Leaving Pala Mesa had been like wading through a bloodbath. Roads had been closed for the event to start but their ceasefire only lasted until the borders of the town. As soon as the first dozen teams left, instant war broke out. Holograms appeared all around, nobody knew who was where or what was happening. Teams split up and were instantly lost, some crashed into barriers as they tried to illegally drive up the shoulder only to realise too late that they lacked enough room to safely turn. Nobody was safe and everybody was fair game.

Team 5D's had seen this coming.

Instead of trying to outrace the competition and risk getting caught in the same traps as everybody else, Team 5D's slowly puttered along behind everybody else and chose the least troubled or congested routes they wanted. Too distracted by the commotion, even any Yliaster Agents on the lookout for them would have been lost in the crowds. Whilst Runners were destroyed and Duellists instantly disqualified through repeated denials of Duels, Crow gently led his friends down winding back streets until they were free and clear on an open road. The last they had seen of Musume, she had been dancing between Duel Runners with mere inches to spare and gone before anybody could get a good look at them. For the rest of the day, the team had slowly travelled in an easterly direction and run into only two other teams, securing an easy pair of victories between Jack and Crow. After twelve hours solid riding, they had pulled to a painful stop on the borders between Utah and Colorado and simply collapsed a short distance from Route 90 in a cheap set of sleeping bags.

"Ow," Had been Leo's first word upon waking up throughout the night. "Urgh." Was the grunt he had given when the sun started to peek across the horizon.

"How's it going?" Having risked a few hours sleep under Akiza's observations two days before, Yusei felt he could at least make it until Thursday before needing another session. Asking any of them to help with the cerebral inhibitor was not a conversation he was looking forward to having. Jack would stubbornly search for the truth, Crow would see through his lies and getting information from Leo was like water from a sponge.

Staring out across a beautiful landscape with the fresh morning breeze in his face, a gorgeous sunrise in the distance and the heroes he aspired to be littered around him, there was only one thing Leo could think to say. "It all hurts."

"Is he still complaining?" Levering himself upright, Crow's hair was flopping about his face without a band to hold it back. "Try doing this for six years." Rummaging through his bag, an errant boulder was picked out and lobbed into the horizon. In reality, a small stone bounced off a rock about two feet away but Crow could exaggerate anything.

"Yes, just imagine doing it for six years." Still dressed in his lengthy coat, Jack was the only one to have completely staved off the chill effects of the night. "Each one getting just a little more sleep than the last."

"Yeah," Schlepping from his sleeping bag, Crow blearily shuffled into his boots. "It's enough to make a man turn traitor." A pregnant pause was undercut by chill winds as all eyes turned to Jack in the act of unzipping his sleeping bag.

"I shall take great efforts to remember that comment, Crow." Then, without any sign of violence, Jack calmly began packing away his sleeping bag.

"Are you feeling well?" Narrowing his eyes in case of a surprise attack, the shorter man slowly crept backwards. "You were acting normal yesterday."

Their brief interaction with the globally famous Grand Canyon had been Leo pointing it out in a wildly excited fashion, Crow giving it a moderate numerical rating, Yusei launching into a dull explanation of how it came to be and Jack heroically bringing them all back to the task at hand with a blunt "It's a hole in the ground. Mystery over."

"I'm fine." Still with his back turned, Jack looked further up the road to see an unpleasant sight. "Team Lightning."

"What?" Joining Jack in his observation, Yusei could also identify the distinctive style of Runner as Leo began munching his way through a breakfast on the floor. "I didn't expect to see them here." Team Lightning were of the same calibre as Crow but hadn't been heard from in months. It was clear now that they had probably been in training for this very tournament.

"It's no coincidence they're on this road." Famous as the team was, social media was flooded with suspected sightings. It would be easy to track them down whenever they stopped.

Within minutes, the pair of pro Duellists were pulling to a halt only a few feet away from the makeshift camp.

"Good morning." Extending the same manners Martha had drilled into him as a child, Crow extended the hand of friendship. "We were just eating, maybe you would,"

"We challenge you to a Duel." All pleasantries vanished in an instant as the pair squared their shoulders in an unmistakable aggressive pose.

"Can we finish breakfast first?" Holding up one of the energy bars Akiza had smuggled to them inside her suitcase, Leo looked the least professional member of the team as he remained seated on the floor.

