"I'm not going." Gongenzaka said to the others, who were being led by Gallagher to his place. "We should be looking for the others, not some unknown Duelists-"
"Wait a second, Gong-chan." Dennis interrupted Gongenzaka as he walked up to him to try to reason with him. "For all we know, the others could be here, too."
"Why would the others be here though?" O'Brien raised the question.
"Well, Reiji said our goal is to search for strong Duelists to help our cause in defeating Academia. For what we know, some of the Lancers here could be doing just that. And I already know 2 people who would want to." Shark said.
"You mean Shun and Serena?" Gongenzaka asked.
"Yes." Ryoga confirmed.
"Those are my thoughts exactly, Shark-chan!"
"Stop calling me Shark-chan!" Shark demanded Dennis. It sounded really stupid already.
"But strong Duelists in a place like this…" Gongenzaka murmured, thinking otherwise by the fact that the place they are being led to is in an alleyway.
"Strong Duelists here?" Gallagher interjected as he walked to the 4 Lancers. "You think that I, the great promoter Gallagher would spout nonsense? RAAAAH!" He proceeded to grab Gongenzaka's collar while dragging him with him.
Wow, to move Gong-chan like that, this person must have amazing strength! Dennis thought to himself.
"H-Hey!" After Gongenzaka's statement, Gallagher also took Dennis by the collar and dragged him as well. Shark and O'Brien looked at the trio before looking at each other. Shark sighed in defeat and O'Brien shrugged his shoulders as they followed Gallagher, despite the constant bickering and yelling from Gong and Dennis.
At the entrance, Gallagher let go of Dennis and Gong, who immediately retaliated.
"Hey! What the heck did you think you were doing? Dragging us to this place when we don't even want to be here!" Gongenzaka bellowed.
Despite his yelling, Gallagher ignored him and proceeded to enter a code for the door. A beeping sound was heard and the door slowly started to slide open, with bright light oozing to the outside. Gallagher turned around to face the Lancers.
"Ok, we're here. See with your own eyes whether or not I'm telling the truth." Gallagher stepped to the side to show a gigantic room with a stadium. There was a lane for Riding Duels that went in circles, there was hundreds of people watching a Duel commence between two Duelists. The four walked in so they could get a better view of the area.
"What is this place?" Gongenzaka asked Gallagher as he looked on in awe.
Gallagher threw his arms around Dennis and Gongenzaka. "This is the largest underground Dueling arena in the City. A social gathering of darkness where people bet on illegal gambling Duels."
"Underground Dueling…" Both Shark and O'Brien muttered. They had both told each other of underground Dueling in their home Dimensions, so the fact that they both knew wasn't so surprising to them.
"Duels of darkness and torture. Rio and I used to take part in these kind of Duels. Albeit, Rio did it much less than me. I used to do it to escape from the outside world. It was before I met Yuto and the others. Rio only took part in the underground Duels to look out for me and make sure I didn't do anything stupid." Shark explained his reason for knowing about underground Duels.
"A place like this…" Gongenzaka growled in anger. He could not accept a place where people bet illegally, in was just unforgivable and it was nothing a true an would do.
"Over there!" Dennis exclaimed as he pointed to the track where above there were pictures of the Duelists.
"What?" O'Brien asked as he looked at the pictures, surprised to see some of the Duelists.
"Shun! I told you he or Serena could have came here!" Shark commented at the sight of a Shun. He looked on to the Field to see Shun in his purple riding suit with a helmet on his head.
The Duel played out to the end. Shun Xyz Summoned Rise Falcons used its effects to defeat his opponent named Mukuro Enjo.
The crowd went ecstatic and they started chanting. "KUROSAKI! KUROSAKI! KUROSAKI!"
Later
"Why? To look for strong Duelists, of course." Shun answered Gongenzaka's question of why he was in the underground area.
"Alright, pay up." Shark told O'Brien as he held out his hand. O'Brien gave a look that said 'do I look like I have money on me at the moment?"
