"After the tragedy of the second duel." I don't know about that, MC, it wasn't a tragedy to me, that so-called 'Knight' got what he deserved, "we're in anticipation for the third duel!"
The crowd seems to have gradually calmed down after Aki left the stage. This city is fickle. It screams bloody murder at something it doesn't like. Then, it will say there was never a problem, that a utopian city like this would never suffer from such a problem. It is all lies. This city prides itself on being a utopian city that is equal opportunity for all. Revolution. Kenta's words pop into my head. It is the only way that this city will ever change. It may even become a place where Satellites and psychics no longer have to hide. That cynical part of me scoffs at this idea, saying that such a thing cannot exist. Nevertheless, it is something I will chase until I'm old and grey.
"Everybody listen! This is what you've all been waiting for! A Riding Duel!" Could that mean? "The first D-Wheeler selected to participate in the Fortune Cup is Yusei Fudo!" I smile as Yusei's D-Wheel jumps out from the pits. He stops at the starting point of the course. As expected, the crowd begins to heckle him. I don't listen to the words, but I feel their impact. An endless drone of sharp and bitter words.
"His opponent D-Wheeler is Shira, the resurrected grim reaper!" The so-called 'Shira' jumps out of the pits on the D-Wheel accompanied by a flourish of purple flames. He drives around the track and stops next to Yusei. Naturally, given the reaction to Yusei, the crowd cheers for Shira to beat Yusei.
"It's finally time for the duel! Set on the Field Spell Speed World! Speed World has taken over the field! Now spells that aren't Speed spells can't be activated! There's the start signal of destiny with the countdown! It's time for the Riding Duel! Acceleration!" As the countdown reaches 0, both of the D-Wheels set off. Shira throws off his cape as they drive forward. I feel like this is meant to be a big reveal, but I have no idea who the person driving the D-Wheel is.
"Sorry to keep you waiting! Mukuro Enjo has arrived!" This 'Mukuro' person proclaims. Mukuro Enjo, I'm pretty sure he dueled Jack Atlas a while ago. Not that I follow Jack in any way, shape or form, but his name got thrown around a bunch.
"This is a surprise! Underneath the hood is the fiery D-Wheeler who's willing to risk his life to defeat the King! Mukuro Enjo!" Given the fact that Mukuro is definitely not Shira, I'd say this 'match' is about to end.
"I'm your opponent. I'll show you what a Riding Duel is really about!" Mukuro proclaims once more. Yusei just stares back at him. "What's wrong, Yusei? If you're also a D-Wheeler, then accept Mukuro Enjo's challenge!" Well, Yusei wouldn't be the one allowing you to duel, Godwin would since you weren't invited to this tournament.
"Hm, fine. I'll be your opponent!" What did I just say?
"This is... Umm..." Here we go, Godwin's about to cancel the match. "The organizer has given permission! The duel continues!" Okay, that's it. Godwin is totally corrupt and up to something. I mean, not that I've ever thought any different, I just feel the need to affirm that.
"I go first! I draw! From my hand, I summon Burning Skullhead (ATK:1000)! I set three cards and end my turn!" A fiery D-Wheeler uses a monster called Burning Skullhead. Professional duelists are honestly a bunch of weirdos. I mean, who else themes their deck around their personality? Someone please tell them to get a life. Just use a deck you like, not because it matches your aesthetic or whatever.
"My turn!" Yusei proclaims as both of their Speed Counters become 1. "I summon Speed Warrior (ATK:900)!" Oh I remember Speed Warrior, and now I'm getting nostalgic.
"Yusei has immediately gone on the offensive!" He summoned a monster, that's pretty standard. Stop making it more dramatic than it actually is. "Due to Speed Warrior's monster effect, its attack points are doubled during the Battle Phase of the turn in which it was summoned(ATK:900-1800)!"
"Battle!"
"There goes Speed Warrior" I really worry about that MC sometimes. He's meant to give us insightful commentary, right now, he's not really doing that.
"I activate the trap Zero Guard! By making the attack points of one monster on my field equal 0, it cannot be destroyed in battle this turn(ATK:1000-0)!" Mukuro must have a plan if he favours taking more damage over losing his monster. That, or he's crazy.
"Sonic Edge!" Speed Warrior attacks and destroys Burning Skullhead, causing Mukuro's life points to drop to 2200.
"Mukuro Enjo has already taken 1800 points of damage!"
"I activate the trap Doom Accelerator! When I take battle damage, I gain one Speed Counter for every 500 points of damage!" Mukuro's Speed Counters increase to 4. "See that? Mukuro Enjo has created the invincible Speed Acceleration Deck!" Invincible? I doubt it, Yusei was an amazing duelist four years ago, but now, I can't imagine how much stronger he must have gotten.
