Special thanks to FlowersHeart17 for helping me with the ideas of this chapter!
The chapter begins in Estelle's point of view.
Disclaimer: I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!
Chapter 89: The Eye-Opening Invasion
After Jack gave Nicolas a piece of his mind, he drove to the pit and braked next to our booth. We ran to him to make sure he was okay, but Carly beat us to it.
"Jack!" the reporter cried before she literally jumped into the blonde Signer's arms. "Are you okay?! Do you feel pain anywhere?!"
"C-Carly, get off of me!" Jack stuttered as he tried pushing her off him, but I think he was embarrassed for getting his face mashed by the girl's large bosom.
"You really gave us a fright when Nicolas used Self-Destruct Button, Jack! We thought you were dead meat!" Crow said worriedly.
Carly finally removed herself from Jack so he could remove his helmet. "It takes a lot more to defeat me; the future King of Games!" he bragged.
"Still, we better check your Runner and see if there's any internal damage", Yusei suggested. "I don't want a repeat on what happened in the Turbo Duel with Team Unicorn."
"Yeah, none of us want to see any crashes for a while now", Bruno nodded.
"I'll grab the tools for you!" Leo called with a raised hand before he ran to the garage.
"Do you need something, Jack?" Luna asked. "Like a drink?"
"A Blue-Eyes Mountain would be perfect right now", Jack rubbed his chin expectantly.
"Jack, we're not by the café…", I laughed sheepishly.
Leo returned with the toolbox and handed it over to Bruno. He and Yusei immediately went to work as soon as Jack got off his Runner. The rest of us were taking it easy and slowly prepared ourselves to leave the stadium now that our match was over.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Citizens, Duelists, and tourists!" the MC called all of the sudden. "We have just received some urgent words by the Director of Sector Security, Rex Goodwin!"
The large holographic sphere that showed the MC's face switched into Goodwin as several holographic monitors appeared across the stadium. I could tell Goodwin was still in the VIP room in the Ivory Tower because I recognized the interior in the background.
"People in New Domino City, my name is Rex Goodwin; the Director of Sector Security", he introduced himself. "May I ask you for your attention? Earlier today, I informed you about an anonymous threat of a terrorist group that might invade the city. I've just received words the group has already targeted the Turbo Duelists in the preliminary matches. Therefore, I am asking you to evacuate the stadium and the highway and follow Sector Security's instructions to head to the safety bunkers. My officers shall assist you with the evacuation, so stay calm, do not get panicked, and be cautious. I shall give you further information when I-"
The monitors began sparkling as they wiped Goodwin's face and replaced him with Primo!
"That's Primo from Iliaster!" I exclaimed as I pointed at the large sphere.
"New Domino City, my name is Primo, the leader of my army of Diablos", Primo began. "I have come to this city to bring chaos for the main objective of my plan. I shall not stop with the invasion unless I shall receive what I want. Crimson Star Priestess. I know you are listening, so pay attention. I know you told your friends about my plan, which was a selfish move of you. I warned you I would proceed with my plan if you dared to tell them. It's your fault for aggravating me into doing this. However! I shall give you one final chance; surrender yourself to save the city…or perish from this Earth!"
"Perish…?" Yusei mumbled behind me.
"I shall give you ten minutes to make your decision. Until then… My Diablos shall proceed with attacking every Turbo Duelist in the city and force them into Dueling until they are defeated and pay the rest with the cost of their lives!"
Primo's face vanished from the screens that went into static again. There was an uneasy feeling in the stadium as no one had any ideas of what just happened. The next thing we knew, the stadium broke out into chaos. The audience ran for their lives out of the stadium while some were knocked down and stomped upon. Children held onto their parents while crying in fear and panic, not fully understanding what was happening.
"What's going on?! What does Primo want with you, Estelle?!" Jack growled angrily.
"Yeah, you never told us what he actually wants from you!" Crow nodded.
I was quiet for a short moment before I turned to my friends. "Iliaster wants me because they want to harness my power and convert it into Ener-D to power up a machine that's called the Circuit. The Circuit's purpose is to bring a flying fortress from the future to your time."
