GARAGE – THE BROTHERHOOD HQ – CAPITAL – CANTIDEL EMPIRE – ARC-V
Yugo was carrying a tray of foods out in the open, walking towards the garage where Lilac is supposed to be. For the whole time he stayed at the The Brotherhood HQ, he never stepped a foot into the garage. He had heard that the garage actually also serves as Lilac's mechanic workshop. All the D-Wheels, Duel Disks, anything machinery that the Brotherhood uses are all coming from there.
Yugo had always been curious about the garage, but he never had a chance to visit it until now. Yuno asked him to bring lunch for Lilac because once she's immersed in her work, she'll forget to eat or even drink, so it's common for someone to bring breakfast, lunch, or dinner to Lilac. And Yugo got himself lucky for visiting the HQ because of an errand and hearing about the garage, he offered to bring the lunch for Lilac.
"Excuse me. Lilac-san, I'm bringing your lunch." Yugo greeted, carefully opening the door. However, he almost drops the tray the moment he took a good look on the garage. Lilac is fixing a D-Wheel while being surrounded by scattered papers of the designs and notes she made along with various types of machines, mostly consisted of D-Wheels and Duel Disks. Yugo's mouth and eyes were wide open. His eyes brimming with stars like he has entered a safe haven.
"Oh, Yugo-kun! Thank you! You can just leave the lunch over there. I'll eat it once I'm done with this." Lilac noticed Yugo, briefly turning behind her before returning to her work.
Yugo needed a few seconds before he carefully put the tray on the nearest table and walked closer towards Lilac while staring at the D-Wheels and Duel Disks.
"Wow...these D-Wheels and Duel Disks, you made them all?" Yugo touched one of the D-Wheels with fascination. They were far more advanced than the D-Wheels he has ever seen and it was properly tune. And looking at the papers, he couldn't do something like this. He couldn't think of any other word to describe Lilac's skill as a mechanic.
"Bingo! Sorry it's such a mess. I've been busy lately so I didn't get the time to tidy up the garage." Lilac said, having finished her work. She reached for a towel and wiped her dirty sweaty face before facing Yugo who was still immersing himself with staring at the D-Wheels.
"They're all amazing! I-I've never seen these kinds of D-Wheels before! I can't make something like these!"
"Hehehe, thank you!"
"Not only you're a doctor but you're also a skilled mechanic, Lilac-san." Yugo have heard and seen multi-talented people, but he never actually met someone to this extent.
Lilac giggled. She reached for her lunch, placing it next to her. She then reached for the pot not far from her along with two cups. She poured a tea, one for her and one for Yugo, which the boy accepted. She also gave some of the breads from her lunch for Yugo so they can eat together, the two eating on the floor without a care of how messy the room they were in.
"Since I was little, I liked to make things. You know, like toy gun or the sort. At first, it was all just for fun to me. Then, one day, a Riding Duelist friend of mine took me to his workshop. He introduced me to D-Wheel and Duel Disk mechanics. I gave it a try, and before I knew it, my head is full of making various machines. My hands won't stop moving from making more and more of them." Lilac could still remember the feeling when she began to start making machines. For the first time in her whole life her imagination went wild. The strong urge to create moved her body to do them. Satisfactions exploded each time she finished what she wanted to make.
"However, my parents wanted me to take over their hospital, so I also studied to become a doctor. For around two years I focused solely on running the hospital, but then Yuno-sama came and invited me to join The Brotherhood. Thanks to him, I can continue my passion while still continuing my duty as a doctor." Lilac found her passion as a mechanic, but she also couldn't go against her parents' wishes. Becoming a doctor wasn't bad either and she's happy that she's able to help sick and injured people. Although, deep inside, she wished she has the time to do her passion even if it's just for a short time. She is eternally grateful when Yuno invited her into Brotherhood. This way, she can help people both as a doctor and mechanic.
Yugo looked at the way Lilac examined at the D-Wheel. She has much more knowledge and experience, so she's sharper in examining D-Wheels. And looking at her muscles and scars particularly on her legs and arms, she's not just making D-Wheels, but also able to ride them despite not being a Duelist. Maybe she can help him.
