This story was done in collaboration between me, Jriddle41 (Sodormatchmaker on DeviantART), and DaveMan1000 (both here and on DeviantART), and we own the OCs that are used in the story. AaronCottrell97 (known as stevecottrell on DeviantART) provided the Duel Layouts and additional ideas. Everything else belongs to their respective owners:
Thomas and Friends (c) Hit Entertainment and Mattel
The Railway Series (c) Rev Wilbert Awdry
Yu-Gi-Oh! (c) Konami
Gundam SEED characters, Orb, Blue Cosmos, M1 Astray, Strike Rouge, Murasame (c) Sunrise
Character of Lisa Drake (c) DaveMan1000
Character of David Xadashi (c) DaveMan1000
WARNING: Once again, this story is rated T for violence, some blood, suggestive themes, and some language. Reader discretion is advised.
WARNING 2: If you haven't read "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sodor Chronicles Season 2", "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sodor Chronicles Season 4", "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sodor Chronicles (Pyramid of Light", "David Xadashi", "Lisa Drake", or "Team 4D's", you might want to do so before reading this story
Title: Ally of Red Justice
Opening up inside one of the stadium's garages, Michael Atlas was busy suiting up for his Turbo Duel with the Orb Duel School's Juri Wu Nien. While trying to adjust one of the sleeves of his white motorcyclist suit, he started to have a flashback to Carlie's duel against Orga Sabnak of the Blue Cosmos Duel School.
FLASHBACK
In this particular moment…
"I'm sending 'Gladiator Beast Andabata' and 'Gladiator Beast Gyzarus' both back into my Extra Deck!" declared Flashback Orga.
'Gladiator Beast Andabata' and 'Gladiator Beast Gyzarus' both dove into another Fusion Vortex in the sky as Flashback Orga began a third Summon Chant…
"Behind every great warrior is an even greater trainer to keep them mighty and strong!" chanted Flashback Orga, with the artwork of the 'Polymerization' Spell Card looming in the background. He then managed to bring both hands together, "Fusion Summon! Come forth, 'Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor'!"
Appearing on the field, once the Fusion Summon sequence had finished, was a panther-like warrior in red armor wielding a staff. The new 'Gladiator Beast' monster pointed his staff out with a loud cry (Level: 8/ATK: 2400/DEF: 3000).
"Give me your best shot, Orga!" dared Flashback Carlie bravely.
"I was hoping you'd say that," Flashback Orga eagerly accepted, "But before I show you my final surprise, I'll activate 'Tamer Editor's' first effect!" As he explained the effect, 'Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor' turned the tip of his staff into an entergized whip, "Once per turn: I can choose 1 'Gladiator Beast' Fusion Monster in any player's Extra Deck and Special Summon it to its controller's field in Attack Position, ignoring its Summoning conditions," He remained very confident in his ability to demolish the opposition, "Seeing as you don't have any sort of 'Gladiator Beast' Fusion Monster in your Extra Deck, I'll Special Summon a 'Gladiator Beast' Fusion Monster from my own Extra Deck!"
Once again, 'Gladiator Beast Andabata' reappeared on the field (Level: 8/ATK: 1000/DEF: 2800).
"And now…my surprise…" slurred Flashback Orga.
"What?" blinked Flashback Carlie, growing very uneasy, "What surprise are you talking about?"
"You lose, that's what!" Flashback Orga went on, "I activate 'Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor's' next effect! Once per turn, if 2 or more 'Gladiator Beast' monsters are on the field: The controller of those monsters can destroy 1 monster on the field, and if they do, I must inflict damage to its controller equal to the destroyed monster's ATK," He smiled viciously, "Once again, you control no 'Gladiator Beast' monsters, but, oh would you look at that, I do!"
He was right; both 'Gladiator Beast Andabata' and 'Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor' were, quite obviously, 'Gladiator Beast' monsters.
"That means your 'Black Rose Dragon' will be history," reminded Flashback Orga, "But, your dragon will not be the only one who will become history… Carlie Izayoi!" He then pointed at his opponent, "Your LP will fall to 0 as well!"
Flashback Carlie flinched with horror, knowing that Flashback Orga was right about that. And, worst of all, with no Action Cards floating around further down the track, there wasn't anything she could do to try stopping the incoming 'attack'. The audience also knew this, and only the Blue Cosmos representatives were happy about it. At last, it was time for the duel to come to a close.
"Alright, 'Tamer Editor', do the honors!" commanded Flashback Orga, "Destroy 'Black Rose Dragon' and end this duel, now!"
'Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor' obeyed, raising his staff and whipping it as if it were a whip, sending a green energy wave towards 'Black Rose Dragon'. 'Black Rose Dragon' was hit by the green energy wave, causing it to roar in searing pain.
"'Black Rose Dragon'!" cried Flashback Carlie.
Once 'Black Rose Dragon' exploded from its destruction, the energy wave continued and struck Bloody Kiss, causing Flashback Carlie to scream as the remains of her LP ran out (LP: 1600 → 0).
END FLASHBACK
The flashback ended.
"Those 'Gladiator Beasts' are deadly if used in the right hands," Michael thought to himself, "Carlie wasn't able to fight against it all that well. No matter, I'll win this duel and move onto round two to face Orga and his Deck. I'll show him that I, the King of Turbo duelists, can take down such an archetype without trouble."
Finished adjusting the sleeves of his white motorcyclist suit, he put his helmet on and climbed aboard Wheel of Fortune, revved the Duel Runner up, and drove out of the garage back towards the stadium itself.
(elsewhere…)
Inside the stadium, Juri, wearing her Orb-based motorcyclist suit and helmet, was waiting at the starting line on her M1 Astray. The MC had announced her arrival not too long ago, and she did so without taking the time to take in the cheering she was getting from the crowd (mostly due to her slightly shy nature).
"This is it, everyone!" cheered the MC, "Now I present Juri's opponent!" At the right gateway on the right end of the stadium, he announced the name of the duelist, "Michael Atlaaaaas!"
The gateway opened as the name escaped the MC's mouth, and Wheel of Fortune, driven by Michael, exploded through. The audience was overjoyed to see Michael and some even called him "Master Atlas!", watching as the King of Turbo duelists did a quick lap around the track. While driving around the track, he addressed the audience very briefly with one of his many catchphrases.
"There is only one King, and that is me!" declared Michael.
The audience cheered even more, with an exception to the Blue Cosmos representatives and a few others like Sherry (although she seemed to greatly respect Michael). Soon, Wheel of Fortune stopped at the starting line beside M1 Astray.
"Hey, Juri?" began Michael.
"Huh?" pondered Juri, looking to her right at her opponent.