"A flying fortress?" Luna repeated confusedly.
"Why do they want to bring this fortress to our time?" Yusei asked.
"I smell a new scoop here… But I shouldn't concentrate on that", Carly laughed sheepishly.
I didn't know if I should tell them the truth about the devastation yet because the anime had two different endings; the original ended with Yusei returning alive from the Ark Cradle and the dub ended when Team 5D's won the World Racing Grand Prix and the Ark Cradle vanished afterwards. I couldn't predict which ending was going to take place.
"They want to rewrite history", I replied. "But we can worry about that later. Right now, the whole city is under attack and we need to-"
The familiar ringtone of my smartphone started playing in the pocket of Luna's pit crew jacket. She quickly picked it up and gave it over to me. I took it after I removed the earbud in my right ear and saw it was Goodwin calling. I immediately answered him. "Yes, sir?"
"Estelle, Sector Security needs assistance from you and Team 5D's", Goodwin said. "I've received reports of the Riding Roids targeting not just the Turbo Duelists in the preliminary matches, but also citizens."
"Citizens too?!" I exclaimed in disbelief.
That never happened in the anime, so why did Primo command the Riding Roids to attack innocent people?
"What about the citizens?" Leo asked.
"Wait, Goodwin, I'll switch mode", I called before I held the smartphone up and switched into hologram mode. That way, everyone around me could see and hear Goodwin.
"Ah, I see you all are here", Goodwin said. "Team 5D's, this is a selfish request, but may I ask for your assistance of stopping the Riding Roids?"
"There's no need to ask for our help, Goodwin. We'll do it!" Yusei nodded.
"What's the latest information?" I asked.
"The Control reported the highway's Turbo Duel System was overrided into Battle Royal Mode. They also picked up an identifier signal, which confirms the Riding Roids are the same as Ghost."
"Primo wants to collect the Ener-D in a much faster way by forcing every active Turbo Duelist to Duel until the last Life Points are drained", I explained. "That's why we must stop the Roids before he manages to get enough Ener-D to complete the Circuit so Iliaster is unable to summon the flying fortress."
"I understand", Goodwin replied, knowing what I meant, since I've told him about the flying fortress. "I'll let Control know to keep try hacking the system and restore it so the Riding Roids are unable to force the Turbo Duelists into Battle Royal Mode. In the meantime, my officers shall do their best to protect the citizens and the Duelists."
"How many Riding Roids are out there?" Crow wondered.
"There is no confirmed number, but it is over 100…and counting."
"O-Over one-hundred…?" Carly stuttered in shock.
"From what I remember, the Riding Roids have the same power as Iliaster by making effect damage real, so this is going to be dangerous", I told my friends. "However, since Primo is the one controlling the army and he's after me, I'll go look for him while the rest of you protect the Turbo Duelists."
"Wait… Are you turning yourself in for Primo?" Yusei asked.
"Of course not", I shook my head. "I'll go and stop him from causing more harm to the city. If I manage to defeat him, the Riding Roids might stop their attack."
"Everyone, please be careful", Goodwin said. "Security is about to escort me, Ish, and the Muto family to a safety bunker, so I won't be able to contact you."
"Understood, Goodwin", I nodded before ending the call. "We have to split up. Yusei, Jack; you two are experienced Turbo Duelists, so you head out to stop the Riding Roids. Crow, you're injured, so you stay here with Leo, Luna, Bruno, and Carly."
"I can go with my shoulder- Ow!" Crow yelled in pain as he tried to move his injured shoulder to prove he was able to drive his Runner.
"You can't, Crow! You're injured!" Luna told him.
"You are in no condition to drive, Crow", I shook my head. "You'd be an easy target for the Riding Roids and you could end up sustaining more injuries."
"Damn it…!" Crow muttered angrily. "I hate being useless!"
"I know the feeling…", Leo mumbled.
"You can protect the stadium if some Riding Roids decide to drive here", I told them. "I'm sure there are people here who got injured in the turmoil that you can help and protect."
"Okay…", Leo whined.
