First things first, I got my AO3 account set up! After I'm finished with the Arcadia Arc, I will take a break and cross post The Power of Four and The Hope of Six there. I hope my stories will be as good as there as they are here. I will begin the next arc when I can. Now, Yusei and friends are about to confront Divine! But before they can bring him down, they must deal with the young and mysterious Salazar Arcadia. What is his story? How will the Signers deal with him? They better be careful; he may be a little hot to handle.
Yugioh: The Hope of Six
Chapter 59: Arcadia Arc – Part 14
Aki cursed after hearing the bad news. "I knew it! I knew Divine would go there himself! Damn him!"
"Your parents are fine, Aki." Windy assured her. "They took the secret path into the safe room before Divine and his Elites arrived. They do not know where they are… at least for now."
"He's right. Your mother and father should be safe." Yusei added. Aki nodded, but then realized the other thing the Wind Ignis brought up.
"Wait. There's more than one Elite with him?" She asked, her and Yusei's concern growing.
"Divine brought Skeleton Knight and Warlord. They didn't get very far in their search before Kiryu and Sherry brought them down." Windy added.
"And now they are his prisoners." Yusei concluded. "We need to get to the mansion now. Do the others know?"
"Yes and most of them are on route now. Mikage and Ushio are gathering their backup and should be heading out momentarily."
"Most of them?" Aki asked.
"Jack has been wounded in his Duel and is being checked out at the hospital. He will be fine, but he won't be able to catch up until later." Windy said.
"Then let's go." Yusei said before he and Aki mounted their D-Wheels once more and drove away. Within minutes, they met up with Crow, Rua, Ruka, Yugo, and Rin on the main road.
"Hey you guys!" Yugo called out and waved.
"I'm glad you're both alright!" Rin said with relief.
"Glad we're all okay!" Rua said.
"Me too!" Ruka said.
"Yeah!" Crow added. "Too bad Jack can't make it in time for the big showdown!"
"From what I had observed, Jack had to really struggle to defeat his opponent." Windy said.
"I'll bet." Crow said.
"How did Divine capture Kiryu and Sherry?" Ruka asked.
"He had help from another Psychic that wasn't an Elite. It was a young boy named Salazar." Windy replied.
'Salazar?' Rin thought in surprise. She recalled Stephanie mentioning that name after defeating Blizzard.
'A Psychic named Salazar? But, it couldn't be…' Aki thought, even more surprised than Rin.
"Who's Salazar?" Rua asked.
"I do not know. There was nothing in Racer's files about about him, nor did Divine say anything regarding the boy's past during my surveillance. I think it is safe to say he wants Salazar's existence to be a secret."
"I heard that name from… my Elite." Rin said delicately. She didn't want to divulge Stephanie's connection to Blizzard just yet. "From what I understand, Salazar was supposed to be the very first Psychic Duelist to have existed but died long ago. His full name was apparently…"
"Salazar Arcadia?" Aki inquired.
"Yes, that's it." Rin confirmed.
"What do you know about him, Aki?" Yusei asked.
Aki recalled what she learned regarding her former organization's namesake. "Salazar Arcadia was not only the first of our kind, but also probably the most powerful to have ever lived. He had the unbelievable ability to control and manipulate fire. His family felt blessed by Salazar's gift. But… one night, something went wrong. Salazar's house mysteriously caught fire and was burned down. No one, not even Salazar himself, survived."
"Damn." Yugo muttered, saddened by the tale.
"Did Salazar's own fire powers caused that tragedy?" Rin asked.
"No one knows for sure. It happened so long ago and no records were kept regarding the incident." Aki said. "Though, that would be the most likely guess. Regardless of how it happened, Salazar's power was so great that Divine became convinced to build an organization of people like them and named it the Arcadia Movement. He felt "inspired" by Salazar Arcadia to start it all he always said."
"You said Salazar was the first Psychic Duelist?" Yusei asked. Aki nodded. "So how did all future Psychic Duelists come to be if he and his family all perished?"
"Divine told me that a group of scientists recovered samples of Salazar's DNA from his body and studied them. Their research led them to create a serum that would make other people like Salazar. Under the guise of medical doctors, those scientists gave the serum to the public, telling them it was a new vaccine to fight off new viruses. After being injected, the serum would alter the person's DNA to be more like Salazar's. Of course, the results vary from one random person to another…"
"Hence why all those Elites had different abilities." Crow said.
"Yes. Eventually, enough Psychic Duelists exist, Divine included, to begin forming the Arcadia Movement." Aki said.
"So, Divine has a guy helping him with the same name as the person he named his organization after?" Yugo questioned no one in particular.
"I have a feeling it isn't just a coincidence." Yusei said, a thought occurring to him. "Windy. How exactly is Salazar holding Kiryu and Sherry hostage? What is his power?"
"For the moment, he is keeping them contained in a fairly sized ring of fire." The Wind Ignis replied.
"Fire. The same power that Salazar Arcadia had." Aki muttered, her dread increasing.
"Then they are the same person?" Rua asked.
"Or it could be some kind of clone." Ruka suggested.
"Somehow I doubt it." Crow said.
"I just thought of something else!" Rin suddenly realized. "Remember what Windy said about Divine's plan? About him planning to use a weapon called the "Alpha Fire" to destroy the city?"
"Yeah." Yugo said. He then gasped. "Hold up! Rin, are you saying that…?!"
"Yes Yugo! I think this Salazar is the Alpha Fire!" Rin confirmed.
"Divine is somehow going to have Salazar burn Neo Domino City to the ground!" Yusei concluded.
"That sounds both accurate and disturbing." Windy said.
"But… the guy has been dead for who knows how long! How could he be alive now?" Yugo asked incredulously.
"It wouldn't be the first time someone came back from the dead with… some help." Crow said with trepidation.
"Lightning?" Aki wondered.
"That's what I'm thinking. He did bring back a dead person to duel Kaito and Rio." Yusei replied.
"But wait! If that's the case, then does that mean Lightning knows we didn't die in the Airship explosion?!" Rua shouted, now alarmed.
"Resurrecting a dead Psychic and learning of our survival are different things." Ruka pointed out.
Yusei gripped the handles on his D-Wheel tighter. If all this was happening because Lightning discovered they were still alive, then the situation had gotten much worse than any of them expected. Yusei and his friends couldn't do anything about the enemy Ignis just yet. They had a more local threat to deal with first. "We'll worry about Lightning later. We need to save Kiryu and Sherry and stop Divine now! Let's hurry!"
"Right!" Everyone said in unison. With that, they rode faster to the Izayoi mansion, praying that they can reach their friends in time.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Listen very carefully, you meddling fools. Unless you two wish to be roasted alive, tell me where Aki and her parents are! NOW!" Divine was enraged that his plans had not gone as he hoped when he arrived at the mansion. He wanted answers and wanted them immediately.
"They're not here!" Sherry shouted vehemently.
"That's not what I asked!" Divine snapped back.
"No matter what you say or do, we won't tell you anything!" Kiryu told the evil man. Divine snarled at the troublesome pair.
"No matter what "I" do? Did you forget my threat?" Divine turned to Salazar. "Turn up the heat for those two, please." The boy nodded before making the fire around them colored white and bigger. The couple sweated even more and had trouble with breathing. Before long, both of them fell on their hands and knees, coughing. "The fires of hatred are intense, aren't they? These white hot flames will consume you unless you tell me what I want to know!"
Kiryu looked over at Sherry, deeply concerned. 'This is… seriously bad. How are we going to get out of this one? I wish there was something I could…' He then saw something peculiar. While one of Sherry's hands was around her throat, her other hand was on her stomach. She didn't seem aware he was watching. 'Why does Sherry have her hand there? Is she about to be sick from all this heat?' Upon closer inspection, Kiryu saw Sherry stare down at her stomach, looking more terrified than than he was. Whatever was going on with her, Kiryu didn't like it.