"No." Evaluating the levels of threat, a quick decision was made as to who would be their target. "We choose to Duel you. You have to accept or take a loss." Stepping forward from his brothers with the sort of smile that happens after watching somebody ignore all the warning signs and drive straight into the centre of a hurricane, Yusei already had a plan in motion.

"I suppose you thought the rest of us were too hard to take on. Big mistake." Rising alongside him, Jack and Crow completed the image of a trio of angry older brothers for the figure still seated on the floor.

"My granny could take the midget." Still sore about his height, Crow said nothing and threatened intense physical violence through the force of his gaze alone. "And we don't care for a half-baked scientist or foolish pretender." As Jack started twitching slightly, Yusei just continued to smile.

"Leo?" Cramming the last of the bar into his mouth, Leo shot to his feet. "The six members of the 'Monarch' archetype."

"Caius the Shadow Monarch, Granmarg the Rock Monarch, Mobius the Frost Monarch, Raiza the Storm Monarch, Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch and Zaborg the Thunder Monarch." Unperturbed by the list, the Duellists scoffed at the recital. "All monsters have 2400 ATK and 1000 DEF and are Level 6 with the exception of Zaborg who is Level 5." Still smiling easily, Yusei was watching the ease drain from Leo's challenger. "Each has a different ability that relies upon a Tribute Summon and generally targets the removal of cards from the field. An exception to this is Thestalos who discards a random card from the opponent's hand." Standing to either side, Jack and Crow stopped surprise from showing on their faces at the almost encyclopedic knowledge Leo was displaying.

"Level 3, Fire, Fusion." Barking out a quick set of parameters, Yusei dropped his polite smile and let the worry start to build.

"Charubin the Fire Knight. Pyro, 1100 ATK, 800 DEF. Fusion materials: Monster Egg and Hinotama Soul."

"Who is the kneeling figure in the Tyrant's Temper?" At that point, his brother's decided Yusei was going too far. Tyrant's Temper was a Super Rare card that neither had even seen. The chances of it being used against a Duellist were slim at best so there was little reason to even,

"An unnamed warrior, previously seen in The Warrior Returning Alive." Laying a hand on Leo's shoulder, Yusei looked like a hungry animal about to rip apart the intruders to their breakfast.

"He's all yours." Seeing a growing concern and moderate fear, Yusei moved one foot closer. Just the one foot. "What? Did you think he'd be an easy target?"

"Very impressive." Licking his lips, the leader of Team Lightning seemed ready to flee. "But we're not going to be put off by a few parlour tricks."

"Do you really think that our friend would spend all that time memorising everything there is to know about Duel Monsters and not put together some strong strategies?" Stepping shoulder to shoulder with Yusei, Crow stared down the pair.

"He could beat you in three turns on a good day." Joining his brothers, Jack made an imposing figure. "Good news for you two is that he's not been sleeping well. You might even have a chance to score some pints before he beats you."

"Don't forget." With every inch of his reputation backing him up, Yusei delivered a chilly ultimatum. "You can't back out from a challenge. We'll be along in a moment." Watching the pair scurry back to their Duel Runners, Yusei turned the group around and led them back to their own rides.

"Do you really think I can beat them?" Giving his friend's shoulder one last squeeze, Yusei handed Leo the blue helmet from his Runner without a word.

"You go ahead," Nodding respectfully, Crow stepped to one side. "We'll catch up in a minute."

"We just need to settle a few points with Yusei." Reaching for his wallet, Jack gave the exact impression he wanted to give as Leo pulled up to the road to chat with his new foe.

"He's going to get creamed." Dropping the bluff, Crow looked worried for their junior member.

"Obliterated." Jack agreed, sliding his wallet away again.

"Do you think we oversold it?" Chewing the inside of his lip, Yusei hadn't been this worried since Ogino found out he was ditching work. It had been a tough few days.

"Yusei, they're pros who have been Duelling since before the WRDGP." Back when Yliaster had unleashed an army of Duelbots in the contest, Team Lightning had been one of the groups to fall out of the competition due to injuries sustained by the attack. As a result, they had become bitter towards the winning team who they thought had stolen Team Lightning's rightful place.

"There's nothing we can do." Seeing Leo start to grow nervous, Crow waved a hand and sat on his Runner. "We'll just have to hope they're off their game enough that Leo can win."

