This is the one-shot prize that StarFiction56 won by the 1,000th review shout-out of my "Crimson Star Priestess (New Version)". They requested a one-shot involving their OCs, and there will be a Duel featured, so look forward to it!
The story takes place before the World Racing Grand Prix.
The one-shot begins in Leo's point of view.
Disclaimer: I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! Lance Ryder, Spencer Ryder, and Caiden Ryder belong to StarFiction56!
XXXXXXXXXX
I sat on the couch at home modifying my Morphtronic Deck. The day was sunny and all that, but that didn't brighten my bitter mood up.
I heard Luna run down the stairs after she had changed her clothes. "Hey, Leo! Let's go to the garage!" she called excitedly.
I didn't bother to look up from the cards. I just waved my hand in the air. "Nah, I'll stay here to fix my Deck. I'll head there later."
I didn't feel like going to the garage visiting Yusei and the others today. I was still upset after losing that Duel in P.E. Duel class the other day against Luna. I used be better than her, but ever since we defeated the Dark Signers she had gotten out of her shell and fear of Dueling and became much stronger than before. My loss was so humiliating that everyone in class laughed at me. It hurt my soul and pride so much I just wanted to stay away from everyone for a while, even the ones I looked up to.
"Uh… Okay…?" Luna responded hesitantly. "I'll…see you there then."
"See ya."
I waited to hear the door close so I could release a deep sigh and collapse on the coffee table while making sure not to crumble my cards. Whatever I did with my Deck, it always felt like something was missing. Something strong that could overpower everything that came in my way.
Did I feel like this because I wanted to become a Signer myself and get the hands on a powerful dragon like Luna, Yusei, Jack, Crow, and Aki? To tell the truth, I've been jealous of Luna for being a chosen one to bear the Mark of the Dragon, but I hid my jealousy by pretending that I shared Luna's Mark because we were twins.
However, I couldn't blind myself from the truth any longer. I wasn't a Signer and I'm probably never going to be one.
Was it possible…that Luna didn't need me anymore?
No! That couldn't be true!
I straightened up and slapped both my cheeks to get rid of that sad thought. Luna was still my sister. It's my duty as her brother to protect her!
Or… Maybe not.
I sighed loudly again and leant back to rest my head on the edge of the couch behind me. "Does my sister even need me anymore? She's got Yusei, Jack, Crow, and even Aki with her who can do a better job protecting her…", I mumbled to myself.
No matter how much I thought about it, I felt my mood getting worse. I violently shook my head before I released another sigh. "Maybe a walk will get me in a better mood."
I put together my Deck and inserted it in my Duel Disk before I headed out to clear my head.
XXXXXXXXXX – Lance's POV
Every single day was just the same nowadays, even though my family had traveled from America to Japan and Neo Domino City to watch the World Racing Grand Prix.
Well, it wasn't just to watch the Grand Prix, at least for my two older brothers. They were both novelists, so they took the opportunity to advertise their work and sell a book or two.
What about me?
Well, I was the one who least stood out in the family, despite being the current American Pro Dueling Champion; Lance Ryder, the Dragon Prince. People said I was the next natural prodigy after Rebecca Hawkins.
I escaped into Dueling when I had enough of staying in my brothers' shadows. I felt like they never gave me any recognition or really understood me. The only one who cared for me the most was my mother who had been weak and exhausted for some years now after Dad passed away. She was still in America, so I couldn't help but be worried about her. She insisted that I should go with my brothers and watch the Grand Prix. I was first against it, but she convinced me to spend some quality time with Spencer and Caiden.
Well, there was no quality time to say the least.
Right now, I was walking alone down the busy streets of the city with my Duel Disk strapped on my left arm. People were excited about the upcoming Grand Prix and there were advertisements of the event wherever I looked.
I was a little sad that I couldn't participate in the Grand Prix. After all, I had already mastered a Duel Runner and got a license, but I didn't have friends to form a team with back in the United States. And there was actually an age limit; you had to be 16+ years old to participate in the competition, so I needed to wait four more years and find at least two friends who were great Duelists.
That was for the future. Right now, I just wanted to be seen and loved by my family. I didn't want to stay any longer in their shadows. I wanted to be equal with them. Was it too much to ask for?
