WARNING! Vulgar language!
The chapter begins in normal point of view.
Disclaimer: I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!
Chapter 75: WRGP Premium Event Party – Part 3
The star lovers' moment got broken when they heard a crash from the building. They hurried inside to see two punk-themed Duel Runners had driven through the windows and crashed into the building. People screamed in fear and shock as they threw themselves away from the two large Duel Runners that parked themselves in the middle of the party hall.
"Look at all you meetin' here being all fancy-shmancy!" the large Turbo Duelist with pink Mohawk cackled loudly.
"It's the town roughneck, Dobocle!" Carly exclaimed while she was in Jack's safe arms.
"It hurts my heart to see none of ya fancy people wanted to sponsor me and my bro!" the other punk Turbo Duelist with black beard exclaimed sarcastically.
Yusei stood in front of Estelle to shield her from the danger, but he gasped in surprise when he recognized the other Turbo Duelist with black beard and the familiar uniform that was now old rags. "Chief Armstrong?!"
"Former Chief Armstrong, Satellite-reject!" Armstrong growled before he violently pulled his nose hair and blew it towards Yusei. "I got fired because of you! So I'm here for revenge by harming my ex-boss and then I'll give you a taste of your own medicine!"
Yusei grimaced slightly when he saw the nose hair. It reminded him briefly of the time he spent in the Facility shortly after he and Estelle made it to New Domino City and got arrested for trespassing. The young Signer had seen many things back in the old Satellite, but former Chief Armstrong was one of the most disgusting people he have ever met.
Dobocle held up a flyer of the upcoming tournament. "WRGP, my ass!" he snorted before he ripped the flyer into pieces. "Turbo Duels ain't some little game!"
"Catch them!" Trudge commanded as his fellow Sector Security colleagues rushed into the party hall to apprehend the party crashers.
Dobocle and Armstrong revved their Runners before they drove into the officers, launching them into the air before they crashed on the floor. The two hooligans showed no mercy as they trashed the whole place apart. They even had the nerve to drive into the innocent people. Some had managed to avoid the chaos by running to the different emergency exits, but they were too much in shock to do something. Some didn't have the same luck and got hit by the party crashers, Turbo Duelists and sponsors alike. Armstrong and Dobocle showed no mercy, not even for women. Many cried in pain by the bone fractures and bruises they got from the assault.
Aki was overwhelmed by the chaos around her and didn't know which one of the party crashers to keep an eye on while trying not to get hurt. Everything and everyone got thrown around by the hooligans that she didn't notice Dobocle was coming towards her.
"Outta my way, bitch!" Armstrong yelled.
It was like the scene turned into slow motion. Aki turned to Armstrong and gasped in shock as the Runner came at her. Only seconds away from impact, a white and blonde flash jumped in and grabbed Aki and pushed her out of harm's way. The scene turned back into normal motion as Aki crashed on the ground with her savior as Armstrong drove past them.
The female Signer grunted by the pain on her back by the impact. She opened her eyes and blushed brightly when she saw her savior was Sherry. The blonde French was hovering above her as she sat on her four limbs, her bun now loose so her hair was done and created a curtain around her face.
"Are you okay, Aki?" Sherry said with worried eyes.
"Y-Yeah…", Aki blushed shyly before the blonde helped her stand up.
Armstrong had enough and turned his large Duel Runner towards Goodwin who pushed Ish out from harm's way. "It's your turn, Goodwin! You had my loyalty and you threw me away like garbage! It's time for my revenge!"
Goodwin didn't say a word as he pulled a gun he had hidden on the back by the tuxedo and fired a small container of tranquilizer. Armstrong didn't have time to dodge the tranquilizer as it hit him on the right bare shoulder. The tranquilizer was pumped into his body and gave immediate effect. Armstrong lost strength in his body as the muscles refused to listen to his commands. Goodwin jumped out of the way before the former Chief drove straight into the wall with a loud crash. His body flew from the Runner and crashed on the ground. Some of the unharmed officers ran immediately to him and handcuffed him.
"Bro!" Dobocle yelled when he saw his comrade had fallen. "That's it! No one hurts my bro and gets away with it!"
Blinded by anger, he drove into every man and woman who tried leaving the scene with severe injuries, forcing them back to the ground.
Mei was carrying Sakura in her arms as the pinkette bit her lower lip to not cry because of her twisted ankle. They were close to one of the emergency exits when Dobocle decided to target them next.
"You're next, bitches!" the punk shouted angrily as he drove towards them.
