One of the parts of this chapter is something grapejuice101 suggested a while ago, so I worked on it and this is the result. I hope you will like it. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

Chapter 57: French Twist

The next few weeks between late February and early March had been extremely hectic. Sector Security had confiscated lots of information and data of the Neo Arcadia Movement and interviewed the victims; both the kidnapped people and the psychic Duelists who had been brainwashed. After the interviews, they got the best care to recover from the trauma before bringing them home to their worried families. The little boy I rescued was sent to a foster family after it was revealed his parents had sold him for money, just like what I had seen in that Past Life vision.

Some surprises had also been revealed. Seria, one of Sayer's aides, turned out to be Mina's older cousin. Seria had voluntarily joined Sayer's organization, thinking it was a safe place to help other psychic Duelists, but when she found out the truth she wanted to flee. Sayer had then threatened her to kill her family, so she stayed to protect her loved ones.

Sly was really Sayer's biological son after a DNA result. The boy told the detectives of how he had neglected by his grandparents for a long time, and that led the New Domino Child and Protective Services to arrest them. However, because Sly had no other relatives to live with, they were about to put him in foster care when Misty stepped in and said she wanted to adopt him as her little brother. That surprised many of us, including Sly, but none of us argued. I could tell Misty genuinely cared about the boy.

Aki recovered from the shock after witnessing Sayer's death, but she was still a bit on the silent side. We were there for there, and her friends from Duel Academy too, and helped her through the dark tunnel she almost fell down into again.

XXXXXXXXXX

I was driving across New Domino City on my Duel Runner to enjoy the early and lovely spring weather. I was just about to turn by an empty intersection when a large truck with trailer drove past me. I flinched by the sudden truck since it came out of nowhere and drove like crazy. It was even driving over the speed limit. I couldn't overlook it, so I turned the sirens and lights on my Duel Runner and drove after the truck.

I honked my horn to get the driver's attention. The truck slowed down and came to a stop by the side of the road. I braked behind it and turned off the engine of my Runner before removing my helmet. I got off the Runner and grabbed my Sector Security badge before walking up to the front.

I knocked on the right door a couple of times. "Sector Security! Open the door, please."

During the few seconds I waited for the driver to open the door, I adjusted my glasses looked at the trailer. I swore it looked familiar…

The door opened and revealed a man in his early thirties wearing a black suit and sunglasses, and a big scar on his right cheek. He grinned evilly at me as I gasped in realization.

It was a trap!

I turned around to come face to face with three masked men who had assault weapons in form of batons and planks. I didn't have the chance to fight back when I was hit on the head, making me lose consciousness.

XXXXXXXXXX

I woke up by pain surging from my head. I slowly opened my eyes to see darkness around me. For a second, I thought I was still dreaming, but I remembered what happened before I blacked out. I slowly sat up on my knees, rubbing the bump on the back of my head where I got hit. I bit back a hiss when I touched the sore part.

"Varför blev jag kidnappad…? (Why did I get kidnapped…?)" I mumbled to myself.

I felt how the whole place shook and the engine of a truck reached my ears. I was obviously inside the trailer of the truck I stopped. I slowly got up on my feet and brushed the dirt off my clothes as my eyes were getting back in focus in the darkness. I found a pair of handles and tried open the cargo hatch, but it was locked.

I sighed softly and decided to look around inside the trailer. I found something covered by a sheet, but the shape told me it was obviously my Duel Runner. I pulled the sheet off and it was indeed my dragon Runner. I turned it on and put on my helmet to use the radio and get help.

"Special Agent Estelle Goodwin to Sector Security! Special Agent Estelle Goodwin to Sector Security! Do you read me?"

The only response I got was the buzzy noise of static. Something was jamming the signal, meaning I couldn't contact someone. I sighed in defeat and removed the helmet.

"Vad kan jag göra nu? (What can I do now?)" I questioned myself.

A light suddenly brightened up the corner of the trailer. "I see you are awake now, Estelle Goodwin."

I turned around to see a screen in front of me. The man on the other side was someone I had seen many times. He was one of those stubborn men who had repeatedly asked for my hand in marriage due to me being Goodwin's daughter, hoping to get a big piece of connections. Both Goodwin and I had denied him multiple times, but he was so persistent that he even came to the mansion once to talk to me. The staff sent him away and after that, I hadn't heard from him. I remembered his name was Hironori Ryou. He was actually the same man who kidnapped Yusei in the anime, so what did he want with me?

