Disclaimer: I don't own any Battle Cards and Star Force characters. I do own a few original characters.

Chapter 6: The Raging Bull

As Yusei is following Luna in the shadows, he and Omega-Xis are talking to each other. Omega-Xis asks, "Why are you following this girl like some kind of stalker?"

Yusei chuckles and replies, "I'm amazed that you know what a stalker is. The answer to your question is that I don't know."

The EM Wave alien gasps with his lower jaw hanging low. "You don't know? If you don't know the reason, then following her like this is kind of pointless."

"You do have a point… Okay! Enough hiding!" He decided to approach her as he follows her to a public park.

As he is about to close in on the gap between him and the Class President, he saw her running towards the fountain in the center. When he gets in eavesdropping distance of the fountain, he saw her talking to Bud. He is surprise to see Luna to be the person to find Bud. As he looks at them, he notices that there's something different about the big guy from the last time he saw him. Yusei usually remembers Bud is a happy person with his friends; however, the current Bud isn't like that. This Bud seems distant and he only looks at the blonde hair girl in a cold stare.

"Bud!" Luna shouted out of anger. "So this is where you are! You didn't show up to class this morning and you know that any missing students would ruin my class presidential record! Also, you never return home yesterday! Your mom is totally worried about you! Furthermore…? Bud, are you listening to me?"

"Yes…" he distantly replies, "I am listening…" Then Bud pulls out a red Battle Card and said, "EM Wave Change! Bud Bison, on the air!" He inserts the Battle Card and he's engulfed by a red-orange aura that resembles like fire.

When the fire dies down, Bud has transform into a red armored Minotaur. His snout looks like the nozzle of a flamethrower and the backs of his wrists are exhaust pipes. Looking at this Minotaur: he's much taller and buffer than the usual Bud Bison, which makes Yusei think that he's a perfect wrestler.

Luna screams out of panic. "Bud! W-what has happen to you?"

"This happen to me because of you," he replies, "I have gain this power to teach you a lesson!" Bud roars like a wild animal as his whole body and Luna are engulfed in a white light with Luna screaming. When the light dies down, both Bud and Luna disappears from Yusei's sight.

Yusei is shock to see this turn of event as he puts on his Visualizer to see if Bud is in the Wave World. However, Bud isn't in the Wave Road above him. He clicks his tongue as he wonders where are the two beings.

"Mega!" Yusei calls Omega-Xis's name as the EM Wave alien appears next to him. He asks, "What happen to Luna and Bud?"

Omega-Xis answers, "Bud probably took that girl to a nearby computer space. By the way, I know the culprit who EM Wave Change with Bud. His name is Taurus, the FMian fiery bull and he's known in Planet FM for his power, speed, and range."

"So we finally meet an FMian," Yusei spoke in a sad tone," and that FMian chose Bud to EM Wave Change. But why Bud? Geo always told me that he is a kind individual and he often takes his bodyguard role seriously, so he should have know what's right and wrong."

"Do you remember about Luna and Bud's fight from yesterday? Luna threatens him! So Bud would become sad and other emotions related to sadness. Which would make it easy for Taurus to convince him to EM Wave Change willingly."

Yusei understands Omega-Xis's explanation. Considering that Bud got threaten by Luna for his violent tendency, he judgment would be clouded by his depression. Bud's depression makes it easier for Taurus to convince him to perform an EM Wave Change. This makes it hard for Yusei since he doesn't have the courage to hurt a human being. He ponders on his next course of actions to save Luna and stop Bud from hurting her.

As he's pondering, he heard a nearby car engine turn on and roaring. He turns to the nearby parking lot and saw a lime-green pickup truck leaving. Yusei activates his Air Shoes and turns onto Full Throttle to increase his speed to catch up to the truck. Why is Yusei chasing after a truck? He caught a glimpse at the driver's seat and he wanted to make sure that his eyes aren't playing tricks on him. When he caught up to the truck, his suspicion is correct; there is no one driving it. He looks at the truck's computer dashboard with his Visualizer and saw sparks coming out of it.

"I think I know where Bud is," Yusei spoke. "Mega, can we pulse in to a moving vehicle?"

Omega-Xis smirks and answers, "There's a first for everything, Yusei. Let's go buck wild on them!"

"'Let's go buck wild on them'? Are you making up a catchphrase or something?"

"I'm blaming the guy who watches too many superhero shows," Omega-Xis said and his tone sounded like he's embarrass.

"EM Wave Change! Yusei Light, on the air!" Yusei inserts the Battle Card into his Transer and his belt glows. When the light disappears, he transforms into Mega Man and he pulse in to the truck's computer space.

Inside the truck's computer space, which the Wave Roads inside look like pavements, Luna is being attack by Bud. She is able to dodge his attack due to him single-mindedly charging at her like a bull. Though she thinks that Bud is toying her to the point where she gets tired. She is scared to see that Bud is trying to kill her and she believes that it is her fault for making him to act like that. She is starting to reflect on her action, as she wants to apologize to Bud.

"Bud!" she yells. "Please stop this and listen to me!"

