Well, here we are again. Enjoy!

The tears welled up in Sidney's eyes and started pouring down her cheeks. Yusei kneeled down beside her and folded his hand over hers.

"It's not fair…" She sobbed, "He was on our side!"

Crow skidded down on his Runner and rejoined the others. Midori got up from Yusei's Runner and immediately went over to him. He let her sit beside him on his Runner. She looked down and realized that she was still holding the spare helmet that Yusei had let her use.

"This all makes my stomach turn…" Midori mumbled. Crow lowered his head.

"It sucks for me, too."

Midori smiled at him, but it quickly faded when she saw the faint glow of the giant's mark high above in the sky.

"Kiryu's waiting for Yusei…"

She hopped off Crow's Runner for a moment. She held out the spare helmet to Sidney as a serious expression overtook her face.

"Sidney?" She spoke to get her attention. Sidney looked up at the helmet that Midori was offering to her.

"I'm really sorry about what happened to Bommer. It hurts that we are forced to fight people who aren't our enemies. But you saw what happened. When the duel ended, all the people trapped inside that Earthbound Immortal were freed. The same was true when Luna and Leo defeated Demak…"

Midori let the helmet drop. Yusei removed his hand as she grabbed it in her arms, not taking her eyes off of Midori.

"Midori has a point. Bommer's defeat wasn't in vain. In the end, he got his village back." Yusei tried to reassure her.

"If the other Dark Signers are defeated, others will return as well. The people who are trapped will be released…"

Midori clenched her fists.

"Perhaps we can save Bommer and the other Dark Signers, too."

She sat back down with Crow and he handed her the spare helmet Sidney had used. Everyone suited up and prepared to leave. Midori rested her head on Crow's back and sighed.

"You're really ready for this?"

Midori held on tight as Crow accelerated his Runner and the group began heading in the direction of Kiryu's tower.

"Yeah…as much as I can be."

Crow could see that Midori had gained a confidence she had not possessed when the two of them had met. It didn't put his mind at ease, however. That would only happen when all of this was over.

In the meantime, Sidney was holding on tight to Yusei. She opened her mouth to speak, but Yusei spoke first.

"I'm sorry if I was fussing too much over you yesterday."

Sidney turned her gaze away from the back of Yusei's head.

"I get it. You were scared that I'd get hurt. And you're right…I did. But, worrying over it didn't prevent that."

"No, it didn't. All of us are still getting hurt. We can only do what we can do to support each other." Yusei kept his eyes on the road.

A brief period of silence past by them.

"Yusei?"

"Yes Sidney?"

She hesitated a moment before speaking again. She stammered a bit.

"I…I still love you, Yusei. Just so you know…I…love you… no matter what."

Yusei said nothing at first and this made Sidney uneasy. But, she supposed it may have nothing to do with her. She turned her gaze down at the ground underneath them.

"I love you too, Sidney."

Sidney felt like she was going to cry again when the outline of the tower became visible. She inhaled calmly and eased her urge to shed tears. She had shed enough of them for now.

As they got closer, they could see that Kiryu was waiting for them. He revved the engine of his Runner and went straight for Yusei. Dust kicked up and Trudge took Leo and Luna to a section of road on higher ground nearby.

"Well, I was starting to think you weren't going to show up, Yusei!" He snickered. Yusei put on the breaks to let Sidney off. As she got off, she allowed her eyes to meet his. She gave him back the spare helmet.

"This is your fight now…We'll be watching you…break a leg…"

Yusei nodded and she ran to go join the others. Kiryu saw Crow ride up with Midori out of the corner of his eye. He stopped laughing, but his mouth was still curled into a manic smile.

"…AND you brought the little mouse? Too bad Rudger said we don't need her anymore…" He started cackling again.

"Still, it will make this revenge all the more satisfying."

Crow stopped his Runner. Midori asked for him to let her off as she gave him the spare helmet.

Crow's face twisted with worry. Midori gave him a serious look.

"There's something I've got to say. If I don't do it now, I never will."

Crow bowed his head and took the helmet.

"Ok. I'll wait for you." He told her. She pushed herself off the Runner and approached Yusei and Kiryu nervously. Kiryu started to laugh a little harder.

"Interesting…" Kiryu mused.

"Ever since I escaped from you and the other Dark Signers, the idea of being captured again haunted me. Mostly because I was afraid of repeating the agony I was dealt by your hand.

…Being the Oracle of Twilight…having this gift…

None of it protected or prepared me for that."

Kiryu fell silent. His expression became neutral.

"It hasn't been that long, and my emotional wounds are still healing. But, in the time between my escape and now, I have made friends and regained my grandpa. I am just beginning to see the extent of my power…

But most importantly, they have allowed me to see the truth about YOU."

Kiryu smirked.

"And what truth is that, little mouse?"

Midori shook her head.

