As the artificial sun on the Xianzhou began to set, Yusei slowly rode through Central Starskiff Haven. Wrapped to the back of his D-Wheel was the Knight of Hanoi he dueled against only a few minutes ago. For the most part, the Xianzhou natives did let him pass through undisturbed even if some of them threw annoyed looks at him. He understood why; he was basically driving a motorcycle on the sidewalk. Still, he was thankful that they would let him pass.
Well, most of them anyways.
"Hey!" Yusei turned around and turned off his D-Wheel when he heard the girl shout. There was a girl with brown hair, styled into two large twin tails and with a large sword tied to her waist marching towards him. The duelist sighed as he reached into his pocket as he pulled out his IPC ID, KaibaCorp ID, and D-Wheel Licence and handed them to the Cloud Knight. At least, he assumed she was a Cloud Knight.
"I, uhh, what're these for?" The girl asked.
"I assumed you were pulling me over." Yusei answered. Behind them, the soft sounds of the starskiffs' engines rumbling in the background. "Well, not exactly, but…"
"Oh, okay, I uh…" The girl said, reaching out to grab his identification before pushing them back to him. "That's not why I pulled you over!" She cried and pointed to the unconscious Knight of Hanoi tied to the back of the motorcycle. "Why do you have that guy tied to your motorcycle? He looks like he needs medical attention. Also, why do you have a motorcycle!?"
"Oh, that, I need to find directions to the nearest jail or prison. I went back to the Stargazer Navalia, but all the Knights of Hanou have been arrested, or at least I assume so. I need to take them back into Horakhty custody so that they can properly be charged for their crimes," Yusei explained patiently. "As for the D-Wheel, I'm a Riding Duelist."
"Oh, you're from Horakhty?" The girl asked. She looked over his shoulder, and as she expected, found a deck of Duel Monsters cards in the console of the vehicle. "Okay… that makes some sense. But, you don't look like you're with Sector Security. I'm going to need to check your deck and KaibaCorp ID again." Yusei blinked.
"That won't be necessary, Cloud Knight Sushang." The duelist paused and looked behind him. Standing in between him and the Cloud Knight was a foxian woman with teal colored hair and wearing a mostly white and partly blue outfit. The woman with amethyst colored eyes smiled gently at the duelist.
"Yukong, It's good to see you again," He said after a long pause, extending one hand to the foxian woman. Yukong smiled as she took his hand and shook it.
"And it's good to see you as well, Fudo Yusei," She replies, looking at the unconscious Knight, and then at the young Cloud Knight. "You needn't worry about him anymore. I can take over the situation from here."
"Huh? But Helm Master Yukong…" The girl started, but was silenced by a single glance from Yukong. "...Understood. Have a good day, Madam Yukong." The girl glances at Yusei with a slight glare one last time before she walks away.
Yusei crosses his arms and watches as the girl disappears into the crowd of people. "Good to know you're still as scary as ever," He said dryly.
"Says the one who can command dragons," Yukong said back, prompting a small chuckle from Yusei as he hops back onto his D-Wheel and starts it up again. "Speaking of which, I assume you are the one responsible for the mess in Stagazer Navalia?" Yukong asks.
"Guilty as charged," Yusei says calmly as he began to drive next to Yukong as she led him towards the Sky-Faring Commission building. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I never made any plans to visit the Luofu. This was more of a last-minute journey."
"I can tell," Yukong says, glancing at the Knight of Hanoi again. "From what you've told me, I was under the assumption that the Knights of Hanoi rarely moved their operations off planet."
"Times have changed. The knights have started recruiting people offplanet, most notably from Punklorde. KaibaCorp and SOL Technologies are trying the best they can to stop, but there's only so much they can do when those signals aren't coming from Horakhty," Yusei explained. "They've been leaking private information, overloading servers, and even messing with the Duel Disks' Solid Vision projectors." Yukong's lips tightened into a thin line as she saw Yusei clench one hand into a fist.
Duel Monsters is the third most popular card game in the galaxy, and is the most popular game on Horakhty. From what she's heard from Yusei, Duel Monsters popularity on Horakhty stems from it being a modern interpretation from their planet's ancient rituals and magic. Not just from thousands or hundreds of years, but millions, possibly billions of years in the past. With Horakhty's advancements into the modern era, most of the ruins and history of ancient Horakhty have been lost to time, forever. Duel Monsters was the only way to relive that ancient past, a past that has intrigued the people of Horakhty, but a past that they can never truly learn about.
"I see. Not many people have been injured, I hope?" Yukong asked gently. Yusei, thankfully, shakes head.
"Hospitalizations, yes, but as of right now, there have been no fatalities," Yusei told her.
"I'm glad to hear that," She says with a smile. Yusei smiles back as they reach the entrance of the Sky-Faring Commision. He turned off his D-Wheel and swung the Knight of Hanoi over his shoulder, the man groaning slightly from the sudden movements. He then disconnected the Duel Disk from his D-Wheel and strapped it onto his left wrist.
"You wouldn't happen to have any interrogation rooms, would you?" Yusei asked as they walked up the steps. Yukong shook her head.
"No. The Cloud Knights take custody of criminals. There should be some empty offices near the back of the building, if you're interested in using them. I'll be sure to assign some Cloud Knights to you in case the Knight becomes rowdy," Yukong said.
Yusei nodded in thanks. As he began to push the doors open, he paused for a moment before turning back to Yukong. "If I remember correctly, KaibaCorp managed to integrate a Solid Vision projector into a starskiff, correct?" Yukong laughed lightly at the comment.