Sherry grew more and more afraid by the second… but not just for her own life or Kiryu's. 'Dammit! All this fire and heat can't be good for the baby! I have to get out of here… for both of our sakes! But… I don't want to betray Aki and her parents either!' The blond then pounded a fist on the floor and coughed. She felt she had no choice. "Divine! I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"
"Sherry! What are you doing?!" Kiryu yelled in shock. Sherry locked eyes with him.
"What I must!" She told him, her voice rasp and rough.
Divine seemed skeptical. "How do I know you will tell me the truth or won't try anything stupid?" To his and everyone's surprise, Sherry started to cry.
"I'll… cooperate. Please… drop the flames. Please. I…" She hesitated for a brief moment before giving her true reason. "I don't want my unborn child to die!"
Kiryu, Divine, and Salazar stared wide eyed at Sherry. Her boyfriend was more shocked than all of them. 'Did Sherry just say…?!'
Divine seemed to be scrutinizing the distressed woman intently. Salazar gave a grunt of disbelief. "Why should we believe you? That could all just be a lie to save your miserable, unforgiving skins! We're not as gullible as you…"
"Salazar… please dial the fire back down and move them to block all entrances into the mansion." Divine commanded calmly. The boy stared up at the man that revived him.
"You believe her?" He asked, stunned by what he heard.
"I'll explain. Just do it." Divine said. Although very confused, Salazar did as he was told and moved the flames away from the couple. While they were recovering, Divine strapped on and activated his Duel Disk. He then played a card that bound both Kiryu and Sherry in chains, pinning them to where they knelt. "That will keep them from going anywhere."
Once he recovered enough, Kiryu turned to his woman. "Sherry… is it true? You're… pregnant?" He asked in a hushed tone. The crying blonde shut her eyes tightly before opening them again and slowly turned to him. Her face showed pure regret.
"Yes, I am." She saw how stunned he was. Her tears continued to fall as she confessed. "Kiryu… I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. I was… too scared. Plus, I was still dealing with Mizoguchi's death. I had planned to reveal my pregnancy once all this was behind us. But… it didn't work out that way, did it?"
"Sherry…" Kiryu was left speechless by Sherry's confession. He had a feeling his girlfriend was keeping something from him, but he never guessed she was carrying a baby inside her. 'No. Not a baby… our baby. Sherry is carrying our baby.' If it weren't for the fact that they were in a very bad spot, Kiryu would be over the moon about the fact that he and Sherry were going to be parents. He hoped they could still have that future… if they lived through this.
"Why do you believe her about her having a baby?" Salazar asked Divine again. The Arcadia Movement leader walked forward until he stood directly in front of Sherry and knelt before her.
"Because, young Salazar… I can sense it." He said as he stared down at his surprised female captive's belly.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Not long after Salazar moved his fire, Yusei and the gang had arrived at the mansion. They were not only shocked by all the dead Security officers laying everywhere, but also by the big wall of fire covering where the front door should be and all around the building.
"Okay, that's not a good sign." Crow said.
"What the hell's going on in there?" Yugo asked, very worried for their friends.
"We've got to get inside!" Rin said to everyone.
"But how?" Rua asked. "That fire's everywhere!"
"I'll handle this." A hardened faced Aki said as she got off her D-Wheel and slipped on her Duel Disk…
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"The hell do you mean by that?" Kiryu demanded. He had no idea what Divine was talking about. The Psychic Duelist smiled at the former Dark Signer.
"Do you know how I recruited all the Psychic Duelists for the Arcadia Movement?" Without waiting for an answer, he went on. "All Psychic Duelists have unique abilities aside from making effects from Duel Monsters cards real. Jordan, for example, could add more kinetic energy to anything he hits or throws than any ordinary athletic would be capable of. It actually gave him an edge when he played professional kick ball a while back. His career came to an unfortunate end when his gift accidentally killed an opposing kick ball player in a very important game. He lost his high status, his career, everything. He was left with nothing. It was at the very low point in his life that I walked up to his front door and gave him a spot in my organization. He ended up becoming one of my Elites and served me well. That is…" Divine's face darkened. "Until you two and your dead friend got in his way."
"Forgive me if I don't feel sorry for your loss." Sherry said viciously. Divine gave a chuckle.
"Oh, I don't expect any sympathy from you at all…"
"You still haven't answered my question." Kiryu reminded him.
"I'm getting there, impatient one." Divine told him before looking at Sherry again. "I found Aki, Jordan, Skeleton Knight, Warlord, and all the others because of my own unique gift. Skeleton Knight could read minds and Warlord could create powerful shockwaves that can kill. You've just learned Salazar's power." He said while motioning his head at the boy behind him. "As for yours truly, I brought all my people together with my ability to sense the power of any Psychic within a certain distance. If I happen to be close enough to one when I'm concentrating, I hear a sort of "ringing" in my head and it will draw me to the person I'm sensing. Well guess what? I heard quite a faint ringing coming from… right there." Divine pointed right at Sherry's belly.
Kiryu and Sherry stared dumbstruck at the same spot. "W-Wait a minute! You're saying that my baby…?!" Sherry started to ask.
"The child may be in the early stages, but it is developed enough for me to sense the power within." Divine revealed.
"It can't be." Kiryu said breathlessly. Could it really be true?
"What made you think to sense whether or not it had Psychic power?" Salazar inquired.
"When we were outside, I detected Psychic power within the building. I assumed it was Aki, so I had no reason to suspect foul play. Seeing as these two were the only occupants to appear, and hearing about the baby, I figured I'd check the girl to verify her "dramatic confession". To my surprise, the power I sensed definitely came from her. Or rather… her unborn offspring." Divine began thinking maybe he could find a use for Sherry's baby after it was born… in the long run. But that would have to wait. Divine then got on his feet again. "I held up my end. Your turn. Tell me where they are." He demanded of Sherry, who appeared to be incredibly shameful.
"They all left long before you barged in. Hideo and Setsuko Izayoi took a secret way out of the mansion to avoid being seen. As for Aki, she escorted them to ensure their safety. They should be at the city's limits by now."
Kiryu knew that was a lie. 'Aki's parents are really in that secret room here in the mansion, while Aki is off fighting one of Divine's Elites. Sherry's just trying to buy us some time. But how much?'
"Aki Izayoi, the Black Rose Witch, chose to flee instead of facing me like she did on that other world?" Divine looked doubtful. "I've known her for a long time, and she was never the type to run away. And how would she even know I'd be stopping by tonight?"
"Aki got really worried about her parents' safety after the whole Jordan mess. She decided it was best to get them away from here as fast and far as possible. So, they took off." Sherry explained.
Divine narrowed his eyes, clearly full of suspicion. He took out a data pad from his pocket and tapped the screen. "Racer, it's me. Hack into all the cameras at the borders of Neo Domino City. I need to know if Aki and her parents snuck out there at any point this evening."
On his end, Windy suppressed a chuckle. He saw what was about to happen and decided it was time to have a little fun. So… he did. "Sorry to inform you, but I am afraid he won't be helping you anymore."
In the mansion, Divine froze in shock. 'What?! That's not Racer!'
Salazar was just as surprised. He didn't know what was happening then.
Kiryu and Sherry glanced at one another, sharing a smile. The couple knew that voice very well.
Divine's shock was soon replaced with anger. "What's going on?! Who the hell is this?!"
"Just someone who wanted to tip the scales against you." Windy replied confidently.
"Where is Racer?!" Divine demanded heatedly.
"Deleted." Windy replied coolly, to Divine's further dismay. "He was most unpleasant and caused quite a bit of trouble. He had to go."
