills, despite him saying he got better thanks to the job at the café.
We started picking some food and helped serving each other by pouring drinks for one another. I noticed how Miyuki shyly offered her own rice balls to Leo. He accepted them with a big smile and took a big bite on one of them. Luna giggled next to Miyuki and whispered something, which made the pinkette blush brightly.
Estelle was feeding Ryuga with small pieces so he could chew them properly. Itsuki sat next to her as he ate an octopus sausage, listening to Rally who talked a lot about school. Speaking of school, the new school year was going to begin next week, meaning Aki was going to be on her last year in Duel Academy and the twins were going to be in the sixth grade like Rally.
I had never been in a school before for education. I only got homeschooled in Martha's place with Jack and Crow, so I had to say I was slightly jealous that I never got to experience the feeling of being an actual student in a school.
"Schools are a great place to learn many new things and have many friends", Rally told Itsuki proudly.
"Really?" Itsuki blinked, intrigued by the story.
"That reminds me…", Estelle spoke up. "Itsuki and Ryuga will start going to Martha's daycare center."
"Really?" I questioned.
"Yeah, I thought the boys need to learn to interact with children their age and prepare themselves for the actual school", Estelle explained. "So I thought Martha's place is perfect for a start."
"And they'll get to hang out with my nest!" Crow grinned. "They're going to be happy to have you two as new friends, Itsuki, Ryuga."
"Fiends…?" Ryuga spoke, having a hard time saying "friend".
"Aww, you're so cute, Ryuga!" Sakura shrieked before she gently picked up the boy and gave him a big hug. "You're so cute I could eat you!"
"Calm down, Sakura", Mei giggled as she patted her friend's shoulder.
"I can't! He's so adorable!" Sakura retorted. "I might kidnap him!"
"Oh no, Sakura!" Aki faked a gasp before she gently pulled the toddler out of her classmate's grasp. "As Ryuga's favorite aunt, I won't let you kidnap him!"
The rest of us laughed as the girls almost began to wrestle about Ryuga. Blitz came to the little boy's rescue and grabbed him out of Aki's arms before handing him to Estelle. While he did that, I noticed something in the background.
A tall and slim figure, dressed in a beige trench coat, stood next to a large cherry tree. Her eyes were hidden by a pair of sunglasses, but her long blonde hair and aura told me immediately who it was. She nodded very lightly to me when we made eye contact before she stepped behind the tree.
"I'll be right back", I told my friends as I got up from the ground.
"You better hurry, Yusei, 'cause I don't think there'll be much food left thanks to two big eaters here", Nervin said.
"Tank and Leo are just like a pair of Munchlax", Estelle giggled.
"What's a Munchlax?" Carly asked as she was feeding Jack who hesitantly took each bite with a fake frown, but knowing Jack, he was secretly enjoying it.
"It sounds like the name of a Duel Monster…", Luna mumbled.
I walked away from the group and followed the blonde woman who no longer stood behind the first tree. I spotted her long flowing hair from another tree and followed it until there was enough distance from my friends.
"I knew it was you… Sherry", I spoke up.
Sherry turned around to face me after she removed her sunglasses. I could see Mizoguchi standing couple of meters away from us to give us room to talk, but he was still on his watch.
"Bonne journée, Yusei (Good day, Yusei.)", Sherry greeted.
"How did you know I was going to be here?" I wondered.
"Knowing you Japanese have the deep tradition to have spring picnics when the cherry trees blossom… It wasn't hard to put two and two together", Sherry explained.
"Ah…", I nodded in realization.
"So? Have you thought about my offer?"
I guess she wanted an answer now whether I wanted to join her team or not. I had thought deeply about it and now had a clear answer.
"I'm sorry", I bowed slightly. "But I can't join your team."
"Why not?" Sherry asked.
I straightened my back to look at her in the eyes, hoping she would sense my determination. "The first reason is I had already promised Jack and Crow to participate in the WRGP together, but it's not just that anymore. I recently found a new method that could help me stop the Meklord Emperors from terrorizing New Domino City. And for me to accomplish this new goal, I need my friends' help to reach it. I'm going to use every fiber of my body to protect the city, my home, from Iliaster."
