Disclaimer: The following piece is in no way a claim to ownership of the depicted characters. Yu-Gi-Oh, Yu-Gi-Oh R, Yu-Gi-Oh GX and Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's are owned by TV Tokyo, Konami Corporation and Kazuki Takahashi. This story as presented is strictly for entertainment purposes, both for its owner and readers.
Chapter 36 – Gambit of the Aeons; the Truth of Infinity Revealed
Walking along the highway in the direction of town, Taiyou found himself supporting the semi-conscious Kyojo's weight on his shoulders. In the aftermath of the duel with Paradox, his D-Wheel was smashed beyond completion; so now, their only way to meet back with the others was to walk there.
"I'm sorry… to put you through this, pal…" Kyojo grunted out to Taiyou, referring to the fact that Kyojo being alive prevented them from simply teleporting to where the others were. "I got… ahead of myself… and it cost me…"
"You were trying to be a good friend," Taiyou told him. "Nobody could fault you for that." Growing concerned, Taiyou could hear the sound of a D-Wheel in the distance, getting closer; and a second later, he turned around to see two D-Wheels shoot by him.
Then, to both Summoners' surprise, they watched as the 2 vehicles that had just passed them screech to a stop ahead of them, turning off to the right as they did. As soon as they were stopped, the two riders jumped off and pulled off their helmets, revealing Judai and Crow; and they ran towards those two, showing their concern.
"Kyojo, what happened to your D-Wheel?" Judai asked, his stern glare being met by Taiyou's concerned look. This instantly told Judai what he needed to hear; thus, his next question was, "Who did this? Was it Placido, or one of his lackeys?"
"It was Paradox," Kyojo told them, his knees waving for a second and causing him to fall away from Taiyou. Before he fell on his face, Judai managed to reach forward and grab the man, using his enhanced strength to hold up the man. "He… blew my ride sky high…"
"That ass-fuck!" Crow yelled, raising his fist in a shaking motion. "Where the fuck did he go? Did you see which fucking way he went?"
"You already lost once against him, Crow," Judai reminded him, causing Crow to just give Judai an angry glare. "There's no point in just rushing into a battle with a madman like him; unless we go in a united strike, we just don't have the power to stop him."
"You know what? Fuck you Judai!" Crow snapped at the red-haired man, shoving him and almost making him drop Kyojo. "Don't give me that fucking teamwork speech after you fucking went and fucking ditched the lot of us just for a fucking shot at fucking Placido! You don't know the first fucking thing about fucking group efforts!"
"Judai's right, Crow," Taiyou told him calmly, getting the man's attention. "Kyojo playing a cowboy and fighting Paradox head-on by himself; that's exactly how he ended up in that state. Judai may not have the best track record of teamwork; but he does know the consequences of fighting by one's self."
"If that were a slightly less snide comment, I'd have backed it," Judai told him in utter annoyance. "Besides Crow; you know full-well that getting to the others takes far higher precedence."
"Others? What happened?" Kyojo questioned as Judai hoisted him over onto his own D-Wheel, allowing the man to view what was going on while still letting Judai stand free. "Did Paradox get to somebody else?"
"After we finished with the Riding Roids, another enemy signal came on the radar," Judai informed him. "Several WRGP contestants then went off the monitor… along with Jack, Yusuriha and Kiryu."
"Say what?" Taiyou asked, taking a step back in complete shock as Crow stepped forwards. The ghostly Summoner now gained a new level of fear and dread in his mind; for three of their friends to completely disappear from the radar could not be a sign in their favour. "No… it must be a lie…"
"That's where we were going; we wanted to find the last place where they were, so we could find out what happened," Crow told him, just as Judai reached over and got back onto his own D-Wheel. Then, Crow ran over and onto his, along with Taiyou; and so both of them started up their rides, shooting off back where they were going.
"Placido… we have to stop this insanity before people die…" Taiyou thought, his face growing tenser as the group disappeared into the darkness of the streets. "You can do all you want to me, for I deserve it from the actions in my past; but for this actions against my friends, I definitely can never forgive you…"
Underneath the streetlights, Jack had managed to crawl his way over to where Yusuriha and Kiryu had ended up. Looking down at the two of them, Jack's physical pain was dwarfed by a sense of failure. Not for losing the duel; but for allowing his friends to be harmed in this way.
"Such pathetic performance when called to duty…" Jack muttered, cringing at his own physical and psychological agony. His own wounds were nothing compared to those of his friends, he was certain; but he should have done everything to protect them, and in his mind that was inexcusable. "Such is disgraceful from a King…"
"I thought you'd given up on being the King," Kiryu muttered, face-down and just barely managing to lift himself enough to look at Jack. "My left leg is broken, I think… but I'll be okay eventually."