The Arcadia Movement leader felt like smashing the data pad in his hand. "Whoever you are, you have no idea at all who you are messing with!" Windy wasn't at all intimidated.
"I disagree, Divine of the Arcadia Movement. I know all about you and what you intend to do. Your plans for Neo Domino City are nothing less than pure genocide. Naturally, you needed to be stopped."
"You can't do anything to me!" Divine shouted back. The Wind Ignis chuckled.
"Oh, I won't be the one to deal with you."
Before Divine could protest further, he was nearly knocked back by an explosion at the blocked front entrance. Everyone turned to see Salazar's fires extinguished and replaced with a huge cloud of smoke. Soon, the smoke cleared to reveal Black Rose Dragon. Standing beneath it were nearly all the Signers and two young but unfamiliar teens. The flower like dragon faded as it returned to Aki's Extra Deck.
Divine was infuriated even more when he saw a certain pigtailed little girl among the Signers. 'Ruka is still with them. That means Yang failed! Damn it all! What went wrong? How did she mess it up!?' For the moment, he focused on his more immediate target. "Aki… nice of you to come home. I must admit, I wasn't expecting you to be away tonight." Divine said in an aggravated tone. "Though, I was rather hoping you would return on your own."
"I would never leave my friends behind, Divine." Aki retorted.
"And your parents? I do not see them among your little group." Divine said, quickly seeing no trace of the elder Izayoi couple.
"They're safe from you." Aki told him in clear defiance.
Yusei looked to see Kiryu and Sherry, still chained up. "Kiryu! Sherry! Are you both okay?"
"We've been better, Yusei." Kiryu replied.
"I second that." Sherry added.
"So that's the bastard behind this whole mess?" Yugo asked while motioning his head in Divine's direction.
"It's him alright." Rua confirmed.
"Then that boy, the one with the burned looking skin. Is that… Salazar?" Rin asked while pointing at said boy, who was getting up after being hit by the blast. "The guy the Arcadia Movement was named after?"
"It must be." Ruka said.
'What?! How in the world do they know about Salazar?!' Divine thought in alarm, shocked yet again by the amount of knowledge his enemies possessed. He was so careful to keep his organization's founder in the unknown. How could things have turned out this way?!
Yusei now stood next to Aki. "Divine! We have stopped all your Elites! None of them could carry out the missions you gave them! It is over!"
The lead Psychic snarled and shook with fury. He was most unhappy to hear his best and loyal servants had been bested. 'Dammit! How could this have all happened? How?!' Divine began to wonder if it had to do with the unknown voice he heard, the one that he strongly believed destroyed Racer.
"You're wrong! Our battle has only begun!" Yusei and the others saw Salazar stepping in between the Signers and Divine, who still held Kiryu and Sherry close by as his prisoners. He also wore a coal black Duel Disk on his left arm. He then raised his right arm before declaring "You won't get near Mister Divine while I'm still here!" With a furious wave of his hand, a new wall of fire surrounded himself and Yusei.
"Yusei!" His friends shouted in unison.
"Yes, Salazar. Defend your savior." Divine muttered softly to himself.
"Now you will face me and die, like all humans will!" Salazar said, hatred and defiance clear in his voice. "I know full well that you and your wretched Crimson Dragon have corrupted Aki and forced her to be your unwilling slave! I intend to save her from you!"
"The hell's he talking about?" Yugo questioned. Aki felt she needed to explain herself.
"No one did anything to me! I chose to be with Yusei and the others of my own free will!" Aki protested. She figured her old leader had lied to the boy about why she left the Arcadia Movement in the first place. "Divine was the one who tried to use me as a tool." Salazar would hear none of it.
"I'll never believe that!" Salazar then activated his Duel Disk and turned to his adversary. "Face me now Yusei, for the freedom of Aki!"
Yusei narrowed his eyes. 'I may have to get through to him the hard way.' "Aki already is free! I intend to fight for the freedom of Kiryu and Sherry!" He declared before activating his own Disk. Salazar gave no retort but he stood ready to fight.
"You got this Yusei!" Yugo and Crow called out.
"We believe in you!" Rin and the twins added supportively.
"Be careful." Aki whispered. She and all the others watched the battle unfold.
"DUEL!"
(Yusei: 4000) (Salazar: 4000)
"You go first! That way, I'll know how to punish you when my first turn comes!" Salazar boldly declared.
"Very well." Yusei said calmly before going first. "My turn! Draw!" The young man was surprised by the card he just drew. 'I have never seen this card before. Could it be that…?' He knew this new card would come in really handy, especially later on... So he chose to play that card first. "I play a Field Magic card: Synchro World!" The dueling area changed so that a large purple hunt had surrounded the duelists. It was similar to how the Field looked when Speed World 2 was in play. "Then I play Treasure Cards of Harmony! By sending a Tuner Monster from my hand to the Graveyard, I can draw 2 more cards! I discard a Tuner called Wheel Synchron!"
"Why would he discard a Tuner?" Salazar wondered allowed.
"Next, I play Signal Booster! This card places Signal Counters on my Field equal to the number of cards in my hand, Field, and Graveyard, including itself! I count 8, so now 8 Signal Counters appear on my Field!" 8 red balls of light appeared above Yusei. "Now I activate one of Synchro World's Effects! I can use a certain Effect depending on the number of Signal Counters I remove! By removing 7 Signal Counters, I can Special Summon a Tuner Monster from my Graveyard! I Special Summon the Tuner I just discarded, Wheel Synchron!" (LIGHT; Level 5; ATK: 800; DEF: 1000) A red motorcycle with a robot attached to the seat appeared. "I now Normal Summon another Tuner Monster, Nitro Synchron!" (FIRE; Level 2; ATK: 300; DEF: 100) Next to Yusei's first Tuner was a pink canister with a face, arms and legs.
"He has 2 Tuners?" Yugo asked allowed. His friend's next move surprised everyone.
"Now… I am Tuning my Level 5 Wheel Synchron with my Level 2 Nitro Synchron!" Yusei declared.
"Hey! You can't Synchro Summon with just Tuner Monsters!" Salazar pointed out accusingly.
"When Wheel Synchron is used for a Synchro Summon, it can be treated as a non-Tuner!" Yusei informed his opponent before Summoning his next Monster. "Gathering feelings will now become a new force! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! Blaze on, Nitro Warrior!" (FIRE; Level 7; ATK: 2800; DEF: 1800) A horned, green and black humanoid creature stood place of the two Monsters that preceded it.
"I haven't seen him play that bad boy in a while." Crow commented.
"Since Nitro Synchron was sent to the Graveyard for the Synchro Summon of a "Nitro" Synchro Monster, I can draw another card! After that, another Effect of Synchro World activates! Each time a Synchro Monster is Synchro Summoned, I can place 2 Signal Counters on my Field card!" Two more red lights had now shown on Synchro World, in addition to the one still above. "Then I Set 2 cards facedown and end my turn."
Salazar sneered at Yusei's Synchro Monster. "You call that a "FIRE" Monster? I'll show you what real fire can do! My turn! Draw!" Yusei wondered just what Salazar had in mind. He didn't have to wait long. "I play Molten Conduction Field! This let's me send 2 "Laval" Monsters from my Deck to the Graveyard! I'm sending Laval Phlogis and Laval Flaming Volcano Handmaiden to the Graveyard! At this time, the Effect of Flaming Volcano Handmaiden activates! If there is another "Laval" Monster in my Graveyard besides Handmaiden when it goes to the Graveyard, I can send another "Laval" Monster from my Deck to the Graveyard! This time I'm sending my Laval Flaming Lakeside Lady!"
'Why is he sending Monsters to his Graveyard?' Yusei wondered wearily.
