After Yusei and Crow had headed off for their Duel, their assorted friends started making their own private bets. Musume had already promised not to overreact from whatever result came but they weren't seriously expecting her to keep her word. Akiza and Luna were divided on who would win and Leo was just ecstatic that he would be watching the Duel and then facing off against Jack. For his part, Jack was taking advantage of the small buffet lunch that had been set out for them and was pouring endless cups of coffee. It would have shaken Leo's confidence to know that Jack only drank caffeine before a Duel when he was certain of victory.

A quiet tap at the door interrupted their gambling with the hurried arrival of a flustered audio engineer and they fell silent.

"Is Fudo still in here?" Dangling several cables around her neck, trying to fix some sound problem with the tablet, she was multi-tasking with the innate skill of a professional.

"What?" Gripping his cup of coffee in one hand, Jack was shaking slightly at the idea that the most important Duel of his life would be cancelled after Yusei ran away in fear.

"We've got Hogan primed for a big reveal but Fudo isn't in place." Smacking the tablet, she tried to force the bug from existence with brute force. "Listen, we're up to our eyeballs in security issues and we can't spare anybody." Flicking her gaze around the room to actually check for Yusei, she quickly returned to her own issues. "And of all the places to cut corners, somebody chose my department to run on half budget and a third the staff." Following a few more sharp knocks to the screen, she tucked it under one arm with an air that made it clear she was restraining herself from smashing it instead. "Hogan's ready in his tunnel but the last we can tell, Fudo went towards his side but might have got lost in one of the utility tunnels."

"Aren't there cameras down there?" Already coming together as one unit, the same thought was weaving through the group. No cameras, plenty of escape routes and a man Yliaster wanted dead.

"Only at the exits. There are too many tunnels to cover altogether." Tapping fingers along the edge of the tablet, she examined the group. "Look, I want this Duel to happen as much as any of you." That matter was an overstatement if there ever was one. "If your friend doesn't Duel, I don't get paid. You two, you're not part of the tournament." Noting the lack of Duelling equipment or exhausted bodies, she had picked out Luna and Akiza as the only two non-combatants in the room. "Take a look around, see if you can find him. And do it fast, we don't have all day." Fishing a pair of passes from the overfilled pockets of her boiler suit, she threw one across to Akiza and the other to Luna.

"Fine." Akiza snatched the laminated card from the air before Luna could grab it. "But I'll find Yusei by myself." Walking up to the engineer, she passed it back. "Luna can stay here."

"Your choice." Shrugging her indifference, Serena – Akiza could spot an inverted nametag attached to a twisted blue lapel – crammed the spare pass back into her waistband. "Just get him out there in the next fifteen minutes." A few seconds after the door closed, she was screaming at the tablet loud enough to be heard all the way down the corridor.

"Why not me?" Dangling the pass around her tanned neck, Akiza shook her hair out of the band at the back.

"Because if Yusei is just lost, you're not going to want to see my reaction." Turning with a dangerous smile, she let a tinge of decidedly un-doctorly feelings slip into her smile. "And if it is Yliaster, I'm not going to want you to see my reaction." With Crow having already braved the brink of death once that week, she wasn't going to keep as tight a restraint on her temper as normal.

"I'll come with you." Unwinding herself from the relaxed position on the padded couch, Musume seemed less concerned about Yusei than she did the weather. "Two sets of eyes and all that."

"No." Drawing on her borrowed authority as the weird alternate-mother to the daughter she never had, Akiza stopped her with the single word. "We're not going to let them find out about you." It was weird. They never really discussed who was in charge. Yusei just seemed to take the lead and they would follow. Now Akiza was stepping into his place and they couldn't really find a reason to object. Maybe it was her refined doctor's manner, maybe it was the way she could rip them apart with her mind.

"Fine." Settling back into her seat, Musume was oddly comforted by the command. A taste of the childhood she had never had. "But I'm tearing this stadium apart if you're not back in twenty minutes." Most people would mean it metaphorically. Most people didn't have two ancient spirits constantly battling inside them and the ability to channel just enough power to level a small city on a bored afternoon. "Try the west side first. That's where the idiot was meant to go."

Utility tunnels all across the world have a similar vibe to them. Quiet. Loud. Warm. Cold. Bright lights and dark corners. The ones running under and through the stadium were wider than the ones back at the SRC, used to move large loads and entire teams instead of just containing pipes and storage spaces. A few of the tunnels were as big as twenty feet wide, most only ten. The one Akiza was heading towards was about five and blocked.