"When are you going to learn that my name is Midori?" She meekly asked, "It's not 'little mouse' or any other thing you call me… It's Midori!"

"You're talking back. Should I be scared? Should I be shaking in my boots?" He mocked her as he let out a maniacal guffaw.

"Just know this. I'm not afraid of you anymore!"

She paused.

"I hope that by your defeat, the Dark Signer who hurt me will die, and the person who died and gave rise to you will get a second chance."

"Ha! You talk as if I'm two separate people! Maybe I've finally made you crack…" Kiryu sneered.

"Whether it's right or wrong…It's the only way I can forgive you, Kiryu."

Midori turned around and walked back to Crow. He helped her up onto his Runner and she put the helmet back on. He proceeded to start his engine and go to join the others.

"I wasn't wrong." She muttered.

"I believe you, Midori. After all, doesn't it seem like none of the Dark Signers are the same people they once were?"

Images of all the Dark Signers and their pervious lives flashed quickly through Midori's mind.

"No, and after what happened with Bommer…I think that what we see is more of their Earthbound Immortal…or at least its influence…than it is entirely…them. I know that Sidney and the twins would agree with me after that."

Sidney stood at the edge of the high road, watching anxiously as Kiryu and Yusei started up their Runners and engaged for their duel. The purple fire that formed the mark of the giant was already forming below.

Midori got off of Crow's Runner and joined her.

"Star Princess!" She tugged at her arm.

"Remember, Yusei is fighting not just to save the world or the people trapped inside Ccapac Apu…He's also trying to save his friend."

"Right, most of the Dark Signers are not the ones who were really fighting, it's their Earthbound Immortals."

Midori blinked.

"Most…" She wondered aloud.

"I have reason to believe that Rudger may be an exception to that. I can't explain it very well, but…"

Just then, they heard a loud thud and the roar of an engine, followed by a pair of familiar voices.

"Hey! Is it too late to join the party?" Laura shouted to them as the Earth Blazer leapt from behind the rocks and banged onto the road.

"Grandpa!" Midori exclaimed.

Laura bolted from the Runner and squeezed Sidney when she hugged her.
"Laura," Sidney squirmed, "I can't breathe…"

"Sorry, Sid." Laura let her go, letting out a giggle of embarrassment.

"We watched your duel with Bommer on Etsuo's Duel Runner. It was amazing! I bet he didn't even see it coming!"

Sidney hung her head. Laura's face twisted with worry.

"Is there something the matter?"

"It's Bommer…no, it's this whole thing. I've learned it's more complicated than it should have been. They're using friends and people we care about against us!" Sidney folded her arms.

"I wouldn't be the least bit surprised. I take it Bommer was actually one of the good guys? Then again, after seeing how Misty was a Dark Signer when we were back in New Domino City…"

Luna's Signer mark began shining and Sidney's marks resurfaced, radiating the light of the Crimson Dragon.

"The duel is starting." Laura peered over Sidney and saw Kiryu and Yusei down below on their Runners.

"This time, you'll pay in full for sending me to my death, Yusei! The final duel of Team Satisfaction will come to pass!" Kiryu revved his engine. The two of them went speeding off down the path created by the flames. Yusei struggled to move ahead to win the first turn, only to find Kiryu ramming into him and pushing him out of the way.

"Kiryu, it was never what you thought!" Yusei protested. Kiryu had made it past the first turn in the path, and so he took the first move in the duel.

He swiftly drew his card.

"I'll start things off by summoning my Infernity Necromancer in defense mode!"

(Infernity Necromancer is a level three Dark attributed Spellcaster Type monster with no attack points and 2000 defense points.)

The Necromancer appeared to be a masked fiend with long, bushy blue hair and an adorned in blue garments. It took a defensive stance as it floated in midair alongside Kiryu's Runner.

Kiryu then set another card as a facedown to end his turn. Yusei knew the minute he played an Infernity monster that he would be trying to use his handless combo against him. He didn't have much luck last time, but he knew he had to act and try to keep cards in Kiryu's hand, if he could.

"Come and get me, Yusei! I want to make you suffer for betraying me!"

Yusei drew his first card, which he saw was a card called Limiter Break. At that moment, he was remembering when things began to fall apart between the members of Team Satisfaction.

They had gained a dominant hold over the Satellite and had eliminated most of the gangs, except for a few stragglers. Some of the gangs had given Team Satisfaction the nickname 'The Enforcers' because of their vigilante behavior, including the destruction of the other gang's Duel Disks when they lost against them.

Yusei, Jack, and Crow believed they had accomplished themselves and made the Satellite a safer place as they had intended when their gang was first formed.

It wasn't enough for Kiryu, though. Even the few weak ones that were left were still a threat in his eyes. Anyone with a Duel Disk he called their enemies. Even though it wasn't revealed until later, he included Sector Security among those enemies.

