Now, for the conclusion of Giant's Rage! Please enjoy!
Kiryu held the card for his Earthbound Immortal firmly in his hand with a musing expression. As Crow watched the duel with anxious anticipation, a thought occurred to him.
"This is just like the night Kiryu was arrested," He thought allowed, "Even then, when he thought we had turned our backs on him. We were really trying to save him."
It grabbed Sidney's interest. She turned away for a moment, her attention still partially focused in the duel.
"Crow…What happened? What really happened?"
Midori glanced over at Sidney. Crow's eyes turned back to Kiryu and Yusei.
"If you're thinking what I'm thinking, then you're probably right. It was a misunderstanding. Now that I think about it…"
Crow began to remember when he hard the news about Sector Security's hunt for Kiryu. Rain was coming down in cascades, and Security vehicles were everywhere. He managed to get a hold of Jack and Yusei. The three of them split up to go find Kiryu.
They found the old building where Security had surrounded the front entrance. The three of them crept in the back way and found Kiryu in a room a couple of floors up.
"When Kiryu saw we each had our Duel Disks with us…he initially thought we had decided to come together as Team Satisfaction one last time after all. But, that was far from the truth. We had come hoping to get him out of the mess he had made.
As a gesture of protest, we put our Duel Disks down on the table set up in the middle of the room. Kiryu questioned our actions, and Jack told him straight up that it was all over. Whether it was the four of us or Kiryu alone, it was an impossible task to bring down security. Yusei told him that he should get out of there and try to escape while he still could.
Kiryu said running away now wouldn't satisfy anything in him. How could anyone in Satellite be satisfied under Sector Security? He was still trying to convince us that he was right and we should help him."
"But none of you were persuaded." Sidney concluded.
"No, and when he realized that, he wanted to argue about it. But, by then Sector Security was tired of waiting and decided to move in. Something exploded and the building shook. We heard the leader outside telling the officers to arrest Kiryu. We all fled and wound up becoming separated.
I later learned that Kiryu had been cornered by a Security officer on a Duel Runner in a dead end ally. Yusei managed to find Kiryu when he had the officer in a headlock on his Runner. The Runner crashed; the officer was fatally injured… Kiryu was ok but he was covered in blood.
When Jack and I got there, Yusei had managed to get a hold of Kiryu and pin him down. But by then…he wouldn't listen to anyone anymore. All he wanted was to crush Sector Security, and he said he'd do it alone."
Crow looked up and saw Midori was listening very intently, though her focus was still partially on the duel.
"Midori?"
"So then, did Sector Security find the four of you?" She asked softly.
"We hid in a nearby building…but yes, they found us eventually. Yusei left Kiryu with myself and Jack while he went outside to confront them. He was going to give himself up, telling them he was the leader of Team Satisfaction. He told them that he was the one who attacked Sector Security. He said the rest of us weren't involved and he told the officers to arrest him.
But the leader of the group of officers had seen Kiryu before and knew that it wasn't him, I found out. While Yusei was talking two officers had come and they took Kiryu away from us.
The leader said it was true that the leader of Team Satisfaction was the only one that they wanted and that it had nothing to do with the others.
Yusei saw Kiryu being retained by two officers as they escorted him to a prisoner vehicle. He tried to tell the commanding officer that it was the wrong person.
The officer told him they had found the injured officer and there was no point in trying to lie. Attacking a member of Sector Security was a severe offense, he said.
He was probably the only one who knew then that we wouldn't see Kiryu again alive. He tried to show Yusei sympathy before being on his way. When Kiryu looked around and saw him patting Yusei on the shoulder, I assume he took it to mean something else. He thought Yusei had sold him out to the officers and he was being thanked."
"So, you're telling us that this is all because of a HUGE misunderstanding?" Laura chimed, having heard everything.
"There's no other explanation. Yusei tried to tell him that back then, but Kiryu was so messed up that he really believed that Yusei betrayed him."
He looked down at the duel. Kiryu was smirking at Yusei as he drew his next card and began his turn.
"Kiryu, I was trying to save you that night! I told them it was me and that they should arrest me!"
Crow then pushed on a button that turned on a special hidden microphone in his helmet. Kiryu looked back at Yusei with disgust.
"I saw you! You did betray me! You sold me out!"
"No Kiryu…it's the truth. Yusei tried to take your place." Crow spoke into the microphone. Yusei's eyes widened.
"Crow…"
Kiryu's smirk disappeared; his expression turned solemn.
"If that's true, why didn't any of you stay and fight with me to the end?"