"Mei, Sakura, look out!" Yusei yelled.
Dobocle laughed maliciously, enjoying the chaos, when his face was suddenly covered by brown hair extension thrown at him. He didn't expect to get blinded, so he instinctively drove to the side, barely missing the girls, and ripped the hair extension off his face. Next thing he knew, he felt a sting on his left arm. It was another tranquilizer.
Yusei turned to the direction where the tranquilizer came from. At one point, in the middle of the chaos, he got separated from Estelle and he had no idea where the brunette had run off to. Now, he found her at the other side of the party hall with a gun in her hands aimed at Dobocle. Her pose was like a lady in an action movie, exposing her left leg where she had a black gun holster.
Dobocle lost control over his own body and couldn't steer his Duel Runner, so he ended up driving through a window and crashed outside of the building. A small round device split apart from the Duel Runner and landed inside the party hall, which caught Yusei's attention.
Another group of Securities hurried outside to apprehend Dobocle. The large man could barely move a muscle as he was being forced on his stomach while getting handcuffed behind his back.
"Alright, you fools!" Trudge growled as he approached Dobocle. "What's the idea crashing the party?!"
Before Dobocle could open his mouth, the device that fell from his Duel Runner released a thick smoke of teargas. A similar device on Armstrong's Duel Runner released another portion of teargas, filling the entire party hall with chemical clouds. The majority of people coughed violently as they tried enduring the teargas. Some couldn't help crying because the gas irritated their eyes.
Estelle coughed loudly as she kept her eyes closed. Because of that, she never noticed a shadow approaching her from behind before it gave her a punch on the back of her head. The brunette gasped by the sudden assault before her eyes rolled back as she lost consciousness. The shadow grabbed her before she could collapse on the ground and carried her bridal style out of the party hall in a hurry.
The teargas slowly faded away, revealing the chaos of the party hall caused by the party crashers. Nothing seemed amiss, so Trudge turned his attention back at Dobocle.
"What was that just now?! Why'd you use teargas for?!" he demanded answers.
"K-Kiss my ass…!" Dobocle growled irritably. "L-Like I'd tell you…!"
The Signers and their friends gathered around to see if they were okay, but one person was missing.
"Guys… Where's Estelle?" Luna asked.
"She's not here?" Bruno looked around for a double-check.
"Last time I saw her she was right over there…", Yusei pointed where he saw Estelle before the grenades released the teargas, except she wasn't standing there anymore.
"Where did she run off to?" Aki asked.
Jack stretched his neck as he turned to the direction where Goodwin, Ish, and the Kaiba brothers were standing by the group of Securities who had arrested Armstrong. "She's not with Goodwin or with the Securities."
"Don't tell me she got kidnapped?!" Carly exclaimed in shock.
"Kidnapped?!" everyone else in the group exclaimed in disbelief.
Yusei's heart throbbed in pain when he heard that. This was what he had been worried about since the nightmare, but now… It was coming true!
XXXXXXXXXX
The Three Pure Nobles had witnessed the whole chaos, including Estelle's kidnapping. Hironori had used a gasmask, which he had kept hidden in his suit, to sneak around while the teargas was still active and knocked Estelle unconscious. In the middle of the chaos, he carried her down to the parking garage where his escape car and two of his men were waiting for him.
"Hm, as I expected", Primo chuckled in delight before standing up. "It's time for the next phase."
Jakob and Lester stood up from their thrones as the window they had used to watch the party vanished and revealed the incomplete Circuit.
"I still find your plan barbaric", Jakob commented in disappointment. "Why do you want to take it to the extreme?"
"You heard Primo's explanation, Jakob", Lester chuckled. "If we kill the Priestess, she might release energy that we can convert it into Ener-D and use it as fuel to complete the Circuit much faster. And it will cause huge grief to the Signers."
Jakob muttered lowly, but said nothing to argue.
Primo drew out his sword and slashed the air to create a gate. "Come. We have much to do."
XXXXXXXXXX
Hironori and his men quickly drove out of the building to the direction where the second escape unmarked car was waiting, driving past ambulances and first responders that were coming to the crime scene. Hironori sat in the back of the car with Estelle's unconscious body resting against him.
"Mission complete", Hironori chuckled deeply as he grabbed a strand of Estelle's hair and twirled it around his finger. "Soon you and the wealth shall be mine…"
"Sir, will we still pay the delinquents for the job?" one of Hironori's men asked from the front seats.
"Of course…not!" Hironori laughed hideously. "Why waste money on filthy beings like them? No, it's best to save it up for better purpose…like the honeymoon."