Things got worse when they went to go take care of a few duelists remaining from a gang known as Team Insect from one of the central districts. They had defeated the gang's major members and their leader, but a few of their younger members were trying to band together and get back on their feet.

That's when Yusei learned that Kiryu was changing for the worse.

Yusei and Crow had quickly disarmed two of the young gang members and damaged their Disks. But, they had an uneasy feeling about what they were doing. When the boys were defeated, they urged then to take their decks and leave. Because they were afraid, the boys listened and bolted without any question.

Then, they heard a cry from a nearby alley, where Kiryu had engaged the remaining one, the youngest of the group, in a duel.

He had taken him down easily and his Duel Disk had been disabled. Yusei and Crow rushed over to see Kiryu also crush the Duel Disk with his foot, utterly ruining it. On that cloudy day, he leered over at the boy and chuckled perniciously.

"You shouldn't have gone into the duel world half-cocked like that. Now this is what half-hearted preparation has cost you!"

He was about to stomp over the terrified boy when Crow leapt in and tackled him to the ground. The boy, with Crow's urging, dashed away with his deck. Kiryu pushed Crow off of him and proceeded to sock him in the gut.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Crow? Why are you letting him escape?" Crow and Kiryu started were about to get into it with each other, when Yusei saw the boy peak his head out from behind a corner. He shook his head and motioned to the boy to leave. The boy finally slipped out from view and disappeared.

Jack came running up, having seen everything. He grabbed Kiryu's arm to prevent him from punching Crow again. Yusei had also restrained Crow, but released him upon Crow's request.

He glared at Kiryu.

"I've had enough of this! It's one thing to try and make the Satellite safe from thugs…but these were kids! How can you even think it's ok to hurt kids!"

Kiryu fell silent, but Jack still held his arm.

"What's worse is that we've been using dueling as a weapon of war…in that way we might be as dangerous as the gangs we eliminated… Dueling is something that should be enjoyed, not forced upon people. It doesn't matter who you duel or when you duel…that's what it was meant to be.

NOBODY has the right to take that away from people. Not me…especially not YOU!"

Jack finally let Kiryu go. He looked at Crow with uncertainty. It was if he wasn't sure what he should feel.

"Crow…" Kiryu hesitated. Crow turned his back to Kiryu.

"Save it. I'm done with all of this crazy B.S. I'm leaving Team Satisfaction for good." At that moment, Crow walked away.

"Crow! Aren't we a Team? Aren't you my friend? Answer me, Crow!"

Crow said nothing. At that moment, Jack also walked away, only he gave no explanation. Yusei saw on his face that he couldn't stomach what had happened either or what was beginning to happen to Kiryu.

Kiryu tried to call them back, but they didn't come. At that point, he turned to Yusei.

"You…You're not going to leave me too, are you, Yusei? I'm still your friend…we're still a team, right?"

Yusei could only nod, but at that point he wasn't going to leave Kiryu like Jack and Crow. Kiryu needed him as a friend, and he couldn't just leave his friend behind.

Yusei's attention was called back to the duel when he heard Kiryu's voice shattering his train of thought.

"Aren't you going to make a move, Yusei? I'm waiting…" He cackled. Yusei picked a monster from his hand.

"I'm summoning Max Warrior in attack mode!"

Max Warrior appeared on the field, bearing a large, U-shaped spear. It looked like an ancient soldier fashioned from steel and stone with a string of golden orbs around its neck and a billowing green cape.

(Max Warrior is a level four Wind attributed Warrior Type monster with 1800 attack points and 800 defense points.)

"My Infernity Necromancer is still stronger than that! I guess you're not that right in the head yourself, are you, Yusei?"

Yusei shook his head.

"As far as I know, I'm still sane. Because I can give my Warrior a 400 point boost to its attack power via its special ability!"

With its attack power now at 2200, Max Warrior was more than capable of destroying Infernity Necromancer.

With one swoop, Max Warrior smashed the Necromancer and caused it to shatter. The monster disappeared and Kiryu sent the card to his graveyard. Then, Max Warrior's attack dropped to 900 and its level was reduced to two.

"The effect I activated comes at a cost and my Max Warrior becomes weaker, but I can live with that."

Kiryu snickered. He was roughed up a bit from the attack but felt no pain because he didn't take any damage to his lifepoints.

"Oh, you can? I suppose you can also live with the fact its left you open to a counterattack, too."

Yusei said nothing. He thought about how he had hung on with Kiryu until it was too late to make much of a difference with him. He wondered if back then he could have even if he had left sooner.

Yusei chose to end his turned by placing three cards down on his field. Hopefully that would give him a fighting chance.

It was back to Kiryu now.

To be continued! Thanks for the reviews, they are always appreciated! I also want to thank those who have favorited or subscribed to this or any other of my fanfictions, as it lets me know you took the time to read it!

Tune in next time for the next episode! See you there!