Yugioh 5D's: Konami/Kazuki Takahashi
CFGX: "The following insert in this chapter belongs to the artist Nico Touches the Walls."
We start from where we left off with Crow and Margaret finally reunited with Yusei's party, and getting closer towards the Giant's cotrol-unit.
'Yusei's sure got his work cut out for 'im,' Crow thought, 'I hope he brought his A-game.'
"You guys think that Yusei's scared?" Luna wondered.
"Yusei's not scared of nothin'! He's the best there is!" Leo assured. Luna nodded nervously and looked at her right arm...
Meanwhile, at the tower, Kalin, who has been waiting at the tower and anticipating Yusei's arrival, spots him in the distance, as Yusei notices him around the same time.
"Good to see you, 'old friend'," Kalin toggled the accelerator and rode out toward Yusei, arcing around and leaping into the air before bulleting toward him, forcing him into a game of chicken. The two runners are a feet away from colliding, and Yusei, with a yell of effort, was the first to turn aside, braking harshly. Kalin did the same, laughing wickedly, "Thanks for stopping by!"
"My pleasure." Yusei replied impassively.
"I see that you got your duel runner up and running again. I was afraid that you weren't gonna give me the opportunity to settle the score- after you sold me out!"
"You've got it all wrong."
"Do I?"
"Hey guys, look there!" Crow was riding ahead of the Security jeep and spotted the tower, as well as the two runners coming into view, "It's Yusei and Kalin! ...Follow me!" he had noticed a nearby highway running parallel to their road; he turned left and everyone else followed, leading them up onto the highway, then pulled over to the side nearest the duel; a safe vantagepoint. Crow dismounted his runner and the other three hurry over and crowd around it, Margaret staying beside her own a distance away. A safe vantagepoint for this duel was a distant one; they cannot even see Yusei and Kalin from here, but they can see the tower.
"Um, anyone bring binoculars?" asked Leo.
"Now let's get things started!" Kalin whipped off his cloak and, in the same motion, raised his right arm high. His mark started to glow a vibrant fuchsia, and is answered with a wave of purple fire appearing out of nowhere, igniting the ground around them and drawing the Mark of the Giant in purple fire for their dueling field, "It's time, old friend."
"Time for what?"
The Dark Signer cackled, "Time for me to send you straight to the Netherworld!"
'I can't believe the same person who once risked everything to protect me, is now the same person doing everything to try and hurt me!' Yusei wondered, 'I know the person that wouldn't let me die still exists..." his Mark of the Dragon burned its scarlet glow, "Now it's time I get him back!" he twisted the gas handle and got onto the same line with Kalin; an informal starting-line. The two duelists shared one last look, Yusei's steady eyes blazing with purpose.
"Allow me to start things off!" Kalin activated Speed World and its influence surrounded the field. Then both duelists sped off.
"LET'S DUEL!"
YuGiOh 5D's
Reverse of Arcadia
Ride 41: A Score to Settle
Yusei: 4000
Kalin: 4000
"Whaddaya say we mix things up; first one to the first corner gets to go first."
"Fine!"
Kalin inched ahead, then Yusei did. Each other's runner's were evenly matched, 'Looks like someone gave their runner a little tune-up.' "Time to see how it handles!" Kalin swung to the side and slammed his runner into the side of Yusei's. Sparks fly and Yusei got pushed into the wall of flames. Yusei rode onward, fighting the pain, as Kalin laughed maniacally and pulled ahead, "Looks like I go first, Yusei!" Kalin zoomed around the corner before drawing his first card, with Yusei trailing, "And with my first move, I'm summoning (1) Infernity Necromancer(4/ATK: 0/DEF: 2000) in DEF mode!" a skeleton-like creature with greyish hair and wore a ragged purple cloak appeared (DEF: 2000).
'That can only mean one thing," Yusei thought, "he's gonna try and play that 'handless' combo he used in our last duel!"
"I think I'll end my turn with a face-down!" a reverse-card appeared beside Kaling before disappearing, "It's time to make your move, Yusei; but rest assured, there's nothing you can play that will save you from my wrath!"
"We'll see about that!" Yusei replied as he started his turn...
Margaret looked ahead at the duel taking place. She did not know how, but she somehow knew that it would come to this; she knew Kalin would not just stand down and sit in prison. And to think this whole thing stemmed back two years...
Flashback...
With the Duel Gangs defeated and the districts liberated, Margaret had finally felt secure in the cesspool they called Satellite. She would no longer have to watch her back when she was alone on enemy territory, or lock her doors and windows every night in her home. She could finally live her life as normal; or at least as normal as someone around her could get...
That was what she thought before she was called out once more. She was to meet her fellow Enforcers in the alleyway nearby. Yusei, Crow, Jack and Kalin were already there when she arrived. They all huddled together to hear what Kalin had to say, "Now, listen up, Enforcers. The Satellite is finally a safe place, but we can't let up now," their leader activated his duel-disk, "We can *not* let the gangs regroup! So we have a new mission, and that's to go out and destroy every duel-disk we can find!"
Margaret could hear Crow groan, "Here we go..." she understood, she found it tiresome as well...
Nighttime was the perfect time to strike, and they searched the area hunting down the separated gangs. They captured and disarmed them one after another. And unlike before, they stood no chance against the magical duelist. After defeating her share of duelists, she went out to check on the others.
She spotted Crow chasing another member. His victim tripped and fell to the ground, struggling to rise again as Crow advanced, "Have a nice trip?" Crow activated his duel-disk, a grapple already ready in his other hand. When he then gasped, Margaret ran to him to see what was wrong. She looked to the person he was chasing and followed his surprise; this person could not have been no older than twelve!
"Please… let me go…!"
The look he gave us was the same as all the others who fell to us. Yet this one felt different; he was showing genuine fear of a child. He must have known what he would get himself into when he became a part of this. But for some reason, Margaret could not help but pity him. He looked too young to be caught up in this. She silently argued with herself on what should be done at the moment.
"Get outta here," a questioned expression appeared ontop of Magic, as well as the boy from what Crow had said, "You heard me, now get goin'!The kid did not hesitate any longer. He got up and ran off.
