Hi everyone Rosestar48 here! Today we see where the losers of the Friendship Cup are sent.
The Crawling Losers
"It's wrong for the Friendship Cup to send losers to the Forced Labor Institute Underground" Yuzu recaps as she remembers her Duel against Duel Chaser 227. "I raise the issue…" She states. "At the same time, I realized my desire for victory was stronger than anyone else's" Yuzu recalls, as she recaps the Duel against Rin/Yuzu and Sawatari (Sawatari's LP: 0). A smiling Yuzu then as her cards stopped glowing, she turns into a dazes. She then notices she's still in her room "And my helplessness…" Yuzu laments. Two burly men have gathered behind Sawatari. One places a hand on Sawatari's shoulder. "There's no way I can keep Sawatari from being sent underground" Yuzu laments as the two burly men grab Sawatari's arms and lift him off the ground. "I can't help Gongenzaka, Tokumatsu, or Tsukikage…" She thinks as she remembers watching Sawatari being taken away. "Sawatari…" Yuzu mutters.
"I said let me go!" Sawatari struggles as he was restrained by two burly undertakers as they send him to the Underground. "Where do you think you're taking me, huh?!" He questions the two undertakers. "Didn't you hear Yuzu Hiragi in the last match?" The first undertaker asks. "Losers in the Friendship Cup are sent to the underground" The second undertaker reminds Sawatari. "And there's no way you can go back up" He states. "Who the heck made that rule?!" Sawatari questions as they were in front of an elevator. "There's no way I'm accepting that!" He refused as the elevator's doors opens. "Yell all you want, you're still heading to hell on earth" The first undertaker states as they enter the elevator. "Hell?" Sawatari confused. "There are rules there too" The second undertaker states. "We'll teach you a thing or two before we get there" He informs Sawatari. "Listen up if you wanna survive" The second undertaker tells him as the elevator's doors closed. The elevator went down. What Sawatari saw when he approaches from inside the elevator, shocks him: a waste treatment facility where workers are forced to sort different types of garbage into boxes. Boxes are then transported by conveyor belts into a molten furnace
"This is hell on earth" Gallagher points out. "The defeated from the surface, the wearisome, the useless and discarded…They all fall here" He claims. "But the entire City is a completive society" Gallagher states. "It's the same down here in this underground facility" He tells a few workers, including another who has just joined. "Losers continue to fall" Gallagher points out. "For the City, we keep digging, and digging, and digging!" He exclaims. "One day, Commons will dwell here" Gallagher states. "When that day comes, you'll have to keep digging even deeper underground" He addressed to Duel Chaser 227, who was defeated by Yuzu. "N-No way!" Duel Chaser 227 refuse. Gallagher got confused. "I-I'm going back to the surface!" Duel Chaser 227 claims. "This time I'll defeat Yuzu Hiragi and take back my job as a Duel Chaser!" He declares. "You had your chance, right?" Gallagher points out. "You could've gone back if you beat these guys" He tells Duel Chaser 227. "P-Please give me another chance to go back to the surface!" Duel Chaser 227 begs. "You only had one chance!" Gallagher says and kicks the Duel Chaser back to the floor. "If you wanna go back up, than start winning from the bottom!" He tells Duel Chaser 227. "I'll warn you now, the bottom has its own share of scuffles" Gallagher warns him. "It's gonna be a huge pain just making it back up here" He states. "Get lost if you get it!" Gallagher exclaims. Two other workers help the Duel Chaser get up.
At that point "Hold it!" A voice yells and the workers all turn to see Gongenzaka and Tokumatsu walking towards them. "Let that man go" Gongenzaka tells them. "If it the legendary Enjoy Choujiro and Dennis's partner" Gallagher addresses the two. "Oh right, you guys haven't had your welcome party" He suggests. "How 'bout taking up the challenge now?" Gallagher offers. "As long as you defeat everyone here in a Duel, we'll send you back up there on a jiffy" He explains. "Some welcome party that is" Tokumatsu refuses. "Ganging up against one person is no better than bullying" He claims. "You coward!" Tokumatsu calls Gallahger. "Coward? I'm offended" Gallager, who didn't flinch, says. "I'm doing you a huge favor here" He states. "Usually you get your chance after years of work" Gallagher points out. "There's no better chance than this" He states. Turning to the Duel Chaser still being restrained and grabs his shirt "This guy gets it too" Gallagher cites him. "But it looks like he took the men here too lightly" He disrespecting Duel Chaser 227. "Sprouting stuff about how even if Commons all came at him, they were no match for an ex-Tops" Gallagher says. The Duel Chaser drops to the floor again "This way you'll learn your place" Gallagher hopes that the Duel Chaser simply realises his position.
