Alex, Leo, and Luna were sitting around the man they pulled in from the alley the night before, unsure of what to do with him. "Should we wake him up?" Leo asked. "I don't know, look at that marker on his cheek," Luna said as she pointed to the yellow mark on the side of his face. "What about it?" Leo asked, unsure what the big deal was. "It means he spent time in the facility, meaning that he's a criminal," Alex explained. "That's cool," Leo responded. "He could be dangerous Leo. We don't even know what he was doing in that alley," Alex pointed out.
"Well then ask his card spirits," Leo suggested, before Alex and Luna corrected him, saying they were called Duel Spirits. "Same difference," Leo said. Luna rolled her eyes at him before she put her hand on the man's deck and closed her eyes. "They say he's a good person, but that he's very sad," she informed. Yubel then appeared next to Alex, telling him that Luna was correct. "You sure Yubel?" Alex asked. "Positive. I can see in his heart that he isn't evil," the spirit responded. "You know, I've heard that people get arrested for trying to leave the Satellite and come to the city. That could be why he was in the facility," Alex offered.
"Maybe, why don't we ask him?" Leo suggested, before Luna tapped on his shoulder. "Hey, he's waking up," she said. The man opened his eyes, blinking a few times before he sat up, his eyes landing on the trio. "Who are you?" he asked. "I'm Alex, and this is Leo and Luna. You crashed your bike, so when you wouldn't wake up, we brought you up here," Alex explained. "So what's your name?" Luna asked. "I can't remember," the man responded, clutching the back of his head. He looked around and saw the sheer size of the room. "Where am I?" he asked. "You're in our apartment," Luna explained as Leo brought over a blue leather jacket.
"You were wearing this when we found you. Does it jog any memories?" Leo asked as he handed the jacket to him. "I'm afraid not, but thanks for trying," he responded as he put it on. Yubel floated next to Alex before telling him, "His name is Yusei Fudo." He turned and asked how she knew his name, to which she responded his Duel Spirits told her. "Does the name Yusei Fudo ring a bell?" Alex asked as he turned to the man. "I think so, but I can't remember where," he responded.
"Hmm, guess this'll take a bit more work," Alex thought to himself before he had an idea. "Why don't you duel me and see if your memories come back?" he offered. "Why do you think that would help?" Luna asked. "My dad always said that someone's true self is revealed in a duel," Alex explained. Yusei thought it over for a second before agreeing to duel. "Okay then, get ready to get your game on!" Alex shouted before they then went outside on the terrace and started dueling.
Alex: 4000 LP
Yusei: 4000 LP
"I'll go first if you don't mind," Alex requested, to which Yusei agreed. "Okay then, I draw. And I play Mad Reloader in defense mode," Alex said as a demonic looking monster appeared on his field.
Level 1/Dark/Fiend
ATK 0/DEF 0
"I'll set one card face-down and end my turn," Alex said, his preparations set. "My move. And I summon Speed Warrior in attack mode," Yusei declared.
Level 2/Wind/Warrior
ATK 900/DEF 400
"And now Speed Warrior, attack Mad Reloader!" he shouted before Speed Warrior dashed up to Mad Reloader and gave him a swift kick, destroying the monster. "Mad Reloader's effect activates. When he's destroyed in battle, I can discard 2 cards from my hand in order to draw 2 new ones from my deck," Alex explained as he slipped two cards from his hand into the graveyard. Yusei wondered what Alex was planning, but decided to just end his turn.
"Then it's my turn. I activate the field spell Savage Colosseum. While this card is in play, all monsters have to attack every turn, but when our monsters attack, we gain 300 life points after the battle ends. I'll end my turn there," Alex declared. "Okay, I draw. I summon Max Warrior in attack mode," Yusei said as a monster wielding a large staff appeared on his field.
