The chapter begins in Yusei's point of view.

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

Chapter 59: The Second Terror

Ever since the Turbo Duel with Dark Glass, I had been busy working on the engine prototype, but now I had an extra motivation besides the World Racing Grand Prix. I was determined to achieve and use the Accel Synchro summoning to defeat the Meklord Emperors and stop Iliaster's schemes. I got so lost in my thoughts and calculations that I almost forgot about the hanami (spring picnic) my friends had planned a few weeks back.

The huge park in the middle of the city looked beautiful with the blooming cherry trees. The grass was almost covered entirely by the different shades of pink and white petals like a blanket. Children and adults alike, marked and not, were having a great time as they had picnics and played around while making sure not to disturb the others.

We met up with Carly, Mei, Sakura, Miyuki, Rally and the others, so we sat together in a group while we unpacked the food and drinks. Crow and I had made rice balls with different fillings. We didn't allow Jack in the kitchen because he still needed to practice on his cooking skills, despite him saying he got better thanks to the job at the café.

We started picking some food and helped serving each other by pouring drinks for one another. I noticed how Miyuki shyly offered her own rice balls to Leo. He accepted them with a big smile and took a big bite on one of them. Luna giggled next to Miyuki and whispered something, which made the pinkette blush brightly.

Leo and Rally were taking about school, which reminded me that the new school year was going to begin next week, meaning Aki was going to be on her last year in Duel Academy and the twins were going to be in the sixth grade like Rally.

I had never been in a school before for education. I only got homeschooled in Martha's place with Jack and Crow, so I had to say I was slightly jealous that I never got to experience the feeling of being an actual student in a school. I got over the jealousy before I noticed something in the background.

A tall and slim figure, dressed in a beige trench coat, stood next to a large cherry tree. Her eyes were hidden by a pair of sunglasses, but her long blonde hair and aura told me immediately who it was. She nodded very lightly to me when we made eye contact before she stepped behind the tree.

"I'll be right back", I told my friends as I got up from the ground.

"You better hurry, Yusei 'cause I don't think there'll be much food left thanks to two big eaters here", Nervin said.

"Tank and Leo are just like a pair of Munchlax", Estelle giggled.

"What's a Munchlax?" Carly asked as she was feeding Jack who hesitantly took each bite with a fake frown, but knowing Jack, he was secretly enjoying it.

"It sounds like the name of a Duel Monster…", Luna mumbled.

I walked away from the group and followed the blonde woman who no longer stood behind the first tree. I spotted her long flowing hair from another tree and followed it until there was enough distance from my friends.

"I knew it was you… Sherry", I spoke up.

Sherry turned around to face me after she removed her sunglasses. I could see Mizoguchi standing couple of meters away from us to give us room to talk, but he was still on his watch.

"Hello, Yusei", Sherry greeted.

"How did you know I was going to be here?" I wondered.

"Knowing you Japanese have the tradition to have spring picnics when the cherry trees blossom… It wasn't hard to put two and two together", Sherry explained.

"Ah…", I nodded in realization.

"So? Have you thought about my offer?"

I guess she wanted an answer now whether I wanted to join her team or not. I had thought deeply about it and now had a clear answer.

"I'm sorry", I bowed. "But I can't join your team."

"Why not?" Sherry asked.

I straightened my back to look at her in the eyes, hoping she would sense my determination. "The first reason is I had already promised Jack and Crow to participate in the WRGP together, but it's not just that anymore. I recently found a new method that could help me stop the Meklord Emperors from terrorizing New Domino City. And for me to accomplish this new goal, I need my friends' help to reach it. I'm going to use every fiber of my body to protect the city, my home, from Iliaster."

The blonde woman was silent as she stared at me intensely. I didn't let go of the eye contact to show her I was serious about my decision. We were quiet for a few seconds before Sherry shrugged with a soft snort.

"I'm glad you thought it through", she said. "If you've just told me the first reason, it wouldn't sound like a good excuse. I accept your decision, even more now that we both have a common goal to stop Iliaster. But what's this about the Meklord Emperors and Iliaster? I heard only a little about them in the Turbo Duel."