"I thought so, it's easier to find strong Duelists in underground arenas like this than our on the streets." Dennis pointed out.
"I heard that in this underground Dueling arena, people Duel seriously using their own skills. But it's been disappointing. Everyone here is all talk and no bite. No one has given me a worthy challenge." Gallagher chuckled at what Shun said.
"This guy here uses an astonishing Summoning method called Xyz so when I saw you and barnacle boy over there use Xyz Summoning, I knew I had to come and get you. Kurosaki here has 9 consecutive wins so far." Gallagher informed the four.
"It's not exactly shocking to us...or, to me at least." Shark replied calmly.
"Yeah, we're all pals!" Dennis told Gallagher.
"Hmph, no wonder." He whispered to himself so no one could hear him.
"Pfft, the Xyz you learn at LDS is a fraud." Shun scoffed. From the LDS Duelists he fought, some used Xyz, and they weren't much of a challenge at all to Shun.
"Oh, really? But your Xyz Monsters aren't that strong either, aren't they? And also, last time I heard, there were rumors going around about you and Reiji having a Duel and the latter kicking your ass with an Xyz Monster!" Dennis exclaimed in a challenging manner.
"What was that you bastard?!" Shun took a sharp turn around and glared at Dennis. A cold sea of tension growing slowly in between the two.
"Stop fighting!" Gongenzaka walked in between the two. He turned to Shun. "Kurosaki, where are Yuto, Serena and the others?"
"Who knows. I arrived in this Dimension alone, and got this far by myself. I tried contacting Shark and Yuto, but the inter dimensional travel must have messed with our communication system. I have no doubt Yuto is fine, he's a tough guy, he wouldn't falter that easily. When I first arrived though, I actually thought the others got lost in between Dimensions…"
"You didn't even bother to look for them?!" Gongenzaka exclaimed.
"I told you I tried contacting Shark and Yuto, I got nothing. I've been looking for strong Duelists. That's the reason why we are here." Shun responded nonchalantly.
"Looking for the other Lancers should be top priority!" Gongenzaka exclaimed out of annoyance for Shun's arrogance and reluctance to help find the others. For all they know, they could be in trouble.
"Lancers? What's that? And you've been going on and on about dimensions or something…"
Gongenzaka turned around to face Gallagher. "The truth is, we came here from the Standard Dimensi-GUAGH!" Dennis forcefully elbowed Gongenzaka in the Rin's, catching him off guard and leaving him in pain and in anger. "What are you…"
"No harm done!" Dennis smiled at Gongenzaka as if nothing had ever happened. "Now, let's save the complicated stuff for later." He moved closer to Gongenzaka and whispered into his ear. "Talking about other dimensions and whatnot is bound to be troublesome."
"Hey!" Gallagher pointed at Dennis suddenly. "What are you whisperin' about over there?"
"Ah, nothing." Dennis backed away from Gong. "Anyway, you called us because Kurosaki's so strong, right?"
"Yeah, I found you guys while looking for newcomers who don't use cheap tricks. Especially you, Dennis!" Gallagher pointed at Dennis while taking off his glasses, causing the boy to backup a little bit to maintain personal space. "You have what it takes to become a star! I've been making a living in this city for a long time. My eyes are never wrong."
"Yah...I'm so happy to hear Gallagher-san say that!" Dennis scratched the back of his head as he closed his eyes.
"Dennis don't tell me that you're going to…" Gongenzaka trailed off, waiting for Dennis' answer.
"Yeah, it's fine to give it a try." Dennis replied with a wide smile, no hesitation present in his voice at all.
"I would not advise that, Dennis. Duels like these really take a toll on your body after a while, and to some newcomers, it can be really bad." Shark warned Dennis.
"But the Duels here are different. And there is riding that motorcycle-looking thing."
"D-wheel." Gallagher out his glasses back on as he said the name of the object Dennis was referring to. "This the first time you guys have seen a Riding Duel?"