"Say, Lilac-san, can you check on my D-Wheel?" Yugo asked.
Lilac immediately agreed to Yugo's request. She has a servant to bring Yugo's D-Wheel that was parked in the front of the HQ to the garage. Lilac didn't waste time to thoroughly examining Yugo's D-Wheel. The tools and materials for this D-Wheel were not exactly high-class, but the program Yugo and Rin had installed and the way they tune it helps compensating them. Yugo and Rin have taken a good care of this D-Wheel. She's impressed. No ordinary kid can tune this well. Yugo is not only a hard worker, but he does have the talent in being D-Wheel mechanic.
"All right, Yugo, from now on, you'll be my apprentice!" Lilac decided, pointing at the said boy who blinked in confusion.
"Huh?"
"You and this D-Wheel have so much potential! It'll be a waste if you don't evolve! We'll start the lesson right away!"
Lilac stood up, dragging Yugo with her to the next room and then his D-Wheel. For the upcoming battle, they need to upgrade Yugo's D-Wheel. Since Yugo is still young and small, heavy-type D-Wheel won't suit him. His D-Wheel is rather heavy so it's not as fast, but making it lighter without sacrificing the balance is a bit difficult. So…
"No, wait, first of all, Yugo-kun, what kind of environment you've been riding your D-Wheel on?" Lilac asked.
"Well, until a year ago I never went outside City, so I've only been riding on the streets of the slums, Duel Lines, and when I visited Heartland the first time the city was destroyed so the streets are a mess." Yugo answered. Not sure why she asked, but it must be important.
"Alrighty, then we'll start your training with that field."
"What field?"
"Oh, you'll see later. Now, we're going to need an upgrade and adjust your D-Wheel."
"We're not gonna wholly modify it, right?"
"Don't worry. I know this D-Wheel is your treasure, you want to keep using it. I understand. We're just going to tinker it a bit so it'll be easier for you to ride it in the upcoming battle." Lilac assured. She also has one D-Wheel that is very precious to her and she still kept in its prime condition.
"But before we can upgrade it to the most prime condition, knowing your riding style is important. Come over here, Yugo!" Lilac once again dragged Yugo, this time to the dome not so far from the garage together with his D-Wheel.
TEST DOME – THE BROTHERHOOD HQ – CAPITAL – CANTIDEL EMPIRE – ARC-V
To make sure that her machine is functioning well, she has a dome specifically for her test built near her workshop. She had also asked for the dome to have Real Solid Vision programmed in it so she can test her creations in various environments. Sherry and other Riding Duelists often use this dome to train too. Now this would be the perfect place for Yugo to train. Lilac activated the Real Solid Vision and set the Field, making it a race track with various obstacles in muddy dirty field.
"What?! Is this really a Riding Duel track?!" Yugo asked in disbelieve.
"I knew it. This is the first time you've seen this kind of track. Listen, we're fighting a serious battle where the battlefield can be anywhere. You won't find a convenient Riding Duel tracks in a battlefield. In a war, no matter how the environment is, when the time comes to fight, we'll fight. It's not a choice. Sherry had done plenty Riding Duels in this kind of track." Lilac explained.
"Seriously?!"
"From what you're saying, you've only been riding on two kinds of tracks. That's not good. It's also important for a Riding Duelist to know various kinds of the environment where they'll be dueling. That way, we can properly customize our D-Wheels to fit that environment. If you don't have the time to customize, then at least you'll know how to ride your D-Wheel without being confused by the change in environment." Lilac ushered Yugo to his D-Wheel, patting the seat as to tell him that their training will begin now.
Yugo looked into her eyes, seeing determination to help him reflected in those eyes. He smiled. She's basically telling him that he can become better in his riding skill this way. And she's also challenging him to show her what he can do with his current skill. Now that she has told him that much, there's no way he'll walk away.
"Alright. Let's do this! Whatever tracks it is, I'll overcome them!" Yugo stated determinedly.
