Yu-Gi-Oh! 5 Deluxe Dragons
Disclaimer: This one doesn't own the Yugioh series.
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egduardiazluber: I figured it would be tautological to say I only speak English since my story is in English. Luckily, Google translate is here.
If you're curious, everyone already has an upgrade to their Signer Dragons in the ocg. But I prefer they be in-between Savior, Accel Synchro, and Double Tuning. We've seen Luca's, so four left. Of course, Yusei and Jack go beyond, but that's later.
Chapter 31 – The Three Dates
"Let's go."
"W-Wait!"
Misty doesn't wait and instead pulls Yusei along as they enter the shopping district. She wears the same undercover clothing as before, while her date has for once a different outfit. He has a dark blue shirt underneath a bright blue jacket. His brown pants with orbs similar to his usual outfit are stitched on, and he wears the same boots since he lacks a better pair. While he has shades on too, they seem superfluous what with his distinct hair.
As this happens, a couple of figures watch the two have their fun. Her red hair is shown underneath the cap and mask she wears. 'Why am I here? Why am I watching them? It shouldn't matter to me…'
"She looks like she's having fun," says Luca as she watches through her shades behind and under Aki.
"I thought Jack was the only one who attracted women…" Lua says from the other side.
Together, the couple pass by several clothing stores before stopping at one she points at. The supermodel guides him inside with a smile. He, on the other hand, is flabbergasted at being pulled along.
Inside, Misty looks through several men's clothing. "I think this should look good."
She holds the black shirt to Yusei, testing the size. Her hands adjust to test whether or not it can work out, until pulling it away. "What do you think?"
"I don't know… I'm fine with whatever," Yusei says to her, a little confused.
Misty sighs. "Yusei, you have to be more engaged."
Aki flinches seeing them and trying to read lips. 'Engage?!'
"I'm getting these clothes for you, after all."
A little deep in thought, Yusei sighs before saying, "Right, I'm sorry. I'm just not good at picking things out."
While his mind wanders, he spots something of interest. It's a shirt where the Starry, Starry Night is drawn over everything. He goes over and picks up the shirt, staring at it with great intrigue. "I do like this."
"Ooh, good choice." Misty goes to the shirt and adds it to the shopping bag. "A choice made on personal taste."
The two continue to shop before she goes to pay for it. With two different bags in hand, they leave to head into the food court. She is slurping soba with Earl Grey tea and he has tempura udon with milk. She also notes how that's a weird choice, but he's good with it so she doesn't bother bringing it up.
"Yusei, how was today?" she asks him between swallowing her soba and then drinking the broth.
He puts down half of the tempura with his chopsticks. "It was fine…"
"But you're distracted by the information I told you, aren't you?"
"Of course I am. How did Divine break out of prison?" he asks her, keeping his voice low.
"I surmise he had help."
"Why didn't you tell me of this sooner? Why did no one?" Yusei asks with concern.
She stares at her food. "My memories came back more than a month ago after his escape was orchestrated. I guess since he was moved overseas information on his escape wasn't made public to Japan… Besides, aren't you already busy with this WRGP? You would probably stop everything to handle him."
"This time, yes, I would have. After what he did to Aki, Lua, Luca, Carly, and your brother… we all would have done something."
"But you shouldn't. You and your friends have done enough to expose the Arcadia Movement's secrets. Among other things." She gives him an understanding look. "There's no need for you to get involved. You and the others should live your lives."
"Still…" He eats some noodles. "If you're telling me…"
"They still haven't found him. Interpol thinks he's come to Japan. They talked to me about it since Toby was a member; they thought I might know something he told me." Her expression drops when she speaks her beloved brother's name. "I couldn't just leave it be if he tried to come after you or Aki."
Yusei smiles in appreciation. "Thank you for that."
Misty resumes eating, as does her date. While still in hiding, Aki watches the two eating while sipping a smoothie. 'What are they talking about?'
After their lunch, the two enter an arcade. Misty plays a game of Tekken XII against Yusei and is humorously losing to him three rounds out of five. Aki resumes watching until she gets kicked out for stalking.
…
We now find the two out in the open, sitting side by side on a bench. As people walk by, the two look up at the skies taking in the day, as well as the soft breeze blowing Misty's hair.
"This is nice, isn't it?" she asks, arms together and hands squeezed between her legs.
Yusei, while at peace, feels the need to ask. "Misty, why were you insistent on a date?"
"Hm?"
"If you wanted to tell me about Divine, you could have told me."
Misty sighs, before turning her eyes to him. "I guess… if we're being honest…" Her cheeks gain a shade of erubescence. "I've taken a huge liking to you, and I wanted to help your heart."
"My heart?"