Michael smiled afterwards, "Whatever happens between us in this match," he said softly (rather uncharacteristically of him), "may the best duelist win."
Juri listened on before looking away shyly with a blush on her face—although she managed to nod a little bit in agreement. Up near one of the exits, Megan, looking into a pair of binoculars, was gazing long and hard at Michael with a happy, dreamy look on her face.
"Oh… Michael is so handsome from up here…" gushed Megan, while the cameraman standing nearby just rolled his eyes, "Before this day ends, remind me to find an opportunity to interview him—huh?"
Upon looking over at Juri with the binoculars, Megan saw that the intelligent, dark blue-haired young woman was blushing, perhaps due to being complimented by Michael. The sight caused Megan to narrow her eyes in jealousy of Juri. Before she could say anything about it…
"Say, Megan…" The cameraman interrupted, trying to remain patient with his superior's rather humorous antics, "I don't mean to rain on your parade or anything, but don't you have a report to continue with?"
Megan looked up, "Report?" she blinked, just before smiling sheepishly and remembering it, "O-Oh yeah, the final duel of the first round! I almost forgot about that! Thanks for the reminder."
The cameraman only groaned and shook his head in response, before finally turning the camera back on and allowing Megan to resume her report on the tournament. Back on the podium, the MC was ready to begin his commentary for the final duel of the first round…
"Here we go, everybody!" shouted the MC, "It's been a long day, but this will be our last duel until tomorrow morning! To make it even better? We've saved the best one for last!" He pointed forward, "Action Field, on! 'Crossover Acceleration'!"
This caused the dueling track around them to glow as several Duel Monsters cards began to appear floating in little balls of light all around the track. Not only that, both Juri and Michael pressed a button on their respective Duel Runners.
"Duel Mode, engaged," came a computerized voice aboard the two, respective Duel Runners, "Autopilot activated."
The audience waited anxiously for the duel to commence. The countdown on the nearby board finally started, with Juri and Michael both revving their Duel Runners up. Once the five ticks counted to three, the MC gave the ultimate word…
"Turbo Duel! Acceleration!" he exclaimed madly, once the three remaining ticks ran out.
Wheel of Fortune and M1 Astray took off down the track when time was up. To the audience's surprise, both Duel Runners were moving so fast that they were soon driving on the walls in an attempt to one-up the other. Michael was clearly the superior Duel Runner rider seeing as Wheel of Fortune was technically more advanced to any of Orb's M1 Astrays, but Juri was not going to give up that easily.
"I-It's not a simulation…" thought Juri, gritting her teeth, "I have to buck up!"
M1 Astray then returned to running on solid ground, which was followed by Wheel of Fortune (which was still ahead).
"Mike!" called Juri, as Michael simply looked at the cards in his starting hand, "Regardless of how fast your Wheel of Fortune is, I'm going to win this race and get the first turn!"
"Hmph! So be it," accepted Michael, before easing up on the handles.
To Juri's surprise, Wheel of Fortune slowed down a bit, allowing her M1 Astray to catch up and pass by, therefore allowing her to cross the finish line first. It also surprised a majority of the audience, making them wonder why Michael would allow his opponent to cross first when he had the clear advantage in terms of speed and vehicle power. The answer would have to wait, seeing as the duel finally commenced.
"Duel!" Both Juri and Michael announced at the same time (LP: 4000) x2.
The audience started cheering once again, practically forgetting that Michael let Juri win the race to get the first turn.
"Here I go!" announced Juri, drawing a card, "It's my turn!"
Turn One: Juri Wu Nien (LP: 4000)
Deck: 54
Current Hand (6): "DNA Transplant", "Ally of Justice Quarantine", "Space Dragster", "Imperial Custom", "Ally of Justice Unlimiter", and "Ally of Justice Core Destroyer"
Action Card: N/A
Her drawn card was the 'Ally of Justice Core Destroyer' Monster Card. In addition, she noticed that her hand contained 'DNA Transplant', 'Ally of Justice Quarantine', 'Space Dragster', 'Imperial Custom', and 'Ally of Justice Unlimiter'.
"This card is good for the first turn," thought Juri, before placing the drawn card onto a Monster Zone on her Duel Runner, "I Summon 'Ally of Justice Core Destroyer' in Attack Position!"
Appearing onto the field was a four-legged Machine monster with laser-like weapon (Level: 3/ATK: 1200/DEF: 200).
"An 'Ally of Justice' monster?" wondered Michael, before smirking to himself, "How intriguing."
"Finally," As Juri spoke, she took three cards from her hand and slotted them into her Duel Runner at the same time, "I'll Set three cards face-down and end my turn!"
On the monitor of Wheel of Fortune, it was displaying the 'Ally of Justice Core Destroyer' Monster Card before three face-down cards appeared in the Spell & Trap Zones (which was Juri's field). Was Michael worried about that? Hardly…
"It's my turn!" yelled Michael, drawing a card.
Turn Two: Michael Atlas (LP: 4000)
Deck: 54
Current Hand (6): "Red Mirror", "Flare Resonator", "Vice Dragon", "Red Gardna", "Red Gem", and "Red Screen"
Action Card: N/A
His drawn card was a Trap Card called 'Red Screen'.
"Juri, even though you got the first turn of the duel, I, the King, remain several steps ahead of you!" continued Michael, while adding his drawn card into his hand and taking another card from there, "Allow me to personally show you how the King duels."
"What?!" gasped Juri, "You remain several steps ahead of me?"
To begin his turn, Michael increased the speed of Wheel of Fortune until it passed M1 Astray and went up alongside the walls once again before he placed one of his cards onto his Duel Disk.
"I Special Summon 'Vice Dragon'!" declared Michael, with Wheel of Fortune still moving on the walls.
Appearing onto the field was a large, purple dragon with green wings (Level: 5/ATK: 2000/DEF: 2400). Nobody in the stand was surprised to see this monster make an early appearance.
"If my opponent controls a monster and I control no monsters," The voice of Michael explained, as the crowd continued to listen, "I can Special Summon this card (from my hand), but its original ATK/DEF become halved."
'Vice Dragon' grew weaker through its own effect (ATK: 2000 → 1000/DEF: 2400 → 1200). Before long, Wheel of Fortune returned to driving on the track.
"Since this was a Special Summon," Michael went on, before laying another card onto his Duel Disk, "I'll also Normal Summon the Tuner monster, 'Flare Resonator', from my hand!"
Appearing onto the field was the fiendish resonator with a red colored mallet as well as a fiery drum on its back (Level: 3/ATK: 300/DEF: 1300).
"'Vice Dragon' is a Level 5 monster, and 'Flare Resonator' is a Level 3 monster…" whispered Juri, before her eyes widened, "C-Can it be-?!"