"I apologize if my men were a bit extreme with their actions of seizing you", Hironori chuckled.

"Hironori Ryou…", I held back a growl. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I admit I had to take some abrasive measures to get a chance to talk to you, since you always denied me", Hironori replied.

"If you've kidnapped me for ransom, Director Goodwin will, without a doubt, pay you", I said, trying to stay calm. "But something tells me you have other reasons than just money."

"You are correct, my dear", Hironori nodded as he activated a hologram of the Grand Prix poster next to him. "I will have you participate in the World Racing Grand Prix that will be taking place in less than a few months."

"No, thanks", I shook my head. "I personally don't feel ready to participate in such a grand competition and, even if I did, I would never be part of a team that just wants to use me for their own good."

Hironori chuckled amusingly. "To be honest, your answer means nothing. Make no mistake; you will be joining my team. I do have doctors trained in psychological manipulation at our disposal. And I'll make sure you'll be thinking of me as your beloved husband. With you as my wife, my business will get connections and Director Goodwin will have no choice but to share his stocks with me."

"How dare you?!" I snapped, getting sick in my stomach by the last sentence. "I'll never become your wife-"

Hironori slammed his fists on the desk. "Oh, but you will! What does on here is between me and you. So, whatever happens, no one else will find out…" He finished with a dark chuckle.

"You bastard…", I growled angrily.

"It won't be long before you're all mine. Now… Relax and enjoy the ride. And it's futile to try contacting someone from the outside. The entire vehicle is planted by jamming devices, so you won't be to contact Sector Security nor can they track you own. But do not try any other dirty tricks; save them for our honeymoon."

"What did you say?!" I yelled angrily as the screen shut down.

The shadows cast over me again as my anger slowly faded. My shoulders relaxed as I sighed and looked around. So if I couldn't use my Duel Runner or smartphone to contact someone from the outside, what else could I do?

My Mark.

I could try contacting the Signers, but there was one problem. I could only sense them within a small range. I didn't know if I could send signals to their Marks from farther distance.

I had to try, though. It was the only thing I could do.

I sat down on the floor and crossed my arms for meditation pose and placed the back of my right hand on the palm of my left hand. I closed my eyes to concentrate while meditating. I mentally poked into the stored energy of my Mark while making sure it wouldn't glow and catch Hironori's attention if he was still watching me. I allowed the energy to slip out of my body and create some kind of trace that the Signers would hopefully snap up with their Marks.

I repeated the few words in my head, hoping they could reach the Signers.

Yusei… Jack… Crow… Aki… Leo… Luna…

Help me!

XXXXXXXXXX – Aki's POV

My day started calm and lovely while I attended the family garden to take care of the flowers, but I had to cancel my plans when Mina showed up and said Estelle had been kidnapped. I dropped everything and grabbed my Deck and Duel Disk before joining the adult on the search for Estelle and her kidnapper.

I hoped we would find her soon. Mina said Goodwin suspected the kidnapper was one of his enemies and they wanted to use Estelle for bribery. And who knew what else they could do to her!

Estelle was my first friend ever and the person who helped me reunite with my parents before I made the ultimate mistake that could have cost the chance to repair the bond with them. After spending so much time together with her, I started looking up to Estelle like she was my big sister. She always lent me an ear to listen to my complaints and joyful moments I wanted to share with her and everyone else. She gave me advice when I was in trouble and picked me up when I was feeling down.

But sometimes I wished she could open up her heart and share her problems with me and our friends. It was the least we could do now that we were a family.

"Has anyone of you seen anything yet?" Yusei asked through the intercom on the dashboard.

"Nothing on my side", Jack replied.

"Same here", Crow reported before letting out a sigh. "And I was right in the middle of making deliveries too… What a total drag. I hope the customers will have mercy on the delays."

The trio was helping out by scouting different districts of New Domino City while having radio contact with me and Mina. They got contacted by Trudge about the kidnapping and didn't hesitate to help out.

"And I was in the middle of serving some fans of mine at the café and write autographs to them too", Jack muttered. "Running out of fans is the most despicable act a King of Games can do!"

"Hey, you two…", I growled irritably from the passenger seat in Mina's Security patrol car. "Are you saying that you don't care what happens to Estelle at all?!"