The blonde woman was silent as she stared at me intensely. I didn't let go of the eye contact to show her I was serious about my decision. We were quiet for a few seconds before Sherry shrugged with a soft snort.
"I'm glad you thought it through", she said. "If you've just told me the first reason, it wouldn't sound like a good excuse. I accept your decision, even more now that we both have a common goal to stop Iliaster. But what's this about the Meklord Emperors and Iliaster? I heard only a little of them in the Turbo Duel."
I quickly told Sherry about the Meklord Emperors and how she needed to be careful and not use Synchro Monsters against the machine Monsters if she were to encounter them in a Duel.
"Synchro Prevention…", the blonde mumbled as she rubbed her chin. "That really sounds bothersome. And you say you have a plan to stop the Meklords?"
"Yes", I nodded. "It's not complete yet, but I hope I'll get done with it before the Grand Prix."
Sherry nodded before she glanced up at the nearby tree to watch the petals fly off and roam around in the wind, some of them getting stuck in her hair. "Is Estelle going to be part of your team?"
"Huh?" I blinked confusedly, since the question came out of nowhere.
"Is she going to be your back-up Duelist for the Grand Prix?" Sherry repeated the question clearly.
"No", I shook my head. "She's going to be part of the pit crew."
"What about your other friend? The psychic Duelist?"
"Aki? She's not a Turbo Duelist, but she recently started taking classes for Duel Runner and Turbo Duel licenses. She said she got inspired after our Turbo Duel and wanted to experience what we Turbo Duelists see and feel."
"I see…"
I almost jumped when an alarm suddenly echoed through New Domino City. People began panicking and looked on their smartphones to see what was going on. Some yelled to look up at the sky. I looked up and saw a giant meteorite burning through the sky. I followed it as far as my eyes could reach before it disappeared in the horizon. Seconds later, there was a giant ruble and explosion of bright light when the meteorite smashed to the ground on the outskirts of the city.
"What was that?" Sherry raised an eyebrow confusedly.
"A meteorite…", I mumbled before my eyes widened in realization. "Could it be…the second Meklord Emperor has arrived?!"
"Quoi? (What?)" Sherry said confusedly.
I left Sherry and ran back to my friends to see if they had also noticed the meteorite. I was only meters away from them when Estelle got up on her feet while looking frantic.
"Hey!" I called, but stopped when Estelle ran past me. "Estelle?!"
"Duty call!" she called back as she stopped running and turned to me. "I think the meteorite is the you-know-what!"
"I'm coming with you!" I told her. "We have to apprehend Iliaster if they're coming for it!"
"Hold on, guys! I'm goin' too!" Crow called as he got up on his feet.
"Count me in as well!" Jack yelled as he followed us. "The great Jack Atlas won't let bad guys terrorize the city any longer!"
The four of us hurried to our Duel Runners and drove immediately to Ground Zero. Estelle had the sirens activated on her Runner, so the other vehicles made way for us. I hoped we could get there in time and confirm if it was actually a stone tablet of the newest Meklord Emperor, and catch Iliaster if they were to appear.
XXXXXXXXXX – Miyuki's POV
After Estelle and the others ran off to check the meteorite, my friends and I got to hear they didn't find anything. Even so, I had a bad feeling the rest of the week.
I tried to let it go as I greeted my classmates on our first day at school as 6th graders. Leo, Luna, our friends, and I chatted before class when Sly entered the classroom. I hadn't seen him in the spring break because he and his adoptive big sister had been away for a photoshoot.
"Good morning, Sly", Luna greeted with a bright smile.
"Morning", Sly greeted nonchalantly as he sat down on his desk.
"Still aloof as usual", Bob commented.
Luna and Patty weren't really affected by Sly's attitude and approached him. "What did you do during spring break, Sly?" the blonde asked.
"Work", Sly replied as he leant against the chair and crossed his arms behind his head.
"Did everything go well?" Luna wondered.
"There were a few issues, but they were quickly resolved", Sly replied. "The photoshoot itself went well."
"He's being a cocky big-shot after becoming Misty's little brother…", Leo muttered.