"Tingyun had a waking nightmare trying to draw up a contract with Seto Kaiba, but yes, there are prototype starskiffs with Solid Vision projectors," She answered.
"I look forward to testing it out against you," Yusei smirked as he walked into the Sky-Faring Commission, closely followed by the Helm Master.
When looking out the windows of the Astral Express, the Nameless could see the bright green ship that is the Xianzhou Luofu, lazily drifting across the sea of stars. Inside the parlor car, the crew had arranged the furniture to form a crude table; six plush velvet chairs around two tables.
"March, you're frowning," Dan Heng pointed out, taking a bite out of his chicken enchiladas. Himeko and Welt Yang paused briefly before looking at March, who was busy dragging the chicken around the plate. Once she noticed the stares of her friends, March put on a wide smile.
"Why would I be frowning?" She asked, her iridescent twinkling.
"Did something happen on the Luofu?" Welt Yang asked back. March shook her head, while Caelus nodded his.
"Well, a motorcycle built for card games almost ran me over," Caelus answered.
"Oh, that sounds like a D-Wheel!" Pom-Pom exclaimed. "I've always wanted to go see a Riding Duel in person! What sort of monsters did you see? Was it a tough Duel for everyone.
"I didn't know there was a Riding Duel scheduled for today," Himeko commented as Pom-Pom hummed happily to themself.
"There shouldn't be," Dan Heng told her. "There's very few speedways on the Luofu, and the ones that have been built are for starskiffs only. There's no floor for a D-Wheel to ride on."
"There was a famous guy playing. I think his name was… Yusei Fudo, probably?" Caelus mentioned."Something like that. He was also playing against a Knight of Hanoi, whatever that is."
"Yusei Fudo, you say? I've seen some of his Duels before, and he's quite skilled. I believe he's officially the number one duelist from Neo Domino City," Himeko says. "As for the Knights of Hanoi, I believe they're some sort of hacker group trying to take down KaibaCorp. I'm not exactly sure of their motivations, however. I also wonder why either of them would be on the Luofu."
"Perhaps the Knights of Hanoi came to the Luofu to find anybody willing to support them in their operation," Welt Yang theorized. "The Luofu is home to many brilliant and experienced people, after all."
"If they're looking for people to recruit, why go to Punklorde instead? They're better hackers overall, and some are just as obsessed with games as the Horakhty natives," March mentioned.
"I'm not sure. Perhaps this is something we should look into before we leave the Luofu," Himeko said.
"Tomorrow morning, if that's possible," Dan Heng said, looking out the window to see the massive starship that was Xianzhou Luofo.
Behind the makeshift table, the door hissed open and calculated footsteps echoed all throughout the room. On instinct, Dan Heng leapt from his chair and thrust his spear forward. Sparks went flying as the green spear was deflected by a wall of bright white scales. With a grunt, Dan Heng disengaged and jumped back, skidding across the floor.
The white wall of scales uncurled around the person it was protecting; bright blue eyes gazing defiantly at the Vidyadhara.
"Woah! It's Blue-Eyes!" Pom-Pom gushed, their eyes shining brightly. "Hold on… if Blue-Eyes is in the Express then that means…!"
"Impressive guard dog you have there, Himeko," A cool voice spoke. The woman with red hair glared as Blue-Eyes White Dragon floated back, revealing Seto Kaiba standing at the entrance of the parlor car, wearing his signature white coat and holding a briefcase in his left hand, in addition to an active Duel Disk.
"Seto Kaiba. It's an… honor to meet finally you," Himeko said, getting up from her seat and walking towards Dan Heng, placing a hand on his shoulder. Dan Heng glares at her briefly, but after a moment, he sighs and backs off. His spear, however, remains in his hands.
Kaiba scoffed at the remark. "Don't bother with pleasantries."
"Very well then. What do you want, Kaiba? How did you even get in without triggering the Express' defense systems?" Himeko asked, crossing her arms and glaring at the president.
"I have my ways," Kaiba said. For a brief moment, a hologram of Decode Talker appeared in the center of the room before it quickly disappeared. Kaiba walked towards the crew's makeshift table; Blue-Eyes White Dragon floated behind him as he walked towards Caelus. The stellaron's host gulped as Kaiba towered over him.
Kaiba raises his hand and reaches into his coat. Dan Heng grips his spear tightly as he does so, however, he relaxes when Kaiba pulls out a purple and yellow envelope, with a wax seal depicting the Millenium Eye in the center.
"Congratulations. You have formally been invited to the KaibaCorp Grand Tournament," The young president explained as Caelus took the envelope from him. "The official proceedings begin in about a month. I expect to see you in the Kaiba Dome by the time the tournament begins."
"Wait, what? Why do you want to invite Caelus of all people?" March asked suddenly as she got up from her seat.
"That's none of your business, now is it?" Kaiba shot back at her before turning back to Caelus. "I hope you realize just how much of an honor this is… Caelus," He said ominously, as though he disliked the way the word sounded coming from his mouth. "Very few of these invitations have ever been given out; I believe you're the first person this decade to receive one. One talented Duelist will lose their chance to participate because of it."
"Then why did you invite me?" Caelus asked. "I don't even know the first thing about Duel Monsters. I'll get eliminated in the first round of the event. Surely, there has to be other, more talented Duelists that you can invite to your tournament?"
"There are. However, I invited you over everyone else. A person who was only born two weeks ago," Kaiba said slowly. At the comment, everyone in the room tensed.
"And how exactly do you know that, Kaiba?" Welt Yang asked as he stepped between the two boys.