"I don't think any of us will be doing so well for some time…" Yusuriha commented snidely, gasping between sentences due to her sheer pain. "Your legs are shot, and my lumbar spine is shattered again…"
"Again…?" Jack asked, showing real concern as he tried in vain to prop himself up. "You never told us you'd broken your back before. When did it happen?"
"I fell off a balance beam in gymnastics at age 10," she explained. "My doctor told me after that incident… that my back would be fragile after that…"
"If you'd told us that, we wouldn't have let you drive a D-Wheel around that way," Kiryu told her, grabbing his D-Wheel's front end and pulling himself into a standing position using his vehicle as a crutch.
"Exactly…" Jack gasped out, understanding full-well the girl's state of mind. "She wanted to be a part of the fight, to truly make a difference… such a fighting spirit is a mark of a true warrior…"
"To think, I could've been part of the King's Royal Court," Yusuriha sarcastically responded. "Jack, how bad are your legs? Can you ride at all?"
"I don't think they're broken; they're just numb," he explained. "Most likely because of the jarring shock to my own spine; so for right now, I don't think I can."
"What a shame," Kiryu commented. "I can't ride with a broken leg either, not properly focussed or unable to operate the brake; and there's no way Yusu-chan can ride without the ability to move below her waist."
"Then I guess we're stuck here for now," Jack realized. "Being injured like this… it's not something I haven't felt before, but this time it's different. The pain isn't nearly as bad as knowing we can't help Yusei or Judai fight."
"Don't be so sure about that," Judai's voice suddenly yelled out, drawing everyone's attention to the edge where his line had come from. Instantly, Crow and Judai's D-Wheels came jumping over the edge, braking just beside the injured riders. As this happened, Judai, Crow and Taiyou jumped off the bike and stepped out to assess the injuries, leaving Kyojo on the back of Judai's ride.
"Did Paradox do this to you guys as well?" Kyojo asked. "That jackass blew my ride sky-high; and I'm pretty sure he damn near cracked my shins to hell."
"No; this is the work of Placido," Jack told them, Judai helping him to his feet and giving him the stance he needed to actually stand up on his numb legs. "He crashed us one by one. These two are injured far worse than I am; I'll be fine once I regain feeling, but Yusuriha's in bad shape."
"We need to get her the hell out of here," Crow immediately realized, grabbing the female Summoner and hoisting her onto his shoulders. "But we've only got two drivers at the moment, and there's fucking seven of us."
"Hey, what the fuck am I?" Taiyou questioned. "I know how to operate one of these things; what excludes me?"
"The fact that one: you don't own a D-Wheel," Crow counted by opening a single finger from his hand and tapping it. Holding out his second finger off that hand, he added, "and two… you're FUCKING DEAD."
"He's corporeal enough to operate a vehicle Crow," Judai reminded him. "Kiryu, is your ride in good enough shape?"
"Oh yeah, it's still in working order," he told them, hobbling over and getting onto the very back of the ride. Taiyou was then quick to jump in front of him, assuming the driver's position. Then, Judai jumped onto his own ride, Crow stepped onto his ride with Yusuriha behind him; and Jack, apparently already limbering up, managed to shakily walk over to his vehicle and get on.
"Fudo Yusei," the voice of Placido suddenly stated on Yusei's monitor, prompting him to look down. Upon doing so, he saw a small window with Placido's sneering face on it; and the main image showed that his beacon was directly behind him. "Do you dare to truly fight against the power of Yliaster?"
"You bastard," Yusei yelled to him as Placido pulled up behind him. Continuing to stare into the monitor at the sadistic being, his eyes narrowed and he hissed out, "Don't think I don't know what you've been doing; Judai told me about the others."
"Necessary sacrifices for the common good," Placido told him nonchalantly. "The completion of the Circuit is the only way to save this world from the wicked ones; and those who oppose the will of God, and who oppose completing the Circuit, must be removed from that path."
"Completing the Circuit is worth causing so much pain and destruction?" Yusei asked in disbelief. "What kind of twisted maniac are you that this seems a good idea to you? What exactly will be accomplished by the completing of this Circuit?"
"You see, human," Placido told him, "completing the Circuit is something that will change the fate of this world for the better; but rather than go into detail now, before our match with Judai, I'll leave it at that and be on my way."
"The hell you will!" Yusei yelled. "Battle Royal Mode goes two ways Placido; I issue a challenge to a duel!" Reaching to his Wrist Dealer, Yusei pulled a fresh hand of 5 cards and threw it into the slot for the hand tray, giving him a fresh hand of cards."If you won't tell me, I'll beat it out of you by force."
"How disappointing," Placido sighed, pulling in slightly behind Yusei. "I had hoped to have fun with the two of you; but I suppose I'll just have to tell Judai you died a hero, fighting for that which you believed in." After saying this, Placido also pulled himself a fresh hand of card; and so both players yelled,
"Riding Duel! Acceleration!"
