Rose had walked off the arena after her duel, while Akiza left of her own accord. walking away into the tunnels, ignoring the jeers and angry shouts of the crowds.
Now it was time for the third match of the first round, Yusei against Shira.
"Everybody listen!" The MC announced. "Following that incredible Duel between Sir Randsborg and Akiza Izinski, we now have our third Duel of the Fortune Cup, Yusei Fudo against Shira!"
15
In a garage built into the stadium structure, Yusei was working on his Duel Runner, with Tanner and Julian in the garage too, helping him out.
"Have you guys ever heard anything about this Shira guy?" he asked.
"He never takes off those robes, so no one even knows what he looks like under them." Tanner added.
"He doesn't scare me." Yusei replied. He was holding the Stardust Dragon card.
15
Outside the stadium, a man was sat on his black Duel Runner, which was decorated with flame patterns, and shaped like a chopper. The man was dressed in biker leathers with a flaming skull motif on his jacket, his shoulders crowned by steel spikes. A crooked smirk crossed his lips as he looked up at the stadium.
"I can't believe Jack didn't invite me to his little party." He said in a Texan accent. "Then again, I'm gonna have fun crashing it!" He revved his Runner and rode straight for the doors, rushing past a crowd of Securities standing guard, before skidding into a corridor.
The Securities gave chase, but another Security stepped from the tunnel.
"This corridor's blocked off." He said in a Texan accent. "Get over to the east side!" They obeyed, and the Security smirked, stalking away. It was actually the man they were supposed to be chasing, Hunter Pace.
Pace was the former Turbo Duel Champion, but Jack had come in and kicked him right off that throne. Now Hunter was out for revenge…
He stopped as he heard voices approaching, ducking into a dark side corridor just before Lazar and Shira came into view.
"You need to push Yusei as much as possible." Lazar said to Shira. "Do whatever you must to make that Mark appear." Shira smirked. "I wouldn't be so cocky; this Satellite has some excellent Dueling skills. He managed to defeat Jack Atlas in an unofficial Duel." Hunter gave an exclamation of shock, which Shira apparently heard, as he turned and threw a card into the shadows. It stuck into Hunter's helmet and a rat scurried out.
"You've got rats." Shira commented drily. The two walked away, leaving Hunter in the shadows with Shira's card stuck into his stolen Sector Security helmet.
"So Yusei beat Jack?" He laughed…
15
"Everybody listen!" The MC announced. "It's time for the Fortune Cup's first Turbo Duel! And for our first contestant, he's the spunky punk trying to get from third to first class; he's the little Satellite who could… I give you, Yusei Fudo!" A plume of smoke exploded from one of the tunnels leading onto the track and Yusei's crimson Duel Runner raced from it, completing a lap of the track as the crowd began to boo.
"Go back to the Satellite, loser!"
"You're way out of your league, slacker!"
"And against him, we have the Shinigami himself, the mysterious and deadly Shira!" The MC shouted. A plume of smoke exploded from another tunnel and Hunter Pace's Duel Runner burst from it, ridden by Shira in his usual cloak.
This time, the crowd was cheering.
"Don't let us down, Shira!"
"Show that punk he ain't welcome!"
Shira and Yusei stopped their Runners at the starting line neatly, both ready to Duel.
"With both duelists at the starting line, now just one thing remains, activate Speed World!" the MC yelled. Both Shira and Yusei activated the card in question, and it flashed up on the Runner screens.
"Duel Mode engaged, Autopilot standing by."
Speed World expanded from the Duel Runners to coat the arena.
"Speed World activated. Ready…"
Both duelists revved their Runners…
"Set…"
Ahead of them the holographic countdown appeared and the lights began to go out.
"Duel!"
The countdown shattered as both Duelists shot forwards, a black robe flying back in the wind.
There were dozens of synchronized gasps from the crowd as 'Shira' was revealed as Hunter Pace!
"Surprise, surprise!" Hunter laughed. "Bet you all didn't expect to see me here!"
"This is the mother of all surprises!" The MC yelled. "That's not Shira, that's the former champion! The Mad Biker, the Phantom of Fire, its Hunter Pace!"
15
In Rex's box, Lazar was making a report.