"In racing term, you'll call this dirt bike racing or supercross style of racing, which takes place on a completely dirt track. During a supercross race, bikers fly through curves and breath-taking jumps in a very fast paced event, sometimes with any number of obstacles such as mud pits to make the race more challenging. We can try Riding Duel later; first you need to get used to riding your D-Wheel in this track!" Lilac suddenly appeared in her riding suit and riding on her D-Wheel before Yugo realized it. She's not a Duelist since my skill is below average. But when it comes to riding vehicles, especially D-Wheel, she can proudly tell everyone that her skill won't lose to professional Riding Duelists.
"How about we have a race, Yugo-kun? You can see my skill with your own eyes." Lilac suggested.
"Bring it on! Training or not, I'm not gonna lose!" Yugo accepted the challenge.
"The rule is simple, the one who reach the finish line first wins." Lilac pointed at the finish line.
"Fine by me."
The moment the sign of the race begin was given, Yugo was sure that he already took the first move, earlier than Lilac's. However, to his shock, when he realized it, Lilac was already in front of him. It took him a few seconds to realize that the muddy track made him slip for a moment, and that moment was all Lilac need to go pass Yugo. The boy quickly made haste and restart his engine, chasing after Lilac in front of him. But this was proven to be more difficult than he thought. The muddy track made it difficult for him to keep his balance. Not only that, he also has to deal with the obstacles, forcing him to jump and then make sure that he landed safely despite the slippery ground.
Lilac, on the other hand, was riding towards the finish line with ease, proceeding like she was riding on a normal track and evaded the obstacles effortlessly. She noticed Yugo is closing behind her. The boy was quick to adapt with the environment though still not so stable. Still, she gave her props for able to chase after her so close. Not many able to do that. However, she won't make it easy for him. Time for her surprise. She pressed a button on the screen of her D-Wheel. The back side of her D-Wheel opened, revealing a small gatling gun pointing at Yugo.
"A-a Gatling gun in a D-Wheel?!" Yugo was dumbstruck upon seeing the gatling gun. How is it possible?
"Element of surprise is sometime necessary in a training, my dear pupil! I'm not using a real gun, so don't worry!" Lilac said with a wink before shooting at the boy. She replaced the guns with paint balls before the race. She giggled a bit when seeing Yugo's face got hit by the paint balls, making it even more difficult for him to catch up with her. Again, this is necessary for Yugo.
Spend any time on a road with a great deal of curves and you no longer feel the turn. It's as if you are a bird you see the road and where you have to be and go. In the back ground you notice the horizon no longer exists as a flat base reference.
It feels like the bike is an extension of your own body. Actually, that can extend to the road too. A long ride down a curvy road slowly enforces that feeling until you are living in the moment just you the bike and the road all one as you prepare for each corner by slowing a bit or downshifting and then hitting just the right amount of throttle to carve a perfect turn. And then you come up behind a group of Harley landmasses and that good feeling is gone as you putt down the road at a snail's pace and they refuse to use a slow vehicle turnout for mile after excruciating mile. A bunch of out to people making noise and being clueless.
Rain feels like a thousand needles hitting your face, so does riding behind a dump truck as pebbles fall from it. After a long ride your ears ring and for an hour or so you feel like you are still moving.
On a hot night you can feel hot and cold pockets of air as you ride past parking lots radiating heat or orchards being irrigated. A bumblebee hitting your helmet at high speed hits hard enough to rock your head back. Once a bird hit my chest, took a couple seconds to right himself and flew away.
You can't ride a bike like you drive in an official match or you will die. You have to ride a bike with paranoia. You have to know that there is a car out there who wants to get you and you have to spot him and what his is up to before he sees you. Riding Duelist who ride like they're in an official match will obey rules end up dead right. Head on a swivel, hyper awareness, eye contact. All of them are important in a life or death battlefield.
That's why Yugo must get used to this training.
Within merely 20 minutes, Lilac reached the finish line unscathed. Yugo, on the other hand, he and his D-Wheel were covered in mud, dirt, and paints. Yugo looked at the dirty parts of his suit and groaned. It's going to need a very thorough cleaning after this. Still, it's not all bad. He got to experience a new kind of track and racing with a very worthy opponent.
