This story was done in collaboration between me, Jriddle41 (Sodormatchmaker on DeviantART), and DaveMan1000 (both here and on DeviantART), and we own the OCs that are used in the story. AaronCottrell97 (known as stevecottrell on DeviantART) provided the Duel Layouts and additional ideas. Everything else belongs to their respective owners:
Thomas and Friends (c) Hit Entertainment and Mattel
The Railway Series (c) Rev Wilbert Awdry
Yu-Gi-Oh! (c) Konami
Gundam SEED characters, Orb, Blue Cosmos, M1 Astray, Strike Rouge, Murasame, Akatsuki (c) Sunrise
Character of Lisa Drake (c) DaveMan1000
Character of David Xadashi (c) DaveMan1000
Jak and Daxter characters, Spargus, Tough Puppy, Sand Shark, Dune Hopper, Gila Stomper, Slam Dozer, Heat Seeker, Dust Demon, Desert Screamer (c) Naughty Dog
Crash Bandicoot characters, Wumpa (c) Activision
Ratchet & Clank characters, Veldin, Sargasso, Shatterbomb (c) Insomniac
Sly Cooper characters (c) Sucker Punch
WARNING: Once again, this story is rated T for violence, some blood, suggestive themes, and some language. Reader discretion is advised.
WARNING 2: If you haven't read "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sodor Chronicles Season 2", "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sodor Chronicles Season 4", "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sodor Chronicles (Pyramid of Light", "David Xadashi", "Lisa Drake", or "Team 4D's", you might want to do so before reading this story
Title: What Lies Within the Wind
Opening up somewhere in the Orb hallways, David was leaning against a wall while panting, trying to calm down after running out of the duel arena like that. He seemed to be succeeding, but that changed when ghostly, demented laughter echoed.
"Oh God… Not again…" shivered David.
"You can't ever escape meeeeee, robo-boy!" The voice of Ghost Vincent taunted, "You'll burn with me in Heeellllllll!"
Terrified, David started running away again, but it was no use; in his POV, every time he turned a corner and thought he escaped, he saw the ghost of his former bully and what appeared to be a Hellish landscape, which seemed to be a sign of where he would end up some day—even though, in reality, there was nothing actually there.
"(やめろ!) Yamero! (Stop it!)" begged David in Japanese, beginning to suffer a panic attack, "Please let me alone!"
He continued to run, but always seemed to find Vincent waiting behind a corner, in addition to seeing the background of what appeared to be Hell. Overwhelmed, David started to collapse near the wall. It was then Lisa, Ren, Futaba, and even Gabriella arrived to get some answers, just in time to see David slumped against a wall, clutching his chest, completely hyperventilating, and completely unaware of who was nearby.
"David!" cried Futaba, running over to him, "What's wrong?!"
The other three gathered around David, who didn't seem to take notice of them and kept staring directly ahead at nothing in his panic-induced state.
"Son! Snap out of it!" Ren demanded, as he shook David by his shoulders to no avail, "David!"
From his point of view, David could somewhat make out the images of his parents, Lisa, and Gabriella from his blurred vision, but their voices were almost completely muffled by the sounds of his heavy breathing and ever increasing heartbeat. At last, Gabriella, in tears over how badly messed up her Big Brother was, threw her arms around David and buried her face in his neck. Feeling the warm embrace of his sister, David gently closed his eyes as his heartbeat slowly began to subside, and his breathing became less intense. After a few seconds, David opened his eyes as his vision became clear again.
"Gabriella?" peeped David, causing Gabriella to look at him tearfully, "Thank you…"
"(お兄ちゃん,) O nīchan, (Big Brother,) are you really back?" pleaded Gabriella, which caused him to gently nod and allow her to hug him again, "(良かった!) Yokatta! (Thank goodness!)"
"We found you against the wall having a panic attack," said Ren softly.
"Dave, what's going on?" demanded Lisa, "First we found you outside our dorms during the night, and now we find you here practically in pieces?" She got down onto David's level and said something else more softly, "Something's clearly bothering you. You know we'll help you if you just tell us."
With no other choice, David finally came clean about what he almost did to Vincent the night the war between the Signers and the Dark Signers began.
"Lisa-chan, you already know this, but my family doesn't," began David, "During…my final duel against Vincent… I witnessed him using his 'Earthbound Immortal' to destroy the hospital you were currently within…" He paused briefly, "I… I thought you had…all perished there and then…"
"You thought we were dead?" whispered Futaba.
"I did," confirmed David, "Believing he had taken everything from me… I snapped," He briefly gazed up to see the apprehensive looks on his parents' faces before continuing, "I began to physically beat on him… I wanted more than anything to take revenge on Vincent for it, and after I defeated him in our duel…I physically fought and savagely beat him."
"(何?!) Nani?! (What?!)" exclaimed Ren in Japanese, "You did that?"
"I was completely blinded by rage," David answered truthfully, "I was so angry… I hated Vincent more than ever before," As he continued speaking, a faded clip of him (David) standing over Vincent with a broken piece of The Beast was superimposed over him (again David), "I had him there… I… I wanted to kill him… I almost did, too, had Lisa-chan not stopped me…"
Ren was upset, "David Xadashi…" he uttered, "I… I can't believe it."
"How could you?" pressed Futaba, equally upset, "Why didn't you mention this to us?"
"I…" muttered David shamefully, "I didn't speak up about it sooner because… I know the ramifications of my actions will be severe—and I'm afraid."
There was a long silence, with Ren and Futaba were at a loss for words while trying to process what they learned from their son. Lisa simply looked glum since she was obviously there when David physically fought Vincent and tried to outright murder him (Vincent) with his (David) bare hands. Gabriella, however, was the most shocked and confused, as she'd never imagined her own Big Brother, who was the sweetest person she ever knew outside her parents, Lisa, and the likes, doing something like that. At last the silence was broken.
"To be honest, I can somewhat understand," said Ren quietly, "I know firsthand what the criminal system can do to young people," He shook his head and looked down at David with a hard expression, "But you're too much of an honest guy to keep this between us."
"When the whole Dark Signer war is behind us, I'm not going back home with any of you," admitted David, much to the shock of Futaba, Ren, and Gabriella, "I fully intend to turn myself in to the police, where I will plead guilty and properly atone for…" He shuddered over having to possibly spend the rest of his life behind bars, but knew it had to be done, "…what 'I' tried to do."
"Cut the bullshit, Dave!" snapped Lisa, not having any of it.
"Lisa!" gasped Futaba.