"We knew better, Kiryu." Crow muttered.
Kiryu looked away with his gaze fixated on the card in his hand, his Earthbound Immortal. Yusei sighed.
"Yusei, Crow? Do you know what happens to a person that resists Sector Security? If you don't, then let me tell you that sudden death would have been a more welcome option."
Crow's stomach turned. Suddenly, Yusei was beginning to understand Kiryu a little bit better and why his wrath had become so deep-seated.
"We tried to visit you several times but they never allowed us to see you. Eventually, we received a message saying you had died."
"It's not that simple," Kiryu explained, "As you know, all who go into the Facility are marked. You should know, since both you and Crow have them.
In prison, I was the favorite victim of violence by the guards. But, for a long time I simply endured their abuse. It was when my deck was taken from me that I lost my will to live. My deck was more important than my life to me…my deck was soul and an extension of myself.
Without it, I sat in a private cell and waited for death.
Then, one day, I heard a voice calling to me saying: 'You who are about to give up your life, answer me a question! Is there any thought that keeps you here? If you have a death wish, become a Dark Signer and you're wish can be fulfilled!'
It was the voice of Rudger Goodwin, the first of the Dark Signers. He sends out this message, and only the dying can hear it.
I didn't know whether the voice was real, but I responded to it, saying there was someone I wished vengeance upon. Those were my last words.
When I woke up again, I was lying on my back in a shallow hole carved into the ground. That was when I saw Rudger for the first time, and he offered me his hand and helped me up. As he did so, I saw a strange mark had appeared on my right arm, the mark of the giant."
Kiryu paused.
"He told me that the Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu was willing to help me grant my wish and that I had been reborn as a Dark Signer.
Yusei, I became a Dark Signer so I could make you pay. I will use the power of my Earthbound Immortal to instill in you a terror like nothing you've ever experienced!"
"Rudger…"
Yusei took a deep breath.
"I'm still standing by the truth. I did what I said I did no matter what you may believe. But, I have one question."
Kiryu chuckled.
"What's that, Yusei?"
"Why did you take out your anger on Midori? I want to know the truth." Yusei questioned him heatedly.
Kiryu smiled sardonically.
"Do you really want to know, Yusei? Does it matter to you that much?"
Yusei frowned.
"I think it might to Midori…But yes, it matters to me. It matters because you were my friend…and the Kiryu I knew didn't hurt anyone who didn't even have a Duel Disk to fight with. Even when you were falling of the edge, you didn't go after someone who you KNEW wasn't a threat to YOU in any way…"
"After the Shadow Drones brought her to us and imprisoned her, Rudger said that the Oracle of Twilight wouldn't just come quietly and do what we wanted her to do and tell about the past. He said her spirit needed to be broken, and he turned to me."
Yusei's eyes widened. Could Rudger somehow have persuaded Kiryu to do this? Why would it matter, he could have said no. Or could he?
"I asked why he wanted me to do it and why he would just do whatever it was himself. Now that I think about it, he had plans for that pop star Cassandra as early as the Fortune Cup…
If she found out he did something so terrible, she might never forgive him…"
Yusei winced.
"He said to think of it as returning the favor for extending the invitation to me to become a Dark Signer."
Kiryu went forward with his turn.
"I'm going to release my Infernity Demon and Infernity Necromancer as offerings to summon my Eathbound Immortal Ccapac Apu!"
A rocky heart-shaped object appeared in the sky and absorbed the two monsters. It beat slowly, emitting an eerie light.
"I wasn't sure how to carry out the task that I had been asked…to break her spirit…until my Earthbound Immortal guided my actions… and I was filled with desire…a desire to make someone else feel as much misery and despair as I had once had …"
A dark hole formed underneath the object, and the massive arm of the Earthbound Immortal stretched forth from it. It pulled itself out onto the ground. The blue, intricate lines running across its body emitted a nauseating glow.
(Reminder: Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu is a level ten Dark attributed monster with 3000 attack and 2500 defense points.)
The giant turned in Yusei's direction.
"After that, I realize that's how I wanted to make YOU feel, Yusei. With my Earthbound Immortal, I will fill you with the terror and anguish that consumed me …from the moment I knew you betrayed me until my last pitiful moment in my cell at the Facility!"
"Kiryu…"
"Earthbound Immortal! Strike him down with a direct attack!"
Yusei could feel the same fear from when he faced the Earthbound Immortal before. But, if this was connected to the terror Kiryu felt, then he couldn't run away. He wouldn't. He would bury the Immortal and face that fear.