"But he's got a different aura now", Dexter pointed out. "Not much, but you can feel he's getting a bit soft."
"True…", I nodded. "He doesn't push away people as he used to do."
The school bell rang, so we hurried to our designated seats. I sat behind Leo and Luna, feeling excited to watch Leo's back. Ms. Bartlet entered the classroom with a big smile.
"Good morning, class", she greeted when she reached the podium.
"Good morning, Ms. Bartlet!" we greeted in return.
"This is a new year and also your last year as elementary school students in Duel Academy", Ms. Bartlet held a short speech. "And while we're at it, I'll be introducing our new friend." She turned to the door. "Come in, if you would."
The door slid open before a boy our age walked up to our teacher. I raised an eyebrow at the boy's appearance. He was a little taller than Leon and had very pale skin, long brown hair that was braided and resting on the left side of his chest, and piercing green eyes.
"He just transferred here and his name is Luciano", Ms. Bartlet introduced our new classmate.
"I am Luciano. Pleased to meet you", he greeted before bowing softly.
Luciano… It sounded very Italian. Was he from Italy?
The whole class began complimenting his looks and saying how handsome he was, especially the girls. I didn't know why they thought he was cute. To me, Leo was more handsome than him. And the way Luciano smiled at Luna gave me bad vibes. Was he already interested in her after just seeing her for the first time?
"Everyone is familiar with the Juvenile Grand Prix that takes place at the Duel Academy East Branch?" Ms. Bartlet asked us.
"It's the tournament said to be tough to even enter, right?" Bob nodded, raising his hand.
"Yes, and Luciano won that tournament", Ms. Bartlet revealed.
"Huh? He won it?!" Patty exclaimed in disbelief.
"If you all have any questions, feel free to ask Luciano", Ms. Bartlet told the class. "I'm sure it will do good for your studies."
"Yes, ma'am!" the majority of the class called.
"That boy gives off a pleasant vibe, doesn't he, Leo?" Luna asked her brother.
"You think so?" Leo mumbled.
Luna turned to me as her cheeks were a little pink. "What do you think, Miyuki?"
"Eh?" I snapped out of my trance. "Well… I don't know."
XXXXXXXXXX – Aki's POV
The classes were done for the day, but not the studying itself for me. I had some homework to do along with the homework from the Turbo Duel classes. As a 12th grade student, I expected lots of homework, but this sure was a lot.
I had my nose down in a small manual about Duel Runners as I walked from the main building of Duel Academy with Sakura and Mei by my side. They partially acted as my eyes while I read the book, making sure I wouldn't trip on something.
"Aki, are you sure you want to concentrate on the Turbo Duels?" Sakura spoke up.
"What do you mean?" I asked, my eyes never leaving the manual.
"I mean, we've got lots of homework and things we need to memorize and you add one more thing in your to-do-list", Sakura explained. "I'm just worried it might be too much for you. You can take the Turbo Duel classes after you graduate."
"Leave her be, Sakura", Mei sighed. "If Aki feels like she can do everything at once, let her do it."
"Okay…", Sakura said sadly.
I looked up from the manual and gave her a smile. "I appreciate your concern, Sakura. But this is something I've decided to do. I want to see the world of Turbo Duels and what my friends feel when they're one with the wind."
"My cousin, Haruka, says it feels like freedom when she drives her Duel Runner", Mei mentioned. "I might take classes after graduation."
"I don't know if I want to yet…", Sakura mumbled.
"I'm sure you'll know in time", I said.
We were by the gate of the school property when I blinked in surprise. Sherry was leaning against the gate with one foot up against it and her arms crossed, dressed in casual clothes instead of her Turbo suit. Boys and girls alike looked at her in awe and wonder of her beauty. She ignored the, but her eyes shone up when she saw me.
"Aki", she called as I approached her.
"Sherry? What are you doing here?" I asked curiously.
"Someone you know, Aki?" Mei wondered.
"Whoa… She's pretty…", Sakura said in awe.
I swore I heard Mei grunt irritably at Sakura's comment.
"Bonjour, ladies (Hello)", Sherry greeted. "I've come to speak with Aki, so may I ask for some privacy?"