"Let's hope." Pulling on his helmet, Jack secured it into place. "I hope Leo doesn't beat them too quickly." Duel Runner already turned on, his words carried to all the nearby headsets. "I bet they could make him last at least seven turns." Cramming away their breakfast remains, the rest of the team slowly idled by to where Leo and Lightning were waiting to begin their Duel.

"Do you want to go first?" Enthused by their bravado, Leo recklessly gambled away his advantage.

"Let's do this." Revving his engine, Lightning quickly powered off down the road before Leo could see the fear sweat already accumulating across his brow.

(Turn 1)

Lightning: LP: 4000 SC:1 Hand:6 Field: None Graveyard: None

Leo: LP: 4000 SC:1 Hand:5 Field: None Graveyard: None

"I set one monster and one card." Setting up the pitch with a quick turn, Lightning quickly handed control over to Leo.

(Turn 2)

Lightning: LP: 4000 SC:2 Hand:4 Field:1 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap Graveyard:None

Leo: LP: 4000 SC:2 Hand:6 Field: None Graveyard: None

"I summon Morphtronic Radion (L4/1000 ATK/900 DEF)!" Unfolding itself across his field, the monster hummed and whirred into life. "While in Attack Position, all Morphtronic monsters I control gain an extra 800 ATK." Shuddering as yellow lightning crackled through it, the monster suddenly became a lot more formidable. "I attack your monster." Negotiating down a steep curve, the trailing group missed Lightning's evil smile.

"Due to the flip effect of my Batteryman Micro-Cell," For a moment, a ghostly pink circle appeared on his side of the field. "I can special summon another Level 4 or lower Batteryman from my deck." Selecting a card on the screen, the Runner spat out a card before reshuffling his deck.

"No," Crow hissed through clenched teeth. "A Batteryman Deck." Like Yusei's Junk monsters or Crow's Blackwing's, Batteryman was a strong archetype.

"Just be grateful there isn't a Speed Spell for Short Circuit." Growled Jack. It was a sobering thought. Short Circuit was a powerful Spell that could only be activated if a player controlled three Batteryman monsters. If they did, the entirety of the opponent's field was destroyed. So far, a Turbo Duel equivalent hadn't been announced.

"I choose the Level 3 monster, Batterman AA!" A gangly young monster drifted beside him with a base amount of 0 ATK and DEF – never a good sign. "For every Batteryman AA in attack position, they each gain 1000 ATK."

"I set two cards and end my turn."

(Turn 3)

Lightning: LP: 4000 SC:3 Hand:4 Field:1 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap Graveyard:1 Monster

Leo: LP: 4000 SC:3 Hand:3 Field:1 Monster, 2 Spell/Trap Graveyard:None

Leo knew he was in trouble. Like his own Morphtronic monsters, a Batteryman Deck could be built around powering up low-level creatures with plenty of spells and traps. If Lightning was anywhere near as good as his reputation, this Duel would be the hardest of Leo's career yet.

"Looks like my Batteryman AA is running low on juice." Beside him, the monster hung its mechanical head. "Not to worry, because I'm bringing out another one for him to play with." Joining the first, another Batteryman AA boosted both their ATK's up to 2000 each. "Looks like you're in for a shock." Watching his Radion explode in smoke and ash, Leo bore witness to an attack that could plummet his Life Point to half in a single blow.

"Morphtronics, Scramble!" Breathing a heavy sigh of relief, the rest of his team watched a pair of black wings swoop down and absorbed the bolt of electricity into itself. "When you launch a direct attack, I can special summon a Level 4 or lower Morphtronic monster from my hand." Although he had escaped unscathed, Morphtronic Celfon was a meagre Level 1 monster that wouldn't last a minute in a straight fight. Thankfully, Leo wasn't planning on a simple brawl.

(Turn 4)

Lightning: LP: 4000 SC:4 Hand:4 Field:2 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap Graveyard:1 Monster

Leo: LP: 4000 SC:4 Hand:3 Field:1 Monster 1 Spell/Trap Graveyard:1 Monster 1 Spell/Trap

"I activate the ability of Morphtronic Celfon!" Lightning crackling the length of it's gleaming antenna, the little robot's numbered chest began lighting up in a random pattern. "Depending on which number it picks, I can reveal those cards from the top of my Deck and special summon another Level 4 or lower Morphtronic monster." Luck stuck by the plucky contender and Celfon granted Leo a precious gift of four cards. Easily the strongest monster in his main Deck, Gadget Hauler was the first card overturned and even got an empathetic groan from Thunder as he drifted behind the pack. Next was the Speed Spell – Summon Speeder. Finally, he struck gold and pulled out two monsters in a row – Morphtronic Videon and Morphtronic Boomboxen. Videon's ability relied upon Equip cards and could gain tremendous power from them but Leo chose his other monster instead, shuffling the rest of the cards back into his Deck.