"Lance Ryder…"
I stopped in my tracks when I heard that whispering voice. Who in this city knew my name?
I turned to the dark alleyway where I heard the voice coming from, but no one was there. Had I just imagined things?
"Is someone there?" I called.
This time, I saw the silhouette of a person in the alleyway. "Yes, and I assume you are Lance Ryder, right? The Dragon Prince from America?"
Okay, I wasn't hallucinating at all. Someone was there and they knew my name, so clearly this was suspicious.
"Who are you…?"
"Why won't you get a little closer, so people don't think you're talking to yourself?"
I looked over my shoulder and saw some people were looking at me with raised eyebrows. I didn't want to make a fool out of myself, so I stepped deeper into the alleyway and out of sight.
The tall figure was still hiding in the shadows, so I had no idea who it was, but it sounded like it was a man talking, even though his body was very slim like a woman's.
"Okay, who are you?" I asked with a stronger voice. "You know my name, but I don't know yours."
"Forgive my late introductions", the tall figure chuckled. "You may call me…Darts."
"Darts…?" I repeated.
Who called themselves Darts? Unless it was a codename.
"Okay, Darts, what do you want from me?" I asked suspiciously.
"Oh no, Lance, the question should be; what do I want from you", Darts replied.
"Huh?" I gaped in slight surprise.
Darts chuckled deeply. "You see, I've done some research about you. I am aware of your…broken relationship with your family, especially your brothers. You hate being overshadowed by them and you want to stand next to them as an equal, right?"
"H-How do you know that?!" I exclaimed irritably. "The public doesn't even know about it!"
"I've got my ways to collect information", Darts responded. "Now, Lance… I am able to help you to mend the relationship with your brothers."
"Really?" I asked in surprise.
"Yes… However, in return, I need to ask you to do me a favor. Not everything is free in this world."
"I…guess so?" I replied confusedly. "How much money do you want from me?"
"Boy, I'm not asking you to give me money", Darts frowned. "You may see this favor as a…labor job."
"And what is this labor job?" I crossed my arms.
"You see, I am part of a group known as Doma. Doma's main objective is to eliminate all the evil and darkness of this world. In order to make the world peaceful, we need to take the souls of the cruel and vile."
Was such a thing even possible?
While I was thinking deeply of what I had just heard, I felt a gentle pat on top of my head. I looked up and saw it was Darts patting my head. I still couldn't see his face, but I could see his warm smiling lips.
"If you assist Doma, you'll be seen as a hero and your family will finally recognize you as the young hero who made the world a better place. And in return, we shall help your ailing mother to become better again…and even revive your deceased father."
"Really?!" I snapped my head up in excitement.
Could my family really become whole again if I helped Darts and Doma to save the world from all the evil? Could I finally been seen as an equal and stand proudly with my brothers? And more importantly, I could have my father back?
This favor was too good to be true, but I didn't care! Darts promised me to mend my family together for me! No one had ever tried to do so much for me.
"I accept!" I nodded determinedly. "I'll help you out, but you've gotta keep your promise!"
"Of course I will, young one", Darts nodded with a soft chuckle. "I shall inform you about the details in a later date. Remember not to tell a single soul about this meeting and about me and Doma."
"I promise!" I nodded.
"Good. Now, go. We shall meet again, Lance Ryder…", Darts said as he vanished among the shadows in the alleyway.
I felt like I had just seen a ghost, but Darts had touched my head, so I knew he was a real person. And this was someone with powers who could erase the bad souls and revive people from the death…
Was it God?! Or a messenger of God?!
Maybe this trip to Neo Domino City wasn't a waste of time after all!
I was in such a good mood I couldn't help but bounce joyfully on my feet as I walked out of the alleyway. However, I wasn't looking where I was going, so I bumped into someone and fell down on the ground.
"Ow…", I hissed slightly in pain and adjusted my glasses before looking up. "I'm sorry. I wasn't seeing where I was going."
I blinked my eyes when I saw who I had bumped into. It was a boy my age with blue-green hair pulled into a single high ponytail with two shoulder-length bangs on both sides of his face, hazel eyes, and peach skin. He was dressed in a short-sleeved white jacket over a sleeveless dark blue shirt with golden markings, white shorts with a dark blue belt and blue sneakers of the same color. He also had a bracelet on each wrist, and even had a Duel Disk with a blue and white trim on his left arm.
