In his room, Nail is looking at Nekoyama's reports about the incident happened yesterday. He had seen three cats that resembled Yuhi, Yuamu and Yuga, and with the ability to communicate with cats, Nekoyama could learn more about the past, and how much Yuga has influenced it. Or perhaps not, considering his testimony - nothing has changed, and everything related to Yuga's influence weren't recorded at all.
"Even with Goha technology, time travel is not possible yet. Faster-than-light travel is all but theories, and it's a miracle Yuga can still live. No machines can handle the sheer force caused by that level of speed."
Nail is puzzled about Yuga's return. It is a good news to everyone, but clearly his return is beyond the realm of providence. Something feels off, he thought to himself.
"The fact that he returns means that he can consistently perform faster-than-light travel now. His friends wouldn't join him if this trip is a fluke. Or rather... Perhaps they would join regardless, because they are friends."
The boy of providence makes a genuine smile. The word "friend" wasn't in his providence. He used to have no friends. But the friendship circle around him has expanded, and he doesn't feel lonely anymore. It feels warm inside, whenever he thinks about the power of friendship.
"Nail-kun! The bathroom in the future is so refreshing. Everything is automatic, and I can do whatever I want by simply commanding the system!"
"Glad you like it, Yuamu-san! Recent bathrooms are made to cater to anyone's wishes, and the system can handle the requests near the speed of light."
"So, you have some questions for us, right?"
"Yuhi, Nail doesn't look that happy whenever he is troubled about something. He spent the evening looking through reports, but decided that it's a better idea to ask you directly. Please~"
Yuhi pats Damamu, "It's fine. Just make it quick. I can't wait to sleep on that King's Bed of Roa."
"Have a seat. There are some concerns about the Relic. At the moment, there are no traces of it, so let's put that aside. More importantly, how do you know about Maximum?"
"MIK Commander, Ryugu Phaser, used the power of Maximum to take over Mutsuba Town and enforced anti-alien policies. He might have become friendly towards aliens now, but thinking about the times he carded the resistance members using the Relic, it drove me sick. Those cards were turned into Maximums, and surprisingly enough, the cards made from the Relic stayed intact. We used them to make more Maximums, and Asaka made more Maximums for public use too. Everyone was mesmerized by Yudias' Maximum, and they wanted to have one for themselves to capture that fun."
"Yuhi... You might be telling him a little bit too much."
"Uh..." They stare at Nail's emotionless aura.
"Nail-sama. Do you need a break? A massage may helped you."
"Thanks, Sebastian. Yuhi, I'm glad you want to tell me more about your story."
"Really? Thanks, I guess."
"Your town leader is Asaka Mutsuba, I suppose. Your time period should be the prime of Mutsuba's legacy."
"Now that I noticed, this town is named Goha. Actually, it has become a city on its own. Who is the heir of Mutsuba at the moment? Is the name well-known?"
Nail shakes his head to Yuamu, "The name Mutsuba fell into irrelevancy a long time ago because of Goha Corporation. There is a manufacturing workshop managed by Asana Mutsuba. They sell bicycles, manufacturing parts and help modifying vehicles. It is a small store at the end of the day, though."
"Asaka must be sad if she knows about it. Future can be cruel."
"There was a time where both companies collaborated to expand the land. But a fallout happened. It was said that the founder of Goha went rogue and took over Mutsuba by breaking their friendship. Before we went too off-track, I want to know if your Maximums are stable to use."
"Here's my Maximum! Mega Jointech Fortrex!"
"Interesting. Do you want a rematch, Yuhi?"
"Of course. I will show you how strong my Maximum is!"
"Haiz. I'm going home first. Take care, Yuhi."
"Hihihi~" Damamu is excited throughout the conversation.
Daybreak
"Asana. I need you to watch the store for a while."
"Okay. I'll be ready." Asana assures her great-grandfather.
"I'll be right back."