"Sorry." Holding up a meaty palm, an overweight security guard who practically filled the opening to the west tunnels tried to stop her going past. "No entry allowed." Nobody had yet figured out there was an unguarded access point behind a row of bins. Even when somebody found the bodies, the tiny gap would be overlooked. Nobody in their right minds would drop eight feet into a dark tunnel.

"I've got a pass." Blowing off the laboured line with her laminated card, Akiza was past the unidentifiable mass of flesh and into the concrete maze before it could be mentally processed. Security guards were hired for their ability to take and deal heavy blows, not their brains.

Inside was about as thrilling as could be expected. Some few loose cables, a handful of pipes. One straight blue line ran directly towards the main pitch. It was – in a word – idiot-proof. The journey was maybe a few minutes but there were several tunnels splintering off the main one she was following. Near the end was a sharp turn to the right, hiding whoever was going onto the pitch from being seen before their time. The light and bellows of the crowd were enough for her to know Yusei hadn't gone outside yet. She would have been deafened by the cheering otherwise.

Beneath the muted roar coming down the tunnel, she could hear a more regular beat coming from one of the bigger tunnels she had passed a few seconds ago. Walking back to the large opening, she cautiously peered around the corner in case something unsafe was going on. Most of the lights were turned off, leaving the majority of the tunnel in what little dim lighting could filter down from the opening a short distance away. Pacing back and forth in the concrete confines of the entrance tunnel, the forerunner for the title seemed dazed by the upcoming Duel.

"Hey," Leaning into his field of view, Akiza felt her existence labelled 'Unimportant' and filed into a box with the rest of the universe. "What's going on?"

"I shouldn't be going out there." Turning an instant before the wall, he marched back across the ten feet of space. "It's all a farce." Picking up his Duel Disk, she flicked off the dust that had attached itself from the floor after he had dropped it. "There are people who would literally kill for this opportunity." A few actually had and made no headway for the action. "What have I got to show for it? This wasn't what I came here for. Yliaster shows up so I had to stop them."

"And you don't think that that's earned you a chance?" Grabbing his arm as he walked past, Akiza tried to force Yusei from his daze. "You made sure the King of Games didn't end up being somebody who wasn't the right person, faced death several times this week and didn't even have a mental breakdown when Musume told us the rest of the story." She had taunted them with pieces years ago but the full truth was almost enough to break the strongest of fighters. Akiza was repressing her role in things to keep going until she had time to really deal with the truth.

"Let Jack have it, or Crow." Although he valued and respected Leo, Yusei was ready to admit that he wasn't strong enough to beat both of his brothers just yet. "I'll be gone in a few months. It should be somebody who can make a difference. I'm not the right person." Gently taking his shaking hands, she cupped them gently between her own and held on until they steadied.

"Yusei," Using the tips of his own knuckles, she gently pushed his chin until he could look at her in the faded light of the tunnel. "You've done so much for so many people. There isn't anybody else who I can think of who has earned this as much as you." In the dim lighting of the tunnel, she was exceptionally tender to the dying man.

"Eight years, doing everything I can for everyone." Smiling sadly, he only regretted the choices he hadn't made. "Why does it still feel like I don't deserve this?" Reaching up, she gently rubbed a thumb across his cheek, noting the smooth skin of the old criminal mark he wore as a badge of honour.

"Maybe it's time that you finally did something for yourself." It was rare that the terminal patient gets a second chance so Yusei decided not to wait for chance and chose his own path. Leaning down with her hand still on his face, Yusei gently pressed his lips to Akiza's. There was a moment – just a moment – when she almost pulled back before deciding she wasn't going to, that she didn't want to. It wasn't pity for his few remaining days, gratitude for everything he had done or even a prize for his accomplishments. For an instant, she felt like a mighty storm gripped them both right at the centre and had enough power to simply wipe away the planet like dust beneath a cosmic breeze.

"I should have done that a long time ago." Stunned by the return to her senses, Akiza realised that she was resting her forehead against his and breathing heavily.

"Yeah." Balancing on the tips of her toes, she swayed against him slightly. Breathing in, she was aware that his jacket still smelled faintly of oil and burnt metal. No matter what he did, it always had that ineffable sensation of speed about it. "I'm glad you did." Leaning down again, she stopped him with a gentle palm over his beating heart. For somebody who had kept calm with the future of humanity at stake, it was beating terrifyingly fast. Closing her eyes, she pressed against him tightly and felt both arms wrap around her to hold them close together. She wondered what had happened in Musume's history to push her away from Yusei and towards Crow before discarding the thought. It didn't matter now.