Was he a Duelist too?
XXXXXXXXXX – Leo's POV
I've been walking aimlessly around the city when I suddenly felt someone bump into me. I fell down on all four, so I didn't hurt myself so badly. My mood hadn't been better, so I was about to tell the person who bumped into me to look where they were going when I stopped myself.
The person who ran into me was a boy my age that looked like a foreigner. He was as tall as me and had messy "wild" brown hair with most of his bangs to the right of his forehead, brown eyes that were hiding behind a pair of glasses, and had the skin of a… What were they calling it again? Oh yeah, Caucasian! He was dressed in a green shirt with a white undershirt, blue shorts, and white tennis shoes.
What drew my eyes most to him was that Duel Disk on his left arm. It was of a standard version with green emerald coloring and gold gems.
"A Duelist…?" I mumbled to myself before I realized my weird pose.
I quickly jumped up on my feet and brushed the dirt off my hands and knees before hurrying to the stranger. "I'm sorry! Are you okay?" I asked him as I held out a hand to him.
"Y-Yeah. Thank you", the boy nodded before he took my hand. "I'm sorry too. I wasn't looking where I was walking."
I pulled him up on his feet before letting go of his hand. "It's okay. I guess we were both distracted by our thoughts. I don't think I've seen you in Duel Academy. You new in town?"
"No, I'm here as a tourist with my brothers", the boy responded.
"Let me guess; for the World Racing Grand Prix?" I asked.
"Y-Yeah, you could say it like that", the boy looked away with a slight sad expression.
Something about his voice when he answered that question reminded me of my emotional problems with Luna at the moment. Was this boy also having a fall-out with his family?
"I think I know how you feel", I told him. "By the way, my name is Leo. What's your name?"
"I'm Lance", the boy introduced himself.
"Lance… Why does it sound familiar…?" I mumbled to myself before I eyed his Duel Disk. "Hey, you're a Duelist, right?"
"Yep", Lance nodded.
A big grin grew on my face. "That's great! You see, I've been working on my Deck for a while, but I'm afraid to test it with my friends because I don't want to get laughed at, so… Would you like to help me test the Deck?"
Lance rubbed his chin while he looked down to think about it. I hoped he was going to accept the challenge. I'd rather lose to a stranger than get mocked at by my friends and my sister.
"Sure!" Lance nodded after being quiet for a short moment. "I've actually got lots of free time since my two brothers are busy by selling their novels here in Neo Domino City."
"Oh, they're writers?" I asked before I realized something. "Wait… How old are you?"
"I'm twelve."
"And your brothers…?"
"Caiden is twenty-one years old and Spenser is twenty-three."
"What?! They're both adults already?!"
"Yeah, I'm a, what you call, late-gen kid", Lance grinned softly.
"What's a late-gen kid?"
"It's a kid who's born later when their moms are little over their forties."
"Oh… Guess I learned something new", I said sheepishly. "I know a place where we can Duel. Follow me, Lance!"
XXXXXXXXXX – Normal POV
Leo actually brought Lance to his family's home at Tops for the Duel, since he was worried that if they Dueled in a public place his friends would see him and maybe make more fun of him if he happened to lose. He had enough to be looked down upon.
He suddenly remembered the first time he Dueled Yusei after he and Luna brought the raven-haired boy into their home after he escaped Sector Security after obtaining his confiscated Duel Runner, but crashed shortly after. That was almost a year ago, and so much had changed for him.
Including getting weaker and being pushed into Luna's shadow.
Leo shook his head to get rid of the negative thoughts and put all his concentration on the Duel. "I'm warning you; when I get the right cards, I'm invincible!" he told Lance as the boys activated their Duel Disks.
"I'll be the judge of that, Leo", Lance chuckled softly as they inserted their Decks in the Duel Disks.
"Duel!"
Leo: 4000 LP
Lance: 4000 LP
The devices shuffled the Decks before the boys drew their first five cards.
"I'll let you go first, since you're the one who challenged me", Lance said.
