Disclaimer: I don't own YGO 5Ds
The harbors of the Satellite are usually filled lined with security from both sides. Tonight, a small section has been quarantined, to the growing unrest of the detainees. "This way," Luna guided Yusei to a completely non-discript woman waiting at the harbor.
"May I help you." The woman drawled, regarding Luna and Yusei with a polite condescension typical of Neo Dominians traveling in the Satellite. She had a pink bob cut, brown eyes hidden behind black horn-rimmed glasses in a way that reminded Yusei of his grade school principal.
"This is her. This is Ara, I'm sure of it!" Luna insisted while Yusei laughed awkwardly, pointing to a woman who clearly bore no resemblance to the Dark Signer. Both adults looked at Luna skeptically. They'd trust her more if she were a grown-up too! Luna thought, annoyed, being a kid sucks sometimes. She raised her hand, the mark of the Dragon glowing, soliciting a similar response on Yusei's arm, and the arm of the stranger.
"But y-you're different," Luna said hesitantly, "Your mind is clear, you're not controlled by that Monster. W-wait, that's not right, you're a Dark Signer!"
"There're much worse things than the Ruler of the Netherworld that's tried to get inside me," Ara said with a nuanced undertone that made Yusei blush, "I've resisted Divine's brainwashing for years, this monster is quite harmless, mentally speaking."
"So you're free!" Yusei exclaimed, "Will you join us then in defeating this monster!"
Ara snorted in laughter. Realizing her explicit refusal, Yusei stepped up, physically blocking her way to the harbor.
His ignorant confidence makes her want to bang her head against the wall, made worse so because it was Yusei freaking Fudo.
Ara was lucky. By any and all standards, Ara has been lucky beyond belief. She had be talented, attractive, resilient, with Lady Fortune smiling down on her at every turn. That's what turned her from another kid in the Satellite to controlling the busiest pier in the Satellite, to a crucial member of the Zephyrs. It had taken strategy, planning, years of dedication and hard work, not to mention an unreasonable amount of luck for her to be standing at the Satellite shores right now.
Then there's the select few who were destined to succeed due to no virtues of their own. In Yusei's case, being selected by a powerful dragon for no reason other than his birth. It's no different than Neo Dominians enjoying their luxuries simply for being stuck in Neo Domino when Zero Reverse happened, but for some reason, it irritated her more.
"Another Chosen One eager to prove themselves for the greater good," She thought and said as much.
"I am Yusei Fudo, I take it you've heard of me." Yusei replied with a haughty tilt of his chin, "Yes, I was Chosen by the Crimson Dragon, a literal God, to defend the Light of this world from the encroaching Darkness. You were converted out of Pity, by Roman. It's not the same, is it? Now thanks to me, you have a chance to rectify the situation. Prove yourself, on behalf of Dark Signers and your Dark God. Prove that you're worthy of this dimension, or at least prove you're not completely useless in this battle your god is about to lose."
Luna watched wide-eyes at this side Yusei she's never seen before.
Ara's giggles turned into a full-throated roar of laughter at Yusei's solemn challenge, his blatant attempt to taunt her into a duel was utterely adorable.
"It's lucky you met me," She said when she finally stopped laughing, "Devack would have killed you for that alone. Me, on the other hand, I don't care about who wins or loses, what difference does it make? If the Neo Domino Director of Security changes, why should the average satellite care?"
"What? This is totally different!" Yusei repeated incredulously, "The Crimson Dragon and the Signer Dragons had fought for humanity five thousand years ago to seal the Ruler of the Netherworld. If released, the Monster will destroy this dimension and all life in it!"
"You decision being based on unreliable words from monsters nobody has ever seen, passed on by their even less reliable emissaries." Ara clarified further,"You learned all of this from Rex Goodwin, correct? The same man who left the Satellite, left all of us, suffering on the brink of life since he became the Director of Sector Security ten years ago. How did you survive so long in the Satellite while being so trusting?"
"But even Yuki said-" Yusei began, but was quickly cut off.
"And she knows the truth, how?"
Yusei sputtered. He can Feel the Crimson Dragon through his mark and therefore trusts in its intentions, but Ara could easily argue that feelings can be deceiving.
"Convince me then," Yusei activated his duel disk. "Show me your conviction in the God you fight for. Convince me It's the right choice for humanity."
"Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't trust either of them," Ara shrugged off Yusei's outrage. She frankly saw no difference between the Crimson Dragon or the Ruler of the Netherworld, both were creatures that existed beyond this world trying to control the human race. Roman preaches on and on about the Glory the Netherworld God would bring into the world, just like the Servants of the Crimson Dragon exults over the accomplishments of their Master. Both sides are drowning in their own spit*, and there's no proof who's right. Especially since there're no historical records of either creature, even if she assumes written records to be reliable.
"Then there's no reason you would resist my request for a game."
"Sure," Ara conceded, because no matter which god wins, she's already in a position where she cannot lose.
Turn 1: Ara's turn
"I'll start by putting a card face-down, that's all." Ara was confident for a reason, she had studied the decks of most well-known duelists in the Satellite, Yusei was good, but he wasn't going to be good enough.
Turn 2: Yusei's Turn
Yusei seems well-prepared for this duel as well.
"First, I discard Tuning Ware (lv1, 100/100) to my graveyard to special summon, Quickdraw Synchro (lv5, 700/1400) to the field, in attack mode. This allows me to special summon Doppel Warrior from my hand. Next, I'll summon Junk Synchron (lv3, 1400/700) to the field and with his special ability, Tuningware comes back from the graveyard!"
"I tune my level 3 Junk Synchron with my level 2 Dopple Warrior to synchro summon, the level 5 Junk Warrior (lv5, 2100/1600) in attack mode! Because of my Tuning Ware , my Junk Warrior gains 100 attack points. When Dopple Warrior is released in the synchro summon, he leaves behind 2 Dopple Tokens (lv1, 400/400), these tokens also add their strength to Junk Warrior, bringing my warrior's attack to 3000! Next, I tune my level 5 Quickdraw Synchro, with 1 Doppel Tokens and Lv 1 Tuningware, to bring forth, Nitro Warrior (lv7, 2800/1800)! Because Tuningware was used in a synchro summon, I get to draw one card.
Yusei: Hand 3, field 2 (Nitrowarrior, Junk Warrior)
"Wow," Luna gasped, completely overwhelmed by the series of moves . She knew Yusei was good, but she's never seen him this good. Yusei summoned two powerful monsters in the first turn and it only cost him two cards to do it! Luna clenched her fists in determination. She's a Signer too, so as long as she trains hard, she'll be as good as Yusei when she is his age!
"Nitro Warrior, attack directly, Dynamite Crunch!"
"I activate AbyssSqual to special summon Mermail Abysslinde (lv3, 1500/1200) in defense mode." Ara still looked like everything was under control as she flipped over her lone face-down card. Mermail Abysslinde was plowed over by Nitro Warrior without further incident. "When Abysslinde is sent to the graveyard, she allows me to special summon a Mermail monster from my graveyard, and I bring out Mermail Abysspike (lv4, 1600/800) in defense mode. With his effect, I'll discard Atlantean Heavy Infantry to the graveyard and add Mermail Abysslinde back to my to hand."
"Now that there's a defense-position monster on the field, Nitro Warrior changes that monster to attack mode and can attack again!"
"Not so fast, Atlantean Heavy Infantry allows me to destroy one face-up card on the field, and I choose your Nitro Warrior."
"My Nitro Warrior may be gone, but his effect remains. Your monsters is now in attack mode. Junk Warrior, destroy Mermail Abysspike!"
The merman scattered as Junk Warrior's scrap fist made impact, hitting Ara for 1400 life points.
"Before I end my turn, I'll leave two cards face-down on the field."
Yusei: Hand 1, field 2 (Junk Warrior, Doppel Token), face down x2
"Yusei, that was really good," Luna watched wide-eyed as this children's card game went far beyond what she was used to, "I could barely follow your moves."
Ara: Turn 3 Ara 2600 Yusei 4000
Ara Hand 6, field -
"Then you'll certainly have trouble with my turn, but I'll go slow." Ara smirked. "I summon Deep Sea Diva (lv2, 200/400), her ability brings out Neptabyss the Atlantean Prince (lv1, 800/0) from my deck to the field. When he is summoned, I can send Atlantean Dragoons (lv4, 1800/0) from my deck to the graveyard and add Atlantean Heavy Infantry from my deck to my hand. When discarded to the graveyard, Atlantean Dragoons can add a sea-serpent to my hand from the deck, in this case Mermail Abyssmegalo."
Luna was beginning to look a little lost, but Yusei was still following along and he was recognizing his precarious situation.
