"Let's give a big congratulations to Cray for winning the 10000DP!" M.C. announced. The biggest qualifying tournament is now over and Cray was the one who won in the end. "As the points are added to Cray, Cray now has over 50000DP! He is the first duelist that qualifies for Duel Battlers!" He said as Cray was given the reward and now qualifies for Duel Battlers.
"So Cray is the first one to make it." Felix said.
"Of course! It should be no surprise that Cray is the first to make it!" Kent cheered.
"For coming in second, Sabaro gains 5000DP. Everyone else, as a contingency, will gain 1000DP." M.C. said as everyone ended up being a winner in this big event. "Cray, do you have anything you like to say for being the first to make it to Duel Battlers?"
"Just that I can't wait to take on all the strong opponents there. Yukina, you better make it as well!" Cray called out.
"Count on it. I'll make it." Yukina said as she now has a total of 49000DP. She might be the next to make it. It looked like a great moment as Yukina was excited for making it into Duel Battlers, but there's something she doesn't know. Somewhere in the crowd, someone had their eyes on Yukina like she was his prey.
...
Tasu
"What?! I don't believe this!" Tasu said as he was watching a live fee of the latest results of Duel Battlers. "Cray is the first to make it to Duel Battlers?! My money would have been on Yukina considering how many points she has. From what I heard, Diego thinks Yukina and her friends could be a problem. Something about this must be done." Tasu wanted to help his new alligance. It was just then that he thought of something, but it might actually be a problem for the Black Ace. "That's it! If I can prevent Yukina from getting in, she won't be a threat anymore. She must have a lot of points and must be close, but she won't be if I can help it."
...
Yukina
Now that the tournament was over, Yukina and her friends are heading their separate ways. Cray might have been the first to make it, but there's still a chance for the rest of them to get in. All of them were heading out on their own until it was just Yukina and Felix left.
"Cray might have already made it, but you just need a another 1000DP to get in, Yukina." Felix said. "Another tournament and you're secured."
"I know, and I've got plenty of time. The main event is still over a month away." Yukina said. "Even so..." She thought about how her last duel went and how it ended in a draw. "A draw isn't going to cut it next time. Henry's really strong. If I can't beat him, I don't know how I'm going to beat Raika. I need to figure out something to help me get better and stronger."
"Well, I think I might actually got something that can help." Felix said with Yukina listening. "Here. It's the newest model of a DPA." He said as he handed him a new model of the same phone-like device that is used for duels.
"The newest model?" Yukina questioned as she took a look at it. "The one I have works just fine. What do I need this for? How did you even get it?"
"I have my ways." Felix claimed. "It will help because it comes with some new features that are suppose to help one's dueling performance."
"Say what?!" Yukina said as that sounded just like something she needed. "What do you mean? What does it have?"
"For instance, it can measure your draws." Felix said. "Try it out. Place it in place of your old one and just draw a card." Yukina didn't quite get it, but she trusted Felix. She placed it in when she put her duel disk together.
"Here goes. I draw!" Yukina called as she drew a card and saw the number 310 appeared on the DPA. "What's this number about?"
"That's your drawing power. Try it again and see if you can increase it." Felix said. Yukina gave it another try and saw the number was no 382.
"It went up!" Yukina said.
"This new DPA can monitor your body, show you what needs to be improved, and can help you become a stronger with the body of a duelist." Felix said. "A stronger body can lead you to be more confident and increase endurance for a long duel."
'I think I get it. By making my body stronger, I become stronger in mind and heart; and dueling is all about heart.' Yukina thought. "Thanks, Felix. Are you sure you don't want to keep this for yourself?"
"It sounds like you need it more." Felix said. "I'm just hoping it really does help."
"Fabulous, baby. Fabulous." Both of them looked and were met with a man dressed like a fashionista. "The way you draw your cards is just...fabulous."
"Uh... Thanks. Who are you?" Yukina said.
"A pleasure to meet you. I am Nogirot and I look for upcoming rising stars of duelists...like say you, Yukina Osama."
"You know me?" Yukina questioned.
"Who doesn't know about you? You're the biggest star of Duel Battlers." Nogirot claimed.
"Felix, have you ever heard of this guy?" Yukina questioned.
"Not at all." Felix said.
"Well, I happen to take young duelists like yourself and turn them into superstars!" Nogirot said. "I plan to take to Duel Battlers and find the next best thing. That could be you, Yukina." He claimed, but neither of them were sure to even trust him. "I'm not expecting an instant answer, but you are already in Duel Battlers before anyone else."
"Oh, I'm not in Duel Battlers yet." Yukina said as she took her old DPA to look at her points. "I still need another 1000DP to make it."
"What?! Let me see!" Nogirot said as he took her points and looked at it. "That's a real shame, but I'm sure getting just a mere 1000 is nothing."
"Uh... Thanks... Can I have that back?" Yukina said.
"Of course. AW! What's that?!" Nogirot said as he pointed to the side. Yukina and Felix looked, but there was nothing there.