"The same way I know you were all on the Luofu, and how I learned that Caelus was born on the embarrassing space station. A Duel Disk just happened to be in the area, and it picked the energy being emitted from the Stellaron," Kaiba explained.
"You've been spying on us?" Himeko asked, her eyes narrowed. He let out another scoff as he turned to face her next.
"Please. I have better things to do than record your playdates with other planets," Kaiba retorted. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a company to run. I will see you in one month's time."
"Now hold on a minute," Himeko interrupted. She stood in front of the doorway and prevented the president from leaving. "Caelus, give the invitation back to Kaiba," She said. Kaiba glared at Himeko, the grip on his tightening.
"Right," Caelus said with a nod. He walked up to Kaiba and tried to hand back the envelope. "Sorry, Mr. Kaiba. I'm afraid I won't be joining your tournament." Kaiba did not look at Caelus, nor did he reach to grab the invitation. Instead, Kaiba sighed and opened his briefcase, grabbing a tablet that was inside.
"I'm afraid I need to be more specific," He muttered, handing the tablet to Himeko. "Caelus, you will go to my tournament, whether you'd like to or not. And you will participate in it. I don't care if you're a novice at Duel Monsters. You will participate, and that is final."
"Hey, you can't just make Caelus go somewhere he doesn't want to!" March exclaimed.
"Shut up. I'm not talking to you," Kaiba spat back, making March flinch slightly. "However, you're right. I can't make Caelus participate. However, with the proper incentive, I'm sure to be able to convince you otherwise." Kaiba moved away from Himeko and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. Himeko looked conflicted as her red eyes scanned the screen.
"Himeko, is there something wrong? What does that file say?" Dan Heng asked. Seconds passed as the navigator read and reread the tablet. Her eyes widened, and her grip on the deceive tightened causing it to crack.
"You're a bastard, you know that?" She cursed. Kaiba merely smirked at her remark.
"KaibaCorp didn't become the most successful gaming company because I let people walk all over me like a doormat," He snarked back.
"Enough games, Kaiba. What sort of incentive are you talking about?" Welt Yang asked in an irritated voice. With an annoyed grunt, Himeko tossed the tablet to him, which he caught effortlessly.
"To make a long story short, KaibaCorp now owns her hometown. Because of her trailblazing adventures, she has neglected to pay taxes, rent, and various other fines like water and gas. She's in debt because of that, and the local government has repossessed her home, her furniture, her belongings, as well her vehicles." Kaiba said, his smirk glowing wider with every second. "That includes the Astral Express itself. You're all trespassing on KaibaCorp property."
"Huh…? Y-you bought the Express? No, no!" Pom-Pom said suddenly. "No, you can't do that! That's cheating! Somebody like you can't just own the Astral Express!" Kaiba glanced at them briefly before he turned back to Himeko.
"No, that's not true. I went through all the official channels to acquire this vessel. All the paperwork is in order as well, all you have to do is look at the tablet," Kaiba said. "I have to thank Topaz for helping me expedite the process."
"That can't be true… Himeko, he has to be lying, right?" Dan Heng asked. Himeko glanced away and looked out the window. She irritatedly tapped her fingers against her arm, her face red from embarrassment and frustration.
"It's as he says," Welt Yang practically grounds out. "KaibaCorp legally owns the Astral Express. And as such, he has the authority to kick us out." The older man attempts to hand the tablet back to Kaiba, but he waves it away.
"That's your copy of the paperwork," Kaiba said as he looked at the Stellaron's host. "I'm a generous man, Caelus. All you have to do is participate in my tournament for a minimum of three days, no more than five. Once I have what I need, I give ownership back to Himeko, and personally pay off all debts that she owes."
"And what do you need from Caelus?" Welt Yang asked.
"I want data, that is all. I want to know how the Stellaron reacts to energies given off by Duel Monsters' cards when the game is being played," Kaiba says without hesitation.
"What? But, Duel Monsters is just a game!" March says back.
"Duel Monsters is more than just a game for us, girl," Kaiba growled, the smirk on his face replaced by a scowl. "For Horakhty, Duel Monsters is what binds us to the ancient past, and what will guide us to the future. It's both the light that keeps our planet safe, and the darkness that threatens our survival."
"What… what does that even mean? And why does this have to tie in with Caelus joining your tournament!?" March demanded.
"I don't expect you to know, and to be frank, or don't care whether you learn what that means," Kaiba said. "All you need to know is that I plan on using the data for the benefit of Horakhty."
"And how do you plan on using that data, specifically? There's a reason the IPC refers to them as 'The Cancer of All Worlds.' Even Herta has been unsuccessful in studying them. What you plan on doing will threaten Horakhty in the long run." Again, Kaiba scoffed at her statement, this time, at the mention of Herta. "And how do we even know the validity of your statements? How do we know you won't be using the data to produce weapons, just like your father?"
"Don't you dare compare me to that bastard! I'm everything that he wishes he could be! I'm the one who took his company from right under his nose!" Kaiba roared as he pounded his fist against the wall. After a few breaths, Kaiba smoothed out his collar and glared back at Himeko.
"I have half a mind to kick all of you out right now," Kaiba warned. "Now, unless you have any more complaints–or baseless accusations–I'll be leaving. I have company to run, after all."
"Actually, Kaiba, if I could have a few more minutes of your time," Welt Yang said. Kaiba paused briefly.
"Make it quick," He said coldly.
"Very well. I challenge you to a Duel," Welt Yang said simply. The room went silent as the crew glanced at Welt Yang. Kaiba stiffened and turned around enough so that one eye could glare daggers into Welt's soul. "If I win, you give ownership of the Astral Express back to Himeko, as well as pay back any debts she owes to the IPC, without question."