"Why does he even have Videon in his Turbo Deck?" Screeching around a fallen branch in the road, the onlookers were bemused by the choice of card. Speed Spells were a do and done business. Equip versions just did not exist.

"Probably for material." Gadget Hauler – one of the other cards that they had seen flash by – received a substantial ATK boost by discarding Morphtronic monsters. There was also the prospect of a Synchro Summon or tribute to activate some effect.

"And for my normal summon, I choose Morphtronic Datatron (L3/1200 ATK/600 DEF)!" Unfolding from a small lighter, the nozzle of a head looked suspiciously like the barrel of a gun. "For my next move, I activate Power-Up Adaptor!" A two-pronged spark plug appeared, building itself into the back of Boomboxen and creating a sparking connection of electricity to both Datatron and Celfon.

"Way to go!" Edging in closer, Crow risked life and limb for a better view of the Duel.

Power-Up Adaptor was a continuous trap that could increase the ATK of one Morphtronic monster by the same amount as another providing the source Morphtronic and another one beside could no longer attack. By choosing Boomboxen, Leo had created a powerful combination.

"Morphtronic Boomboxen (1200 → 2400 ATK) destroys one of your Batteryman AA." Letting loose a solid warble, the monster on Lightning's left exploded in a hail of holographic shrapnel. "But we're not done yet. Boomboxen can attack twice a turn. Go, finish off his other monster." With only half the ATK it's predecessor had, the remaining creature covered far less damage.

(Turn 5)

Lightning: LP: 2200 SC:5 Hand:6 Field:1 Spell/Trap Graveyard:3 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap

Leo: LP: 4000 SC:5 Hand:5 Field:3 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap Graveyard:1 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap

"I've really got to thank you." Feeling a blip in gravity as they sped over a narrow dip, Lightning was unusually happy. "It's not many people that get this far." Pulling a card from his hand, he raised it high above him. "By removing two Batteryman monsters from my graveyard from play, I can special summon the mightiest capacitor, the strongest electric heart in history." Slamming the card into his Duel Disk, lightning began crackling through the air. "Grant me power, Batteryman Industrial Strength!" A solid plume of electric blasted around him to reveal a gargantuan car battery whirling cables in two mechanical arms.

"Oh, he's gonna lose." Realising he was suddenly surrounded on three sides by very angry faces, Thunder powered off after his brother.

"Leo's going to be fine." But Crow's lie couldn't even fool himself. From nothing to everything in one turn, Lightning had just summoned a Level 8 monster with 2600 ATK and a powerful special ability.

"By removing one Thunder-type monster from my graveyard from play, I can destroy 1 monster and 1 Spell or Trap card." Suddenly, Leo's brilliant strategy seemed ripe to fall apart. "I pick your set card and Morphtronic Datatron." For just a moment, it was possible to see Urgent Tuning before it and Datatron were obliterated. With the monster gone and the link broken, Boomboxen suddenly became a normal radio again. "And I now attack your ridiculous robot. Bye-bye Boomboxen." Stabbing both wires into the speakers on the box, the Batteryman sent enough juice through the poor creature to make it explode in agony.

"Why Boomboxen?" Fearful for his friend, Jack was still mystified as to the choice of target. "Celfon is a much bigger threat and would have caused more damage."

"Lightning only has one monster." Gloating up ahead, Lightning was relaxing in his newfound position of power. "Putting Boomboxen in defence lets Leo block one attack a turn." And drag out a stalemate.

(Turn 6)

Lightning: LP: 2200 SC:6 Hand:6 Field:1 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap Graveyard:2 Monster 1 Spell/Trap

Leo: LP: 2600 SC:6 Hand:5 Field:1 Monster Graveyard:3 Monster, 2 Spell/Trap

There was little Leo could do to defend himself. He could try for Celfon's summoning ability again but it was a risk that could easily backfire and leave him with only its 100 ATK standing in the way of another attack. Instead, he switched it to a blue defence posture and hoped somebody out there liked him. "I activate Celfon's second ability. While it's in defence mode, I can take a peek at the next few cards in my Deck." This was a much sounder strategy. Literally, any number above one would let him see further into the Duel than he currently hoped to survive. Celfon rolled a two.