"Why'd you let him go?" Yusei asked after the boy ran past him. Crow would not turn to face him. Instead, punched the wall and broke down sobbing.
Margaret walked up and tried to comfort him, "Are you alright...?"
"NO!" Crow snapped back at her, still crying, "Look, this isn't what I signed up for!"
Just then, they hear the kid scream. He was on the other end of a grapple-chain and was being punished by its electricity. And it was Kalin who had caught him in the alleyway, "You can run, but you can't hide!" the boy collapsed to the ground, and Kalin stomped his duel-disk underfoot, laughing cruelly, and the kid looks up at him in fear as Kalin raised his foot again to step on his face, "Maybe next time you'll think twice about running from the Enforcers!"
"What are you doing, Kalin?!" Before Kalin can step on the kid's face, Crow had tackled him to the ground, before turning back to the boy, "Now get out of here!"
"You're gonna regret you ever did that, Crow!" Kalin slammed his fist into
Crow's stomach and allowed him to slump into the ground.
"Get goin', kid," Yusaid to the boy. He ran for it and left his broken duel-disk on the ground, as Yusei ran toward the fight, "Crow! Kalin! Stop it!"
"You-!" Kalin clocked back to punch Crow again, by Jack had caught his arm, while Yusei and Margaret were holding Crow back from attacking Kalin.
"Get your hands off me *right now*, you hear me?!" they him go and let Crow catches his breath, "Don't you guys see that *we've* become the thugs we worked so hard to get *rid of* around here?! If this is what the Enforcers are all about, then *I want out*!"
Kalin pull his arm away from Jack, *What're you saying?" he snarled.
"I'm *saying* I'm through being your *puppet*!" Crow turns and walks away down the street.
"Crow, hold up…!" Yusei called halfheartedly.
"You can't just turn your back on your *buddies*!" Kalin stated, "C'mon, Crow! The Enforcers're all you've got left!" Jack walked away, too, in a different direction than Crow was, "Where're *you* going?! Jack…? Crow…? Stop fooling around!"
She could only watch as her friends broke away. She understood how they felt. Kalin was about do something he would have later regretted, or rather not; He only saw the boy as something he believed he saw: a gang-member, just another enemy to crush. His blind ambition may have cost this child's life.
Margaret did not even want to look at the man when her turned to her with pleading eyes. She figured, he would only make an excuse as to make her stay. The only course of action she could think of right then was to turn around and walk away. She began to ran when hearing Kalin's begging. All Margaret could think of was how Kalin had changed; he was becoming less like a leader and more like a monster. It confused her even more thinking of how she knew Yusei decided not to leave him like the others had did. Sometimes Yusei is just too forgiving, she thought...
...End Flashback
And she hopes he could see where his bleeding heart had gotten him...
"Hurry up and make your move, traitor!" Kalin demanded.
"I'm summoning (2) Max Warrior(4/ATK: 1800/DEF: 800)!" a large armored warrior with a green cape, a large beaded necklace, and a long two pronged trident appeared (ATK: 1800), 'I know deep down, the only way to get through to Kalin, is to come at him with everything I've got!' "Max Warrior, attack!" Max warrior went to attack.
"Are you sure you wanna do that?" Kalin laughed, "Your Warrior's not strong enough to overpower the DEF of my Infernity Necromancer!"
"But it will be, once I activate its special ability! Ya see when this guy attacks, it gains 400 ATK points (ATK: 2200)! Go, Swift Rush!" Max Warrior stabbed Necromancer with its long, double-pronged spear, "And now until my next turn, my Warrior loses half of its original ATK and DEF points, as well as half its level (2/ATK: 900/DEF: 400)." 'You might think that's a lot to sacrifice, Kalin; but that's nothing compared to what I risked when I stayed by your side after Jack, Magic and Crow left!'
Flashback...
One day, Yusei and Kalin stood atop a tall building, hidden from the street below.
"Hey Kalin, check it out," Yusei pointed to a Security Officer as he pulled up on a shiny new security-issued duel-runner, looking around, "Is that… a *duel runner*?"
" Sure is. Sector Security thinks they're unstoppable because of it." Kalin said.
Three more runners pull up behind the first before the leader spoke, "All right, men! It's time we show these duel gangs what these runners can do! Now let's roll out and deal some justice!"
"Yes, sir!"
Kalin and Yusei spent the following evening spying on Sector Security on their new runners. They chased down multiple delinquents and beaten then at their elevated game. They were doing the same job as the Enforcer's were, only much faster. That was when Kalin came up with a brilliant idea...
"Are you saying you wanna take on Sector Security?!" Yusei exclaimed, standing up abruptly.
Yusei and Kalin were sitting at a table on top of a building that used to be their base-of-operations, the setting sun's light dimming on the gaping space that used to be most of the wall and celing.
That's right. The Enforcers first came together to rid the Satellite of duel gangs," Kalin stated, his eyes intense with malice, "and what would be more fitting than for the Enforcers' last duel to be against the *ultimate* duel gang: Sector Security! By defeating them, our home would truly be ours again! Now go round up Magic Jack and Crow; it's time for the Enforcers to reunite!"
"Are you *listening* to yourself?" Yusei cried, leaning on the table with both hands, face-to-face with Kalin, "We'll all end up in the Facility!"
"But living like this is *already* a prison sentence!"
Yusei grabbed Kalin by the front of his shirt, pulling him to stand up. The intense moment held, Yusei shaking, trying to think of something he can say or do to make his point, then he lets go and looked at the ground, "…I'm sorry. But I can't be a part of this plan. You're not thinking clearly anymore. If you're going to do this, you'll have to do it on your own." Yusei then turned and walked away.
...End Flashback.
"I place 3 cards face-down and end my turn." Yusei concluded.
"Then it's my move!" Kalin started his turn, "First I'll lay down a face-down. And then I'll trigger the trap Limit Impulse! Now by sending 2 cards in my hand to the graveyard, I can summon 2 Soul Tokens(1/ATK: 0/DEF: 0)!" a pair of floating balls of gas appeared (ATK: 0x2), "And then by releasing these two tokens, I can advance-summon Dark Tuner-Nightmare Hand!" the two souls vanished and were replaced by Kalin's Dark Tuner (ATK: 0).