"Look, I'm sorry for the swearing, but what Dave's saying is just…crazy," retorted Lisa hotly, "I mean, I saw the whole thing!" As she pointed out some facts, Ren, Futaba, Gabriella, and David all listened to her, "Sure, I'd never seen Dave act that violent before, but that damned Vincent was the one responsible for what happened! Dave would never do something like that of his own accord!"
"But that 'was' of my own accord, Lisa-chan!" argued David, "Regardless of what Vincent had done, 'I' still beat him mercilessly and intended to commit murder. Such behavior like that can't just be swept away so easily…"
"Shut up, Dave!" Lisa cut in, "You're going to get yourself hurt…or 'worse'!"
"I think I can agree with you, Lisa-san," The voice of Ren acknowledged.
"Eh?" blinked Lisa, as she and David looked over.
"I do understand David's intention," sighed Ren, before eyeing David—who listened to him (Ren) go on, "However, I would request a different course of action," He and Futaba looked unsettled as he struggled to finish his sentence, "Don't just throw yourself into something without thinking ahead."
Looking down, David didn't respond; his mind was conflicting. One half was still fixated on confessing to the police about his attempted murder, but the other half was pondering over his Father's words about another course of action.
"Look at me, David," requested Futaba, getting down to her son's level and placing both hands on his shoulders, "I promise you that despite what's happened between you and Vincent, or whatever you choose to do about it, your Father, sister, and I all still love you, and will…" Even as she reassured him, David still didn't look up, "…support you throughout this tragedy. Do you understand that?"
There was no response.
(elsewhere…)
Later on, inside one of Orb's cafeterias, most of the group (David and his family were absent, but Lisa was present) was enjoying some dinner after enjoying a day without worrying about the war with the Dark Signers. The only one not eating—or was eating, just not nearly as much as the others—was Matt. He was busy thinking about his conversation with Ms. Simmons soon after his duel with Carlie about challenging the Orb teacher and fellow Coordinator to a duel, in hopes of becoming stronger and learning new abilities.
"Hey, Matt," called James R..
"Huh?" wondered Matt, snapping out of his thoughts.
"Is something bothering you?" asked Ashima, "You aren't eating much."
"Oh, sorry…" Matt apologized stoically, before taking a long sip of his bottled water, "I guess I have other things going on in my mind."
"Worried about the Dark Signers making another move?" suggested Zack, but was surprised when Matt shook his head, "No? Then what's wrong with you?"
"Well, you see, I'm…" Matt, sighing briefly, started to say, pausing for a moment, "I'm thinking of challenging Erica to a duel."
The table was surprised by the declaration, believing they might have misheard it. Knowing his friends wanted to know what he was talking about, Matt proceeded to elaborate on his decision.
"You see, Erica's a Coordinator like me," explained Matt, "She's also older than I am, meaning there's a chance she knows a lot of things that even 'I' don't know," He clenched his right hand into a fist as Carlie, Michael, Asagi, and Ashima all listened, "I've been thinking long and hard on this, and I need to grow stronger if I want to defeat Rutger and the Dark Signers…" The dirty blonde-haired young man looked all around him, "This is something I have to do."
"But are you ready to face her?" frowned Zack.
"Hey, we've never even seen Erica duel before," James R. pointed out.
"More to it; no one from Orb, with a possible exception to Mr. Kisaka, has ever seen Ms. Simmons in a duel," corrected Lisa, before resting both hands behind her head, "And even the rumor of Mr. Kisaka seeing her duel is not a guarantee," As she pressed an important question, Matt kept looking determined, "What if you're not ready for what she has for a Deck?"
Matt said nothing, while Michael, with his arms folded, looked disinterested, but soon closed his eyes and let out a huff.
"I guess there's no changing your mind, is there?" remarked Michael, before opening his eyes, "Well, if you want to face Erica, then you should follow your heart. We will support your decision without question."
"Mike…" whispered Matt gratefully.
With the decision completely made, no more was said about it.
(elsewhere…)
After dinner, Matt was walking down a hallway until he came across Ms. Simmon's classroom. Standing in-front of the door, Matt took a deep breath and exhaled before knocking on the door.
"Come in," The voice of Ms. Simmons echoed from inside.
(inside…)
Inside the classroom, the door was carefully opened and Matt walked inside. He could see Ms. Simmons and her son, Ryuta, were seated at the desk at the head of the room, with the former reading a storybook to the latter.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," apologized Matt.
"Oh, not at all," smiled Ms. Simmons, "I'm just reading a story to my son," She then briefly spoke to Ryuta, "Ryuta, this is Matt Fudo; he's the one I've taken under my wing."
"Hello, Mr. Fudo, it's amazing to finally meet with you," greeted Ryuta.
"You don't need to be so formal, kid," chuckled Matt, brushing off the formality in a good-natured way, "You can just call me Matt like everyone else does."
Ryuta smiled back, very happy to have met one of the most famous duelists in the world.
"So, what can I do for you, Matt?" pressed Ms. Simmons.
As soon as he was asked that, Matt lost his smile and grew serious, knowing that this was the moment of truth; he was going to challenge his fellow Coordinator and mentor-in-a-way to a Turbo Duel in hopes of growing stronger and learning something new about being a Coordinator.
"Erica, I… I wish to challenge you to a duel," began Matt, causing Ms. Simmons and even Ryuta to look surprised. When nothing was said by the former, he went on, "Ever since Discord lost to Azrael and David barely defeated Vincent, I knew I had to grow stronger—especially if the Dark Signers are fully capable of breaking their opponents with words alone."
"I see," frowned Ms. Simmons.
"Truthfully, I don't know how well I'd fare against someone like you, even if we've never seen you in a duel before," continued Matt, as Ms. Simmons and Ryuta both listened, "Still, if there's any chance I can learn something from our duel, win or lose, I'll take it!" He almost looked desperate around here, "Please, Erica, you must accept my challenge!"
"Stop," cut in Ms. Simmons calmly, raising her right hand, "I've heard enough," As she continued speaking, Matt seemed to have an expression of disappointment on his face, "I want you to know that I…" She then smiled, "…accept your request for a duel."
"Say what?" gasped Matt.
"Yes, Matt, I will face you in a Turbo Duel, as you requested," answered Ms. Simmons, standing up and staring straight into Matt's eyes, "We will have our duel tomorrow evening," She held her right hand out, "Is that acceptable?"
Matt stared at Ms. Simmon's opened right hand for a few seconds before looking up at her face. She just continued to smile and wait for a response. At last, he nodded soberly and accepted the handshake.
"Yes, it is," Matt said finally.