"I can go in Crow's place", Bruno raised his hand. "I'm not a Duelist, but I'll drive in another safe Duel Lane to watch over you guys."
"Are you sure, Bruno?" I asked.
"I'm very sure", he nodded determinedly.
"Okay, everyone! It's time to move out!" I called determinedly. "We need to protect the peace of New Domino City!"
Jack, Yusei, Bruno, and I ran to our Duel Runners and prepared ourselves to head out. I was just about to put my helmet on when Yusei grabbed my right wrist. "Estelle!" he called worriedly.
"Yes?" I asked as I turned to him.
He loosened the grip on my wrist and moved his hand down to mine to give it a soft squeeze. "Be careful, okay?"
I smiled softly and squeezed his hand in return. "I will, and be careful you too."
"What are you two doing?!" Jack shouted irritably from his Duel Runner. "You can kiss each other after we've defeated the Riding Roids!"
Both Yusei and I blushed hard by that comment and turned to the blonde Signer with irritated glares. "Jack!" we yelled simultaneously.
Jack shrugged his shoulders with a snort before driving through an open garage that led to the outside of the stadium. Bruno laughed sheepishly while scratching his left cheek. "Don't take him seriously, guys", he commented before he put his helmet on and got on his Runner.
I sighed in defeat before Yusei and I let go of each other's hands. "I'll see you later", I said.
"Yeah", Yusei nodded.
We drove out of the stadium and almost drove into Sherry's group who arrived to the Kaiba Dome on their Duel Runners by the parking lot where several cars from Sector Security had gathered to plan a counterattack at the Riding Roid army.
"Aki, Sherry, Mizoguchi!" Yusei called after we came to a halt.
"Watch where you're driving!" Jack yelled irritably.
"Same to you, Jack", Aki retorted calmly.
"Sherry, Ghosts have appeared", Yusei told the blonde French.
"Yeah, they showed up on the stadium monitors too during our Turbo Duel", Sherry said.
"Where are Mei and Sakura?" I asked, noticing Aki's classmates weren't with them.
"They've been sent to a safety bunker close to the course", Aki explained.
"I assume you already have a plan?" Mizoguchi asked.
"Yes", Yusei replied. "Jack and I'll protect the Turbo Duelists who were forced into the Battle Royale Mode by the Riding Roids."
"And I'll be going to destroy the Riding Roids that are attacking the citizens and locate Primo who is responsible of this", I added.
"I'll be driving in a safe distance to analyze the Duels and see if I can help out", Bruno said.
"We'll lend our assistance", Sherry nodded to Yusei.
"I'll help you too", Aki raised her hand. "I'm a Turbo Duelist, so if I go with Sherry and Mizoguchi-"
"No!" Sherry called out loudly, which surprised the female Signer. "I appreciate your assistance, Aki, but I fear these Riding Roids are going to be stronger than what you're imagining. You may have psychic powers, but if they overpower you, you could get seriously injured and I refuse to let that happen!"
"But, Sherry…", Aki mumbled sadly.
"How about you come with me and help me wipe out the Riding Roids, Aki?" I suggested. "That might be less dangerous than facing a horde of them."
Aki looked at Sherry, seeing her serious but concerned emerald eyes, before she sighed in defeat. "Okay. It's better than doing nothing at all."
My heart started beating faster as I already got worried about my friends' well-being. "Everyone… Be careful."
"That's what I'd say to the rest of you!" Jack snorted loudly before he hastily drove off.
The others followed his lead to hurry and help the victims of the invasion. I tightened my grip on the handlebars of my Duel Runner before I calmed down. Once this invasion was over, I was going to tell my friends what I knew about Iliaster. It was time to spill out the beans.
XXXXXXXXXX – Primo's POV
Everything was going according to plan. My Diablos were doing their job by forcing every active Duel Runner into Battle Royal Mode, both in the preliminary matches and outside of the tournament. The smell of smoke filled my nose as the explosions of crashed Duel Runners and screams from citizens echoed in my ears like a symphony. It briefly reminded me of the old time when I was fighting for my life with my lover who I lost too soon…
No! There was no need to remember the past and be sentimental. I was going to follow this plan to the finish line so the Ark Cradle can finally make its appearance in this era.