The sun has barely reached the horizon of the sky. However, for them, there is no time to rest. They are barely making by through their dire circumstances, and any time wasted means less productivity can be made.
"Excuse me."
"Welcome, Yuga. Are you looking for a bike?"
"No, I came to look for parts."
"Okay, okay. I don't see your bike though?"
"Don't worry, I wrote down everything you need!"
"I'll go check the inventory, just give me a minute. It's a chain made by... That's the one with this type of specs, right?"
"Thank you! Heh-heh..."
Asana wonders about Yuga's reaction.
"You know, it's kind of refreshing to see you running in the store."
"I didn't know you were a regular. I'm usually in the dorms. I'm not fully ready yet to handle the store on my own, there's more to learn from my great-grandpa."
"Well... The sun's already setting. See you later."
"Oh. Also..."
Before Asana can continue, Yuga has already gone.
"It's time to go home, I suppose."
"You are Yuga Ohdo, right?" The girl wearing clothes of pale blue shades with numerous tiny black and red triangles greets him.
"Yeah. Good morning, Setsuko."
"Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you, too. (Handshake) This is the first time I meet you."
"It's a pleasing coincidence. Why are you outside this early?"
"I need to get some equipments to make my Roads. It's my hobby (chuckle)."
"That's cool. Do you want to Duel right now? It would be a waste to not face the King of Duels now, wouldn't it?"
"Sure! Dueling is the best way to understand others. Let's do it!"
RUSH DUEL - Yuga vs Setsuko
"I go first!" Setsuko declares her turn. "As there are no monsters on my field, I can Special Summon Disconnector Dog from my hand." A purple beast equipped with electronics appear to her field.
"This monsters... It looks like Connector Dog."
"If Disconnector Dog was Special Summoned this turn, I can excavate the top 7 cards of my Deck. If I excavated a Level 4 Cyberse Normal Monster, I can send it and then Disconnector Dog to the GY... The one I will send to the GY is this!"
Dark Femtron.
"Femtron... Dark Femtron? Heh. Setsuko's Deck is an inverted version of Nail's Deck. As expected of his sibling, after all." Yuga grins from excitement. Just what surprise is waiting him next?
"Consecutive Normal Summons! Dark Attron! Dark Zeptron! Dark Yoctron!"
Three purple cybernetic beings materialize. With no hesitation, Setsuko activates the effects of her monsters, one by one. "If I have Dark Femtron in my GY, I send Dark Attron to the GY so I can draw 1 card during this turn's End Phase. Then, as I have Dark Femtron and Dark Attron in my GY, I send Dark Zeptron to the GY so I can draw 2 cards during this turn's End Phase. Finally, I place 1 each of Dark Femtron, Dark Attron and Dark Zeptron from my GY on the bottom of my Deck and send Dark Yoctron to the GY so I can draw 3 cards during this turn's End Phase."
"Cyberse monsters can really draw a ton."
"Yeah. Mine can draw more compared to the providence version of these monsters, but I have to wait until my End Phase. It's a perfect payoff. I Set 1 card and end my turn. At this moment, I draw 6 cards thanks to my monsters' effects."
"Impressive. My turn! I Normal Summon Sevens Road Enchanter. I Tribute it to Normal Summon Sevens Road Witch. By discarding Illusion Road Magician in my hand, I can Special Summon this card! No matter if walls, mountains, or even planets block my way! I'll carve open a road through them all and press onward! Let's go! Sevens Road Magician!"
Setsuko smiles confidently. This is Yuga's usual move, so there's no need to be surprised.
"Elemental Road! Sevens Road Magician gains 300 ATK until the end of this turn." Yuga increases the ATK of his ace by milling Sevens Road Sorcerer. "I Set 1 card. I'll give you everything I have! Sevens Road Magician and Sevens Road Witch, attack—"
"At this moment!" Setsuko is about to do something, despite...
"What!? You have no monsters on your field, so?"