"I'm not Bud," he replies, "I am Taurus Fire! And you will pay for threatening me! After I did everything for you: I act as your bodyguard! I support you in your elections when we were kids! And this is the thanks I get! You threatening me to cut off our bond together! I had it! Screw friendship! All I want is this power and you gone from my life!"

Bud charges at Luna one more time. Luna quickly tries to run out of the way, but she trips and falls. She turns to Bud and saw him closing in on her. She turns pale and her mind gone blank, which made her to become frozen. As the red Minotaur get closer, Luna screams out of fear.

"Battle Card! Cannon!" yells a voice as a cannon shot hit Bud in the face. The blast from the shot blinds the Minotaur and forces him to stop.

Luna wonders who made that shot as a familiar blue figure appears in front of her. That figure is Yusei Light in his Mega Man form with a literal cannon for an arm cannon. Luna has mixed feelings of relief and shock; she's relief that she is saved, but she is shock to see that Mega Man's attack hit Bud. She is confused what to feel as Yusei turns to her.

He asks, "Are you okay?"

Luna nods her head. "I'm fine. Thanks, Mega Man."

"We meet again, Omega-Xis!" A deep male voice says that as the FMian, Taurus appears in front of Taurus Fire. "I'm going to enjoy brutalizing you and your human partner after I regain the Andromeda Key."

"You're the same as always," said Omega-Xis, "a dumb bull who just single-mindedly follow orders without any sort of plan. Not only that, you just pick a human with brawns more than brains. Let me tell you: it's not going to be easy to get your hands on the key."

Luna, who is still shaken from Bud's attempt at killing her, is shock to see a ghostly version of Taurus Fire. She points at the FMian and asks, "Are you the one who made Bud to kill me? If you are, then turn him back this instant!"

Taurus laugh as Bud finally gets to see Mega Man. The FMian answers, "I'm afraid that I can't do that. After all, it was you who turn him into this! The one villain you should blame is yourself, little girl!"

Bud looks at Yusei and said, "Hello, Mega Man. It is nice to meet you."

"Kid," said Yusei as he's trying to act as if he doesn't know who Bud is. "Please stop what you're doing and go back to normal. If you're going to do what I think it is, then you're going to ruin your life."

Bud becomes silent for a second, and then he laughs like a mad man. "My life is already ruin," he said as he glares at Luna, "by that girl. Mega Man, you don't understand what is it like to do everything for someone so they can stay as your friend, but to only got threaten to get our bond cut off because of one stupid thing. Then my buddy, Taurus shows up and granted me the power to get back at her. So stand aside, I'm going to finish her."

Luna is frightened, but Yusei stood his ground and exclaimed, "I won't let you do that! It is true that I don't understand your problem, but that doesn't mean that I should become a bystander and turn a blind-eye! I'm going to stop you, even if it means that I'm going to fight you!"

Bud smirks. "I like to see you try. Once I'm done with you and retrieve this key from you, then I'm going to be given even more power over everyone!"

Is this my fault? Luna thought in fear. Is it my fault that Bud becomes like this? She tries to shake that feeling away, but there's no way she can denied it.

"Kid," Omega-Xis spoke, "I'm afraid that we're not getting through to him. You know that there's only one option."

Yusei know what Omega-Xis is talking about, but he doesn't want to fight Bud or finish him off. Even if he knows that there is a chance of Bud being okay, Yusei wouldn't take the risk of harming him. He follows his morals of not harming anyone unless it is necessary. Also, Luna is behind him; if she saw him beating up Bud, she probably won't forgive him and that would make him even guiltier. Which is the reason why he chose negotiation earlier because he want to convince him to avoid the violence; however, it seems that violence is inevitable.

He gritted his teeth as he pulls out a Battle Card and said, "Battle Card! Chain Bubble!" He inserts the Battle Card into his Transer as his cannon transforms into an arm blaster.

Bud charges at Yusei at full speed; however, Yusei quickly reacts by shooting him a fast bubble bullet. The bubble bullet hits Bud, which stops him and encase him inside a bubble. This gives Yusei a chance to use another Battle Card.

"Battle Card! Sword!" His blaster transforms into a green short sword.

Yusei charges at the bubble-encased Bud and slashes him, which causes to free Bud. However, Yusei didn't hesitate to strike him down from that moment. He strikes at Bud's shoulders and knees and kicks him at the gut. Normally Bud's limbs would be cut off, but since he is in his EM Wave form, his body doesn't get cut off. As Bud is lying on the EM Wave platform, Yusei pins him down with one foot and points the tip of the sword at Bud's face.

"Just stop already," Yusei spoke, "I really don't want to do this."

Luna, from her perspective, thinks that Yusei is hurting Bud. She trembles in thought that he would kill her friend because he's protecting her. She screams, "Mega Man! Don't hurt him!"

It's not like he has a choice. Yusei hesitates to finish Bud off as his short sword transforms back into his hand. Omega-Xis is shock to see this action as he shouted, "Kid! Why are you hesitating?"

"An opening!" Bud gasps as he breathes out a fire like a dragon. The fire hits Yusei as he quickly jumps out of the way, thus letting Bud to get up.