"Riding Duel?" Shark, Gong, Dennis, and O'Brien repeated in confusion. Shark suddenly realized something.
He bickered something to himself so no one could hear. "Actually, Yugo was on a d-wheel, and he does hail from this Dimension. Could it be that he also takes part in Riding Duels?"
Sometime after the 2 VS 2 Duel-Aki's home-Commons
"I'm back." Aki announcer as she walked through the door in her usual attire. (The clothes she basically always wears in 5D's)
"Where did you go?" Ruri asked the girl.
"To The Tops." Aki replied simply as she entered the same room that Ruri was in.
Aki's place was nice and a little clean, but even still it was nothing compared to a Tops house. So it was still considered a Commons house. It's basically Crow's house except a little bigger with 1 or 2 more rooms.
Ruri took a good look at Aki, the girl who saved her. She had difficulty trusting her because of what happened in the Duel where she...changed. However, she saved Ruri herself. So, she could be trusted for now. The first thing Aki said to a Ruri when they first came to her house was to take a bath if she would like to, as Ruri did kind of fall into a dumpster, literally.
From the get-go, Ruri could tell that living in the Commons wasn't easy if you weren't used to it. She wondered how Rin could live like this her entire life. Rin had said the Commons was a very messy place, small buildings and houses, and people on the streets struggling to survive. Oh yeah, and the occasional dangerous gangs lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce on a victim. It's kind of survival of the fittest really.
However, as Ruri took another look around the place, it wasn't messy or anything like that. Which gave Ruri a question.
"Aki-san, how did you get some of this nice stuff, like a bath." From what Rin had told her, most people of the Commons couldn't maintain personal hygiene because of how poor most of the population was.
"Well, some stuff I...might have stole." Aki revealed with a small smile.
"You stole it!?" Ruri exclaimed while widening her eyes in shock.
"Yeah, not so good, so that, along with the fact that I attack some people of Security around here, is part of the reason that I am labeled a threat. Thankfully, no one has ever found me." Aki informed Ruri.
"So why do you attack Security? Do you have a grudge?" Ruri asked politely.
Aki's face slightly twitched from anger for a moment, but it wasn't very noticeable to a Ruri. "Well, Security and the Tops...well, they treat us Commons like trash. Hell, sometimes they even treat each other the same way. I should know. After all, I used to live in the Tops."
"You used to live in the Tops? Then why…"
"Why am I living in the Commons now?" Aki finished, Ruri nodded her head in response. Aki let out a sigh. "Well, let's just say I got kicked out of my home, so was my family. The reason why, is because of my father. But I don't blame him, it's because of the Tops. You see, my father used to be a senator in the Tops. He noticed the problem the Commons were having, and so, eventually, he revealed to the Tops that he wanted to help out the Commons and bring both the Tops and the Commons together, so they could live as one whole society, equally."
"That sounds like a great plan!" Ruri commented. "Your father must be a good man!"
"He was. The idea seemed very good, however, the other Tops didn't agree with the idea. My dad was bombarded with protests and outrage. Eventually, Security was sent over to my house in the Tops and they arrested my family and I. My mom, my dad, and finally me. There were these two trucks, they threw me into one, while I saw that they threw my parents into a different one for some reason. I never saw my parents again." Aki closed her eyes as she formed a fist with her hand and grit her teeth.
"I'm sorry." Ruri said out of sympathy. Ruri herself already knew how much it hurts to lose a loved one. She lost her parents when Academia attacked, and now she was separated from her friends, her brother, and Yuto…
"It's ok. I never said they were dead. They might still be alive, albeit captured by Security's hands. Anyways, that was 2 years ago, when I was 16-years old. Anyways, I was taken to a prison, and, I was stuck there for about a year, I'm surprised I didn't go insane. But I broke out, and when I did, I was chased, I was challenged to a Duel by Security, but I beat them, and I discovered my powers. The ability to inflict real damage through Duel Monsters."