"Welt, wait…" Himeko began but was silenced when Kaiba put a finger.
"Are you aware that I have been crowned the King of Games four years in a row, each victory using the same deck that is currently publicly available?" Kaiba asked the older man.
"Of course. That means I know your deck just as well you do," Welt responded. Kaiba was silent for a few moments, until he began to chuckle. It soon turned into loud, almost maniacal laughter.
"Very well. Welt Yang, I accept your challenger. However! There's something I wish to add to these arrangements. When you lose, Caelus will not only have to participate in my tournament, he will also have to win matches until he makes it to the round of sixteen. Should he fail to reach the round of sixteen, I will tear down the Astral Express and sell it for scrap metal!" Kaiba exclaimed.
"What!? That's going too far!" March shouted. "Mr. Yang, you can't agree to these conditions! Caelus doesn't even know how to play Duel Monsters! He'll be eliminated on the first day of the tournament!"
Welt gritted his teeth, the grip on his cane growing tighter as he glared back at Kaiba. He smirked as the older man hesitated for a brief moment. "What's wrong, Welt Yang, don't you have any faith in your friend?" Kaiba asked in a cocky, smug tone. "Or perhaps you're reconsidering Dueling against somebody as powerful as me?"
"Welt," Himeko suddenly said, getting his attention. "Don't worry about me. You have my permission to duel against him."
"Pom-Pom believes in you, Mr. Yang! Pom-Pom believes that you can win the Astral Express back from Kaiba!" The tiny conductor said
"Himeko… Pom-Pom… Are you both absolutely sure about this?" Welt asked silently, his gaze still squarely on Kaiba.
"I'd rather fight to keep the Astral Express rather than have it in the hands of another person," Himeko answered behind her, Pom-Pom nodded their head vigorously.
"I understand. Don't worry, I'll fight with everything I have," Welt reassured her. Kaiba smirked at his declaration, but didn't say anything. "As for you… unfortunately, I don't have a Duel Disk myself. So, we'll have to–" He began, only to reach out and grab the Duel Disk that Kaiba had strapped to his arm.
"Don't worry. I have a spare in my ship. Keep it. Caelus is going to need it," Kaiba told him. He turned around and exited the parlor car.
"Mr. Yang, are you sure you can beat Kaiba at his own game?" March asked quietly. Welt sighed, but did not respond. He turned around and walked to his room, as he strapped the Duel Disk to his arm. March looked towards Himeko, who only gave her a conflicted, curt shrug.
"We'll find a way out of this mess. Don't worry about it," She said. "And if the worst possible scenario happens, we'll just have to fight to the end. It's not the first time we've faced impossible odds."
"Wait, Mr. Yang, since when did you own Duel Monsters cards?" Caelus asked. Welt stiffened for a brief moment. Himeko's smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Oh, right. You haven't been into his room yet," Himeko remembered. She winked at Welt, her eyes glinting mischievously. "You want me to show him your Gundam collection, or should I?"
"That's... preferably not right now," Welt said as coughed into his fist.
"Huh..." Caelus muttered. "What's a Gundam?"
"We have much to discuss..." March said sagely. "Once Mr. Yang wins the Duel, that is."
"Thank you, March. Thank you all for believing in me," Welt said. With that, he turned around and marched towards his room.
"It's not too late to back down," Kaiba said, as he stood on the cockpit of his Blue-Eyes shaped jet. Behind them, the Xianzhou Luofu continued to fly through the cosmos.
"I'm aware. However, my answer remains the same. I will fight for the Astral Express," Welt responded, as he stood on the roof of the parlor car. Kaiba only smirked at his remark. His custom-made Duel Disk glowed bright blue as it lay on his arm.
"Very well, Welt Yang. I'll be sure to make this as quick as possible!" Kaiba shouted. As Welt drew his cards, Kaiba's disk glowed, and the eyepiece displayed a light blue, holographic screen in front of him.
Welt Yang (8000 LP) vs Seto Kaiba (8000 LP)
DUEL!
"I begin by activating my spell card, Vision with Eyes of Blue!" Kaiba shouted, taping one card on the screen. "When this card is activated, by revealing Blue-Eyes White Dragon in my hand, I can summon Blue-Eyes Abyss Dragon from my hand!" He explained. In front of him, a white, slender dragon with four feathery wings appeared (2500 DEF / Lv 8). It let out a loud cry as it floated next to Kaiba.
"When Abyss Dragon is summoned, I can add Advanced Ritual Art to my hand, which I activate right now!" Kaiba exclaimed. A bright beam of light burst from behind as the roar of a dragon echoed throughout the vacuum of space. "By sending Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my deck to the graveyard, I can Ritual Summon 1 Ritual Monster from my hand!"
Brilliant dragon, spread your wings and destroy all that stands in your way! Snuff out the stars with your black light!
"I Ritual Summon! Level 8, Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon!"
Light from Kaiba's ritual spell transformed into a loud roar, and began morphing into a large, draconic figure. The light soon dissipated and revealed a large dragon with dark white scales, which let out sparks of dark electricity as it howled into the sky.
✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪
[Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon]
[4000 ATK / 0 DEF]
"I set one card. During my End Phase, Abyss Dragon lets me add 1 Level 8 Dragon monster from my deck to my hand. I add Blue-Eyes White Dragon to my hand, and end my turn," Kaiba said. Welt nodded as Kaiba passed the turn over to him. Wordlessly, he drew his card.