I quickly told Sherry about the Meklord Emperors and how she needed to be careful and not use Synchro Monsters against the machine Monsters if she were to encounter them in a Duel.

"Synchro Prevention…", the blonde mumbled as she rubbed her chin. "That really sounds bothersome. And you say you have a plan to stop the Meklords?"

"Yes", I nodded. "It's not complete yet, but I hope I'll get done with it before the Grand Prix."

Sherry nodded before she glanced up at the nearby tree to watch the petals fly off and roam around in the wind, some of them getting stuck in her hair. "Is Estelle going to be part of your team?"

"Huh?" I blinked confusedly, since the question came out of nowhere.

"Is she going to be your back-up Duelist for the Grand Prix?" Sherry repeated the question clearly.

"No", I shook my head. "She's going to be part of the pit crew."

"What about your other friend? The psychic Duelist?"

"Aki? She's not a Turbo Duelist, but she recently started taking classes for Duel Runner and Turbo Duel licenses. She said she got inspired after our Turbo Duel and wanted to experience what we Turbo Duelists see and feel."

"I see…"

I almost jumped when an alarm suddenly echoed through New Domino City. People began panicking and looked on their smartphones to see what was going on. Some yelled to look up at the sky. I looked up and saw a giant meteorite burning through the sky. I followed it as far as my eyes could reach before it disappeared in the horizon. Seconds later, there was a giant ruble and explosion of bright light when the meteorite smashed to the ground on the outskirts of the city.

"What was that?" Sherry raised an eyebrow confusedly.

"A meteorite…", I mumbled before my eyes widened in realization. "Could it be…the second Meklord Emperor has arrived?!"

"Quoi? (What?)" Sherry said confusedly.

I left Sherry and ran back to my friends to see if they had also noticed the meteorite. I was only meters away from them when Estelle got up on her feet while looking frantic.

"Hey!" I called, but stopped when Estelle ran past me. "Estelle?!"

"Duty call!" she called back as she stopped running and turned to me. "I think the meteorite is the you-know-what!"

"I'm coming with you!" I told her. "We have to apprehend Iliaster if they're coming for it!"

"Hold on, guys! I'm goin' too!" Crow called as he got up on his feet.

"Count me in as well!" Jack yelled as he followed us. "The great Jack Atlas won't let bad guys terrorize the city any longer!"

The four of us hurried to our Duel Runners and drove immediately to Ground Zero. Estelle had the sirens activated on her Runner, so the other vehicles made way for us. I hoped we could get there in time and confirm if it was actually a stone tablet of the newest Meklord Emperor, and catch Iliaster if they were to appear.

XXXXXXXXXX – Miyuki's POV

After Estelle and the others ran off to check the meteorite, my friends and I got to hear they didn't find anything. Even so, I had a bad feeling the rest of the week.

I tried to let it go as I greeted my classmates on our first day at school as 6th graders. Leo, Luna, our friends, and I chatted before class when Sly entered the classroom. I hadn't seen him in the spring break because he and his adoptive big sister had been away for a photoshoot.

"Good morning, Sly", Luna greeted with a bright smile.

"Morning", Sly greeted nonchalantly as he sat down on his desk.

"Still aloof as usual", Bob commented.

Luna and Patty weren't really affected by Sly's attitude and approached him. "What did you do during spring break, Sly?" the blonde asked.

"Work", Sly replied as he leant against the chair and crossed his arms behind his head.

"Did everything go well?" Luna wondered.

"There were a few issues, but they were quickly resolved", Sly replied. "The photoshoot itself went well."

"He's being a cocky big-shot after becoming Misty's little brother…", Leo muttered.

"But he's got a different aura now", Dexter pointed out. "Not much, but you can feel he's getting a bit soft."

"True…", I nodded. "He doesn't push away people as he used to do."

The school bell rang, so we hurried to our designated seats. I sat behind Leo and Luna, feeling excited to watch Leo's back. Ms. Bartlet entered the classroom with a big smile.

"Good morning, class", she greeted when she reached the podium.

"Good morning, Ms. Bartlet!" we greeted in return.