Academia could do the same thing. Ruri noted.
"I went back to my house to see it replaced completely, the house was kind of like a family inheritance, so I knew that my Dad didn't change the look, he never would. I decided to go to the Commons area before I would be found, and I found this abandoned house. So I tidied it up and called it home. And ever since I have lived here and attacked several members of Security." Aki told Ruri.
"So how did you adapt?" Ruri asked.
"I kind of knew already how the Commons lived. When my father said he wanted to help the Commons, I told him I wanted to help, so he said that my mom and I could go down to the Commons and supply them. I decided to put on some Duels to give the Commons a more positive outlook on life and have them temporarily escape the harsh realities of life. While down in the Commons, I saw how they lived, how they ate, and how they adapt really." Aki explained. Suddenly, her face grew a smile. "Anyways, enough about that. While in the Tops, I saw 4 people entertaining a crowd."
"Really?" Ruri remembered to how in Heartland, Sakaki Yusho would entertain the crowd after his sudden appearance. His shows were a hit.
"Yeah, it was a 2 on 2 Duel. Two guys stood out to me though, they used this weird Summoning method, where they would use Monsters with the same level as material and Summon a Monster. I think they called it...Xyz Summoning…" Aki said.
"Wait! Xyz Summoning!" Ruri stood up in shock. Could it be her comrades have come for her? They knew she was here?
"How do you know about Xyz Summoning?" Aki questioned the girl she saved.
"It's the Summoning method I use." Ruri revealed as she took a Card from her Extra Deck and showed it to Aki. "Anyways, what did these two people look like?"
"Hmm, well, one had orange hair, while the other had purple hair that looked like tentacles. Funny enough, he used Fish Monsters and Sharks. If I remember correctly, he Summoned a big boss Monster named Shark Drake." Aki thought back to the Duel.
Ruri widened her eyes, a smile creeping up her face. Purple hair with tentacles with an Xyz Monster named Shark Drake? That spelled Ryoga all over it.
"It's them. It's my friends." Ruri sighed in relief. "Yuto and my brother could be with them too! I can finally see them again." A tear started to form in Ruri's right eye at the thought of seeing the people she cared about.
"Do you know one of them?" Aki asked.
"Yes, the one with purple hair. He is one of my friends. Do you know where they are?" Ruri demand Aki for an answer.
"No, they probably left." The 18-year old woman told Ruri. "But don't get any ideas of leaving to go find them. Security probably would capture you in a second if they see you. I don't want you getting captured. We cannot do anything at the moment, we should just wait." Ruri grew sad at Aki's commands. Once again, she couldn't see her comrades. First she lost some friends from the war, then she was kidnapped, and now she can't see them. For all she knew, Shun and Yuto was with Shark. Despite her desire to sneak out and look, she obeyed Aki. However, she had a deep pain and sadness in her heart.
It's just not fair...
Synchro Dimension-At night-Crow's home
"Yuto. It's time." Yuya spoke to Yuto telepathically.
"Yeah. Let's go." Yuto responded as he slowly walked out of the room. He came to the door to the outside. However, right when he was about to open the door…
"Where are you going?"
Yuto jumped slightly out of shock from the sudden voice. He turned around and saw Serena sitting on Crow's table with her arms crossed.
"S-Serena?" Yuya spoke the name of the girl.
"What are you doing? Why are you awake?" Yuto interrogated the girl from the Fusion Dimension.
"I would ask you the same question." Serena countered.
"Kgh…" Yuto grumbled our of frustration.
"You want to go out looking for Yuzu and Yugo, don't you?" Serena guessed. She had already heard the a little bit of the conversation Yuto and Crow had yesterday, so she already knew he was going out.
Damn it, how do girls know everything! Yuto thought to himself.
"Uhh, yeah. I'm going out to look for them. Alright, you already know why I'm up, but what about you?" Yuto asked the lookalike of Yuzu.