I had a full map of the city set up in my eyepiece, so I could follow the signals of my Riding Roids. I already noticed a few had been eliminated, and I knew who was behind of it.
"Fudo Yusei…", I muttered angrily.
"Primo!" Jakob's annoying voice called from the inward intercom.
His irritate face appeared in the eyepiece I had on my right eye. "What do you want? I'm busy right now!"
"Primo, what do you think you are doing?"
"Your way of doing this is too lax. If we force them to Duel, the Circuit will surface in a matter of no time!"
"Primo, you do not understand. By forcing them into fighting, we cannot draw out these humans' latent abilities. In doing so, the perfect Circuit will never be completed."
"Besides, isn't Fudo Yusei butting in?!" Lester's voice echoed from the background. "You already lost once, Primo, so why not listen to what Jakob's saying?"
"What was that?" I asked irritably. "Sorry, but I'll be doing things my way."
"Primo!" Jakob shouted, but I ended the call before I could hear more of his nonsense.
"Fudo Yusei… Don't get ahead of yourself", I growled. "I'll show you that you humans will never be able to defeat me."
I soon detected two new Duel Runner signals heading to downtown, so I hacked the surveillance cameras to check who the drivers were. The right corner of my lips twitched upward when I saw it was the Priestess, but the smirk vanished when I saw she had that female psychic Signer with her.
"So, you brought along an ally to stop me, Priestess? That won't help you much."
I hacked a group of Diablos and sent them to a vulnerable location to cause enough distraction to separate the Priestess and the female Signer.
XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV
Aki and I were driving towards downtown and the noise I heard from that part of the city was horrible. It sounded like a war film with explosions of the Riding Roids' Duel Monsters that were attacking the people and buildings alike. In fact, these Roids weren't even Dueling; they were using the bestowed power of Iliaster to become psychic Duelists and harm people.
"I summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" I yelled before my Monster flew out from a gate. "Attack the Monsters and Roids with White Lightning!"
Blue-Eyes roared before firing its signature attack at the machine army, destroying Duel Monsters and Roids alike in explosions. The citizens ducked down and covered their heads to shield themselves from the shrapnel flying in the air.
"I summon Splendid Rose!" Aki yelled, summoning the Synchro Monster. "Splendid Rose, attack the Roids with Rose Whip!"
Splendid Rose summoned two vines in her hands and used them as whips to destroy one Riding Roid after another before they had a chance to summon more Monsters.
"Hurry and evacuate, everyone!" I told the nearby people on the sidewalk.
The citizens ran away as soon as I told them that. I saw people exiting the buildings while carrying either children or bags filled with clothes and other belongings as a group of Sector Security arrived to escort them to the closest safety bunker.
Now that the situation had calmed down, I could survey the environment. The buildings had clear signs of the attack by having the windows shattered. The surface had dents and scorching marks, the concrete had split open by the assaults, belongings like purses, dented bicycles, smart notepads, and even crushed strollers were scattered around. My heart clenched in pain when I saw the strollers.
"It looks like we've cleared the Riding Roids here", Aki said as she parked next to me while our two Monsters had dissipated.
"Yeah…", I nodded as I tried to stay calm and not get too affected by the sight around me.
"Officer Trudge to Agent Goodwin!" Trudge's voice suddenly called from the radio built in my helmet. "Officer Trudge to Agent Goodwin! Do you read me?!"
"Agent Goodwin here!" I responded. "What's the latest update?"
"We've got a huge problem, Estelle!" Trudge said. "The Control just informed me and Ms. Mina that the majority of Ghosts are heading to the same point on the Duel Lanes while a smaller group is driving towards New Domino Hospital!"
"What?!" I exclaimed in shock. "They're about to attack the hospital?!"
"What?!" Aki exclaimed next to me.
I couldn't believe what I just heard. Primo actually commanded a group of his Roids to attack the hospital where the vulnerable and sick people were being treated and taken care of? What purpose did it have?!