"I won!" Lilac cheered, giving a victory pose to Yugo with a wide smile.
"Wow... You're beyond awesome, Lilac-san! You're super cool! Even more than Sherry-san! She always lectures about being more refined and all, but your riding style is one hundred times refined than hers!" Yugo was greatly impressed and admired his new master. While he respected Sherry as his teacher in Riding Duel, he will be honest that in terms of riding skill, Lilac is above Sherry. Sherry's riding style is prone to be focusing on the balance that mostly cost her speed. Sherry was often being too careful.
Yugo's thoughts were cut short when his face met the muddy earth with something stepping on his back to keep him lying on the ground.
"Looks like you're having a fun time, stupid pupil of mine." Sherry told Yugo while deepening the force of her foot that keeping Yugo on the ground.
"I was wondering what took you so long after you said you're going to give the lunch to Lilac-san, and turns out you're having a race?" Rin kneeled beside Yugo, staring down at him with a pout.
"She-Sherry-san! Rin!" Yugo uttered, recognizing the voices.
"Sorry Sherry, but I'm also taking Yugo as my mechanic apprentice. And we both know that when it comes to machinery, I know more than you do." Lilac said to the older woman while patting Yugo's shoulder, smiling widely at Sherry.
"Just don't brainwash him into a machine and racing maniac like you, please." Sherry said with a sigh.
"Can't promise that!" Lilac stuck her tongue out playfully. She then pulled Yugo so they're both sitting across each other.
"It's so fun! You're good, Yugo! Even though this is your first time in this track, you're quick to adapt!" Lilac clasped Yugo's shoulders, greatly impressed by the boy's riding skill. Her eyes were all shining stars that Yugo got taken aback for a second before scratching his head in embarrassment.
"You got both experience and knowledge as a mechanic and biker. I never met anyone like you, Lilac-san." Yugo replied. From their race, Yugo could tell that Lilac's skill in riding D-Wheel perhaps even more than Crow and Jack's skill. It's too bad that she's not suited for dueling. She would make a great Riding Duelist.
"Thanks. I think it's weird that you like to make bikes and all, but yet unable to ride it. That's why I also learned how to ride vehicles that I made. Bikes, D-Wheels are the best. I love it. It likes becoming one with your machine. Motorcycling to me is all about the experience. It fuels the senses. Every last one of them. Even if it's a simple trip through the back roads to clear your head. There is nothing in the world that can compare to the feeling of being in control of a motorcycle. Riding without the constraints of a car surrounding you puts you more in tune with the nature." Lilac's mind slowly gone into reverie, remembering each feeling whenever she rode her D-Wheel.
When she's out on the road she has a better visual of the world. From the green pastures to the asphalt. The beautiful sky, the animals of the forest and the old structures she passes near farm lands is simply breathtaking. She can take in as little or as much as she wants. There are no limits.
"Also, when you ride you immediately become a member of an exclusive club with full benefits. For you see, there's a special camaraderie among motorcyclists too. It's the only means of transportation where, no matter what kind of bike you have, when you pass someone coming in the opposite direction of you also riding a motorcycle expect a head nod or to be waved to. It took me a few times to figure out what that salute was all about. It's actually a means of communication between two motorcyclists. A language only we can understand. We're both members in a special club. Essentially, it's saying we are one in the same." Lilac added, remembering the many friends she made ever since she started her career as mechanic and racer. Sure, she also made friends through her work as a doctor, but not as close as when she's a mechanic and racer.
"The sound of the bike as you shift gears is exhilarating. Listening to the water fall as you drive past the creek or the birds chirping makes you one with it... And in your case, don't you think the touch of a beautiful woman holding on to your waist as you drive her through the back roads is a feeling that words just cannot express." Lilac whispered the last part to Yugo, referring the feeling of Rin riding behind him. Yugo blushed at that. Rin never really held his waist while they're riding together, but he can make it possible to make her… Yugo's face reddened as he imagined so.