"After I got my memories back, I remembered everything you and Aki did for me… I hunted down Aki to murder her for killing my brother, but she was innocent. You exposed Divine's crime and I fed him to my Earthbound God. I lost control, and after Aki stopped me you saved my soul." She rests her head against his shoulder. "For a long amount of time, I thought about how I should repay you, and since I knew you wouldn't want money, I decided to give you something more personal."
Yusei's eyes narrow with clarity. "So that's what this date was for…"
"Warning you about Divine was my way to pay Aki back. The date was for you as well as me." Misty smiles a little, redness spreading across her cheeks. "I checked up on Carly yesterday thinking she heard something, and she told me about some of the things you went through. She also explained to me why she and I passed out and remembered things. I wanted to help you relax after all you've been through the last few months. You seemed stressed, and you didn't want to do anything for yourself."
"Myself?"
"It's okay to be a little selfish. Thinking of others helps you make the world a better place, but thinking of yourself will help you appreciate that world and live it. You can't go anywhere in life without desire, without wanting something for yourself. That's how I became what I am."
Yusei pauses as her words sink in. It's reminiscent of what Jack has said to him before the Paradox incident. He also remembers Sherry speaking of certain words and motivation as well. He doesn't have a true, personal goal after rescuing Satellite. The World Riding Duel Grand Prix will end soon, and win or lose, they need to look toward something beyond that.
Luca wants to become a priestess. Lua desires to become a Riding Duelist. Crow wants to inspire kids to follow their dreams. Jack is aiming to become a true King. Aki? She hasn't expressed what she is looking to become in the future, but she must have some plan. Everyone has their goals and plans in mind. What does he want today? Tomorrow? Can he live without the friends that he's made so far?
He'll have to worry about them later; the sinking of his heart is telling him this is a hard decision he'll work through afterward.
Luckily, a beeping from Misty's watch catches his attention. She looks at the time, saying, "I guess our date's come to an end."
"You're leaving?"
"I have to." Misty smiles before she stands up with her date. "I only have so much free time a day, and I enjoyed it so much."
"Yeah…" Thinking back, Yusei smiles at the fun they shared today. "I enjoyed it too. Thanks for the relaxing time."
"I'm glad." Misty prepares to go, before stopping to face him. She then leans in and presses her lips upon his.
Yusei flinches feeling the warm pressure of her moist lips. Misty quickly pulls away, the kiss being the only thing on his mind. "Thank you for today, Yusei."
At this moment, they would prepare to leave. But before they can, a weird thud can be heard nearby. They look over and spot both Lua and Luca on top of Aki, all three in disguise. Aki's face is as red as her hair, as deep too, while the twins look like tomatoes due to their hair.
"Aki? Lua? Luca?" Yusei asks in surprise.
"I guess we had some guests. I better go." Misty smiles at Yusei before walking off to her photo shoot.
Lua gets up quickest and shouts, "Yusei! Did you just kiss Misty?!"
"Lua, be quiet!" says his sister.
"But you saw it too!"
"Yes, I did! And so did Aki!" She points back to Aki, still staring at the ground unable to emote.
Far from the scene, a woman watches using spectacles. She removes them, her veiled golden eyes glossed with disappointment. She pockets them in her pocket and turns to leave.
She pulls out a smartphone and calls on it. After it answers, she says, "Divine, I want to go now."
"Not yet. Wait until they're at their most distracted."
"But when is that? I want this useless bitch now."
"Do not talk about Aki that way, Saeko! She is far more valuable than the rest of you lot! Wait for the tournament."
He hangs on, causing Saeko to fume.
…
Over in Satisfaction Town, formerly Crash Town, repairs have been finalized. The desert town hub no longer looks like a shabby version of the town Dirt from Rango, but now a place you can go to more comfortably. There are actual folks outside during the daylight hours enjoying their time dueling or chatting.
Coming to town is Crow, riding the Blackbird and his Team 5D's uniform. Seeing him, the townsfolk cheer and welcome him, allowing him to wave at the people he helped.
He stops by the diner, parking his machine out front. Entering in, he spots Kiryu polishing a bar table. The former leader of Team Satisfaction sees him, smirking.
"I thought you'd have a more important role here."
"And I thought you'd be taller." The two share a laugh meeting up once again. Seeing his jacket, Kiryu says, "So, it's about to happen…"
"Yeah." Crow takes a seat and leans back in it. His eyes spot the giant TV being jacked into the wall. "Looks like you're getting ready for it too."
"I can't exactly leave yet. Nico and West need me." Kiryu grabs some whiskey from below and pours a drink.
"It won't be easy. We've gone through a lot of hurdles to get this far. And now, we're on the verge of making our dream come true."
"As if winning a tournament will be the peak of your life." Crow glances back at Kiryu. "You helped me out. Maybe you can help others out."
Getting ready to leave, Crow passes by a quaint little flower shop. Barbara is found working hard inside, easily catching his attention. The orange-haired duelist steps inside.