"What if we just walked away?" Stroking her back, she could hear the gentle laughter in his voice. "Tell Jack that Yliaster made fun of his Runner and Crow they laugh about his height and let my brothers finish them off." Chuckling against his chest, she gripped the fabric tight enough to distort it beneath her fist. She was afraid of what might happen when the embrace ended and wasn't ready to stop.

"It might work. I have a friend in Germany who owns a cabin. We could probably hide from the fallout." It was a childish notion they were putting too much thought towards. "Of course, we'd have to go to New Domino first. Pick up Hoshi." At roughly the same time they were huddling in the tunnel, Trudge was sitting perfectly still on his sofa as Yusei's cat nestled on his lap. Any noticeable movement caused her to stop her contended purrs and extended her claws into his skin as they both patiently waited for the television to start showing the Duel between the Stardust and Blackwing Duellists. Mina was sitting on the other side of her partner and laughing right to his face.

"Of course. You know, I've never actually found out how I'm meant to quit. That was just something for somebody else to sort out." Smacking him lightly on one muscled pectoral, she forced the notion from her mind.

"You should probably get out there before the fans begin rioting." What many fans seemed to ironically forget was that the word 'fan' was actually an abbreviation of 'fanatic'. Rioting was practically a requirement to be an active fanatic. "We can walk away after."

"Oh?" Leaning back an inch, Yusei cupped her chin beneath his right index finger and tilted it until she looked him in the eye, just like she had done minutes before. "Hoping that maybe somebody better wins?" It was light and jesting but she knew a large part of his was terrified the risky gamble was going to lose Akiza to Crow. It was hard to realise why, with their daughter from another future waiting from the gallery across the field.

"Maybe." Coyly leaning up, she pulled his head into the crook of her neck to whisper into his ear. "Between you and me, Crow's earrings were always a deal-breaker." Grazing his cheek with her lips as she stepped away, Akiza strapped the Duel Disk to his arm. "Of course, being the next King of Games could be enough to overlook that." Yusei tucked his Deck into the slot, smiling at the obvious ruse.

"Would it be enough if I made him get a nose piercing?" Turning him towards the bright lights of the main tunnel, she began pushing a resisting patient towards the light. "I could probably convince him to trade – I forfeit, he gets seven facial accessories?" Shoving him out into the light, Akiza continued to laugh as he walked up the ramp towards the first match of the finals and she hurried back to their friends.

Pausing near the mouth of the tunnel, he looked out over the great sea of faces. "I don't know if you can hear me." Speaking softly, he hoped that there weren't any microphones anywhere nearby to hear his crazy plea. "Maybe there isn't anything to hear me. But if – just for these Duels – our Decks could stay the way that we put them together..." Trying to think of what he could bargain with to a force or entity capable of changing them mid-Duel in the first place, he came up empty. "It would mean a lot." Prayer over, he stepped out into the light of the day and the roar of the crowds.

Hearing the fans start screaming outside, Crow's head jerked up to see Yusei waving at the crowds, an absent smile on his face that usually appeared when Jack and Crow were fighting and Yusei was thinking of something else.

"About time." Walking out his own ramp, the shouting tripled in volume with both Duellists now on the field and several people actually fainted in the crowds. Walking out across the stadium, the two brothers finally met in the middle and exchanged friendly nods.

"Ladies, gentlemen, Duellists of all ages!" Booming out from the tournament speakers, they could hear a familiar voice coming from the booth on the far side of the field from their friends. "Everybody listen!"

"Is that Ackah?" Pompadour hanging a little lower, voice a little hoarser, Bernard Ackah – their old MC since all the way back in the Fortune Cup – was visible through the clear glass.

"Sounds like it." Waving up at the box, the pair got a hearty wave in return.

"It's been some time since we've seen Yusei Fudo and Crow Hogan working in the same tournament," With anybody telling the truth about the WRDGP basically committing career suicide, Ackah was keeping the secret hidden in plain sight. "It has been far too long. How are you both doing?" Even from across the vast distance between them, it was possible to understand the universal hand wobble of 'not bad'. "So, a Duel with the King of Games title on the line. Brother against brother. Any words you have to say, any punches to be thrown before the match?" Hurrying across the pitch, a technician handed a microphone to Crow. As the challenger and lower ranked Duellist, he was given the gift of speaking first.