"Now to actually bring something out! I Summon Laval Archer!" (FIRE; Level 4; ATK: 1000; DEF: 200) A humanoid creature made from heated rock and holding a crossbow like weapon materialized. "Due to Laval Phlogis being send to the Graveyard, all "Laval" Monsters I control gain 300 Attack Points!" Salazar's Monster glowed fiery red from it's power increase.
(Laval Archer's ATK: 1000 + 300 = 1300)
"That kid seems to know what he's doing." Crow noted. The others agreed.
"Laval Archer's Monster Effect! Once per turn, if it was Normal Summoned, I can Normal Summon another "Laval" Monster during my Main Phase this turn! I Normal Summon Laval Lancelord!" (FIRE; Level 6; ATK: 2100; DEF: 200) Another rock like being carrying a lava spear appeared on the Field. "Even though it is a Level 6 Monster, Lancelord can be Normal Summoned without a Sacrifice, but it will be sent to the Graveyard during the End Phase as a result! I won't have to worry about that, though!" Salazar said as his second Monster grew stronger.
(Laval Lancelord's ATK: 2100 + 300 = 2400)
"What is he up to?" Kiryu asked silently.
"Next, since I have 3 "Laval" Monsters with different names in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Tuner Monster, Laval Coatl, from my hand!" (FIRE; Level 2; ATK: 1300; DEF: 700) What appeared to be an infant molten rock pterodactyl emerged to stand next to the other Monsters.
(Laval Coatl's ATK: 1300 + 300 = 1600)
"None of those are tough enough to go up against Yusei's Nitro Warrior." Yugo said.
"True, but I don't think Salazar plans to battle with any of those." Rin replied with worry as Salazar made his big move.
"I now have everything I need to call out a true creature of fire! I am Tuning my Level 6 Laval Lancelord with my Level 2 Laval Coatl! Lord of the molten depths of the earth! Rise out of the magma and burn all with your burning touch! Synchro Summon! Come! Lavalval Exlord!" (FIRE; Level 8; ATK: 2900; DEF: 200) A huge red magma humanoid wearing bone like armor rose up from the Field in place of two of the three Monsters that stood there just recently.
"Synchro World gets 2 more Signal Counters from your Synchro Summon!" Yusei reminded Salazar as he now had 5 Signal Counters total.
"Like that would do anything to me! My already strong Exlord gets even stronger from Phlogis' Effect!" Salazar retorted.
(Lavalval Exlord's ATK: 2900 + 300 = 3200)
"They both have strong Synchro Monsters out on their first turns." Sherry said.
"Yeah, but knowing Yusei… I'm sure he's prepared for that." Kiryu told his girlfriend.
"With my big guy out, I Set 1 card facedown and end my turn. Now Yusei Fudo, try to beat me!"
Yusei eyed Exlord with concern. 'He didn't try to attack, even though his Synchro Monster is currently stronger than mine. Maybe he is weary of my facedown cards? What is his strategy?' Whatever Salazar was up to, Yusei knew he had to be careful. "My turn! Draw!" He was pleased with what he had drawn. "I play a Magic card, Battle Waltz! This allows me to Special Summon a "Waltz Token" to my Field with all stats matching that of a Synchro Monster I control!" A shadowed version of Nitro Warrior appeared next to the real one with the same Level, Attribute, Type, Attack Points, and Defense Points. "Battle! I attack your Lavalval Exlord with my Waltz Token!" The darkened copy shared flowed and struck the flaming creature.
"Why would you do that? Your copy is no stronger than your weaker real Monster!" Salazar taunted before watching Yusei's Token being burned to cinders just from striking Exlord. "You see! And now you will get burned!" Yusei smiled.
"Neither of us take damage from a battle involving my Waltz Token! Also, during the turn Battle Waltz was activated, the Monster that destroys my Token by battle loses Attack Points equal to the Token's Attack Points!" Salazar snarled.
(Lavalval Exlord's ATK: 3200 - 2800 = 400)
"Nice one Yusei!" Yugo cheered.
'Yusei managed to weaken Salazar's Monster that much. He could deal some serious damage to Salazar's Life Points if his next attack lands. However…' Divine thought with a sinister smile.
"Nitro Warrior's Monster Effect! During the turn I played a Magic card, it gains 1000 Attack Points during damage calculation!"
(Nitro Warrior's ATK: 2800 + 1000 = 3800)
"Take him down!" Rua cheered.
"Battle! Nitro Warrior, attack Lavalval Exlord! Dynamite Knuckle!" Nitro Warrior lunged ahead and reared back it's fist for the heavy blow…
"It won't work! Lavalval Exlord's Monster Effect activates! During either of our turns, when my opponent activates an Effect from their Monster on the Field or in their hand, I can destroy that Monster! That's not all! Exlord also burns away 1000 of your Life Points!" At that instant, a torrent of dark fire erupted from Exlord's chest, which charbroiled Nitro Warrior into ashes and struck Yusei hard. It sent him flying backward until he slammed into the fire wall. He screamed in agony from both impacts.
(Yusei: 4000 - 1000 = 3000)
"Yusei!" His friends all yelled.
Divine chuckled, taking pleasure at seeing his most hated enemy suffer.
Salazar watched as a slightly singed Yusei struggled to get up again. "It hurts to get burned, doesn't it? Well guess what? Your pain is only just getting started!"
Once Yusei was on his feet again, he stared back. "I've suffered… worse." He replied. Salazar doubted that very much, not knowing all that the lead Signer had been through in the past. "I Set 2 cards facedown… and end my turn."
"At this time, the Effect of Battle Waltz wears off!" Salazar said as his Lavalval Exlord's Attack Points returned to 3200. "You should just give up and die, Yusei Fudo! Someone as evil as you can never win!"
"Evil?! Yusei?! That kid's nuts!" Yugo said, clearly angered by the accusation.
"Yusei Fudo is not evil! Whatever Divine said to you is a big fat lie!" Rin shouted emphatically.
"Shut up!" Salazar spat. "He's clearly manipulated you all into his unwilling lackeys, no doubt with the help of that despicable Crimson Dragon! And when Yusei is done with your usefulness, he will stab you in the back and leave you with nothing but the bitterness of betrayal!"
"You know nothing about Yusei!" Crow shouted angrily.
"Divine told me all I needed to know about him and you wicked Signers!" Salazar went on. "Yusei stole Aki from us, her own people! He led you all to destroy our old base! He doesn't care about hurting others, just as long as he gets what he wants!"
"None of that is true!" Rua called out.
"Yusei doesn't use people, he helps them! He's always puts the wellbeing of others before himself! Always!" Ruka added.
"Salazar, you must listen to reason." Aki said. "Yusei is a friend. Divine is the one that is using you. You can't believe what he…"
"STOP IT!" Salazar practically screamed. "YUSEI FUDO CARES ABOUT NO ONE BUT HIMSELF! HE WILL BETRAY YOU… JUST AS I WAS BETRAYED!"
"What… do you mean?" Yusei asked with a weekend voice. The burned looking boy now had a saddened look in his eye.
"I used to be happy and carefree. I had a family and a best friend. But one day, I lost it all…" Salazar clinched his fists as he recalled that tragic day…
Flashback:
Far away, in a small house near the woods, Salazar Arcadia sat before a ring of stone, held his hands forward, and concentrated. After a few seconds, a fireball hovered in the center of the stones. It was the size of a small boulder. He laughed with joy at his accomplishment. "I did it! It's much bigger than the last one! I'm really getting the hang of this!" He had been practicing his fire abilities for quite some time, and it seemed he was at last getting the hang of it. He felt very proud of himself for coming as far as he did.
Salazar had another reason to feel good. Just the other day, he finally worked up the courage to tell his best friend, Xander, about his powers. Up til then, his control over fire was a closely guarded secret among his family, which consisted of his parents and younger sister. They never feared him for his unique gift, which he always felt grateful for. He truly loved his family and would never harm them.