Yusei: LP 4000
Placido: LP 4000
"I'll take the first turn and show you why I am superior, human," Placido stated, drawing his card and throwing it onto the tray instantly. "I Summon Core Releaser (DEF: 1000, LV: 3)." Once again, the form of the round machine with 3 glowing orbs on its form appeared before Placido, giving him a significant advantage in his strategy as Yusei well knew.
"I also set these three cards and end my turn," he added, three cards appearing before him – one to his left, one to his right and one right in front – before they all disappeared and left only the machine. "You defeated the Ghost that used a trial run of my Deck; but learning what I did, I adjusted the strategy to use your own moves against you. You'll see; soon you'll grovel at the feet of Yliaster, and of God!"
"We'll see," Yusei responded, reaching for his Deck and snatching up his card. "It's my turn (Yusei: 1 SPC/Placido: 1 SPC), and I summon Shield Warrior in Defence Position (DEF: 1600, LV: 3)." With the card onto his tray, Yusei created his blue shield and pike-bearing warrior in a crouching position. "I also set two cards and end my turn."
"Taking the defensive approach to avoid the effect of my monster, is it?" Placido questioned, sneering. "It will do you no good. I activate my Trap Card: Bomb Blast! Thanks to this card, I destroy Core Releaser which did not battle this turn, and damage you for its level times 400. In other words, take 1200 points of damage!"
"Say what?" Yusei questioned, turning just in time to watch it unfold. In an instant the monster in front of Placido, the shockwave striking Yusei's D-Wheel and ripping through his body. He could feel the intense shock, so much so that he swayed from side to side before finally getting a solid footing.
Yusei: LP 2800
Placido: LP 4000
"Next, due to the effect of Core Releaser," Placido explained, holding his hand as though to receive a card. "Do not forget the effect of Core Releaser; I add Wise Core from my Deck to my hand." Instantly a green energy beam shot out from the smoke, forming in Placido's open hand into the form of the card before it went into his tray.
"Behold how far below me you truly are," he then added. "It's my turn now (Yusei: 2 SPC/Placido: 2 SPC). I summon Wise Core (DEF: 0, LV: 1)." Placing his new card onto his console, Placido revealed his mechanical white egg-like object to Yusei, its body opening to reveal the green orb. "I end my turn."
"He's toying with me," Yusei realized. "He's like a cat playing with a mouse... like he can finish me whenever he wants. I have to tread carefully." "I draw (Yusei: 3 SPC/Placido: 3 SPC)." Taking a quick second to look down upon his card, Yusei realized that he had a game plan; however, he knew it had to be played carefully.
"I Send Bolt Hedgehog from my hand to the Cemetery and Special Summon Quick Synchron (ATK: 700, LV: 5)." Taking his card from his hand and throwing it away, Yusei immediately called up his blue cowboy-like machine, its two guns pointed at Placido.
"Next, I Summon Junk Synchron (ATK: 1300, LV: 3)!" Revealing the card from his hand, his next monster, the mechanical podgy warrior, took up a standing position before him as he added, "due to this monster's effect, I Special Summon Bolt Hedgehog from my Cemetery (DEF: 800, LV: 2)."
Next, the blue rodent-like animal appeared before Yusei, the various bolts on its back vibrating as Yusei finally yelled, "I tune my Level 3 Junk Synchron to my Level 2 Bolt Hedgehog and my Level 3 Shield Warrior!" Pulling its start motor, the orange creature roared to life and became 3 green rings. The other two mentioned monsters then jumped up into these, becoming 5 white orbs that formed a vertical column.
"The clustering fighting spirits will invoke the raging wicked god," Yusei chanted, watching as his formation burst into white light. "Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! Obliterate, Junk Destroyer (ATK: 2600, LV: 8)!" From the light then exploded the massive 4-armed giant from Yusei's earlier duel, two of its arms gaining orbs of energy.
"When this monster is Synchro Summoned, I can destroy 1 card fort every non-Tuner used. Thus, I destroy your two back row cards!" Growling, the massive monster threw its two orbs of energy at Placido's field; but smiling confidently, Placido simply activated a set card, giving Yusei cause for concern.
"I activate Remote Selection," Placido explained. "Due to this Permanent Trap, every time cards are targeted, the targets become random. Yusei, that means a 66% chance that Wise Core becomes a target. So I ask you, Yusei, are you sure you still wish to use that effect?"
"Go for it!" Yusei yelled, watching as the orbs stopped in midair for a few seconds. Then, he was surprised to see the two orbs shoot straight into the rounded egg-like machine and the face-up card before Placido, creating a massive explosion immediately followed by a burst of green light.
"You know what happens next," Placido declared with confident gusto, the form of his gigantic machine forming in the light behind him. "Machine Emperor Wisel (ATK: 2500, LV: 1), come to me!" When the light died away, Placido's field now held the base form of his gigantic white robot, its single eye glowing as it beheld Yusei's field.