"I told Jack I was coming for him," The words echoing out of the stadium, Jack hardly took any notice as he poured himself a fresh cup of coffee. "If I have to go through Yusei, that's fine by me." Mixed cheers and boos sounded in the crowd as he passed the microphone across. It was pleasing to hear more cheers than not.

"That's a real shame." Smiling sideways at his ginger brother, Yusei made sure to pick his words carefully. "Because I plan to Duel Leo once I'm through with you." It took a second for the crowd to catch on but they jeered harder at Yusei than they had at Crow. To a lot of the present watchers, Yusei was the Duellist who had beaten Jack Atlas by sheer luck and retired before anybody could take him down. By contrast, Crow was the overly posturing newcomer from the Tag Duel leagues who had barely enough experience to hold a Deck.

They tended to get their science and news from the same biased television channels so nobody really paid any attention to them.

"I cannot believe what I'm hearing!" Handing the microphone back to the technician, Ackah began his narrations as Yusei held out his Deck for Crow and received the same in return. "It's true what they say: keep friends close and family closer!" Shuffling the cards, the two brothers did a quick rendition of 'where's the card gone? It's mine now' before handing them back with wry smiles.

Somewhere hidden nearby, the dark ally who had led them through the storm and granted Musume the advanced Duel Runner was swinging legs and holding a tub of popcorn. They weren't actually eating it but occasionally throwing a handful against the mask to keep the feel of the event and scattering the rest about for the birds. It didn't have the best seat in the house but it was close and every detail in the match ahead would elicit a tiny shiver of joy.

"If I win, you have to fight Jack whenever I want you to." Without the microphone present, Crow and Yusei could finally level the real bets of the Duel.

"Fair enough. Give me a minute and I'll think of something for you." Sliding his Deck into place, Yusei smiled at his brother. Neither was above petty psychological tactics but they were fair enough to only stoop there after the other one had already gone.

"Before we begin, there is a special message to show, recorded by Pegasus himself!" On screens around the stadium and in the broadcast feed, the flamboyant face of the creator of Duel Monsters appeared with a broad smile.

"Hello, world of tomorrow!" Spreading his arms wide, he had perfectly gauged the reaction of the future generation of the world he had created and waited only a few seconds more than the applause lasted. "This tournament has hopefully been the most thrilling one you have ever seen. I personally spent thousands of hours going over every detail." Slight wrinkles were in place around his eyes. It could have been squinting at fine print and maps for several days or this message could have been recorded later in his life. "Trials of Puzzles to test ingenuity, the Legend of Duellist Kingdom to push each Duellist to the very edge of their abilities and Riding in Duellist City." Paranoid time-travel fanatics would claim that Pegasus must have been told of Duel Runners by somebody from the future but original plans for the third stage of the tournament detailed how competitors would have to make it to certain areas within a time limit to be allowed to Duel whoever else made it in time. "I have had the pleasure of knowing Yugi Muto and Jaden Yuki." That meant this video had been recorded somewhere after 2006 when Pegasus visited Duel Academy to chase a renegade card designer who had stolen a prototype copy of The Winged Dragon of Ra. "Fine Duellists the both of them. We are here today, in the last stage of the Pegasus Trinidad Tournament (naughty me to name it after myself, I know), to find the one Duellist who stands above all others. A champion in not just Duel Monsters but survival, able not to just overcome mental strain but endure it across a continent. To work as part of a group but also stand alone. The King of Games!" Finishing the video by starting a set of applause that wouldn't end until a lifetime had passed, the cameras focused on the field again as the enormity of their Duel finally struck the two Duellists.

"Crow Hogan will take the first turn of the Duel, as is customary for the challenger." Reaching his place at one end of the field, Crow turned and slipped the first five cards from his Deck. "Let's do this!"

(Turn 1)

Crow: LP: 4000 Hand:6 Field: None Graveyard: None

Yusei: LP: 4000 Hand:5 Field: None Graveyard: None

It was a good thing for Yusei that Crow had been given the first turn. Blackwing monsters were some of the most versatile, able to swarm the field, help one another and interact in numerous ways. They could put Yusei on the defensive from his first turn – if Crow knew what to plan for.