"So you're challenging me with Speed Spells? I accept and face that challenge! I set two cards and end my turn." When you face someone's challenge, generally you'd play a Speed Spell in this situation.
"My turn. I draw!" Mukuro declares as both his and Yusei's Speed Counters increase by 1. "I activate the Speed Spell Summon Speeder! When I have four or more Speed Counters, I can Special Summon one Level 4-or-below monster from my hand! Come, Skull Base (ATK:800)! By releasing Skull Base and Burning Skullhead, I can Advance Summon Skull Flame (ATK:2600)!" Wow, more skulls and flames. What a surprise, no, really. "When Skull Base is released in order to Advance Summon, I get to draw one card. Battle!" Skull Flame attacks, dropping Yusei's life points to 2300 and his Speed Counter to 1.
"Mukuro Enjo! By using a Speed Spell for a splendid combination attack, he equalised their life points!" 2300 is not equal to 2200, but I get the idea.
"I'm only getting started. Watch this and be shocked! I activate the Continuous Trap Speed Booster! This is the true potential of the Speed Acceleration Deck! I'm only getting started, Yusei!" Damn, Mukuro is kind of obnoxious. "I can activate the Continuous Trap Speed Booster when I have more Speed Counters than you! During your turn, I can negate your monsters' attacks the same number of times as the difference in our Speed Counters. Also, during each of my turns, I can deal damage equal to the difference in our Speed Counters multiplied by 100!" Ouch, that is a harsh effect, given the fact that Mukuro has made sure that he'll always have an advantage. Weirdly enough, Yusei looks like he is actually having fun. It's nice to know that he hasn't changed in four years. "Stop laughing! I activate Speed Booster's effect!" Yusei's life points drop to 1900.
"With that attack, he's gained the advantage in life points! Mukuro has more life points!" Goodness, the MC finally understands the concept of equality. Now if only everyone else in this city did.
"No one can keep up with my speed!" I feel like soon Mukuro is going to be bragging about going faster than the speed of sound. "I set one card and end my turn. How's that? No matter how fast you're driving, you can't see me anymore." Mukuro looks behind him to taunt Yusei, only to find Yusei is directly behind him. "Eh!?"
"I draw."
"How can you keep up when you only have 1 Speed Counter? Slip Stream!" Oh yes, Mukuro was too busy being obnoxious to notice, and now Yusei has the same amount of Speed Counters as Mukuro, totalling 6. "I see. You activated it back then! This is fun, Yusei! However, can you keep you with my speed? I activate the trap Acceleration Zone! Here I go!" Mukuro accelerates, shooting far ahead of Yusei.
"What speed! His Speed Counter are up to eleven!"
"With Acceleration Zone, if you gain Speed Counters using a method different than Speed World's effect, I gain 5 Speed Counters! You can't keep up with this speed!" Well, every turn Yusei gains Speed Counters, he gets closer to you since you cap at 12?
"I activate the Speed Spell Summon Speeder!" Plot twist, Yusei uses same Speed Spell as Mukuro.
"Yusei is countering with Summon Speeder!" Thank you MC for your insightful and thought-provoking commentary.
"Due to the effect of Summon Speeder, I Special Summon Quillbolt Hedgehog (DEF:800). Then I Normal Summon Junk Synchron (ATK:1300)." Yusei's deck just makes me so nostalgic. Quillbolt Hedgehog is still the cutest thing. "Due to Junk Synchron's monster effect, I get to Special Summon Speed Warrior from my graveyard. Come, Speed Warrior (DEF:400)! Level 3 Junk Synchron tunes Level 2 Speed Warrior. Clustering stars will call upon a new power! Become the path that lights the way! Synchro Summon! Come, Junk Warrior (ATK:2300)!" Oh man the hype. "Junk Warrior gains attack points equal to the attack points of Level 2-or-below monsters on the field. (ATK:2300-3100) Battle!"
"I activate the effect of Speed Booster!" Mukuro negates Junk Warrior's attack.
"All I can do now is survive. I set one card and end my turn."
"My turn. I draw!" Once again, both Mukuro's and Yusei's Speed Counters increase by 1.
"There it is! 12 Speed Counters! That's the maximum speed!" That's fairly common knowledge.
"That's right! The person who rules speed also rules the Riding Duel! This speed will lead to the King! That's what I believed while I was training!" Basically, you gotta go fast, right? "I'll finish you in an instant! I activate the Speed Spell Accelerate Draw! Due to its effect; I draw two cards! I drew it! The Speed Spell End of the Storm!" That spell brings bad news.