"If you say so! Draw!" Leo yelled, drawing his sixth card. "Okay, I start my turn by summoning Morphtronic Celfon!"
Morphtronic Celfon, Level 1: ATK 100
"Morphtronics, huh?" Lance mumbled softly to himself.
"I activate Morphtronic Celfon's effect!" Leo continued his turn. "While in attack position; once per turn, Celfon dials a random number between 1 and 6 and, depending on which number he dials, I draw the same amount of cards from top of my Deck to see if there's a Morphtronic Monster among them and I can Special summon one Level 4 or lower Morphtronic Monster and shuffle the rest of the cards back to the Deck. Celfon, start dialing now!"
Celfon's chest of number buttons began blinking as they randomly blinked between numbers 1 and 6 until number 3 was the only one blinking.
"The number is 3, so I can look at the top three cards of my Deck!" Leo grinned as he checked said cards. "I Special summon Morphtronic Datatron and shuffle the other two cards back to the Deck!"
Morphtronic Datatron, Level 3: ATK 1200
"I know I can't attack on the first turn, but I can just activate Morphtronic Datatron's effect! Once per turn, while in attack position, I Tribute Morphtronic Celfon to inflict 600 points of damage!"
Celfon was absorbed by Datatron before it used its small canon on top of its head to send a beam of fire at Lance. The brunet didn't flinch as the fire engulfed him for a few moments.
Leo: 4000 LP
Lance: 4000 LP – 3400 LP
"That was a good move", Lance complimented the non-Signer.
"Thank you!" Leo grinned proudly. "I place one card facedown and end my turn! Now, show me your Deck, Lance!"
"I will!" Lance laughed heartedly. "Draw! First of all, I play the Spell card; Cards of Consonance! I discard one dragon Tuner Monster with 1000 or less attack points from my hand to the Graveyard to draw two more cards. I discard Dragunity Couse." With that done, he drew two new cards from his Deck. "Okay, I play an additional Spell; Dragunity Glow! It allows me to add one Level 5 or higher from my Deck to the hand. I choose Dragunity Arma Mystletainn."
"You use Dragunity Monsters…?" Leo asked slowly before he looked away while poking his head. "This kinda rings a bell in my head."
"Maybe this will make it clear. I summon Dragunity Dux!" Lance continued.
Dragunity Dux, Level 4: ATK 1500
"I should quickly mention that Dragunity Dux gains 200 attack points for each Dragunity card I control, including himself."
Dragunity Dux, Level 4: ATK 1500 – ATK 1700
"Dragunity Dux's effect! When he's Normal summoned, I can target one Level 3 or lower dragon Dragunity Monster in my Graveyard and equip it to him. I choose Dragunity Couse, which I sent to the Graveyard when I played Cards of Consonance!"
Couse appeared on the field, but the dragon transformed itself into a halberd which Dux grabbed with his free hand.
Dragunity Dux, Level 4: ATK 1700 – ATK 1900
"Dragunity Couse's effect! If it's currently equipped to a Monster, I can Special summon it to the Monster Zone!"
The halberd in Dux's hand glowed before it levitated up in the air and transformed back into its dragon form.
Dragunity Couse, Level 2, Tuner: ATK 1000
"Are you going to Synchro summon already?" Leo asked in surprise.
"That's right! I tune Level 2 Dragunity Couse and Level 4!" Lance shouted. "Oh, God of Thunder, ring the bell of diamonds and reveal the routes to enlightenment! Synchro summon! Appear, Dragunity Knight – Vajrayana!"
Dragunity Knight – Vajrayana, Level 6: ATK 1900
"Dragunity Knight – Vajrayana's effect! When he's Synchro summoned, I can target one Level 3 or lower Dragunity Monster in my Graveyard and equip it to him! I choose Dragunity Couse!"
The Dragunity Tuner Monster returned to the field and transformed into a halberd, which Vajrayana grabbed with both his hands.
"Battle! Dragunity Knight – Vajrayana, attack Morphtronic Datatron!"
Vajrayana swung the halberd in his hands as he flew towards Datatron, ready to destroy the machine Monster into pieces.