"Isn't it obvious? To go with you." Serena held up her own Duel Disk to Yuto.
"Oh no, we're not Dueling people at night, it could attract attention. Also, if the both of us went out, we could easily get caught." Yuto argued with Serena. They already sparked a bad reputation with the officials right as they arrived. Although they didn't do anything wrong, they still had the law against them now.
"You mean YOU will get caught." Serena said, referring to how easily she spotted Yuto moments before their conversation. "Of course, Academia taught us some skills to use in battle. One of these skills happened to be stealth. Unfortunately, I couldn't use any of the teachings. They were useless since the Professor wouldn't let me go out to the frontlines of the army that attacked the Xyz Dimension." At that statement, Yuto's face grew noticeably pale.
"Actually, speaking of the Professor, what is he like? Do you know anything about his Deck, how he rules Academia, anything?" Yuto listed examples of things that Serena could tell him.
"The Professor...what he's like huh…" Serena pondered on the questions for a bit, before coming up with an answer. "Alright, here's something. The Professor is basically Akaba Reiji, except for a couple of things, he's an enemy, and also he never shows any emotion at all, unlike Akaba Reiji who shows a tiny bit. Like Reiji, the man is intelligent, and he knows how to rule an army. At Academia, the Professor rules with an iron fist, and his orders are absolute. Those who disobey are either punished or executed."
"Executed as killed?" Yuto questioned.
"No. Executed as in Carded." Serena corrected.
"That's terrible, even for Academia soldiers. For the leader to treat his comrades and soldiers like that…" Yuto trailed off, not knowing what else to say. He had actually, for the first time, felt remorse for the Academia students. Could it be that this was why the soldiers were like this? So...sadistic? Could it be how they were taught?
Wait a minute, how they were taught...what if…
"Serena, tell me, how much basic knowledge to Academia students have of anything?" Yuto asked.
"Other subjects are thought to be useless to learn at Academia. Only a Dueling and tactics of war and fighting." Serena answered.
"Thanks for the info, but that's not what I meant. I mean how well-educated are Academia students before they enroll?" Yuto questioned.
"I don't know. But from what I have heard, not much education. I've heard rumors that there more people who enroll that are orphans than people with parents or some kind of parental figure. Just like me, they had no parents, so they enrolled and the Professor took them in. Of course, they are taught in the ways that emotions and such other things like love will just hold you back." Serena explained.
"So that's why they are merciless killing machines. They have never known anything else. Academia is really the only thing they know." Yuya muttered to himself.
"Oh yeah, one more thing, people who enroll that have parents or something like that, well, they never see their parents again. They become corrupt by Academia's teachings." Serena added to her explanation. "Anyways, stuff about Academia aside, let's go find Yugo and Yuzu."
"Yeah." Yuto nodded his head in agreement as the two left the house.
Alright! We got another chapter done. This will most likely be my last chapter before this story goes on hiatus. But who knows, there is a small chance I will be able to squeeze out one more chapter.
No Duel this chapter, sorry guys, there will be one next chapter, but of course you guys might not be able to see it.
Here's the preview:
While Yuto and Serena are out trying to look for Yugo and Yuzu, they run into Mukuro Enjo, who out of rage, left the underground arena after being demolished by Kurosaki. Serena stays hidden and leaves Yuto to Duel Enjuro. However, as the Duel begins, Yuya opts to switch places with Yuto and Duel to let the latter rest…
If you guys don't know who Mukuro Enjo is, it'd Hunter Pace in the dub. He appeared in 5D's, and of course he made a cameo sort of appearance in Arc-V by being destroyed by Kurosaki. If I remember correctly, he was arrested, but I decided to have him leave before that would even happen.
Bridgey: Love hate relationship...I don't know about love, Yugo and Yuzu didn't really have a thing going on. (If you are a person who ships Yugo and Yuzu I really don't mind, I'm just saying what I think.) Thank you for understanding about the break by the way.
That's all for now guys, hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Take care, goodbye!