"Kalin must be going for his Handless Combo!" Yusei gasped, "And with one card left he's almost got it!"
"Sorry, 'old friend', but by activating my Dark Tuner's special-ability, there is no more 'almost'! I summon Infernity Dwarf in ATK mode!" the axe-wielding dwarf appeared (ATK: 800), "Now it's time for my 'handless' combo to take effect! I tune my level-ten Dark Tuner Nightmare Hand with my level-two Infernity Dwarf, in order to dark-synchro-summon, One Hundred Eyed Dragon!" Nightmare Hand turned into ten stars and surrounded the dwarf. It went inside it and the dwarf cried in pain as it went in and an orange outline of itself appeared revealing twelve stars. Four of them disappeared leaving the remaining eight. The dwarf's frame disappeared; the stars turned black and circled around each other as Kalin chanted: "When the shadows are devoured by even darker shadows, the curtain pulls back and reveals, a world without light!" a dark orb formed above Kalin and then it dispersed to reveal a black dragon with as many eyes as the names suggests, hundred eyes all over its body all glowing a bright violet (ATK: 3000), "Aren't you glad to see 'im again? I know I am, especially since your Max Warrior's so weak! It looks like I'm going to get my revenge sooner than I anticipated! Go, Infernity Sight Stream!" Its eyes glowed purple and then fire a huge purple laser from its mouth destroying it instantly, the blast sideswiping Yusei on the right. He swerved but cannot dodge completely.
Yusei: 1900 (1)
Kalin: 4000 (3)
Crow: "That attack just put Kalin back in the driver's seat. Yusei better get a plan, and fast!"
Leo: "You can do it!"
"Trust me when I say the worst is yet to come." Kalin laughed.
"Well then I better act fast," Yusei revealed one of his reverse-cards, "I play the trap Revival Ticket! Now for every monster destroyed in battle, if I destroy 1 card on my field I can power up my life-points! And then I can bring back all my monsters that were destroyed in battle! So say hello again to Max Warrior!" after Yusei released his other reverse-card, his life-points were replenished and his warrior came back (ATK: 1800).
"You can't!"
"But I can, Kalin. And because I destroyed my trap card Limiter Overload earlier... I'm now gonna use its effect to summon Speed Warrior to my field!" Yusei's slim skating warrior appeared (ATK: 900).
Yusei: 4000 (1)
Leo: Yusei's the best!
Trudge: I hate to admit it, Leo, but you might be right.
"You always were the clever one, weren't you! But how do you plan on overpowering my One Hundred Eyed Dragon!"
"Just... watch," Yusei drew his next card, 'Kalin's right about my two warriors not being strong enough to stand up against his One Hundred Eyed Dragon, but whoever said that they would have to?' he looked at the available cards in his hand, 'Not me!' "I play the trap Card of Sacrifice! Now, when the total ATK points of the monsters on my field are less than your monster's ATK points, I get to draw 2 cards. Thing is, I can't summon or change the battle mode of any of my monsters then."
Kalin cackled, "Yusei, you've left yourself wide-open! Revenge is mine!"
"Don't be so sure, Kalin! Remember, due to the trap I activated, I now get to draw two new cards from my deck since my warriors aren't as strong as your dragon!" Yusei drew two more cards.
"It's my move, then!" Kalin drew his next card, "And I think I'll play a face-down! Next, I'll activate One Hundred Eye Dragon's special-ability, which enables it to absorb the powers of a Dark-Attribute monster in my graveyard. And the monster I'm choosing, is Infernity Necromancer! Now that I have no more cards in my hand, can summon out Infernity Archfiend!" the fiendish Infernity sorcerer appeared (ATK: 1800).
"That's exactly the move I was hoping you would make! Since you summoned a monster, the effect of Slip Summon activates!" Yusei revealed his reverse-card, "and that means that I can summon 1 level-4-or-below monster from my hand in DEF mode! So I'm calling on, Ghost Gardna!" a floating solid specter in white armor appeared (DEF: 1900).
Kalin scoffed, "It makes no difference who you call on, because there's nothing you can do to escape the power of my One Hundred Eyed Dragon! Now, say goodbye to your Speed Warrior!" the dragon unleashed another blast from it maw.
"My Warrior's not going anywhere! See, by activating Gardna's special ability, I can make it the target of your attack!" Gardna stood in the line of the dragon's attack.
"Quite the 'nifty maneuver'! But let's see how it matches up against this one! I activate One Hundred Eye Dragon's special-ability, which enables me to channel my Infernity Dwarf's special-ability! And since I have no cards in my hand, when my monster attacks a monster in defense mode, your life-points take a direct hit!" Kalin's dragon wiped away Ghost Gardna and a major piece of Yusei's life-points, causing him to go spinning backward in near-horizontal donuts.
Yusei: 2900 (2)
Kalin: 4000 (5)
"Yusei, it looks like your game is spinning out of control!" Kalin cackled as Yusei spun back into the fiery wall; the friction slows him down enough that he can stop spinning. He regained his direction, and came right back, racing after Kalin, "Come on, we're just getting started! If you thought my *last* attack was something, wait 'til you feel what's coming next! Archfiend's gonna finish Max Warrior with a- (ATK: 800) Hey, what's happened to my monster's ATK points, where'd they go!"
"They disappeared along with my Ghost Gardna," Yusei replied, "See, once it was destroyed, your monster loses a 1000 ATK points, but hey, don't let that stop you from attacking!"
Kalin snapped, "I end my turn!"
"It's my move, then!" Yusei drew his next card, "I summon Junk Synchron to the field in ATK mode!" his signature orange tuner appeared, "And now I'm gonna tune it and my Speed Warrior for a synchro-summon!" Junk Synchron pulled on its starting cord and turned into three shining stars. The three stars turned into three rings, lining up between the track's parallel lines of purple fire, mirrored on the clouds above. Speed Warrior soared through them, transforming into gold outlines as Yusei chanted:
"Clustering stars will call upon a new force! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! Junk Warrior, let's rev it up!"