"Maybe, but I'm not done," Yusei shot to him. "Due to the effect of Bolt Hedgehog, because I control a Tuner Monster, I revive it (ATK: 800, LV: 2)!" Instantly the small furry creature returned to the field; and then Yusei yelled, "I tune my Level 5 Quick Synchron to my Level 2 Bolt Hedgehog, treating the former as Junk Synchron!"
Rising up into the air, the caped blue machine fired its gun suddenly, causing it to become 5 white orbs, which changed into green rings. The smaller creature then rose up into these as 2 white orbs, forming another light column. "The clustering forces will become a silver arrow and split the air. Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! Shoot onwards, Junk Archer (ATK: 2300, LV: 7)!"
Appearing right in front of the other monster, the slim orange form of the mechanical archer appeared, pointing its bow straight at the opposing machine. "Your Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity is the core of the monster. If I remove it from the field, its other pieces self-destruct. Therefore, using Junk Archer's effect, I exclude Wisel forth this turn! Dimension Shoot!"
"Counter Trap!" Placido yelled, showing off his last set card as the monster in front of Yusei fired its arrow. "You're acting too quickly Yusei. I activate Wise Force! I negate the effect of a Synchro Monster, and then equip said monster to Wisel if one is not equipped already (ATK: 4800)!"
Watching in shock, Yusei saw the arrow get blasted by a rush of green energy which struck his monster, causing it to disappear instantly. When he looked again, nothing remained of what had happened other than his previous monster. "Damn it, he read my tactics."
"The kinds of moves you make are effective against other humans," Placido commented. "As a human duellist, you're among the top; but against those who have surpassed humanity, you're nothing but a novice. If you wish to truly fight, I want to see more power. Come now Yusei; show me that trinket handed down to you by God!"
"Then more power you shall see!" Yusei yelled, reaching into his hand. "I set one card and end my turn." "That was a sloppy move; he must have known I would use Junk Archer, and now I'm exposed! With that many attack points, I have to ride out the storm and bank on a miracle."
"I draw (Yusei: 4 SPC/Placido: 4 SPC)," Placido yelled, pointing at Yusei's field with the hand that still held his card. "Battle! I attack Junk Destroyer with Wisel! Take this human!"
"Trap Card!" Yusei yelled as the white machine shot towards him. "With Star Shift, I return Junk Destroyer to my Extra Deck, and Synchro Summon a Synchro Monster of a matching Level! Come on, Stardust Dragon (ATK: 2500, LV: 8)!" As Placido's monster swung, he saw the form of the monster before Yusei split into 8 white orbs, which then floated up and connected into his classic white dragon.
"That move literally accomplished nothing," Placido commented. 'Your monster is still in the firing line." "Unless, of course, that set card is what I think it is." His face changing into a look of satisfaction, he immediately thought, "That's more like it Yusei. Your plan worked… for now. "
"I activate my Jump Guard Trap Card," Yusei yelled, showing off the guard as his D-Wheel and his dragon shot up high into the air. "Thanks to this effect, in a turn a monster I control leaves the field, monsters cannot be destroyed by battle, and damage is reduced to 0. Plus, I draw one card!"
Reaching for his Deck, Yusei looked upon the card on his field, the ones now in his hand, and Placido's field. "Wisel can only have one Synchro Monster equipped to itself at once; so as long as Junk Archer is equipped to Wisel, he can't equip Stardust Dragon; but if he removes it, I'm left with nothing."
"So you successfully dodged my attack," Placido realized. "Perhaps I underestimated you; but it changes nothing." Waiting until Yusei struck the ground again, he grabbed his whole hand and issued, "I set 4 cards and end my turn."
"I'm not falling for his line again," Yusei reflected, looking at his Deck. "He must have seen that combo coming; there's no way he didn't if he saw Junk Archer's combo coming. I have to actually do something unexpected." "I draw (Yusei: 5 SPC/Placido: 5 SPC)!" Looking down at his card, he quickly played it and issued, "I activate the Speed Spell – Synchro Slip!"
"What an obvious move," Placido sneered, reflecting on how Yusei was taking such a measure as that one. "He's getting desperate if that's the best he can do."
"By excluding Stardust Dragon until my next Standby Phase, I draw 2 cards!" Instantly his dragon burst out into a cloud of white sparkles, flowing away as Yusei reached for his Deck and snatched up two more cards. Looking down, he saw that his cards were a decent wall; but if he wanted a counterattack, it was a long way off.
"I Summon Tricler (DEF: 300, LV: 3)." Again Yusei called up his 3-wheeled monster, crouching before him and giving him some level of field presence. "I also set 2 cards and end my turn."