His parents were, however, very hesitant when he told them he wanted to tell Xander. He was a believer of "angels" and "demons", and was very superstitious. Salazar explained that he could trust Xander, whom he knew since they were little. He strongly believed their friendship would overcome anything. Surprisingly, Salazar's sister sided with him. She also liked Xander and thought he should be given a chance. After much arguing, their mother and father finally gave Salazar permission to explain everything to Xander.
When Salazar told him about his secret, and demonstrated it before his eyes, Xander was astounded. He claimed he never imagined anyone could have the gift his best friend possessed. After being asked, Xander swore to take Salazar's secret to his grave. Salazar felt so happy to not hide anything from Xander anymore. He felt his life was now perfect…
"Salazar! Hey Salazar! Time for dinner!" Salazar turned to see a younger girl waving at him a short distance away. Her long hair was a lighter shade of red than Salazar's and her eyes were bright blue. He laughed as he extinguished his fireball and got up.
"Coming!" He then walked to the back door where the girl stood. She smiled up at him as he met her.
"I saw you practicing just now! That ball of fire was so big!" She exclaimed excitedly while spreading her arms wide. Salazar chuckled happily.
"Thanks, Amelia. I have been working on increasing it's size for the past week."
"Looks like your practicing has been paying off." Amelia said. "Can you teach me how to do that?" He smiled sadly as he patted her head.
"Sorry, but it's not something I can teach. You've got to have it. And well… I haven't seen any hint of you or anyone else having it." Amelia pouted and stomped her foot in the ground.
"That's not fair. I want to be a fire person too." She complained. "I want to be special like you, big brother." Salazar knelt down in front of her.
"You are special, Amelia. Last I checked, no brother had a little sister that can beat them at checkers." He said with a playful chuckle. Amelia grunted while looking away.
"It's not the same." She told him.
"I know. Listen sis, having powers like mine doesn't make you special. It's the person you are in here that really matters." Salazar replied while pointing at Amelia's heart. "Your kind and energetic nature makes you a very special person." The girl gave a resigned sigh.
"I guess." Salazar chuckled again.
"Salazar! Amelia! Dinner's on the table!" Said an older woman's voice coming from inside.
"Be right there Mom!" Both kids replied as they dashed in for their evening meal.
Sitting at the table were an older green eyed woman with short hair red as fire and a brown haired man with gentle blue eyes. They smiled as their children joined them. "So what were you two doing?" The father asked.
"Big brother Salazar made a bigger fireball!" Amelia told him.
"Did you now?" The father replied, sounding impressed. Salazar nodded.
"Yeah. It was twice as big as my last one."
The father turned to his wife with a smile. "Sounds like our boy might soon become our own personal sun. How about that Eve?" His wife, Eve, laughed.
"Well Adam, I wouldn't mind him helping out with the fireplace every once in a while." She joked before glancing at her son. "Maybe you can show us later after we eat?"
"Sure!" Salazar said happily.
The family then proceeded to eat their evening meal, chatting and enjoying themselves. When they were done, they cleared the table and put away any leftovers for later. Adam was taking care of the silverware. Eve and Salazar were cleaning the dishes and Amelia was putting them away after drying them. While they were busy, a knock came from the front door.
"I'll get it." Said Adam. When he opened the door, he saw an elderly priest dressed in a white robe standing before him. The former seemed surprised by the latter's arrival. "Father Dane, what can I do for you?"
The rest of the family stopped what they were doing and appeared nearby. They too wondered why the local priest had come by without any prior notice.
The priest did not look to be in a good mode. "Adam Arcadia, forgive my unannounced visit, but I have just learned a very disturbing revelation that I must discuss with you urgently." Adam frowned.
"What revelation?" He inquired. The priest noticed the concerned looking family. His answer sent a chill down Adam's spine.
"The fact that one of your children… is a demon."
Eve instantly moved her children behind her, while Adam hardened his gaze. "Excuse me?" He questioned, barely keeping his anger in check. "You come into my home and accuse one of my children of being a… a demon? How dare you make such a claim? Where did you hear this nonsense?"
Father Dane glanced down behind him. "Come my boy. Do not be shy." The priest stepped aside and allowed a black haired young boy around Salazar's age to slowly walk up and stand next to him. He refused to meet anyone's eye.
Salazar gasped. "Xander! What's going on? Why are you…?"
"This faithful one came to me and explained everything." Father Dane said while laying a hand on Xander's shoulder. He then turned back to Adam. "Young Xander here says he witnessed your son shooting fire into the sky from his bare hands. He also saw him mold fire into other unnatural shapes. He felt compelled to inform me immediately."
Salazar and his family stared at Xander in total shock and disbelief. "Xander? That's not true, is it? You told Father Dane about what I…?"
"Salazar!" His mother shushed him harshly.
The priest looked back down at the shameful looking boy. "It is alright, my son. You need not be afraid around me." Xander still did not look at anyone, but he finally spoke.
"I'm sorry. What I saw you do… i-it frightened me. It was too much for me. I… I had to do it."
Salazar couldn't believe what he was hearing. "But Xander, we're best friends! You would never…" Xander had then cut him off.
"Salazar… I'm scared of demons. Always have been. When you showed me you could use fire without matches, wood, or rocks, I just… freaked out. I did what I had to."
"Xander…" Salazar was left without words, his eyes starting to tear up. When he first showed him his abilities, Xander promised to never tell another living soul, especially to Father Dane. But now… this happened? His best friend, whom he knew since were toddlers, had betrayed him? This wasn't something the Xander he knew would ever do. And yet…
"No!" Amelia cried out as she stepped out in front of her brother. "You're both wrong!"
"Amelia!" Eve shouted.
"Amelia, stay out of this and get back behind your mother!" Adam ordered.
The younger Arcadia stared at the priest and Xander with defiance. "My big brother is no demon! He's kind, gentle, and helpful! A demon is none of those things! Salazar has never hurt anyone in his whole life! And you!" Amelia pointed at Xander. "You're supposed to be my brother's friend! Friends don't stab each other in the back! Salazar has done nothing bad to you, and this is how you treat him?!"
"But Amelia… I had no choice…" Xander started, but Amelia wouldn't hear of it.
"Yes you did! You made a promise to my brother, and you broke it! You chose to do that!"
"I admire you for defending your brother, little Amelia." Father Dane told her calmly. "But none of that changes the fact that Salazar has been given demonic abilities. I'm afraid I have no choice but to…" He did not finish, for Adam silenced him by picking up the priest by the collar and tossed him out onto the ground. "You dare?!" Father Dane snapped back. Adam showed no regret for his actions.
"Amelia is right! My son is not the monster you think he is! Get out of here and leave us be!"
"Adam…" Eve whispered in shock praise.
"You tell him Dad!" Amelia cheered in support.
Xander was so distracted by the assault, he failed to see what came next.
Salazar could not contain his hurt anymore as he ran forward and punched Xander in the face, knocking him down too. "Ow!" He said. He was rubbing where he was hit when he was terrified by the look his former best friend gave him.
Salazar's face showed nothing but pure, unadulterated rage. "Xander… you betrayed me! You betrayed my family! How could you?" His body began to let out smoke and heat. "HOW… COULD YOU?!" At that moment, Salazar screamed as his whole body erupted into flames. Everyone back away in horror as the fire had spread throughout the cabin, consuming everything it touched…
Flashback End
Salazar was shaking from retelling that horrific event. "Screaming with rage and fire consuming me was the last thing I remember." He shut his eyes, filled with regret. "I may not recall it, but I just know my family did not survive the devastation I caused. They couldn't possibly have escaped." Hot tears ran down his face. "My father, my mother, my sister… dead. Because I lost control." Salazar then breathed hard with renewed fury. "I hated Xander for his betrayal. I hated Father Dane for accusing me of being a "demon". I hated what they made me do. I hated… all of it."