Taurus laughs. "This fight is going to be easy, Omega-Xis," said Taurus in a triumphant tone. "I know your partner's weakness; there's no way he would harm another human being, unlike my partner."

"Take this! Ox Tackle!" Bud charges at Yusei at full speed.

Yusei dodges the attack; however, Bud quickly changes his attack with a flamethrower. His range is able to reach Yusei as the flames that cause him to flinch hit Yusei. Then Bud tackles him again and that tackle sends him flying for a bit and Bud punches him towards Luna.

Luna watches the whole fight in fear. She watches to see Bud beating Yusei like a rag doll and she believes that it is her fault that Yusei is getting beaten. She runs up to Yusei to see if he's okay, which he is as he slowly gets up.

"Fire Tower!" Bud slams his fist down at the ground. The ground starts to shake and five towers made of flames came out and surrounded Yusei and Luna.

I need to think fast, Yusei thought in a panic because his and Luna's life are on the line of being cook. He quickly grabs Luna and pulls out a Battle Card and inserts it into his Transer as the five fire towers engulfs them.

When the flames die down, Yusei and Luna are gone, leaving nothing but ashes. Bud laughs in excitement as if he already rid of Luna; however, Taurus told him that they're still alive. How can he tell? It's because if they're truly dead, then a certain object should be left behind, which is the Andromeda Key.

At a far distance away from Bud's location, Yusei and Luna both appear behind a wall. They catch their breaths because they sure have a good run to get away from the fire-breathing, muscle bull. How did they survive the Bud's fire towers? The Battle Card that he uses was Invis, a Battle Card that turns Yusei into an invisible ghost that can bypass anything, including attacks. Yusei uses that Battle Card to turn his body and Luna into ghosts to get away from Bud and his attack. To be truthful, he has no idea that he can turn Luna into a ghost from his own use, but he has no other choice.

"Great thinking," Omega-Xis spoke, "but I'm disappointed in your performance."

Yusei glares at his arm where Omega-Xis's voice spoke out from as he retorts, "Shut up, Mega! I have a moral conscience, unlike you who thinks fighting is the only option!" Then he notices Luna being sad as he asks, "Mega, can we get Luna out of here?"

"We can, but there's one problem. There is some sort of interference blocking my pulse out ability, which I bet it's from Taurus."

Yusei sighs. "So in other words, unless we defeat Bud, we can't get out. Man, this is turning into a video game or something." He approaches Luna and tries his best to act like he doesn't know her by asking, "Are you okay, miss?"

She nods her head as she continues to become silent in a very sad way. As she notices that Yusei is rubbing the sore areas of his body, she becomes concern. "I'm sorry," she said in apologetic tone, "If I hadn't made that fight with Bud, none of this would have happen. I'm Luna, by the way."

"It is nice to meet you, Luna." He petted Luna's head as if he's comforting her. "Can you please tell me what happen?" he asks, despite that he knows the story beforehand.

Luna explains to him the story about her fight with Bud yesterday. Yusei listens very carefully as he wants to know the story from her own perspective. As he listens her story, he can tell that her tone is riddled with guilt.

She also adds in her argument with Yusei earlier as she said, "He says that I'm a pathetic-excuse for a class president and he's right. My threat has made Bud into what he is now. I really want to apologize to him before our bond is gone, but it is too late… talking to Bud now is impossible."

"That's not true!" he exclaims, which surprises Luna. He explains, "There's no such thing of being late! You still have time to rebuild your bond; you just need to talk to him! However, the way your friend is now, I may need your permission to knock some sense to him."

She gasps, "Why would you need my permission to do that?"

"I really don't want to fight your friend, but there are times when words aren't enough. I know you might hate me for hurting your friend, but he's not giving me any other choice. So please… can I knock some sense into your friend?"

Luna is reluctant about his asking. She fears that Bud is going to get injuries or worst when he fights Yusei. But seeing how Bud is acting, she knows that there's no way he can be reasoned with words. If violence is the only way to stop Bud, then she should allow Mega Man to do it. However, she feels uneasy of the thought that she may lose her friend, as she remains silent.

Yusei takes her silence into reconsideration on his decision. He is afraid to fight Bud because he believes that the outcome would end Bud up to the hospital. However, he remembers his talk with Omega-Xis about the Jammer he fought before: the human would suffer a minimum damage if they're an unwillingly host. Even though he knows that the current Bud can't be easily reason with, but he has to try that again with his fists. He decided that it is time to pull out the "action speaks louder than words" kind of thing. To do that, he needs Luna's consent.

He gulps down his fears and said, "Don't worry, I promise you that I will save your friend! So will you please allow me to fight him in order to save him?"

Luna closes her eyes, as she understands what he's saying. Hearing his words have given her hope as she answers, "Okay, I allow you. Mega Man, please save Bud!"

Yusei nods his head as he runs back to the location where Bud is. Omega-Xis has listen in on the conversation and understands Yusei's doubts. Which is why he asks for Luna's permission; the EM Wave alien knows that he doesn't want this girl to hate him. As he and Yusei venture to Bud's location, Omega-Xis wonders if he made the right decision to involve an innocent teenager into his battle.