"End of the Storm?" Even Yusei is shocked by this card's appearance.
"This is the King's card. I'll show you how a King battles using End of the Storm!" Okay buddy, we get it, you wanna be Jack Atlas. Though, why you'd wanna be a pompous asshole is beyond me. "I activate End of the Storm! I activate End of the Storm when I have ten or more Speed Counters. All monsters on our field are destroyed, we take 300 points of damage for each destroyed monster!" End of the Storm's effect drops Mukuro's life points to 1900 and Yusei's to 1300.
"Yusei's life points have immediately dropped to 1300! However, Mukuro destroyed his own monster, so he can't attack! What's he going to do?"
"It's all within my calculations." I'm curious why Mukuro actually responds to the MC. "I remove one Skull Flame in my graveyard from play! By doing this, I can Special Summon a special monster! C'mon, Speed King Skull Flame (ATK:3000)!" Speed and flames in one monster, someone tell this lunatic to calm down.
"What?" Yusei cries out.
"Not only did he destroy all monsters on the field and deal damage, but it led to the summoning of a high level monster! What a perfect combo! The Speed Acceleration Deck is something to be feared!" Valid commentary, what is this?
"This will end it all! Speed King Skull Flame, attack Yusei directly!" It won't end it all, Yusei has something up his sleeve, I can feel it.
"I activate my trap! Scrap-Iron Scarecrow." The trap negates Mukuro's attack and then is reset.
"Yusei avoided it with a trap!" The MC's running streak did not last long.
"Then I activate the effect of Speed Booster!" With that, Yusei's life points drop to 800. "With Speed King Skull Flame's monster effect, you take 400 points of damage for every Burning Skullhead in my graveyard!" Yusei takes 400 points of damage, leaving him with only 400.
"Now Yusei only has 400 life points remaining!"
"My turn." Yusei draws and his Speed Counters increase by 1, making a total of 8. "I activate the Speed Spell Shift Down!"
"Yusei intentionally decreased his own Speed Counters!" His Speed Counters slowly decrease until they become 2.
"Due to the effect of Shift Down, I draw two cards. I summon Nitro Synchron (ATK:300). When I have a Tuner Monster, I can Special Summon Quillbolt Hedgehog from my graveyard (DEF:800). Then I activate the trap card Give & Take. With this, I can Special Summon a monster in my graveyard to your field in defence position." I smile, remembering Give & Take's effect. Yusei clearly has a plan.
"What?" Mukuro cries as Junk Synchron is summoned on his field in defence position (DEF:500).
"Then one monster on my field gains Levels equal to the Level of the monster that was Special Summoned. (Quillbolt Hedgehog Lv:2-5) Nitro Synchron tunes Quillbolt Hedgehog! Clustering minds will now become a new force! Become the path that lights the way! Synchro Summon! Blaze on, Nitro Warrior (ATK:2800)!" Nitro Warrior's effect lets him draw a card, if he draws the right card, he'll be able to win.
"That was pointless! As long as I have Speed Booster, you can't attack me! Yusei. I'll overtake you with my speed!" Mukuro is a bit too overconfident. Yusei draws his card.
"It's here. I activate the Speed Spell Gap Storm!"
"What?"
"I activate Gap Storm when the difference in our Speed Counters is ten or more. All spell and trap cards on the field are destroyed."
"That means... That includes my Speed Booster! Damn. Yusei." Here we Mukuro, just now realising his defeat is nigh.
"Next, my monster effect. When I activate a spell card on my turn, Nitro Warrior gains 1000 attack points. (ATK:2800-3800)"
"What?" Defeat is coming ever closer.
"Battle! Go, Nitro Warrior! Dynamite Knuckle!"
"Damn." Mukuro curses as his life points drop to 1100.
"When Nitro Warrior destroys your monster, one monster on your field in defence position switches to attack position, and Nitro Warrior can attack it."
"What? Attack position? Then that means Junk Synchron will...(DEF-ATK:500-1300)" Here we go...
"Battle!"
"The difference in their attack points is huge!" The MC cries out over the sound system.
"Oh no!" Mukuro screams as his life points hit 0.
"It's over! With an excellent combo, Yusei has a come-from-behind victory!" I can't help but smile as Yusei wins.
"Hey, you were gonna put money on Yusei winning, right?" Shinji breaks me out my thoughts.
"Yeah, why?" Then I realise. "The odds of him winning have gone up, meaning I'll make less money when he wins."
"Yes, you're an idiot." Shinji chuckles. I don't say anything as I shrivelled up into my seat again while Shinji and Reika laugh.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I made two references in this chapter, have fun finding them! The next chapter is super important so look forward to it! We will finally have the long-waited reunion! See you next time!