"We have a situation," he said. Rex looked at him.
15
Somewhere in the stadium, a bruised and battered Shira was taped to the floor, wearing only his boxer shorts as Sector Security crowded round him.
"He… just snuck up… behind me…" he groaned…
15
"You gonna duel me or what, Fudo?" Hunter laughed to Yusei. "You got the game to Duel Hunter Pace?"
The MC was panicking. "I'm not sure about this…" Suddenly, Goodwin appeared on a screen beside him. "Oh, Director… I was just waiting for your approval." Rex nodded and the screen went blank. "Director Goodwin has approved the Duel; we are a-go so let's get this show on the road!"
Yusei and Hunter Pace revved their Runners as they rode around the track.
Yusei 8000LP 0SPC/Hunter 8000LP 0SPC
"I'll go first!" Hunter laughed. "And I'll start by summoning my Burning Skull Head!" The monster in question couldn't have been named better, it was a skull on fire (ATK: 1000). "Now I set three face-downs and end my turn!" The three cards appeared.
Yusei 8000LP 0SPC/Hunter 8000LP 0SPC
"I draw!" Yusei called, doing so (Yusei 8000LP 1SPC) (Hunter 8000LP 1SPC).
"I summon my Speed Warrior!" The grey-suited warrior skated from a blue portal (ATK: 900). "Now I Release Speed Warrior to Special Summon my Turret Warrior with its effect!" Speed Warrior became a rainbow sphere that reformed into a towering humanoid made from bricks and mortar, its shoulders crowned by large turrets (ATK: 1200). "I can Special Summon Turret Warrior by Releasing a Warrior-Type monster, and when I do so, my Warrior gains the points of the Released monster!" Turret Warrior glowed with energy (ATK: 2100).
15
"I place two cards face-down." Yusei said, the face-down cards appeared. "Now, Turret Warrior, destroy his Burning Skull Head with Revolving Shot!" Turret Warrior opened fire with its shoulder guns, but one of Hunter's face-down cards lifted up.
"I activate Zero Guard!" The former champion yelled. "With this, my Skull Head's points hit zero, but it can't be destroyed by battle!" Burning Skull Head glowed with baleful aura (ATK: 0) and Turret Warrior's shellfire bounced off it, though some of the shots still hit Hunter. As his Life Points decreased, his second Trap lifted up.
(Hunter 5900LP 5SPC)
15
"And in a surprising turn of events, Hunter Pace has increased his Speed Counters somehow!" the MC yelled.
"How?" Yusei asked.
"Simple, Fudo, I played my Doom Accelerator Trap, and thanks to this puppy, I get a Speed Counter for each 500 points I lost!" Hunter laughed. "This is my new and improved Speed Accel Deck, custom-made by yours truly to beat down on Jack! Too bad you get to be the test subject!"
"That wasn't a bad move, but it'll take more than that to shake me." Yusei said. "I end my turn."
Yusei 8000LP 1SPC/ Hunter 5900LP 5SPC
"I draw!" Hunter laughed as he pulled the card from his Deck (Yusei 8000LP 2SPC) (Hunter 5900LP 6SPC).
"I activate Speed Spell – Summon Speeder and use it to Special Summon Skull Vase!" The Spell Card flashed into existence and a strange creature, a skeleton in a black and gold vase filled with water appeared (ATK: 800). Unnoticed by Hunter, one of Yusei's face-downs lifted up…
"Now I Release Burning Skull Head and Skull Vase to Advance Summon Skull Flame!" Burning Skull Head and Skull Vase coalesced into a rainbow sphere that reformed into a towering skeleton clad in purple witch-doctor robes that bared its rib-cage and a crimson cloak, flames burning around its skull like a mane (ATK: 2600).
"Now my Skull Vase lets me draw a card since it was released for an Advance Summon." Hunter laughed as he drew once and set the card face-down. "I'm tossing in a face-down and now, Skull Flame, burn up that Turret Warrior!" Skull Flame formed a fireball between its hands and threw it at Turret Warrior, reducing the monster to ashes. Yusei winced as the flames seared him.
(Yusei 7500LP 2SPC)
"Man, Hunter's on fire!" a spectator yelled. Hunter Pace smirked.