"I have cards in my hand, remember." With a menacing glance, Setsuko shows her gratitude towards him. "Yuga Ohdo, the King of Duels. Today, you will have the honour to witness the perfection of Dueling! See it for yourself!"
The ground around Setsuko rumbles. As the rumbling sunders the field, Setsuko raises her three cards to the sky.
"Desperate to break free from imperfection, the malice dragon gnaws upon the tree of providence. Using your three sets of wisdom, now is the time for you to defy the will of heaven and bestow perfection upon this universe! Maximum! Nidhoggr the Malice Dragon!"
Lightnings strike down the battlefield, bringing a tornado of miasma that strikes fear upon weak hearts. The vortex dissolves itself in an instant, revealing a colossus dragon with three black heads filled with dark aura. The tail wraps itself around Setsuko not for long before the dragon rises up the sky, showing its naked horror in front of its enemy.
"Maximum Summoning during my turn? Impossible!"
"But the Duel Disk allows the Maximum Summon. So it's legal. Nidhoggr can be Maximum Summoned from my hand at the start of your Battle Phase or End Phase. While it's on the field, it cannot be destroyed once per turn. Also, while I have 2 or less cards in my hand, I can only take damage from direct attacks."
"You have 3 cards in your hand, though? What would happen then?"
"With the exception of battle damage from direct attacks, you take all battle damage I would have taken. I take no effect damage, and Nidhoggr prevents you from attacking it if the total ATK of your face-up Attack Position monsters is less than 4000. But your monsters have over 4000 ATK in total, so... (smirk)"
Yuga thought to himself, "I cannot attack at all. The reflected battle damage... Although, I would survive even if Nidhoggr attacks one of my monster next turn. But this is a Maximum I'm dealing with. There have to be more effects. I end my turn!"
"My turn. I Set 1 card." Setsuko activates the card that she Set the turn earlier, "Equip Spell! Absurd Force Field! I equip it to Nidhoggr. The equipped monster cannot be destroyed by your card effects, and because Nidhoggr is a Maximum Monster, Absurd Force Field cannot be destroyed by your Spell effects. Also, during my turn, Nidhoggr can attack directly, also it gains 1000 ATK for each card on the field. There are 6 cards on the field, so its ATK is 6000!" Yuga gasps, but there's no time to relax. "Are you ready, Yuga? Nidhoggr attacks directly. Nastrond Malice Strike!"
"Trap, activate! Magical Switch! I Special Summon Illusion Road Magician from my GY and send Witch to the GY. While Illusion Road Magician is on the field, you must attack it, and I take no battle damage if I have Sevens Road Magician on my field."
Witch leaves the field, and in place is a Magician resembles Sevens Road, but in an illusive spirit. The black flames are absorbed by the illusion, whom disintegrates soon after.
"Making use of that discard is clever. However! Absurd Force Field has another effect. If the equipped monster is in Maximum Mode, when it destroys a monster of yours by battle, I destroy 1 of your monsters. Begone, Sevens Road! I end my turn."
"Setsuko is strong. You can't let your guard down against her at any moment. But this is what makes an exciting Rush Duel. My turn! I Normal Summon Spell Arsenal and Cyc. Because I have another WIND Spellcaster monster on my field, I can add back a Level 4 or lower Spellcaster from my GY to my hand. I add back Enchanter and Summon it. I activate Enchanter's effect to return Cyc to my hand and Summon it again. Cyc's effect activates to add back Sorcerer. By shuffling back Illusion Road, Graceful Charity, Magical Switch from my GY back into my Deck, I send Spell Arsenal to the GY and draw 1 card. If it's an Equip Spell, I can draw another card. Bingo! Sevens Geas - an Equip Spell. This means I draw 1 more card."
*Graceful Charity is sent to the GY to meet the requirement of Sevens Road Enchanter.
"Your deck is really moving."
"I will keep pressing onward. I Summon Sorcerer and activate its effect. By sending 3 face-up monsters on my field to the GY, I can bring back Sevens Road Magician and Sevens Road Witch! Elemental Road! By sending the top card of my Deck to the GY (Illusion Road), I increase Sevens Road's ATK by 300!"