"This is a new year and also your last year as elementary school students in Duel Academy", Ms. Bartlet held a short speech. "And while we're at it, I'll be introducing our new friend." She turned to the door. "Come in, if you would."

The door slid open before a boy our age walked up to our teacher. I raised an eyebrow at the boy's appearance. He was a little taller than Leon and had very pale skin, long brown hair that was braided and resting on the left side of his chest, and piercing green eyes.

"He just transferred here and his name is Luciano", Ms. Bartlet introduced our new classmate.

"I am Luciano. Pleased to meet you", he greeted before bowing softly.

Luciano… It sounded very Italian. Was he from Italy?

The whole class began complimenting his looks and saying how handsome he was, especially the girls. I didn't know why they thought he was cute. To me, Leo was more handsome than him. And the way Luciano smiled at Luna gave me bad vibes. Was he already interested in her after just seeing her for the first time?

"Everyone is familiar with the Juvenile Grand Prix that takes place at the Duel Academy East Branch?" Ms. Bartlet asked us.

"It's the tournament said to be tough to even enter, right?" Bob nodded, raising his hand.

"Yes, and Luciano won that tournament", Ms. Bartlet revealed.

"Huh? He won it?!" Patty exclaimed in disbelief.

"If you all have any questions, feel free to ask Luciano", Ms. Bartlet told the class. "I'm sure it will do good for your studies."

"Yes, ma'am!" the majority of the class called.

"That boy gives off a pleasant vibe, doesn't he, Leo?" Luna asked her brother.

"You think so?" Leo mumbled.

Luna turned to me as her cheeks were a little pink. "What do you think, Miyuki?"

"Eh?" I snapped out of my trance. "Well… I don't know."

XXXXXXXXXX

Luciano was quite persistent throughout the whole week. He tried to approach Luna and talk to her alone, but Leo and I often intervened and separated them. My crush and I came to an agreement to keep Luna away from the transfer boy because we didn't like him. The other girls in our class and year quickly realized that Luciano's attention was constantly on Luna, so they began hating the female twin out of jealousy. Even my forever-nemesis, Sakiko, tried to get the transfer student's attention, but when it didn't go her way she began taking out her anger on Luna.

Today was Friday, so it was a relief the weekend was coming. I walked with Leo and Luna to school, hoping we wouldn't stumble upon Luciano, but he was already waiting outside of the school building. He wanted to invite Luna over to his house, but Leo and I said she couldn't come because we had to work on a project.

During lunch break, Ms. Bartlet told me and Leo that she needed help with something after school, so we had to stay while Luna went home alone. I didn't mind spending alone time with Leo, but I was still worried about my friend.

When Ms. Bartlet found us waiting in the classroom, she said she never asked for any kind of help, which deeply confused me and Leo. She sent us home, so we quickly packed our stuff and hurried to find Luna before Luciano. We found Bob and Patty who said they saw Luna in the transfer student's car.

We managed to track down Luciano's place which was as big as a palace. I stayed outside of the gates while Leo sneaked in to find Luna. I was anxious the entire time while walking back and forth, hoping nothing bad happened to the twins.

After waiting for more than ten minutes, Leo frantically ran back as he had just seen something amazing.

"Leo! What happened? Where's Luna?" I called as he climbed up the tall fence to get out of the property.

Leo jumped down next to me and looked determined. "Luna's safe, but I just saw something amazing!"

"Huh?" I blinked confusedly.

"Luciano showed Luna a skateboard, but this skateboard is called Duel Board and can connect to the Duel Disk, so you can Turbo Duel!"

"Turbo Duel…on a skateboard?" I mumbled in disbelief. "Is that even possible?"

"Yeah! If Luciano can, so can I! I'm going to ask Yusei to try building one for me! With that, I bet I can defeat Luciano in a Turbo Duel!"

"Leo…", I mumbled before nodding seriously. "Let me know when the Turbo Duel is, so I can cheer for you."

Leo grinned widely, almost beaming like the sun. "I will, Miyuki!"

XXXXXXXXXX

I wanted to see what a Duel Board looked like, so after the two of us went home to change our clothes, I followed Leo to Yusei's place to see the drawing. Jack was at the garage since he was done working for the day and he also wanted to see the Duel Board.