"Primo….!" I hissed through my gritted teeth before I punched the Duel Disk in anger. "He's going too far now! I've got to find him!"
"Then you do that while I head to the hospital!" Aki told me. "I'll take care of the Roids before they can hurt more people!"
"Are you sure, Aki?" I asked.
"Of course!" Aki nodded determinedly. "The citizens are safe now because of the Roids heading to that one Duel Lane…" She trailed off when she realized something. "You don't think those Roids are targeting…"
"Yes. They must be attacking Yusei and the others", I said.
"So… Yusei, Sherry, and the others might get hurt! We have to help them!" Aki exclaimed.
"Aki, I'm sure they'll be fine until we manage to protect the citizens", I told her. "We'll go and help them as soon as we're done with our tasks."
"But aren't you worried about Yusei, Estelle?"
"Of course I am, but he's with Sherry and Mizoguchi, so they can hopefully keep the fort until we can assist them!"
Aki looked hesitant before she relaxed and released a sigh. "Okay. I just hope Jack and Sector Security can help them if something happens."
"The sooner we deal with Primo and the Roids, the faster we can help them."
Aki had nothing to say to that, so we just nodded to each other before splitting up. I used my gut feeling to find Primo and I knew I was going to find him soon.
It didn't take long before I reached an empty intersection in the middle of the city. I parked my Runner and removed my helmet before getting off my bike. The smell of smoke tickled my nose and the hair on my body was stiff by the static charge in the air. The sky was covered by heavily thick dark clouds that you would assume it was nighttime while it was just midday.
Besides the few lightning bolts and rumble in the distance, it was eerie quiet, so I knew I had arrived to the right place. I walked out to the middle of the intersection and looked around to find signs of Primo.
"Primo? I'm here, so show yourself!" I shouted.
It took a few seconds before I received an answer to my call in quite a rude way. I heard the noise of someone drawing their weapon, so I quickly jumped forward and made a roll to dodge the incoming attack. I got up on one knee and glared at the man who had drawn his sword against him.
"I see you've been practicing, Priestess", Primo chuckled before he raised his sword and swung it to get it clean from dirt.
I straightened up while I kept glaring at the Pure Noble. "Spare me the friendly talk and let's get down to business."
"Ah, yes, about my final proposal", Primo said amusingly. "So… What decision have you made? Will you surrender or let the whole city down, including your friends?"
"I…choose the third option", I replied as I stretched out my right hand to the side.
"The third option?" Primo questioned nonchalantly.
"CRIMSON STAR EVOLUTION!"
I allowed the power of the Mark of the Crimson Star envelope me as its strength surged through my body while my riding suit was replaced with the Warrior Form plus red wings. I picked a feather from the left wing with my right hand and drew it as it transformed into a katana with a crimson handle and a sharp silver blade.
Primo just blinked his exposed eye amusingly. "You caught me off guard last time, but don't think you can defeat me this time."
He snapped his fingers before he transformed too. He was enveloped by an orb with red holographic numbers, reminding me strongly of the Digivolution in the Digimon franchise. Seconds later, his robe was gone, so his tall legs had better mobility.
"It's still worth a try to take you down and stop the Riding Roids from creating more destruction to the city", I responded with a growl in my throat as I lifted the katana and got into a pose. "And having the nerve to send an army to the hospital is sickening!"
Primo chuckled before he got a serious expression and got into a pose with his sword. "The army was perfect distraction to separate you from that psychic Signer, so I can face you alone. I shall make you bleed dry and I'll drag your corpse to the Circuit and harness your power to complete the Grand Design."
"Never in a million year."
We stood still as we eyed one another, not moving a muscle as we waited for the perfect moment to strike. A lightning bolt struck the ground in the distance, which was the cue. Primo and I charged forward and let out battle cries before clashing our weapons against each other with another lightning bolt lightning up the sky, making the area white and bright.
XXXXXXXXXX – Yusei's POV
When it looked like Sherry, Mizoguchi, and I had defeated the last Riding Roid, a new army appeared out of nowhere behind us. I had a feeling those were the Roids that had attacked the city, but they had been reprogrammed to target us now.