"What? I don't see anything?" Felix questioned.
"Oh! You just missed it." Nogirot said as he took out a fake DPA and handed that over to Yukina. "Here you go. Be sure to look for me and I could make you a star. Too-da-loo." He said as he tried walking away with both of them thinking he was weird.
"Weirdo. Yukina, before I forget, let me help you transfer your points over to your new DPA." Felix offered and that surprised Nogirot. "It's real simple to do. You just... Huh? Wait a minute."
"What's wrong?" Yukina questioned. Felix took the fake and was able to easily break it apart.
"This is a fake! It's just a plastic box to look like a a DPA!" Felix said.
"How did that..." Yukina realized she just been tricked as they looked back to Nogirot. "What did you say your name was? Nogirot?"
"Wait a minute! That name spelled backwards is Torigon!" Felix said with him feeling like he's busted.
"So it's you Tasu! What are you doing with my DPA?!" Yukina said.
"Uh... Leaving!" Tasu said as he ditched his disguise and made a run for it.
"Get back here, Tasu!" Yukina called.
"Catch that caper!" Felix called as they chased after him to get Yukina's DPA back.
...
A Construction Site
As the sun was starting to go down, Tasu took cover in a construction site. It appears that he was able to give them both the slip. That means the DPA was his to do with as he pleases.
"Finally lost them... I can't believe she has 49000DP!" Tasu complained. "Well, all those points will be mine and I'll be in Duel Battlers." He said as he was planning to transfer all those points to his and ruin Yukina's chances of getting in Duel Battlers. He was about to do that when someone grabbed his arm.
"I don't think so." Someone stepped in and stopped Tasu, but he looked like he meant business. As for Yukina and Felix, they were close by as they kept searching for him.
"I don't see him. Where did he go?" Yukina questioned.
"He couldn't have gotten far. He's got to be around here somewhere." Felix said. They were about to keep searching until they heard some sort of explosion go off in the construction site. "What was that?!" That was when Tasu came running out and he seemed scared for his life.
"Tasu! Stop!" Yukina called.
"Don't worry about him. I believe this belongs to you." Both of them looked and met with the guy that stopped them. He was about their age and had brown hair with it resembling flames. He wore a red leather jacket that went down to his ankles but the bottom half was split seven times. He had a black shirt underneath with brown pants and black boots with brown gloves. He was also holding Yukina's DPA.
"Yeah! That's mine!" Yukina said. "Thanks for getting it back." She said as she tried reaching for it, but he made it look like he wasn't giving it back.
"I could give this back, but you were careless with it to allow a petty thief to steal it. Someone who has so many points should be a real duelist. I'm not impressed."
"What?!" Yukina said as she felt offended.
"You want to defeat Raika, Yukina Osama, but I don't think you have what it takes." Yukina and Felix were surprised that he knows about that.
"Who are you?" Felix questioned.
"You can just call me Taiyo." He claimed and jumped up to the metal beams with him going higher and higher from great physical strength until he landed above them. "If you want this back, you'll have to defeat me for it. That's assuming you actually are a duelist."
"What?! Are you saying that I just don't have what it takes?! I'll prove you wrong!" Yukina said. She made her way up the building and stood across from him to face him. "Let me ask why you're doing this. You know about Raika. Are you really working for Diego? Are you planning to take part in Duel Battlers as well?"
"I have no interest in that tournament. What I want to see is if you're the duelist I hear you are." Taiyo said as he got his duel disk ready. Yukina had no choice. Thanks to the new DPA she has, she activated her duel disk and was ready to go.
"Be careful, Yukina! We don't know anything about this guy and yet he seems like a tough character!" Felix called from down below.
"I'll be fine! Let's do this, Taiyo!" Yukina called.
"Let's duel!" Both of them said as this duel was now starting with them having 4000LP.
"I will start this duel." Taiyo said. "I'll start by summoning Helios Sun Falcon to the field!" He started by summoning a red feathered falcon with it radiating like it was giving off heat. It also had 1700atk points. "Thanks to it's special ability, I can summon a fire attribute winged-beast to the field. I summon a second Helios Sun Falcon!" He summoned out a copy of another one with it being the same. "I can only use that affect once per turn, so I will just place one face-down and end my turn."
"Did he call those things Helios Sun? I never heard of that before." Felix said as he wondered what they were like.
"My turn!" Yukina said as she drew her card. "To catch a bird, I'm going to need a fierce cat. I summon Wild Ally Tiger to the field!" She summoned out her tiger and it came out with 1800atk points. "Wild Ally Tiger, take out one of those birdies!" Her tiger jumped and went on the attack.
"Fool. I activate Helios Firewall!" Taiyo said as a wall of flame came between them. "It stops your attack and you lose 500LP!" Not only did the fire stop the attack, but it also stretched over and smashed against Yukina with her life points dropping to 3500. "Is that really all you can do?"
"I'm just getting started, pal. I place two cards facedown and that ends my turn." Yukina said.