"I set one monster and a card." Blackwing – Ghibli the Searing Wind wasn't much protection but Blackwing Revenge was a Trap that would summon a pair of Level 2 Blackwing – Black Crest Tokens to his field if a monster with 1000 ATK or less was removed and Ghibli fitted nicely into that category. Crow knew that Yusei could tear down any defence he could put up so he was playing right towards that angle.

(Turn 2)

Crow: LP: 4000 Hand:4 Field: 1 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap Graveyard: None

Yusei: LP: 4000 Hand:6 Field: None Graveyard: None

"Draw." It was always difficult trying to figure out how Crow would take the state of play. Much like his monsters, the Blackwing Duellist could adapt to any situation. That set monster could be Blackwing – Vayu the Emblem of Honour, setting up for a Synchro monster further along in the Duel. It could also be a harmless D.D. Crow. "I set two cards and summon Bright Star Dragon (L4/1900 ATK/1000 DEF)." As the plated dragon appeared on his side of the field, Yusei could feel he was being baited into a trap. There wasn't much left for him to do but dive in with both feet. "Bright Star Dragon, shine a light on that hidden monster!" Flaring wings to carry it higher into the air, the monster gained a sparkling radiance that pierced through the hologram.

"Blackwing Revenge!" As Ghibli flew into the great beyond, Blackwing Revenge conjured up two Level 2 Blackwing – Black Crest Tokens with 800 DEF each.

"Wow, is Yusei going easy on his friend or did Crow just lure his foe into a trap?" Up in the sound booth, Ackah was whipping the crowd into a frenzy with his incredibly accurate commentary.

(Turn 3)

Crow: LP: 4000 Hand:5 Field: 2 Monster Graveyard: 1 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap

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

"You'll have to do a lot better than that." One of those cards had to be a Trap that relied upon a Synchro monster. They both played heavily towards that area so Yusei would be ready for it. Of course, that was only if Crow wasn't going somewhere else entirely. "I tribute one of my Blackwing – Black Crest Tokens." Floating up into the air, a tiny symbol of the Blackwing emblem burst into flame and the ash quickly began forming a new shape. "To summon Blackwing – Sirroco the Dawn (L5/2000 ATK/900 DEF)." Bursting out in a swirl of warm wind, the monster could be summoned without a tribute but only if Yusei had a monster and Crow didn't.

"I'll set two cards and end my turn." "Sirroco, take down his Bright Star Dragon!" Sirroco soaring up into the air, Yusei took the first blow of the finals as the crowd roared their bloodthirsty approval from the stands.

"Nice move." Yusei meant it. Even if Crow lost – and he had a good chance at winning – to strike the first blow of the finals would go down in the history books.

(Turn 4)

Crow: LP: 4000 Hand:2 Field: 2 Monster, 2 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 1 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap

Yusei: LP: 3900 Hand:4 Field: 2 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 1 Monster

"I summon Tricular (L2/600 ATK/1200 DEF) in defence mode." Skidding to a halt, the stocky monster had the ability to summon Bicular if it was destroyed, which would bring out Unicycular in turn. He could hopefully make it to the next turn and have a monster waiting. "I set one card and end my turn." With shouts and bellows of random advice sounding around the field, it was possible to understand why some people thought Yusei was being pushed back but he had a knack of turning the tables at the last minute.

"Is that all? Maybe Crow has his brother in a tighter spot than we thought!" It certainly looked that way as Crow took up his turn again.

(Turn 5)

Crow: LP: 4000 Hand:3 Field: 2 Monster, 2 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 1 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap

Yusei: LP: 3900 Hand:2 Field: 1 Monster, 3 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 1 Monster

Yusei was planning something. Flicking out his new card, Crow spared it a thought before returning to the evaluation of his opponent. Jack might be the only one who could take him on in a battle of sheer skill but Crow might have a slight edge when it came to planning. "I activate Delta Crow – Anti Reverse!" Flipping up the Trap card he had set on his last turn, a strong gust began circling the stadium. "It destroys all your set Spell and Trap cards." Caught in the gale, Crow watched Synchro Prominence and Advance Draw get sucked away by the wind.

"I activate D2 Shield!" Just before an eddy could tear it apart, a ghostly copy of Twin-Shield Defender floated down and took up stance in front of Tricular.

"Not bad." Watching from up in the box, Jack was admiring the skill of his rival. D2 Shield would double the defence points of any one defence position monster Yusei had for one turn and would allow him to draw a card if that monster was destroyed. "Let's see the little man overcome this one."