The two continued to look at each for what seemed like forever, as Ryuta curiously tried to get a good look at his Mother's face and Matt Fudo's face. Soon, Matt turned and started to leave in satisfaction.
"Matt!" called Ms. Simmons.
"Hm?" uttered Matt, as he stopped.
"Make sure you use this time to prepare your Deck," advised Ms. Simmons, "I'll be doing the same thing."
Continuing to leave, Matt didn't respond back. When the door closed, Ms. Simmons went into deep thought about her upcoming duel with the leader of Team 6D's.
(outside…)
In the hallway, Matt leaned against the wall and let out a sigh of relief, glad that Ms. Simmons accepted his challenge. He was then just about to leave for his dorm when…
"Fudo-san?" The voice of David wondered, causing Matt to look nearby and see him (David) walking up, "What were you doing in Erica-senpai's office?"
"Dave…" replied Matt, before revealing the truth, "I was visiting her because I needed to challenge her to a duel, and…she said yes."
"You'll be dueling her?" repeated David.
"Yeah, I am," confirmed Matt, before taking out his Deck and looking at it long and hard, "I'll be using tonight and most of tomorrow to prepare my Deck."
"Fudo-san…" murmured David, as Matt walked past him (David) until he (Matt) was gone, "What will a duel between you and Erica-senpai be like?"
(outside…)
That night, the moon was shown in the sky as very few lights were shown shining across the Orb Duel School. From one of the opened windows, the Astray trio were having a slumber party of sorts inside Juri's dorm. Another window showed Michael watching TV, and a third window showed Ashima reading a novel on her bed. The fourth window, however, was the most notable…
(inside…)
Inside Matt's dorm, he was seated at the table, busy looking over his Deck and adding/removing cards he either needed or didn't need. Among the pile was several new cards given to him by Zack, including new support for 'Synchron', 'Stardust', and 'Warrior' monsters. He wanted his Deck to be absolutely balanced, so he could have an easier way of bringing his best monsters like 'Stardust Dragon', 'Formula Synchron', and 'Shooting Star Dragon' out in a timely manner.
"Geez, man!" The voice of James R. echoed, causing Matt to stop working on the Deck and look nearby. He and Zack were shown sitting on the couch watching television, "You'll do just fine in the duel, plus the new cards…" He winked, "…Zack brought along will be of great help to you."
"I'm not so sure about 'that'," denied Zack, "Like you told us earlier on, we have never seen Erica in a duel before," He leaned back in his seat, "Meaning we don't know how well she plays the game," As he (Zack) finished speaking, Matt listened before looking away, "The new cards 'might' help, but at the same time, they might 'not'."
James R. blinked a few times, but then shrugged and resumed watching TV, while Matt silently removed the 'Speed Warrior' Effect Monster Card from the table, and replaced it with the 'Junk Servant' Effect Monster Card. No matter what Ms. Simmons played for a Deck, he swore he'd be ready for the duel.
(elsewhere…)
Inside her own dorm, Ms. Simmons had many of her own cards laid out on a table and was picking which ones she would include for her Deck, and which ones she would not. As she worked, she heard footsteps and found Ryuta walking up.
"Oh, Ryuta," Ms. Simmons welcomed, "What are you still doing up?"
"Well, I was wondering if I could watch you and Mr. Fudo duel tomorrow," pondered Ryuta hopefully, "I've always wanted to see you in a duel, Mommy."
"Oh, I wish I could say yes, but do you remember what tomorrow is?" sighed Ms. Simmons, as her young son walked up, "You're spending the day and night with Daddy."
Ryuta remembered the agreement, feeling disappointed that he wouldn't see his Mother in a duel with someone as famous and powerful as Matt Fudo. His parents's divorce was, at times, very difficult for him since he was only 6-years old, and also his Mother and Father sharing custody of him was very tiring and equally difficult. Giggling, Ms. Simmons got up from her seat, picked Ryuta up, and carried him to the next room and the bed.
"Don't worry, dear, the next time I agree to duel someone—when we're not in the middle of a war—I'll let you watch me," continued Ms. Simmons, placing her son on the bed and tucking him in.
"Do you promise?" wondered Ryuta.
"Hmhmhm… Mommy's hardly ever broken a promise to you, has she?" grinned Ms. Simmons, giggling again, "Now, I need you to promise me that you'll be a good boy and do as Daddy tells you," Ryuta listened to his Mother speaking to him, "Take your bath, brush your teeth, and go to bed when it's time, okay?"
"Yes, Mommy," promised Ryuta, before yawning, "Good night…"
"Good night, Ryuta," said Ms. Simmons warmly.
She leaned in and kissed her son good night, then turned towards the exit and turned out the light before gently closing the door as Ryuta slept peacefully. Ms. Simmons then poured herself a cup of coffee from the nearby machine before returning to the table, sitting down, and going back to organizing her Deck. Truthfully, she was excited to be facing Matt in a duel using the one archetype that was presented to her by Industrial Illusions before she left the company to become a teacher for Orb.
(elsewhere…)
The next day mostly went off without anything notable ensuing, but come the evening, that all changed… Matt, decked out in his motorcyclist outfit, was being led by Ms. Simmons, wearing her teacher's version of the female Orb motorcyclist outfit, and Mr. Kisaka down a hallway. Also following was the rest of the group (minus Asagi).
"Erica, Ledonir, where are you taking us?" asked Matt, "Aren't we going to duel in Orb's stadium outside?"
"There's no need to go there," replied Mr. Kisaka, before stopping outside a room and reaching into his vest pocket until he pulled out a keycard, "Where we're taking all of you, it will be the perfect setting for the duel between Erica and you, Matt," He used the keycard on the device before pressing a few buttons, then looked over his shoulder and smirked, "You will find this surprise to be most…intriguing."
The door then unlocked…
(inside…)
…and opened up, allowing everyone to walk inside. Once they saw where they were, everyone gasped. The chamber had a doorway leading into another room, but there were several seats, a glass window peeking into the next room, and even a huge monitor of sorts.
"Oh man!" breathed Lisa.
"I've never seen this room before," admired Juri.
"I gotta question. What's behind that nearby door, sir and ma'am?" finished James R..
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down, everyone!" laughed Ms. Simmons.
"I'll explain a bit about it in due time," came from Mr. Kisaka, before leading Matt and Ms. Simmons away, "I need you two to come this way, please…"
He led the pair towards the nearby room and opened the door, before looking nearby and motioning for one of the engineers to come inside, too. Curious, Carlie and Ashima both tried to follow.