"O-Of course we do, Aki!" Crow said nervously.

"I swear!" I growled as I leant against the seat. "Sometimes I just can't understand boys."

"Don't worry, Aki", Mina said calmly. "I know you're worried because Estelle's your first friend. But it is worrisome because she's the Director's legal daughter. The Director has many secret enemies and they know she's his Achilles' heel."

"About that anonymous tip that came to Sector Security…", Yusei spoke up. "Have you been able to locate the caller or Estelle's Duel Runner?"

"My colleagues weren't able to locate the caller", Mina answered. "As for Estelle's Runner, the last pinpoint location was only a few blocks away from the Fountain Plaza. The technicians are currently going through the surveillance footage as we speak. It's possible the kidnapper set up a jamming signal on the Runner so the GPS won't track them down."

"Estelle was nearby the Fountain Plaza?" Crow said. "Hey, Jack! Did you snap up anything odd that your customers were talking about?"

"Nothing at all", Jack responded. "If they did, I'd react immediately."

"At this rate, we need to rely on our Marks and the bonds between them to locate Estelle", Yusei said. "We know it works within a certain range, but perhaps we can increase that range if we concentrate hard enough."

"It's better than nothing", I nodded. "But we'll get nowhere unless we confirm that she's safe!"

"Calm down; we get it", Jack sighed softly.

Straight after that, the video call got cut because of a sudden jamming signal. The display on the patrol car's dashboard only showed a static screen with thin and blurred horizontal lines.

"What's going on?" I questioned.

"We're being jammed", Mina explained as she tried adjusting the radio channel to regain contact with the trio. "It seems someone has interrupted our signal."

The bluette pressed a few buttons to get back the correct channel when an unknown voice spoke up from the radio. "The vehicle Estelle Goodwin is on is heading north on Blue Hill Route in West Valley."

Mina and I gasped in surprise to hear the unknown voice and how he knew about Estelle's location.

"You should hurry or she'll get brought back into their base."

"Wait, who are you?!" Mina demanded. "This is a private Security line! Hacking into it is illegal!"

The only response she got was the static noise of jammed signals. Mina and I looked at each other in concern and confusion, but the adult shifted the gear without hesitation. "Anyway, we should check it out."

"Yes, let's", I nodded as I picked up my smartphone. "I'll try calling Yusei. Perhaps the jamming signal doesn't affect my phone."

I tapped on Yusei's number and called him. I held the device against my ear and prayed inwardly the signal could reach out. Three tones later, Yusei answered the call.

"Aki, what happened?" Yusei asked concernedly. "Crow, Jack, and I lost contact with you and Mina."

"Someone jammed the signal", I explained. "And that someone told us Estelle is somewhere on Blue Hill Route in West Valley, inside a vehicle."

"West Valley? I'm actually close to that area. I'll meet up with you guys while I tell Jack and Crow to rendezvous there."

"Okay. Call me if you notice something."

"You too, Aki. Be careful."

"You too, Yusei. The kidnapper could be a very dangerous person."

XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV

I didn't know for how I had been meditating to release my energy. I only opened my eyes when I sensed the presence of the Marks of the Head and Foot. Yusei and Aki were close!

I uncrossed my legs and waited for the blood circulation to get normal before I stood up and eyed the closed cargo hatch. My Mark started glowing to tell me two Signers were nearby. I waited for a few minutes before I heard something land on top of the trailer. Then there was this loud bombarding noise of something hitting the trailer from the outside. I took a few steps back to stay out of harm's way as a dent grew on the cargo hatch. It caved in for each hit by huge leaves, so I assumed it was Rose Tentacles. Sunlight and fresh air poured into the dark and stuffy place.

I smiled when I saw Mina in a patrol car while Yusei was driving behind her. Aki was standing up in the back seat of the vehicle while she had her active Duel Disk on her arm. "Aki! Mina! Yusei!" I called in relief.

"Estelle, are you alright?" Aki shouted, though it was a bit hard to hear with the noise around the trailer.

I hurried to the half-open hatch to respond. "I'm okay! Let me check if I can open the hatch!"

I was about to try push the double door hatch open when the truck suddenly sped up. I almost lost my balance and fell backwards, but I held onto the half-twisted handles as I watched the distance between me and my friends grow wider. The truck got violent as it moved left and right to shake off Rose Tentacles. I held onto the handles for my life, but my body still flew around and hit the metal walls. I was certain I was going to get lots of bruises from this.

