Part 4: The Looming Threat
Blazing through the streets of Littleroad City on the back of Akita's motorcycle and hanging on for dear life wasn't how Kyo had envisioned the climax of the Duel Tournament to go. What would his sponsors even make of this? But judging by the situation, he probably wouldn't have to worry about his sponsors, but rather, a greater threat.
Akita deftly swung the motorbike around, avoiding an oncoming police car which was hurtling toward the scene of the spreading black mist. Kyo wiped his brow, but then went back to clenching Akita's waist lest he get thrown off. The skyscrapers of the city rose imposingly around the two of them, and a gridlock began to build at the end of the street as panicked citizens began to realize what was going on, and tried to escape the city. Akita ignored them entirely, driving the motorcycle onto the pavement, taking a sharp turn into a wide alleyway, remnants of the morning newspaper fluttering into the sky as they went. One of the pages hit Kyo in the face, and he spat as he pulled it off and threw it away. Then the two emerged on the other side.
It was a sight like nothing Kyo had ever seen before. The dark alleyway gave way to looming spires, twisting pathways and whitewashed skyscrapers - a far cry from the dark city they'd just been in. Pedestrians milled about, examining the morning news in what was seemingly their commute, and as Akita slowed her motorbike to a crawl, some tipped their bowler hats toward the two riders. Kyo stammered, struggling to find the words.
"Did we just pass through a portal or something?" Kyo finally managed to ask. Akita nodded, a motion that Kyo easily saw despite her wearing a motorcycle helmet. It was probably a better thing to do rather than reply with words as well, considering the wind was still whipping at their faces, and so he would've been unlikely to hear what she would've said. But that answer was enough for him. Akita certainly wasn't normal, and his worst fear at this point was that she'd also judged he was not-normal enough to be brought here.
Finally, after some time of riding through the calm streets, Akita pulled up outside a garage, its large door blocking the way. She climbed off the motorcycle, taking Kyo's hand and also gesturing for him to climb off. The she put the balancing tripod onto the motorcycle, released Kyo's hand, and walked up to the giant metal door. On its side was a large button. She pressed it, and the metal door began to rise slowly with a clattering sound as it went. ever-impatient, Kyo bent down to catch his first glimpse of the other side before it had fully risen. What he saw shocked him.
Inside the garage, there were two boys, around the age of twenty-five, working on two more motorbikes, much like the one Akita had. They were different colours, gilded with yellow and red. Akita's blue motorcycle filled the colour wheel. The walls of the garage were splattered in paints of various colours, with buckets hanging off pegs on the wall and brushes in special holders on workbenches. The room seemed larger on the inside than the outside, but not impossibly large. Upon further inspection, the room was actually set slightly below floor level, requiring a step downward to reach. Bulbs set in the four corners of the room flickered ominously, and when one of the mechanics punched the wall, the flickering stopped and they lit up the room perfectly.
"Logan, Hattori, meet Kyo." Akita said, pulling off her motorcycle helmet to allow her hair to fall. She smoothed it out with a hand as the two mechanics stepped away from their jobs and toward Kyo, extending a hand to greet him. They wordlessly shook.
"S-so... you're mechanics? And you make motorbikes?" Kyo stammered after a long pause. His eyes darted back and fourth among the three motorbikes, examining their intricacies.
"Yes. They allow us to travel the city quickly." Hattori said. He was a gruff man, with more body than mental sense, it seemed. His dungarees held his jeans to his body, as many belts were too small for someone of his stature. His voice resonated throughout his body.
Logan, meanwhile, was a much more timid-looking boy. His large spectacles and freckles betrayed his geek/nerdiness, and his shirt and jeans fit him perfectly. Kyo couldn't be sure they weren't tailored though.
"These motorbikes aren't suitable for dueling on... before you get any ideas." Logan added. Kyo chuckled to himself.
"I'll leave you two to explain the situation to Kyo." Akita nodded, heading out of the garage, and bringing the motorcycle in. She then headed out again, rounding the corner and leaving the three to their own devices. Kyo then turned to the mechanics for the promised explanation.
"Alright, so there's been some readings coming from Littleroad City. You, Kyo Hagashami, were caught up in the midst of these readings. It turns out that the last opponent you defeated in the tournament was so severely weakened from his attack, that the celestial body within himself was able to burst free." Logan began, his timid voice contradicting his perfectly-sounded and stammer-free explanation. "You see, Brian Johnson, that opponent, had been controlled by the celestial body for the duration of the time he was in the tournament. I do not know how he came to be possessed, though."
"So basically I just let out something that could destroy the world." Kyo muttered dryly. Logan nodded with confidence. Kyo wished Logan's confidence could somehow be projected onto himself.
"But there is a way to defeat it!" Hattori grinned, gesturing to the three motorbikes. "We have yet to make a fourth one, but these will allow us to outrun the celestial body when we're in Littleroad City!"
"So does that mean as long as we're here... in this other place... we're safe? And we're only unsafe in Littleroad?" Kyo asked.
"This place is called Tapipoca City, and it is a perfect replica of the desired outcome of Littleroad." Logan explained. "When the architects of Littleroad gathered, they desired for this outcome. However, several deals went wrong, and Littleroad became... not much more than a slum." He guestured, as if trying to use a hand to brush away the subject. Adjusting his glasses, he continued. "However, we are not permanently safe in Tapipoca. When we enter or leave Tapipoca, we have a choice of several portal pathways that lead to our desired destination. If all four are covered in Black Shadow, we are unable to leave or enter, and it is likely that the Black Shadow would, from that point, be able to enter and engulf Tapipoca."
"So there are portals..." Kyo muttered to himself, struggling to comprehend the situation.
"I'm sure you've got a lot of questions, but we can answer them as we go along." Logan smiled. "But for now, please understand how we plan to destroy the celestial body."
"Do explain then." Kyo sighed.
"There are three God Cards hidden around the country. All three were shipped here as tributes to three famous museums, in order to increase attendance. They were a gift from a wealthy duelist who bought them all from an unknown person many years back, but they are still in perfect condition, therefore commanding a high price. We need these three Gods brought together, and the Duel Energy from them must be used to defeat the celestial body. This is why we will need superfast motorcycles." Logan continued. "However, there is no guarantee that we will be able to get back into Tapipoca once we leave, given that we have to leave both Tapipoca and Littleroad to reach the rest of the country. This place may well be engulfed by the time we get back."
"It's a risky plan, but it's the only one we've got..." Hattori sighed in resignation. "But we can do it! Can't we, Kyo?!"
"If you say it is possible, then I suppose we can. This will be a rather awkward story to explain to my sponsors, though." Kyo muttered dryly.