"All I hear is some egotistic windbag!" Tokumatsu interrupts Gallagher. "Who do you think you are!?" He debates. "You called yourself a promoter before" Gongenzaka remembers. "So why are you here?!" He wonders. "Well…I guess you can call me a trash recycler" Gallagher says. "A recycler?" Gongenzaka confuses. "Trash?" Tokumatsu questions. "You're talking about us?!" He's not happy that both he and Gongenzaka were being called trash. "That's right. You're branded as discarded duelists, useless on the surface world" Gallagher tells them. "But once in a while, some outstanding folks shows up in this mountain of trash" He states. "My job is to sniff them out" Gallagher points out. "What will you do after finding them?" Tokumatsu asks. "Will you send them to an illegal Underground Duel Arena again?!" Gongezaka asks. "There's that too. But I hand the best over to the authorities" Gallagher doesn't guarantee it. "The authorities?" Tokumatsu asks. "This guy's ex-boss" Gallagher states as he looks at Duel Chaser 227. "Chief of the Security Bureau, Jean-Michel Roger" Gallagher clarifies. Duel Chaser 227 gasps in shock. Both Gongenzaka and Tokumastu were also shocked. "Roger lets me in on when there's crackdown on Underground Duel Arena, so I can escape first" Gallagher says. "That's where we're on the same page" He states.
"Handing over Duelists to him so he'll turn a blind eye to you?!" Tokumatsu knows that it means that Gallagher was bribing with Roger. "You are a coward!" He calls Gallagher. "But what for?" Gongenzaka asks. "Not even I know his reasons" Gallagher states. "But no doubt he wants strong Duelists" He points out. "By the way, that participant called Sergey in the Friendship Cup was one of my offerings" Gallagher informers the two. At the Duel Palace "Now, let's introduce the duelists for today's third match!" Melissa announces. "Damon Lopez!" She introduces and a hologram of Damon appeared. "And Sergey Volkov!" Melissa introduces and a hologram of Sergey appeared. Damon then came onto the track. After Damon makes his introduction, Sergey arrives on a monster D-Wheel. "Hey, by Sergey do you mean…" A Commons man wonders. "That Sergey?" A Commons woman ponders. "Also known as the Duelist Crusher" Gallagher's voice says. "Before I found Sergey, he was a huge criminal in the City" He states.
(Flashback)
A DEAD or ALIVE poster of Sergey was shown plastered to a wall "He would challenge and duelist who knew their strength and crush them" Gallagher explains as the poster was blown away. "Of course, Security had their eye on him" He states as Sergey was surrounded by Security and their monsters. "In the end, he was surrounded by 20 men and arrested" Gallagher points out. "But in the detention facility, he crushed over 30 prisoners and was sent underground" He states as it shows a number of prisoners beaten up by Sergey. "And in this welcome party of mine, he crushed over 50 Duelists" Gallager explains as it shows Sergey standing over countless Duelists. He then turn and opened his eye to eerie red glow.
(Flashback ends)
Back at the underground, this shocked both Gongenzaka and Tokumastu. "50?" Tokumatsu surprised. "By himself?" Gongenzaka surprised. "I contacted Roger right away" Gallagher explains. "Roger sounded like he knew and Sergey was sent up at once" He explain as Roger was showed watching Sergey.
"It's finally beginning" Roger comments. "This is the first step to realizing my plan" He muses as he plays chess as usual. Reiji and Reira were also watching the duel about to unfold "Damon vs Sergey…" Reiji mused. "That means Kurosaki and Dennis are left" He states. "I see" Reiji realizes. "I'm leaving my seat" He tells the Executive Council. "This should be fine when the Lancers aren't dueling, right" Reiji states. "That's fine" Bordeaux said. "Where are you going?" White Taki questions. "Out for some fresh air…" Reiji simply says and he turns and walks away. Reira quickly looks back to the Executive Council and followed Reiji.