"Yes, sir", the second bodyguard nodded.
XXXXXXXXXX – Yusei's POV
I was looking everywhere in the party hall for Estelle, but I found no signs or clues of her. The others were either looking around for her or helping the injured guests get some assistance. A TV crew had arrived with the first responders and interviewed a few people, including Jack and the older Kaiba brother.
"Did you find Estelle?" Ish asked as she hurried to me.
We told Goodwin and Ish about Estelle missing, so they were both on high alert.
"No", I shook my head.
"Goodwin has asked for the security footage, so they should get something soon", Ish said.
"Director Goodwin!" Trudge called as he rushed to the Director who was busy with the officers.
"What is it, Trudge?" Goodwin asked.
"I just got the word! The security footage shows Estelle being carried away by a man in a lime suit to the parking garage before leaving in an unmarked car!" Trudge reported.
A man in a lime suit… Oh no!
"I know who that is!" I shouted as I ran to Goodwin. "It's Hironori Ryou!"
"Hironori Ryou? The same man who kidnapped her months ago?" Goodwin asked.
"Yes!" I nodded. "I saw him forcing himself on Estelle, so I led her away before anything could happen. We meant to tell you about him sooner, but…" I rubbed the back of my head with a guilty look. "Things happened."
"Oh no…!" Ish gasped in shock.
"I have to deploy some officers to chase after Hironori, but the majority needs to stay here to aid the injured ones", Goodwin said hesitantly.
"I'll go, Director!" Kalin called as he joined us.
"We'll go too!" Crow added. "We're talking about our friend here!"
Goodwin nodded as the others gathered around us. "I'm counting on you. Please, save my daughter."
XXXXXXXXXX – Hironori's POV
This escape plan with my future wife was too good to be true. Sometimes I could a genius…as long as nothing got in my way.
"Sir, we're almost at the second vehicle", one of my bodyguards informed me.
"Good", I nodded as I kept caressing Estelle's smooth cheek. "Soon, my dear, you and the fortune shall be mine…"
The car braked by an alleyway where the second escape car had been hiding. We were still by the ocean, but at the end of the multiple bridges that had been built for the World Racing Grand Prix.
My bodyguards got out first before one of them opened the door for me. I removed the seatbelt and got out with Estelle still resting in my arms. The other bodyguard ran into the alleyway to alert his comrades I had arrived. Seconds after he vanished in the alleyway, we heard a yell and the sound of a punch.
"AH!"
"What was that?!" the first bodyguard called.
"Go and investigate, you fool! We don't have much time before Security is up on our ass!" I commanded.
"Y-Yes, sir!"
The coward of a bodyguard walked in caution into the alleyway. "Who's there?!" he yelled.
Just like his useless partner, I heard him yell in pain before he was knocked out of the alleyway and fainted on the concrete.
"What's going on?!" I yelled irritably as I glared at the alleyway. "Who's there?! Come out and show me your face!"
I heard a deep chuckle before three figures slowly stepped out from the shadows. I stood cautiously while cradling my woman close to my body.
A tall and slim figure in white robes and armor stepped out with a sadistic smirk. "I'm sorry… But we'll take the Priestess now."
"What the fuck?!"
XXXXXXXXXX – Yusei's POV
It was decided that Jack, Crow, Aki, Sherry, Bruno, Kalin, and I would go after Hironori and stop him from kidnapping Estelle before something could happen to her. The others stayed behind to help out with the chaos caused by Dobocle and Armstrong.
We drove our Duel Runners towards the direction the unmarked car was last seen on surveillance camera. We were half-way through the bridge when we heard an explosion. Fire and smoke erupted not so far from us, so we pushed our Runners to speed up.
We braked by the end of the bridge where the fire and smoke was coming from. We immediately spotted a few unconscious bodies lying on the concrete, including Hironori, next to the fire that came from a car parked next to an alleyway where there was another fire.
We removed our helmets and got off the Runners to see if the people were injured and if Estelle was with them. Kalin called for back-up and informed Sector Security about the fire while the rest of us pulled the unconscious bodies away from the flames before they could get hurt.
"Can you see anyone else in the fire?!" I yelled.
Crow stepped toward the fire, but the flames were still too intense for him to check for other bodies. "No, I can't!"
I grabbed Hironori by the collar and shook him violently to snap him out of it. "Hey! Wake up! Where is she?!"
Hironori grunted as he slowly regained consciousness. He rubbed his head with clenched teeth before he looked up. "Wha- You!" he exclaimed in surprise.