"Ha! Is that all?" Tuning out the derisive noise, Leo focused on his future draws.

"I summon Morphtronic Cameran (L2/800 ATK/600 DEF) in attack position." It was a transparent move. He clearly hoped to take advantage of the effect somehow. "I end my turn.

"That was bold." Impressed by the young man's strategy, Yusei looped his brothers into a separate channel than the other three figures on the remote road.

"But clever." Always slow to begrudgingly grant praise to anyone else, Jack seeped out his appreciation like slime from a mould. "That Batteryman creature needs a Spell or Trap to target. Unless there's one on Leo's field, Lightning has to rely on raw power." And there was certainly plenty of that to go around.

(Turn 7)

Lightning: LP: 2200 SC:7 Hand:6 Field:1 Monster 1 Spell/Trap Graveyard:2 Monster 1 Spell/Trap

Leo: LP: 2600 SC:7 Hand:5 Field:2 Monster Graveyard:3 Monster, 2 Spell/Trap

Lightning ground his teeth in anger. Leo had been granted a sneak peek into his future. It might only be two cards but that had been enough for him to create an obvious strategy. It was no bluff either. Leo was notoriously bad at bluffing. All his additional Speed Counters had been building up to a combination of the Speed World 2 effect damage. But there was no way Leo couldn't not see that coming and by placing an obvious trap, he had ensnared Lightning in a more nebulous psychological one. Now, the only way out was to pick a third option.

"I destroy your Celfon with Industrial Strength." Watching the tiny phone shatter and vanish, he felt a twinge of vengeful satisfaction. It appeared Leo wasn't as smart as the rest of his team. With Celfon gone, his ability to summon extra monster or look ahead had been cut off.

(Turn 8)

Lightning: LP: 2200 SC:8 Hand:6 Field:1 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap Graveyard:2 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap

Leo: LP: 2600 SC:8 Hand:5 Field:1 Monster Graveyard:4 Monster, 2 Spell/Trap

Barely looking at his card, Leo slapped it down on the field. "It's time your Batterymen met my Morphtronic Vacuumen (L1/0ATK/0DEF)." Seeing the tiny monster in defence position and realising it's potential, Crow let out a whooping cheer. "I attack Batteryman Industrial Strength with Morphtronic Cameran." That loud victory bugle ended in what sounded like a choking noise.

"What's he doing?" Morphtronic Cameran dissolved in a shower of sparks and explosions as Thunder looked on in panicked confusion.

"Oops, my bad." Riding through the smoke of his destroyed monster, Leo was finally getting back up on his feet. "With my Cameran destroyed, it managed to leave behind a little swan song from the graveyard. Welcome back, Morphtronic Boomboxen!" Warbling joyfully at returning to the field, the monster was set in an aggressive attack position. And Lightning finally saw the beginnings of a scheme.

"I activate the effect of my Vacuumen." Both noozled arms shooting across the field, Leo's unintimidating little machine grappled at the trailing leads of Lightning's star monster. "I can equip it with a monster from your side of the field." Meaning his avenue to attack twice with Boomboxen was unobstructed and open.

"Wait," Struggling to adjust to this new reality, Lightning was faced with a horrifying realisation. "You tricked me. I could have won. I could have won!"

(Game Over)

Winner: Leo

"You made a mistake." Breathing heavily through his win, Leo's smile was dazzling to behold as Lightning rolled off his Runner onto the ground. "When you summoned Batteryman Industrial Strength, you should have targetted Boomboxen instead." Glaring up at him, Lightning seemed on the verge of exploding. "Datatron has the same stats but a different effect – it couldn't block your attacks." That pressure was building, rising. "But Vacuumen might have still been enough to turn the tables anyway." From out of nowhere, Lightning burst out laughing.

"Kid, you're really something." Throwing himself upright, Lightning looked at Leo with fresh eyes. "Maybe we would have won the WRDGP, maybe we wouldn't. But today, I lost fair and square." Holding out a hand, he let Leo happily snap it. "How many wins have you got now?"

"Including you? Three." Taking his helmet off, Leo lent it on the handles of his Runner.