Junk Warrior appeared out of the light, scattering sparkles, its round eyes lighting up red and white scarf flailing in the wind (ATK: 2300), " Next I reveal my trap card, Synchro Striker Unit! And with it in play, I can now increase Junk Warrior's ATK points by 1000!" Yusei's trap created a long, slim and rectangular laser rifle that then attached to Junk Warrior (ATK: 3300), "Time to fight! Max Warrior, take out Infernity Archfiend! And remember, when Max Warrior goes in for an attack, he gains 400 ATK points (ATK: 2200)! Go, Swift Rush!" Max Warrior advanced.
"You've underestimated me, Yusei! I reveal my trap card! Infernity Force!" Kalin revealed his reverse-card, "Now if you attack an Infernity monster when I have no cards in my hand, Infernity Force deflects the attack, and obliterates your monster!"
"Huh!" Yusei gasped as his warrior was destroyed.
"And not only that, but I can now harness the power of this trap and summon a weaker Infernity monster from my graveyard! I summon, Infernity Necromancer!" Kalin cackled as the ghoulish defender returned to the field (DEF: 2000).
"Not bad, Kalin. But let's see you stop Junk Warrior from attacking your Dragon!" the Striker Unit hummed loudly as it charged. And when Junk Warrior squeezed the trigger, it released a surge of glowing light that pierced the One Hundred Eye Dragon straight through the giant eye on its chest. Few moments passed until the demonic beast exploded into nonexistent bits of debris.
Yusei: 2900 (3)
Kalin: 3700 (6)
Leo: "Woohoo! All right!"
Luna: "Yeah!"
Trudge: "Thatta boy! Now it's time to set your sights on some life-points!"
Crow: "Hey, why is Kalin laughing...?"
And Kalin was indeed laughing, "When One Hundred Eye Dragon is destroyed, I can select any card I want from my deck and add it to my hand. You might remember this monster..."
'I knew it. One Hundred Eyed Dragon was just a setup!' Yusei thought; Kalin looked over his shoulder at Yusei, snickering, as they both knew what that card was, 'I better build a defense, and fast!' "I place 2 cards face-down and end my turn! And since it's my end-phase, Junk Warrior now loses its power boost, since the effect of my Synchro Striker Unit wears off (ATK: 2300)." as the two reverse-cards vanished, Kalin cackled and flipped the card in his hand; of course it was Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu!
Margaret continued to look on as Yusei and Kalin race onward, neck and neck. Intensely so that it has seemed to her that Yusei was somehow holding back. Why is her so determined to save this monster, she wondered? She understood that Kalin was his 'best friend', but he was beyond help now. She had realized that inevitable since the last time they came together...
Flashback...
Margaret had been looking over the broken buildings of Satellite from atop one of the few tall ones, sitting with her legs dangling from the edge. Ever since the Enforcers disbanded she returned to this place more frequently. Every time she came up to this highest point she could see New Domino from a bird's-eye view, watching it bathe in both the daily rising and setting sun, and the evening sparkles from its florescent lighting; and that scenery would never get old.
And she needed this view more than ever, because of what had happened the other night. She could feel that same event replaying through he mind; from Kalin inches away from hurting that child, to having to watch her friends separate one by one. It was torture to her to even think that.
Margaret pulled up her legs from the edge and wrapped them in her arms, her knees poking her chest. As she could feel her eyes glossing, she hid her face over her knees. No one was around to see her, no one ever came to these parts, but she did not want to show her tears leaving her eyes. She wanted her friends back together again. That was all she ever wished for.
Suddenly the sound of an explosion found its way to her ears. She quickly stood up and looked around until she saw a small plume of smoke rising a distance away. That area she knew it was the Sector Security Headquarters for Satellite. Someone must have just attacked it. But who would be crazy enough to go against Sector Security?
It was Kalin; she just knew it was him. That man had been ruining everything and putting her and her friends in more peril than it was worth. Enough was enough. She could only think of one thing to stop this madness before its gets even worse.
Margaret ran as fast as her legs can take her, crossing many roads and various alleyways trying to find Kalin. If he truly was the one behind that attack, the she had to find him before it got any worst. When she slowed down, she leaned against the brick wall to catch her breath. Dark clouds rumbled over her head; it seemed it would rain soon. As she continued to recover she saw something from the corner of her eye. She looked up and found someone in a black cloak running her direction. She could have ran away but she was getting exhausted from the constant running, and it was not too long before the person in the cape caught her and forced her against the wall.
"If they come through here don't you dare sat anything, you hear me?" Margaret recognized that growling voice. She looked under the hood and found the same insane face from a few days ago. Right now Kalin was staring in her face. She could feel herself shiver from the ugly glare he was giving her. Sirens were then heard and Kalin pushed her into the wall, then running away.
As soon as Kalin disappeared, red and blue lights shown from the opposite direction. Security patrol cars and runners approached her. Margaret's instincts told her to run away, but she stood frozen like a dear caught in the headlights.
When Yusei discovered the attack on headquarters, he gathered the remaining enforcers scattered across the district. When he could not find Margaret in any of her usual places, he assumed she went on ahead. There was a trail of patrollers for him to follow, so it was not hard to find out where Kalin was hiding. The trail eventually lead the Enforcers to a broken two-story building where they found Kalin ducked under a busted windowsill. He laughed maniacally when he saw Jack, Crow and Yusei enter. "I knew it! I just *knew* you wouldn't miss this! The Enforcers're back and better than ever!"
"Listen, Kalin. We're not here to fight, we're here to try and *end* this." Jack said.
"You've gone too far this time!" Crow added.
"Heh! I haven't gone far enough!" Kalin gripped their shoulders as though in a huddle, shoulders shaking with more crazy laughter. He then walked to the lit window and looked down to the large group of Security, his face a mask of wicked glee. Now listen up; this is the moment we've been waiting for! After this duel, Satellite will be *ours*. You hear that, Sector Security! The Enforcers're gonna run you out of here!"
"You may try but at what cost!" the captain gestured one of the officers and they pulled Margaret out of one of the patrol cars. "We caught this girl in the alley where the culprit escaped! In case I'm mistaken this one's a member of the Enforcers as well! Now we only want the one responsible for tonight's attack! Turn him in, and she and the rest of you are free to go!"