"As there are no monsters on my field, I can summon Super Quantum Red Layer from my hand," Welt announced calmly. In front of him, an armored man wearing elaborate red armor appeared, flames licking the blades stuck to wrists (2000 ATK / Level 5).
"You really think your discount Power Ranger rejects can stand up to my dragons?" Kaiba taunted as Red Layer stood next to Welt. The older man said nothing as he grabbed another card from his hand.
"Then, I summon Super Quantum Green Layer," Welt continued. Next to Red Layer, another sentai inspired humanoid appeared, wind whirling around him (1600 ATK / Lv 4). "When Green Layer is summoned, I can summon another Super Quant monster from my hand. I summon Super Quantum Blue Layer." A feminine humanoid appeared with a splash of water, the shields on its arms glowing brightly as it struck a pose with Green Layer and Red Layer (2000 DEF / Lv 3). "When Blue Layer is summoned, I can add 1 Super Quant from my deck to my hand. I add the field spell, Super Quantal Mech Magnacarrier to my hand, which I then activate."
"I activate my set spell, Ultimate Fusion!" Kaiba interrupted. "I fuse the two Blue-Eyes in my hand with the Blue-Eyes in my graveyard by shuffling them back into my deck!" Behind him, three beautiful dragons with white scales and bright blue eyes howled and began spiraling into the air. The area around them began to crackle with electricity as the merge continued unopposed.
Prideful dragon, beat your wings to the song of death! Force the Aeons to tremble before your might!
"I Fusion Summon! Level 12! Blue-Eyes Alternative Ultimate Dragon!"
The ball of gathering electricity exploded. In its wake, a mighty three-headed, four-wingd behemoth flew, the stars in the endless void twinkling brightly as if celebrating its creation. The three heads roared in unison as the bright white and glowing blue scales discharged white and blue electricity.
✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪
[Blue-Eyes Alternative Ultimate Dragon]
[4500 ATK / 3800 DEF]
"Ultimate Fusion's additional effect activates! I can destroy one card for every monster that was used as Fusion material! Blue-Eyes! Destroy his field spell and the blue and green sentai knockoffs!" Kaiba ordered. The massive three headed dragon howled, each head letting a blast of plasma from its mouth. Welt covered his face with his arm as the approaching Magnacarrier was shot down in an instant, and his Blue Layer and Green Layer were deatomized in front of him.
"When Green Layer is sent to the graveyard, I discard one card and draw one card. The card I choose to discard is Danger!? Jackalope? When Danger!? Jackalope? is discarded, I can summon one Danger! monster from my deck. I summon Danger! Mothman!" As the blasts from Ultimate Dragon faded away and Welt's chain resolved, a new monster appeared where Green Layer once stood; a large and furry creature with bright red eyes and its face covered in shadows (1800 ATK / Lv 4). Welt examined the card he drew and looked back at Kaiba. "I enter my battle phase. Super Quantum Red Layer, attack Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon."
With a loud shout, the red sentai warrior leapt up and charged at the ritual monster. It was easily batted away with a swipe of MAX Dragon's arm and dealt considerable damage to Welt (8000 LP ⇒ 6000 LP). "I activate the quick-play spell, Super Quantum Alphancall Appeal. When a Super Quant monster is destroyed, I can Summon one Super Quantal Mech Beast from my Extra Deck, as well as the corresponding Super Quantum Layer from my hand, deck, or graveyard. In addition, when Red Layer is destroyed, I can summon one other Super Quantum from my graveyard. I summon Super Quantal Mech Beast Aeroboros, and two Super Quantum Green Layers."
The chain resolved without issue, and two copies of the green sentai warriors appeared quickly on his field. Behind them, a large metallic pterosaur appeared, letting out a monstrous roar as it landed (1600 ATK / Level 4, 1600 ATK / Level 4, 2200 ATK / Rank 4 / 0 OU).
"I activate Aeroboros' effect. I can attach my first Green Layer to it as an Overlay Unit," Welt continued. The green dinosaur opened its mouth, allowing its driver to jump inside and pilot it. As it did. The lights all over Aeroboros' body began to glow brighter (0 OU ⇒ 1 OU). "In addition, I build the overlay network with my level 4 Mothman and Green Layer to Xyz Summon another Mech Beast Aeroboros." In front of Welt, a portal made out of many stars appeared in front of him. Danger! Mothman! and Super Quantum Green Layer transformed into spheres of wind and dark energy and fell inside. The portal exploded after they were consumed, and the dust slowly faded to reveal another Super Quantal Beast Mech Aeroboros (2200 ATK / Rank 4 / 2 OU).
"With my 2 Rank 4 Super Quantal Beasts, I build the Overlay Network and Xyz Summon Number F0: Utopic Future." Immediately, both monsters transformed into green spheres of energy and flew into another galactic portal. After the explosion, an orange warrior with metal wings attached to its back emerged (0 ATK / Rank ? ? ? / 2 OU). "Then, I rebuild the Overlay Network with Utopic Future. I Xyz Summon Number F0: Utopic Draco Future."
As quickly as it had appeared, the Number disappeared back into the Overlay Network, evolving into a new form. Now sporting a red and black color scheme and sharper wings, the new draconic Number let out a fearsome shout as it drew its large, serrated swords, the key in its chest glowing bright gold as it emerged from the Xyz explosion (3000 ATK / Rank ? ? ?/ 3 OU)
"I end my turn," Welt said.
"All that work, and all you can do is summon out a negate?" Kaiba scoffed. He drew his card wordlessly and examined it. "It won't be enough to stop me! I activate the effect of my Vision with Eyes of Blue! By returning Blue-Eyes Abyss Dragon to my hand, I can special summon Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon from my hand!"