"In summation, riding a motorcycle is freedom. Do it safely and it's almost like flying. There's no need to be in a hurry. You can clear your head, relive your childhood, stop and smell the roses, be with someone special. In a nutshell, it's the best of everything." Yugo made the point of Lilac's explanation. He's so glad that he's able to meet someone that has this much similarities with him.
"I know it's useful and all, but don't you think the weapons you included in them a bit too much for a training?" Sherry pointed at the gatling gun in Lilac's D-Wheel.
"No. It's necessary if you want to get a hang of it." Lilac immediately reply.
"Do you think…you can add a machine gun into my D-Wheel too?" Yugo asked hopefully, eyes starting to brimming with excitement.
"Machine gun? What do you need a machine gun for?" Sherry and Rin wondered at the same time.
"Machine gun, eh? Machine gun… Yeah, I also added some of them in several D-Wheels I made! In fact, if you want, I can add them to your Duel Disks too!" Lilac's eyes were also brimming the same excitement Yugo has.
"She did?! And she seems all for it!" Sherry and Rin once again wondered at the same time, shocked by Lilac's enthusiasm.
"I only added weapons to the D-Wheels and Duel Disks to a few exceptional people. And you, Yugo, I trust you enough that you can handle them." Lilac patted Yugo's shoulder gently, smiling confidently.
"You only added a few of them? Why?"
"I made D-Wheels and Duel Disks to help people. For every creation I made, I poured my very soul and spirit into them with intention that my creations will help a lot of people. If someone use my creations to hurt or even kill people, then I'll never forgive myself. That's why I only add weapons once I'm sure that the people using them won't misuse them. And you, Yugo, I believe in you." Lilac has long decided to create machines solely for the purpose of helping people in trouble. She won't make and give her weapons to people who would use it to make people suffer. There have been plenty of people who tried to sway her mind with various propositions, but she said no to every of them because she could see through their true intentions.
Yugo understood what Lilac meant. He loves dueling and after seeing Jack Atlas whom he regarded as his hero, he was inspired to start Riding Duel. At first he started Riding Duel so he could become Duel King like his hero. But as he rides his D-Wheel more and more, whether dueling or not, he grew to love it. Losing or winning doesn't really matter, he just loves it. And he built the D-Wheel for the purpose of reaching his and Rin's dream. The thought of someone using their D-Wheel for bad deeds is unforgivable. They put their heart and soul when building the D-Wheel for the sake of their dream and he won't let anyone using it for despicable purposes.
"Yeah! I promise I will never use them to hurt people! I absolutely promise, Master!" Yugo gave his words to his new master.
"Master, huh? I like the sound of it." Lilac felt even more proud now thanks to the title Yugo gave to her. She won't let her disciple down. "Okay now, back to the study. Do you have any design of your D-Wheel upgrade that you want?"
"Yes! Here! This is the first D-Wheel design that I made before making my D-Wheel!" Yugo brought out the drawing of his D-Wheel design when he and Rin first decided to build one.
"You're still keeping that drawing?!" Rin exclaimed in surprise. She thought she had thrown it away long ago because the design was just too ridiculous.
"This is not bad! This design is intense! This can be a masterpiece!" Lilac, unfortunately, loved the design. She already thought up various ways of making the D-Wheel in her head.
"No! Stop it! Don't use that design!" Sherry and Rin shouted together. Having that kind of D-Wheel won't do well for them.
"This is the first time I met someone who understands my taste! Everyone around me are over-safety." Yugo let out tears of joy for finally having someone whom he can share his tastes with.
"I feel you. They just can't understand such beautiful aesthetics." Lilac nodded in agreement. As much as she respected Yuno and Sherry, they were too strict.
"We're not being over-safety! We're being reasonable and careful!" Rin and Sherry protested.
And thus, it took hours for Sherry and Rin to convince Yugo and Lilac to keep the D-Wheel design normal.
SARA'S ROOM – AKIE RESIDENCE – CAPITAL – CANTIDEL EMPIRE – ARC-V
"You saw the gatekeeper of the Rift?" Yukiya asked to make sure he heard it right.
