A Duel dedicated to save City from its rotten mentality ended up being ruinous: Yuzu's voice, Yuzu's pleas to save City were rendered null as she lost her Duel against Sergey, but the Melodious also feared that her life would also be over, as the last thing they was was her getting violently knocked off the course…
However, Bloom Diva's prayers were answered, as she had managed to make contact with Yuzu after quite some time, and could finally see her figure laying down on a rock surface, battered and bruised, but with no serious injury in sight… And she was breathing lightly. Alongside her, however, she saw Sora, checking the Melodious Deck nearby and fixating his gaze on a certain Card.
However, he soon put the whole Deck together and back into Yuzu's Duel Disk, all in order. He then walked towards her, seemingly trying to check her vitals.
"Ah, good… Your breathing got more steady, Yuzu. And I thought you'd be a goner…"
Just then, a voice was heard from a speaker. It was Melissa, announcing that the participants of a Duel in the Friendship Cup were…
Yuya and Shinji.
Upon hearing this, both Bloom Diva and Sora gasped, but the Fairy preferred to listen to the boy. Any information she could scrape out of this would only be helpful.
"Yuya's there?!" The Cyan haired shouted, and tried to look around for something.
"I need to let him know Yuzu's fine, how could I do it… There!" He then picked up Yuzu's helmet which was laying beside her, as well as her Deck, that he would keep in his jacket.
Bloom Diva was a bit confused with that, but remained observant as Sora checked Yuzu's vitals once more. Afterwards, he ran away and outside the abandoned building.
"Wait!" Bloom Diva tried to plead with Sora in a useless attempt to be heard, but after a bit of Sora running away, was soon cut off and disappeared.
DUEL SPIRITS WORLD - CONSERVATORY
The Choir was ejected again as the portal closed behind her, but she was more than ready for it this time, and managed to land on her flower pot. Awaiting her was Elegy, who was tending to the flowers next to the Flower Portal, shocked as she saw the scene once again.
"Bloom Diva… But wait, what does this mean for Yuzu?"
"Be at ease, Elegy. Yuzu is bruised, but safe and recovering." Upon hearing what the Choir said, Elegy let out a tender smile, which was quite unusual for her.
"I'm glad… We can still be reunited after all…" Then she asked, her smile dropped: "But why did the portal close then?"
"Um… This must be told to everyone." Next, she sang a curious, childish but mysterious tune, which was not quite clear, but it had at least told, through her song, a very important thing… Which Tamtam and Opera heard immediately as they were nearby, and they came to the Choir to ask, Tamtam leading:
"Wait, Sora's here? And he's with Yuzu? Is she safe?!"
"Indeed. I am positive she will recover soon." The Choir responded, and Opera asked her to follow Tamtam up:
"But… Is he good now? He acted very strange when we saw him last."
"I know not all, but I can see… Sora still cares for Yuzu. And he seems to be back to his old, thoughtful self!"
This made Tamtam beam with joy. "See, he was not bad after all! He must have gone away from the teachers then!"
"Ah, it is too soon to tell…" Elegy chimed in. "But what matters now is that Yuzu's safe. And I'm certain he helped her survive that terrible crash."
"I surely hope to find her well once I am allowed to come back. But Sora keeping the deck definitely causes problems. I know he is not doing it on purpose, as perhaps he wishes to keep it safe." The Choir then concluded: "I shall be now off to see Harmonia. She must be tending to the injured…"
"Yes, she is." Score came from behind Tamtam and Opera. "She's been checking on everyone, but mostly them."
"Thank you, Score. Now, if I may…" Bloom Diva then went to see the Composer, and could hear one last question that Score had towards the other kids.
"Uh, Tamtam? Opera? Who is Sora?"
Bloom Diva then came to the Nursery room to find Harmonia had just come out of it, asking hastily:
"I've understood everything you sang, but I just don't know what to make of it! Can you tell me if Sora's still crazy, and if Yuzu's fine?"
"No… And Yes." The Choir responded. "I know not of Sora's allegiance, but he has lost all of his unhingedness he displayed when we last saw him. I am sure Yuzu has questions to ask him, as well."
"Well, that's a relief…" Harmonia sighed. "Sora seemingly being sane again is the one good thing that came from this trainwreck of a morning."
Bloom Diva got deeply saddened as she had to remind herself why this all occurred, but as she was about to speak, she was stopped by the Composer.
"I know what you're feeling. Because you wanted to try and save that mad man, you ended up making things worse for everyone. That's what you think, right?"