"Smart move." Crow's timing could have been better itself. If he had activated Anti Reverse at the end of Yusei's turn, D2 Shield couldn't have been activated. Anti Reverse only destroyed cards, it couldn't negate their effects. "I summon Blackwing – Fan the Steel Chain (L2/500 ATK/800 DEF) in attack mode." Dressed in flowing robes, headband and trailing two throwing knives, Fan the Steel Chain was every inch a ninja Blackwing. "You know as well as I do how this will go down."

"Then come at me, bro." With that accurately timed and archaic choice of insult, Crow launched Sirroco the Dawn across the gap to tear a wheel from Tricular and let it morph into the next devolution with only 500 ATK and DEF.

"What's this?" Seeing the monster launch across the field, Ackah could hardly believe his eyes. "Crow Hogan has used the ability of Blackwing – Fane the Steel Chain to directly attack Yusei Fudo!" With a perfect balance between Crow's offence and Yusei's defence, an attack on Bicular would leave them both without injury. This way, Crow could wriggle himself an extra advantage. "Look at this folks, Crow Hogan has the legendary Yusei Fudo down by almost a quarter of his Life Points without even a scratch on himself!" Cheers were rising in the crowds now, enjoying the spectacle if not the actual Duel.

(Turn 6)

Crow: LP: 4000 Hand:2 Field: 3 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 1 Monster, 2 Spell/Trap

Yusei: LP: 3400 Hand:3 Field: 1 Monster Graveyard: 2 Monster, 3 Spell/Trap

"Was that you trying?" Most people threw down a gauntlet but Yusei had mastered the art of simply hitting the opponent in the teeth with it instead. "Maybe you should actually do something that won't leave me half-asleep." It had been tough working through the defensive phase but he was ready to pick up and push back. "Let me take a turn in the driver's seat." Slipping his card out between two fingers, he showed it off to Crow for a moment.

"Damn." Standing proudly between the two gloved fingers was a slight orange figure. Junk Synchron was a Level 3 Tuner monster with the extra ability to call up a Level 2 or lower monster from the graveyard. And the monsters it could synchro summon were not the kind to be taken lightly.

"I tune my Level 3 Junk Synchron with the Level 2 Bicular. These stars come together to call back an old power." Appearing in the blast of light, his old ace monster slammed onto the field. "Come, Junk Warrior (L5/2300 ATK/1300 DEF)!" It was an easy choice between Sirroco – with the higher offensive power – Fane the Steel Chain – with the ability to change the position of a monster following a direct attack, courtesy of the special ability – and the plain token. "Junk Warrior, take down Fane." Drawing back the right fist, Junk Warrior jetted across the field and smashed through the crossed blades Fane threw up to defend itself.

"Look at that. In just one turn, Yusei has managed to synchro summon a monster and deal a severe blow to his opponent!" With the smoke clearing, Crow had taken a beating and Yusei was setting a card.

(Turn 7)

Crow: LP: 2200 Hand:3 Field: 2 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 2 Monster, 2 Spell/Trap

Yusei: LP: 3400 Hand:1 Field: 1 Monster 1 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 4 Monster, 3 Spell/Trap

What did he have? Sirroco, not quite strong enough. A Blackwing – Black Crest Token, not really useful. There was a card set on his field but it was nearly useless at that moment. Two of his cards were useless but there was one that could possibly give him a fighting chance. "Reload!" Slamming down the card, he was allowed to draw a fresh pair of cards. Much better. "It's been fun." Slipping out the first monster, he risked everything on that turn. "I summon the Level 1 Tuner, Blackwing – Oroshi the Squall." A Level 1 Tuner, Level 5 monster and Level 2 Token. Yusei could count to eight as well as Jack.

"Could it be? Is Crow Hogan about to leave his foe in the dust with his ace monster?" Around the world, fans started cheering him on. It was a nice feeling. "Let's see it – the legendary Black-Winged Dragon!"

"It's been fun. Let this darkened whirlwind reveal the wings of my ambition!" Swirling around the stadium and obscuring the view, a black tornado cloaked the two brothers, two rivals in the eye of the storm. "Soar to my side, Black-Winged Dragon!" Screaming and howling in rage as it emerged, Crow hadn't even touched the card since his loss in the Shadow Duel. It would have been too soon for anything else. Instead, he felt the normal surge of exhilaration. Curling around him, the monster howled into the silence of their private space. It boasted a powerful 2800 ATK, stronger than Stardust but weaker than Red Dragon Archfiend. If Crow Dulled Jack, it could easily be powered up to become more than a match.