Level 4/Wind/Warrior
ATK 1800/DEF 800
"Now Max Warrior, attack Alex directly," Yusei said before his monster raised its staff and charged at Alex. "I play the trap card Limit Reverse. This card brings back a monster from my graveyard in attack position, as long as it has 1000 or fewer attack points," Alex explained. "So he's summoning Mad Reloader back?" Luna asked from the sidelines. "I never said Mad Reloader was my target," Alex said with a smirk. "But Mad Reloader is the only monster in your graveyard," Leo pointed out.
"I'm afraid that's where you're wrong. I had to discard 2 cards in order to use Mad Reloader's effect, and one of those cards was a monster," Alex explained. "But whatever monster it is, it still can't beat Max Warrior since it'll only have 1000 attack points at most," Luna pointed out. "We'll see about that. I summon Yubel in attack mode!" Alex said as his spirit guardian appeared on the field.
Level 10/Dark/Fiend
ATK 0/DEF 0
"It's been a while since I've gotten to be in a duel with you Alex," Yubel said as she turned to him. "Yeah, sorry about that, Yubel," Alex apologized, realizing he hadn't used Yubel's deck very much lately. "But Yubel still has 0 attack points," Leo pointed out. "What is this kid up to? Because of Savage Colosseum, I have to attack. Max Warrior attacks Yubel, and due to his special ability, he gains 400 attack points when he attacks a monster," Yusei explained.
Max Warrior: 1800-2200 ATK
Max Warrior swung his staff at Yubel, but she grabbed it mid-swing and held him there. "What's going on?" Yusei wondered. "It's Yubel's special ability. You see, Yubel can't be destroyed in battle, the damage I take from her battles is 0, and if you attack her while she's in attack mode, you take damage equal to your monster's attack points," Alex explained before Yubel threw Max Warrior at Yusei, knocking him over.
Yusei: 1800 LP
"But now I gain life points from your Savage Colosseum card," Yusei said as his life points rose.
Yusei: 2100 LP
"But your Speed Warrior still has to attack Yubel as well," Alex pointed out as Speed Warrior tried to kick Yubel, but a massive vine covered in thorns sprouted out of the ground, blocking his attack before snaking its way towards Yusei, striking him across the chest.
Yusei: 1200 LP
"And now I gain life points again," Yusei said.
Yusei: 1500 LP
"I end my turn," Yusei declared. "My move, I draw. Yubel, attack Speed Warrior," Alex ordered. Yubel punched Speed Warrior, but since she had no attack points, he barely flinched. "Now I gain 300 life points thanks to Savage Colosseum," Alex said.
Alex: 4300 LP
"Next, I summon Samsara Lotus in attack mode," Alex said as a flower-like monster sitting on a lilypad appeared on his field.
Level 1/Dark/Plant
ATK 0/DEF 0
"I end my turn, but before you start yours, due to Yubel's effect, I have to tribute another monster at the end of each of my turns to keep her on the field, so I tribute Samsara Lotus to keep Yubel in play," he continued as Samsara Lotus vanished from his field. "My move. I play the spell Card Rotator, so by discarding one card, your Yubel is switched into defense mode," Yusei said as he slipped a card from his hand into his graveyard. Yubel bent down on one knee, but as she did, an explosion went off at her feet, destroying her.
"When the monster summoned by Limit Reverse is changed to defense position, it's destroyed," Alex explained as he put Yubel's card in the graveyard. "Tough break Alex," Yusei said, thinking he had a chance to win. "Funny, I was about to say the same thing to you," Alex responded. Before Yusei could ask what he meant, a bright light flashed behind Alex and a monster with two dragon heads appeared behind him.
Level 11/Dark/Fiend
ATK 0/DEF 0
"What is that?" Luna asked from the bench. "This is Yubel - Terror Incarnate. When Yubel is destroyed, I can summon this monster from my hand, deck, or graveyard. And Terror Incarnate holds the same abilities as Yubel, plus a few of her own," Alex explained. "So if I attack it I take damage, right?" Yusei guessed, to which Alex just nodded in confirmation. "In that case, I summon Junk Synchron in attack mode," Yusei declared.