Bloom Diva, tears in her eyes, only replied with a nod. Harmonia then continued:
"Here's the thing, though. Nobody knew that he could get this bad. Not even you. It had to come to Yuzu trying to reach out eventually… This was inevitable! As bad as it feels to say… Not much could have been done here. We may have just been unlucky."
"Unlucky?" Bloom Diva suddenly remembered something that concerned her. "Now, I am not so sure… We were also unable to see the match before that, and Yuzu told me that no one could help her in figuring out how Sergey Dueled… Perhaps it was not just bad luck?"
"Oh boy… Do you suddenly have a suspicion?"
"Well… Forgive me, I was just reminiscing of words Cat Dancer had told me before we were called to Duel… I must have disappointed her greatly… I bet she would feel horrible, having seen me fail like this…"
CITY - DUEL PALACE DORMITORY (SOME TIME EARLIER)
"You just pull up, give a whole speech about victory, show off a new Fusion that nobody has seen before…
AND YOU DARE HIT DEAR YUZU LIKE THIS?!"
As Serena was stunned, in sheer disbelief from what just happened, Cat Dancer exploded in anger and pain from what had befallen Yuzu… And Bloom Diva.
"Not only have you knocked her off the course, which she maybe didn't survive, you also dashed her hopes with this tournament… And also our Melodious companions… They all worked hard for this, I know… And they've been tortured, and beaten, and-"
As she was rambling on, the screen cut to Sergey re-entering the Duel Palace amidst a stunned audience, with a grin on his face that oozed ecstasy, and laughing eerily…
"YOU DID ALL OF THIS FOR YOUR PLEASURE! When I get my claws on you, I'll be sure to dig them deep! It's on sight! IT IS. ON. SIGHT!"
Cat Dancer slowly calmed down, but she was breathing heavily. She observed, along with Serena, that Sergey was being netted by Security forces as he was madly cackling, and brought out of the Dual Palace. After a bit, she talked to Serena, who had been silent until this point.
"I'm… Sorry for the outburst, but I just… I just can't take any of this… After all the efforts they have gone through, THIS is how they get repaid?!"
"No doubt… This is atrocious. But I know this isn't over for Yuzu." Serena responded, confusing the Lunalight. She then continued:
"You have told me about your talks with Bloom Diva… From what I understood, Yuzu was the one who always kept on pushing through with a positive outlook despite all that happened?"
"Yeah, but…"
"Then I think she will survive this. And if she does… She will not give up on her goal. Her efforts have not been in vain… At least not to us! We'll make her know!" Serena pumped her fist in readiness, and her determination consoled the Cat a little.
"I know you will… And I won't abandon you. We will show all our prowess, and get everyone ready for the war… Just as Bloom Diva and Yuzu wish."
DUEL SPIRITS WORLD - CONSERVATORY (NOW)
"I feel like I have not heeded her warning at all…" Bloom Diva finished with her thought towards Cat Dancer as Harmonia was listening.
"Still, that Sergey guy…" The Composer thought aloud. "Just what was up with him? Between this and those disgusting thorns… I think he was more than nuts, and Canon, Solo, Shopina, You… And Yuzu all were his victims… Listen, he might just be beyond salvation, Bloom Diva."
"Perhaps, but I still feel as I did prior to us getting hurt. Sergey must still be controlled by someone or something, and I believe… If we free him from that, we may free him from his madness as well."
"Well, not like we can do much from this position. Maybe we'll see Yuya blast a party popper through his eardrums, who knows?"
The Choir and the Composer turned to see that one of their valiant companions, Canon, now wearing a plain black vest with blue accents, and without her golden mask, has gotten up, and seemingly hasn't lost much of her attitude at all.
"Either that one of his Dragons will take a bite out of him… I doubt it will end well for that creep if he comes across Yuzu's boy."
"CANON!" Both exclaimed in unison, greatly relieved by seeing her friend seemingly fine. Bloom Diva then asked:
"Are you sure you are well? You have taken much punishment out there!"
"Heh, just a little more than usual. I've been destroyed so much, I'm kinda like this team's punching bag by now. And I'm ready to take even more-" As Canon explained, she tried to stretch one of her arms, only to be stopped halfway through by a small crack.
"Wait!" Both of her friends tried to warn her, but to no avail, as the blue Diva was taken aback.
"Ugh, the back! Ow! Ahh… Still not fully up, darn it!"