I looked through the half-open hatch and saw Rose Tentacles fly off the trailer before it shattered into pieces. The truck stopped moving around and drove straight, making me sigh in relief since I almost got car sick.

I got up on my feet and saw Mina and Yusei kept driving after the truck. I put my hands on the double door hatch and used all my strength to fully push them open.

I barely heard my name being yelled by Aki as she stretched her hand towards me. I shook my head no and tried to signal with my hands to tell her to stay back. "Stay back! I'll get off with my Runner!" I yelled as loud as I could while pointing on my Duel Runner with my thumb over the shoulder, hoping the trio would get what I was trying to say.

Believing they got the message, I turned around and ran to my Runner. I opened the seat compartment on the back and grabbed my helmet. I was about to put it on when I swore I heard Mina and Yusei's frantic voices yelling at something. I turned around and felt my heart drop in shock when I saw Aki had jumped onto one of the mangled double door hatches.

"Aki, what are you doing?!" I yelled in panic as I quickly put down the helmet and ran to get the Signer to safety.

I reached out and grabbed Aki's right arm and pulled her toward me as the door hatch moved with her. I caught her in my arms when the door hatch broke off and nearly slashed her left arm off. If she hadn't worn her Duel Disk, she could have gotten seriously hurt. The device slipped off her arm and crashed on the road with the broken hatch. Mina and Yusei had no other choice but to brake and spin violently before any of them could get hit by the hatch.

"Mina! Yusei!" Aki called worriedly as we rounded a corner, losing sight of them.

I was still holding the psychic Duelist in my arms, but now I was really irritated at her. "I told you to stay back, Aki! You could've hurt yourself!" I said as I glared at her, more worried about her safety than my own.

"Who do you think I'm doing this for?!" Aki argued, returning the glare.

The glaring contest broke up when the truck was getting violent and losing control. Aki and I lost balance and rolled around on the floor of the trailer. I tried to get a good grip on the floor while making sure I didn't roll out of it. Aki crashed against the wall, but she was still conscious and held onto it.

"We're going to get tossed off at this rate", Aki stated.

"Yeah…", I nodded as I got up on one knee when there was a brief calm moment. "We must get out of here immediately."

XXXXXXXXXX – Yusei's POV

The hatch that broke off the trailer had almost hit Mina, which had forced her to brake and violently turn around. The hatch missed her, but it came towards me instead. I had to brake and turn away too as I heard it fly past me. I managed to stop before I crashed into Mina's patrol car.

The truck vanished by a corner, leaving me and Mina alone. My heart pumped so fast I could hear it in my ears. I had been close to multiple crashes before, but this one had scared me almost as much as that time when I Shadow Turbo Dueled Kalin for the first time.

I quickly jumped off my Runner to check Mina. "Mina, are you okay?!"

Mina sat on the driver's seat, looking a bit pale while her hands were shaking. "Y-Yeah… That was too close…"

I sighed in relief to see she didn't get hurt. I spotted Aki's Duel Disk on the road and ran to pick it up. There was quite a big dent on the surface, but it was an easy cosmetic job. I hurried back to Mina and saw she was getting over the shock. I threw the Duel Disk to her, which she caught with ease.

"Look after Aki's Duel Disk!" I yelled as I ran back to my Duel Runner. "I'm going after them!"

"Please do, Yusei!" Mina replied. "I'll try and contact Sector Security to request backup!"

I got on the Runner which I had let the engine on, but before I could drive off an unfamiliar Duel Runner braked next to me. Its white frame resembled a horse with fiery mane and tail. The driver had a slim figure and wore a white suit with red accents that ran along the outside of their arms and legs. They also had grey shoulder, knee, elbow, and shin guards while wearing a charcoal-colored padding over the chest. The burgundy helmet looked like the headgear of an old knight with a grey open-mouthed mouth protector and an orange visor. I couldn't see their face, so I didn't know if it was a man or a woman.

"Is everyone okay?" the unknown driver asked.

"We're fine, but our friends are in danger", I simply replied before driving away.

A few seconds later, I realized the unknown Turbo Duelist was still driving next to me. "What do you want? I'm in a hurry!"

"I'll assist you in rescuing your friends, Fudo Yusei, but after that I wish to Duel you!" they demanded.