"Thunder and I are at four. We'll see you at the finish line, one way or another." Waving with new respect, the two brothers quickly pulled away down the road.

"Nicely done." Grappled from behind, Leo found himself choking very slightly in Crow's grip. "Just don't get cocky."

"Like you can talk." Shoving his brother aside, Jack struck a pose. "It's clear he's destined for great things. Somebody like you wouldn't understand." Tackling his brother about the knees, Crow drove Jack to the ground.

"Nicely done." With the sun beating down on his helmet, only Yusei's heartfelt smile was visible in the opening of his helmet. "I had complete faith in you." In the end, they may have only been putting on brave faces but some level of them truly believed that Leo would grow into a great Duellist.

"Can we finish breakfast now?" Chuckling in good humour, Yusei removed his helmet and watched his two brothers fighting on the ground.

"Leo, we can probably do lunch as well." As the pair moved the Duel Runners off the road to complete their meal, Jack and Crow continued to pound away at each other in the chill breeze of the morning.

To even attempt the lengthy trail of the Duellist Kingdom without preparing more than enough supplies was the height of folly. Bottles of water could leak, food could spoil before the packaging was even open. Computers could stop working and misread maps lead to wrong destinations. Tires could burst on traps left behind by duplicitous competitors.

This last was exactly what had happened to Team Pobedonosnyy.

"They are all dead." Standing almost painfully upright, the three grizzled Russian bears seemed on the verge of actually levitating from the ground slightly.

"What was that glass doing in the road?" Remains of several beer bottles had been strewn down a short stretch of road they had just crossed.

"Stupid children, careless adults, what does it matter?" A perfectly balanced triad of power, each man was as wise as the next and twice as strong. "We must face the choice." Lying on a small boulder between them were the three plastic cards they had been given at the start of the race.

"Surrender or try for help?" Cell phones were useless in the hilly terrain they were passing through. Signals lasted only a few moments at most and never long enough for a call to be made.

Staring down at the tiny items, they each contemplated the decision that lay before them.

"A different direction for us all? One back to the town, one up the hill, one ahead on the road?" Pondering the idea, it seemed a strong alternative to surrender.

"No." Eventually, rationality had to override their pride. "Two might get lost, one would end up dead. We wait for the chill embrace of night."

"If nobody comes by then?" Acting with minds unified by years of companionship, they each spoke only to hear confirmation.

"We shall push our machines and ourselves until the morning sun shows us in both civilisation and defeat." With that decision firmly made, two of the three men walked off the road to sit in the cool shade of a tree that grew beside the tarmac. Their third identical face walked out into the middle of the road and simply stood there. If traffic approached from any direction, it would be unable to miss seeing him.

Their last contact with civilisation had been a small town called Kingman roughly thirty minutes ago. It may have only been a short drive but at the speeds they had been travelling, the resulting walk back would take over twelve hours. Without transport, it would be a difficult journey to attempt and the only buildings had been the ruined husks of isolated settlements that had long since been crushed by harsh economic times.

"Something comes." Good eyes had spotted a faint dust cloud forming somewhere in the distance behind them.

"Already?" Barely a few minutes had passed since they had made a grim decision. Including their stop, it had been barely more than an hour since they had last seen a friendly face.

"Maybe somebody followed us." Rejoining their man in the road, the group carefully examined the rapidly approaching signal.

"Nyet. We follow main road until last minute. Nobody should know where we are." It didn't rule out the possibility of followers but did cut the pool down to nasty proportions.

"We have no weapons or help." Thinking as one, their lengthy partnership allowed them to process the problem in identical ways. "Shall we hide?"

"Foolish idea." Not that they hadn't all been thinking it. "Without aid, we will certainly lose. Let us see first and act after." Barely a slow curve of the road away, whatever was kicking up the dust was projecting no noise ahead of itself nor creating a rumble in the ground.

Thundering into view, the gleaming silver shape seemed undaunted by the grime in the air, shining dully despite a thick coating. Air was whispering away from it, masked by the deep hum of a powerful engine. Tinted windows prevented the group from seeing inside as it bore down on them at speeds that seemed impossible to stop. Rapidly stepping off the road, the three Russians watched the truck slowed to a sudden halt mere inches from their crippled Duel Runner. Billows of smoke and screeching tires gave it substance at last as momentum dragged the dust plume over it, hiding a door that slammed open in the tense moment.