"Welcome to the-ah!" She pauses seeing Crow entering the flower shop.
Seeing her and the crescent Mark she is now sporting across her cheek, he smirks a little. "Well! Looks like they didn't throw the book at you yet."
"Shut up." Barbara turns to the flowers, adjusting them. "I would have gone to prison if I hadn't taken this plea deal. Since Lotten was behind everything, he took the full brunt of the sentencing. The rest of us who didn't commit murders received community service here."
"Well, at least it looks cool."
"I can't believe I ended up like this…" Barbara complains before moving some roses to a vase. "I don't even get the big deal about Dyne. So what if it makes D-Wheels? I don't even play this game."
"Then you wouldn't understand the concept of dreams."
Her face scrunches up. "Dreams… we all had dreams at one moment or another…" Barbara looks at the one rose before her, wilted from lack of water. "But then life happens and you grow up, and you have no choice but to give up those dreams! I'm not as lucky as you were."
His eyes narrow as he points to the many Marks on his face. "No, I'm not. But, you know what, I didn't let that stop me. Or us for that matter."
He turns over to the door and prepares to go. "You know, I wouldn't mind coming back and teaching you how to duel."
Barbara pauses, quiet after the kind offer. "And what makes you think I'll be waiting for you?"
"I'll think of it as a dream." And with that, he leaves the store.
Flabbergasted, Barbara goes to the glass and watches him leave. A little twinge pulls inside of her as she watches him board his bike and drive away, but her face does not show this. Instead, she scuffs. 'He won't come back.'
Hitting the road, Crow makes it back to Neo Domino City within hours. He checks the time and sighs, enjoying the freedom he feels through the breeze. The roads feel empty this late in the day, which must mean there was a duel earlier. Only one other D-Wheel is on the road.
While driving, he thinks back to Barbara. 'She's given up too… just like Kiryu and the others did back in Satellite… I'm going to win this preliminary match and show her one we can't give up.'
His thoughts motivate him as he makes a sharp turn. Suddenly, his machine jerks and he flies out. Screaming, Crow somersaults across the asphalt painfully before rolling. His D-Wheel spins out and hits the wall.
"Ow…" Crow sits up as he groans in pain. 'What the hell was that?' He tries to stand using his right arm, but it cripples under the weight and pain falling backward while screaming.
…
"What?!" Crow shouts.
"You have a large fracture," says the doctor after examining the boy's arm. "You need to take a month of rest to fully heal."
His friends, the entirety of Team 5D's, are also surprised by the news. Aki even says, "But the preliminaries are in three days!"
"I'm sorry, but he won't be doing anything with that arm."
"But doc! I can't! I don't care if I can't duel anymore after. I have to make this tournament!"
"This isn't something you can power through. You need to rest."
"As if, ya quack!" Crow gets up and tries to move his arm, only to drop down in his seat crying in pain.
He glooms staring at the floor. All of the kids he took care of back at Martha's won't be able to see him play now. He wanted to duel for them. Now, he may never get to play. What will he be able to say to them?
That night, the group is together at the garage. Team Unicorn will be facing them this weekend, and their formidable tactics will require all hands on deck.
"What should we do?" asks Jack.
"8000 life points will be a huge handicap…" Bruno says, knowing Jack will want to try with just the two of them.
"Well-"
"So what? We give up?!" he shouts, slamming his fist into the table Yusei made.
"Not after coming this far…" Yusei adds.
"How about-"
"Good! We'll play to the very end! Jack Atlas will carry the entire team if I have to!"
"GUYS!" The two riders turn to Aki, who has removed her sleeve to reveal her mark. "I may be a benchwarmer, but I'm still a rider. How about I take Crow's place?"
That causes a twitch in the Blackwing user. "I can take over and play as the second or first wheeler if I have to. At least until he recovers."
"Do you think you can keep up with us?" Jack asks her in a serious tone. That said, she also feels as if that's a bit condescending.
"I have not been practicing, buying new cards, and studying tactics this entire time to only sit on the sidelines. Each team is allowed a plus 1 in case of accidents." She sleeves her arm back up as she speaks. "Let me help."
Yusei gives her a deep look, piercing the amber light of her eyes with his cerulean blue. After a beat, he nods. "Then, welcome aboard."
Angry, Crow storms outside into the rain. "C-Crow-"
"Shut up! Don't talk like you understand my feelings!" He then stares up at the rain. His left-hand clenches in anger, contemplating his options.
He takes in a deep breath, turning to face her once more. "Aki… you're gonna show how hard you've been practicing!"
"Eh?"
"If you're gonna inherit the kids' feelings and mine, you've gotta put your money where it matters!"
Lightz: This concludes the Pre-WRGP arc. Next time on 5Ds Deluxe, the first runner Jack will face Andre. But there are two problems, and one of them comes from arrogance.