But all they got from Kalin was a snigger, "You're crazy if you think we'll fall for that!" he looked contemptuously over his shoulder at the assembled forces and laughing. He then heard a sound and looked back inside. Yusei, Jack, and Crow were removing their duel disks and placing them on the table. "Whoa! What're you guys doing? Are you giving up? If we surrender then it's all been for nothing! Let's get out there and fight!"
"Get real and wake up!" Jack demanded.
"This little revolution of ours has gone way too far, man. In case you're forgetting that's Magic out there!" Crow said.
"I'm sure she knew the risk! So what if she goes down; we'll bust her out eventually!" Kalin said.
"Kalin, look. You can still turn yourself in." Yusei insisted.
"No way, I'm sick of running from these guys and bending over to them!" Kalin almost laughed, still with that frenzied, manic look in his eyes, "Let's end this here, let's kick them out of Satellite for good! Don't you see?! This is our big moment, right here!"
"Right nothing," Jack snapped, "Our 'big moment' is never comin', Kalin."
"Guys, come on!"
"Things weren't supposed to go this far. Let's just surrender while we still can," Yusei said, "Come on, man."
Kalin stumbled backward, distraught, confused, unable to accept what he just heard, "This can't be happening. Not here! Not now! We can't just give up!" suddenly a couple of capsules were thrown in through the window and smoke sprayed from them.
"We need to get outta here, like, now!" Yusei insisted...
The four Enforcers managed to escape, but they were divided by doing so, scattered into the streets of Satellite. Sometime later, Kalin ran down an alleyway alone, until he stopped at a dead-end. With nowhere else to go, he looked up at the falling rain, "What's the point? There's nowhere to run in Satellite," he heard the noise of a runner's engine and turned. One of the Security officers on runners had caught up with him, "If I'm gonna go down, then I'm gonna go down fighting!" he muttered, activating his duel-disk, "Let's duel! I draw, I summon Vorse Raider in attack mode!" with a snarl, the savage Beast-Warrior appeared, raising its halberd.
"You dunno when you're beaten, do you!" the officer retorted, "Fine. If it's a duel you want, I summon Montage Dragon!" the three-headed dragon destroyed Vorse Raider, and the officer rode straight at Kalin, who has nowhere to run and knew it. The officer turned sideways, going into a skid. "You're finished!"
Kalin gasped, then noticed something above him. When the officer hits the space Kalin was standing in a moment ago, he could not react fast enough before Kalin, who had jumped up and grabbed the end of a fire escape ladder above, jumped down and landed on the back of the runner. The officer took off riding, trying to shake him off; Kalin grabbed him in a headlock.
Yusei appeared at the other end of the alley, in time to see Kalin and the officer zoom past, wrestling for control of the runner. "Kalin! No! Kalin, stop!"
The runner crashed through a solid wall and went flying through the air; both Kalin and the officer were thrown off, yelling. The runner hits the ground and spun a few times. The blood-stained agent lay unconscious, while Kalin groaned and stood up, "That's it... You asked for it!" Kalin gasped. With a a demonic glare in his eyes, he snatched up a wooden stick and approached the agent, ready to beat him out of his misery. "I- am gonna-"
"STOP!" Yusei tackled him aside before he can do anything to the officer, and they were fighting and wrestling, rolling over and over through the soaking wet alleyway. Finally, Yusei was able to pin Kalin to the ground.
"Let me go, Yusei, we have to stop them!" Kalin screamed, "We have to fight back! We can't let them win!" As Yusei pinned Kalin, Jack and Crow ran up behind them...
Later, Security cars searched the streets while the Enforcers hid in a building somewhere. Yusei's looked out the window, back to the wall beside it to stay out of sight. At the back of the room, Jack and Crow were each gripping one of Kalin's arms, restraining him.
"Yusei. It's only a matter of time before they find us." Jack warned.
"Whaddaya thinkin', Yusei?" Crow wondered.
Yusei looked into Kalin's eyes as the prisoner glared at him. Kalin looked almost ill, breathing heavily even though Yusei has long since caught his breath; there was little doubt that he would fight anything he could, including Yusei, if Jack and Crow let him go. Yusei seems to have made the decision in that moment, and turned his back, his face hard. "You guys stay here."
Yusei walked out into the street, and three Security cars stopped at the nearest intersection, appearing from all directions. It did not take long for Yusei to be surrounded with headlights, and more Security appeared from every direction. "I'm the leader of the Enforcers! I'm the one who's been organizing and planning the attacks! You said if I turned myself in, the others could go free. Well here I am!"
"Yusei!" Yusei looked to see an officer with Crow by the shoulder, and five more are clustered around him and Jack. They have already been apprehended.
The captain walked over to Yusei, "We did say it was the leader of the rabble we were after, but we know who the real leader is!"
Yusei looked up; a pair of Security officers were leading Kalin out. "I'm the one in charge!" he pleaded.
"Do you think we're stupid? You can't fool us," the captain pointed at a pair of paramedics wheeling the officer who crashed earlier on a gurney, "But that's cute that you tried to take the fall and protect your little friend." he patted Yusei patronizingly on the shoulder. As Kalin was being hauled into the van, he looked back to see the captain patting Yusei on the shoulder, with a sickened smug on his face, "Good job." the captain chuckled before he walked away. Kalin could not believe his eyes, could not believe what he was seeing. And finally...
"HOW COULD YOU!" Yusei head snapped toward the source of the screech, who lunged forward, but was dragged back by the two Security officers gripping his arms and towing him toward the van. "Yusei, you snitch! How could you sell out your best friend like this!"
"You're wrong, Kalin, I-"
The two Security officers threw Kalin into the prison van. He scrambled to his hands and knees, fighting like crazy to get at Yusei, "MARK MY WORD! YOU'LL PAY, TRAITOR!" his hoarse screaming was cut off by the steel doors slamming in his face. The van drove off as Kalin hollered Yusei's name.