"I'm just getting warmed up!" He laughed. "Now prepare for the big heat because I'm bringing out my Speed Booster Continuous Trap!" His third Trap Card lifted up. "Speed Booster lets me deal damage to you equal to the difference in our Speed Counters when mine are higher once per turn, and in your turn, if my Speed Counters are higher, I can block out a number of attacks equal to the difference! This is the ultimate combo in my Speed Accel Deck!"
As the Trap activated, a pair of rocket launchers appeared on the back of Hunter's Duel Runner. "Now I'm using its effect!" Four missiles fired from the launchers and exploded around Yusei.
(Yusei 7100LP 2SPC)
"I end with that!"
Yusei 7100LP 2SPC/Hunter 5900LP 6SPC
Yusei drew a card (Yusei 7100LP 7SPC) (Hunter 5900LP 7SPC).
"What?!" Hunter exclaimed. "You should be a dot on the horizon! How'd you catch up?!"
"Why not check my Graveyard?" Yusei said. Hunter looked and saw a Trap Card.
"Slip Stream?" He muttered. "Damn it. Well, I'm bringing out my Acceleration Zone Trap since you got Counters other than by Speed World, giving me five more Speed Counters!" Instantly he sped up massively (Hunter 5900LP 12SPC).
"I activate Speed Spell – Angel Baton!" Yusei called, drawing twice as the angel appeared beside him, and then placing his Quillbolt Hedgehog into the Graveyard as the angel vanished. "Now I activate Speed Spell – Summon Speeder to bring out my Fortress Warrior!" The towering granite warrior appeared (DEF: 1200).
"I summon the Tuner Monster Junk Synchron!" The Warrior Tuner appeared from a blue portal (ATK: 1300). "And I use his effect to bring back Speed Warrior!" Speed Warrior reappeared, crouching in defence mode (DEF: 400). "And I revive Quillbolt Hedgehog with its effect!" The small rodent with bolts for quills appeared, curling up in defense (DEF: 800).
"A Tuner and a bunch of non-Tuners… you're gonna Synchro Summon!" Hunter yelled.
"That's right." Yusei said as Junk Synchron rose into the air alongside Fortress Warrior. "I'm tuning the Level three Junk Synchron to the Level two Fortress Warrior to Synchro Summon…!"
Junk Synchron descended as three glowing rings that encircled Fortress Warrior, reducing it to two glowing stars. The stars aligned within the rings and connected as dark purple aura that filled the Synchro Summon…
"Clustering stars will call upon a new force. Become the path its light shines upon. Synchro Summon! Show yourself, Junk Warrior!" Yusei chanted.
Junk Warrior burst from the Synchro Summon with a great roar (ATK: 2300). "And now since Junk Warrior was Synchro Summoned." Yusei continued. "He gains points equal to the combined attack points of all Level two or below monsters on the field. Junk Warrior, Power of Fellows!" Junk Warrior glowed with energy as both Speed Warrior and Quillbolt Hedgehog hi-fived him (ATK: 4000).
"4000 points!" Hunter shouted.
"Junk Warrior, destroy his Skull Flame with Scrap Fist!" Yusei shouted. Junk Warrior flew at Skull Flame, but a pulsing barrier of energy expanded from Speed Booster and blocked the attack.
"Don't forget, Speed Booster cancels a number of attacks equal to the difference between our Speed Counters!" Hunter laughed.
"I end my turn." Yusei said.
Yusei 7100LP 7SPC/Hunter 5900LP 12SPC
Despite it being his turn, Hunter didn't draw (Yusei 7100LP 8SPC). "I activate the effect of Skull Flame, adding a Burning Skull Head from my Graveyard to my hand!" The Burning Skull Head he had released to Advance Summon Skull Flame slid from his Graveyard and he placed it in his hand.
"Now since I'm maxed out, I activate my Speed Spell – Acceleration Draw, letting me draw twice!" Hunter called, drawing two cards. "And now I toss out my Skull Conductor, letting me bring out two Zombies from my hand so long as their points add up to 2000, so I'm calling out two Burning Skull Heads!" Two of the burning skulls appeared (ATK: 1000x2). "And when these puppies get Special Summoned from my hand, you take 1000 points of damage, and I just Special Summoned two!" Flames surrounded Yusei and he cried out in pain.