(inside…)
Within the room, Matt, Carlie, and Ashima each took a step inside and found two large pods of sorts stationed in one of the corners.
"What are those things?" The voice of Matt wondered,
"What you're seeing is a revolution in virtual reality dueling," smiled Mr. Kisaka, as Carlie and Ashima both admired what they were seeing, "Boxford Corporation has been experimenting with special dueling simulation pods, and, as a free trial, donated two of them to Orb."
"Simulation pods? Boxford Corporation?" quizzed Ashima.
"Boy, Spencer must have been busy with creating new ways to advance on how to play Duel Monsters," commented Carlie.
"Now, I'm afraid I need you two to leave the room and join your friends," advised Mr. Kisaka, "I'll join you outside in a minute."
Ashima and Carlie nodded before leaving the room without a fuss. Once they were out, Matt was pointed to one of the pods by Ms. Simmons.
"Just climb inside with your shuffled Deck," she pointed out.
Matt obeyed and approached the first pod, where a small hatch opened up and he placed his Deck inside before it closed. Once that was done, Matt climbed inside the pod and allowed it to shut. At the other pod, Ms. Simmons inserted her shuffled Deck and climbed inside as it closed itself. Once both players were ready, Mr. Kisaka turned to the engineer and nodded, who then went over to the nearby console and activated it.
(elsewhere…)
In New York City, aboard the headquarters of 'The All-Star Squad', several helicopters were being loaded up with soldiers while Lazar, Rex, Jak, and General Damas watched. In addition, Rex was going to assist in the operation, and requested that Jak come along for the ride.
"The day has finally come," sighed General Damas, as Rex listened neutrally, "The assault on the Dark Signers' hideout."
"I've been waiting for the operation for some time," said Rex calmly, "We must protect this country from their evil."
"Please take care, sir," bowed Lazar, "Return safely, all of you, and may God be on your side."
Rex nodded, as he and Jak entered the remaining helicopter. Seconds later, the helicopters all took off into the skies above the carrier as General Damas and Lazar waved goodbye and they finally took off in the direction of the state of New Jersey, or, more importantly, northern New York, where the hideout of the Dark Signers was said to be.
(inside…)
Inside the lead helicopter, Jak was seated beside three soldiers and talking to them about the operation ahead, while Rex was standing at the front of the vehicle and looking out the window at what was waiting for him—the future.
"Rutger… no, Big Brother… I must stop you and your group at all cost," thought Rex.
Rex referred to Rutger as Big Brother… It would seem he was going to have a family reunion soon enough.
(elsewhere…)
Darkness… That was where Matt currently was—although his eyes were mostly shut, he was mostly wincing and groaning in pain.
"Matt… Matt, open your eyes…" The voice of Ms. Simmons echoed throughout the endless darkness
When Matt finally opened his eyes (slowly at first), he found Ms. Simmons, with her helmet on, seated on her Murasame Duel Runner. Getting his bearings, Matt was also wearing his helmet and riding Fudo Go.
"What the-?!" cried Matt, "How in the world did our Duel Runners end up here?"
"It's just a simulation," chuckled Ms. Simmons, "If you're surprised by our Duel Runners showing up, then you…" She motioned her arms about, "…should take a look at the backgrounds!"
Matt could no longer see endless darkness like it was the abyss, but was in outer space with millions upon millions of stars filling the void. Not only that, he and Ms. Simmons were also on the ring of what looked to be a giant star, a.k.a. the sun.
"This area we're in will be perfect for our Turbo Duel," explained Ms. Simmons, before narrowing her eyes a little bit, "Now, Matt, I will ask you this one last time," As she asked the question, Matt looked over with surprise, "Are you sure you want to duel me?"
"We've been over this," said Matt firmly, "I want—no, I need—to face you… It's the only way I'll get strong enough to fight the Dark Signers!"
Ms. Simmons sighed, realizing that Matt was not going to back down. Even so, she would face him with everything she had.
"Okay, Matt," Ms. Simmons agreed at long last, closing her eyes for a few seconds before opening them fiercely as her voice tone appeared to drop, "If you're going to mount a serious challenge, expect the worst!"
Matt nodded fearlessly, ready for battle. From there, it was time to duel!
"Field Spell, 'High Speed World', set on!" Matt and Ms. Simmons announced at once, before they pressed a button on the dashboard of their respective Duel Runners.
On the monitors of Fudo Go and Murasame, a whole new Spell Card materialized and activated.
"Duel Mode, engaged," came a computerized voice aboard the two, respective Duel Runners, "Autopilot activated."
From there, both Duel Runners became surrounded by a purple dome as autopilot activated. As both duelists revved Fudo Go (Matt) and Murasame (Ms. Simmons), the sun started swelling.
"Turbo Duel!" began Matt (LP: 4000).
"Acceleration!" finished Ms. Simmons (LP: 4000).
Both Duel Runners took off down the ring, with Murasame managing to get ahead of Fudo Go.
"Here we go, Matt Fudo!" declared Ms. Simmons.
"I'm ready when you are, Erica Simmons!" came from Matt.
(elsewhere…)
Outside the simulation, the group was watching the duel on the big monitor attached to the wall, and they were amazed that just two pods and very advanced technology were able to make such a life like duel.
"Amazing…" breathed Ashima.
"And so the duel begins," muttered Zack gravely, watching the monitor display footage of Murasame and Fudo Go.
"This is gonna be sweet!" whooped Lisa, "Let's see what Ms. Simmons's Deck is made of!"
(elsewhere…)
Back in the simulation, Ms. Simmons finally made the first move of the whole duel.
"It's my turn!" declared Ms. Simmons, drawing a card, "Draw!"
Turn One: Erica Simmons (LP: 4000)
Deck: 54
Current Hand (6): "Sonic Stun", "T.G. Rush Rhino", "T.G. Jet Falcon", "Double Type Rescue", "T.G. Cyber Magician", and "T.G. Catapult Dragon"
Speed Counters: 0
Without wasting a second, she placed the card onto her Duel Runner.
"I Summon 'T.G. Catapult Dragon'!" began Ms. Simmons.
Appearing onto the field was a Dragon monster with a launcher-like horn (Level: 2/ATK: 900/DEF: 1300).
"A 'Tech Genus' monster-!" realized Matt.
"I activate 'Catapult Dragon's' monster effect!" proclaimed Ms. Simmons, "Once per turn: I can Special Summon 1 Level 3 or lower 'T.G.' Tuner from my hand," She took a card ('T.G. Jet Falcon') from her hand, readied it, and placed it onto her Duel Runner, "I Special Summon 'T.G. Jet Falcon'!"