Margaret saw the entire event hiding from the corner of a nearby building. She saw Yusei standing in the rain with his head hung low. Even she could tell, Yusei felt responsible for what had happened. But she also knew, how wrong Yusei was. It was because of her that Kalin was sent away. But she held no regrets; not even when Yusei found himself screaming to the dark heavens...
"I'M SORRY!"
...End Flashback.
"Things were getting out of hand. The riots and the fighting had to stop; you had to stop!" Yusei called out to Kalin, "But I was trying to help you, Kalin! I was trying to save you!"
"You think I believe you?! You sold me out, man!"
"Not true!" Crow argued from his duel-runner's console, "Yusei was trying to surrender to Sector Security in your place!"
"Nobody should've surrendered, we should've stood up to them together! You backed down when things got tough! You let Sector Security take over Satellite!"
"So as far as I'm concerned you DID betray me!"
"I wanted to help you!" Yusei disputed.
"Well, with help like yours who needs help!" Kalin spat, "Besides, if you cared 'so much' about me, why didn't you come an' visit me in the Facility?! Huh, Yusei?!"
"He tried to visit you, plenty a' times. But every time we came by, they turned us away!" Crow looked away from the screen, pained, "Man, I can't imagine what they did to you in there!"
"Of course you can't, 'old friend'! I coulda handled the insults and the beatings, but they... They took my deck from me! I had nothing to my name then! I had might as well have buried myself alive! But then...
Flashback...
Weeks had passed after Kalin had been sentenced. He was sitting in a corner of a dark prison cell he was throun into, huddled with his knees to his chest. His attire was tattered and his skin was bruised from the constant beatings. There was nothing to look forward to in a place such as this, except for the punishment and abuse he had to endure daily. Slowly his mind was wearing away. He constantly wondered how long until his mind breaks completely...
"Kalin... Oh, Kalin..." a voice echoed in Kalin's ears. Its tune sang like a canary. However, Kalin decided to ignore the strange voice, overlooking it as a mere delusion. Suddenly she could hear footsteps in the silence of his cell. He thought it was one of the guards, but then remember the he never heard the door opened. He could spot a pair of feet exposing themselves under the moonlight neat the barred window. "Hello, anybody home?" Kalin looked up, but not enough for his eyes to be shown. He could see a person in a black cloak looking down to him, "Looks like I managed to grab your attention. Let me give you a bit of introduction..." the figure bent down close to his level, "I'm a messenger from beyond the twilight. A harbinger, a sort of, herald," still Kalin refused to raise his head, "I know what happened to you. You were born into a life full of pain and misery. You decided to take matters into your own hands and try to make a difference. You gained followers who support you wherever you go, to liberate Satellite from the hell it was forced into. But it was only a matter of time before they betrayed you," Kalin's curiosity finally overwhelmed him and decided to look up, where he could see a pair of shadowed amber eyes under the black hood. The person could finally see Kalin's eyes. They looked tired, bitter, miserable, and far past the point of despair; a delicacy made especially for the hungry abyss of their eyes. They soon bound their arms around Kalin, and held his head close to her head-to-shoulder, "I can make all that go away. I can grant you power to make a bigger difference. All you have to do is accept the mark of a Dark Signer. And then, you will be free. You will be unstoppable. You will duel again. And finally, you will be able to raise hell on all who have opposed you."
Their words were like the sweetest candy to Kalin's ears. He was being pulled by their influence. As weakened as he is, he was hopeless to resist, "Good. But I only want revenge on one person. Just one..." finally, he slumped over, no longer to stay conscious.
"Then let your wish be a dream come true." the Herald smiled.
...End Flashback.
"I gave myself to the shadows so that I could have this one moment! This moment, where I make you feel the terror and the pain that you made me feel when you turned your back on me! It's my move!" Kalin drew his next card, "And I now release Infernity Archfiend, and Infernity Necromancer!" the two monsters turned into orbs of light and flew upward, combining to form the stone heart of the Earthbound Immortal, "I summon to the field, Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu!" a beam of light soared from his upraised card to the heart in the sky, and it began to pulse, gradually picking up pace. A fiery column of purple light shot from ground to sky, sending energy rippling across the clouds. The ground rumbled, and the Giant appeared, roaring its supremacy (ATK: 3000).
Trudge: "Oh, man! That thing is huge!"
Crow: "Gee, ya think?"
"With that guy out..."
"It's the end of the line! Man, I've been waiting a long time to say... Ccapac Apu, send Yusei to the Netherworld!" Ccapac Apu reached for Yusei and his runner; the ground erupted beneath the Giant's arm, blown apart by the sheer energy.
'The last time we dueled and he summoned this Earthbound Immortal, my duel runner's wheel broke before it could attack, ending the duel early, ' Yusei thought, 'But that's not gonna happen this time. This time I'm bringing that Earthbound Immortal down to earth! I hope this plan works! Here goes everything!' "I reveal my trap card, Baton of the Hero!" Yusei revealed his reverse-card, "And with it in play, I'm now allowed to choose the target of your monster's attack!"
Kalin gasped, "So that means-"
"That your Immortal's attacking Junk Warrior!" Junk Warrior flew up into the Giant's hand, and exploded, showering Yusei with dust.
Yusei: 2400 (4)
Kalin: 3700 (7)
"Way to throw your monster out as a shield," Kalin said, "But this attack isn't over! Not yet! 'Cause when your monster gets destroyed, you take damage equal to your monster's ATK points!"
Crow: "This isn't good. With Yusei's Junk Warrior packin' so much power, if he doesn't do something, he's done for!"
Luna: Come on, Yusei!
"I activate this, Kalin: the trap Burst Synchro Summon!" Yusei revealed his reverse-card, and a shield appeared above to protect him from damage, "Now my life-points are safe from taking any damage! And then, due to the power of my trap, I can bring out a monster whose ATK points are the same as the amount of damage I would've taken!"
Leo: "Does Yusei even have something that powerful?"
Luna: "Only Stardust Dragon!"
Crow: "That's what I'm talkin' about!"
"Stardust Dragon, let's rev it up!" Yusei called as the energy shield disappeared, formed into a ball of energy and his signature dragon appeared with stardust streaming out of its wings. The dragon introduced itself with a roar (ATK: 2500).