"I won't let that happen!" Leo shouted. "I activate my Trap; Morphtransition! I can activate it when a face-up Morphtronic Monster I control is selected as an attack target! I negate Dragunity Knight – Vajrayana's attack and Morphtronic Datatron changes its battle position!"
A barrier appeared in front of Datatron that blocked Vajrayana's attack with the halberd. Sparks erupted between the weapon and the barrier before the Synchro dragon moved back after failing the battle. Datatron folded itself back into a lighter to protect itself.
Morphtronic Datatron, Level 3: ATK 1200 – DEF 600
"Heheh, didn't expect that, did you?" Leo grinned as he rubbed his nose. "I've got more in store for you when it's my turn!"
"I'm sure you have many surprises for me", Lance smiled. "I place two cards facedown and end my turn."
"Awesome! My turn! Draw!" Leo yelled. "I play the Spell; Junk Box! It allows me to Special summon one Level 4 or lower Morphtronic Monster from my Graveyard, but it's destroyed by the end of my turn! I Special summon Morphtronic Celfon!"
Morphtronic Celfon, Level 1: ATK 100
"You can't let go of your cellphone, can you, Leo?" Lance chuckled softly.
"Nope! It's one of my favorite Monsters, especially its effect, which I will activate!" Leo exclaimed. "Morphtronic Celfon, dial the number!"
Celfon's chest with the numbers began blinking before it stopped by number 5.
"And this time, it's a five!" Leo grinned as he checked the top five cards of his Deck. "Today must be my lucky day because I Special summon Morphtronic Vacuumen!"
Morphtronic Vacuumen, Level 1: ATK 0
"Now I equip Morphtronic Cord from my hand to Morphtronic Vacuumen!"
A cord appeared on the field before it was attached to Vacuumen like a necklace.
"Each time the equipped Monster's battle position is changed, I get to destroy one Spell or Trap card on the field. However… That's not what I'm going to do! I activate Morphtronic Vacuumen's effect! Once per turn, while it's in attack position, I can send one card equipped to it to the Graveyard to inflict 500 points of damage to you!"
The cord that rested on Vacuumen's body transformed into energy, which the household machine absorbed and then used its vacuum arms to fire a cloud of dust at Lance. The boy didn't even blink his eyes as the dust almost covered his body.
Leo: 4000 LP
Lance: 3400 LP – 2900 LP
"Now, I switch Morphtronic Datatron back to attack mode!" Leo continued.
Morphtronic Datatron, Level 3: DEF 600 – ATK 1200
"Morphtronic Datatron's effect! I Tribute Morphtronic Vacuumen to inflict 600 points of damage to you!"
Datatron absorbed Vacuumen and breathed fire on Lance once again. The Dragunity Duelist had a poker face as the warm breath tickled his body.
Leo: 4000 LP
Lance: 2900 LP – 2300 LP
"I'm not done yet!" Leo called. "I summon Morphtronic Scopen!"
Morphtronic Scopen, Level 3, Tuner: ATK 800
"So Leo's going to Synchro summon now? I wonder what kind of Monster it will be, since there are no Morphtronic Synchros existing right now", Lance spoke to himself.
"I tune Level 3 Morphtronic Scopen, Level 3 Morphtronic Datatron, and Level 1 Morphtronic Celfon!" Leo shouted. "Docking strength with courage to protect world peace! Synchro summon! Envoy of love and justice, Power Tool Dragon!"
Power Tool Dragon, Level 7: ATK 2300
Lance looked at the newly summoned Synchro Monster that dominated Leo's field in awe. "Wow! Your Power Tool Dragon looks like a machine dragon!"
"Yeah, it's my best card and my best friend!" Leo grinned. "But now, it's time to get serious! Power Tool Dragon's effect! Once per turn, I can reveal three Equip Spell cards from my Deck and you randomly pick one that goes straight to my hand while the rest is shuffled back!"
The Morphtronic Duelist put aside the cards he had in his hand in a pocket of his shorts and pulled his Deck from the Duel Disk. He quickly scanned through the cards until he grabbed three Equip Spell cards. Once he did, he inserted the Deck back to the Duel Disk and held up the three cards he had picked; Double Tool C&D, Power Pickaxe, and Break! Draw!
"Now then, which one will you pick?" Leo asked.