"Where is Estelle, Hironori?!" I yelled angrily, slowly losing my patience. "And what happened here?!"
"Why should I tell you, Satellite?!" Hironori growled.
Kalin stepped forward with a pair of handcuffs in his hands. "Hironori Ryou, you are under arrest for kidnapping and trespassing! I suggest you start talking and tell us what happened!"
Hironori growled angrily and tried ripping himself out of my grip, but Jack immobilized him by grabbing his arms from behind. "Start talking or else! There are many people who are after your head because of your antics, including Kaiba!" he shouted.
Hironori turned pale for a second by the name before he spat everything out. "I was about to use a second vehicle to get away, but a man in white robes and armor appeared out of nowhere and knocked me out! He must be the one who wrecked my vehicles and took Estelle from me!"
A man in white robes and armor… That sounded awfully similar to the people I saw in my dream last night.
"So Estelle got kidnapped by someone else?" Aki mumbled.
"Whoever it was, they somehow knew what Hironori was doing and waited for him here", Bruno stated as he stared at the fire.
"What in the name of Jeanne d'Arc is going on here?" Sherry commented.
Jack pushed down Hironori on his knees so Kalin could handcuff him. Once his wrists were shackled, Kalin forced him up on his feet and threw him to the unconscious bodyguards who had already been handcuffed.
"What do we do now?" Crow asked. "There's no way we can find Estelle; she could be anywhere!"
"We can try tracking her down with our Marks, just like we always have", I said.
"Yeah, just like how we tracked her down when she got kidnapped the first time", Aki nodded.
I closed my eyes and placed a hand on my right arm to concentrate on my Mark. Come on, Estelle… Respond to me. Where are you?
I suddenly felt a ding in my head. I got a response from her Mark!
"I found her!" I called as I ran to my Runner.
"Really? Where?" Crow asked.
I jumped onto my Runner and put on my helmet. "Not so far from here! I'm going ahead!"
"Wait! I'm coming with you, Yusei!" Aki shouted before she ran to her Runner.
"You guys go and rescue Estelle! I'll stay behind until back-up arrives!" Kalin told us.
"Gotcha, Kalin!" Crow waved before running to his Runner.
"I'll stay here with Kalin", Bruno said. "Once his back-up arrives, I'll head back to the others and tell them what's going on."
"Thank you. Bruno!" I nodded before I drove off to the direction where I sensed Estelle's Mark.
XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV
I grunted softly as I regained consciousness. The first thing I sensed was it was a bit chilly. I slowly opened my eyes and saw I was resting on a cold surface and I was outside. I got up on my knees and looked around. At first, I couldn't register where I was.
The last thing I remembered was the chaos in the party and then… Something knocked me out.
"Var är jag…? (Where am I…?)" I mumbled softly.
"Look, she's woken up!" a familiar child voice giggled.
I looked over my shoulder and felt my eyes widen in shock. "The Three Pure Nobles?!"
"So she knows of us", Jakob mumbled unamusingly.
I quickly jumped up on my feet and turned to the trio before getting into a battle position, ready to fight for my life. "What do you want with me?!"
Primo stepped towards me, so I backed away from him. However, he managed to harshly grab my jaw before I could defend myself.
"We want to conduct an experiment with you, Priestess", Primo told me as his grip on my jaw tightened.
"W-What experiment…?" I managed to get out while I resisted the urge to grunt in pain.
Primo let go of my jaw before taking a few steps back. I rubbed my jaw while getting a feeling it was to get bruised the next day.
"Well, we have a theory that we can achieve our goal much faster if we use your powers to complete the Grand Design", Lester giggled.
"My powers?" I raised an eyebrow confusedly. "Don't you need Ener-D for the Circuit?"
"How do you know the Grand Design's actual name?" Jakob asked.
Oops… Did I reveal too much of my knowledge about Iliaster?
"It appears you somehow have more knowledge about us than I first expected", Primo said before he rested his hand on the handle of his sword. "It doesn't matter. Once we eliminate you, we will harness your powers and convert it into Ener-D to fuel the Circuit."
My eyes widened in realization. They wanted to kill me! Just like what Yusei saw in his nightmare!
I moved back until I was at the edge of the construction, which I realized it was the unification monument of Satellite and New Domino City. Wasn't it here Yusei, Jack, and Crow had their first official encounter with the Three Pure Nobles shortly after the Diablo incident?
I shook my head to clear my mind before glaring at the trio. "Sorry, but I won't let you touch a single hair on me."