"How utterly annoying," Placido responded. "You're boring me Yusei; I wanted a duel, not target practice." Reaching for his Deck, he snapped up his card and yelled, "I draw (Yusei: 6 SPC/Placido: 6 SPC)!" Then, 3 of his set cards flipped up all at once, giving him a move which he enjoyed very much.
"I Activate 3 copies of Reckless Greed as a chain," he revealed. "Due to this, I draw a total of 6 cards; but since these cards activated in a chain, I skip only 2 Draw Phases." Once the cards were up, they all formed a column in front of Placido as he drew 6 cards; then, once they disappeared, the form of a seal reading 'Gouyoku' formed atop his Deck.
"Next, I attack your Tricler with Machine Emperor Wisel!" Shooting forwards, the white machine monster made quick work of slashing its bladed arm through the defending monster, causing this creature to explode instantly.
"I activate the effect of Tricler," Yusei revealed, a card shooting out from his Deck. "Come on, Bicler (DEF: 200, LV: 2)." Yusei was then joined by the 2-wheeled monster from earlier, its folded arms and blue form showing its position as a shield. Instead of being surprised or even annoyed, Placido simply sneered at this realization; and then, yet another card on its field made itself known.
"Even if that's the case," Placido told him, "your monster has no presence before me. I activate Wise Return. With this Permanent Trap, I remove Junk Archer from Wisel (ATK: 2500); and in return, I attack with it again. Destroy Bicler!" Without so much as repositioning, his white monster again slashed its arm downwards, cleaving the new monster in half as well.
"Come: Uncycler (ATK: 100, LV: 1)!" Showing off his next card, Yusei added the red one-wheeled monster to his field, giving him one last monster to protect himself with. "And don't forget; Stardust returns to the field during my Standby Phase." Just after he said this, however, he understood Placido's goal.
"Exactly; but when that happens, your monster will be powerless before the energy of my Wisel." "Unless, of course, you can pass God's Judgment and use the card he handed down to you; but I see the fear in your eyes. You're uncertain of yourself. You'll never defeat me that way."
"Trap Card Open!" Yusei declared. "Recharge Damage! I draw 3 cards due to your 2 successful attacks!" Once he had grabbed and pulled all 3 cards and thrown them into his tray, Placido turned his attention to his own massive 7-card hand and grabbed a few pieces.
"I shall set 3 cards and end my turn," he stated, sneering at Yusei. "Come now; in this Standby Phase, your fate is decided."
"Then allow me to present my case," Yusei responded, reaching for his Deck yet again. "I draw (Yusei: 7 SPC/Placido: 7 SPC)." Once he saw the card in his hand, he gave himself a rather stern thought; it seemed the Saviour Monster under his command had not come to his aid this time. Instead, he was being forced to try his new strategy.
"I Summon my Tuner Monster, Boost Warrior (ATK: 300, LV: 1)." Once he had placed the card onto the tray, Yusei called up his human warrior wearing a pair of rocket-like boosters, preparing to use its power. "I now Tune my Level 1 Boost Warrior to my Level 1 Uncycler!"
All of a sudden, the rockets of the human warrior fired, shooting him forwards until it had a leading edge like a comet. This very quickly changed it into a single green ring; and as the one-wheeled monster entered this, it changed itself into a single white orb. Before long, said white orbs became a burst of light.
"The clustering wishes will call upon the horizons of a new level of speed. Become the path its light shine upon! Synchro Summon! The Power of Hope, Synchro Tuner, Formula Synchron (DEF: 1500, LV: 2)!" In the blink of an eye, the form of a small robot whose upper body was composed of a Formula-1 race car, which took up a crouching position and gave Placido a hint of what was to come.
"Ah, I see," he realized, noting the very last line of the summon chant. "A Synchro Monster that is a Tuner as well. That can only mean one thing here…" "Am I about to behold the power of your new monster?"
"First thing's first," Yusei told him. "The effect of Formula Synchron allows me to draw a card once per turn." As soon as he had snatched up this last card, Yusei pressed his foot onto the clutch and shot forward, Placido disappearing behind him as he got farther and farther ahead. "I don't have much time left… either I use that monster now, or it's all over…"
"Following in that fool Dark Glass' footsteps," Placido realized instantly and stated under his breath, pressing his own clutch and accelerating to keep pace. As their speed increase, the field around them changed into a crimson field that resembled space, the starts shooting by as Yusei's monsters took up formation.
"I Tune my Level 2 Synchro Tuner, Formula Synchron, to my Level 8 Synchro Monster, Stardust Dragon!" Shooting up into the air, the smaller robot monster changed into a pair of white orbs and shot well ahead of Yusei and his dragon; when they returned, instead of forming green rings, it formed a leading edge of light along the body of the dragon.
"The clustering crystal dreams will open the doorway to a new evolution," Yusei chanted, gripping his throttles harder than he realized. "Become the path its light shines upon! Accel Synchro!" However, to Yusei's surprise, instead of his monsters doing anything further, they simply disengaged and the small robot took back its original form.