"I'm activating a trap known as God of War's Baton! So, this turn I can select the attack targets of your monsters."
Yusei's Junk Warrior flew at the Immortal with all its might.
"Your attack target is now my Junk Warrior!"
Junk Warrior was crushed by the giant's enormous palm; bits of debris scattered flew past Yusei, stinging him when they struck him. The attack reduced him to 2400 points.
"Ha! Yusei, you might have prevented a direct attack, but my Immortal has a secondary effect. When it destroys a monster, you take damage equal to that monster's current attack points. And if I'm correct, that's 2500 points of damage!"
"Yusei!" Leo yelped. Luna held his hand to try and comfort him.
"That will wipe him out…" Trudge muttered.
"Wait! Doesn't he have another card to play?" Crow asked aloud. Midori nodded.
"One of his cards can save him! I'm sure of it!"
"I'll counter that with my trap, Burst Synchro Summon! Now, all your damage is reduced to zero…and…I can now summon a Synchro monster with an attack equal to the damage that would have been dealt to me, ignoring the normal summoning conditions!"
The Earthbound Immortal withdrew its hand as a burst of light shot up from the ground. Out of the burst came Stardust Dragon, its wings sparkling and its eyes aglow. It looked up at the Immortal and roared fearlessly at the massive giant.
(Reminder: Stardust Dragon is a Wind attributed Dragon type Synchro monster with 2500 attack points.)
"It looks like Yusei is making it!" Crow sighed with relief. Leo and Luna cheered for Yusei. Etsuo nodded.
"I think that boy was planning to summon that card from the beginning."
Laura turned to Sidney, noticing her silence.
"Sidney, you haven't said anything since you asked Crow about what happened to Kiryu…Are you ok?"
"Huh? Yes, I'm fine! I'm just worried…even Stardust Dragon can't touch Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu… Unless…No, It can't be…"
Laura raised an eyebrow.
"Ok, what is it? What are you not telling me? Come on, Sidney, I'm your best friend, remember?" Laura nudged her.
"When the Crimson Dragon showed me a vision of the past…it talked about the power the Signers combining to summon…Savior Star Dragon."
Laura gasped.
"I've…never heard of a monster called Savior Star Dragon."
"Neither have I, but the people in the vision said it had the power to stop the Immortals and defeat them." Sidney felt so sure. If anything could help Yusei win, it was Savior Star Dragon. Now that it occurred to her, his monster was Stardust Dragon…could Savior Star Dragon somehow be an advanced form of Stardust Dragon?
Midori's eyes went blank.
"All…All of the dragons have more powerful forms…Savior Star Dragon…Savior Demon Dragon…Savior Rose Dragon…Savior Fairy Dragon…"
"Is she having another one of those visions?" Laura blinked in a puzzled manner.
Crow jumped off of his Runner.
"I think so!"
"When the will of the Signers become united, they can call forth the spirit that unlocks the true powers of the dragons…the being known as Savior Dragon."
"Midori?"
Midori blinked and her eyes returned to normal.
"Crow?" She saw him standing behind her, holding her hand.
"Are you ok? Do you remember anything?"
"I was having a vision…about the Dragons…"
"You do remember!" Crow took a look back at the duel. Kiryu finished his turn with no cards in his hand again. It was Yusei's turn again.
As soon as Yusei drew his next card, Kiryu activated another trap, one he announced to be Glowing Image of the Guardian God.
"Now, Yusei, with this card on the field, the only thing you can attack is my Earthbound Immortal. Think of it as a precautionary measure against any kind of dirty trick you might pull on me…like trying to bypass my monster for a direct attack!"
"Well then, it looks like I'll have to put my trust in my deck. I'll activate the Speed Spell, Angel Baton. When I have two speed counters or more on my field, I can discard a card from my hand so I can draw two cards from my deck."
He quickly discarded a card and drew his two cards.
"Next, I will activate the effect of the card I just discarded, which was Stardust Xiaolong! When I have a Stardust Dragon on my field, I can special summon it from the Graveyard!"
(Stardust Xiaolong is a level one Light attributed Dragon type monster with 100 attack and defense points.)
A long, sinuous teal dragon appeared alongside of Stardust Dragon. Its long mane resembled that of a lion and its whisker were longer than its body.
Yusei had no choice but to end his turn with a facedown.
Kiryu drew his card to begin his turn. As Kiryu thought about his next move, Yusei took the opportunity to activate a trap card.
His Stardust Dragon became cloaked in a heavenly white light.