"Do not overexert yourself!" Bloom Diva hastily addressed Canon. "It is impossible that those wounds would be healed so quickly, even under Harmonia's brilliance!"
"Sorry, I just feel… Eager to go back in and get some payback." The Diva turned sour as she explained: "That creep just deserves it. I know it goes against our job and creed, but I don't think it's possible to get him to be at peace. If this keeps up, he'll only keep hurting us and Yuzu more… And Solo."
"Solo? By any chance, have you checked on her on your way here?" Harmonia asked, to which Canon nodded mellowly.
"Obviously. She's actually woken up too, but doesn't really feel like getting up. She just… Kinda turned herself in, in tears."
"Oh no…" Bloom Diva was deeply saddened, as she may know why Solo felt this way. "This… Must have deeply hurt her… This was to be her performance to the grandest audience, and all she found was pain… And rejection."
"Yeah, this went badly for all of us, but she was especially thrilled to sing at the Friendship Cup." The Blue-Haired followed up. "It's just… Best to leave her alone for now. I'll go talk to her once she feels like it. Oh, Shopina's still asleep. So… Do check them in a bit… Right, Harmonia?"
"Absolutely." The Composer responded. "But do rest a bit, even though you're up. In the state we're in, we likely won't duel for a bit."
"Ah, we've heard everything since Bloom Diva sang." Canon responded. "We're both glad to have heard them. At least our girl's not out yet. And I betcha she'll rise again fighting. Well, I'll be off then… Later, girls. Thanks for everything."
"Do take care, Canon!" Bloom Diva responded, and Harmonia followed up.
"Seriously, don't go vent by punching trees again!"
"No problem!" Canon said, and as she tried to leave in a huff, but Bloom Diva stopped her to say one last thing:
"Ah, Canon… Thank you truly, for your bravery has led us to a new, grand melody… I am sure it will be heard by all in the end."
Canon turned around and smiled at the Choir, relaying a few words as thanks. "I appreciate it… I'll do better next time, I promise." As she left, Bloom Diva addressed the Composer once more:
"It is pointless to check again for Yuzu's presence, is it not?"
"If it's what I think it is, we'll have to wait for a while. Let's not be too fixated on this."
The Choir, discouraged, left out a tired sigh before defusing in front of Harmonia, and thus, Soprano and Mozarta emerged. The former, clutching her heart in anxiety, spoke up first.
"And to think another miracle happened… In the moment of need, a new Choir emerged thanks to Solo's conviction… And it wasn't enough…"
"Indeed." Mozarta followed her up. "I cannot thank all of you enough for your efforts. Despite the result, a new song was played through adversity. We have just faced the wrong opponent…"
"Yeahh… That's going to be a problem." Harmonia murmured, quite miffed. "Now we're all back to square one when it comes to the whole war thing. Also we still don't know what Sora's actually up to… But at least Yuzu's alive. Still… I hope she won't be all alone when she wakes up…"
CITY - ?
Yuzu found herself waking up in the abandoned building Sora supposedly put her in. Her back was a bit sore, as she laid on a rock hard mattress, and she felt her head spin greatly.
"Ugh… Uh… What… What is this…?"
She struggled to stand up, dazed and confused, but eventually got to sit on her bed. Right in front of her was a window that went to a few buildings in front of her, with some cracks in them.
"Wait… Am I in City…? Am I…? How did I get in here!?"
She found the strength to stand up and look around outside. Indeed, she was in the Commons area of City. Utterly dumbfounded and lost, and noticing her helmet and bike were nowhere to be seen, she tried to reach out to the one friend that has almost always stood beside her.
"Hey, Bloom Diva… I'm really confused… Have you got a clue of what's going on?"
But she heard no response.
"Bloom Diva…? Wait… Did you faint this time, too? If so… That must have been harder than I thought…" She then tried to recollect just what got her to this point.
"I was dueling Sergey, trying to reach out to City… And all of a sudden he started going crazy… And… He threw me off the Duel Lane… That must have been it, but… How did I survive? All my friends were suffering… Yes, because of the thorns. Bloom Prima too, and… Her petals were all scattered and… Ugh… I can't remember anything! That… Must have been hard for you too, Bloom Diva."
She then attempted to grab her Card to call her, to see if something was wrong with it this time as well. However, when she tried to get ahold of her Duel Disk or her Deck… There was nothing. She then came to this conclusion.
"Oh, right. She's not there because I don't have my Deck with me. That's it."