Sadly so…
"I tune Level 5 'Vice Dragon'…" announced Michael, as 'Flare Resonator' struck its tuning fork with the mallet, "…into Level 3 'Flare Resonator'"
From there, 'Flare Resonator' into three Synchro Rings, which 'Vice Dragon' flew into before becoming five orbs of light in the process.
"The ruler's heartbeats will now file through here!" chanted Michael, as the symbols 5 + 3 = 8 were shown briefly, "Take witness to its creation-shaking power!"
The five orbs of light formed a large beam of light within the three Synchro Rings, which slammed onto Wheel of Fortune. Soon enough, a new, yet familiar, monster began to emerge from said light column.
"Synchro Summon!" boomed Michael, while taking and holding up a card ('Red Dragon Archfiend) taken from his Extra Deck, "My very soul, 'Red Dragon Archfiend'!"
Coming out of the beam of light, and then flying above Wheel of Fortune, was a large and powerful dragon with dark red scales, wings, and curled horns (Level: 8/ATK: 3000/DEF: 2000). The audience was practically going wild over seeing 'Red Dragon Archfiend' (or 'Red Daemon's Dragon'). On the other hand, with the remaining Orb representatives…
"Holy hell…" gawked Lisa.
And over with David, his friends, and his family…
"This is absurd," grimaced David, taking off his glasses, rubbing his eyes, and putting them back on.
A sign that the two teenagers were respectively seeing one of the same dragons from that dream/vision where they got their birthmarks and dragons (David: 'Life Stream Dragon', Lisa: 'Ancient Fairy Dragon').
"Hey, son, are you feeling okay?" Ren asked at last.
"(お兄ちゃん,) O nīchan, (Big Brother,) you look like you've seen a ghost or something," added Gabriella.
"I… I don't know…" stammered David, "However, I do believe there is something I need to tell you all."
"Tell us?" repeated Sean, looking at Janice for a moment before looking back at his best friend.
"What is it?" pressed Futaba.
"Do you recall me informing you of the dream I experienced when I originally obtained this birthmark and dragon?" asked David, removing the gauntlet and rolling up the sleeve of his right arm to show everyone his birthmark of the Crimson Dragon.
"I believe so," confirmed Janice, "You were dueling against Vincent and got locked in a seemingly unwinnable situation."
"Well," continued David, "that 'Red Dragon Archfiend' was one of the dragons I witnessed in my dream before I got 'Life Stream Dragon'."
"Huh?" blinked Sean, "You saw that dragon?"
"I don't get it," commented Gabriella, being too young to know what David was talking about, "We always thought you got that great card from a pack or from a trade."
David sighed, knowing that this would be very difficult to explain. Over with Lisa and her own friends…
"Earth to Lisa," deadpanned Asagi, waving a hand in-front of the mesmerized Lisa, "Come in, your friends are trying to talk to you."
"Huh? What?" spluttered Lisa, snapping out of her little daze.
"We were asking you what was the matter," said Mayura, "As soon as 'Red Dragon Archfiend' hit the field, you looked like you were spooked over seeing it. Although I don't blame you there, I think 'Red Dragon Archfiend' is a pretty scary monster to go up against."
"No, that's not the reason," denied Lisa, shaking her head. She then looked towards Mr. Kisaka and Ms. Simmons, "I might have seen 'Red Dragon Archfiend' in-person once before; back when I was dueling against Shani."
"What?!" began Mr. Kisaka.
"Lisa-?" put in Ms. Simmons.
Asagi and Mayura both were stunned to hear something like that—although the latter quickly burst out laughing a few seconds later.
"You don't believe me, do you, Mayura?" snapped Lisa in offence.
"Sorry, Lisa, but what you're telling us just sounds so…ludicrous!" chortled Mayura, trying to get her laughter under control.
"In that case, do you remember the time when I was glowing all white then?"
The tomboyish, red-haired young woman immediately stopped laughing when she heard the question being directed at her.
"It happened before I took my final turn," recalled Lisa, "You guys saw that with your own eyes."
"I think you might be right," admitted Mayura, finally remembering the event quite well, "I actually do remember that incident."
"Same here," acknowledged Asagi.
"Not only that," Lisa went on, pulling down the glove of her right forearm and showing her friends and teachers the birthmark there, "it happened right before I got this marking and my 'Ancient Fairy Dragon'."
Nothing more was said as Ms. Simmons and Mr. Kisaka both stared at the birthmark on Lisa's arm. Back on the track, the flying 'Red Dragon Archfiend' started glowing orange.
"The monster effect of 'Flare Resonator' activates!" The voice of Michael exclaimed, as the above mentioned scenario played out, "A Synchro Monster that used this card as Synchro Material gains 300 ATK."
When the glowing ceased, 'Red Dragon Archfiend' grew even stronger (ATK: 3000 → 3300).
"Battle!" announced Michael, entering the Battle Phase, "'Red Daemon's', attack 'Ally of Justice Core Destroyer'!" As 'Red Dragon Archfiend' obeyed, opening its mouth and letting some flames out to light its right fist on-fire, he announced the attack name, "Absolute Powerforce!"
From there, 'Red Dragon Archfiend' lunged forward and punched 'Ally of Justice Core Destroyer' with its now flaming fist, causing a huge explosion to be left behind.
"Your 'Core Destroyer' has met its end," smirked Michael.
"What makes you think it's destroyed?" The voice of Juri echoed back.
Michael immediately lost his smile. When the smoke finally cleared away, 'Ally of Justice Core Destroyer' was shown to still be standing. Not only that, it was also much brighter in appearance.
"What?!" gawked Michael.
M1 Astray burst out of the remains of the smoke, and beside it (on its right) was a face-up Trap Card called 'DNA Transplant'.
"Sorry, Mike, but your attack has not touched my 'Core Destroyer'," said Juri confidently, "You see, I've activated my Continuous Trap, 'DNA Transplant'! I must activate this card by declaring 1 monster Attribute. All face-up monsters become that Attribute. I'll give you a small hint on what I've chosen… My monster looks brighter than ever before."
"You chose the Attribute of LIGHT," figured Michael, "And that also means my 'Red Daemon's' also becomes that Attribute."
The skin tone of 'Red Dragon Archfiend' brightened up (Attribute: DARK → LIGHT), with the red sections turning into a more crimson red-like color.
"However, that's far from being the biggest problem you face," continued Juri, "You see, I activated 'DNA Transplant' first before you ordered your attack, namely to turn your 'Red Dragon Archfiend' into a LIGHT monster. This is to activate 'Core Destroyer's' effect! At the start of the Damage Step, if this card battles a LIGHT monster: I must destroy that monster!"