"The machine looked something like this, and you could link up your Duel Disk here", Leo explained as he drew a simple sketch on the whiteboard.

The whole thing really did look like a skateboard. The only difference was you could connect it to the Duel Disk by attaching a cord to the Ener-D part. It looked pretty simple, but I had a feeling it was way complicated.

"Now I get it", Jack nodded. "With that, one could have a simplistic version of a Turbo Duel. That's one interesting idea there."

"Could this be something children can use to have Turbo Duels before they're old enough to drive a Duel Runner…?" I mumbled to myself.

"So, Yusei, what'cha think?" Leo asked.

"Well, in theory, it's pretty simple, so I could probably build it out of some spare parts", Yusei replied.

"I wanna beat that Luciano!" Leo said determinedly. "I wanna win and bring him down! C'mon, Yusei, can you? C'mon, can you? Can you? I'll even pay you with my allowance!"

"No debating it, it seems", Yusei said in defeat.

"Alright!" Leo cheered in victory. "Thank you, Yusei!"

I giggled at my crush's joy. He could be such a bundle of joy, but he was pretty stubborn when he got something in mind.

"Say, Miyuki, wanna have your own Duel Board too?" Leo spoke up.

"Eh?" I said softly. "Me?"

"Yeah, don't you wanna Turbo Duel with me and Luna?" Leo nodded.

"Umm…", I said hesitantly as I took another glance at the sketch on the whiteboard. "I think I'll pass. I've never felt comfortable with a skateboard."

"Oh…", Leo said a bit sadly before cheering up. "Well, okay, I'm not gonna force you, but I'm gonna show you all the tricks I'll come up with!"

"Okay!" I smiled brightly. "Good luck, Leo!"

XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV

It was a weekend, so I wanted to sleep in just a little bit. However, my beauty sleep got interrupted when my arm started burning. I opened my heavy eyelids and spotted a red light emitting from my right arm. Realizing it was my Mark, I quickly sat up on the bed and looked at it. I sensed a pinch of pain as the mental image of the Marks of the Hand and Heart appeared in my head.

"Leo… Luna…?" I mumbled before realizing what was happening. "They're in danger!"

I got out of the bed and quickly changed into my riding suit. I grabbed my Turbo Deck and then hurried to the garage to get on my Runner and drive out to the streets. While I was driving, I called Yusei to see if his Mark had also reacted on the twins.

"Estelle?" Yusei's voice echoed in my helmet.

"Yusei, did you sense Leo and Luna's Marks?" I asked.

"Yes. I've just called Crow to come back from his work. Jack and I are about to head out."

"I'll go and pick up Aki, and we meet up with you where the twins are!"

"Got it!"

I ended the call with Yusei to call Aki, hoping she was still at her home.

"Hello?" Aki answered.

"Aki, it's Estelle", I said. "Where are you right now?"

"Outside of my house. I just sensed Leo and Luna are in danger."

"That's correct. Stay where you are, so I can pick you up!"

"Okay."

I noticed Aki's voice sounded a bit hesitant for a moment, but I ignored it as I ended the call. I pushed the gas to hurry up to her home, so we could go and assist the twins.

I pulled up by the Izayoi mansion and saw the psychic Signer was waiting outside, but she wasn't alone. I blinked my eyes confusedly and in surprise when I saw two familiar faces.

"Sherry? Mizoguchi?" I said in disbelief as I parked in front of them. "What are you two doing here…?"

Aki was dressed in a purple leather jacket, grey top, dark purple pants, and a pair of black boots. She held a duplicate of Sherry's helmet, as if she was about to ride with the blonde woman.

"Good morning, Estelle", Sherry greeted. "I've been helping Aki with her training to become a Turbo Duelist."

I raised an eyebrow confusedly before turning to the Signer. "Aki…?"

Aki looked away with slight pink cheeks and a guilty look. "Sherry…started coming to Duel Academy a few days ago and we've been hanging out since."

"I see…", I nodded before I got serious. "You can explain everything later. We have to go now!"

"Right!" Aki nodded as she put the helmet on.

"What exactly is going on?" Sherry questioned as Mizoguchi stayed silent.