(Cue: Hologram)
masshiro na keshiki ni ima sasowarete
boku wa yuku yo mada minu sekai e
"Well you finally managed to summon your favorite monster!" Kalin laughed as he concluded with a face-down, "D'you actually think it's gonna make a difference?!"
"Time to find out!" Yusei declared as he drew his next card.
maigo no mama tabishiteta
nezumi iro no sora no shita
higawari no chizu ikutsu mo no yume ga nijin de ita
"Not so fast! I reveal the trap card, Brilliant Shrine Art!" Kalin revealed his reverse-card, "Now when you attack your monster has to face my Earthbound Immortal!"
"...But my Stardust Dragon doesn't stand a chance against that thing. I'm gonna need some backup, so I activate the Angel Baton Speed Spell! Now I can draw 2 cards and send one from my hand to my graveyard! And the card I sent to the graveyard was (3) Stardust Xiaolong(1/ATK: 100/DEF: 100)! But with Stardust Dragon already summoned, I can instantly resurrect Xiaolong to the field in ATK mode!" a serpentine dragon with akin features to the original Stardust appeared (ATK: 100), "Next I play a face-down and end my turn!"
itsuka wa sa
chippoke na boku no kono hohaba demo
ano kumo no mukou made yukeru kana
"This is getting good, Yusei!" Kalin started his next turn.
"You got that right, and after I play my trap Superior Protector...," Yusei revealed the face-down he set a moment ago, "it's only gonna get better! See, with this card equipped to Stardust Dragon, I can only take battle-damage if Stardust battles."
"All you've done is made your Dragon a target! Now all I need to do is crush it, so that I can crush you!"
tsuyogatte kizutsuita
kokoro sukashita you ni
furidashita ametsubu tachi ga
ranhanansha kurikaesu
Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu towered over the field, reaching one black hand for Stardust Dragon as though to grab it right out of the air, "Looks like you and your Stardust Dragon are about to get sent to the Netherworld!"
"Not if I send Superior Protector to the graveyard to protect us!"
massugu na hikari ga kousashite
yukusaki mo tsugenu mama
dokomademo tsukinukeru
"Nice move, but you're still taking battle damage!" Kalin countered before he activated his reverse-card, "And thanks to my little Wicked Trample trap card, when you take battle-damage from something other than a direct attack, that damage is doubled!"
"What?!"
The Dark Signer cackled, "Earthbound Immortal! End this now!" The Giant's hand got to Stardust Dragon, but wasn't destroyed. A wave of impact got to Yusei and Yusei cried out in pain as he took the hit.
Yusei: 1400 (5)
Kalin: 3700 (9)
awai zanzou ryou me ni yakitsukete
todoku hazu nanda mada minu sekai e
The ground around the Giant's feet began to cave and erode; the road cracked, and Kalin was forced down into the side of the road that was sinking and smashing itself to pieces, forced to the edge of the purple fire.
Yusei, on the edge of the fracturing sinkhole, veered down onto the broken track, closer to Kalin, "Kalin! What's going on?!"
"Don't know!"
"Take my hand!" Kalin looks up as Yusei was actually offering him his hand. He was shocked as it caused him to remember when he saved Yusei from falling off a building back then...
shirazu shirazu ni hatte ita no wa
shiro kuro no SUTEKKAA de
daiji na mono bokura wa kakushite shimatte ita
"I made the wrong call, Kalin! I thought I could help you, I thought, 'maybe if I take the heat Kalin'll turn himself around!' But I get it now! You and I are friends! I should've found a way for us to fix things together! I should've stood by you!"
"Come on, buddy!" Crow muttered, before Luna's mark began to glow.
And so has Jack's. He looked at it, then off into the distance toward the duel.
And even Akiza's, "I can feel us all drawing together...!"
takara no ishi yori hana yori hoshi no akari yori kirei na
「yume」to iu na no HOROGURAMU o zawameki o
Yusei's mark shone like a beacon, even brighter as he reached toward Kalin, "Jack, Magic and Crow feel the same way, Kalin! And right now, like back then, we're fighting alongside our friends for something we believe in! But I'm not fighting to defeat you! You have to believe me! I'm trying to save you! I'm trying to save my friend from the Dark Signers!"
"Your friend? ...You can't! It's too late!" Kalin then screamed as he slid down further toward the fire.
Yusei cried out for his friend as his mark glowed even brighter, before it vanished. Soon enough, his back was etched with the crimson light, forming the arched seal of the Crimson Dragon; what was more, Jason's Heart of the Dragon appeared where Yusei's mark originally was.
Crow: "What's goin' on?!"
Luna: "Our marks have all joined up on Yusei!"
hamidashite sakaratte
itsuka egaita fuukei
kuyashi sa mo sabishi sa mo
ima awa mitai ni hajike tobu
"We're all in this together, right now we're all as one!" Suddenly the top card of Yusei's deck started glowing bright golden, "Something's calling to me... Time to find out what!" Yusei declared and drew that card. He looked at the card, still shining golden, "Of course, that's what I've gotta do! Just like the others and I had to become a team to fight the Dark Signers, my monsters have to unite to win this duel! And to make sure that happens, I summon (4) Majestic Dragon(1/ATK: 100/DEF: 100) to the field in ATK mode!" a small, pink tadpole-shaped creature with spoke-styled wings appeared (ATK: 0), "Next, I tune Majestic Dragon with my Stardust Dragon and Stardust Xiaolong!"
massugu na michi de tsumazuitatte
kasabuta hagaretara
ima yori kitto tsuyoku nareru
Stardust and Xiaolong soared high, one beneath the other, and Majestic Dragon rolled over midair and spread its spoked wings wide. It grew bigger, beginning to shine pink, until Stardust and Xiaolong were surrounded with pink light. Stardust and Xiaolong appeared mostly transparent with glowing gold outlines, stars shining brightly within the outlines, synchro-gates circling around them.