'Ally of Justice Core Destroyer' (Attribute: DARK → LIGHT) fired a beam from its blaster-like tail towards 'Red Dragon Archfiend'.
"Ah no! Is this the end of the King's ace so soon?!" wailed the MC, covering his eyes.
Fortunately, it was not meant to be…
"Heh! That's a nice try on your part," admitted Michael, closing his eyes for a moment with a slight smile on his face. He then opened them with a more serious look on his face, "However, it was not good enough!"
"Wait, it wasn't?!" exclaimed Juri.
"From my hand, I'll send 'Red Gardna' to the GY!" Michael went on, holding a card ('Red Gardna') out for a few seconds before discarding it. The discarded card fell into a black hole (GY) as the explanation went on, "When my opponent activates a card or effect while I control a 'Red Dragon Archfiend' monster (Quick Effect): I can send this card from my hand to the GY; this turn, monsters I control cannot be destroyed by my opponent's card effects."
As the explanation proceeded, 'Red Dragon Archfiend' started glowing with power as the beam finally struck, but it merely shrugged off the attack without even feeling it. With it still flying through the sky and being uninjured, 'Red Dragon Archfiend' lit up its right fist on fire once more in preparation to counterattack.
"Finish off 'Ally of Justice Core Destroyer', 'Red Daemon's'!" ordered Michael powerfully. 'Red Dragon Archfiend' then flew towards the ground with a roar, "Absolute Powerforce!"
Another flaming punch struck 'Ally of Justice Core Destroyer', causing an even bigger explosion to be left in the wake. This time, 'Ally of Justice Core Destroyer' had been destroyed by the attack.
"'Core Destroyer'!" worried Juri, before crying out as she felt the explosion's backlash and took massive damage (LP: 4000 → 1900).
Back in the stands…
"Juri's defensive strategy is formidable," Ms. Simmons was saying, "When used correctly, it can be very difficult to overcome. However, a defensive strategy that good does come with its own set of flaws; namely if the opponent knows how to deal with it."
"Think she'll manage to win against Mike?" asked Lisa.
"It's not that easy," The voice of Matt replied, causing Lisa, and the other Orb representatives to look nearby. The dirty blonde-haired young man then walked up, "Mike's more than capable of punishing defensive play."
Asagi was overjoyed, "Maaaatt!" she squealed, while her eyes turned into pink hearts, "I'm so happy to see you over here!"
"Asagi!" hissed Mayura, before looking back at Matt, "Sorry about her. Now, what were you saying about Mike?"
"Well…" mused Matt, putting his hands on the railing and looking out at the track, "What I'm mostly saying is that 'Red Dragon Archfiend' reflects Mike's personality a little bit."
"It does?" pondered Asagi, with her eyes normal again and no longer sounding lovestruck.
"Yup. With its high ATK and ability to punish defensive play for both players, that card reflects Mike's philosophy on dueling; he always wants to be on the offensive with the most powerful monster on the field, dislikes defensive play unless absolutely necessary, and goes all-out on his opponent at all times."
"Uhhh, 'punish defensive play for both players'?" quizzed Lisa, looking confused as heck, "What does that even mean?"
"According to the records, 'Red Dragon Archfiend' has an ability called Demon Meteor," explained Ms. Simmons, "When it attacks an opponent's Defense Position monster, all monsters the opponent controls that are in Defense Position are immediately destroyed."
"And if the player using 'Red Dragon Archfiend' has additional monsters on their field but they don't attack, then they are destroyed at the end of their turn," added Mr. Kisaka.
"Sounds harsh," commented Lisa.
"That is true," mused Mayura, "But since this is Mike we're talking about, he's almost never worried about something like that because he can and often make sure his other monsters get an attack off—unless letting his monsters be destroyed ends up being a part of his strategy."
Back on the track…
"I Set two cards face-down and end my turn!" finished Michael, taking two cards and slotting them into his Duel Disk.
Two face-down cards appeared on the field before fading away for later use. Both Duel Runners roared down the track as they completed a lap, with Wheel of Fortune still ahead.
"It's my turn again," declared Juri, drawing a card, "I draw!"
Turn Three: Juri Wu Nien (LP: 1900)
Deck: 53
Current Hand (3): "Ally of Justice Quarantine", "Ally of Justice Unlimiter", and "Rendering Tuning"
Action Card: N/A
Her drawn card was a Spell Card called 'Rendering Tuning'. It was helpful, but first…
"Mike! I will warn you now; I use lots of Continuous Trap Cards to aid in my defensive strategy," announced Juri, "I also have a way to prevent you from destroying them! Like so…" With the wave of her right arm, a Set card reappeared on the field in-front of her M1 Astray, "Continuous Trap, open! 'Imperial Custom', activate!"
The face-down card flipped up and revealed itself.
"Face-up Continuous Traps cannot be destroyed by battle or card effect, except 'Imperial Custom'!" Juri explained, just before pressing a button on her Duel Runner, "From there, I'll activate a second Continuous Trap!"
Another Set card appeared on the field, flipped face-up, and revealed itself.
"'Space Dragster'!"
"A Trap Monster!" realized Michael.
"You're right, it is one," confirmed Juri, "I must Special Summon this card as an Effect Monster. (This card is also still a Trap.)"
Appearing onto the field was a robotic dragster (Level: 1/ATK: 0/DEF: 1800), but its Attribute also changed (Attribute: FIRE → LIGHT).
"If Summoned this way, other Tuners I control cannot be destroyed by battle or my opponent's card effects while this card is in the Monster Zone," As Juri spoke, she took another card from her hand and placed it onto her Duel Runner, "From there, I'll Summon 'Ally of Justice Quarantine' in Attack Position!"
Appearing onto the field was a robotic creature with a large, square like space canvas behind it (Level: 4/ATK: 1700/DEF: 1200); its Attribute also changed (Attribute: DARK → LIGHT).
"I tune 4 'Ally of Justice Quarantine' into Level 1 'Space Dragster'!" proclaimed Juri.
As the command to tune was given, 'Space Dragster' jumped up and turned into a single Synchro Ring, which 'Ally of Justice Quarantine' floated into before turning into four orbs of light. The symbols 4 + 1 = 5 were shown for a very short time before the four orbs within the lone Synchro Ring then turned into a massive beam of light shortly after the symbols faded away.
"Synchro Summon!" declared Juri, as remains of the above scenario played out, "Come, 'Ally of Justice Catastor'!"