"Our friends are in danger and we need to go and help them!" I explained as Aki got on my Runner and wrapped her arms around my waist. "I fear it has something to do with Iliaster!"

"Iliaster?!" Sherry exclaimed in disbelief before she narrowed her eyes. "I'm coming too!"

"Okay, but stay with us!" I told her. "It could get dangerous!"

"Don't worry", Mizoguchi spoke up. "I shall protect Milady."

XXXXXXXXXX

It didn't take long to reach the area where I sensed Leo and Luna's Marks and their pain. We drove through a long tunnel and made it through, only to see a large machine Monster that looked like a blue futuristic insect flying above the course several meters from us.

"Mon Dieu! (My God!)" Sherry exclaimed. "Is that a Meklord Emperor?!"

"How do you know about them, Sherry?" Aki wondered.

"I saw Yusei not long ago and he told me about them", Sherry replied. "After all, you mentioned them before in our Turbo Duel, Estelle."

"Yes, I did", I confessed with a nod as I spotted three familiar Duel Runners ahead. "It's the boys!"

I accelerated to catch up with the Satellite trio. I honked a couple of times to get their attention, which I successfully did, because my Runner was immediately connected to the intercom with the other Runners.

"Estelle! Aki! You made it!" Yusei said.

"Yes, and we've got company", I replied before looking at the course, spotting Leo and Luna. "How much did we miss?"

"Luna Synchro summoned Ancient Fairy Dragon and that giant machine absorbed her!" Crow explained. "Estelle, is it a Meklord Emperor, like the same type as the one Yusei fought before?"

"Yes, it is", I answered. "This one is known as Meklord Emperor Skiel."

"And who are those two people with you?" Jack asked.

"We'll introduce us after rescuing the children", Sherry answered.

XXXXXXXXXX

It was tough watching the Turbo Duel and not being able to help the twins. However, the Duel took an unexpected turn when Leo Synchro summon Power Tool Dragon. Lester was about to use his Meklord Emperor's effect to absorb the Synchro Monster when Leo activated Urgent Tuning to Synchro summon Life Stream Dragon and restored his Life Points. Because the effect got interrupted by the combo, Lester couldn't use his Monster's effect again on the same turn. It gave the twins some time to stall the Duel, but it wasn't long enough until Meklord Emperor Skiel eliminated Leo and his Life Points.

In the anime, he got thrown off the course, but now that he had the Mark of the Heart, it created a red protective sphere around him as the machine Monster attacked him directly. Once the attack was over, his Duel Board released steam as it slowed down and braked. Leo was so exhausted he fell down on his stomach. Luna had to continue the Turbo Duel on her own as she and Lester left her brother.

Luna lost against Lester who vanished with his Meklord Emperor for now. When we reached Leo, he said Lester was Luciano from school and he knew where he lived, so we went to investigate the place, only to find a giant green park with no signs of buildings.

The twins decided to confront their classmates and ask them about Luciano. None of them could remember him, so we retired to the garage to talk about today's incident, including Sherry and Mizoguchi.

"I'm Sherry LeBlanc, and this is my guardian, Mizoguchi", she introduced herself and her butler who just nodded to the group. "We are acquainted with Yusei, Estelle, and Aki."

"How did you guys meet?" Crow asked.

"When I was kidnapped", I explained. "After I was rescued, Sherry challenged me and Yusei to a Turbo Duel."

"Oui (Yes.)", Sherry nodded. "And I made an offer to Yusei to join my team for the World Racing Grand Prix."

"You did what?!" Jack exclaimed in shock.

"Yusei, why didn't you tell us 'bout it?!" Crow asked irritably.

"I didn't want to worry you guys", Yusei replied while he had a soft guilty expression.

"Fret not", Sherry shook her head. "Yusei declined the offer after giving me a proper explanation, and I respect his decision."

"So you'll be in the WRGP?" Leo asked as he had a Band-Aid on his left cheek. "You're gonna be Yusei, Jack, and Crow's opponent?"

"If we'll face each other in the finals", Sherry answered.

Luna gave Yusei her Duel Board to check its data and get rid of the program that forced her to Turbo Duel. "I'm still confused… How is that none of our classmates remembers Luciano?" she asked.