Abyss Dragon let out a growl as it fizzled out of existence. It was quickly replaced by a shinier version of the infamous white dragon, the material of its scales replaced by a transparent, rainbow-colored energy (2000 DEF / Level 8). "When Solid Dragon is summoned, I can target your Utopic Future and negate its effects until the end of the turn!"
"I activate Draco Future's effect: by detaching one Overlay Unit, I can negate Solid Dragon's effect and take control of it!" Welt interrupted. The chain resolved, and Number F0 slashed at one of its orbiting Overlay Units, sending his first Aeroboros to the graveyard (3 OU ⇒ 2 OU). Utopic Future fired a beam from its sword and zapped Solid Dragon in the chest. After a few seconds, Solid Dragon slowly flew towards Welt in a dazed state. Kaiba smirked as he entered the battle phase.
"Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon attacks Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon! Maximum Burst of Chaos!" The darkened dragon reared its neck backwards as it began charging up a blast. A beam of black light was fired from the dragon's mouth, piercing through Solid Dragon and striking Welt Yang directly (6000 LP ⇒ 2000 LP).
"Now, Blue-Eyes Alternative Ultimate Dragon! Attack Number F0: Utopic Draco Future! HYPER ULTIMATE BURN!" Draco Future crossed its arms together as three multicolored blasts of lightning crashed down on it. Welt grunted as the Number absorbed the attack as best it could. Once the assault was over, Draco Future dropped to one knee, its chest moving up and down as if it were trying to catch its breath (2000 LP ⇒ 500 LP).
"I end my turn," Kaiba announced.
Welt nodded, sweat dripping from his brow as he breathed in heavily. He placed a hand on the top card of his deck, and slowly slid it free. He examined it closely and smiled.
"I activate the spell card, Emergency Teleport. I can special summon 1 Level 3 or lower Psychic Type monster from my deck. I summon Super Quantum Blue Layer!" With a splash of water, a second copy of the feminine monster appeared from his deck (2000 DEF / Level 3). "When Blue Layer is summoned, I can Super Quantal Mech Ship Magnacarrier from my hand, which I now activate."
Once the field spell was activated, the area around the Astral Express and Kaiba's jet began to shift. The spacecrafts disappeared, and the two Duelists now stood on a metallic landing strip. Behind Welt, a large dropship with three large bay doors landed on the runway.
"I activate Magnacarrier's effect. By discarding one card, I can Xyz Summon a Super Quantal Mech Beast monster using Super Quantum Blue Layer as material! I Xyz Summon Super Quantal Mech Beast Grampulse." One of the bay doors of the Magnacarrier opened, revealing two whale-shaped machines conjoined by a strip of metal on top of it. The left cockpit opened, allowing Blue Layer to jump inside and begin piloting the machine (2800 DEF / Rank 3 / 1 OU).
"Grampulse's effect activates! By detaching an Overlay Unit, I can destroy one spell or trap you can control!" A red reticle appeared, pointed at Vision with Eyes of Blue. Moments later, a volley of torpedoes was launched from the underside of the two whales, shattering the card. Kaiba didn't even flinch when the explosions rocked his jet (1 OU ⇒ 0 OU). "When Super Quantum Blue Layer is sent to the graveyard, I can shuffle Super Quantam Blue Layer, Super Quantum Green Layer, and Super Quantum Red Layer back into my deck.
"I activate the effect of Super Quantum White Layer from my hand. By sending Mech Beast Grampulse to my graveyard, I can summon White Layer from my hand!" The whale Xyz monster disappeared and was replaced by another sentai inspired warrior in white armor and with a black tail (2400 DEF / Level 7).
"I activate Magnecarrier's effect! I discard one card, then build the Overlay Network with Super Quantum White Layer to Xyz Summon Super Quantal Beast Mech Lusterrex!" The Network exploded, revealing a silver dinosaur with golden claws and light blue energy flowing through its body (2700 ATK / Rank 7 / 1 OU).
"I activate the second effect of Magnacarrier! By sending it to the graveyard, I can Xyz Summon using Super Quantal Mech Beast monsters with different names from my field or graveyard!" In an instant, the carrier and landing strip began dissolving, the particles forming into yet another Overlay Network.
"I Overlay Super Quantal Mech Beast Aeroboros, Super Quantal Mech Beast Grampulse, and Super Quantal Mech Beast Lusterrex! I Xyz Summon Rank 12 Super Quantal Mech King Great Magnus!"
The Network exploded, revealing Mech Beasts Grampulse, Aeoroboros, and Magmaliger. The monster's bodies began to shift and unfold, with ports opening up and metal sliding against each other. Aeroboros' wings attached themselves to Magmaliger's back, and its arms and head became arms attached to the mechanical tiger's side. Grampulses' whales became legs connected to the bottom of the Magmaliger's waist. The face of Magmaliger slid past its neck and moved to its torso, allowing a white helmet to poke out of the hole. The monster let out a mechanical groan as energy began to charge in its circuits.
⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟
[Super Quantal Mech King Great Magnus]
[3600 ATK / 3200 DEF / 4 OU]
"Super Quantal Mech King Great Magnus' effect activates. By detaching one Xyz Material, I can return one monster you control to your hand. However, as Alternative Ultimate Dragon is an Extra Deck monster, it will return there instead." King Great Magnus thrust its hand forward and released a large burst of energy. The beam hit Alternative Ultimate Dragon in the chest, causing the monster to disappear. Kaiba said nothing as his ace monster disappeared back into his extra deck (4 OU ⇒ 3 OU).