Appearing out of the beam of light and onto the field, was a large yellow and gold robotic 'Ally of Justice' monster, but with four robo-like legs (Level: 5/ATK: 2200/DEF: 1200), and, like the other monsters before it, its Attribute changed (Attribute: DARK → LIGHT). Unfazed by the new monster, Michael instead sped up Wheel of Fortune and got further ahead of the competition, driving along the walls before finally picking up an Action Card
"The King's picked up an Action Card, folks!" The voice of the MC narrated, as Michael looked at the Action Card for three seconds and decided to save it for later, "What could it be? I hope we find out soon! Maybe right now, seeing as he has 'Ally of Justice Catastor' to worry about!"
"You know he's right, Mike," agreed Juri, going over her monster's sole effect, "At the start of the Damage Step, if 'Ally of Justice Catastor' battles a face-up non-DARK monster: I must destroy that monster. That means once I declare an attack, your 'Red Daemon's' will be destroyed!"
"I'm prepared for such an action," retorted Michael.
"You are?"
The lime green-haired young man responded by pressing a button on his Duel Disk, causing one of his face-down cards to reappear on the field behind Wheel of Fortune, flip face-up, and reveal itself.
"Continuous Trap, 'Red Screen', activate!" announced Michael, "My opponent's monsters cannot declare attacks."
"Mmm!" grunted Juri, agitated.
"Ouch! That means Juri is left pretty vulnerable if Mike finds a way to protect 'Red Daemon's' from 'Catastor's' effect if or 'when' he declares an attack," winced Lisa.
"I…end my turn," concluded Juri. In her mind… "As expected, Mike was several steps ahead… But, even though he can easily punish my defensive strategy, I know I can win against even the likes of 'him'."
Both Wheel of Fortune and M1 Astray continued racing down the track, with the former occasionally riding against the walls.
"It's my turn!" exclaimed Michael, drawing a card, "Draw!"
Turn Four: Michael Atlas (LP: 4000)
Deck: 53
Current Hand (2): "Red Mirror" and "Scarlet Security"
Action Card: "Tenacity"
His drawn card was a Spell Card called 'Scarlet Security'.
"I was waiting for this," he told himself, before slotting his card into his Duel Disk, "I activate the Spell Card, 'Scarlet Security'!"
The mentioned Spell Card materialized face-up on the field behind Wheel of Fortune.
"If I control a 'Red Dragon Archfiend': I must destroy all Spells and Traps my opponent controls," pressed Michael, before clenching his right hand into a fist, "Although I won't be able to destroy any of your other Continuous Traps, your 'Imperial Custom' can still be destroyed!"
From there, 'Red Dragon Archfiend' lit its right fist on fire and punched at the ground, causing a cyclone of fire to materialize on the track and wipe out the face-up 'Imperial Custom' Trap Card. Before long, Michael made his Wheel of Fortune turn around to face the opponent (while still moving forward on the track itself).
"And now," Michael went on, while entering the Battle Phase, "'Red Dragon Archfiend' attacks your 'Ally of Justice Catastor'!"
'Red Dragon Archfiend' obeyed, charging flames on its fist (again) and punching at 'Ally of Justice Catastor', who started to get ready to counterattack on command.
"Your 'Red Dragon Archfiend' is about to be destroyed!" insisted Juri.
"Wrong!" cut in Michael, before motioning his right hand nearby. On cue, his remaining Set card to reappear on the field beside him (on his right), "I activate a Trap, 'Red Gem'!"
The face-down card flipped face-up and revealed itself, causing a large crystal-like object to appear from the now face-up 'Red Gem' Trap Card onto the field.
"'Red' monsters cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects until the end of this turn," Michael explained, as the red-colored crystals started glowing like fire, "As a result, 'Red Daemon's' will be able to fight back!"
"What?!" gasped Juri, watching as her 'Ally of Justice Catastor' unleashed its attack, "No! Stop! Don't attack!"
Too late… The bunch of red crystals absorbed the laser blast, saving 'Red Dragon Archfiend' from possible destruction and allowing it to continue its attack. Panicking, Juri looked around for an Action Card to help her out, and, to her great luck, managed to find one up ahead (because Michael already had one, he couldn't pick up another). Revving M1 Astray, she raced to the Action Card and picked it up.
"Action Card, 'Miracle'!" announced Juri, holding out the Action Spell Card, "If a monster on the field battles: I must target that monster; it cannot be destroyed by that battle, also any battle damage is halved."
"Very well!" accepted Michael, "Take your 550 damage!"
'Red Dragon Archfiend's' Absolute Powerforce finally struck 'Ally of Justice Catastor'. Even though the flaming punch failed to destroy 'Ally of Justice Catastor', Juri, glowing red for a few seconds, was still dealt damage from the attack (LP: 1900 → 1350).
"This is the beauty of those being pursued," thundered Michael, as 'Red Dragon Archfiend' flew above him and Wheel of Fortune again, "Under the eyes of my soul, 'Red Dragon Archfiend', most, if not all, defensive strategies used by the opponent will be torn apart by it."
Juri grimaced, wondering if she was in over her head. In the stands…
"I'm not surprised," sighed Asagi, shaking her head, "We all know how strong and brutal of a duelist Mike is. After all, not many other duelists are able to fight evenly against him and win."
Mayura nodded in agreement, while Matt, still standing with his arms folded, continued to stare at the duel. Over with the visiting crew from the UK, soon after David had finished his confusing explanation about the birthmark on his forearm and how he got his 'Life Stream Dragon' Synchro Monster Card…
"So, son, what do you think of Mike?" asked Ren, looking at his son.
"He is most certainly a formidable player," admitted David, "If we were to ever face off, it would be a test of might unlike any other."
"No doubt about that," agreed Janice.
(elsewhere…)
Inside the governor's office at city hall, Rex was watching the duel going on on his TV, with Megan providing some commentary as she reported on the duel.
"'Black-Winged Dragon'… 'Black Rose Dragon'… 'Red Dragon Archfiend'…" mused Rex thoughtfully, smiling thinly, "Three of the legendary dragons have shown themselves. Now I must wait for the other half to appear…"
Okay, this was getting reeeeally weird…
(elsewhere…)
Back within the stadium…
"I end my turn!" declared Michael, suddenly taking a LP hit (LP: 4000 → 3000), "As of this moment, the requiremental effect of 'Red Screen' activates! During each of my End Phases, I must pay 1000 LP (this is not optional), or this card is destroyed."
"That leaves him with 3000 LP," thought Juri, before drawing a card, "It's my turn! Draw!"
Turn Five: Juri Wu Nien (LP: 1350)
Deck: 52
Current Hand (3): "Ally of Justice Unlimiter", "Rendering Tuning", and "Pot of Greed"
Action Card: N/A
Her drawn card was the 'Pot of Greed' Spell Card; it was a good start.
"I activate the Spell Card, 'Pot of Greed'!" announced Juri, holding her card out, "I must draw 2 cards."