"And how did that giant mansion disappear?" Leo added.

"His actual name is Lester", I couldn't help but correct. "And, from what I know, Iliaster has the power to alter history."

"Alter history…?"Aki mumbled confusedly.

"You mean they can erase someone's memories and make them forget of what happened?" Crow asked concernedly.

"Yes", I nodded. "But as Signers and Priestess, we are immune to their altering powers."

I mentally gasped as I quickly covered my mouth with my right hand and cursed at myself. Sherry and Mizoguchi might not know about the legend of the Signers! The others looked a bit surprised by the little slip on my tongue before they collected themselves.

"Nice done, Estelle", Crow commented sarcastically.

"Sorry…", I whined softly as I felt like I wanted to crawl into a corner and hide there.

Sherry chuckled at our reaction. "There's no need to hide it. I know the history of Signers because I've researched it due to their connection to Iliaster."

"You know about the Crimson Dragon?" Yusei asked.

"But of course", Sherry nodded. "Why else would I want to recruit you to my team, Yusei?"

I sighed in relief as I rested a hand above my heart. For a second, I got scared I might have ruined the course of events. It was then I remembered that Sherry did know about the Crimson Dragon and the Signers as it was revealed in the episode when Team 5D's celebrated their first victory in the Grand Prix.

"Then maybe it's best to share our knowledge about Iliaster with you, since they are our common enemy", Yusei suggested.

"Are you sure about it, Yusei?" Crow wondered.

"The Meklord Emperors are with Iliaster and Sherry is looking for them", he explained. "Our enemy is the same, so we should tell her what we know about them."

"Come to think of it… Goodwin told me the Dark Signers were associated with Iliaster", Jack pointed out.

"Dark Signers? How much do you actually know about Iliaster?" Sherry asked with a murderous glare.

"It's a long story, Sherry", Aki replied.

"I have time. Tell me everything you know."

We told Sherry and Mizoguchi about what happened in New Domino City more than six months ago, when Satellite and New Domino City were still separated. We left some details behind that weren't necessary, like how Goodwin used the Fortune Cup to bring the Signers together. We mainly spoke about the war with the Dark Signers and how we heard they had played a role with Iliaster.

Sherry was quiet for a while as she processed all the information. We waited for her to speak up after she had cleared her mind. "I never heard anything about Dark Signers when I did my research about Iliaster", the French woman said a bit dumbfounded.

"That's because the Dark Signers didn't exist back in the ancient times", Yusei said. "The Earthbound Immortals picked them out in this era in order to get rid of us. We honestly don't know much ourselves because Goodwin said most of the ancient texts were destroyed."

"Goodwin…", Sherry mumbled before her eyes shone in realization. "He's the one I need to speak with! He knows more about Iliaster than he lets you know!"

"But he cut all ties with them", I said. "He confirmed it to me shortly after the Daedalus Bridge got built."

"That doesn't matter", Sherry said slightly furiously. "I still need to speak to him and make him tell me everything he knows. He could still have connections with them."

"I don't know…", I mumbled softly.

I was a bit hesitant about it. From what I remembered, Goodwin was only related to the Dark Signers part of Iliaster. After his death in the anime, there was confirmation that he had no connections with Z-one's Iliaster, meaning the four main leaders.

Sherry got up from her seat and grabbed her helmet. Mizoguchi understood the signal and grabbed his own helmet as they prepared themselves to leave the garage.

"This has been informative, but not enough", the blonde woman said. "I'll continue conducting my research about Iliaster, and also those Meklord Emperors. If they were to appear in the Grand Prix, all of us could become their pawns."

"Be careful, Sherry", Aki said concernedly.

"Don't worry; I'll be fine. Au revoir (Goodbye.)", Sherry said as she waved goodbye before leaving the garage with her guardian.

XXXXXXXXXX

Just to let you know; the Three Pure Nobles' real names in this fanfic are the dub names. I'll be using their sub names for their disguise, like I did with Lester in this chapter.

XXXXXXXXXX

Inoue Miyuki and Sakiko belong to Springflowerangel.