Seeing what had just unfolded before him, Placido sneered and the broke out into a laugh, not believing what had just unfolded before him was anything serious. "It seems you were unworthy of God's power. I just hope for your sake that God is not angry for using his power that way."
"What was that… what happened there…?" Yusei questioned, looking down upon his hand to discover it trembling. Then, he finally heard the sound of his heartbeat; rather than a strong rhythm, it sounded ragged and shallow; as though his very form trembled with fear.
"Am I… am I really that afraid? But how… how can that be…? I faced the Machine Emperor head-on and won before; so why now do I shudder in fear?" Then, gathering a thought into his mind, it finally occurred to him, "It's Placido… after seeing him destroy Dark Glass that way, do I now tremble in fear to face him…?"
"Are you going to finish your turn any time soon Yusei?" Placido questioned, taking his hand off the throttles to cross his arms. "Because unless you are, you and I are going to miss our appointment with Judai; and I hate to be one to go back on my word."
"I'll finish my turn," Yusei told him, pointing at his opposition's monster. "I attack Wisel Guard with Stardust Dragon! Shooting Sonic! And next, I activate Strike Slash, and give Stardust 700 extra ATK (ATK: 3200) as it pierces through your defences!"
Rearing back its head, Yusei's monster blasted a stream of energy straight form its jaws towards the opposing white metal monster. One second later, the right arm put itself in the path of the blast, only for the blast to go through the arm and go straight for Placido.
"Trap Card Open!" he then yelled, showing off a set card. "Wise Teleport halves my Battle Damage from an attack on a Wisel Monster, and adds a monster whose ATK is les than the damage to my hand." As he said this, a card materialized into his hand before the blast continued, striking Placido directly.
Yusei: LP 2800
Placido: LP 3000
Looking up to Yusei, Placido's blasted face revealed its entire right side to be shredded as though it has been struck with an angle grinder; the false flesh was gone, revealing metal components underneath. "You'll pay for that," Placido told Yusei threateningly, a red circuit board pattern forming around his mechanical eye and his voice changing to be slightly more mechanical-sounding.
"Then send me the bill now; because I have plenty more where that came from!" Yusei yelled, hoping that such trash talk and a strong offensive would allow Yusei to overcome his nervousness. "I set 2 cards and end my turn." "My heart beat is already getting close to normal… If I can keep this up, I'll Accel Synchro soon…"
"Then I must skip my Draw Phase due to Reckless Greed (Yusei: 8 SPC/Placido: 8 SPC)," Placido told him, pointing to Yusei's monster. "But still, you will not defeat me so easily! I activate Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity's Monster Effect, and absorb Stardust Dragon!" As with before, the machine monster shot out green energy tentacles, wrapping them around the dragon's form before Yusei activated a Trap Card.
"Not so fast! I activate Buster Mode! Take flight, Stardust Dragon/Buster (ATK: 3000, LV: 10)!" Once the trap card appeared, the form of the blue armour appeared over the dragon before Yusei, causing it to snap through all of the green tentacles and roar at Placido strongly.
"Then let's see you counter this!" Placido yelled holding up 3 cards from his hand. "With Speed World 2's effect, I remove 4 Speed Counters (Yusei: 8 SPC/Placido: 4 SPC), and since I hold 3 Speed Spells, you take 2400 damage!"
"Let's just see about that!" Yusei yelled. "By releasing Stardust/Buster, I negate that effect!" Roaring, the dragon's body dissolved into blue energy and filled Placido's console, stopping anything from happening.
"Very well," Placido sneered, "but you can't stop that twice. I activate Speed World 2's effect again (Yusei: 8 SPC/Placido: 0 SPC)!" Still revealing all of the cards Yusei felt a sudden burst of energy from his console which caused him to swerve, before his Life Points went within the red zone.
Yusei: LP 400
Placido: LP 3000
"Next, I activate my Trap Card!" Placido yelled, showing off his set card. "With Wise Reborn, I equip 1 Synchro Monster which was sent to the Graveyard by an effect this turn to Wisel Infinity! Return to my side, Stardust Dragon (ATK: 5000)!" Watching in terror, Yusei saw Placido's monster drag up his dragon from the Cemetery with its power, fusing it into its body.
"Next, I Summon Wisel Guard 3 (DEF: 2000, LV: 3); and I chain Wise A3, sending Wisel Attack to the Cemetery to call out Wisel Attack 3 (ATK: 1600, LV: 3)!" As the left arm of the machine disappeared, the rounded right arm with the six-lobed shield and the three-bladed left arm appeared on either side of its body, giving the monster a full look again (ATK: 5400).
"Wisel Attack 3 has given that monster Piercing effects," Yusei realized, looking back nervously. "I thought eliminating Stardust would save me; but he played me, and now I'm stuck. What will I do?"