"My turn. I draw!" Taiyo said as he drew his next card. "First, I'm going to activate Helios Spark! Whenever a fire attribute winged-beast is summoned to the field, you will lose 200LP. Now, I will tribute both my falcons to summon the king of the sky and of fire!" He said as both of his falcons turned into streams of fire that came together. "Rise, Helios Sun Phoenix!" From the flames emerged a phoenix with red and yellow feathers and had great power and had a total of 3000atk points. Yukina had a feeling that this bird was about to scorch her. "Thanks to Helios Spark, you now take damage!" He said as Yukina got blasted with flames and her life points dropped to 3300. "Helios Sun Phoenix, destroy her Wild Ally Tiger with Primordial Sun Burst!" Taiyo's phoenix gathered some serious fire power around itself and unleashed it as a powerful blast of fire. Yukina had to hold on as the attack connected and a great force traveled through the place with her life points dropping to 2100.
"Nice try, but my tiger isn't going anywhere. I activate Animal Preservation to bring my tiger back!" Yukina said as it did come back with it having 1500def points.
"That does nothing for you. For now, I end my turn." Taiyo said.
"This guy is good. He keeps burning away at Yukina's life points." Felix said.
"You're good, but I'm not losing this. My turn!" Yukina said as she drew her next card. "I'll start by playing my Wild Luck trap! With this trap, I draw the top three cards of my deck! If any of them are a Wild Ally, I can summon it! Here goes nothing!" She drew her three cards and all three were Wild Ally monsters, but only one can really help her. "I'll go with my Wild Ally Eagle!" She said as her eagle emerged with 2000atk points and she got rid of the other two. "Now, I'll tribute both of my monsters to summon my own phoenix. Emerge, Wild Ally Phoenix!" She said as she traded away both of her monsters and brought out her phoenix with 2500atk points. It was a phoenix vs. a phoenix in this battle.
"You might have summoned a fellow phoenix, but mine is still stronger." Taiyo said.
"That will change when I activate Animal Incarnation!" Yukina said. "Thanks to this spell, I can add all my eagle's attack points straight to my phoenix!" She said as her phoenix grew stronger to 4500atk points. "Attack now and blast his phoenix out of the sky! Shining Wildfire!" Her phoenix went on the attack as it ignited itself in flames and smashed against Helios Sun Phoenix. When that happened, they combusted with Taiyo's phoenix destroyed and his life points dropped to 2500, but he didn't even flinch. "Not a flinch? What's that about?"
"Fool! Did you really think defeating my phoenix would be that easy?!" Taiyo called. "When Helios Sun Phoenix is destroyed, it rises from the ashes and is stronger than ever...with 500atk points!" That wasn't good for Yukina. In a blazing pillar of fire, Helios Sun Phoenix rose back again with 3500atk points. "There's more! Your phoenix loses 500atk points and you also lose 500LP!"
"That can't be!" Yukina said. The fire burned against her monster and herself as Wild Ally Phoenix had 4000atk points while Yukina's life points dropped to 1600.
"And don't forget about Helios Spark! You lose even more life points!" Taiyo said as Yukina got blasted again with her life points dropping to 1400. This was bad for Yukina for there was only one thing left to do.
"I...end my turn... There's nothing more I can do." Yukina said as her phoenix's power dropped to 2000. Felix watched and couldn't believe it. Yukina's a sitting duck like that.
"Then this is the end. How disappointing." Taiyo said as he drew his card. "Helios Sun Phoenix, attack and end this!" His phoenix ignited in powerful flames as it flew straight to the sky only to dive straight down. It smashed right into Yukina's phoenix and tackled it to the ground.
"My phoenix!" Yukina shouted as it crashing into the ground and was burning in Helios Sun Phoenix's flames. The force reached all the way to Yukina as her life points dropped all the way to zero.
"No! Yukina!" Felix called as they watched her phoenix burn away and it couldn't come back.
"Just as I thought... You're not the duelist I thought you were." Taiyo said.
"What's that suppose to mean?! What were you looking for?!" Yukina questioned. What Taiyo did next was a shocker. He held up Yukina's DPA and completely crushed it with his hand. All the points she had were gone just like that. Yukina and Felix were stunned about what he just did.
"Why did you do that?!" Felix shouted.
"How disappointing." Taiyo said. "You could never defeat Raika the way you are now. It's not a matter of strength. It's a matter of resolve!"
"Resolve? What are you talking about?" Yukina questioned.
"You don't have what it takes to defeat Raika. You need to start again from the beginning." Taiyo claimed. "If you can comeback after a defeat like this, maybe you can defeat Raika. That's only assuming you will go on after this. If you can't, just give up on this quest of yours." That was all he said before he took his leave as he jumped across the beams. Everything he said was settling in with Yukina and she couldn't believe this was happening to her. With just one defeat, all of Yukina's hard work is gone. All the points she had are gone when she was so close to entering Duel Battlers. Has her chances to enter really just disappeared? How can she make it now?