"Gather starlights will enlighten a new miracle! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! Arrive in light, (5) Majestic Star Dragon(10/ATK: 3800/DEF: 3000)!"
masshiro na keshiki ni ima sasowarete
boku wa yuku yo mada minu sekai e
The myriad of stars zoomed into place and aligned with Majestic Dragon's core star, creating a wash of light. It engulfed Yusei and then a massive crystalline dragon took flight. Yusei's new dragon is the next level beyond Stardust. Its design is futuristic, with spoked wings like Majestic Dragon's, built perhaps for space but not for flying through the sky. Its very presence causes the air to shimmer with iridescent light (ATK: 3800).
"Kalin, your Earthbound Immortal's special-abilities are powerless against my mighty dragon! In fact, my dragon can absorb them all and use them against you! Go, Sublimation Drain!" the air around the Giant began to sparkle with little blue lights.
kasumu sora no saki ni nijiiro no hikari
ashita no kage ni furueru tabi ni
tooku de boku o yobu koe ga shite
The monster reeled, confused and weakened. Majestic Star Dragon absorbed the lights, looking right at the huge Immortal, into its heart, "And now, Majestic Star Dragon... end this duel! ATTACK!"
massugu na hikari ga chirabatte
ameagari no gogo ni
taba ni natte furisosogu
Majestic Star, now shining with blue light, folded back its wings and bulleted toward Ccapac Apu, indeed appearing to be a shooting star. It blasted right through the Immortal's chest and flew out the other side, not even scratched, soaring away into the sky as the Immortal collapsed behind it, bleeding out all the souls it had absorbed. A huge wave of darkness exploded from its back, threatening to engulf the Dragon, but Majestic Star easily outran it. As Yusei looked down, he saw Kalin's runner skid out of control, plunging into the geoglyph flames, "Hang on, pal!"
mugen no GURADEESHON ga ima mazari atte
kono sora no shita donna toko ni ite mo
kanarazu todoku hazu sa mada minu sekai e
Majestic Star Dragon dove down, penetrating through the geoglyph flames to grab up Kalin into its body before flying up again, Yusei holding Kalin in his arms, "Come on, stay with me! I'm not giving up this time; this time, I'm gonna save you."
Kalin opened his eyes and looked up at Yusei; his eyes had turned their normal color again. "Yusei... I spent years hating you and planning my revenge," he spoke hoarsely, "I let my anger devour me and I willingly gave myself to the darkness...! But in beating me, Yusei... you've found your friend, and although the shadows await..." he heard Yusei gasped, "... I need you to promise me something, Yusei. Stop beating yourself up over what happened. I'm the one who really messed things up. But now, finally, here at the very end, you did what you set out to do; you saved me!"
"Kalin..."
"You're not going to go and do something stupid like... lose to the Dark Signers... are you?" Yusei shook his head no. Kalin smiled, peaceful and benign, "Don't back down, Yusei. No matter what happens... push the shadows back where they belong...!" With a small gasp of pain, Kalin turned to black dust, evaporating in Yusei's arms. The Signer stared at them; even knowing this would happen could not soften the pain.
"Kalin..!"
While the spectators watched Majestic star sail serenely through the sky, Margaret had already left the highway and found Yusei standing alone, staring out at the desolate Satellite landscape. She could heard Yusei whispering to himself as his shoulders were shaking.
"They came to you when you were afraid and hurt. They took advantage of your pain. They twisted you so that they could use you as their pawn! They won't get away with it! I won't let these Dark Signers win..." she knew he was still hurt about sending Kalin away. But that did not douse her disgust for that monster. Nevertheless Yusei saw him as a close friend. Perhaps Kalin was indeed misguided; but could a liberated land possibly have justified overthrowing the local authority? Could betrayal have justified incinerating the entire civilization?
Margaret took Yusei from bwhind and wrapped her arms around his waist. She could actually feel him trembling to the core. Her warmth was not enough to comfort the Signer. She felt conveinence dropping as Yusei cried out into the heavens.
"They're gonna pay for this!"
DUEL-MON DATABASE
(1) Infernity Necromancer
Stats: [Fiend/Effect] LV4 ATK/0 DEF/2000
Attribute: DARK
Effect: When this card is Normal Summoned, it is changed to Defense Position. If you have no cards in your hand, this card gains the following effect: Once per turn, you can select 1 "Infernity" monster in your Graveyard, except "Infernity Necromancer", and Special Summon it.
(2) Max Warrior
Stats: [Warrior/Effect] LV4 ATK/1800 DEF/400
Attribute: WIND
Effect: If this card attacks an opponent's monster, this card gains 400 ATK during the Damage Step only. If this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle, until your next Standby Phase, this card becomes Level 2 and its original ATK and DEF are halved.
(3) Stardust Xiaolong
Stats: [Dragon/Effect] LV1 ATK/100 DEF/100
Attribute: WIND
Effect: If this card is in your Graveyard while you control a face-up "Stardust Dragon", you can Special Summon it. Once per turn, if this card would be destroyed by battle, it is not destroyed.
(4) Majestic Dragon
Stats: [Dragon/Effect] LV1 ATK/0 DEF/0
Attribute: LIGHT
Effect: This card cannot be used as a Synchro Material Monster, except for the Synchro Summon of a "Majestic" monster.
(5) Majestic Star Dragon
Stats: [Dragon/Effect] LV10 ATK/3800 DEF/3000
Attribute: WIND
Effect: "Majestic Dragon" + "Stardust Dragon" + 1 non-Tuner monster
You can Tribute this card to negate the activation of an opponent's Spell Card, Trap Card, or Effect Monster's effect and destroy all cards your opponent controls. Once per turn, you can negate the effect(s) of 1 face-up monster your opponent controls until the End Phase. Also, if the negated effect can be activated, you can activate it once as this card's effect. During the End Phase, return this card from the field to the Extra Deck, and Special Summon 1 "Stardust Dragon" from your Graveyard.
Jason: "I've finally made it to the fifth and final generator. But the guardian I have to confront is someone I would never expect to have to face. Can I be able to wrap this up before I have to deal with their dark power? Next time on Reverse of Arcadia: Blackened Innocence. It's time to Accelerate!"
DUEL-MON TRIVIA-
Hey duelists! Did you know:
After "Max Warrior" would battle, it has the same Type, Attribute, Level, ATK and DEF as "Speed Warrior".
Please Read and Review.