I did the same as Princess Elise did in the video game "Sonic 2006". I stretched out my arms before I allowed myself to fall off of the top of the monument. There was no way I was going to let them harm me!
And if it came down to the worst, I had my secret weapon which I hadn't used for a while now.
XXXXXXXXXX – Yusei's POV
Estelle's presence was getting stronger the closer we got to her location. I soon realized we were heading towards the unification monument. That was the same place where I saw Estelle die in my nightmare!
My Mark started glowing as I sensed Estelle's presence. I had to hurry and save her before she could get killed!
"Hey, you guys sense that?!" Crow called through the intercom.
"Yeah, it must be Estelle!" Aki replied. "We're getting close!"
"I think I know who could be behind of the kidnapping!" Sherry said.
"Who, Sherry?" Aki asked.
"Our common enemy, Iliaster!"
"Those bastards again?!" Jack growled angrily. "What could they want this time?!"
The monument was getting bigger the closer we got to it. I barely saw the four figures on top of the structure. Just like in the nightmare, three of them were wearing white while the fourth person had a red dress, which was obviously Estelle. Next time I blinked my eyes, Estelle had jumped down from the monument!
"Estelle!" I yelled in fear.
Estelle flipped in the air and fell so her back was facing the ground. I tried pushing my Duel Runner to go faster, but it was already on its limit.
One of the white-clad people jumped down and drew their sword out of a sheath strapped on their belt.
No!
I couldn't let them hurt Estelle! But I was too far away to do something! I promised Estelle I was going to protect her, but now… I couldn't do anything!
"ESTELLE!"
XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV
Estelle watched how Primo jumped down from the monument and drew his sword out in the middle of the fall. She knew the only way to stop the Pure Noble from killing her was by activating the secret side of her Priestess powers.
"Die, Priestess!" Primo screamed in the air before swinging his sword at the brunette.
Estelle glared at him before she clenched her hands into fists and yelled the three magic words.
"CRIMSON STAR EVOLUTION!"
Her Mark responded to the words and released a bright crimson light that encased her. Primo stopped swinging his sword and used his other arm to shield his eyes from the light. He had a bad feeling about this sudden development, so he pushed himself away from the mass of light.
Yusei and the others braked and watched in surprise at the sight of the crimson light. The red globe of light slowly fell down to the ground before it shattered into pixel particles. A red figure bounced on the concrete before flying up to the air. Primo landed in a crouch on the ground and followed the red figure with his eyes. Lester and Jakob watched in surprise at the scene from the top of the monument. A red pentagram appeared in the air before the red figure landed gracefully on it. Estelle straightened her body before glaring at Primo.
The others were stunned to see Estelle's Warrior Form, since they had never seen it before and she hadn't mentioned it to them.
"Whoa… Did Estelle just transform?" Crow said in surprise.
"I've never seen her in that outfit before", Aki pointed out.
Yusei was very shocked to say the least. He had been so certain he was going to lose Estelle, but now… His nightmare had changed course of action into a, hopefully, happy ending.
XXXXXXXXXX
"Well, this was unexpected", Lester shrugged as he and Jakob were still standing on top of the monument.
Jakob hummed softly before he turned around and walked away. "Let's retreat."
"Huh?" Lester said in surprise as he looked over his shoulder. "But I don't want to miss the rest!"
Jakob raised a hand and caused a gate to appear in front of him. "I can already predict who will become the winner. There's no need to stay behind. Let Primo have his fun."
Lester pouted irritably before following Jakob into the gate. "What a party pooper."
XXXXXXXXXX
"Impossible!" Primo exclaimed in disbelief. "How were you able to acquire a new form, Priestess?!"
Estelle didn't respond to the question. Instead, she grabbed a feather from her left wing with her right hand and drew it out as it transformed into a katana. She got into a pose while keeping her eyes on the Pure Noble.
In the blink of an eye, Estelle flew towards Primo with her katana raised. Primo gaped in surprise, but quickly recovered and blocked the incoming attack with his sword. The two weapons clashed against each other with a loud clang. Primo glided backwards by the force coming from Estelle as they glared at each other with gritted teeth.
"Where does your power come from?!" Primo growled before the duo jumped back.
Estelle landed on the concrete and slid back a bit before she got a firm grip on her feet. "My power…comes from deep within my heart with the desire to protect the people and the home I love!" She raised her katana as small crimson spheres appeared around her.
Primo cold sweated at the sight of the incoming attack. "I don't understand… The Priestess wasn't supposed to be this strong!"