After drawing both cards, she looked at them. The drawn cards were 'Ally of Justice Cyclone Creator' (Tuner Monster Card) and 'Ally Revival'(!) (Spell Card). Far from being done, Juri added both cards into her hand and took another from it…
"Next, I'll Summon 'Ally of Justice Unlimiter'!" she went on.
Appearing onto the field was a dark blue space-like ship with the markings of a circle with three sections marked like a triangle on its wings (Level: 2/ATK: 600/DEF: 200). Oh, and its Attribute changed, too (Attribute: DARK → LIGHT).
"'Ally of Justice Unlimiter'… What could Juri be aiming for by using it?" Michael asked himself mentally.
Unknown at this point… For now, Juri simply carried on with her turn.
"From my hand, I'll activate 'Rendering Tuning'!" exclaimed Juri, holding another card ('Rendering Tuning') out, "I must target 1 Tuner in my hand; I must Special Summon it."
After she took and placed another card onto her Duel Runner, a Monster Card called 'Ally of Justice Cyclone Creator' materialized face-up on the field in-front of M1 Astray.
"I Special Summon 'Ally of Justice Cyclone Creator'!" The intelligent, dark blue-haired young woman declared.
Appearing from the face-up Monster Card and onto the field, was a red, bird-like robot with cyclone fans on its wings (Level: 3/ATK: 1400/DEF: 1200), just before its Attribute changed (Attribute: DARK → LIGHT). Soon after her new monster appeared, Juri's eyes lit up when she spotted an Action Card nearby. She picked it up, deciding to use it for her monster's effect.
"I activate the monster effect of 'Cyclone Creator'!" While speaking, Juri readied her picked up Action Spell Card ('Evasion') before discarding it, "Once per turn: I can discard 1 card from my hand; I must return Spells/Traps from the field to the hand equal to the number of face-up Tuners on the field. By sending the Action Card I picked up to the GY, I'll have you return 'Red Screen' to your hand, Mike!"
From there, the face-up 'Red Screen' Trap Card turned into a ball of light and returned to Michael's hand.
"I tune Level 5 'Ally of Justice Catastor' into Level 3 'Ally of Justice Cyclone Creator'!" announced Juri.
'Ally of Justice Cyclone Creator' immediately leaped into the air and turned into three mechanical-looking Synchro Rings, which overwhelmed 'Ally of Justice Catastor' before it turned into five orbs of light as Juri was booming a Summon Chant…
"Shine your beacon of power into the depths below, and reveal a might which is yet to be unleashed!" chanted Juri, as the symbols 5 + 3 = 8 were shown briefly before the five orbs of light within the trio of Synchro Rings turned into a beam of light, "Synchro Summon! Shine on, 'Ally of Justice Light Gazer'!"
Appearing onto the field, as the Synchro Summon sequence ended, was a robotic monster with orbs of light on its arms, and a circular ring that levitated it due to it having no bottom half (Level: 8/ATK: 2400/DEF: 1600). Its Attribute then changed, because the 'DNA Transplant' Trap Card was still face-up and activated (Attribute: DARK → LIGHT).
"'Light Gazer' gains 200 ATK for each LIGHT monster in my opponent's GY," explained Juri, "However, since you have no such monsters in your GY, this effect won't do anything," She then readied another card in her right hand, "Now, I'm going to add another 'Ally of Justice' monster to my ranks."
"What did you say?" frowned Michael.
I think it was clear a comeback was in the making…
"I activate an Equip Spell, 'Ally Revival'!" boomed Juri, slotting her card into her Duel Runner. This resulted in the mentioned Spell Card appearing face-up on the field beside her (on her left), "I must target 1 'Ally of Justice' monster in my GY; I must Special Summon that target in Attack Position and equip it with this card."
In a flash, 'Ally of Justice Catastor' returned to the field (Level 5/ATK: 2200/DEF: 1200)(Attribute: DARK → LIGHT).
"I've Special Summoned 'Ally of Justice Catastor' and equipped it with 'Ally Revival'," continued Juri, "In addition, 'Ally Revival' has a second effect… If the equipped monster attacks an opponent's monster, it cannot be destroyed by that battle, also I take no battle damage. When this card is destroyed, I must destroy the equipped monster. But now's the time where I activate the effect of 'Ally of Justice Unlimiter'!"
In the stands…
"Oh, I see where this is going," winced Lisa, remembering a familiar move back when she and Juri had their first major duel.
"Really?" pondered Matt coolly.
"Juri and I dueled against each other one time back when I was still new to dueling and riding a Duel Runner," Lisa replied, before shaking her head slightly, "She royally kicked my butt with her defensive strategy."
Back on the field…
"I can Tribute this card, then target 1 'Ally of Justice' monster I control; that target's ATK becomes double its original ATK until the end of this turn," Juri was saying about her 'Ally of Justice Unlimiter', "Go, 'Ally of Justice Unlimiter'!"
From there, 'Ally of Justice Unlimiter' turned to particles of light and were absorbed into 'Ally of Justice Light Gazer' (ATK: 2400 → 4800).
"An ATK of 4800…" winced Michael.
"Here I come, Mike!" declared Juri, entering the Battle Phase, "The first to attack will be 'Ally of Justice Catastor'! And in case you've forgotten what its effect is, I'll explain again… At the start of the Damage Step, if this card battles a face-up non-DARK monster: I must destroy that monster. And thanks to 'DNA Transplant' still being active, all our monsters are of the LIGHT Attribute."
Michael was not happy with this bit of news. And without any Trap Cards being Set on his field, there was no way he could protect his 'Red Dragon Archfiend'—or 'could' he?
"I activate the effect of 'Red Mirror'!" The lime green-haired young man announced, holding a card ('Red Mirror') out before sending it to the GY. The discarded card fell into a black hole (GY) as the explanation proceeded, "When an opponent's monster declares an attack: I can send this card from my hand to the GY, then target 1 FIRE Fiend monster in my GY, except 'Red Mirror'; I must add it to my hand."
A card ('Red Gardna') ejected from his GY, which he took hold of.
"I'm sure you remember how my 'Red Gardna' works, don't you?" While speaking, Michael held his retrieved card out before discarding it, "When my opponent activates a card or effect while I control a 'Red Dragon Archfiend' monster (Quick Effect): I can send this card from my hand to the GY; this turn, monsters I control cannot be destroyed by my opponent's card effects."
A barrier of red flames appeared around 'Red Dragon Archfiend', while 'Ally of Justice Catastor' unleashed a laser blast at the Dragon Synchro Monster.
"Try as you might," taunted Michael, as his ace monster easily withstood the blast, "but your attacks will never destroy 'Red Daemon's'!"