"I special summon Mermail Abyssmegalo (lv7, 2400/1900) by discarding Atlantean Marksman and Atlantean Heavy Infantry from my hand. When discarded, Atlantean Marksman and Atlantean Heavy Infantry destroys your face-down card and your face-up Junk Destroyer respectively."
One of Yusei's two face-down cards, Urgent Tuning, was destroyed, leaving him with only one card on the field. Next, I activate Mermail AbyssMegalo's effect to tribute Neptabyss the Atlantean Prince to revive Atlantean Marksman (lv3, 1400/0).
"Mermail Abyssmegalo, destroy Doppel Token."
The hollow illusion of a warrior with a measly 400 defense points was plowed over.
"Now, attack Yusei directly!"
"Activate trap, Defense Draw." Yusei activated his face-down card to negate Mermail Abyssmeegalo's effect. "Not only is your attack in vain, but I get to draw a card."
"Atlantean Marksman, attack Yusei directly!" Ara didn't bother with any more taunts, the field advantage is far too obvious. Her merman sliced at Yusei's life points, "When Atlantean Marksman deals damage in battle, I can special summon Atlantean Dragoons (lv4, 1800/0) from my deck to the field. He's ready for battle too."
The second attack cost Yusei another 1800, bringing his life points down to 800.
Luna whimpered.
Yusei Turn 4: Ara 2600 Yusei 800
Ara Hand 4, field Mermail Abyssmegalo, Atlantean Marksman, Atlantean Dragoon
Yusei Hand 3, field scrap iron scarecrow
"I play the spell One for One, to discard Jet Synchron and special summon Tuningware (lv 1, 100/300) from the graveyard. Next, I send Quillbolt hedgehog to the graveyard to special summon Jet Synchron (lv1, 500/0) to my field. I tune my level 1 Tuningware with my level 1 Jet Synchron to synchro summon Formula Synchron (lv2, 200/1500). With this move alone, I get to draw two cards, one for Tuningware and one for Formula Synchron. I also get to add Junk Synchron from my deck to my hand, thanks to the effect of Jet Synchron."
"Not bad," Ara admitted, not everybody can put together a +3 advantage like this.
"I summon Junk Synchron (lv3) from my hand, and he brings his friend Doppel Warrior (lv2) from the graveyard back to my field again."
"Now, I tune my level 3 Junk Synchron with my level 2 Doppel Warrior to synchro summon, the level 5 Junk Warrior, also creating 2 Doppel Tokens (lv1, 400/400) on the field. You know the drill, Junk Warrior gains attack points for every level 2 or below monster on my field, so this time, he gains 1000 attack points! I'll also tune my level 2 Formula Synchron with my two level 1 Doppel Tokens to synchro summon, Armory Arm (lv4, 1800/1000).
Yusei chewed on his lower lips, studying Ara's field. She had three monsters on her field, Mermail AbyssMegalo, Atlantean Marksman and Atlantean Dragoons, all in attack mode. Three monsters and no face-downs. He wasn't informed on the entirety of story surrounding the Signers and Dark Signers, but he did know that if somebody is defeated in a Shadow Duel, they would die. Those defeated by the Dark Signers can be brought back to life when the Dark Signers themselves were defeated, he didn't know what happens to Dark Signers who lost outright. Tono and her team had gone to considerable lengths to avoid that, Yusei had to assume it was for good reason.
Yusei Hand 2; field: Junk Synchron, Armory Arm
"Junk Warrior, attack and destroy Mermail Abyssmegalo! Scrap Fist!" Yusei commanded, speaking so quickly as though he was afraid he'd change his mind. With his enhanced attack, Junk Warrior's 3100 attack points crushed his opponent's 2400 attack.
"Wait, what?" Ara asked, shocked for the first time in... She couldn't remember, but it's been a really, really long time, maybe a decade now, probably longer than Luna's been alive. Her large blue eyes made her look almost innocent, for the fraction of a second.
"Now Armory Arm, destroy Atlantean Marksman." Yusei continued, undeterred. The rocket launched at Atlantean Marksman, destroying the monster along with 400 of Ara's life points.
Ara paused thoughfully before posing her question, "Are you okay? Are you severely ill such that it's affecting your mental ability?"
"What's wrong?" Luna asked, not having understood the conversation.
Yusei coughed, looking defiant but also a little embarrassed. Ara imagines that's what she would have looked like if she was caught doing something good twenty-years ago, assuming she did good things back then.