…
"WAIT, WHERE'S MY DECK? WHERE ARE YOU, BLOOM DIVA?"
Upon this realization, she started panicking. In desperation, she tried to search for anyone in front of her, her minor pains being a non-factor in comparison to the terror that she might have lost the one who accompanied her on this Journey. She also searched the whole building frantically, trying to find something resembling a Duel Disk, even on the streets outside... But nothing.
"Wait… The Cards must have been on my bike… So… Who knows where it is now…"
This got her utterly discouraged. She was still alive, yes… But at that moment, she had lost everything: her words did not reach City at all, as she was ultimately defeated by Sergey, her friends were now all away… Including Bloom Diva, who she didn't even know if she could ever see her again… And even her clarity was completely gone, as…
"Just… What… IS… GOING… ON?!"
Out of words, all she had left were tears as everything was stripped away from her. She kneeled down, sobbed uncontrollably, covering her eyes to try to unsee the world around her, a world that was sure to reject her in this state. She shouldn't have been there, alone. Completely alone, not even her consciousness fully being with her as it was so overwhelmed… And yet…
"Are you okay?"
A voice of a child came from behind her, and they cared about her enough to ask. However, she still wasn't fully aware of that.
"No, NO I AM NOT!" The pinkette cried with anger she didn't know she had left. "I've dueled for no one, I lost my friends, my Deck, my purpose… Everything's lost, now I'm NOTHING! I've done terribly, completely favoured my opponent's strategy, and now no one will listen to me anymore!"
"NO, YUZU! Don't cry! You did great!"
Yuzu, shaken as she was, couldn't believe what she just heard… She did great? Despite the mistakes she had made, despite all that she lost… She did great? In this City?
Clinging on to hope for just a bit, she opened her eyes to find who the voice belonged to. A young girl with burgundy hair tied in two pom-pom like tails, wearing a red apron-like dress with a white undershirt beneath it. She kept talking:
"We really believe in your words! And we felt bad when your monsters were all tied like that… And I felt really really happy seeing that cute Bloom Prima! Too bad you lost, but we did root for you! Many did!"
Another spiky, green-haired kid wearing a perse shirt with a red vest and a gray cap joined her, standing in front of the pinkette.
"That's right! We're not just ignoring what you did in your first Duel, too! Your tricks with your bike, and with your Monsters, were amazing! I can't believe you said you did terribly with that!"
Then a third kid chimed in, a bit shorter than the other two, with two puffed up, rosy cheeks, and wearing a blue sleeved top.
"Yeah! You are a great duelist, and have a very kind heart, just like our Crow! We know it!"
Yuzu was greatly stunned hearing that. All she had seen of City so far was an audience that belittled losers so far as to believe eternal prison is a fitting punishment. Maybe unless they were friends… But three kids just stood up for her. Sure, they WERE kids, but three people she didn't even know about cheered her on greatly despite losing, even declaring she had a kind heart. When she wiped her tears as the kids were staring at her, she saw Ayu, Tatsuya and Futoshi in them. Three kids she always looked up to, and that… She had to come back to! Even if no one in City may believe in her anymore, and some did, there were still her dear friends and family waiting for her, as well as Yuya and everyone else who came to save her. The three children in front of her, encouraging her further, showed that… Her mission was not yet a failure. That she could still accomplish what she set out to do, despite horribly falling back. She could have been history by now, but somehow she was safe! There had to be someone who saved her… She could not have magically landed on a bed from being knocked off the track!
Seeing the three concerned for her, she finally cracked a weak, but warm smile. She could not thank them enough from letting her get back on her feet.
"Thank you all… Thank you so much! I'm okay now… I… You were too kind!"
"Ah, no problem!" The spiky-haired kid responded. "You should always help someone in need! Crow would have done this too, for sure!"
Crow, Crow, Crow… They have mentioned this name twice by now… Yuzu's memory was foggy from the crash, but… Now, she remembered:
"Wait, I saw you three! You three are Crow's friends, right? You came to watch him in the Friendship Cup?"
"We're more than just his friends!" The Red haired kid declared. "Crow saved and adopted us, he's like our father!"
"Ah, I see…" Yuzu then shifted her legs so she would sit down on the ground instead of kneeling. "Could you tell me your names?"
"My name is Amanda!" The girl responded.
"I'm Frank!" The spiky-haired youngster followed up.
"And I'm Tanner!" The short kid concluded.
"Nice to meet you! So… You three know how I ended up here?" The Pinkette asked.