"Trap Card, Card of Sacrifice." A beam of light shot between from the mighty dragon, ricocheted off Junk Warrior and struck Yusei's Deck. "As the total ATK of my monsters is lower than the lowest ATK of yours."

"You get to draw two cards." It was a desperate play. Yusei had been planning on when the tables had turned against him to try and eke out a fraction more room to breathe. "Black-Winged Dragon, reduce that Junk Warrior to scrap metal!" Cowering down as the shards of metal flew about him, Yusei knew that the seconds left to that Duel were rapidly draining away as Crow shortened the gap between them.

(Turn 8)

Crow: LP: 2200 Hand:1 Field: 1 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 4 Monster, 2 Spell/Trap

Yusei: LP: 2900 Hand:4 Field: None Graveyard: 3 Monster, 4 Spell/Trap

It was the worst feeling, to know there was only a way to – at best – delay Crow but nothing to gain a foothold himself. "I lay one card." Closing his eyes, he listened to the jeers of the crowd and felt the pace of his Deck. It was coming, it had to be. For either him or Crow.

Victory.

(Turn 9)

Crow: LP: 2200 Hand:2 Field: 1 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 4 Monster, 2 Spell/Trap

Yusei: LP: 2900 Hand:3 Field: 1 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 3 Monster, 4 Spell/Trap

It was obvious that the face-down was Scrap-Iron Scarecrow. Yusei planned to stop an attack and survive into the next round where he could make another move. There were only two cards in his hand – Blackwing – Abrolhos the Megaquake and Blackwing – Kochi the Daybreak. Abrolhos was a Level 7 monster currently beyond his ability to summon but Kochi would be able to serve as a decent shield in an emergency. "I set one monster." Keeping it hidden behind an obscured 1500 DEF, Yusei might be reluctant to attack it. That left the question of attacking. Why not? He had nothing to lose. "Black-Winged Dragon, attack him directly."

"Our team of analysts reckon Yusei's face-down card is Scrap-Iron Scarecrow, able to block one attack a turn." Everybody laughed as the wind howled around Yusei, who kept his eyes closed through the gale. "What's this?" Against all expectations, the blow had landed and left Yusei with a meagre 100 Life Points. "It looks like Crow Hogan will be advancing to the next round! I'm sure some out there were worried after his early loss but worry no more!" Somebody was worried about the turn of events. Crow remembered every single card in Yusei's Deck and knew that he rarely bluffed without a trick up his sleeve. If he had only used Kochi to attack, it could have maybe been over in that turn.

(Turn 10)

Crow: LP: 2200 Hand:1 Field: 2 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 4 Monster, 2 Spell/Trap

Yusei: LP: 100 Hand:4 Field: 1 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 3 Monster, 4 Spell/Trap

Finally opening his eyes, Yusei stared at the card he had drawn without looking. This wasn't what he needed but it was one that could bring him what he did need. "Tuning, activate." This Spell allowed him to add a Tuner to his hand by then removing cards from his Deck equal to that monster's Level. "I choose Hyper Synchron." A Level 4 monster, four cards were lost to the graveyard – Urgent Tuning, Sonic Chick, Debris Dragon and Silver Wing. All the cards that had carried him this far.

"A good choice." Hyper Synchron gave an inherited effect to the Synchro monster it summoned. An extra 800 ATK and the ability to survive any battle but it would be removed from play at the start of Yusei's second turn after it was summoned. Crow had been expecting something along those lines. It had always been leading up to this, dragon against dragon, Stardust against Black-Wing, Crow against Yusei. Everything he had always wanted.

"This is it." Up high in the booth, Ackah was on the verge of having a heart attack. Literally. Years of living on the edge of his seat had left him with a dodgy organ and a constant prescription for the tablets in his pocket. "Unless Yusei can find a trick to get himself out of this tight spot, it will all be over for him!"