"Armory Arm has a special ability, in that it can be equipped to another monster, increasing its target's attack by 1000 points. In addition, when that target destroys a monster, the attack points of the destroyed monster is deducted from your opponent's life points."
"So..." Luna looked at the field uncertainly, "If Yusei had equipped Armory Arm to his Junk Warrior, he would have won the game?"
Ara didn't comment.
"Then why didn't he do that?" Luna asked.
"That's what I want to know." Ara conceded.
Together, Junk Warrior and Armory Arm only dealt 1300 damage, when Yusei must have thought they could have dealt 4100.
"I don't know what happens to Dark Signers when they're defeated in a Shadow duel," Yusei said slowly, sounding almost apologetic.
"We die." Ara cut him off, irritated. Her annoyance originating from confusion more than anything else, "Just like everybody who loses a Shadow Game."
"Only the others are brought back to life after when Dark Signers are defeated."
"And your concern being..." Ara trailed off skeptically, "Who'll save the murderers?"
"Murderers?" Luna repeated.
"Us. Dark Signers. Sending mortals to the Shadow Realm. Hence murderers." Ara was being unusually crude, if also unusually patient.
"You didn't choose to kill," Yusei insisted, "You were put into a situation where you felt like you had no choice. I want to give you that choice again, Ara, a choice to go back to the side of the Light, so your soul would no longer be burdened by the biddings of the Netherworld Monster."
"I completely understand everything you're trying to say," Ara assured him with a smile, "I just don't agree with a word of it. A lot is riding on my choice right now, isn't it? More than you have a right to wager."
"I have faith in my friends," Yusei replied candidly, "If I do lose this duel, they'll still stop you. So all that's on the line is my life and yours. I'm betting there's still some Light left inside you, and for that, I'm willing to put my life on the line."
"How very... Characteristically stupid of you." Ara commented. Naive and unnecessary though it may be, it would be a shame for such stupidity to die.
Hand 1, field Junk Warrior equipped w/ Armory Arm, 1 face down
Ara Turn 5: Ara 1300, Yusei 800
Ara Hand 5, field Atlantean Dragoon
"Looks like it's not your lucky day." Ara showed Yusei the card she just drew- Earthbound Immortal Aslla Piscu.
"Let me start by playing Salvage," Ara doesn't look like she's holding back, "So I can bring Atlantean Marksman and Neptabyss, the Atlantean Prince from the graveyard to my hand. Next, I'll special summon Mermail Abyssleed (lv7, 2700/1000) by discarding Atlantean Marksman, Neptabyss, the Atlantean Prince & Mermail Abyssgunde to the graveyard."
"In order, Atlantean Marksman can destroy your facedown card," Yusei's Scrap-iron Scarecrow was shredded to bits, "Atlantean Prince special summon Atlantean Marksman (lv3, 1400/0) back onto the field, and Mermail Abyssgunde allows me to special summon a Mermail monster from the graveyard, so I summon Mermail AbyssMegalo (lv7, 2400/1900). Not that it matters, since I'll be tributing both Mermail Abyssleed and Mermail AbyssMegalo to summon my immortal- Earthbound Immortal Aslla Piscu (lv10, 2500/2500).
Ara- hand 1, field Earthbound Immortal Aslla Piscu, Atlantean Dragoons, Atlantean Marksman
Yusei- hand 1, field Junk Warrior equipped with Armory Arm (3100+1000/1600)
"When Atlantean Dragoons is on the field, Atlantean Marksman can attack directly." Ara explained, at a wave of her hand, Atlantean Marksman (lv3, 1400/0) charged towards Yusei. She waited for Yusei's counter, which never came.
"Wait!" She called out, her monster pausing at her words, "Where's your defense?"
Yusei shrugged, gesturing to the slot his Scrap-Iron Scarecrow used to be, "That was it."
"That was..." Ara resisted the urge to bang her head against he duel disk, suddenly feeling like Yusei desperately needed a parental figure to teach him not to be so ridiculously reckless, or trust strangers unconditionally or... "KIDS." She summarized her feelings into a single word.
"I discard Mermail Abyssnerei from my hand," Ara admitted, resigned. "Her effect destroy Atlantean Marksman and instead adds his attack points to Atlantean Dragoons, increasing his attack to 3200." A completely useless number given Junk Warrior's attack still stood at 4100.