Appearing on the field was a humanoid bird-like man equipped with a small portion of a jet (Level: 3/ATK: 1400/DEF: 1200).
"Level 3 'Jet Falcon' tunes Level 2 'Catapult Dragon'!" ordered Ms. Simmons.
'T.G. Jet Falcon' turned into three Synchro Rings, which 'T.G. Catapult Dragon' soared into before turning into two orbs of light while a Summon Chant followed.
"Limiter Removal, Level Five! Regulator open! Thruster Warm up, OK! Up Link All Clear!" chanted Ms. Simmons, as the symbols 2 + 3 = 5 were shown briefly just before the two orbs of light within the two Synchro Rings turned into a massive beam of light, "Go! Synchro Summon! Come on, 'T.G. Hyper Librarian'!"
Appearing on the field, as the Synchro Summon sequence ended, was a human male wearing a white outfit with red cape and wielding a book of sorts (Level: 5/ATK: 2400/DEF: 1800).
(elsewhere…)
Outside the simulation, everyone was left surprised by what they were seeing. Zack, on the other hand, was more impressed than surprised to see the 'T.G.' archetype.
"Well, well! This is certainly a surprise," The black-haired young man remarked.
Everyone else looked towards him.
"You know something we don't, do you?" accused James R..
"Gee, what was your first clue?" deadpanned Zack, before explaining what the 'T.G.' archetype was, "The 'T.G.' monsters, or 'Tech Genus' if you will, are high tech monsters from the future, and focus on Synchro Summon heavy combos to control the field."
"Synchro Summon heavy?" pressed Carlie.
"Yep! In fact, Discord once told me that he was the one who personally designed this archetype as a gift for Erica just before she left Industrial Illusions for Hartford and Orb," recalled Zack.
"That makes me wonder," said Michael thoughtfully, "Did Discord know all along that Erica's a Coordinator back when they were working together in the same corporation?"
"And it makes me wonder if there's anything else about Discord we never knew about?" added James R..
And nothing more was said about Discord, Ms. Simmons, Industrial Illusions, nor Orb.
(elsewhere…)
Back in the simulation…
"'Jet Falcon's' monster effect! If this card is sent to the GY as Synchro Material: I must inflict 500 damage to my opponent!" revealed Ms. Simmons, going over her previous monster's single effect. From there, as she spoke on, 'T.G. Hyper Librarian' motioned his right hand out and fired plasma-based books, "Take this!"
The plasma books collided with Fudo Go, causing Matt to yell out and take damage (LP: 4000 → 3500). It got worse when streams of fire started erupting from the sun in an attempt to fry Matt alive. Shouting in a panic, Matt revved up Fudo Go and managed to avoid the flames until he was almost caught up to Murasame. Ms. Simmons smirked a little bit that Matt survived the opening move, but lost that smirk as she took a card from her hand.
"I Set one card and end my turn!" concluded Ms. Simmons, slotting the card into her Duel Runner.
On the monitor of Fudo Go, Ms. Simmon's field included a Monster Card ('T.G. Hyper Librarian') and now a Set card.
"Erica plays a 'Tech Genus' Deck, a very strong archetype known for Synchro Summoning," thought Matt, "If Erica knows all about Clear Mind and Accel Synchro and is said to have mastered them, then I can't take her lightly for even a second!"
"Now, Matt! It's your turn!" dared Ms. Simmons, "Show me how you duel!"
"Here I go!" accepted Matt, drawing a card, "It's my turn!"
With it being the second turn of the duel, both players gained a Speed Counter:
-Matt: 0 → 1
-Ms. Simmons: 0 → 1
Turn Two: Matt Fudo (LP: 3500)
Deck: 54
Current Hand (6): "Stardust Xiaolong", "Junk Synchron", "Final Offguard", "Sonic Chick", "Graceful Revival", and "Junk Servant"
Speed Counters: 1
Both Murasame and Fudo Go sped down the ring as more pillars of fire erupted from the sun. Not letting that stop him from going all out for his first turn, Matt readied a card from his hand.
"From my hand, I'll activate the Spell Card, 'Final Offguard'!" he began, with the swing of his right arm.
The mentioned Spell Card materialized face-up on the field in-front of Fudo Go.
"If my LP are lower than my opponent's and only my opponent controls a monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck: I must…" The voice of Matt explained, before he drew two cards, "…draw 2 cards!" He added both cards into his hand, then took another card ('Junk Synchron') and placed it onto his Duel Runner, "I Summon the Tuner monster, 'Junk Synchron'!"
The orange, robotic-like monster appeared onto the field on command (Level: 3/ATK: 1300/DEF: 500).
"If I control a 'Junk' monster, I can Special Summon this card (from my hand)!" continued Matt, before placing another card onto his Duel Runner, "Come, 'Junk Servant'!"
Appearing on the field was a humanoid, orange/black robot monster (Level: 4/ATK: 1500/DEF: 1000).
"Erica will go for an Accel Synchro as quickly as possible, meaning I have to make sure she controls no Synchro Monsters," thought Matt, before speaking aloud and issuing a command to his monsters, "I will destroy any monster you bring out, Erica! Level 3 'Junk Synchron' tunes Level 4 'Junk Servant'!"
'Junk Synchron' turned into three Synchro Rings, which 'Junk Servant' soared into before turning into four orbs of light as a Summon Chant was heard throughout.
"Gathering anger becomes an entranced warrior born from a brutal god. Become the path its light shines upon!" chanted Matt, as the symbols 4 + 3 = 7 were shown briefly just before the four orbs of light within the trio of Synchro Rings turned into a massive beam of light, "Synchro Summon! Howl, 'Junk Berserker'!"
Appearing onto the field and posing for battle, was the large, red, robotic male monster with a pair of wings and a large mechanical scythe weapon in his hands (Level: 7/ATK: 2700/DEF: 1800).
"The effect of 'Hyper Librarian' activates!" announced Ms. Simmons, "If a monster is Synchro Summoned: I must…" She drew a card "…draw 1 card! This card must be face-up on the field to activate and to resolve this effect."
"I activate 'Junk Berserker's' first effect!" countered Matt, "I can banish 1 'Junk' monster from my GY, then target 1 face-up monster my opponent controls; that target…" A card ('Junk Servant') ejected from the GY and faded away into oblivion, "…loses ATK equal to the banished monster's ATK!"
'T.G. Hyper Librarian' grew weaker due to 'Junk Servant' being banished (ATK: 2400 → 900).