"That's not enough to overcome Nidhoggr!"
"I know. But the two magicians can join forces! Fusion! No matter if the planets, the galaxies, or space itself stand in my way! I will go beyond all roads and press onward! Fusion! The apex of all magicians who rules over Sevens Road! The road of beginnings and ends! Fusion Summon! Master of Sevens Road!"
"At this moment, I activate a Trap from my hand! Malice Roots!"
"From your hand!?"
"Nidhoggr grants me the ability to activate 1 Trap from my hand per turn. I can activate Malice Roots when you Special Summon a Level 7 or higher monster while I have 4 or more cards in my hand. For the rest of this turn, that monster and kins with the same name have their Continuous Effects negated. In addition, I can return 1 Spell/Trap on your field to your hand, though you don't have one at the moment. But!" Setsuko flicks her hand, "Here's the interesting part. If Malice Roots is activated from my hand, 1 card in your hand is randomly sent to your GY!"
Yuga is panicked as Sevens Geas is discarded, "A Road towards my victory is cut off again!"
"Sevens Geas grants the equipped monster an additional attack on my monsters, but that doesn't matter for now. Though, I cannot activate my Traps when it attacks if it is also a Fusion Monster, and if I have a monster with a Level higher than that of your equipped monster, it can attack directly. I see, that's how you will carve your Road of victory. What will you do now that it is no longer an option?"
"I told you before. I will just carve another one. There are infinite Roads, just like there are countless possibilities in a Duel. I send a card from my hand to the GY to activate Wind Spirit's Protection. Master of Sevens Road gains 1000 ATK!" (Master of Sevens Road: 3000 → 4000 ATK)
"Now it can defeat Nidhoggr. If you can take the reflected damage, that is!"
Yuga smiles in acceptance, "I build this Road as a contigency plan, but it seems like this will be my victory Road tonight. I activate Sevens Wonder Fusion!"
"Even if you Fusion Summon another Master of Sevens Road... Even then, no matter how much ATK your monsters have, you will have to take the damage on my behalf. How are you getting through this peril situation?"
"You will see soon. I shuffle back Sevens Road Magician and..."
"Yuga!" A feint scream can be heard from the darkness. Both Duelists eventually recognize her.
"Asana! Why are you here?"
"I... I want to talk with you a little bit longer. That's all."
"Let's talk after I finish this Duel then, Asana."
"That's fine, Yuga." Asana trustfully smiles back at him.
"So King of Duels-kun, what are you going to Summon?" Setsuko teases Yuga playfully.
"Sevens Wonder Fusion is still resolving. Ah!"
"Playtime is over. Commit to your Road like a brave man or surrender like a coward!"
"Krghh... I— I shuffle back Sevens Road Magician and Darkness Zerorogue!"
"Yuga! Why!?" Asana excalaims her utter confusion.
"Ho-ho. This is interesting."
"Fu...Fusion Summon! Magician of Dark Sevens! Due to its effect, it gains 300 ATK per DARK Spellcaster in my GY and I take no battle damage involving it." (Magician of Dark Sevens: 2800 → 4000 ATK)
"So you do walk on this Road, after all. Even if your friend is nearby you. Interestingly, why are you that scared anyway? You are still yourself, so the card itself is not dangerous. Sentimental value or any similar lame excuses? You can explain that to your friends. Is it that there is a secret between you and Otes that you can't tell to your friends. Maybe there is a person that is always on your side and that gives you courage to walk on this Road, or otherwise, based on your reactions, this possibility will not be a Road in the first place. Or perhaps... (pointing at Asana) You have been a friend to a selfish brat in the end!"
"You have no rights to talk to him that way!"
"Then why are you shocked? Why do you fear the presence of it?"
"Because... It's a monster that Otes used. I don't know why it ends up in Yuga's hand, but if he uses it to defeat a karma-deserving bastard like you, justice is rightfully delivered."