"Oh yeah? Then let's see it try to stand up to an actual attack!" yelled Juri, continuing with her Battle Phase, "'Ally of Justice Light Gazer' will attack 'Red Dragon Archfiend'!"
'Ally of Justice Light Gazer' obeyed, firing supercharged beams of light towards 'Red Dragon Archfiend'.
"You're too naive, Juri!" declared Michael sharply, holding out the Action Spell Card he picked up earlier on, "I have this Action Card on me, 'Tenacity'!"
"What?!" cringed Juri.
'Ally of Justice Light Gazer's' beams of light struck 'Red Dragon Archfiend', but the Dragon Synchro Monster withstood them without trouble.
"If I control only 1 monster: I must target that monster; it cannot be destroyed by battle this turn," Michael, while glowing red, explained before taking battle damage (LP: 3000 → 1500), "While you've halved my LP, it's a small price to pay in order to protect my very soul from destruction."
In the stands, there was a thin smile on Azrael's face as he watched the duel go on.
"That Deck belonging to Michael Atlas…" he murmured, "It seems heavily tailored to 'Red Dragon Archfiend' and protecting it."
"You're telling me, Headmaster Azrael," agreed Clotho, "With Trap Cards like 'Red Gem', 'Red Screen', etc., in the bastard's Deck, many duelists facing him have great difficulty getting rid of that monster."
"Maybe that's because they aren't using the right kind of Decks to fight," scoffed Orga, "With my 'Gladiator Beast' Deck, I'll crush Michael, his 'Red Dragon Archfiend', and even his whole Deck without even trying!"
Shani frowned over hearing such an annoying statement from one of his best friends, but said nothing in response. Back on the track, Juri was disappointed she was not able to destroy 'Red Dragon Archfiend'.
"I can't believe I wasn't able to destroy 'Red Dragon Archfiend'," The intelligent, dark blue-haired young woman thought to herself, "Sure I was able to inflict serious damage in the process, but I still couldn't defeat that monster."
"It must be disappointing!" cut in Michael, causing Juri to look up slightly, "Very few are able to go up against my soul and triumph over it. Your last attacks came close to ending 'Red Daemon's', but it just wasn't meant to be."
"I… I end my turn," admitted Juri, entering her End Phase, "As a result, the effects of several cards used this turn come to an end!"
'Ally of Justice Light Gazer's' ATK immediately returns to normal (ATK: 4800 → 2400). From there, both Wheel of Fortune and M1 Astray drove down the track some more as they crossed the finish line again. At last, it was time for the grand finale…
"Let's kick this Turbo Duel into overdrive!" declared Michael, preparing to draw a card, "Ready? Set…" He finally drew a card with a Destiny Draw, "DRAAAAW!"
Turn Six: Michael Atlas (LP: 1500)
Deck: 52
Current Hand (1): "Brutal Red"
Action Card: N/A
The drawn card was a Monster Card called 'Brutal Red'. Juri, on the other hand, was not about to let herself be hit by an extremely damaging attack. Up ahead on the track, an Action Card laid in plain sight.
"An Action Card!" realized Juri, before becoming dismayed because her opponent was farther away and more likely to pick it up, "But Mike will most likely grab it before I can…"
However, Wheel of Fortune…simply sped past the Action Card, much to Juri's surprise.
"No waaaay!" cried the MC, also surprised by what Michael just did (or, should I say, did not do), "The King didn't even pick up the Action Card! That gives Juri a chance to get it!"
And it was a chance Juri took; she approached the Action Card and picked it up. Michael, meanwhile, made Wheel of Fortune do a 180 until it was facing the opposition despite still driving down the track.
"Battle!" announced Michael, entering the Battle Phase, "'Red Daemon's', unleash your unsurpassed power upon the opponent and her 'Ally of Justice Light Gazer'!"
'Red Dragon Archfiend' turned to look menacingly towards Juri and her two monsters.
"You won't take down my 'Light Gazer', Mike!" interrupted Juri, holding her Action Card out, "I activate the Action Card 'Battle Change'! During my opponent's Battle Phase: I must apply this effect for the rest of this turn. Once per opponent's monster, when an opponent's monster declares an attack, I can change the attack target to 1 monster I control," From there, 'Red Dragon Archfiend' changed its attention towards 'Ally of Justice Catastor'. "As 'Red Daemon's' is attacking 'Ally of Justice Light Gazer', I'll have it target my 'Ally of Justice Catastor' instead!"
Michael was silent on the matter.
"And you remember the monster effect of 'Ally of Justice Catastor', right?" continued Juri, "If it, being 'Catastor', battles a non-DARK monster, it is destroyed."
In the crowd…
"Once 'Red Daemon's' attacks, it will be destroyed!" realized Sean.
"Indeed so," agreed David.
Back on the track…
"Sorry, Mike, but this is the end of the line for both you and 'Red Dragon Archfiend'!" declared Juri, "You will have nothing left to prevent me from unleashing a final attack on my next turn!"
"You're wrong, Juri," interrupted Michael, "I do have the right card in my hand that will stop your monster."
Juri eased up, wondering what her opponent meant. To prove what he was talking about, Michael held his drawn card ('Brutal Red') out.
"I've drawn my Monster Card, 'Brutal Red'!" The lime green-haired young man explained, while sending his card to the GY, "If exactly 1 'Red' monster I control (and no other cards) would be destroyed by battle or card effect (Quick Effect): I can send this card from my hand to the GY; until the end of this turn, that target cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects, also that target gains 1000 ATK."
"S-Say what!?" flinched Juri, before coming to a horrible realization, "I… I used 'Battle Change' to make you attack 'Catastor'."
"Exactly."
'Red Dragon Archfiend' roared as it grew even stronger (ATK: 3300 → 4300).
"An ATK of 4300?!" breathed Mr. Kisaka.
"Since 'Red Dragon Archfiend' is targeting 'Ally of Justice Catastor', who has an ATK of 2200…" put in Ms. Simmons.
"…Juri's LP will be fully depleted when the attack hits!" finished Matt.
Back on the track…
"Take this!" shouted Michael, as 'Red Dragon Archfiend' flew above him and began to attack, "Blazing Crimson Hell Flare!"
'Red Dragon Archfiend' fired a powerful jet of flames out of its mouth, incinerating 'Ally of Justice Catastor' on contact.
"No!" cried Juri, before her attacked monster finally exploded.
The explosion from the destroyed 'Ally of Justice Catastor' clouded the intelligent, dark blue-haired young woman's field as she let out a scream from the attack's backlash.
"JURI!" Asagi and Mayura both called out from the stands.