"Dunno…" Frank responded. "We're also confused and surprised you survived a fall from that height…"
"I fell?" Yuzu looked at the sky to see the Duel Lane. It indeed was too high for her to survive a fall from there. "I'm sorry, I still don't remember. May I ask… You three said I was like Crow… Who is he exactly?"
Amanda responded right away: "Crow is like a big brother to everyone, known to the Commons! He always helps people in need!"
Frank followed her up. "Recently, he had a few visitors asking for help! Right, there was Yuya too!"
"Oh, right! YUYA!" Yuzu snapped up, suddenly remembered what Serena told her through the Ace Monsters relaying their messages to each other. "I've heard Crow helped him out... Can you tell me what happened exactly?"
"Well, Crow saved him while he was being arrested by Security!" Tanner replied. "Also there were Serena, Reira and… What was the last guy's name?" Upon saying that, the three thought of it while there was something else in the pinkette's mind.
"Arrested... But why would he-?" She remembered he was with Serena, a girl who looks like her, and was likely being mistakenly accused of what Yugo did… A guy who looks like him. "Oh wait, I dragged him into this, didn't I?"
"AH, who cares! He was a fart in the wind!" Tanner concluded brightly, earning a look of disgust and disbelief from Yuzu. She quickly guessed who it was based on what she remembered thus far.
"Y-You don't say things like that! Was it… Sawatari?"
"Yes, Sawatari!" Frank responded. "Sorry, but he was really arrogant when he came to our home."
"And he didn't have much to show for it either." Amanda followed up. "But I dunno, he did OK in the Friendship Cup…"
"Ah, we can't stay here! Crow's duel is about to start!" Frank told the other kids, who got super excited.
"Come with us, Yuzu! So you can cheer him on!" Tanner followed up, prompting Yuzu to ask:
"Ah, me too?"
"We can't get to the Duel Palace after we've sneaked in last time…" Frank started explaining…
"But we know City, and have a special place to watch him duel!" Tanner followed up…
"Security cannot find us there! Come on, Yuzu! Come with us!" And Amanda concluded.
Surely Yuzu had better to do than follow a bunch of children right now, but since Security could prove to be a problem, as they were likely searching for her, and as a way to repay the kids who have reignited her hope, as well as seeing who Crow was, who could help her perhaps…
"All right! I'll come with you!"
"YAY!" The three exclaimed in unison, and they ran off immediately to the place, Yuzu following behind. As they ran, the pinkette quickly asked:
"W-Wait! Do you know anything else that has happened in the Friendship Cup? Did Yuya duel?"
"Yes!" Frank responded. "He dueled against Uncle Shinji and won."
"Shinji got a bit mad towards the end because Yuya played a weak Card." Tanner continued.
"But Yuya got an awesome Synchro Monster out of that Card, and made it look really good!" Amanda concluded.
"Thanks!" Yuzu hastily said, before thinking:
"Ah, so Yuya's still there! Thank goodness! At least he's still in to spread the message…
…Wait, Yuya Synchro Summoned? Was it a new Monster? Oh boy, Harmonia won't like this one… If I can get to her, anyway."
DUEL SPIRIT WORLD - CONSERVATORY
After a bit, Shopina came out of the infirmary looking somewhat weary, but fine, wearing a purple and gold vest and without her headdress on. Likewise, Solo came out with her in a magenta vest, her hair still tucked up in their wing shape. Despite technically being better off than Shopina, she was more demoralized, unbefitting of her usual cheerful self.
"Ah, hi guys… Our debut as a Choir, uh… Didn't go well. And that's probably because of me…"
"Do not blame yourself, Solo." Shopina admonished the Songstress. "Many factors were to count for this tragedy."
"I know, but…" Said Songstress continued. "It's really tough. If I didn't create this new Choir with you, one of you for sure would have suffered while I was freed. But… With this… We fell straight for Sergey's trap. I'm sure Bloom Diva would have taken care of that monstrosity, while I only made sure to grow it stronger… Indirectly."
"OK, I'll put a stop to this right now!" The Composer imposed herself, overriding any other thought the other might have had, and ranting in a crescendo of tone. "I know where this'll go: Everyone will just be blaming themselves for one reason or another! Listen up: If there's anything to blame, it's destiny for making sure ALL of this went wrong! If one thing went according to plan, we wouldn't all be in this situation. But I'll just say it was a huge misfortune that ALL of the "mistakes" happened at once! How could we know that the power would be out so we wouldn't see what Sergey did during his first Duel so we could prepare? How could we know that this thorn monstrosity that would one-shot us would be behind all of this? How could we know that MADMAN would just knock Yuzu off her Action Card? HOW COULD WE KNOW THAT HE WAS A MESSED UP FREAK?!"