The Roids trapped us in Battle Royal Mode, but shortly after that the whole Turbo Duel got chaotic. The Roids took out Mizoguchi and Sherry by multiple Ally Salvos they summoned at once. The Battle Royal Mode had been manipulated, so it was like a game with no rules.
I did my best to dodge the Ally Salvos, but I was in a pickle. The Riding Roids had worked together to destroy my Road Warrior and inflicted damage so I only had 2000 Life Points left. One mistake and I would face the same fate as Sherry and Mizoguchi.
I didn't know what I could do. I tried out speeding them, but they caught up to me faster than I had imagined. How could I win against this army?
The Ally Salvos were about to attack me when a voice yelled from behind the army. "Yusei!"
I looked over my shoulder and felt my eyes widen in surprise when I saw it was Dark Glass. He was driving toward us with his T.G. Blade Blaster flying above him.
T.G. Blade Blaster, Level 10: ATK 3300
"I equip Buster Blaster to T.G. Blade Blaster!" Dark Glass declared, equipping a machine Union Monster card to the Accel Synchro Monster in the form of double laser cannon. "The Monster equipped with Buster Blaster loses 500 attack points."
T.G. Blade Blaster, Level 10: ATK 3300 – ATK 2800
"However, when that Monster destroys an opponent's Monster, all Monsters of that same type on the opponent's field are destroyed!" Dark Glass added. "Buster Shot!"
T.G. Blade Blaster fired a twin laser beam from his equipped weapon and engulfed every Ally Salvo, forcing them to explode into pieces, making the whole field clear. The sudden assault caused the Riding Roids to slow down, which gave me time to try shaking them off my tail again. Dark Glass managed to get past the army and drove up to me.
"You're…", I began, only to get interrupted.
"Yusei! Accelerate! As long as you don't surpass the limits of speed, you can't outrun them!" Dark Glass told me before driving in front of me. "Follow me in the slipstream!"
I did as he told me and drove behind him. I was greeted by weird sensations I had never experienced before. The speed was over the limits than what I had managed to achieve so far.
"Yusei! In order to get out of this situation, you have to surpass your limits and find out how to Accel Synchro!" Dark Glass yelled.
"Accel Synchro?!" I repeated in surprise.
"Look in your heart. The Ener-D that powers the Duel Runner isn't just a source of energy", Dark Glass explained. "The Planetary Particle that was used for the Ener-D Reactor is a living energy that reads into people's hearts!"
"What?! The Planetary Particle reads people's hearts?!"
"That's right. Dr. Fudo and Roman Goodwin, who were in charge of the Ener-D Reactor, realized that. People's hearts can be vastly different from one another. These powers have been used since ancient times. The good hearts showed up as the Crimson Dragon! And the evil hearts showed up as the Earthbound Immortals! However, a person's heart has the ability to control the Ener-D. That is Clear Mind! You have to acquire that now, Yusei!"
"Clear Mind?" I repeated before I started doubting myself. "But…such a thing…"
"You can do it!" Dark Glass encouraged me. "The method of finding Accel Synchro is already inside you! Feel the wind, Yusei!"
"The wind…?" I mumbled to myself.
I stared straight forward as the speed of my Duel Runner almost hypnotized me. It was like I was entering another world I had never seen before. The sound of the speed and the wind blew in my ears as I slowly fell into a trance.
The memories of my first encounter with Ghost appeared in my mind. Since that day, I had been looking for the solution on how to defeat the Synchro killer machine Monster; Meklord Emperor Wisel. After meeting Dark Glass the first time and his advice to go faster, I tried building the best engine and creating the perfect program for it, but I still couldn't find the way to Accel Synchro.
I think I now understood why.
The feelings I had for the Meklord Emperors were the same I felt after my first Shadow Turbo Duel with the Earthbound Immortals. It was fear that held me back. The fear had set up the invisible wall and used it as a barrier to stop me from going past my limits.
So… I had to let go of the fear and just keep driving forward with the wind and listen to its whispering melody…