Back at the Underground "He's dead?!" Gongenzaka exclaims. "You're saying Sergey died once before?" Tokumastsu confuses. "It's only a rumor" Gallagher states. "However…" He said as Tsukikage eavesdrops on the conversation. "Sergey is the Duelist Crusher, known for crushing all duelists in his way" Gallagher states as Sergey parked next to Damon at the starting line. "Someone that dangerous works under Roger now" He states. "It's as if he became another person" Gallagher points out and one of Sergey's eyes glowed red. "He can control someone's personality?" Gongenzaka wonders. "Ah, you said something about dimensions before" Gallagher remembers. Gongenzaka was taken aback. "Did you know about this too?" Gallagher asks. "Word is that Roger's actually from another dimension" He states. "Another dimension?!" Gongenzaka shocked. "Well, I don't know what's really up with that" Gallagher says as Tsukikage continues to eavesdrop while operating a shaft behind Gongenzaka. "He's surrounded by some odd rumors" Gallagher states.
(Flashback)
"One day, he arrived in the City and rose to Chief of Security out of nowhere" He explains as a trench coat and hat Roger look at the City. "Looks like he gave the Executive Council some technology we didn't have in this world" Gallagher states.
(Flashback ends)
At that point, Roger was still watching Sergey's progress. "It's true that when I was caught for cheating, Real Solid Vision did not exist" Gallagher admits.
Meanwhile, "Riding Duel, acceleration!" Melissa announcers as countdown finishes. Damon speeds in front as Sergey's heavier D-wheel struggles to accelerate. "Duel!" Damon shouts. Back at the underground "So Roger brought that technology over from another dimension?" Gongenzaka interprets Gallagher's latest statement. "That means Roger is…" He surmises. Roger was smirking.
As the Riding Duel progresses "His last monster has been destroyed by Alien Shocktrooper's attack!" Melissa commentates. "Sergey's monsters have all been wiped out!" She exclaims. "A duelist crusher? Don't make me laugh" Damon states. "This is a walk in the park" He said. "It's boring if ya keep getting beaten!" A Commons man yells. "Fight back a little!" Another Commons man yells. "It's no use. Looks like Sergey got his fangs pulled out after he was caught by Security" Damon muses to himself. "His fangs?" Roger, who has been watching the duel, said. "Let's see how this turns out" He comments. Back at the underground "It's no problem for me as long as it doesn't get in the way of my trade" Gallagher says. "If he supports me for that, I'll happily hand over the duelists he's looking for in this pile of trash" He states. "If you aren't going to accept my welcome party, I'll close up shop for the day" Gallagher says. "How's that?" He asks Gongenzaka and Tokumatsu.
Gongenzaka and Tokumatsu hesitate to answer. "I was so nice, giving you a chance to go back to the surface" Gallagher claims. "What a faint-hearted lot" mocks. "Boss, it's like Gallagher said" A voice states, everyone turn to see Tokumatsu's former lackeys at the Facility. "It's the fastest way back to the surface" The light blue-robed lackey states. "You guys are here too?!" Tokumatsu surprised. "I'm sorry! I couldn't live up to your expectations!" He apologizes. "We're your opponents" The teal-robed lackey says. "If you feel even a bit obliged, then if you please" He states. "But we're the ones who will win and get recognized by Chief Roger" The light blue-robed lackey says. "The heck did you just say?!" Tokuamtsu yells angrily at his subordinates' challenge as Gongenzaka restraints him. "I'll lose to you!?" He exclaims. "Trying saying that again! I'll thrash all of you!" Tokumatsu yells. "Stop! Everyone calm down!" Gongenzaka tries to calm everyone down. "Hey, let me at 'em!" Tokumatsu shouts out. "I heard everything" A voice said. Everyone turns to Sawatari, who just arrived at the underground. As Sawatari and the two burly undertakers exits the elevator, Tsukikage, who finishes with his eavesdropping and vanishes. "We can go back to the surface as long as we win, right?" Sawatari accepts Gallgher's challenge. "Then that's what we have to do" He's states. "I'll take you on no matter who you are!" Sawatari proudly claims. "Sawatari!" Gongenzaka exclaims. "There's a lively one" Gallagher comments. "How exciting" He's pleased that the spirit of the one that has joined, and begins proceedings immediately, just as Tsukikage hides underneath the elevator rising back up.