Lance adjusted his glasses before squinting to get a better look at the Equip cards. "I pick…the Break! Draw! card."
"Gotcha! I add Break! Draw! to my hand and shuffle the other two cards back to the Deck!" Leo nodded. "I equip Power Tool Dragon with both Break! Draw! and Junk Barrage!"
The machine Synchro's body was enveloped in a yellow aura for a moment as a pair of golden energy rings appeared on its arm with the screwdriver.
"Battle! Power Tool Dragon, attack Dragunity Knight – Vajrayana!" Leo shouted.
The screwdriver began spinning around as Power Tool Dragon prepared to strike its opponent. Vajrayana tried using the halberd in his hands to block the screwdriver, but the tool broke the weapon in the middle before Leo's Monster pierced the Dragunity Synchro Monster.
Lance grimaced softly as the remnants of his Monster rained upon him.
Leo: 4000 LP
Lance: 2300 LP – 1900 LP
"Yay! Power Tool Dragon did it!" Leo cheered happily. "But wait! Both Equip cards' effects activate! I'll start with Break! Draw! When Power Tool Dragon destroys a Monster and sends it to the Graveyard, I get to draw one card from my Deck! Next is Junk Barrage! When Power Tool Dragon destroys a Monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, he inflicts damage to you equal to half the destroyed Monster's attack points!"
Power Tool Dragon hovered above Lance and aimed his screwdriver at the Dragunity Duelist. The golden rings strapped on the tool released a bright light that engulfed Lance for a few seconds before the machine dragon flew back to Leo.
Leo: 4000 LP
Lance: 1900 LP – 950 LP
Leo grinned proudly of how good he had played so far in the Duel. He thought he could actually win this if everything went according to plan. His first impression of Lance as Duelist was like they were equal, but now he thought that maybe he was stronger than the foreigner.
"I place one card facedown and end my turn!" Leo called. "I'm warning you, Lance; I'll win this Duel when I activate my Trap card, but I'll be nice and let you try to defeat me."
"I appreciate it, Leo", Lance said before a serious gleam glowed in his eyes. "But this Duel is over! Draw! I play the Quick-Play Spell; Dragunity Whirlwind! If only my opponent controls a Monster; I can Special summon one Dragunity Tuner and one winged beast Monster from my Deck, but their effects are negated! I Special summon Dragunity Remus and Dragunity Angusticlavii!"
Dragunity Remus, Level 2, Tuner: ATK 800
Dragunity Angusticlavii, Level 5: ATK 2100
"One Tuner and one non-Tuner…", Leo mumbled before his eyes widened in realization. "You're going to Synchro summon?"
"Yes, and the rest of Dragunity Whirlwind's effects continue!" Lance nodded. "If my opponent controls a Monster that was Special summoned from the Extra Deck, which is your Power Tool Dragon, I can immediately Synchro summon one dragon Synchro Monster using only Dragunity Monsters I control! I tune Level 2 Dragunity Remus and Level 5 Dragunity Angusticlavii! Poseidon's trident, arise from the ocean and gather the power of the wind! Synchro summon! Appear, Dragunity Knight – Trident!"
Dragunity Knight – Trident, Level 7: ATK 2400
"Whoa! You've got more Dragunity Knight Synchro Monsters?" Leo gaped before he grimaced softly while poking his forehead. "Why does this Duel ring more bells?"
"Maybe this will help clear your head, Leo", Lance said. "I summon Dragunity Senatus!"
Dragunity Senatus, Level 4: ATK 1800
"Next, I send Dragunity Senatus to the Graveyard to Special summon Dragunity Arma Mystletainn from my hand!"
Dragunity Arma Mystletainn, Level 6: ATK 2100
"Dragunity Arma Mystletainn's effect! When he's Normal or Special summoned from the hand, I can select one dragon Dragunity Monster in my Graveyard and equip it to him! I select Dragunity Couse!"
The little purple Dragunity Monster appeared on the field and transformed into its halberd form before Mystletainn grabbed the monster weapon with his free hand.
"Dragunity Couse's effect! I Special summon him to the Monster Zone!"
Dragunity Couse, Level 2, Tuner: ATK 1000
"You're going to Synchro summon again?!" Leo gaped.