"Parusina!" For some reason, the first garbled Russian word translated to 'sailcloth' as the dirty mist slowly cleared. "No, wait, that's not right." As one, they looked up at the smiling face and felt the faintest flicker of fear deep within their hardened souls. There were stories told in the dead of winter in the confidential bond between child and babushka. Stories that the devil never showed up in a cloud of smoke to claim anything but the purest souls brought low. No, if they were unlucky enough, if they were cursed by fate to be taken, a nechist would show up with a smile on the face and everything they could want in tow. This figure with hidden eyes, an empty smile and skin paler than a corpse seemed to have stepped right from their darkest legends. "Ah yes," Pulling his hood up as he stepped into the glaring sun, Obake finally found the correct word. "Zdraastvweetye." Literally 'be healthy' it was the formal Russian greeting he had chosen from a guidebook mere minutes before.

"We speak American." Not out of simple politeness, the Russian team were hoping to avoid hearing the baby-talk coming from the full-grown adults stepping from the truck. "Who are you?"

"Us?" With already practised efficiency, Akiza and Luna were opening the wide panel on the side of the truck and picking up bottles of water and parcels of food for the team. "We're just here to help." Switching out for the ladies, he began squatting through the mountains of cargo in search of fresh inner-tubes for the tires and a set of puncture repair kits.

"How did you know where we are?" Unsettled by the overwhelming surge of goodwill, the sceptical group were wary of a hidden trap.

"Your tournament cards send out frequent location updates." Distracting Ivan – because Luna always took the time to learn names first – with a cool bottle of water, she answered his question as Akiza checked on their minimal first-aid supplies. "When we saw you hadn't moved in a few hours, we decided to come and check up on you." It was true that the Duellists had all already figured out how to find other broadcasts with the signals but it was news to find out the public could manually track them. Until they physically crossed paths, the only information each team could determine was location and direction of another signal.

"Heading for Flagstaff was a smart move." Grabbing bundles of bandages and antiseptics, Akiza crushed the resisting Russian with a will of iron. "But you should have taken the I-40 instead of Route 66. Few people travel this stretch of the road." Infamous though it was, the stretch of Route 66 these Duellists were on had only recently been reopened following essential repairs and renovations. Diversion signs were still up in some areas and locals had fallen into a pattern of avoiding it.

"Da. We were hoping to gain some ground here." Meaning going way beyond safe speeds where nobody would stop them. "Others decided to go through Las Vegas and Denver instead." A few friendly rivals had peeled off with promises of a reunion beyond Kansas City. Whoever reached St Louis first would be allowed to take the first turn in the Duels. Unfortunately, the three friends had taken a wrong turn and lost a substantial amount of time, hence the shortcut and breakdowns still far behind.

"We look forward to it." With inner-tubing wrapped around him like so many nooses, Obake finally managed to creep out from his little cave. "I've read your profiles. Stunning, simply stunning." Obake cooed appreciatively as he piled the equipment in a small head beside the road. "A shame the news feeds here (and a few other places too) are calling you Team Pobedonosnyy. It misses the true depth of the original Russian. Triumphant, victorious, victors."

"We still do not want your help." Standing back slightly, the enormity of a hulking Russian frame risked blotting out the sun.

"Of course not. Nobody ever wants help until it's too late." Hidden behind his glasses, Obake watched as Akiza and Luna distracted two of the men with spare food and blankets respectively. "So we'll simply take our leave. No money has changed hands, no favours asked or given and there is no way the competition can penalise you. But, unless I'm very wrong, you'll look for some way to pay this opportunity back one day. One day, somebody will ask for your help. Just be there to offer it." Gently holding the door open for the ladies to enter first, Obake paused for a moment in the opening to encompass the world in both arms. "To be one of the few to cross the far away finish line? Even if you do not make the finals, reaching them would be a victory over an entire continent trying to stop you. Victory, gentlemen. Победоносный!" Ending his little speech with their true team name in its original Russian – triumphant, victorious, victor – the door was closed and the van quickly pulling back onto the road and coasting down the highway.

"What do we do now?" If they had been more empathic persons, the three Duellists would have left their shiny gifts and started pushing their Runners back down the road. But society had already made deep roads into their psyche. Fear for losers, to win at any cost.

"We fix what is broken." Reaching for tools, they nodded in agreement with one another. "Then we show the world what we can do."