'Salazar.' Yusei had never pitied another soul in his life. Aki and the others were just as heartbroken from learning of Salazar's past.
Divine kept his face neutral, but on the inside he was pleased that Salazar's background was as tragic as it was. It made convincing him to join his cause much easier.
Salazar snapped his eyes on Yusei once again. "After Divine revived me, I learned how corrupt humans had become and how badly treated others like me. That only fueled my hatred for their untrustworthiness and their prejudice. I vowed to end mankind by helping Divine and his Arcadia Movement, and I'll start by destroying you!" With that, he returned his focus to the Duel. "My turn! Draw! I play Laval Flow, which let's me draw 5 cards since I have at lead 5 "Laval" cards in my Graveyard!" With the cards he now held, he could defeat his enemy this turn. "Get ready Yusei, cause you're going to burn even more! I Summon Laval Magma Artillery!" (FIRE; Level 4; ATK: 1700; DEF: 200) A molten rock automaton with two cannons on it's shoulders appeared.
(Laval Magma Artillery's ATK: 1700 + 300 = 2000)
"I don't like the looks of that one." Kiryu said nervously.
"Me neither." Sherry added.
"I now activate the Effect of Magma Artillery! Up to twice per turn, I can discard a FIRE Monster from my hand to inflict 500 points of damage to you! You hear that? That's double the pain! First, I'll discard Laval Gunner!" One of Magma Artillery's cannons launched a ball of molten rock at Yusei, crashing hard into him before exploding. He screamed again form the impact.
(Yusei: 3000 - 500 = 2500)
"Did that hurt? Here's the second round! I discard Laval Burner to deliver another 500 point hit!" Salazar declared before his Monster fired from it's other cannon. Yusei barely started to recover from the first hit before the next one knocked him into the flaming wall again.
(Yusei: 2500 - 500 = 2000)
"Hang on Yusei!" Aki called out.
"Now I activate the Effect of Laval Flaming Lakeside Lady in my Graveyard! If it is there along with 3 or more "Laval" Monsters with different names in the Graveyard as well, then I can banish Flaming Lakeside Lady and another "Laval" Monster from my Graveyard to destroy 1 Set card on your Field! I'm banishing my Laval Flaming Lakeside Lady and Laval Burner from my Graveyard!" A ghostly figure of a woman covered in fire launched a fireball at one of Yusei's facedown cards, blowing it apart.
'My Spirit Force!' Yusei lamented the loss of one of his best Traps.
"Yusei Fudo, your suffering will now end with this attack! Battle! Lavalval Exlord, Direct Attack! Lava Geyser!" Finish him off!" A jet stream of lava spewed out of the creature's mouth and flowed straight at Yusei.
"Trap card open, Guard Block! The damage I would receive from this battle is reduced to 0!" The two blasts fizzled out before reaching Yusei. "After that, I draw 1 card!"
"Ha! You can't take down Yusei that easily!" Yugo taunted.
"He still he has a couple of more Monsters to attack with." Rin reminded him, making the boy worried once more.
Salazar grunted. "That attack may not have made a dint, but this one will truly not fail! Laval Magma Artillery, Direct Attack!" Salazar's most recent Monster fired both of it's shoulder cannons at the same time toward their intended target…
"Come on." Crow begged.
"I'm not giving up! Trap card open, Card Defense! When my opponent declares an attack, I can discard a card from my hand to negate that attack and draw another card!"
"Again?" Salazar said with clear annoyance.
"Another close call." Sherry said with relief, which was short lived.
"Well, let's see if third time's the charm! This attack may not be enough to defeat you, but it will be a good step towards that goal! Laval Archer, Direct Attack!" The beast pulled a fire like string and launched a flaming arrow, which hit Yusei hard in the shoulder.
(Yusei: 2000 - 1300 = 700)
Yusei yelled and winced from the pain. 'His attacks keep… burning me. But, in spite of all this pain, I cannot and will not give up.'
"You're tougher than I thought if you can still stand from all those attacks." Salazar said. "On my next turn, it will truly be over for you. I Set 3 cards facedown and end my turn."
"Nice work, Salazar. You will surely be able to defeat him on your next turn." Divine encouraged the young Duelist.
"He won't win. Not against Yusei." Sherry said vehemently at her hated enemy. She wished she wasn't chained down so she could beat the crap out of him. Divine ignored her.
As Yusei struggled to stay standing, Salazar snarled. "Why do you keep resisting? Just roll over and die already, you manipulative piece of trash!" Yusei was about to deny what he thought of him when he heard…
"Don't you dare insult Yusei! He is not the type of person you are accusing him of being!" Yusei and everyone else turned to see another joining the party.
"About time you caught up, Jack! You feeling better?" Crow said with a smirk. Jack smiled back at him.
"I am well." Jack then focused his attention on the surprised Salazar. "I have been brought up to speed on what I missed, including who you are, Salazar Arcadia. It would also seem you have been misled as to whom your friends and enemies are."
"Stay out of this Signer! You're no better than he is!" Salazar shouted, pointing a finger at Yusei. Jack sighed.
You accuse him of being capable of betraying others for his own benefit. You are completely wrong in that regard. However…" He looked over at his friend and rival. "He knows first hand of how it feels to be betrayed by someone he considered a friend."
"Huh?" Salazar was surprised by this. Jack then looked over at the burned skinned boy.
"A few years ago, I stabbed Yusei in the back for a very selfish reason. I took another friend of ours hostage and put him in a life threatening situation. I gave Yusei the choice of saving him or giving up his D-Wheel and his Ace Monster. He gave up his most valuable possessions to save that friend's life, risking his own in the process. I made off with Yusei's card and ride." Jack lowered his head and closed his eyes. "It is something I still regret to this day."
"Jack…" Yusei muttered softly. He had no idea his greatest rival still felt bad about that incident. It was ancient history. But he supposed not all wounds heal.
Yugo was very surprised but the revelation. 'No way. Jack was the one Yusei told me about? The friend that betrayed him?' He never expected it was Jack Atlas of all people that did Yusei wrong that day.
Salazar was also stunned. "He did that?" Not just from hearing Yusei was also betrayed by a friend, but also from hearing Yusei risked his own life to save another. That didn't sound like the same person Divine told him about before…
"Don't listen to him, Salazar. Jack Atlas is a Signer. They lie and hurt others cause they love it." Divine interjected vehemently. "Do not forget that they are the enemy!"
Salazar shook his head and berated himself. He almost fell it, but he was reminded of the truth. "He's right! You tried to distract me with your lies! It's not going to work! Now stay out of it, like I said before!"
Jack narrowed his eyes. It was clear Divine had really gotten into the boy's head. "Fine. I've had my say. I'll let Yusei knock some sense into you. Right?" He asked Yusei after turning to him. Yusei nodded at him before readying himself.
"Jack is right. I have been betrayed, but I have forgiven him. We became friends again afterward. Now, through this Duel, I will show you what is true and false! My turn! Draw! I banish Signal Booster from my Graveyard to use 1 Effect from Synchro World that requires a number of Signal Counters without them! The Effect I choose is to Special Summon a Synchro Monster from my Graveyard, which would normally require removing 10 Signal Counters! Return, Nitro Warrior!" Yusei's Synchro Monster reappeared to aid it's master once again. "Now I activate an Effect directly from Synchro World! By removing 4 Signal Counters, I can either increase or decrease the Level of a face-up Monster I control by 1! I raise Nitro Warrior's Level from 7 to 8!"
'What is he doing now?' Salazar thought, wondering what his opponent was up to this time.