"Are you ready?" Glaring across the divide, Yusei could feel history watching. History, and maybe more. "I activate the effect of Quickdraw Synchron!" A hole opened up in Crow's world at the unpredicted play. It was not what he had expected. "By discarding one card, I can special summon it to the field." A roundabout way of summoning the Level 5 Tuner, a sharpshooting cowboy in a resplendent torn cape quickly took up place on Yusei's side of the field. "Thanks to the effect of Wild Heart, I can special summon it when a monster is sent to the graveyard." This time, a Level 4 monster appeared on the field. A Neanderthal wielding a club, the only difference between it and an actual human ancestor were the pair of skeletal items that could have been the base for wings. "And because I have a Tuner monster on the field, I can special summon the Level 2 Quillbolt Hedgehog from my graveyard." With three monsters on his field, Yusei was starting to taste that electric tingle. "For my normal summon, I choose the Level 4 Hyper Synchron – you might remember it from earlier." With a ball of purple lightning glowing in one hand, the powerful blue monster finished a solid line of monsters between him.

"Look at that! In just one turn, Yusei Fudo went from no monsters and seemingly no defence to having four monsters under his command. Even if only one can carry the title, I think both of these Duellists are worthy of being the King of Games." Slipping a pile from his pocket, Ackah swallowed it between sentences. Sweat was starting to build up on his brow and he was sipping at water like he might not make it to the next match. With his heart and the excitement of the Duels, it was possible he could actually collapse.

"I have to admit it, you really turned it around." Yusei had the ability to summon not just one but two Synchro monsters now. It didn't matter, Crow had seen it coming long ago. He could wait but it was more satisfying to do it now. "Trap Card, Fake Feather!" A steady glow built up around Black-Winged Dragon, centring on the jewel in its chest and the gap in its jaw. "I almost missed it when Delta Crow activated but there it was. From your graveyard, I activate Synchro Prominence!" Acting unprofessionally, Ackah actually let out a yell of excitement that echoed around the world before calming enough to give an accurate explanation.

"By discarding a Blackwing monster from the hand, Fake Feather allows a player to mimic the effect of a Trap from the opponent's graveyard." Throwing Abrolhos away, the pair stood with empty hands and no backup plans. It was the endgame."Synchro Prominence inflicts a thousand points of damage to the opponent for each Synchro monster on the field." Up in the viewing box, Musume was chewing through her right index knuckle – the middle finger still healing from prior damage – Akiza was clutching at Luna's hand who was holding hers in turn. Leo was jumping up and down in glee and Jack would spend the next week denying all rumours that he had been seen muttering support to Crow.

Black-Winged Dragon roared, sending the energy directly towards an underwhelmingly calm Yusei as the entire stadium shook with the roar of the crowd. "You might have almost missed seeing Synchro Prominence." Pressing a button, he made his own move. "But I didn't miss you seeing it. Reflect Barrier!" A glowing silver rectangle appeared just before him, sending the beam straight back across the field to hit Crow in the chest.

"Clever move." Activating the effect of Black-Winged Dragon, the monster absorbed the damage for him by lowering itself to 2100 ATK. Though it would leave him open to a bigger attack from Stardust, the total amount of Life Points he would lose was actually less. Just not enough to get him through to another turn.

"I tune the Level 5 Quickdraw Synchron with the Level 2 Quillbolt Hedgehog." Spinning through a wheel of possible alternates, Quickdraw decided to take the place of one Junk Synchron for the summon. "I Synchro summon Junk Berserker (L7/2700 ATK/1800 DEF)!" Realising what was in store for him, Crow tried to think of a way out as Yusei continued his turn with the angry monster coalescing behind him. "Clustering wishes shall become a new star to illuminate through history." They had each adjust their usual summons for that Duel but this would be the one they talked about in the days that followed. "Become the light of my legacy, shine forever more." Merging the futuristic Hyper Synchron with the archaic Wild Heart, a pillar of light shook at the heavens and tore apart the sky. "Stardust Dragon!" Roaring to his right side, the two monsters took up flanking positions. Enhanced by the effect of Hyper Synchron, Stardust grew to a powerful 3300 ATK and seemed more imposing than before.

"Through the effect of my Junk Berserker, I can remove one 'Junk' monster from my graveyard from play to lower the attack points of one monster you control by that monster's attack." Junk Warrior – which had been the first turning point in the Duel – was pulled from the afterlife by Junk Berserker and hurled into Black-Winged Dragon, lowering it to a measly 500 ATK. "Stardust Dragon, take him down!"

"You know," With the enhanced cosmic energy building within the dragon, Crow readily embraced the defeat. "I almost had you there."

"You really did." As the stream flowed about his opponent, Yusei had ears not for the roar of the crowd but the pride of his brother's voice.

Game Over

Winner: Yusei Fudo