"Speak with me…?" I mumbled confusedly.
"Sure!" Sakura nodded. "We'll leave right away. Let's go, Mei!"
"Wait, I-!" Mei said before the pinkette grabbed her arm and pulled her away from us. Sakura waved with a toothy smile and winked before they rounded a corner, leaving us alone.
"You've got some interesting friends", Sherry commented.
"Maybe, but I really enjoy their company", I smiled before turning to the blonde. "What did you want to talk about?"
Sherry looked around for a brief moment. "There are too many eyes and ears here. Do you mind we speak somewhere else?"
"Sure. There's a park close to school. Follow me."
I led Sherry to a park where there were a few cherry trees among the usual ones. Some of them still had their flowers and petal, but not as much as last week. We sat down by a bench in front of a fountain that looked like Sea Dragon Lord Gishilnodon.
"How have you been since last time we saw each other?" I asked.
"Good, thank you", Sherry nodded. "Mizoguchi and I have been practicing for the WRGP, and looking for information about Iliaster."
"I see", I replied.
"I heard from Yusei you've been taking Turbo Duel classes."
"Huh? When did you hear that?"
"In the cherry tree park last week, when you guys had that hanami."
I recalled the moment when Yusei left us. So that was why he went for a moment. "Did you try and persuade him to join your team again?" I asked, suddenly feeling a bit cautious.
"Non (No.)", Sherry shook her head. "I came to get an answer from him."
"And…?"
"He declined the offer to join my team."
I let out a sigh of relief as my shoulders relaxed by the brief tension, but then I snapped my head up in realization. "Wait… Did you ask him about me?"
"Oui. (Yes.)"
"Why?"
Sherry chuckled softly. "I told you before, didn't I? I find you interesting, and not just because you're a psychic Duelist."
I couldn't help but blush slightly. Some have said I was interesting, but hearing it from Sherry felt different. I wonder why.
"Yusei told me you're currently studying to become a Turbo Duelist", Sherry continued.
"Y-Yes", I nodded, suddenly feeling a bit shy. "I was able to join the classes in time before they got full. Many got inspired to become Turbo Duelists because of the WRGP."
"I can imagine that", Sherry nodded before she got silent for a moment.
I could tell she was thinking deeply about something, so I waited until she was ready. "Are you asking your friends for help with the studying?"
"For the Turbo Duel classes? Yes, I've been asking Yusei, Jack, Crow, and Estelle, but they're all busy now, so I try not to disturb them so much."
"If you don't mind… Would you like my help?"
"What?" I blinked my eyes in slight disbelief.
Sherry stood up from the bench to stand in front of me. Her silhouette suddenly felt so powerful, but also gentle at the same time. She wasn't as intimidating as she was during the 2-VS.-1 Turbo Duel.
"I can tell you've got potential to reach the big leagues", Sherry smiled softly before she held out a hand. "I will teach you everything I know, and I'm certain Mizoguchi wouldn't mind helping out too."
I stared at her offering hand for a moment. Why was she being so kind to me? Did she want to use me to get close to Yusei and try persuading him again?
"Do you have any ulterior motives behind this offer?" I asked in caution.
"Non (No.)", Sherry shook her head. "I merely wish to help and get to know you. But if you want to think about it, I'll give you my number."
I thought about it for a moment. Her voice sounded sincere and her eyes didn't show any signs of deception. Perhaps… I could trust her.
"I accept your offer", I nodded before I stood up and reached my hand out and grabbed hers for a handshake. "Thank you, Sherry."
"Excellent", Sherry smiled. "And you're welcome, mon ami. (My friend.)"
XXXXXXXXXX – Miyuki's POV
Luciano was quite persistent throughout the whole week. He tried to approach Luna and talk to her alone, but Leo and I often intervened and separated them. My crush and I came to an agreement to keep Luna away from the transfer boy because we didn't like him. The other girls in our class and year quickly realized that Luciano's attention was constantly on Luna, so they began hating the female twin out of jealousy. Even my forever-nemesis, Sakiko, tried to get the transfer student's attention, but when it didn't go her way she began taking out her anger on Luna.