Back at the Duel Palace, smoke came up. Sergey emerges from the dust of his monsters' destruction and is closing in on Damon "This match is mine, easy!" Damon exclaims. "I'm so getting past the first round!" He continues to blabber about his imminent victory. "Yeah, get 'im!" A Commons man cheers. "That weak Sergey's no fun! Just smash him!" Another Commons man yells. Yuzu was watching from her room "No, this isn't dueling" Yuzu thinks. "Taking pleasure in people getting hurt…" She states.
(Flashback)
Yuzu then remembers how she knocked his opponent off his D-Wheel, in her last match.
(Flashback ends)
"But…" Yuzu laments. "I did the same thing" She regrets. At a viewing spot high up, Tsukikage reports back to Reiji. "That rumour may just be the truth" Reiji states. "Roger came from the Fusion Dimension" He concludes. "There's no mistake—he's from Academia" He deduces. Reira hears this with surprise. "Thanks for your hard work, but please keep gathering information from the underground" Reiji tells Tsukikage. "Give me detailed reports on the status of the Lancers there as well" He adds. "Right" Tsukikage replies. As Tsukikage turns to leave "W-Wait!" Reira finally speaks up, and both Tsukikage and Reiji turn to Reira. Reira approaches Tsukikage slowly while holding his rag doll "U-Um…" Reira hesitates.
(Flashback)
"Do not falter!" Jack tells Reira.
(Flashback ends)
Remembering what Jack told him "I want…to apologize" Reira admits. "To both Tsukikage… and Brother" He states. "Apologize?" Reiji asks. "I should have dueled, but…" Reira says. "Tsukikage took my place instead" He says. "Don't worry about that" Reiji tells him. "Making Tsukikage participate was my idea" He states. "But…I was unfair to Tsukikage" Reira admits. "Unfair?" Reiji asks. Tsukikage kneels down in front of Reira. "I wanted you to lose" Reira says. "Even though you dueled in my place, Tsukikage…" Reira states. "I…" He hesitates. "I want to help Brother too" Reira states. "I want to become someone trustworthy like Tsukikage…" He admits. "One…one day…" Reira says.
(Flashback)
"I look forward to seeing you battle when you found your own resolve" Jack hopes.
(Flashback ends)
"I want Brother and Tsukikage to see that!" Reira admits. "As well as Yuzu!" He states. "Yuzu Hiragi as well?" Reiji asks.
Yuzu was still feeling dishearten, when she hears a scream a looks up to see that Damon had been knocked of his D-Wheel (Damon's LP: 0). "Well, this is…" Melissa commentates in shock. "What do we of this?" She wonders. As Sergey continues to ride along the course the WIN sign appeared. The crowd couldn't believe what happened. "Damon was winning just now, right?" A Commons man confuses. "And Sergey was on defense…" Another Commons man adds. "But how did Sergey…" A Commons woman wonders. "Did Damon slip up?" Another Commons woman questions. "His fangs have not been pulled" Roger comments. He took a white knight and knocks over the black pawn, then placed the knight on the black square. "Looks like he's a little dissatisfied" Roger observes as he watch Sergey. "I-In any case, the winner is Sergey!" Melissa professionally declares. "He clawed out of a pinch and defeated Damon in a spectacular counterattack!" She exclaims as Damon was being carried off on a stretcher. "Another person sent underground…" Yuzu laments, just then someone knocks on her door. Yuzu approaches the door without opening it "Who is it?" She asks. "It's me" Tsukikage's voice answers. "Tsukikage? How?!" Yuzu surprised to hear his voice. "What about the others?" She asks. "Do not worry. Everyone is safe" Tsukikage, who was his back on Yuzu's door, assures her. "I see…thank goodness" Yuzu smiles with relief. "So how are Gongenzaka and the rest?" She asks. "Tokumatsu, Sawatari and the others… did they escape too?" Yuzu wonders. "No" Tsukikage replies. "No? So you escaped yourself?" Yuzu questions. "Why!?" She asks. "My job is to gather information in the underground" Tsukikage iterates. "Once I'm done with my report to Reiji Akaba, I will return to my mission" He states. "Mission…" Yuzu repeats. "So Reiji had you take Reira's place on purpose?!" She exclaims. "But…by gathering information you mean…" Yuzu laments. "Doesn't he want to help our comrades?!" She frustrated, not knowing why Reiji isn't trying to save the other Lancers. "It's not that he doesn't" Tsukikage states. Yuzu gasps in shocked when she hears that. "If Reiji had no regard for people's lives like Academia, I would have abandoned him long ago" Tsukikage claims. "He detests Academia, and crossed dimensions to fight them" He tells Yuzu as he thinks about the people who were turn into cards during the Battle Royale. "Someone like him will not abandon like-minded comrades" Tsukikage claims. "Tsukikage…" Yuzu whisper.