"I Normal Summon a new Tuner Monster, Satellite Synchron!" (DARK; Level 2; ATK: 700; DEF: 100) The Tuner resembled a robot modeled after a satellite, with the dish in the center and four solar panels in the back. "Next, I am Tuning my now Level 8 Nitro Warrior with my Level 2 Satellite Synchron! Gathering hearts orbit around a stronger force! Become the path it's light shines upon! Synchro Summon! Emerge! Satellite Warrior!" (DARK; Level 10; ATK: 2500; DEF: 2000) A big gold and silver robot with four solar panels in an "X" pattern behind it descended above where it's Materials once stood. "With it's Synchro Summon, Synchro World gets 2 Signal Counters, with 3 Counters total! Satellite Warrior's Monster Effect now activates! Once per turn, if it is Synchro Summoned, I can destroy cards you control up to the number of Synchro Monsters in my Graveyard! With Nitro Warrior in my Graveyard again, I can destroy 1 on your Field!"
"That won't work! Lavalval Exlord negates that Effect, destroys your Monster, then hits your Life Points with 1000 points of damage! You lose!" Salazar strongly declared. Unfortunately for him, Yusei was prepared this time.
"I won't!" He retorted before making his comeback. "Trap card open, Trigger of Tragedy! When my opponent activates a card or effect that would destroy a Monster I control, that effect is negated and all face-up Attack Mode Monsters you control are destroyed!" Salazar cursed as all three of his Monsters were blown apart in separate explosions.
"Yes!" Yugo and Rua cheered in unison.
"That's the ticket!" Crow added. Divine glowered from the boy's setback.
"I won't be defenseless against you! If Lavalval Exlord is destroyed while in my possession by my opponent's card after being Synchro Summoned, I can Special Summon up to 3 non-Synchro FIRE Monsters with 200 Defense Points from my Graveyard in Defense Mode, but with their effects negated! Return to defend me, Laval Coatl, Laval Archer, and Laval Magma Artillery!" Salazar's previous Monsters returned to protect him from further attacks. After that, they regain their respective Attack Point increases from Phlogis's Effect (Coatl's ATK: 1600; Archer's ATK: 1300; Magma Artillery's ATK: 2000)
"Satellite Warrior's Effect continues! I destroy one of your facedown cards!" Salazar didn't appear to be bothered by losing that card. This made Yusei weary about the boy's next move. Still, he went on. "With each card destroyed by it's Effect, Satellite Warrior gains 1000 Attack Points!" The robot raised it's arms and flexed them as it powered up in a golden glow.
(Satellite Warrior's ATK: 2500 + 1000 = 3500)
"Yusei's the one dominating the Field now." Kiryu said with a smile. Sherry nodded, happy that he was at last turning the tide to his favor.
"Battle! Satellite Warrior, attack Laval Magma Artillery! Orbital Fist!" With one ginormous punch, the two shoulder cannon Monster was reduced to rubble. "I then Set 1 card facedown and end my turn."
Salazar was no closer to quitting than Yusei was. "Don't get all high and mighty just because you a stronger Monster! I haven't revealed my ace in the hole, but you'll see it very shortly! My turn! Draw!"
"He has something stronger than his Exlord?" Jack asked, curious of what boy will try next.
"At last, he is about to get serious." Divine said, confident he will regain the upper hand and obliterate Yusei Fudo.
"I'll start this turn by Summoning Laval Warrior!" (FIRE; Level 4; ATK: 1800; DEF: 500) A rock creature wielding a pair of molten rock axes materialized on the Field. Like it's brethren, it gets a power boost.
(Laval Warrior's ATK: 1800 + 300 = 2100)
"That won't make a dent against Yusei's Monster." Yugo said with a grin.
"I don't believe that's Salazar's intent." Aki told him.
"I have the Monsters I need, but I have to make a change before I call out my true ace Monster! Continuous Trap open, DNA Surgery!"
'Sect used that same Trap against me!' Yugo realized.
"While this is active, all Monsters on the Field become any Type I choose! For this, all Monsters will be "Dragons!"
"Why make them all dragons?" Crow asked. Yusei wondered the same thing.
"In order to call forth my big Monster, all Monsters I control need to be "Dragon" Types! Now I am all set! Get ready Yusei, you won't survive after this one! I am Tuning my Level 4 Laval Warrior and Level 4 Archer with my Level 2 Laval Coatl! Three headed beast of inferno! All volcanos erupt by your presence! None can withstand your fury! Synchro Summon! The Mighty Flaming Champion! Trident Dragion! (FIRE; Level 10; ATK: 3000; DEF: 2800) A towering red dragon with three heads descended from above and roared loudly.
"That's a pretty big dragon." Rin said in a slightly shaky voice.
"Yeah." Ruka added in agreement.
"That thing's huge, sure, but it still can't beat Satellite Warrior." Yugo said matter of factly.
"I'm sure Salazar is well aware of that." Jack told the younger Duelist.
"Synchro World gains 2 more Signal Counters!" Yusei reminded his opponent as his Field card had a total of 5 Signal counters now.
"Like that will matter when I'm done with you! Trident Dragion's Monster Effect! When it is Synchro Summoned, I can destroy up to 2 cards I control, then it gains an additional attack for each destroyed card during the Battle Phase this turn! I destroy my DNA Surgery and one of my facedown cards!" His card sere destroyed by blue fireballs from two of the creature's mouths. "That's not all! With my Fire Boost Magic card in my Graveyard, all FIRE "Dragon" Monsters I control gain 800 Attack Points!" The beast's heads roared to the heavens as it grew stronger than Yusei's Monster.
(Trident Dragion's ATK: 3000 + 800 = 3800)
"Uh oh." Yugo said, his confidence now starting to waver.
"Yusei…" Aki whispered, praying he could survive this too.
"I'm ending this now! Battle! Trident Dragion, attack Satellite Warrior! Electric Fire!" The dragon reared it's left head back and launched a stream of fire mixed with electricity. It never reached the target.
"Trap card open, Scrap-Iron Scarecrow! When an my opponent's Monster has declared an attack, that attack is negated!" A scarecrow made of scrap metal popped up in front of Yusei's Monster and blocked the huge attack. "After that, I can Set it back facedown!" Yusei said as his Trap laid itself back down again. Salazar growled.
"That's one attack wasted." Kiryu said.
"And it would be pointless for Salazar to attack twice more if the result will still be the same." Sherry replied. What she didn't realize was that the founding Psychic Duelist had another way past that problem.
"My own Trap will take out yours to clear the way to victory! Trap card open, Dustflame Blast! By banishing all "Laval" Monsters in my Graveyard, I can destroy cards on the Field up to the number of Monsters I banished! I'm scorching away your Satellite Warrior, Scrap-Iron Scarecrow, and Synchro World!" A huge explosion emerged that consumed all of Yusei's cards on the Field.
"Now Yusei's Field is empty!" Rua said in great worry.
"Nothing can stop Salazar's next attack!" Aki stated with even greater worry.
"Salazar Arcadia has this Duel in the bag now." Divine commented with a sinister chuckle.
"No. Yusei always finds a way out… and this will be no exception." Sherry scolded her captor, who continued to ignore her.
"If Satellite Warrior is destroyed after being Synchro Summoned, I can Special Summon up to 3 Level 8 or lower "Warrior", "Synchron", and/or "Stardust" Synchro Monsters with different names from my Graveyard! I Special Summon Nitro Warrior in Defense Mode!" Yusei declared as he revived his first Synchro Monster yet again.
"That means nothing! With my two remaining attacks, Trident Dragion will still end you!" Salazar retorted.
"Is that so?" Yusei said with a confident smile, surprising the opposing boy.
"Meaning what?" He demanded.
Right around then, all six of the Signers' Dragon Birthmarks began to glow. This surprised them.
"Our birthmarks!" Rua said with astonishment.
"What's about to happen?" Rin asked. No one answered, for they were all about find out.