"Go forth, 'Junk Berserker'!" shouted Matt, having entered his Battle Phase, "Attack 'Hyper Librarian'!"
'Junk Berserker' obeyed, diving towards the weakened 'T.G. Hyper Librarian' with the scythe still in his hands. However, Ms. Simmons appeared to look pretty defensive over what she saw to be a very weak strategy.
"Matt! Your move is predictable and weak!" insulted Ms. Simmons, "It won't work against someone like me!" To prove the point, she made her Set card reappear on the field beside her (on her right), flipped it face-up while it was facing the opponent, and revealed what it was, "Trap Card, 'Sonic Stun'! When an opponent's monster declares an attack: I must negate the attack, then I can Special Summon 1 'T.G.' monster, or 1 Level 4 or lower Tuner, from my hand or Deck!"
Just as 'Junk Berserker' was about to strike down 'T.G. Hyper Librarian' with his scythe, a purple barrier formed and protected the monster and Murasame from damage.
"She dodged my attack!" complained Matt.
It was then 'Junk Berserker' backed off for the time being, while the barrier broke apart.
"Now I get to Special Summon either a 'T.G.' monster or a Level 4 or lower Tuner from my hand or Deck," reminded Ms. Simmons, taking a card (from her hand) and placing it onto her Duel Runner, "I Special Summon 'T.G. Cyber Magician'!"
Appearing on the field was a human wearing metallic magician robes (Level: 1/ATK: 0/DEF: 0).
"She read through my moves like a book," thought Matt, before taking two cards from his hand and swinging his right arm about, "I Set two cards and end my turn!"
Two face-down cards materialized on the field around Fudo Go before fading away for later use.
"I'm disappointed in you, Matt!" scolded Ms. Simmons, as Matt listened while gritting his teeth, "You were rushing to clear my field of Synchro Monsters despite knowing you're in for a very difficult match!" She resumed focus on what was ahead of her, "For your misdeed, I will make you regret it!" The brown-haired woman drew a card, "It's my turn!"
Both players gained a Speed Counter:
-Matt: 1 → 2
-Ms. Simmons: 1 → 2
Turn Three: Erica Simmons (LP: 4000)
Deck: 52
Current Hand (4): "T.G. Rush Rhino", "Double Type Rescue", "T.G. Metal Skeleton", and "TGX3-DX2"
Speed Counters: 2
Adding the drawn card into her hand, Ms. Simmons took out another card to play.
"I Summon 'T.G. Rush Rhino'!" she announced, before placing her card onto her Duel Runner.
Appearing on the field was a large green-colored rhinoceros equipped with heavy metal equipment (Level: 4/ATK: 1600/DEF: 800).
"Level 1 'Cyber Magician' tunes…" As Ms. Simmons went on, 'T.G. Rush Rhino' took to the skies and something happened to 'T.G. Cyber Magician', "…Level 4 'Rush Rhino'!"
That something was 'T.G. Cyber Magician' turning into a single Synchro Ring, which 'T.G. Rush Rhino' soared into and turned into four orbs of light as a Summon Chant ensued.
"Limiter Removal, Level Five. Booster Launch, OK! Inclination, OK! Ground Support! All Clear!" chanted Ms. Simmons, as the symbols 4 + 1 = 5 were shown briefly just before the four orbs of light within the lone Synchro Ring turned into a massive beam of light, "Go! Synchro Summon! Come on, 'T.G. Wonder Magician'!"
Appearing on the field, as the Synchro Summon sequence ended, was a human female with long pink hair, two white wings, and wearing red robes (Level: 5/ATK: 1900/DEF: 0).
"Could this be her Synchro Tuner?" thought Matt, worried, "That means she already has everything she needs!"
"I activate 'Wonder Magician's' first effect!" interrupted Ms. Simmons, as 'T.G. Wonder Magician' turned and faced Fudo Go, "If this card is Synchro Summoned: I must target 1 Spell/Trap on the field; I must destroy that target!"
'T.G. Wonder Magician' fired a magical wave towards the opponent's field, striking it and causing one of Matt's Set cards ('Scrap-Iron Scarecrow') to reappear on the field in-front of Fudo Go, flip face-up, and reveal itself before shattering into shards of glass, much to Matt's dismay.
"Your 'Scrap-Iron Scarecrow' has been destroyed!" taunted Ms. Summons, before drawing a card, "Next, due to the effect of 'Hyper Librarian', I'll draw one card!"
The area erupted into more flames, but she was unfazed by it and quickly reached a state of Clear Mind.
(elsewhere…)
Outside the simulation…
"Here it comes, everyone!" yelped James R. in alarm.
(elsewhere…)
Back in the simulation, Murasame, similar to Fudo Go, started gaining flames around it from the increased speed.
"I-Incredible!" winced Matt, "She's really going for it!"
"Matt! Watch closely! This is the true power of Clear Mind!" cut in Ms. Simmons, before holding her right hand out as focus went towards both her monsters, "Level 5 'Wonder Magician' tunes Level 5 'Hyper Librarian'!"
'T.G. Wonder Magician' immediately turned herself into two balls of light and was absorbed into an unknown force straight ahead, causing the symbols 5 + 5 = 10 to be shown briefly. Not only that, Murasame continued to gain speed while also allowing more and more flames to surround it. 'T.G. Hyper Librarian' followed Ms. Simmons as she began a new Summon Chant…
"Limiter Removal, Level Ten! Main Bus Booster Control! All Clear! Infinite power, here be released, and pierce through to beyond the dimension!" chanted Ms. Simmons, before letting out a surprisingly hot-blooded scream, "Go! Accel Synchro!"
Not only that, both Murasame and 'T.G. Hyper Librarian' were also now moving/flying at the speed of light while burning like a shooting star—eventually vanishing into what looked like a green ring-like vortex without a trace.
"She disappeared!" stammered Matt.
Within seconds, however, Murasame (and its rider) reappeared from the same vortex, overtaking the surprised dirty blonde-haired young man and Fudo Go. Not only that, following Murasame was a new Machine monster…
"Come on, 'T.G. Blade Blaster'!" boomed Ms. Simmons.
'T.G. Blade Blaster' was a green/orange hued humanoid robot monster armed with a blaster in one hand, and a blade weapon in the other hand (Level: 10/ATK: 3300/DEF: 2200).
(elsewhere…)
Outside the simulation, Mr. Kisaka remained neutral, but everyone else was outright surprised and amazed.
"'T.G. Blade Blaster'-!" started Lisa.
"Such a cool-looking monster," put in James R..