Already far ahead, Obake was taking corners at speeds that shouldn't be possible as Luna and Akiza strapped themselves into the middling tier of seats.

"So, are you going to call him?" Instantly enchanted by Luna's smile, Ivan had scribbled his contact information on a Duel Monsters card and shyly passed it across.

"Just as soon as you call Vsevolod." Equally smitten by Akiza's take-charge attitude, the target of her attentions had suggested maybe meeting up at the end of the tournament for a celebratory drink.

"Just as soon as I learn to pronounce Vsevolod." Though she had a smattering of Russian vocabulary, it was still a difficult language to pronounce at times.

"So that would make my guy," Swerving dangerously to avoid a swooping bird, Obake's head rebounded off a window with no visible sign he had even noticed. "Rostislav?" As bad as Akiza's Russian was, Obake's was far worse and every word sounded like it had been taught over a faulty intercom. "What cards did you get?" More practical than passionate, he was only intrigued by the material gain from their encounter.

"Wolf." A normal Level 3 Monster, it was a common card that had little in the way of support or use. "What about you?"

Turning over her card, Luna was in for a nasty surprise. "Nothing much." With mysterious womanly senses that no man could understand, Akiza saw right through the bland lie.

"Mind if I see?" Recognising the determination of her friend, Luna quickly shoved the card into the small of her back and pushed herself into the padded seat.

"Nope." Glaring at one another in a battle of wills, Akiza reached down and nudged Obake's headrest with her shoe.

"Can you quickly steer right?" Realising too late what her friend had planned, Luna was helpless to stop herself flying to the left as the van took a sharp corner at speeds. Reaching across the gap, Akiza was able to pluck the card from where it had been embedded in the imprint of Luna's back. "Is this really?"

"Time Seal." A Normal Trap card, Time Seal was a rare and sometimes highly sought after card. It had the simple yet powerful effect of skipping the opponent's next Draw Phase. "It was probably just a mistake."

"Maybe he's sweet on you." Luna blushed slightly and crammed the card out of sight. "Where are we going next?" Leaving Luna to stew away in friendly embarrassment, the pair looked down as Obake fiddled with the computer screen set into the dashboard. Steering with only one eye on the road, he tracked the movements of the Legend Duellists spreading and converging across the country.

"Team The Arm and Team Burning should be meeting somewhere near the Grand Staircase-Esc," A lengthy name for a national park almost proved fatal as he grappled with the steering wheel to take a sudden corner. "Somewhere north of here." Focussing on breathing again, the two women couldn't deny that Obake's driving technique certainly made them feel alive. Maybe it was the constant brushes with death that put everything in perspective.

"Burning may have an advantage." Using the tablet built into the chair in front of her, Akiza was studying information on the team. "They've Duelled all across America before. The Arm's don't know the terrain as well as they do."

"Team The Arm have better use of Trap Cards." Already stepping ahead to look at past victories and defeats, Luna was studying their pattern of play. "If they can take disrupt Team Burning's play, they could easily win."

It was already becoming a routine. Obake had a knack for picking out upcoming Duels or competitors in distress and make all haste to reach them. Then they would either hand back and watch the Duel or close in and deliver whatever aid they could. Each goodwill trip seemed to hardly make a dent in the endless mountains of supplies hidden beneath the truck but the massive vehicle was as nimble and fast as any creature of the land. In between, the pair of passengers would debate who would win upcoming Duels or assist Obake in selecting their next destination.

Hearing the pair dissolve into more complicated Duelling techniques than most people were familiar with, Obake silently set a course to take them around the outskirts of Flagstaff and up past the famous Grand Canyon. On most days, the roads around the national park would be cluttered by clutches of travellers intent on seeing what amounted to a gaping hole in the floor. For the sake of the less sturdy vehicles, Obake hoped that today wasn't one of those. At the speeds he travelled, anything with less staying power than a mountain would simply bounce off.

Hello again! As you can see, this chapter is longer than most previous entries with over 6500 words (not including this last bit).

As you can see, it also features the first Duel of this part of the series. I originally thought about using one of the older Duellists but decided it was time to show how much Leo had grown in eight years.

Tune in tomorrow (or whenever you happen to read the next chapter) for a shocking revelation that will have long-lasting ramifications.

Remember: Like it? Hate it? Hyper-intelligent fish-person? Leave feedback of any sort in a review. It's always nice to hear a voice.