I didn't know if I should trust them or not. For a brief moment, I thought they were part of the kidnapping, but if they were then they would've tried to stop me instead of helping me.

"Alright", I nodded before accelerating. "Let's hurry!"

XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV

I could hear how the trailer was crashing against the railing of the road, meaning Aki and I could get thrown into the ocean with it any minute now. I grabbed Aki's hand and wobblingly led her over to my Duel Runner and grabbed the helmet that had bounced off the seat.

"Put this on!" I told my friend as I pushed the helmet in her hands.

I picked up a spare helmet that was stored in a compartment on the back of the seat and put it on. I then grabbed my Wrist Dealer and strapped it on my left arm before inserting my Turbo Deck for just in case.

"Wait… You're not thinking about…", Aki began.

I rolled the visor down on the helmet before moving my Runner so it was pointing towards the exit. "Yes, Aki. We're jumping out of here with my Duel Runner." I got on the bike and started the engine. "Get on!"

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Aki said nervously. "We're not going to crash, are we?"

"Don't worry, Aki. I may not be as experienced as Yusei, Jack, and Crow, but I know a few tricks myself. Besides, we don't have time to argue. Get on."

Aki still looked unconvinced, but another crash against the railing from the outside reminded her of the current situation. She put on the helmet and got on the Runner behind me. She wrapped her thin arms around my waist, making sure to hold on tight.

I pushed the engine a bit and check the status of my Runner on the display. Everything looked normal, so thank goodness Akunin didn't have his minions tinkering with it.

"Ready, Aki?" I asked.

"Ready", she replied as she tightened her grip on my waist.

I was about to accelerate when I saw Yusei showing up from a curve…with another Turbo Duelist. I didn't tense up because I already knew who the other Turbo Duelist was, recognizing them by their riding suit and Duel Runner.

"Who's that with Yusei?" Aki questioned.

"Let's find out when we get out of here!" I told her as I pushed the gas. "Fly, Crimson Starlight!"

The truck had crashed against the railing as I drove forward with my Runner. Aki and I flew out of the while Yusei and the other Turbo Duelist made way for me to land in the middle of the road. I landed safely and skidded to a halt to see the trailer vanish from the road before a big splash was heard from the ocean.

I sighed in relief that we made it out safely. Aki leaned against my back as I could tell by her sigh that she had been full of tension. Yusei and the other Turbo Duelist turned around and braked in front of us.

"Estelle, Aki, are you okay?" Yusei asked worriedly.

"Yes, but that sure was a close call", I nodded before turning to the white-clad Turbo Duelist who still hadn't revealed themselves. "And you are?"

The unknown Duelist didn't answer right away. Instead, they grabbed their helmet and pulled it off to reveal their face. A curtain of long blonde hair flew in the air before it settled down against the young woman's back. Her bangs curled away from her face in a horizontal direction that almost covered her emerald eyes.

"I am Sherry LeBlanc", the Turbo Duelist introduced herself. "My guardian and I were the ones who tipped Sector Security about your kidnapping, Estelle Goodwin."

"A female Turbo Duelist…?" Aki mumbled in disbelief behind me.

"Thank you for your assistance, Sherry", I bowed my head to her. "How can I repay you?"

"There's no need for repayment", Sherry shook her head. "What I want…" She pointed straight at Yusei. "…is to Turbo Duel Fudo Yusei and test his skills."

"What for?" Aki wondered, sounding suspicious.

Yusei stayed silent as he waited for an explanation.

"I came to take him away", Sherry answered.

"What do you mean by that?" Yusei asked.

"You mean you want to recruit Yusei to your team?" I summarized it.

"Correct", Sherry nodded. "Fudo Yusei, you're going to participate in the World Racing Grand Prix on my team and win."

"What?" Yusei mumbled confusedly.

"You don't have to give your answer today", Sherry added. "But I'd like to test you with a Turbo Duel. Consider it a greeting among Turbo Duelists."

"Yusei…", Aki mumbled concernedly.

"What will you do, Yusei?" I asked.

Yusei was quiet for a few seconds while thinking about it before he spoke up. "I don't know what your intentions are, but if it takes a Duel to find out…" A small smirk appeared on his lips. "…then I'll accept the challenge."

"Magnifique! (Magnificent!)" Sherry said before turning to me. "And, if you wish, I do not mind you joining us, Estelle. I am interested in seeing your skills as well."