"Not to mention strong!" cried Mayura, "It has 3300 ATK! Just like 'Shooting Star Dragon'!"
"This proves that Erica has mastered Clear Mind and Accel Synchro," acknowledged Zack, watching the monitor showing footage of 'T.G. Blade Blaster' making its appearance, "Matt will be in for a very difficult battle against someone who's almost like him—physically, mentally, and emotionally."
"Matty…" whispered Ashima.
(elsewhere…)
Back in the simulation, Matt was stunned into silence from witnessing 'T.G. Blade Blaster' make its grand debut.
"Such vigor! Erica, your monster…" stammered Matt, "It's incredible!"
Ms. Simmons grinned over the compliment, but then got aggressive again—more so than usual due to her ace monster being on the field.
"Battle!" yelled Ms. Simmons, entering her Battle Phase. As she issued the command to her monster, 'T.G. Blade Blaster' turned and faced 'Junk Berserker', "I use 'Blade Blaster' to attack 'Junk Berserker'! Shoot Blade!"
'T.G. Blade Blaster' fired off a yellow blast at 'Junk Berserker', who tried fighting it off by using his scythe weapon—however, he failed to fully repel the attack and got hit by the third strike and ended up destroyed. The explosion left behind was strong enough for Matt to feel it as he grunted in pain and lost some LP (LP: 3500 → 2900).
"But this is not the end!" warned Ms. Simmons, "You will next be attacked directly!"
"What?!" cried Matt.
"If a monster(s) on the field is destroyed by battle or an opponent's card effect: I can Special Summon this card from my hand," When Ms. Simmons finished speaking, she placed a card ('T.G. Metal Skeleton') onto her Duel Runner, "I Special Summon 'T.G. Metal Skeleton'!"
Appearing on the field was a metallic skeleton-like monster (Level: 2/ATK: 1100/DEF: 0).
"'Metal Skeleton' attacks you directly!" continued Ms. Simmons.
'T.G. Metal Skeleton' hunched over and fired metallic shards from its back, which flew over to Fudo Go and struck various spots around the area, leaving explosions that caused Matt to yell out while struggling to maintain control and his LP taking a drop (LP: 2900 → 1800).
(elsewhere…)
Outside the simulation…
"Wow… I figured Ms. Simmons is a strong duelist due to being a teacher," admired Juri, "However, I never imagined she'd be 'this' strong!"
"Same," agreed Mayura, "If I were Ms. Simmons, I'd consider leaving Orb and going full pro! I bet she can match the power of the world's greatest duelist, Tho-!"
"This is serious, you two," berated Michael, causing Mayura and Juri to look over. He frowned deeply, "Even though Erica is winning the match, she's trying to teach Matt something important," The monitor displayed footage of 'T.G. Metal Skeleton' and 'T.G. Blade Blaster' as he finished speaking, "The thing is I don't know what that something could be."
(elsewhere…)
Back in the simulation, Matt was still reeling from 'Junk Berserker' being destroyed by 'T.G. Blade Blaster' and getting attacked directly by 'T.G. Metal Skeleton'.
"That 'T.G. Blade Blaster' has some powerful effects," thought Matt, "Those could be triggered at any time—meaning I can't take any serious risks while fighting it."
"I Set one card and end my turn!" finished Ms. Simmons, as a face-down card materialized on the field in-front of Murasame before fading away for later use. She then started speaking to Matt again, "Matt, you appear to be hesitating to fight."
"Hesitating?" repeated Matt.
"Your and your friends have already sustained tragic losses due to the Dark Signers, but they seem to have affected you the most," elaborated Ms. Simmons, "Unless you shape up, not only will you fail to defeat me, but you will never be able to defeat the Dark Signers!"
"Ridiculous!" objected Matt, "That's complete nonsense! I… I…"
"No, Matt, it's the reality in-front of you," insisted Ms. Simmons harshly, "Do you remember what happened to Sean, Janice, and Discord in the battle with Azrael?"
A flashback ensued.
FLASHBACK
During the battle between Flashback Discord and Flashback Azrael…
"Oh man… Where are we?" asked Flashback Sean groggily.
"The last thing I remember is hearing the news that a Dark Signer appeared in New York City and killed Megan," remembered Flashback Janice, before shutting her eyes and wincing from a headache, "After that-"
"Sean-kun! Janice!" The voice of Flashback David called out, causing the both of them to look over. He was looking very scared for his two best friends, "Get away from Azrael! Hurry!"
Flashback Sean and Flashback Janice blinked before looking over to their left and gasping. Flashback Azrael was holding up a very familiar card ('Earthbound Immortal Cusillu').
"I sacrifice the souls of these spirits!" chanted Flashback Azrael, before placing his card onto a Monster Zone on his Duel Disk, "Advent, 'Earthbound Immortal Cusillu'!"
As those final words left his mouth, an earthquake in the area began. Within the sky, something was seen emerging from the geoglyph in the sky. It looked like the same huge, stone heart that appeared when Flashback Rutger dueled against Flashback Matt, and when Flashback Misty dueled Flashback Megan. The three Astray girls, Flashback Ms. Simmons, Flashback Mr. Kisaka, Flashback Mr. Zimmerman, Flashback Sherry, and Flashback Shinji all huddled around the Signers in order to prevent their souls from being taken as an offering to the 'Earthbound Immortals'. Unfortunately, there were some souls they were unable to save, and two very unfortunates were Flashback Sean and Flashback Janice…
"David! Everyone! You must defeat the Dark Signers!" called Flashback Sean.
"Please save us!" begged Flashback Janice.
With that said, the souls of both teenagers were ripped from their bodies and rose towards the heart high in the sky like purple mist. Flashback David was so shocked by the sight that he was not able to speak up about it, but when was finally able to, all he could do about it was scream.
"SEAN-KUUUUUUN! JANIIIIIIICE!" cried Flashback David, heartbroken.
Slowly, the heart began to beat in response to the souls that were offered, and, soon enough, it exploded with power. Finally emerging from the ghostly flames was a gigantic monkey creature with black and yellow skin, and a long tail. This monster was none other than Flashback Azrael's 'Earthbound Immortal' monster, 'Earthbound Immortal Cusillu' (Level: 10/ATK: 2800/DEF: 2400). Flashback Discord and everyone else stared up at the monster in complete terror; despite doing his absolute best, Flashback Discord failed to stop the appearance of 'Earthbound Immortal Cusillu' and had no way to defend himself from a likely direct attack.
"Kneel before the 'Earthbound Immortals', Discord J. Crawford!" roared Flashback Azrael in triumph, entering the Battle Phase, "'Cusillu', attack directly!"