"I knew you wouldn't go through with it." Yusei grinned. "There is Light and Hope inside you all this time."
"No you didn't." Ara deadpanned. "And it's not very smart to provoke your opponent when they can still kill you."
"You attacked with Atlantean Marksman."
Ara started, looking at the audience who had gathered to see them duel. Galen stepped out of the crowd, followed closely by Greiger.
"You attacked with Atlantean Marksman instead of your Immortal." Galen elaborated. Ara would have been unable to stop her immortal's attack.
"Greiger?" Ara looked down at her ex-colleague, whose Dark Signer mark is now conspicuously absent. Merely mortal, no wonder neither her nor Yusei noticed the pair. "So you've defeated another Dark Signer, do you expect my congratulations?"
"I would be glad to duel her, Galen-sama," Greiger offered hurriedly, obviously having had no idea why he was brought here.
Ara studied him, then Galen, "Yuki knows neither of you can defeat me, so what are you doing here?"
"Greiger's our gesture of good will," Galen offered with a sheepish laugh, "Yuki said you'd understand when you see him."
Greiger looked slightly affronted.
"Oh?" Ara paused, comprehension slowly dawning on her face, "What is he going to do now that he's mortal again?" She asks.
"I dunno,' Galen admitted, "We need people in all fronts, but Greiger isn't really trained for anything. So… Babysitting maybe? I've been telling Yuki for weeks that we need another vice principal for the school now that I'm helping with the Security training too."
"Vice principal," Ara was amused. Unlike Galen, she could appreciate the influence a vice principal would have, as the school is no doubt training the first generation that would be loyal to the Zephyrs rather than a particular city state. The generation that would soon take over all essential posts in the regime. There's a reason why Yuki had insisted on being the principal despite rarely showing up. "Very well, I will return to the Zephyrs, and to the side of Justice." She winked, causing Yusei to blush a deep crimson.
"Earthbound Immortal Aslla Piscu, attack Junk Warrior!" As soon as her immortal disappeared from the field, she snapped her own duel disk in half. The receding lines on her face signaled the loss of the powers she had used to eradicate its very existence from her body.
"Wait, that's it?" Yusei stammered. "I-I mean I'm glad you made the right choice but, what just happened?"
By the looks on the faces of her audience, Galen was the only one who understood.
"If Yuki took Greiger back, she should be welcoming Ara with open arms." Galen explained.
Yuki had reassured him as much before he came. Despite Ara's complicated employment history, she had never been the type to take undue risks. Her choice to work to Divine, then Yuki, then the dark signers (i.e. three progressively more questionable, borderline-legal organizations) can best be described as circumstantial. As such, she won't choose to give up the current world and work for an unknown monster with an unreliable promise to build a new world.
"I have a question," Ara asked as an afterthought, "What would have happened if I insisted on being a Dark Signer."
Galen licked his canines with a sly grin, "I don't really understand the plan, but Nervin promises me that it won't be pretty. Devack might be able to tell you more about that."
"Let me go!" Trudge struggled against his handcuffs, surrounded by what must be 20% of our team "I'm from Neo Domino, I'm Sector! You can't treat me like this!"
"You're trespassing with the intent to steal my property, I'm well within my rights to detail you." I looked at Trudge seriously.
"Do you want to-" Chaos made a slitting motion along his throat.
"Wait! No, you're not actually gonna do that, right? You're just messing with me?" Trudge shouted, now truly scared. Chaos didn't look like he was joking.
"Let me think about it," I replied, "He didn't actually do any damage." On the other hand, he just tried to blow up the Core of the Momentum.
"I'll quadriple security around the Core." Chaos assured me, "Nothing will get past me."
A/N: I think this is the longest I've gone without an update, sorry about the wait. In my defense, I've been ridiculously busy & stressed with almost nothing to show for it recently, and life's just been hectic overall. I've also found that I've just been very inefficient for some reason, probably the stress, or at least I'm attributing it to the stress. The other night, I washed down my multiple vitamins with Bicardi from the bottle and I thought, well, that feels about right, this is my life now... XD
Also, I just got back into the Phoenix Wright fandom, game 5&6 aren't as good as the earlier ones but they're better than nothing.
A/N 2: While we, as the audience, knows the Crimson Dragon is good (per writers), Yusei really didn't. He really did hear everything from Rex Goodwin and his proxies, whom he had no reason to believe.