"Star Tears… FIRE!" Estelle yelled before pointing at Primo with her weapon.
The spheres fired at command at the Pure Noble. Primo jumped back as he used his sword to slash the spheres before they could hit him. Some of them missed him and caused some damage to the concrete.
When the last sphere got slashed, Estelle suddenly appeared within Primo's range. The android didn't have to blink before he got kicked in the abdomen. He was pushed down to the concrete, kicking up dirt and dust, and slid backwards on his back until he came to a stop.
"I-Impossible…", Primo grunted as he slowly pushed himself up on his elbows. "This prediction…is wrong!" He glared at Estelle who stood on the concrete several meters from him with her katana ready for more. "The Priestess…has changed… Evolved…"
"Primo!" Jakob's voice called through the Three Pure Nobles' personal intercom. "Retreat at once!"
"No…!" Primo grunted as he got up on his feet with his sword. "I still have strength to fight…!"
"Maybe that's so, but you're weak against the Priestess!" Jakob argued. "Especially now that she managed to transform into that…warrior form and can use other powers than hand-to-hand combat."
Primo hated to admit it, but Jakob was right. This sudden development had caught him off guard. There was no way he could accomplish his plans this time. They had to be delayed for now.
Primo slashed the air with his sword and created a gate. Estelle's stiff body slowly relaxed as she watched the Pure Noble sheath his weapon. He was about to step into the gate when he threw a glance at her.
"You got lucky this time, Priestess. But, mark my words, you haven't seen the worst from me yet."
With that said, Primo walked into the gate and left the scene. The gate vanished with the Pure Noble, leaving Estelle alone.
XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV
I let out a big sigh in exhaustion after Primo left the battlefield. I was relieved that I was okay and my powers responded to me when I needed them. I mentally ordered my powers to cancel the Warrior Form, so I transformed back into my gown. The katana transformed into red pixel dust that flew away with the wind.
I looked up at the night sky with so many questions in my head. Was it really true what the Three Pure Nobles said? They wanted to harness my powers to fuel the Circuit? Was that even possible? Didn't they need Ener-D for it? Or… Had they come up with a method to transform my Priestess powers into Ener-D?
"Estelle!"
I turned around and saw Yusei, Jack, Crow, Aki, and Sherry on their Runners brake meters from me. Yusei threw his helmet off and got off his Runner before running to me with a worried expression. Next thing I knew, I was in his arms as he gave me a tight hug.
"Are you okay?! Are you hurt?!" Yusei asked me frantically.
I returned his hug while patting his back. "I'm okay, Yusei."
"Man, what was that we just saw?" Crow said. "You almost pulverized that creep."
Yusei let go of me so I could talk properly to my friends, but he still kept an arm around my waist. "That form you just saw…is something I managed to unlock a while ago."
"A while ago means…?" Jack began as he crossed his arms.
I rubbed the back of my head with a sheepish look. "Since the incident with Paradox."
"Paradox?" Sherry repeated confusedly.
"Paradox is someone from Iliaster who tried altering the history by erasing Duel Monsters from existence", Yusei explained. "New Domino City was almost destroyed by the alteration."
"You mean the mysterious incident that occurred shortly after I met you guys?" Sherry asked.
"Yeah", I nodded.
"Speaking of Iliaster… Was it them who kidnapped you after Hironori kidnapped you from the party?" Aki asked.
I blinked in surprise. "It was Hironori who knocked me out?"
"Yeah, the security footage caught him carrying you to an unmarked car before leaving the chaos", Crow nodded. "We soon found him and his bodyguards by their burning vehicles and arrested them with Kalin."
"Yusei managed to track you down with the Marks and then we arrived to see you transform and battle one of the people from Iliaster", Aki added.
"What actually did they want from you?" Jack wondered.
I looked down on the concrete, not sure if I should tell them what the Three Pure Nobles wanted from me. "They wanted to kill me to harness my powers for…their personal goal."
"What is their goal?" Sherry asked in a serious voice.
I stayed silent, not knowing if I should tell my friends the truth just yet. My silence agitated Sherry as she glared at me for not answering her question.
"Whatever their goal is…", Yusei began as his grip on my waist tightened a bit. "I'm glad you're safe."
I smiled hesitantly at him while feeling a little guilty that I couldn't tell my friends about Iliaster's actual plans. It was something they had to learn about on their own later.
But now, I had to be careful and not fall into Iliaster's traps if they were still going to try harnessing my powers to complete the Grand Design and bring the Ark Cradle to this era much sooner than expected.