That came much unexpected. Sherry wanted to test me too? She was aware that if I chose to join the Turbo Duel it would be a 2-on-1 Duel, putting her in disadvantage…unless she was prepared for it.

"Do you mind, Yusei?" I asked.

"Not at all", Yusei smiled softly.

"Eh?!" Aki gaped in disbelief.

"Then it's decided. Let us go!" Sherry said before she drove ahead.

Yusei followed her while I turned my Runner around to drive after them and join the Turbo Duel.

"Are you sure about this, Estelle?" Aki questioned. "What if this is a trap?"

"I don't think it is, Aki", I replied. "I can tell by Sherry's eyes that she really wants to see my and Yusei's skills."

"I'm not worried about that", the psychic Duelist retorted. "It's about that offer to make Yusei join her team. Why didn't he decline it right away?"

She was right about that. Why didn't Yusei say no? He, Jack, and Crow made a promise to enter the Grand Prix together as a team. Did he want to find out more about Sherry's purpose before giving her an answer?

"I'm sure he'll give her a proper answer in due time", I shook my head as we drove on a bridge that appeared from the ocean which led me, Sherry, and Yusei to the closest Turbo Duel course. Once we were on dry land, I pushed the gas to keep up with the two Turbo Duelists.

"We're going to drive faster now, Aki. Are you okay with it?" I asked.

"Y-Yeah!" Aki replied nervously. "This is going to be the first time I get to see a Turbo Duel so close."

I smiled softly before pushing the gas. "Hold on tight, and enjoy the show!"

XXXXXXXXXX

The Turbo Duel was quite enjoyable at the very beginning, but it soon became serious when Sherry asked Yusei why he decided to participate in the World Racing Grand Prix. When he said it was to find a new goal, Sherry kind of ignored him and turned her attention to me.

"Then let me ask you, Estelle; what is it you Duel for?" the blonde Duelist asked through the intercom.

"What I Duel for…?" I mumbled softly.

I glanced at the sky as memories and feelings of the last several months flashed through my brain. When I came to this world, I never thought I would get so many opportunities to Duel for real. Duel Monsters was just a simple but joyful card game in my world where you didn't have to Duel as if your life depended on it.

But here… It served more than just one purpose.

The times I had Dueled was to either protect someone or reach out to the people my heart cared for, like the time I Dueled Lenny when he wanted to take Yusei's Duel Runner, when I refused to let go of Aki when she was confused and manipulated by Sayer, when I rescued Rex Goodwin, giving him a second chance to live after the last Shadow Duel with the Dark Signers, and saving Itsuki from the dark clutches of Neo Arcadia Movement.

"I Duel…", I began as I tightened the grip on the right handle of my Runner. "I Duel so I can protect the people I love!"

"Protect?" Sherry hummed curiously.

"Yes", I nodded. "Ever since I came to New Domino City, I've been blessed with so many wonderful people who I can proudly call my friends…something I had secretly yearned for a long time." Determination rose within me as I continued my speech. "If it means I have to Duel to protect them, I'll do it! Even if I have to sacrifice my life to make sure they are safe from danger!"

Every single word was true. I would die to make sure my friends were out of harm's way. It may sound extreme, but that was how I truly felt. I would sacrifice all my blood and keep fighting until my body was completely torn apart.

"Estelle…", Aki mumbled behind me.

"How naïve", Sherry snorted. "But at least you have a reason, like me. A huge reason called 'vengeance'."

Sherry told us about her past of how her family got murdered by a rival company. She and her guardian, Mizoguchi, had traveled across the world over the years to find a way to get revenge and find out the reason what the company was actually after. After tremendous long hours of research, they found out a certain organization was involved with the company.

Iliaster.

It shocked Yusei and Aki, and they asked me if it was the same organization I mentioned shortly after the Ghost event with the Meklord Emperor. I said yes, and it caught Sherry's attention. She confessed she needed Yusei's help to stop Iliaster because she suspected they were pulling the strings behind the upcoming Grand Prix. She wanted to win and get close to them and shake the truth out of them.

It was my turn and I pulled out a combo with Speed Spell – Summon Speeder to Special summon Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit and summon Lord of D. Just as I was about to Synchro summon Clear Wing Synchro Dragon, a truck with a trailer crashed through another course above us! Aki and I gasped in shock at the sight. I saw several figures standing on the top course, knowing one of them was Hironori.