This stunned the entire room, and perhaps the Conservatory, due to how loud she was being. Taking notice of this, she stopped for a second before taking a deep breath and saying:
"Look… I know this stinks. I know this is about as pleasant of a sound as nails on a chalkboard. But none should be blamed for just having a bad day because everything's going wrong around you. If you only focus on yourself as the culprit, if you don't think you're good enough… You'll just get desperate! That's how my past week has been with me just trying and trying, and ending up crashing in my stunt to get a Synchro for all of us. Just as you shouldn't force something to happen your way, you shouldn't blame yourself for a disgrace that befalls you or your friends either!"
Lastly, after all the general ranting, she addressed the following two directly.
"Solo, Shopina… It doesn't matter what your new form as Bloom Prima brought. What matters is that it exists at all. It came because you harmonized your thoughts thoroughly, because you wanted to save your friends in a bind, and everyone. Just keep it up as you sing to anyone who may listen. Be it a foe, or an audience."
Solo teared up in gratitude, unable to find words that are good enough to express it. Shopina, however, stood firm.
"Harmonia… I should admonish you from rambling as loud as you did… Yet I cannot." She then turned her serious gaze into a warm one with a smile. "I must admit, I too had my concerns, with Solo. As I saw her, Mozarta, and Canon being unable to move or even sing, I wished for a form that ended up costing us the victory… But in the end… I would rather have it than seeing you all suffer in vain. I could not let anything say otherwise."
"Shopina…" Mozarta said, moved by what had just transpired.
"Just…" Shopina concluded, turning serious again: "You may not do this again. By now, I am certain you know better."
"Yeah, screaming that much is bad for your throat, you know."
And just like that, Canon came back to the scene, more upbeat than when they last saw her. She lent her hand to Solo's shoulder, who was still speechless and surprised, and told her:
"And worrying that much is bad for your attitude too, Solo. Just hear this from a girl who in the past week and a half has been crushed by shiny rocks multiple times, beamed by hula-hoops and bound by thorns. You have shown much more toughness than I ever could. I mean… I don't know how to say this, but… You were all screaming in pain like that and… Became a Choir despite that! Well, sorta… But you know! You went through so much to save all of us… And you have made a new melody because of it. And hey, if those people at City haven't got you… I've got you. And Yuzu too… As well as all of us."
Solo, overjoyed, finally gained the strength to speak.
"Thank you… Thank you all! At the very least, we know that Yuzu is out there… And I know she won't give up! And as long as she doesn't, neither will I! I'll be off to sing my greatest songs to any-" And as she tried to do one of her famous twirls in excitement, she felt a crack on her back… Similar to Canon's, mildly shocking the room.
"OH! Owieowieowie! Ahm… After we've rested up, of course! Ehe…"
Canon gave her a smile and helped her back up, bringing her away while leaning on her shoulder for support.
"Yeah, let's just go get some fresh air. Still fine for you to go near the woods, Solo?"
"Ah yes, I'm not THAT afraid of plants… Just the ones with thorns or teeth that come at you!" And with Solo's last words, the two shared a laugh and went away. Soprano too, made a suggestion.
"I believe it's best if I accompany Solo from now on."
"Do you want to guide her in this new journey?" Mozarta asked, to which the remaining Songstress answered.
"Yes! Now she too wields the power to turn into a Choir. And given how tragic her debut ended up… I want to make sure she will shine brighter than ever!"
"That is very admirable." Mozarta concluded with a smile. "I am glad to have such wonderful disciples here…" She then turned to the others: "And I am glad to have you by my side: Shopina, Harmonia… You have all been fantastic, please do take a rest."
"Eh, I think I'll check how our new Choir fares!" Harmonia declared. "There must be something I can do to make her stronger, right?" She said, while winking at Shopina who, a bit miffed but smiling, responded:
"Make sure you do not overdo it. You know how it went last time."
"Will do!"
CITY - ABOVE THE DUEL LANE
While the four were running up the stairs of what looked like a drawbridge above the lane, Yuzu kept hearing ramblings of Shun and Crow, who seemed to not trust each other at all. She couldn't hear it super clearly as she was focusing on running and started to get tired. The three kids that dragged her there finally saw the two duelists running towards them in the distance. As Yuzu finished climbing up and caught her breath, she could hear Shun more clearly.