"Yes, but here's something new!" Lance nodded with a smile. "Dragunity Couse can be treated as a Level 4 Monster, which I'll do for this Synchro summoning! I tune Level 4 Dragunity Couse and Level 6 Dragunity Arma Mystletainn! The dragon once slain by Saint George's weapon shall be reborn as the Golden Legend! Synchro summon! Be born, Dragunity Knight – Ascalon!"
Dragunity Knight – Ascalon, Level 10: ATK 3300
"D-Dragunity Knight – Ascalon?!" Leo gasped in shock before he figured it out. "Wait… Your name is Lance…and you've got Dragunity Monsters…!" His eyes widened in realization. "D-Don't tell me… Are you Lance Ryder, the current American Pro Duelist; the Rider of Dragons?!"
"I see you've figured it out now, Leo!" Lance chuckled with a smile. "I didn't know there are more people in Japan who know about me. Now, I guess I should end the Duel."
"I won't let you win!" Leo snapped out of his shock. "Thanks by having Power Tool Dragon on the field, I can activate my Trap; Power Break! I select up to three Equip cards on my side of the field and/or in my Graveyard and return them to the Deck, and inflict 500 points of damage for each card returned! I select Morphtronic Cord in the Graveyard and Junk Barrage equipped to Power Tool Dragon! That's 1000 points of damage in total! It's my win!"
The two mentioned Equip cards appeared on the field, which Power Tool Dragon struck with his screwdriver to absorb their energy. The tool kept spinning before the machine dragon unleashed a lightning bolt from it.
"I activate my Trap; Dragunity Oubliette!" Lance called. "When my opponent activates a Spell or Trap card while I control a Dragunity Synchro Monster, the activation is negated and the card is banished!"
The Trap card fired a beam of light that pierced itself through the lightning bolt and clashed with Leo's Trap card. The Power Break card sparkled as its effect was cancelled before it got sucked into a wormhole.
"Also!" Lance continued. "If I control a Level 10 Dragunity Monster when I activate Dragunity Oubliette, I can have one Dragunity Monster I control gain 100 attack points for each face-up card that is currently banished. The only card that's currently banished is your Power Break, so I'll give the boost-up to Trident!"
Dragunity Knight – Trident, Level 7: ATK 2400 – ATK 2500
"Damn it…!" Leo growled softly.
However, the boy had a backup plan. If Lance attacked Power Tool Dragon with Ascalon, he could save it from being destroyed by sending the Break! Draw! Equip card that was equipped to his Monster. It wasn't much, but he would then take very little damage when Trident attacked him.
"Dragunity Knight – Ascalon's effect!" Lance shouted. "I banish Dragunity Knight – Vajrayana from my Graveyard to banish Power Tool Dragon!"
"What?!" Leo exclaimed in surprise, getting caught off guard by the change of events that he didn't think about.
Ascalon absorbed the remnants of Vajrayana's energy before stabbing Power Tool Dragon with its blade on its head. The machine Monster screeched in pain as it was pushed into a wormhole, leaving Leo's field entirely empty.
"No! Power Tool Dragon!" Leo cried hysterically, feeling like his heart got split in half after seeing his ace Monster vanish.
"I can tell you love Power Tool Dragon, Leo, but as a professional Duelist, I can never go easy on my opponents!" Lance said. "I activate my other Trap; Storm Dragon's Return! I can Special summon one banished Monster and it returns to the hand during the End Phase. I Special summon Dragunity Knight – Vajrayana!"
Dragunity Knight – Vajrayana, Level 6: ATK 1900
Leo's face got spooky pale at the sight of the three Synchro Monsters dominating Lance's field. "No way!" he gaped. "You summoned three Synchro Monsters on the field in one turn!"
"It's time to end the Duel!" Lance exclaimed. "Dragunity Knight – Ascalon, attack Leo directly!"
Ascalon roared as he hovered above Leo who shook like a leaf in fear. The golden dragon breathed fire on him, making the boy cry out in pain by the tingling feeling on his body caused by the Solid Vision.
Leo: 4000 LP – 700 LP
Lance: 970 LP
"Now, Dragunity Knight – Vajrayana, attack Leo directly! End the Duel!" Lance commanded while pointing at Leo in a pose that radiated the aura of a prince from him.