"Come forth-", I began, but Aki reached over and snatched the Synchro Monster card out of my hand.

"Let me handle this!" she demanded as she leant a bit over my shoulder while still holding onto me. "Protect us, Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!"

The futuristic dragon roared as she appeared in the sky. She immediately flew to the truck and used her body to hold it up until Sherry, Yusei, and I drove past the falling vehicle. Once we were safe, the dragon flew away and let the truck crash on the course. That caused the Turbo Duel to get called off because of the disturbance. The three of us stopped our Runners and let out sighs of relief that none of us got hurt. Aki got off my Runner as Mizoguchi drove to us with his limousine-like Duel Runner.

"Excellent work, Mizoguchi", Sherry complimented him.

The butler nodded silently before he stared Yusei. "Fudo Yusei… I like the look in your eyes."

Yusei stayed silent.

"It was an intriguing Duel with you two", Sherry said. "I'm glad I was not disappointed in your skills, Yusei, despite you making a few risky moves. It's unfortunate we couldn't finish the Duel."

"I agree", Yusei nodded. "My Life Points were on 500 and Estelle's were 200, and if you've drawn a Speed Spell on your next turn after Estelle made her Monster attack your Noble Knight Pellinore and lowered your Life Points to 600, you would've defeated both of us with your eight Speed Counters."

Sherry nodded and was about to draw the top card to see if it would've been a Speed Spell, but she stopped herself. "Not drawing, though. The world of speed won't end. Never, not for you and me. We'll meet again, Yusei, Estelle." She purred the engine of her Runner a bit before she turned to Aki. "And you too. You're an interesting gal."

The blonde winked at the female Signer, but because I was behind her I couldn't see her facial reaction. However, her little gasp of surprise told me she was blushing.

"Sherry, wait!" I called as I came up with something.

The blonde stopped turning her Duel Runner around when I pulled out a calling card from the inner pocket of my jacket and threw it to her. She caught it between her fingers and looked at it. "What's this?"

"My contact address", I replied.

Sherry cast a curious glance over her shoulder. "Why?"

I tightened the grip on the right handle of my Runner before I relaxed and smiled softly. "If you ever need help of some kind, or a place to stay, or just talk to someone and let out your thoughts and feelings, you can turn to me. I would like to help you."

The blonde looked at the card in her hand while Mizoguchi studied her with a poker face, but I could tell by his aura he was debating over something.

Sherry shrugged with a soft snort before she pocketed the calling card. "Naïve. But I'll consider it. Until next time… Au revoir! (Goodbye!)"

She and Mizoguchi left us as we watched them silently with the burning truck behind us. I guess all three of us got quite an impact by this Turbo Duel and Sherry's words. I still couldn't really shake off the word she said about me.

Naïve.

Was it really naïve of me to offer help to her, who technically was a complete stranger?

I guess there was some truth behind of it. I only knew about Sherry from the anime, but seeing that lonely backside and all the struggles she went through while running for the majority of her life… Trusting no one but herself and Mizoguchi…

Even the world's strongest man was meant to break down unless he had people by his side that could catch and bring him back on his feet. Somewhere in my heart, I had a feeling Sherry often put a lid on her emotions to stay in control and be strong to find the truth.

But what would happen if she came upon an impenetrable wall? Would she fight until she crumbles down or reach out for help to break through?

It was up to her for decide, so I hoped she would consider contacting me at least once.

But what would Yusei do? Was he going to consider Sherry's offer or decline her? Was he thinking about the reason why he was Dueling? What was going to be his choice?

I hoped he was going to think deeply through it and come up with an answer.

XXXXXXXXXX – Aki's POV

I was so relieved it was over now. Estelle was safe and sound and Sector Security had arrested the people behind her kidnapping. She drove me home after the Turbo Duel she and Yusei had with Sherry.

I was still feeling like I was on cloud nine after witnessing a Turbo Duel up close. The wind, the speed, all those sensations were still tingling on my skin. Was this what my friends felt and saw every time they were Turbo Dueling? It was like a whole new world had opened right before my eyes.

I wanted to see more.

I wanted to learn more.

I didn't want to be left behind while they were in a world unknown to me.

That's it. I'm going to become a Turbo Duelist and be part of their world!