Level 3/Dark/Warrior
ATK 1300/DEF 500
"Now Junk Synchron's special ability activates. When it's normal summoned, I can bring back a level 2 or lower monster from my graveyard in defense mode, so I bring back Fortress Warrior in defense mode," Yusei explained as a monster holding a helipad appeared on his field.
Level 2/Earth/Warrior
ATK 600/DEF 1200
"Then, since I normal summoned a monster this turn, I can special summon Turbo Booster from my hand," he continued.
Level 1/Earth/Machine
ATK 0/DEF 0
"And now Turbo Booster, Speed Warrior, and Fortress Warrior tune with Junk Synchron to synchro summon one of my favorites, Junk Destroyer!" Yusei shouted.
Level 8/Earth/Warrior
ATK 2600/DEF 2500
"Wait, you said one of your favorites. So you have your memories back?" Alex asked. "That's right, and now Junk Destroyer's effect activates. When this card is synchro summoned, it can destroy cards you control, up to the number of non-tuner monsters I used as synchro material, so I destroy Yubel and Savage Colosseum. Go, Tidal Energy!" Yusei shouted as Junk Destroyer unleashed a tidal wave of energy, washing away Yubel and Alex's field spell. "Now you're wide open," Yusei pointed out. "Not for long," Alex responded as a bright light appeared behind him again and a massive monster stepped out, easily overshadowing Yusei's Junk Destroyer.
Level 12/Dark/Fiend
ATK 0/DEF 0
"What is that?" Yusei asked in shock of the new monster. "This is Yubel - the Ultimate Nightmare. She can only be summoned when Yubel - Terror Incarnate leaves my field," Alex explained. "I end my turn," Yusei declared, assuming attacking Alex's new monster was pointless. "My turn, I draw. Go Yubel, attack Junk Destroyer!" Alex shouted before Yubel's dragon heads breathed twin jets of fire at Junk Destroyer, bathing him in flames.
"Due to her effect, Ultimate Nightmare can't be destroyed in battle, all my damage becomes 0, and if she battles a monster while she's in attack mode, your monster is destroyed and you take damage equal to your monster's attack points," Alex explained as Junk Destroyer was consumed in the flames, leaving nothing behind.
Yusei: 0 LP
Winner: Alex
"That was a fun duel. It's been a long time since anyone forced out Ultimate Nightmare, Yusei," Alex said as he offered his opponent a handshake. Yusei reached out, grasping Alex's hand and accepting the gesture. "So how did you know my name?" he asked. "I can see duel spirits. Yubel told me your spirits talked to her and told her your name. By the way, I hope you get Stardust Dragon back," Alex said, hearing through Yubel a little about Yusei and Jack's past.
"Well, for you to know about that, I believe you about the duel spirits, and thank you," Yusei said graciously. "I'd love to duel you again someday, Yusei," Alex responded as he pulled his hand back, Yusei saying they would one day. That afternoon, Alex went home, and his parents had news for him. "I've been invited to join the Fortune Cup?" he asked, unsure he heard them correctly. "Yep, the letter just came in this morning. Do you wanna compete?" Alexis asked. "Yeah! It'll be so cool!" Alex exclaimed. "We thought you'd say that," Jaden admitted. "I gotta tell Leo and Luna about this," Alex said before he ran to the phone to tell his friends.
Meanwhile at Sector Security, Lazar was meeting with Rex Goodwin, the head of Security. "So the last 2 invitations have been sent?" Goodwin asked over his shoulder. "Yes sir. Alex and Yusei have received their invitations, and we are confident they will join," Lazar confirmed. "Yusei will do anything for his friends, while Alex loves dueling as much as his father," Goodwin pointed out. "We also have confirmation that the two have dueled each other and that Alex was victorious," Lazar informed with a bow. "The Fortune Cup will be most interesting. Everything is going according to plan," Goodwin said as he gazed out over the city.