"Behold, the final move Yusei!" Placido yelled. "Wisel, smash that monster to bits!" Shooting forward, the monster slashed its left arm straight at the monster that Yusei had; however, Yusei, regaining his composure, showed off his set card.
"I don't think so!" he yelled. "I activate Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!" Instantly, the metal-bodied scrap collection appeared in front of the swinging arm, causing it to bounce off before the metal figure returned to the card. The card then flipped down onto Yusei's field, leaving him safe for another turn.
"Since the rest of your hand contains Speed Spells," Yusei yelled, "your turn must be over now; so in the End Phase, I Special Summon Stardust Dragon/Buster from the Cemetery (ATK: 3000, LV: 10)!" Suddenly, the blue energy from earlier returned, recollecting into the blue-armoured white dragon on Yusei's field.
"Then I suppose you may as well continue," Placido stated, "but don't think that you can accomplish anything! Your Accel Synchro Summon has failed, your Saviour has turned its back on you, and that pathetic Buster Mode Monster is powerless. Your fate is sealed by the power of the Aeons!"
"The Aeons?" Yusei questioned, looking back at Placido in complete shock. "The Divine Beings which the Summoners used. So Alessandro spoke true; you do indeed have them."
"If only you knew the full truth," Placido sneered, the form of his machine suddenly bursting out into green light. Before Yusei knew what was happening, green energy formed the shape of a crystalline being overtop of Wisel's form, completely concealing the being from view."
"I don't know what this is," Judai's voice suddenly interjected, "but I won't let it continue!" Suddenly, before Yusei knew what was happening, Judai's D-Wheel jumped down from an overhead track and landed beside Placido's vehicle, Judai's yellow Haou eyes glaring at the latter.
"You dare in interfere in a duel?" Placido questioned, turning to Judai angrily. "I certainly won't forgive that."
"After what you've done to my friends, you don't deserve to even offer forgiveness!" Judai yelled, shooting sideways. Before Yusei knew what was happening, Placido jumped up from the D-Wheel under him; and when Judai struck it, its body simply dissolved into red energy and Placido's sword.
"That's all for this duel I guess," Placido interpreted, grabbing the sword by the hilt and skidding to a stop along the road. Thus, Yusei and Judai both pulled around and stopped, jumping up from their rides and taking off their helmets. Then, Placido's helmet changed back into its hooded form, along with his riding suit changing to its cloaked form, and he held his sword while sneering at his opposition.
"This is the conclusion we have come to," Judai told Placido, the other Riding Duellists pulling to a stop on the platform Judai had just come from. "Just quit this whole farce and tell us what you really plan to do!"
"And why should I do that yet?" Placido questioned. "There's still nearly two hours until the final battle at midnight. There should be something to talk about at that end." Second later, however, the Duel Discs of Yusei, Jack and Crow glowed to life, creating light blue, dark red and black column of light respectively.
Turning their eyes to the distance, the group could see the bright red and dark blue beams shoot up from off in the distance. Then, all of these beams changed into their 4-winged Saviour forms, who met in the middle of the sky to become a huge red orb of energy. With a dazzling display, red lightning emanated from the orb and took on the form of a red and black serpent dragon with glowing yellow facial features, segmented wings and a spaded tail.
"So you have appeared, mighty Crimson Dragon," Placido deduced, looking up upon the God with eyes of complete yearning. "A monster on the same level as my own master, and a monster sacred to Yliaster… how I have longed to behold such beauty."
Letting out a haunting cry, the dragon shot towards where the group was and encircled them, its head facing Placido strongly. Standing behind him, the green-glowing form of the being overtop of Placido's monster held in place; though only the size of the God's head, its form certainly seemed strong.
Stepping off the D-Wheel and to the edge, Taiyou looked down upon the field before him, being too high up to see the green being clearly. Deciding to seek a closer look, he hopped the ledge and jumped down from that height, landing behind Judai and gazing upon the divine-looking monster. "Without a doubt…" he said, staring at the monster darkly. "That's the Aeon of the Sun, Kyojo's Divine Monster."
"You were clearly only ever told half the truth about the Aeons, my dear Taiyou," Placido sneered, the side of his face finally healing and his voice becoming normal (although the red glow remained on the false flesh). "Your master Endymion either did not know as much as anyone thought he did, or he feared the truth."
"And what truth is that?" Yusei questioned. "What connection do the Machine Emperors and Aeons have? You never would have wanted them unless there was some sort of connection; but tell us now the reason."
"Quite simply," Placido started, "the Aeons are the original life forms of this world; but they are definitely biomechanical. Because they are Divine Beings, they exist on a separate plane from regular beings; so in order to exist in this plane, they need another form."