Yukiya received a call from Sara who asked him to come to her house alone because she has something important to tell him. Hearing her tone, Yukiya didn't ask more and comply to her request, coming alone. Him visiting Sara wasn't a strange thing either since he often come to play, being her childhood friend.
"I think so. It feels like it's trying to give us a warning not to approach it." Sara confirmed, remembering the creature she saw by accident beyond the Rift.
"What does this creature look like?" Yukiya asked again.
"I'm not so sure because I can only see its silhouette. But that's a Duel Monster for sure." Sara answered. While she couldn't discern its appearance, her Link Sense told her it's a Duel Monster.
"If it's truly the gatekeeper, the warning not to approach it is understandable. We must find a way to close the Rift quickly without endangering Yuya and the others. To do that, maybe understanding the characteristic of the gatekeeper would help." Yukiya wondered.
"I could only find a few from old archives I could find. I don't think it's much of a help though. It's hard finding information, not to mention I must find the Crimson Duelist too." Sara was feeling quite bum because of the Crimson Duelist was not seen or even heard lately.
"You mean the Duelist that almost defeat you last time?"
"It's difficult to find him when we don't even have a slightest clue about his origin. All we know he is a skilled hacker and strong Duelist who uses Salamangreat Deck..." Sara recalled the Crimson Duelist. She searched everywhere for him and asked many people, but they only knew things that she already knew. She blinked when she noticed Yukiya was staring at her.
"What?" Sara asked. She almost jumps when Yukiya abruptly stood up.
"That's it! Maybe we can find out more if we ask a Duel Monster! There should be at least one or two Duel Monster who knows about the gatekeeper!" Yukiya exclaimed.
"But how can we do that? Not even the Four Heavenly Dragons or Haruna-san knows about the gatekeeper other than its overall purpose. I doubt we can just find a random Duel Monster for answers." Sara reminded, but Yukiya was still confident.
"The gatekeeper is a Cyberse Monster, a Monster type that is closely related to the network out of all types. The Rift is located in LINK VRAINS, within the network. And you're able to sense Apophis' presence within the network thanks to your Link Sense. Plus, we have Kuribohs by our side that is said capable of sensing one's true essence." Yukiya pointed out the facts that they have. He purposely didn't continue as to let Sara to figure it out herself, and it didn't take long for her to understand what Yukiya was trying to say.
"By using my Link Sense we can track Cyberse monsters within network and Linkuriboh will narrow down and confirm whether that monster knows about the Rift or not... That's right. Salamangreat is a Cyberse-Type Monster. Maybe I can use my Link Sense and Linkuriboh's help to find him. And since Salamangreat is Cyberse Monster, we can ask the Crimson Duelist about the gatekeeper!" Sara's face brightened. The sour mood she has a while ago disappeared like a blown smoke.
"It's like killing two birds with one stone." Yukiya grinned.
"Yukiya, that's a brilliant idea! That's worth a shot!" Sara praised her childhood friend.
"Totally! I'll contact Yuno-san now!" Yukiya brought out his Duel Disk, pressing Yuno's number.
While waiting for Yukiya in call with Yuno, Sara thought of the Crimson Duelist. She doesn't know who he is, but she hopes he's at least can be reasoned to allow them to talk with his Salamangreat monsters.
Wait. Speaking about Salamangreat monsters…
The Duel Monster guarding the Rift.
It was also cladded in flames like Salamangreat monsters.
NEXT CHAPTER PREVIEW:
The Lost Offspring – A mission goes wrong causes Sawatari, Sayaka, and Allen to get separated from their group and ends up in a secluded village. While trying to find a way to contact their friends, they encounter Zira and Kamui who by a chance are visiting the village out of curiosity.
Hello, everyone! Sorry for the long wait and thank you for your patience! There's no duel in this chapter, but I still hope you enjoy reading the interaction between Yugo and Lilac. I've been eager to show the interaction between them, so it's very satisfying I finally got to write and upload it!
Please don't forget to review this chapter!