"I don't consider myself an ally of the Lancers! I only ally myself with those I lost in my hometown. Everyone else is the enemy!"
Yuzu was severely worried about Kurosaki. Had he gotten more paranoid after Dennis' reveal? Meanwhile, the kids were watching excitedly, yelling at Crow to do his best, and then scoffing at Shun's gloomy speeches as both him, with Rise Falcon, and Crow, with Raikiri the Rain Shower, blitzed past them, seemingly not noticing them.
"I hate reckless jerks like Kurosaki!" Amanda started.
"He stinks. He trashed the place in his Duel with Dennis." Frank continued.
"I hope Crow smashes him to bits!" Tanner concluded.
Yuzu was too concerned by Shun's attitude, but just couldn't keep the kids in the dark, even if war may be too much for them. He would have spilled it all anyway by the end.
"Kurosaki's home was attacked by Academia, and he lost everything. That's why…"
"We're the same." Frank's sudden interruptions shocked Yuzu. The kids then turned around and Tanner started explaining:
"We haven't had anything, from the start."
"But we never do reckless things like he does." Frank continued, earning a glare from Tanner and Amanda, and taking back his words consequently. "Well, okay, we do steal a little food sometimes…"
"But when we do, Crow gets mad at us." Tanner continued. "He tells us we need to live honestly. We must endure, not getting beat down, because by the time we're grown up, he'll make a proper world to live in." As they talked, Shun was seen summoning Blaze Falcon on the big screen in front of Yuzu, but with the anger he carried out remaining. The kids had a point. Because of Shun's behavior, he caused several incidents. SHE started being involved because he kept attacking LDS in the Standard Dimension.
"I… Can't say you're wrong. But… Maybe…" As she was talking, the kids turned around to see that Raikiri was destroyed by Blaze Falcon's relentless assault, and they all turned their attention to the match. Both duelists were as determined as ever to continue the Duel.
"I'm only getting started!" Crow roared, and Shun followed up:
"Hurry it up. After I beat you, I have more enemies to defeat."
Crow, getting angrier by the second… "Quit underestimating the bonds between Commons! I draw!"
The three kids started cheering Crow on as he began his turn, and Tanner climbed up the rail, as he realized Crow couldn't listen to them otherwise. Seeing as it's on the edge and he would fall from a good height below, Yuzu instantly caught him.
"Hey! It's dangerous to do this!" Then she managed to pull him down momentarily. "You just said you wouldn't do reckless things! What gives?"
"Eh, sorry…" Tanner said apologetically. "When Crow gives his all to his Duel, I just can't help it…"
"Crow must mean a lot to you three…" Yuzu deducted. "Is that how you learned those sentiments? To endure, so by the time you grow up, he'll make a better world?"
"Yeah!" Frank said. "And that's why we must cheer him on with all we have! We can't have him fail like this! Especially not having him fall down if he loses!"
Afterwards, they turned their attention back to the Duel, and as Crow revived his Raikiri thanks to Blackwing - Gofu The Vague Shadow's effect, he passed by once more to their position… And finally took notice. Yuzu couldn't help but see the sheer shock in Crow's face. Maybe those three weren't as careful as they claimed to be… As the two duelists passed by, a gust of wind blew towards the Group right as Tanner attempted to climb up the wall again.
Shortly after, Yuzu asked the three others:
"Are you okay?"
"Um, yeah." Amanda responded.
"We're used to the strong winds of Crow's Blackwings!" Frank gave his reply… But Tanner was nowhere to be seen.
"Wait, where has he gone?!" Yuzu asked, and Frank suggested:
"To the bathroom?"
"Is there a bathroom nearby?!" Yuzu asked, a bit panicked.
"Some steps below us, actually… But I'm sure he would have asked first…" Amanda concluded.
"STOP IT! Listen to me!" As they were talking, Shun surprised everyone with this line.
"Is it another one of these speeches?" Frank was miffed by this, while Amanda encouraged Crow.
"Yeah, shut him up and make him battle!"
Yuzu, meanwhile, tried to look for any bathrooms in the area. It's really best to be safe than sorry, especially in this position. Meanwhile, it was shown that Blaze Falcon was destroyed, and thanks to Rank-Up Magic Revolution Force, Revolution Falcon hit the scene. It was seen trying to hit Raikiri, but failing due to a Sword that the Blackwing was wielding. Yuzu came back to the screen as it was focusing on Raikiri… To find out that Tanner was holding on to dear life on its back!