"That will be the end of my turn," Welt said.
"Very well… It's my turn, I draw!" Kaiba shouted. He looked at the card in his. "I activate Trade In! By discarding Blue-Eyes Abyss Dragon, I can draw two new cards!" He exclaimed as he examined his new hand.
"Battle! Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon attacks Super Quantal Mech King Great Magnus!"
"Great Magnus' effect activates! By detaching an Overlay unit, Chaos MAX Dragon returns to your hand!" Welt shot back. Again, the giant mecha let out another burst of energy. Blue-Eyes disappeared from Kaiba's field and returned to his hand (3 OU ⇒ 2 OU).
"...I set two cards, and end my turn," Kaiba said quietly. Welt smiled briefly as he drew his card.
"I enter the Battle Phase immediately. I attack you directly with Utopic Draco Future." The armored warrior drew its serrated sword and slashed across Kaiba's chest. He said nothing as the sword pushed him back and his boots skidded across the cockpit of his jet (8000 LP ⇒ 5000 LP). "Great Magnus attacks you directly." Kaiba did not respond as the giant mecha fired a laser at his chest. The beam stuck true and lowered his life points even more (5000 LP ⇒ 1400 LP). "That will be the end of my turn," Welt said.
"I draw," Kaiba announced. He examined the card and glared back at Welt. "I end my turn."
"Very well. I draw." Welt said. "I summon Super Quantum Blue Layer! When Blue Layer is summoned–!"
"I don't think so! I activate my set card, Called by the Grave! I banish the Blue Layer that's already in your grave, which negates the effects of any card with the same name until the end of my next turn!" Kaiba interrupted. Welt frowned as the chain resolved. A green scaly hand appeared from the ground and a dark portal appeared on top of it. The hand reached in and dragged down another Blue Layer back underground. As a result, the Blue Layer on the field sparked, and was unable to resolve its effect.
"Very well. In that case, I will enter the battle phase. Super Quantal Mech King Great Magnus! Attack Kaiba directly!" Kaiba smiled as Magnus took aim at him once more. Another powerful blast was launched from its arm, at which point Kaiba activated his final set card.
"I activate my Trap Card! Magic Cylinder!" Welt's eyes went wide as the laser went through one tube and out the other. The beam flew past his monsters and struck him. Welt gasped as he was knocked off his feet and skidded across the ground. His glasses slipped off his face and landed somewhere else.
(500 LP ⇒ 0 LP)
GAME!
Welt groaned as his back hit the floor. The monsters on his field looked back at him with worry as they disappeared. As the older man struggled to get up, he looked up to see Kaiba standing before him, offering his hand to him. Welt gritted his teeth and took it, allowing the president to pull him up.
"You're a fine duelist, Welt Yang. You'd be able to make it far in my tournament. Make sure you teach Caelus everything you know. He'll be needing it. All of you will," Kaiba spoke, his voice strangely ominous. Welt studied him for a brief moment. He let out a sigh and offered his hand.
"That was a great duel, Kaiba," He said simply. Kaiba glanced at his hand before walking away.
"Of course it was," Kaiba snarked as he jumped back into his jet. The cockpit closed, and Welt watched as the young trillionaire flew towards the Luofu, of all places.
"Welt!" He heard March shout. Turning around, he saw March climb to the roof of the Express and launch herself at him. He caught her with both arms and Himeko and Dan Heng. "You're not hurt, are you!?" She asked worriedly, her eyes tearing up slightly.
"I'm fine. It's only a few scratches," Welt said with a comforting smile. "Where's Caelus?"
"Rummaging through your collection," Dan Heng answered. "Even during the duel, he's been trying to find cards in order to make a suitable deck. Pom-Pom's with him right now, trying to help him build one. Emphasis on trying."
"I see… Thankfully, we have a month before the KC Grand Tournament begins. Hopefully, that should give him enough time to understand the essentials," Welt responded. A few seconds passed, and looked towards the ground, his eyes filled with shame. "Himeko, I'm sorry that I couldn't protect the Express."
"Don't be," She said, waving away his concerns. She lowered herself to the ground and picked his glasses. "You tried your best. You saw game, and went for the kill. I would've done the same myself. And it's like you said, we still have time." March pulled away from him and walked back inside the Express with Dan Heng. As they did, Welt and Himeko shared a brief glance.
"Kaiba says he is doing this for the good of Horakhty… What do you think he's planning?" Welt asked.
"I'm not sure. For all we know, he could be putting his company over his planet. However…" Himeko muttered, her words growing silent.
"Let's talk about this later," Welt recommended. Himeko nodded and followed him back inside the express.
"So, what compelled you to join the Knights of Hanoi in the first place?"
Yusei sat in a bare room with a one-sided window on the left side. His arms were crossed over his chest as he sat across from a Knight of Hanoi stared at him from the other side. The Knight's arms were handcuffed to the back of his seat, and his ankles were chained to the floor. Yusei requested that the Cloud Knights leave him unrestrained, as both his deck and Duel Disk had confiscated, but they insisted.
The mark that Sector Security burned onto his cheek itched.
"You're not going to say anything?" Yusei asked, his blue boring into the Knight's mask. The hacker scoffed and looked to the side.
"Fair enough…" Yusei said quietly, his gloved fingers tapped. "In that case, I have a question to ask you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Duel Monsters card. It was a Field Spell, one that depicted a green unicursal hexagram drawn inside of a ring with ancient text.