(Yusei 5100LP 6SPC)
"And now I'll hit you with Speed Booster!" Seven missiles shot from the launchers and exploded around Yusei.
(Yusei 4400LP 6SPC)
"Now, Skull Flame, attack his Speed Warrior!" Skull Flame threw its fireball and incinerated Speed Warrior, making Yusei smirk as his face-down lifted up.
"I activate my Trap Card, Counterattack Beacon!" He called. "Using this, when you destroy my monster by battle, I choose a monster I control and it gains 500 points, then the chosen monster and your attacking monster must battle! What's more, since it isn't my attack, Speed Booster can't block it! Junk Warrior, destroy Skull Flame with Scrap Fist!" Junk Warrior glowed with crimson aura (ATK: 4500) and charged, shattering Skull Flame with a ferocious punch. Hunter Pace groaned in pain as the force of the attack struck him.
(Hunter 4000LP 11SPC)
"You'll pay for that." He growled. "I end my turn!" Junk Warrior stopped glowing (ATK: 4000).
Yusei 4400LP 6SPC/Hunter 4000LP 11SPC
Yusei drew his next card (Yusei 4400LP 7SPC) (Hunter 4000LP 12SPC).
"I summon Max Warrior in attack mode." He said, playing the card. The tall, imposing warrior wielding the staff appeared (ATK: 1800). "Now I lay a card face-down and end my turn." The face-down appeared.
Yusei 4400LP 7SPC/Hunter 4000LP 12SPC
"I draw!" Hunter yelled, doing so (Yusei 4400LP 8SPC). An evil smirk grew on his lips as he saw the card.
"I activate Speed Spell – Acceleration Draw!" He called, activating the card and drawing twice for the second time. "Now I activate my Speed Spell – The End of Storm! You should've stayed indoors, since the forecast calls for some hardcore schooling and a whole lot of letdown, with a slight chance of annihilation! The End of Storm destroys every monster on the field, then we each take 300 damage for each monster we had that was destroyed!" A raging tempest erupted and every monster on the field shattered into pixels. Yusei and Hunter cried out as they were slammed with the damage.
(Yusei 3800LP 8SPC)
(Hunter 3400LP 12SPC)
"Next, I remove Skull Flame in my Graveyard from play." Hunter said, pocketing the card, "to Special Summon my Supersonic Skull Flame!" Energy exploded into flames beside him, forming into a new monster, a skeletal centaur with the upper body of Skull Flames minus its robes, with a longer and more regal cloak, and a greater plume of fire. Its lower body was that of a skeletal horse, clad in black and gold armor with a plume of fire for a tail (ATK: 2600).
"I activate the effect of my Speed Booster!" Four missiles fired from the launchers and exploded around Yusei.
(Yusei 3400LP 8SPC)
"Now I trigger the effect of Supersonic Skull Flame, dealing you 400 points of damage for each Burning Skull Head in my Graveyard!" Supersonic Skull Flame roared and illusory images of two Burning Skull Heads appeared beside it, shooting forwards and exploding into infernos that engulfed Yusei, making him cry out in pain.
(Yusei 2600LP 8SPC)
"Supersonic Skull Flame, attack him directly to end this!" Hunter yelled, but Yusei's face-down lifted up.
"I activate Graceful Revival, letting me Special Summon a Level two or lower monster from my Graveyard, like Fortress Warrior!" he called. As the Trap lifted up, Fortress Warrior appeared in a flash of light (ATK: 600). Supersonic Skull Flame was forced to unleash a jet of flames from its form at the warrior instead, and Fortress Warrior was left unharmed, as was Yusei.
"What?!" Hunter yelled.
"My Fortress Warrior can't be destroyed by battle once per turn, and in addition, I take no damage when he battles." Yusei explained.
"Damn it!" Hunter snarled. "I end my turn!"
Yusei 2600LP 8SPC/Hunter 3400LP 12SPC
"I draw," Yusei said (Yusei 2600LP 9SPC).