Vajrayana roared as he flew towards Leo. The knight riding him was an upgraded form Dragunity Militum and he aimed the spear in his hand at the boy. The dragon descended to the ground and flew right past Leo, but it also gave the dragon knight to strike him on the side with his spear. Leo grunted as he got stabbed on the left side of his waist and collapsed on his knees after he lost the last of his Life Points.
Leo: 700 LP – 0 LP
Lance: 950 LP
The Synchro Monsters faded away from the field as soon as the Duel was over. Lance hurried to Leo to check on him if he was okay or not.
"Are you okay, Leo?" he asked.
Leo was still a bit out of it after losing the Duel, but he soon shook his head to get out of the trance. "Y-Yeah."
Lance held out a hand to help him up on his feet. Leo accepted it and got pulled up from the ground. "You were actually really good", the Dragunity Duelist smiled. "You almost had me there with your effect damage combos."
"Y-You really think so?" Leo stuttered in surprise. "You think I was good?"
"Yeah, but I can tell your Deck is far from done", Lance nodded. "However, you're on a good way, so keep going on that path."
Leo's eyes got glassy by unshed tears, but he quickly wiped them away before he could cry like a baby by the compliments and advice from the professional Duelist. "T-Thank you."
Lance smiled softly as he had a feeling he knew what Leo was going through emotionally. "You rarely get complimented, do you?" he asked softly.
"Y-Yeah", Leo snorted the snot back into his nose. "I used to be better in Dueling when my twin sister Luna was too scared to Duel. But… After an incident, she got out of her shell and quickly became better than me. I feel like I'm constantly in her shadow while everyone praises her." He clenched his right hand into a fist in frustration. "Sometimes I feel like I'm invisible and no one actually sees me. Whenever I lose a Duel in Duel Academy while everyone in class is watching, they often make fun of me. I'm tired of being treated like this! I want to be seen! I love my sister, but I'm jealous of her!"
Lance was silent as the boy in front of him spilled his thoughts and feelings out of his mouth. He felt like he was seeing himself with what Leo described his feelings of internal turmoil.
"I know exactly what you're going through", Lance nodded, catching Leo's attention as few tears ran down the blue-green-haired boy. "I've been staying in my brothers' shadows for a long time. I felt like no one really saw me because they were successful with their work. The only one who 'sees' me is our mom, who I love and appreciate. I escaped into Dueling when I had enough of being the 'leftovers' because I want to be equal with my brothers. I soon became the next American champion, but I was still not being seen by Spencer and Caiden. They just patted my head and gave me praises, but then left me alone. They treat me good, so I can't really say bad things about them, but I often feel like I'm being forgotten by them." He looked at the view of the city as the wind ruffled the two boys' hair and jackets. "Like now. We were meant to be here on a family vacation, but they were so focused on their work that they left me behind instead of spending time together."
Leo blinked his eyes in surprise when he heard Lance's story. He had no idea he had stumbled upon a boy in his age that was going through the exact same thing as him.
"Whoa… Who would've thought we both have the same family issue?" the non-Signer laughed softly.
"Yeah, I guess our cards brought us together for a reason", Lance grinned softly.
"That's true!" Leo nodded in agreement. "If none of us had our Duel Disks with us and we didn't bump into each other, we wouldn't have met and become friends!" He stopped himself for a second before he laughed sheepishly while scratching his right cheek. "That is… If you want to be friends with me, Lance. I'd love to learn more about Dueling from you!"
Lance froze for a moment as Leo's words repeated itself in his head. Especially one word.
Friends.
"I…", Lance began before making a final decision. "I'd like to be friends with you, Leo. I know I'll be here in Neo Domino City for a short time, but I hope we can still be friends when my brothers and I fly back to America."
"That's no problem at all!" Leo grinned. "We can be pen pals and Duel each other virtually!"
Lance nodded with a big smile. He didn't expect the trip to Neo Domino City would be so eventful. First he met Darts from Doma who promised him to bring his family back together again and now he found a friend who had a lot in common with him.
Things would hopefully remain positive for Lance and he could enjoy the days with his new friend while striving to reach his goal while staying in the city for the World Racing Grand Prix.