Today was Friday, so it was a relief the weekend was coming. I walked with Leo and Luna to school, hoping we wouldn't stumble upon Luciano, but he was already waiting outside of the school building. He wanted to invite Luna over to his house, but Leo and I said she couldn't come because we had to work on a project.
During lunch break, Ms. Bartlet told me and Leo that she needed help with something after school, so we had to stay while Luna went home alone. I didn't mind spending alone time with Leo, but I was still worried about my friend.
When Ms. Bartlet found us waiting in the classroom, she said she never asked for any kind of help, which deeply confused me and Leo. She sent us home, so we quickly packed our stuff and hurried to find Luna before Luciano. We found Bob and Patty who said they saw Luna in the transfer student's car.
We managed to track down Luciano's place which was as big as a palace. I stayed outside of the gates while Leo sneaked in to find Luna. I was anxious the entire time while walking back and forth, hoping nothing bad happened to the twins.
After waiting for more than ten minutes, Leo frantically ran back as he had just seen something amazing.
"Leo! What happened? Where's Luna?" I called as he climbed up the tall fence to get out of the property.
Leo jumped down next to me and looked determined. "Luna's safe, but I just saw something amazing!"
"Huh?" I blinked confusedly.
"Luciano showed Luna a skateboard, but this skateboard is called Duel Board and can connect to the Duel Disk, so you can Turbo Duel!"
"Turbo Duel…on a skateboard?" I mumbled in disbelief. "Is that even possible?"
"Yeah! If Luciano can, so can I! I'm going to ask Yusei to try building one for me! With that, I bet I can defeat Luciano in a Turbo Duel!"
"Leo…", I mumbled before nodding seriously. "Let me know when the Turbo Duel is, so I can cheer for you."
Leo grinned widely, almost beaming like the sun. "I will, Miyuki!"
XXXXXXXXXX
I wanted to see what a Duel Board looked like, so after the two of us went home to change our clothes, I followed Leo to Yusei's place to see the drawing. Jack was at the garage since he was done working for the day and he also wanted to see the Duel Board.
"The machine looked something like this, and you could link up your Duel Disk here", Leo explained as he drew a simple sketch on the whiteboard.
The whole thing really did look like a skateboard. The only difference was you could connect it to the Duel Disk by attaching a cord to the Ener-D part. It looked pretty simple, but I had a feeling it was way complicated.
"Now I get it", Jack nodded. "With that, one could have a simplistic version of a Turbo Duel. That's one interesting idea there."
"Could this be something children can use to have Turbo Duels before they're old enough to drive a Duel Runner…?" I mumbled to myself.
"So, Yusei, what'cha think?" Leo asked.
"Well, in theory, it's pretty simple, so I could probably build it out of some spare parts", Yusei replied.
"I wanna beat that Luciano!" Leo said determinedly. "I wanna win and bring him down! C'mon, Yusei, can you? C'mon, can you? Can you? I'll even pay you with my allowance!"
"No debating it, it seems", Yusei said in defeat.
"Alright!" Leo cheered in victory. "Thank you, Yusei!"
I giggled at my crush's joy. He could be such a bundle of joy, but he was pretty stubborn when he got something in mind.
"Say, Miyuki, wanna have your own Duel Board too?" Leo spoke up.
"Eh?" I said softly. "Me?"
"Yeah, don't you wanna Turbo Duel with me and Luna?" Leo nodded.
"Umm…", I said hesitantly as I took another glance at the sketch on the whiteboard. "I think I'll pass. I've never felt comfortable with a skateboard."
"Oh…", Leo said a bit sadly before cheering up. "Well, okay, I'm not gonna force you, but I'm gonna show you all the tricks I'll come up with!"
"Okay!" I smiled brightly. "Good luck, Leo!"
XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV
It was a weekend, so I thought of letting Itsuki and Ryuga stay in Martha's place to play with the other children a bit. I left them some time after breakfast and went back to the mansion with Shinji in a regular car. Truth to be told, I had started learning how to drive a car. I sat next to the driver's seat to watch how Shinji drove the car and took mental notes.