"Hold on…" Judai gasped, his eyes changing to Yubel's eyes as his voice joined hers. "Then you mean that the Aeons are… the Machine Emperors are…"
"Indeed my friends," Placido sneered. "The two are one and the same. Or, more accurately, the Machine Emperors are bodies for the Divine Spirits of the Aeons. My mast, the God of Judgment, is the most powerful of the Aeons; the Creator Aeon, a monster whose power rivals even the Creator God of Light Re-Horahkti or the Demon God Zork Necrophades."
"That much power?" Judai questioned, actually stunned by such a revelation. Though he had seen that the Aeons held a power all their own, he never had any idea that they were true divine entities. "Then they are… true Gods."
"You're surprised?" Placido questioned snidely. "I thought you knew first-hand the power of a God; or at least, of its servants. Perhaps you need a more thorough demonstration."
"We told you already," Yusei responded strongly. "What we want is the truth of what's going on! Answer us! Answer us now!" Seemingly triggered by Yusei's rage, his birthmark began to pulsate and throb, the Crimson Dragon itself looking straight at Placido and firing a burst of red energy from its jaws straight towards him.
"Then allow me…" he responded, pointing up his sword in a way that caused it to receive the burst. Instead of completely destroying him, an orb of crimson energy formed around the blade, sparking red. Then, without any sort of warning, the energy discharged in an arcing pattern into the ground directly in front of Placido; and once all of it was there, a swirling black and red vortex was upon the ground before them.
"…to show you…" he continued, holding up three Ritual Monster cards over his head. Suddenly, his green monster was joined by a pair of similar-looking synthetic beings. One of the two looked female, with long hair and a flowing form; the other, a yellow-glowing monster, towered over its two counterparts, its hulking form shopping it as the strongest of the group.
"Aeons of the Sun, Moon and Stars…" Taiyou said in complete bewilderment. "With the Egyptian Gods sealed away, the Wicked Gods destroyed and the Three Demons sealed within Yubel's form, that makes them the last of the Divine Cards which still roam this world."
Suddenly, Judai's Deck began to glow without warning; and a single card slipped from it, placing itself above Placido's head. When it spun around, it revealed itself to be Judai's Super Fusion card and as it started to glow, the energy beings behind Placido were slowly pulled apart, their forms streaming into the vortex.
"…the world…" Placido added, just before the vortex exploded upwards with a column of crimson, black and yellow energy. Very quickly, the upper body of a similar creature to the previous three took form; what was unique about it, however, was that its form was the same as the Crimson Dragon's in terms of composition; including glowing facial features. Also, three orbs on its chest – one green, one blue and one orange – gave it a composite look; and as it bellowed, to shook the ground below itself.
Suddenly, said monster formed its large right hand into a fist, an orb of energy forming within that as it threw the massive structure straight towards the Crimson Dragon overhead. In response, said dragon began to form a charge of energy in its own jaws; and when the two collided, they fused into a single orb of energy, which quickly expanded until it consumed everything around them.
"…of the Gods." With this said, the energy caused the entire area around the group to fade away into a white light, disappearing from the area.
In the Poppo Time building, Johan had brought Aki downstairs into her bed to rest, and was now standing at guard; until, that is, he noticed a strange red glow in her room. Opening the door, he saw Aki's birthmark glowing brightly before a brilliant red light shot out from it like a bullet; and before he could see what it was, Aki had vanished.
Suddenly, out of the corners of his eyes, he saw a similar glow occurring in Luca's room down the hall. Running to it, he was this time unable to reach her before the glow consumed her, opening the door to find an empty room. "Those Birthmarks... what are they going to tell them…?"
As he was nearing his home base at the Old Momentum, Paradox felt a sudden sharp pain in his back; and he was forced to pull over, getting up to see what the problem was. On his back, the form of the Crimson Dragon's seal glowed brightly before it, like those before it, completely consumed his form in red light, leaving only his D-Wheel behind.
"What… happened…?" Alessandro questioned to his two cohorts, in the aftermath of their screens becoming completely blinded in white light. "Placido said… that he would show them… the World of the Gods."
"He's taking them back to the place where he was reborn," Lucciano answered him. "If they see God himself, then they will learn the truth; only then can they truly comprehend what will happen."
"Why does that matter?" Alessandro asked. "If we're simply going to destroy Neo Domino City and the Satellite, why bother showing them anything?"
"Because that may no longer come to pass…" Jose responded solemnly, causing Alessandro to simply nod his head in understanding before reclining back into his chair.
Card of the Week – Yusei
Formula Synchron
Type: EARTH
Level: 2
Family: [Machine/Synchro/Effect]
Effect: Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters
ANIME: Once per turn, you can draw 1 card from your Deck.
OCG/TCG: When this card is successfully Synchro Summoned, its controller can draw 1 card from their Deck. Also, during your opponent's Main Phase, you can perform a Synchro Summon using this card as the Tuner Monster.
ATK/ 200
DEF/ 1500