"I set a card face-down." The face-down card appeared. "And I end my turn."
Yusei 2600LP 9SPC/Hunter 3400LP 12SPC
"I draw!" Hunter snarled (Yusei 2600LP 10SPC).
"I activate Speed Spell – Angel Baton!" The angel appeared beside Hunter as he drew twice and smirked at one of the cards, then discarded the card in question.
"I use the effect of Supersonic Skull Flame!" This time, three illusory Burning Skull Heads shot from Supersonic Skull Flame and exploded against Yusei, making him cry out in pain.
(Yusei 1400LP 9SPC)
"Now I use my Speed Booster!" Five missiles shot from the Trap Card and exploded around Yusei.
(Yusei 900LP 9SPC)
"I end my turn there." Hunter finished. "Next turn, I win this Duel…"
Yusei 900LP 9SPC/Hunter 3400LP 12SPC
"I draw." Yusei said (Yusei 900LP 10SPC). "I activate Speed Spell – Shift Down." He slowed down massively (Yusei 900LP 4SPC) and drew two cards.
"Now I activate Speed Spell – Vision Wind to bring back my Speed Warrior!" Speed Warrior reappeared in a flash of energy (ATK: 900). "I activate Speed Spell – Angel Blessing to draw until I have four cards!" He drew four times. "Now I summon my Road Synchron!"
From a blue portal, a golden robot appeared, its lower body nothing more than a black roller, its head topped by something like a crown, an engine attached to its back and its eyes glowing crimson (ATK: 1600). "Now I Tune Road Synchron together with Speed Warrior and Fortress Warrior!" Road Synchron rose into the air and split into four glowing rings that descended and encircled Speed Warrior and Fortress Warrior, reducing them to four glowing stars. The stars aligned within the rings and connected as a lance of golden light…
"Clustering hopes will evoke a new horizon. Become the path its light shines upon. Synchro Summon! Dash onwards, Road Warrior!" Yusei chanted.
A new Synchro Monster emerged from the Synchro Summon, a tall golden armored warrior with claws extending from his bracers and a piece of road attached to his back. His eyes flashed crimson as he soared beside Yusei (ATK: 3000).
"Now I activate my Road Warrior's special ability, meaning I can Special Summon a Level two or lower Warrior or Machine-Type monster from my Deck." Yusei said. "And the monster I summon is Tuningware." Road Warrior pulled the piece of road from his back and light shone from it, sending a cute little robot with a wok on its head and a scarf around its neck flying onto Yusei's field (ATK: 100).
"You still won't get past my Speed Booster defense!" Hunter laughed.
"Yes I will!" Yusei replied. "Because now I activate Speed Spell – High Speed Crash, destroying one card on my field to destroy a card on yours!" Tuningware was surrounded by a blazing aura and shot forwards, striking the Speed Booster attached to Hunter's Duel Runner and exploding in a blast that consumed both cards.
"No!" Hunter cried.
"Now to end this!" Yusei called. "Road Warrior, attack Supersonic Skull Flame with Lightning Claw!" Road Warrior charged and slashed with his claws, shattering Supersonic Skull Flame before striking Hunter Pace himself.
(Hunter 3000LP 12SPC)
"I'm still in the game, Fudo!" Hunter laughed.
"Not for much longer." Yusei replied as his face-down lifted up. "I activate Synchro Overlimit, meaning that since my Road Warrior, a Synchro Monster, just destroyed your monster in battle, it can attack again at the price of being destroyed at the end of the attack! Road Warrior, attack directly with Lightning Claw!" Road Warrior charged and slashed at Hunter's Duel Runner with his claws, the former champion crying out in pain as the blow struck and steam exploded from his Runner…
Yusei 900LP 4SPC/Hunter 0LP 9SPC
Hunter's Runner skidded to a stop as Yusei brought his own Duel Runner to a halt. Both Turbo Duelists dismounted and pulled off their helmets, both smiling.
Hunter laughed. "Oh, yeah!"
"That was a really great duel." Yusei said, reaching out. The two shook hands, Hunter still laughing.
"Don't expect me to take this sitting down." He laughed. "I'll want a rematch someday."
"It's a deal." Yusei replied…