"That's where Tanner ended up?!" Frank exclaimed, as both him and the others were stunned by this. "Quickly! Grab my legs and let me hang in there, so I can catch him!"
"ARE YOU SURE THAT'S A GOOD IDEA?!" Yuzu started yelling, exasperated. "Can we even reach him?!"
"We have to try! We have to save Tanner!" Amanda exclaimed…
But just as they were bracing themselves… Tanner slipped off Rakiri…
But Shun, riding his Revolution Falcon, swooped in and caught the blue-haired kid. He was now holding him in his arms as they were about to reach the site where his friends were.
"Kurosaki… Why?" Tanner asked, fearful. Shun then responded:
"I, too…"
No more words were heard from him through the camera before him throwing Tanner towards Frank, who caught him. He also noticed that Yuzu indeed came out of that horrific crash still alive.
"Yuzu… So you did survive after all… You're as tenacious as others said."
This greatly surprised the pinkette, who could only freeze momentarily. Shun then left off without saying another word, eager to continue his Duel.
"Thank you, Kurosaki!" Tanner told the XYZ Duelist as his Revolution Falcon screeched and did a loop to get back to the track, the group following him. As they sped away, Yuzu wondered:
"As tenacious as they said…"
Tanner, then, told everyone what Kurosaki's words were.
"I too, had children who cheered for me."
He then continued: "I wonder if he's a lot like Crow. He's scary on the surface, but maybe he really likes children like us."
They then heard this exchange blaring through the speakers between Shun and Crow, the XYZ Duelist starting off first.
"When I saw you and the children, I remembered what it is that I'm fighting for. For the sake of my homeland's children, I will destroy all my enemies."
"So you have something important that you have to protect, too? But the Academia you're trying to fight is an unbelievably huge enemy, right?"
"And you've been fighting a powerful enemy known as the Tops, correct?"
"Yeah… We've got a lot in common, I guess."
"It appears we do."
"I now end my turn. Now, give it all you've got!"
"You don't need to tell me."
This exchange ended with a fist bump, which warmed the hearts of the group.
"We were way too harsh on Kurosaki." Amanda remarked.
"Yeah, turns out, he's really kind beneath the surface!" Frank commented, and Tanner concluded:
"Now I want both to win…"
Yuzu took some time to reflect on the kids' earlier words. About how reckless and arrogant Shun felt. And how they've claimed they started off with nothing as well. Feeling it was the right decision, she asked them a hard question:
"Ah, you three… I've thought about what you said at the beginning. This will be a bit heavy to listen to, but I think it would be good for you. Would you mind?"
The three shook their heads as if to say "go ahead".
"You see, when I said Kurosaki lost everything, I meant it. I first met him as he was looking for his sister, who had been kidnapped by Academia, and he went with a friend alongside him. Now that friend has disappeared too, and he is left to take on this journey alone. Or so he thinks. The reason why Kurosaki was so angry and reckless… Is because he missed having people like you."
The three gasped, a bit confused as to what she could have meant by that. But she continued:
"Crow must have endured a lot too, being under the heel of the Tops. But the reason why he kept being kind is because he had people like you to attend to… And you are hopeful, because you have someone to truly look up to. It's hard to be happy when people keep being stolen from you, and you don't know if you can bring them back… So, you three, and Crow… Take care of one another! I can feel you're really good friends, if not more! You will be able to go over any obstacle without losing yourselves… If you have one another to rely on! Remember… I would still be crying, lying on the floor if it wasn't for you guys! Because really, I felt alone at that moment."
She then gave a warm smile to the three, who paid her back in kind. During these moments, she really missed Bloom Diva, the one friend who has always stuck by her side… But that's why she never lost hope. The moments where Yuzu truly felt hopeless were when she was alone, when she wasn't there anymore… And she imagined Shun must have felt the same way too. You are alone if you don't trust anyone… But he has found someone that understood him, and now is giving it his all without others suffering for it. Amanda left one comment, before they all turned back to the Duel.
"Yuzu… You really are kind! You're even kinder and nicer than when I saw you duel!"
This warmed Yuzu, who joined the kids in watching the Duel between the Avian masters, and they were in for quite a shocker. A new, huge Monster was now on Shun's side, and it was ready to protect him with all it'd got.
Its name… Raidraptor - Ultimate Falcon.