"Where did you get this card?" Yusei demanded, sliding it over to the Knight. The masked man took in a sharp breath when the card came closer. However, the Knight remained silent, unwilling to answer.
"Where did you get this card?" Yusei asked again, his voice a sharp glare. The Knight flinched at his tone, but still refused to respond. "The Seal of Orichalcos can only be printed when a blank Field Spell is infused with orichalcum, which can only be found in the ancient city of Atlantis. Do you want to explain to me why you have a card that can be created through desecrating sacred grounds?"
"I didn't do anything," The Knight of Hanoi finally spat out, which surprised Yusei for a brief moment. "The card was given to me by someone else."
"Who gave you this card? Who's printing them, and why are they handing them out to the Knights of Hanoi?" Yusei demanded to know. The Knight of Hanoi was silent for a few moments. However, instead of answering, the Knight just chuckled darkly.
"Horakhty has it coming. KaibaCorp is doing its best to hide the past, but sooner or later, the truth will come out. The real truth, not one that is force fed to us by them and SOL Technologies," The hacker said cryptically. "And soon, the whole galaxy will know just how Horakhty came into power. They will know the truth about Kul Elna and the Grotesque Gods–!"
Immediately, the Knight shut his mouth. Yusei raised an eyebrow as the Knight started to shiver and whisper to himself.
"No… no no, I didn't say anything, Master… Please, please!"
"Huh…? Is something wrong? Hey, what happened?" Yusei asked worriedly. As he reached out to grab the Knight as he started thrashing in his bounds. As he did, he got a call on his Duel Disk, from Yukong.
"Yukong, what's–?"
"Yusei, get out of there now!" She shouted. Yusei flinched at her voice. Before he could ask, a blinding gold light appeared on the Knight's forehead. The light formed into a golden eye symbol.
"No, master! Please, please!" The hacker shouted. He writhed in his seat, screaming in pain as he thrashed. His midsections started to pulsate and throb as his mouth started to produce foam.
Yusei's eyes went wide as the Knight's upper body exploded, and a Man-Eater Bug covered in blood and gore lunged at him. Yusei dodged to the left and activated his Duel Disk immediately and drew the first card from his deck.
"Speed Warrior!" A man in gray armor and skates appeared in front of Yusei, swinging its legs around immediately and striking Man-Eater Bug with a powerful kick. The Insect-type exploded instantly, giving Yusei a moment to catch his breath.
"What was… what the hell happened…?" Yusei asked himself. He grimaced the sight of the mutilated corpse still sitting on the other side of the room.
"Yusei, you need to get out of their, now!" Yukong's voice shouted from his Duel Disk.
"Why? What's happening!?" Yusei asked back. He left the room he was in and walked into the halls of the Sky-Faring Commission. His eyes narrowed as he saw another group of Man-Eater Bugs, presumably led by the larger Nobleman-Eater Bug, roamed the area. Yusei heard screech to his left and saw the Xianzhou native being pinned down by another large insect.
Immediately, Yusei swept his hand forward and ordered Speed Warrior to attack. The monster lunged forward and delivered a devastating kick to Man-Eater Bug's chest, shattering it in one blow. Speed Warrior helped the woman up and hovered protectively over her as Yusei ran to their side.
"Are you alright?" Yusei asked. The woman nodded quickly and clung onto the Speed Warrior for dear life. There was a large gash in her side that Yusei quickly paths up by tearing off a piece of jacket and tying it around the wound. "Alright, stick behind me. I'll lead you to safety." The woman nodded at his words. He gently pried her away from Speed Warrior and summoned Junk Synchron, and used them both to Synchro Summon Junk Warrior.
"I'll make sure that everyone in this building stays safe," Yusei said slowly. Beneath his gloves, the Mark of the Dragon's Head started to glow bright crimson.
BLUE-EYES WHITE DRAGON (KAIBA)
Lightning / Erudition
Faction: Horakhty
Character Introduction: Originally an orphan, Seto and his younger brother Mokuba were adopted by Gozaburo after the former defeated him in chess. After years of grueling training that bordered on torture, Seto took control of KaibaCorp from right under Gozaburo's nose, turning it from a weapons manufacturing company to one of the biggest gaming companies in the galaxy.
VA: Eric Stuart
HP - 1500
ATK - 800
DEF - 700
SPD - 100
BASIC ATK - White Lightning [Single Target]: Deals Lightning DMG equal to 70% of Blue-Eyes White Dragon's ATK to a single enemy.
SKILL - Burst Stream of Destruction [AoE]: Deals Lightning DMG equal to 100% of Blue-Eyes White Dragon's ATK to all enemies.
ULTIMATE - The Ultimate Creature of Destruction [AoE]: Deals Lightning DMG equal to 120% of Blue-Eyes White Dragon's ATK to all enemies. If there are 3 Blue-Eyes White Dragons: recover 100% of Blue-Eyes White Dragon's energy. This effect of "The Ultimate Creature of Destruction" can only be used twice in a row.
TALENT - Rage with Eyes of Blue [Enhance]: Once per turn: at the start of Kaiba's turn; Special Summon 1 Blue-Eyes White Dragon. If an enemy attacks Blue-Eyes White Dragon: if there is more than 1 Blue-Eyes White Dragon on the field; destroy it. Kaiba gains an additional attack for every other Blue-Eyes White Dragon on the field. Kaiba can only have 3 Blue-Eyes White Dragon on the field.
TECHNIQUE - Melody of Awakening Dragon [Enhance]: Immediately attacks the enemy. At the start of the battle: Special Summon 3 Blue-Eyes White Dragons, also, Kaiba's turn begins immediately.