"Oh man!" came from Lisa, while Ms. Simmons and Mr. Kisaka both stood up from their seats.
When the explosion and smoke cleared away, Juri, as her remaining LP ran out (LP: 1350 → 0), had lowered her head in defeat as steam emitted from her M1 Astray, making it come to a complete stop.
DUEL RESULTS: Michael Atlas wins!
With the duel over, 'Ally of Justice Light Gazer' and 'Red Dragon Archfiend' both faded away.
"IT'S OVER!" wailed the MC happily, "The King, after it looked certain that he would lose, has emerged victorious in this exciting duel! Round one has officially ended here! Eight of the duelists have advanced to round two, and the other eight have been eliminated!"
With that said, Lazar turned to face the monitor and used the remote in his hand to turn it on. The monitor displayed eight of the duelists who were advancing and the ones who were defeated:
-Matt Fudo (win), Paul Truman (lose)
-David Xadashi (win), Mayura Labatt (lose)
-Lisa Drake (win), Vincent Stevens (lose)
-Misty Tredwell (lose), Clotho Buer (win)
-Asagi Caldwell (lose), Sherry LeBlanc (win)
-James R. Hogan (win), Shani Andras (lose)
-Carlie Izayoi (lose), Orga Sabnak (win)
-Juri Wu Nien (lose), Michael Atlas (win)
"A big congratulations to those who won!" continued the MC, "And for those who are out, you all did the best that you could!"
In the stands, Matt, David, Lisa, Clotho, Sherry, James R., and Orga all looked up, while Michael, still riding Wheel of Fortune, paid attention as he slowed Wheel of Fortune to a complete stop.
"I hope everyone had a great time watching eight amazing duels in a single day," cut in Lazar, taking the microphone from the MC, "Maybe when this tournament is all over, we'll have more Action Duel-like tournaments in the near future. Wouldn't that be amazing?"
The crowd cheered in response to the suggestion. Near one of the exits, Megan was in the process of wrapping up her reporting of round one…
"There you have it, everyone," The raven-haired young woman was saying at the camera, "The first round of this new tournament has ended. That does it for me this evening; I'll see you back here tomorrow morning for round two of this tournament. This is Megan Haw signing off."
And from there, the cameraman shut the camera off.
"That's it for the day," he said eagerly, "It sure was long, but at the same time it was fun."
"You're right, Ken, it was," agreed Megan, before becoming giddy, "Now, how about I go and interview Mike before we leave to grab some dinner?"
Ken, as he was named, only sighed over that suggestion from his superior (although there was some humor behind the sigh).
(elsewhere…)
Later on, Juri was solemnly bringing her M1 Astray back to one of the garages for some minor repairs from the intense duel. Once she finished wheeling it inside, Juri started to think back to the duel she was in not long ago.
"How?" she thought to herself, removing her helmet, "How could I have made a total fool of myself in-front of Mike and everybody else? I risked embarrassing all of Orb in that Turbo Duel, as well as making Mike think that I'm… I'm…"
Those sad thoughts caused Juri's eyes to become wet. Seconds later, Asagi and Mayura both cheerfully arrived at the garage to see their best friend.
"Hey, Juri!" began Mayura pleasantly.
"That was a great duel; you were amazing in it!" added Asagi, but lost her cheerful look very quickly, "Huh?"
Upon stepping inside, she and Mayura saw that Juri, with her back turned on them, was on her hands and knees while sobbing hard with sadness and anguish.
"Juri… what's wrong?" asked Mayura softly.
"I… I was such an…" wept Juri, trying her best to form a coherent sentence from her sobs, "I was an idiot."
"What?" Asagi gaped, surprised by what she was hearing, "An idiot?"
"No, you're not," protested Mayura, looking and sounding equally surprised, "Just because you lost the duel doesn't mean it's the end of the world."
"I made a fool of myself in-front of all of you and Mike…" The voice of Juri, still weeping hard, went on, while Asagi and Mayura both listened on, "I…let all of Orb…down, and Mike probably thinks I'm…ridiculous."
"Juri… No, you didn't make a fool of yourself, nor did you let Orb down," reassured Mayura, approaching, kneeling, and laying a hand on her friend's back, "On the contrary, we believe you made us, and all of Orb, proud today."
"Huh?" whimpered Juri, looking up as her tears briefly stopped falling as she listened.
"Out of us Orb duelists, besides Lisa who managed to win, you were the one who played the absolute hardest," As Mayura spoke on, Asagi then approached and knelt down as well, "In fact, if Mike hadn't drawn 'Brutal Red', you would have destroyed 'Red Dragon Archfiend' no matter what."
"Not to mention there was a chance you would have won as well," added Asagi, "We believe Mike was impressed on how far you pushed him."
Juri continued to listen, but, mostly because of her loss to her crush, she soon broke down sobbing again while embracing her two best friends. She was shaking so hard from her crying that she managed to make Asagi and Mayura both shudder, but the two simply took it in and focused on consoling their emotional friend.
"It's okay, Juri, it's okay… Just let it all out," soothed Asagi, as she and Mayura both wrapped their arms around Juri.
"We're both here for you," added Mayura, giving her despairing friend an opportunity to cry her heart out, "Shh… Everything will be fine."
Would Juri be alright? Well, I'm positive she would be.
(elsewhere…)
Outside the stadium, Sherry and Elsworth both left, with the former about to make a decision.
"So, what will you do now, m'lady?" asked Elsworth.
Sherry closed her eyes, "Elsworth… I have decided I'm…staying. By competing, I will figure out the path I must follow…"
Elsworth seemed to smile slightly that his ward was not going to give up on the tournament just because she had lost the chance to duel against Carlie. For now, the pair was ready to head for the hotel they were staying at for the tournament. Tomorrow morning, round two would officially begin.
(elsewhere…)
Inside the main office of city hall, Rex was looking out the window at the setting sun when his phone started ringing. Without wasting a second, the gray-haired man walked over, picked the phone up, and answered it.
"Yes?" he began.
"Three of the dragons were used thus far, governor," The voice of Lazar reported, before giggling in his sinister way.
"I understand," nodded Rex, "I, too, witnessed their presence. It's only a matter of time before we are introduced to the final three."
"For sure, sir," The voice of Lazar agreed, "Best of all, the competitors don't even know of your plans."
"None of them must find out until I am certain that all six are among them," added Rex, "We'll see if the next round will bring the results we need."
"Understood. Good evening, governor."
With that said, Rex hung up and approached the window again. Whatever he was planning by wanting to see the six dragons wielded by our heroes, it was unknown whether it was for good intentions, or an evil plan or something.
The tournament will be on a brief pause as we proceed to a small side story next chapter, so stay tuned for it.