We returned to the mansion and got out of the car just as my Mark began glowing. I sensed a pinch of pain as the mental image of the Marks of the Hand and Heart appeared in my head.
"Leo… Luna…?" I mumbled before realizing what was happening. "They're in danger!"
I rushed to my room to swiftly change into my Turbo suit and grabbed my Turbo Deck. I then hurried to the garage to get on my Runner and drive out to the streets. While I was driving, I called Yusei to see if his Mark had also reacted on the twins.
"Estelle?" Yusei's voice echoed in my helmet.
"Yusei, did you sense Leo and Luna's Marks?" I asked immediately.
"Yes. I've just called Crow to come back from his work. Jack and I are about to head out."
"I'll go and pick up Aki, and we meet up with you where the twins are!"
"Got it!"
I ended the call with Yusei to call Aki, hoping she was still at her home.
"Hello?" Aki answered.
"Aki, it's Estelle", I said. "Where are you right now?"
"Outside of my house. I just sensed Leo and Luna are in danger."
"That's correct. Stay where you are, so I can pick you up!"
"Okay."
I noticed Aki's voice sounded a bit hesitant for a moment, but I ignored it as I ended the call. I pushed the gas to hurry up to her home, so we could go and assist the twins.
I pulled up by the Izayoi mansion and saw the psychic Signer was waiting outside, but she wasn't alone. I blinked my eyes confusedly and in surprise when I saw two familiar faces.
"Sherry? Mizoguchi?" I said in disbelief as I braked in front of them. "What are you two doing here…?"
Aki was dressed in a purple leather jacket, grey top, dark purple pants, and a pair of black boots. She held a duplicate of Sherry's helmet, as if she was about to ride with the blonde woman.
"Bonne journée, Estelle (Good day, Estelle.)", Sherry greeted. "I've been helping Aki with her training to become a Turbo Duelist."
I raised an eyebrow confusedly before turning to the Signer. "Aki…?"
Aki looked away with slight pink cheeks and a guilty look. "Sherry…started coming to Duel Academy a few days ago and we've been hanging out since."
"I see…", I nodded before I got serious. "You can explain everything later. We have to go now!"
"Right!" Aki nodded as she put the helmet on.
"What exactly is going on?" Sherry questioned as Mizoguchi stayed silent.
"Our friends are in danger and we need to go and help them!" I explained as Aki got on my Runner and wrapped her arms around my waist. "I fear it has something to do with Iliaster!"
"Iliaster?!" Sherry exclaimed in disbelief before she narrowed her eyes. "I'm coming too!"
"Okay, but stay with us!" I told her. "It could get dangerous!"
"Don't worry", Mizoguchi spoke up. "I shall protect Milady."
XXXXXXXXXX
It didn't take long to reach the area where I sensed Leo and Luna's Marks and their pain. We drove through a long tunnel and made it through, only to see a large machine Monster that looked like a blue futuristic insect flying above the course several meters from us.
"Mon Dieu! (My God!)" Sherry exclaimed. "Is that a Meklord Emperor?!"
"How do you know about them, Sherry?" Aki wondered.
"I saw Yusei not long ago and he told me about them", Sherry replied. "After all, you mentioned them before in our Turbo Duel, Estelle."
"Yes, I did", I confessed with a nod as I spotted three familiar Duel Runners ahead. "It's the boys!"
I accelerated to catch up with the Satellite trio. I honked a couple of times to get their attention, which I successfully did, because my Runner was immediately connected to the intercom with the other Runners.
"Estelle! Aki! You made it!" Yusei said.
"Yes, and we've got company", I replied before looking at the course, spotting Leo and Luna. "How much did we miss?"
"Luna Synchro summoned Ancient Fairy Dragon and that giant machine absorbed her!" Crow explained. "Estelle, is it a Meklord Emperor, like the same type as the one Yusei fought before?"
"Yes, it is", I answered. "This one is known as Meklord Emperor Skiel."
"And who are those two people with you?" Jack asked.
"We'll introduce us after rescuing the children", Sherry answered.