"Do not worry" Tsukikage tells Yuzu. "I will report the movement of everyone in the Underground" He promises. "You should concentrate on fighting and aim for victor in the Friendship Cup" Tsukikage hopes. "It's not just Reiji" He points out. "Reira Akaba desires the same" Tsukikage states. "Reira?!" Yuzu shocked to hear it's Reira's wish as well. Tsukikage then recalls the conversation he had with Reira.
(Flashback)
"Yuzu has always protected me" Reira told Tsukikage. "But I've decided" He states. "I won't run away. I'll fight!" Reira decides. "But I can't join the Friendship Cup" He points out. So, please fight for me—" Reira asks. "No, that's not it. Don't fight for me" He corrected. "Fight for yourself, Yuzu. Keep moving forward, and win… And duel Jack again" Reira hopes. Reira then move away from Tsukikage "Jack won the Friendship Cup and shocked everyone" He states. "He did something no one had done before" Reira explains. "He proved that even Commons can come out on top" He specifies. "We came here to save the world" Reira states, and Tsukikage stands up. "But no one in the dimension believes that" Reira points out. "They don't recognize the Lancers' strength" He states. "You have to defeat Jack. Then they'll recognize us" Reira says as he turns around.
(Flashback ends)
"Reira said all that…" Yuzu surprised. "But I lost to Jack before" She disheartened. "I want to win the next time, but I still don't know how to do that…" Yuzu unsure as she stares at her pendulum. "Jack Atlas seems to have said something like this:" Tsukikage tells Yuzu.
(Flashback)
"But if you are trying to accomplish something…Do not falter!" Jack tells Reiji.
(Flashback ends)
Yuzu gasps in shock when she hears that. "I see…We have to defeat Jack if we want people to recognize the Lancers' strength" She realizes. "I couldn't understand why nobody would listen to me, but now I do" Yuzu states. "Tell Reira I said thanks" She asks Tsukikage. "I'll win the Friendship Cup" Yuzu vows. "Tell him I'll Duel Jack again, and definitely win!" She promises. "Impossible" Tsukikage interrupts Yuzu. "Reira has already returned to the assembly hall" He says. "Conveying your message will have to wait until another time" Tskikage states. Yuzu was speechless, and then she digs around in her pocket. "Then here's another one" Yuzu sheepishly asks Tsukikage for another favour.
Yuya, in his room, was lying on his bed with his feet still on the floor to the right. Yuzu…" Yuya thinks. Then he hears a knock. He sees a piece of paper slip under his door, and goes to examine it "This is…" Yuya wonders. Outside, Tsukikage vanishes after walking a few steps. Back in his room "A letter from Yuzu…" Yuya notices that the piece of paper has Yuzu's handwriting on it.
"Yuya, I finally got it" Yuzu's letter starts. "No matter how much I yell, there's no way my voice will reach anyone" It's states. "I also understand why Jack called my Dueling conceited" The letter points out. "That's because I haven't accomplished anything" It states. "People won't pay attention unless I win like Jack did and gain their recognition" The letter explains. "I'm still a nobody in this world" It states as Yuzu stares outside her window. "When I haven't been recognized, there's no way I can touch people by yelling and Dueling the way I want to" The letter states. "To win people over and make them smile, I have to make them accept me" It points out. "To do that, I have to defeat Jack" The letter states as it show Jack sitting on this throne. "And then we'll defeat Academia, end the dimensional war, and go home together, back to where everyone is waiting" The letter vows. "I promise Auntie, Futoshi, Ayu, Tatsuya and my dad, I'd definitely bring you back with me" It states. "I'll save Gongenzaka and Sawatari too" The letter promised. "I won't abandon any of our comrades" It states "I'll create a world where everyone smiles…" The letter vows. "And then we'll all go home" It states. "Back to our hometowns" The letter finished.
Yuya sheds a few tears near the end. "Yuzu…" Yuya smiles. "I'll win with my Dueling! Yuzu vows. "And I'll bring smiles back to the faces of everyone in the City!" She swears.