"Synchro World has one more Effect! If it is destroyed while in my possession by an opponent's card effect, I can Special Summon a very special Monster from my Extra Deck!" A different colored flame had sprung up from behind Yusei… a bright crimson flame.
"What is going on here?" Salazar questioned, curious for what was taking place. The flames now began to take a very familiar form…
"The Monster appearing now has been guiding me and my friends from the beginning! And it shall guide me again in this Duel! I Special Summon… THE CRIMSON DRAGON!" (LIGHT; Level 12; ATK: 0; DEF: 0). The erupting flames now took the appearance of the legendary dragon that bestowed the Signers their power and helped them fulfill their destinies. Divine and Salazar were flabbergasted by the benevolent creature's unexpected appearance.
"The Crimson Dragon?!" The two Psychic Duelists exclaimed in total shock.
"Okay… I certainly wasn't expecting that!" Sherry admitted in awe.
Without further warning, the Crimson Dragon roared and gave off a bright flash of blinding light.
In the light, Salazar saw images that went by in a blur:
A burning cabin.
Shouting shadows.
Father Dane looking angry.
Xander crying.
Salazar's burned and blackened body.
A hand reaching out from nowhere, accompanied by an unfriendly laugh…
Salazar appeared to be very shaken. He gasped as his vision returned to normal and found himself back in the Izayoi mansion. "What… What was that?" He had no idea what he saw.
Unbeknownst to him, Yusei and his fellow Signers had also seen those same images. Yusei himself wondered what they meant. 'Could those have been… visions from Salazar's past? Why would the Crimson Dragon reveal those? And… did Salazar see them too?' He asked himself that one after seeing the dumbfounded expression on his opponent's face. Yusei then turned to his left, suddenly feeling a hand on his shoulder. It was someone he had not seen for a while… not sense Z-one's defeat. The dark blue hair, pale grey eyes, the encouraging smile. Yusei remembered it all. 'Is that… Bruno?!'
On the other side, Salazar shook his head rapidly. Whatever had occurred, it didn't change the fact that he had a Duel to win and an enemy to take down. "I don't know what you're doing to me, but it's not working! I'm still going to beat you!"
He didn't know if it was really Bruno or a vision from the Crimson Dragon, but either way, he couldn't ignore it. Somehow, Yusei could tell what "Bruno" was trying to tell him without words. He knew what he had to do. He turned back to the Psychic Duelist before him. "Salazar… this Duel is not over yet!"
Salazar scoffed at him. "Don't tell me otherwise! Your "Crimson Dragon" can't withstand my next attack!"
"It won't have to! I activate Crimson Dragon's Monster Effect! Once per turn, during either of our turns, I can return Crimson Dragon to my Extra Deck and Special Summon a "Dragon" Synchro Monster from my Extra Deck with the same Level as a Level 7 or higher Synchro Monster on the Field, except Crimson Dragon itself! Legendary Summon!" The legendary dragon deity began to take the shape of another dragon…
"Trident Dragion is a Level 10 Synchro Monster. Which means Yusei must be about to Special Summon a Level 10 Dragon!" Ruka said excitingly.
"And there's only one that fits…" Aki said, catching on. However, the Monster they are thinking about won't be the same as they remembered.
"Gathering bonds, overlay with the soul of a friend! Light up! Beyond our future! This is my new power! Come on! Shooting Star Dragon Tech Genus - Expansion!" (WIND; Level 10; ATK: 3300; DEF: 2500) The version of Yusei's upgraded Ace Monster was a really big surprise. It appeared to be the normal Shooter Star Dragon but outfitted with high tech armor and laser weapons.
"Tech Genus?!" All the other Signers gasped. They were reminded of Bruno, who used a Deck by that name.
"It looks like a cyborg." Kiryu noted, remembering seeing the original Shooting Star one other time.
"Big deal! My dragon is about to reduce yours to cinders! Trident Dragion, use your second attack on Shooting Star Dragon Tech Genus – Expansion!" This time, the head on the right launched it's assault.
"Shooting Star Expansion's Monster Effect! Once per turn, when an opposing Monster attacks, that attack is negated!" The second stream of electric fire got canceled out without any effort. Salazar growled frustratedly.
'Crap! Now I can't knock out his remaining Life Points this turn!' He thought angrily. "Darn you! I still got one attack left! If I can't beat you this turn, I can still annihilate your new Ace! Trident Dragion, attack Yusei's dragon one more time!" The center head fired it's own attack.
"Shield Warrior's Monster Effect! During damage calculation, I can banish it from my Graveyard to prevent Monsters I control from being destroyed by this battle!"
"When did you get that in your Graveyard?!" Salazar demanded.
"Shield Warrior was the card I discarded when I play my Card Defense!" Yusei answered to the stunned boy.
"Damn that Yusei Fudo. He always has something up his sleeve." Divine muttered annoyingly.
"Damn right he does." Kiryu and now Sherry said together.
"Well, fine! Your Monster may be sticking around, but you still take the damage from this attack!" Salazar told Yusei. He was right. Yusei could not stop the blow that slightly singed him and his Life Points.
(3800 - 3300 = 500)
(Yusei: 700 - 500 = 200)
"His Life Points are almost gone!" Rin said in worry.
"Yusei will win this. Don't stop believing in him, Rin." Aki advised. Rin nodded, remembering that Yusei could handle worse.
"If both my previous attacks got through, I'd have won by now!" Salazar complained loudly. "But, I'll still win, I promise you that! I end my turn."
Yusei stood firm and prepared to draw for what looked like his final turn. "Salazar, I will not stop fighting to save my friends! They are here for me, and I for them!"
"Stop lying! Divine told me how vile and cruel you really are! You can never convince me otherwise!" Salazar spat back, infuriated that is enemy kept spewing out lies.
"Indeed I have." Divine said with a smirk. There was truly no way for Yusei, or anyone, to reveal his deception to his organization's namesake.
Yusei wouldn't hear of it. "Divine is the one that has lied to you, and somehow I'll prove it to you! But for now, I will finish this Duel! My turn! Draw!"
"I'm stopping your comeback right here! I banish my Fire Accelerant Trap from Graveyard to give my Ace Monster a new Effect! Now, during each of your Standby Phases, Trident Dragion will target and destroy all non-FIRE Monsters you control!" To his surprise, Yusei smiled.
"Do you believe that?" He asked calmly, confusing the boy again. "I activate another Effect of Shooting Star Expansion! During either of our turns, when my opponent activates a Monster Effect that targets one or more Monsters I control, I can negate and destroy that card by banishing a Tuner Monster from my Graveyard! I'm banishing my Nitro Synchron to negate and destroy your Trident Dragion!"
"WHAT?!" Salazar and Divine yelled as the dragon was blown apart.
"He's got nothing now!" Yugo said, happy that Salazar finally has no defense.
"That's it Yusei!" Crow cheered.
Salazar stood there, stunned. "No… my Ace… it's gone."
"No. Damn you Yusei." Divine cursed furiously.
"With your dragon gone, your Field is wide open! I switch my Nitro Warrior to Attack Mode!" Yusei knew this was his chance. He had to finish it now. "Here it comes Salazar! Battle! Nitro Warrior, Direct Attack!" Yusei's first Synchro Monster sped ahead and punched Salazar in the chest, knocking him back a ways.
(Salazar: 4000 - 2800 = 1200)
"Just one more Yusei!" Sherry shouted.
"Yusei!" Aki called out, along with everyone else. Yusei launched his final attack.
"It's over Salazar! Shooting Star Dragon Tech Genus – Expansion, Direct Attack! Stardust Blaster!" Aiming it's laser canons, the upgraded dragon fired sparkling crimson energy beams at Salazar. The boy was knocked off his feet as he fell backward in defeat.
(Salazar: 0)
To be continued.