XXXXXXXXXX
It was tough watching the Turbo Duel and not being able to help the twins. However, the Duel took an unexpected turn when Leo Synchro summon Power Tool Dragon. Lester was about to use his Meklord Emperor's effect to absorb the Synchro Monster when Leo activated Urgent Tuning to Synchro summon Life Stream Dragon and restored his Life Points. Because the effect got interrupted by the combo, Lester couldn't use his Monster's effect again on the same turn. It gave the twins some time to stall the Duel, but it wasn't long enough until Meklord Emperor Skiel eliminated Leo and his Life Points.
In the anime, he got thrown off the course, but now that he had the Mark of the Heart, it created a red protective sphere around him as the machine Monster attacked him directly. Once the attack was over, his Duel Board released steam as it slowed down and braked. Leo was so exhausted he fell down on his stomach. Luna had to continue the Turbo Duel on her own as she and Lester left her brother.
Luna lost against Lester who vanished with his Meklord Emperor for now. When we reached Leo, he said Lester was Luciano from school and he knew where he lived, so we went to investigate the place, only to find a giant green park with no signs of buildings.
The twins decided to confront their classmates and ask them about Luciano. None of them could remember him, so we retired to the garage to talk about today's incident, including Sherry and Mizoguchi.
"I'm Sherry LeBlanc, and this is my guardian, Mizoguchi", she introduced herself and her butler who just nodded to the group. "We are acquainted with Yusei, Estelle, and Aki."
"How did you guys meet?" Crow asked.
"When I was kidnapped", I explained. "After I was rescued, Sherry challenged me and Yusei on a Turbo Duel."
"Oui (Yes.)", Sherry nodded. "And I made an offer to Yusei to join my team for the World Racing Grand Prix."
"You did what?!" Jack exclaimed in shock.
"Yusei, why didn't you tell us 'bout it?!" Crow asked irritably.
"I didn't want to worry you guys", Yusei replied while he had a soft guilty expression.
"Fret not", Sherry shook her head. "Yusei declined the offer after giving me a proper explanation, and I respect his decision."
"So you'll be in the WRGP?" Leo asked as he had a Band-Aid on his left cheek. "You're gonna be Yusei, Jack, and Crow's opponents?"
"If we'll face each other in the finals", Sherry answered.
Luna gave Yusei her Duel Board to check its data and get rid of the program that forced her to Turbo Duel. "I'm still confused… How is that none of our classmates remembers Luciano?"
"And how did that giant mansion disappear like that?" Leo added.
"His actual name is Lester", I couldn't help but correct. "And, from what I know, Iliaster has the power to rewrite history."
"Rewrite history…?"Aki mumbled confusedly.
"You mean, they can erase someone's memories and make them forget of what happened?" Crow asked, concerned.
"Yes", I nodded. "But as Signers and Priestess, we are immune to their altering powers."
"Signers? Priestess? What are you talking about?" Sherry wondered.
I mentally gasped as I quickly covered my mouth with my right hand and cursed at myself. Sherry and Mizoguchi didn't know about the legend of the Signers! The others looked a bit surprised by the little slip on my tongue before they collected themselves.
"Nice done, Estelle", Crow commented sarcastically.
"Sorry…", I whined softly as I felt like I wanted to crawl into a corner and hide there.
"What? Was it meant to be a secret?" Sherry questioned while raising an eyebrow.
Yusei patted my shoulder as I kept looking down a bit ashamed. "You might want to sit down for this, Sherry."
"Are you going to tell them, Yusei?" Luna questioned.
I looked up as Yusei turned to the others and nodded as answer. "The Meklord Emperors are with Iliaster and Sherry is looking for them", he explained. "Our enemy is the same, so we should tell her what we know about them."
"Come to think of it… Goodwin told me the Dark Signers were associated with Iliaster", Jack pointed out.
"Dark Signers? How much do you actually know about Iliaster?" Sherry said as her eyes shone with such a murderous glare that she could kill to get answers.
"It's a long story, Sherry", Aki replied.
"I have time. Tell me everything you know."
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Just to let you know; the Three Pure Nobles' real names in this fanfic are the dub names. I'll be using their sub names for their disguise, like I did with Lester in this chapter.
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Inoue Miyuki and Sakiko belong to Springflowerangel.