"Just all words. Your cluelessness is a comedy. Your papier-mache understanding of the society is shallow. No one is perfect in the universe. Everyone has something bad in their heart, something hidden in their mind. There is nothing meaningful about words like justice or karma, those are prejudice given by those that want to dwell in their ignorance while wanting to stand on the higher moral ground."
"Asana..." Yuga worriedly looks at Asana, but his fear is swept away by Asana's anger. "You have no idea how much Yuga has done for us!"
"Do you take his effort for granted, or you really do appreciate it from the bottom of your heart?"
"No one ever devalues Yuga's effort in bringing smiles to the world of Dueling for kids!"
"Why do you devalue Otes' effort then? From what I have seen during that fateful Duel, he and Yuga are two sides of the same coin."
"Why are you playing favourite towards a villain like him!?"
"There must be happiness in ignorance."
Unable to hold back her anger any further and knowing that her words wouldn't work on Setsuko, Asana vents her frustration on Yuga, grabbing him on the collar furiously. "Yuga! Defeat her! She is spitting on your pride, and my pride can't allow this disrespect to go on any longer! NOW!"
"I know... I... (gulp) Battle! Master of Sevens Road attacks Nidhoggr! Ultimate Sevens Attack!"
"GO!"
Setsuko lets out a sigh in exasperation after hearing Asana's scream, "I told you how ignorant you are. You will learn your ignorance directly! Magic Cylinder! Your attack is negated and you take damage equal to the ATK of the attacking monster!"
"What!? Gahhh... Aaaahhhhh...!" (Yuga: 4000 → 0 LP)
"Yuga!" Asana rushes to catch Yuga from the blast.
As the dust settles, Setsuko disgustingly looks at Asana, "One day, I plan to settle the scores with you sooner or later, Asana. I will crush your weak heart and your goody two-shoes pride."
"I won't give you time to regret your bold claims then."
Setsuko walks away without looking back at both of them, "It's already sunny. The fun is over. See you later."
"(Fist clenching) You will pay. Setsuko!"
"Umm..."
"Are you okay, Yuga?"
"Maybe."
"Let's talk another time, okay. Have a rest. You have a day off to talk to the media about your story, but perhaps you can call them off today."
"It's fine. I can still join the press conference." Yuga gets up to head home.
"That's good. Take care, Yuga."
"You too, Asana."
At a mysterious lab, Setsuko is standing in front of a tall purple capsule. An enormous three-headed plant-like dragon with purple veins is flickering.
"I won't let the energy stolen by the Duel Virus come to waste. Thank you, Nanaho, for your so-called plan that brings terror and chaos to this world. Heheheh..."
Setsuko expresses her wicked delight while holding an unseen card.
Dark Yggdrago the Abyss Ruler.
P.S. Nail has a talk with Yuhi and Yuamu about... Everything, really. The Relic is seemingly gone (after the fated Duel with Otes) so there is no worries about being carded. Yuhi reveals that the existence of Maximum predates Nail's creation of Maximum itself, and Nail is curious about it enough that he wants to Duel Yuhi again. He seems to be more opened up to others now. Yuamu reveals the prime era of Mutsuba, which is the era they come from, however the fallen from grace of Mutsuba is a cruel twist to her. Meanwhile, Yuga visits Asana's store for his gears, and he runs away too quickly to hear what Asana wants to talk to him. Yuga meets Setsuko and they decide to have a Duel to understand each other. Unbeknownst to Yuga, the Duel may have been one of the most traumatizing one yet with the law-defying Maximum Monster - Nidhoggr and Setsuko's psychological tricks against him and Asana, whom catches up on Yuga to spend more time with him. In the end, Asana decides to hold off her talk until another day, and Setsuko declares her grudge towards Asana after completely destroys Yuga in the Duel. What will happen next, and what's the deal with Setsuko's unknown card - Dark Yggdrago the Abyss Ruler!?