"I'm activating the effect of Isolated Protector! If you battle any of my other monsters, all the battle damage will be negated. But, if you try to destroy my Stardust Dragon, I can sacrifice Isolated Protector in its place."
"Is that so? Well, that won't stop me from attack Stardust Dragon anyway!"
The Earthbound Immortal batted the Dragon off to the side, creating a great whirlwind. Yusei sent Isolated Protector to the Graveyard to protect his dragon. But, Kiryu had his own trap to play.
"I think I'll activate Demonic Devastation, which doubles any battle damage you take save for a direct attack."
Yusei was hit with 1000 points of damage, leaving him with only 1400 left. He screamed from the pain as he felt the ground shaking under his Runner.
Suddenly, the force of the impact caused Kiryu to lose control over his Runner. It almost fell sideways, just inches away from the wall of violet flames.
"Kiryu!"
Yusei rode in closer. He outstretched his hand to him.
"Kiryu! Grab my hand!"
Kiryu's eyes widened in surprise. His voice became hesitant.
"You…Yusei? I don't understand… Are you trying to save me? Like the time I saved your life…when we were still a team?"
Yusei smiled.
"Kiryu…you were wrong. I was willing to hand myself in for you…to face security alone. But, I think I was wrong, too.
A person shouldn't always have to stand alone. In the darkest moments, they should always have their friends by their side…As a light to guide one another…"
Suddenly, Sidney was surprised to see her marks vanish from her body. Laura gasped. Midori was trying not to break into tears.
"After all that…Yusei wants to save his friend…and now Kiryu understands that…But Yusei needs the help of his friends, too."
"Sidney, what happened? Why did your marks, disappear?"
Sidney closed her eyes.
"For a second, I could feel what Yusei was feeling…and I could sense…all the others Signers could feel it, too. We all wanted to help."
Laura turned her head. Leo was staring at Luna's arm.
"Your mark is gone, too…Maybe that happened to Jack and Akiza…"
"Our will became one…and that is what will bring Savior Dragon…" Sidney realized. Laura blinked rapidly in disbelief.
"So, are you telling me what I think you're telling me?"
The full body of the Crimson Dragon appeared like a glowing circle on Yusei's back. Yusei was beginning to understand.
"This really isn't about fighting you…It's about saving you and the other Dark Signers from the Earthbound Immortals!"
Crow sighed.
"I want him to save Kiryu, too. It should never have been the way it was… but maybe now things can be made right."
"Why are you saying this now, Yusei?" Kiryu was still inclined to disbelief. His Runner dipped deeper and his helmet was barely touching the wall.
"Because you're my friend, Kiryu! You always were!"
Yusei saw that the top card of his deck was shining. Kiryu saw the card and closed his eyes.
"Draw your card."
"Kiryu…"
"Just do it, ok? If you're really so bent on helping me, then draw that card…"
Yusei pulled the card from his deck.
"This card is…Savior Dragon!"
Yusei immediately played it. An otherworldly rose colored dragon appeared on the field by Stardust Dragon. It had no eyes, and the golden orbs on its wings emitted a blinding bright light.
It made a soft noise as Stardust Dragon sailed above it, with Yusei's other dragon just behind.
(Savior Dragon is a level one Light attributed Dragon type Tuner Monster with no attack or defense points.)
"I will now tune Savior Dragon, Stardust Dragon, and Stardust Xiaolong to Synchro Summon a monster created from our combined power…"
Savior Dragon enveloped the other two dragons and transformed into a shapeless mass of light. The light faded and slowly revealed a beautiful ivory dragon. It appeared much like Stardust Dragon, but it had no arms or legs, and four massive wings with blue orbs at the end of each one. Its long tail lashed out like a streak of sunlight.
"This is the miracle of clustering minds! Descend, Savior Star Dragon!"
(Savior Star Dragon is a level ten Wind attributed Dragon type Synchro monster with 3800 attack and 3000 defense points.)
"That thing's amazing! It's like an angel or something!" Etsuo exclaimed.
"My dragon has the ability to negate the effect of one of your cards and aquire it until the end of the turn. I will negate the effect of Ccapac Apu and Savior Star Dragon will destroy it with its own power!"
The blue light began dimming as it was being drained away from the Immortal and absorbed by Savior Star Dragon. The immortal shivered and writhed.
As Yusei tried to reach for Kiryu once more, he declared his final attack.
"Savior Star Dragon, attack Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu and end this!"
Legacy of the Star Princess will continue next time. Be back here for the next episode! Thank you for all of your support and I hope to see you next time!