A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!
Chapter 60: The Team of Aesir
Third Person POV
It had been a week since the incident at Malius. Era's leg was fully healed as expected and Yusei was able to make sure Era remembered she was as strong as she was supposed to be.
Now, it was the evening before the finals of the World Racing Grand Prix. At the present moment, Yusei, Era, Crow, and Jack had stopped at the overlook to talk about the coming events.
"So our next opponent is Team Ragnarok," Jack commented.
"They are said to be tough. Have three Nordic God cards and people say they have the Rune Eyes," Yusei commented.
"Doesn't that mean they're successors of some Aesir group?" Crow asked.
"Yep," Era replied. "They're tough opponents. Especially with their god cards. Not at tough as the legendary Egyptian God cards but tough nonetheless."
"Sounds like you think we'll be easy to beat," came a voice from behind. Dragan as Era knew him. She had seen him once during his time of when his father was hospitalized. She never formally met him, but she knew him.
They turned around and saw the three members of Team Ragnarok standing there. "Seems we finally meet somewhere other than a battlefield," Halldor stated.
"Seems so," Era responded.
"I say we should at least tell you about the Aesirs," Broder stated.
"Hmm, perhaps," Halldor agreed and immediately began to explain the tale of how the Aesirs came to be and how the members of Team Ragnarok came to obtaining the Aesirs. When the story was finished, Yusei was tense but Era was perfectly calm unmoved by their words which might shake another duelist. "You are right about one thing, Era. We are tough opponents. Tough enough where we will defeat you."
"Do you really think you can stop Team New World?" Jack asked.
"Instead of going against Team New World apart, perhaps we should try to expose the plot of Team New World and help one another in that quest," Era told them.
"No," Halldor declared. "The Aesir are not willing to enter an alliance with the Crimson Dragon's Signers. Well, some of them anyway. I am still unsure how Era fits into your Signer life."
"I'm connected to the Crimson Dragon in certain ways like the Signers, just different from the rest," Era commented.
Halldor's left eye began to glow and formed a rune in the center. "I see. You house the very power and heart of the Crimson Dragon within you. How you are able to contain such power eludes me. But, I am shocked one such as yourself would spend time with one who is in the bloodline of someone who caused pain and destruction," he said.
Yusei tensed. "Zero Reverse was an accident," he told Halldor.
"Well, sort of. Roman Goodwin was convinced to by Yliaster and caused it himself. Professor Fudo wanted to stop the project before Zero Reverse occurred," Era told the leader of the Ragnarok team. "Halldor, believe me, it wasn't Professor Fudo's fault that Zero Reverse occurred. And it wasn't Yusei's either. I would know better than any of you."
"Is that so?" Halldor scoffed. "It was Professor Fudo's research that caused that explosion. Was it not?"
Era sighed. "Halldor, Yusei was only a baby when Zero Reverse occurred," she defended. "And Professor Fudo was a good man who saw the coming and Zero Reverse and tried to stop it. He literally got shot while doing so. It was New Domino and Roman Goodwin who wouldn't let the project stop and then Roman purposely set the rotation of the Ener-D in reverse trying to play god."
Yusei looked at her with a small hidden smile. He was shocked and happy she was so keen on the facts that defended him and his father. He knew Era would know them better than anyone.
"Era's right. It isn't Yusei's father's fault and it isn't Yusei's either," Crow agreed.
"Even though it was his father's research, it wasn't his father who caused Zero Reverse," Era told them.
"You truly believe that?" Halldor asked.
"I know it," Era replied. "I was there the day of the explosion. I remember every minute of it. Along with Professor Fudo, I tried to stop the explosion."
"How would you do that? You would have to be a baby back then," Broder responded.
"This may answer your question," Era responded before transforming into her angel form. They immediately looked shocked. "I am an angel. I died just over a hundred years ago in a car crash. I came back to Earth as an angel to defend the world from demons. And you want to know the reason why Yusei won't bring any destruction to this world, Halldor?" He looked at her intrigued. "He's an angel." They looked at him shocked. Yusei followed his mate's lead and transformed into his angel form shocking them. "He took the position as angel when he destroyed the King of the Underworld nearly nine months ago. Since then, he has been fighting with me to destroy the angel's mortal enemy: demons. We will live until a demon kills us and we will defend this planet until we die. An angel is chosen based on the light in their heart and how much good they have done as a human. And Yusei was one of the rare few with so much light in their heart and had done so much good in his life. And now that you know what he has become, do you truly believe he will cause this world's destruction?"
Halldor smirked. "To think there was a possibility like that in a person with a history related to an incident like Zero Reverse…" he muttered.
"Yusei has no connection to that day," Jack stated. "You can't act like he does."
"I'm shocked, Atlas. You seem like you've changed quite a bit since the last time we dueled," Dragan stated.
"You fought him before Jack?" Crow asked.
"Once," Jack replied, "and beat him too."
"Don't you remember that duel better, Jack?" Dragan asked.
"I do," Jack answered.
~Flashback~
Jack drew his card as he took the first draw. "I summon Top Runner (Attack 1100/ Defense 800) in attack mode and set two face downs," he declared.
Dragan drew his card. "I summon Garmr of the Nordic Beasts (Attack 800/ Defense 1900) in attack mode and finish my turn with a face down," he proclaimed.
"I summon Power Breaker (Attack 1900/ Defense 0) in attack position. Now I turn Power Breaker with Top runner to synchro summon Red Dragon Archfiend (Attack 3000/ Defense 2500)! Now attack his Garmr!" Jack ordered his dragon. Red Dragon Archfiend attacked and destroyed Garmr.
The duel ran forward but eventually, Dragan lost the duel.
~Flashback Ended~
"Did you know I was forced to lose on purpose by Lazar and Former Director Rex Goodwin in order to raise money for my father's hospitalization?" Dragan asked. Jack tensed.
"We will see you in the semifinal match soon enough, Team 5D's. The winner of this will receive the right to face Team New World," Halldor called. "Remember, the next time we meet may not be as pleasant." They left with that.
"Talk about a confident bunch," Crow muttered.
"They have a right to be so. They're Nordic Gods are strong and line up just after Exodia," Era explained.
"Wait, Exodia the Forbidden One?" Crow asked. "As in one of the most powerful cards in Yugi Muto's time?"
"Yep. But just like Exodia, they have weak points. You just have to search for it," Era said. "We better get some rest for your duel tomorrow."
"Right, and we have to win," Yusei agreed.
They all nodded and left on their duel runners. As they drove, Era suggested to Yusei, "Yusei, why don't you skip scouting for tonight? So you can be fully rested."
"And let you scout alone?" he retorted and she looked away. "No, Era. If your scouting so am I. And if you stay in, I stay in. It's that simple."
"But you need more rest than I do for the duel tomorrow," Era argued. "And someone has to keep an eye out for demons."
"Era, don't argue with me about this," Yusei fought. "It's either we both stay in or we both go scouting. What's your choice?"
She groaned a bit in frustration. "I'll stay in with you," she decided. "But if I sense a demon tonight, I'm heading out to fight it."
"Not without me," Yusei retorted. "Era, do we need to go over this again?"
She sighed. "No."
"Then, I'm sticking by your side," he stated as they arrived at the garage. "Alright?"
"Alright," she agreed and they went in for the night.