Because there was a Field Spell ('Earthbound Geoglyph') on the field, the 'Earthbound Immortal' monster was allowed to strike the opponent due to its third effect, which was shared by the others. Anyway, 'Earthbound Immortal Cusillu' obeyed, raising a fist and, with a loud, screeching shout, brought it down. In a final attempt to save Flashback Discord, both 'Toon Black Luster Soldier' and 'Millennium-Eyes Restrict' soared into the sky and attempted to attack the enemy monster right back, but they were unsuccessful; only getting destroyed by the fist despite being stronger than 'Earthbound Immortal Cusillu' in terms of ATK. Flashback Discord, looking up into the sky at the incoming attack, knew he failed Cynthia.
"No…" Flashback Discord whispered, then, as the gigantic fist got closer to striking, let out a huge scream, "NOOOOOOOOOO!"
The fist from 'Earthbound Immortal Cusillu' was merely a second away from connecting.
*BOOM!*
The impact of the attack was so powerful that the whole area shook from the impact, while the group of spectators was thrown back and out of the geoglyph (even the non-Signers).
(elsewhere…)
Outside the city, 'Earthbound Immortal Cusillu' could be seen hunched over with many buildings surrounding it after punching whoever was in its way, but then stood tall and let out a roar before fading away after doing its job.
(elsewhere…)
Back in Orb's parking lot, it was a complete mess in terms of damage as the fire wall belonging to the geoglyph died down with the duel being over. There was a blanket of smoke covering the area, and when it did clear away, there, laying under some concrete rubble, was a fatally wounded Flashback Discord, bleeding heavily from his face as the last of his LP ran out (LP: 200 → 0).
"Discord!" called Flashback Matt, standing back up and running over.
Before long, everyone else was shown to be okay as they looked in the direction Flashback Discord was in. Flashback Matt reached the buried Discord and held him (Flashback Discord) in his (Fashback Matt) arms.
"Discord, Discord! Hang in there!" begged Flashback Matt.
Flashback Discord weakly opened his eyes, knowing there was no way he could ever apologize to his adopted children for failing them.
"M-Matty-boy… I'm so sorry," Flashback Discord apologized sadly, "I dueled the best that I could, but Azrael's new Deck was too much for me to handle."
"Don't say that! You'll be alright!" objected Flashback Matt, trying to remain strong, "You'll live! We'll get you to the hospital and save your life!"
"It's no use," rebutted Flashback Discord, "You heard what happens after being defeated; the loser of this duel has to disappear as a penalty… But this is for the…best, since it means I'll…be reunited with my darling Cynthia in the afterlife," He smiled weakly, "Matty-boy… you and the others…are the world's last…hope. I know you can… I-I know you can…"
Flashback Discord never got that further, as his eyes closed and his body became lifeless. Greatly upset, a desperate Flashback Matt shook the body repeatedly for a response, but never got one. To make matters all the sadder, Flashback Discord's whole body turned into a stone-like color before breaking apart and leaving nothing behind except for the specks to be blown away by the wind. Flashback Matt remained in his place and on his knees in stunned silence. Finally realizing that Flashback Discord, his adopted Father, was gone forever, he shut his eyes with emotion and did the only thing he could do about it—which was scream in grief.
"DISCOOOOOOOORD!" Flashback Matt wailed out.
END FLASHBACK
The flashback ended
"I'm aware the death of Discord devastated you and the other Signers," continued Ms. Simmons, "I was equally helpless to save him… But a Coordinator has to learn to move forward and focus on the objective at hand, no matter how much harm is inflicted to the heart," She looked over her shoulder again, "Do you understand?"
Matt was silent over the lesson being given to him; yes, Discord's death really hurt him and his friends, like Sean and Janice's death really hurt David. Still, they had to focus on stopping their enemies, the Dark Signers from completing their plan in potentially destroying the world.
"I understand, Erica," answered Matt, "As much as it hurts, I will move forward in order to learn something from this duel—and defeat you!"
"Good!" encouraged Ms. Simmons, "Give this duel everything you've got, Matt!"
Both Duel Runners raced further across the ring while dodging bursts of fire from the sun.
"It's my turn!" exclaimed Matt, drawing a card.
He and Ms. Simmons gained another Speed Counter:
-Matt: 2 → 3
-Ms. Simmons: 2 → 3
Turn Four: Matt Fudo (LP: 1800)
Deck: 51
Current Hand (4): "Stardust Xiaolong", "Sonic Chick", "Salvage Warrior", and "Angel Baton"
Speed Counters: 3
Without wasting a second, Matt held out his drawn 'Angel Baton' Spell Card.
"Spell Card, 'Angel Baton'!" began Matt, before drawing two cards (one at a time) and sending another card ('Stardust Xiaolong'), "I must draw 2 cards, then discard 1 card!" His hand now contained 'Sonic Chick', 'Salvage Warrior', 'Devoted Gardna', and 'Unknown Synchron', and he knew what to play next, "If only my opponent controls a monster, I can Special Summon this card (from my hand)," He placed a card ('Unknown Synchron') onto a Monster Zone on his Duel Runner, "I Special Summon 'Unknown Synchron'!"
Appearing on the field was a robotic ball-like monster with a single eye (Level: 1/ATK: 0/DEF: 0).
"Next, I'll offer 'Unknown Synchron' as a Tribute!" Matt went on, as 'Unknown Synchron' faded away in a blue streak, "l Tribute Summon 'Salvage Warrior'!"
Appearing on the field was a blue-skinned, tubby-looking monster wielding a large chain for a weapon (Level: 5/ATK: 1900/DEF: 1600).
"When this card is Tribute Summoned: I can Special Summon 1 Tuner from my hand or GY," explained Matt, going over his monster's only effect before holding his right hand out and 'Salvage Warrior' hurled the gain into the ground to pull something out, "Resurrect, 'Junk Synchron'!"
Reappearing on the field was 'Junk Synchron' (Level: 3/ATK: 1300/DEF: 500).
"Level 3 'Junk Synchron' tunes Level 5 'Salvage Warrior'!" concluded Matt.
'Junk Synchron' pulled a cord on his armor, causing his motor backpack to start revving as his whole body started glowing a golden yellow before finally turning into three Synchro Rings, which 'Salvage Warrior' soared into before turning into five orbs of light as Matt performed the Summon Chant.
"Gathering stars will become a new shining star! Become the path its light shines upon!" chanted Matt, as the symbols 5 + 3 = 8 were shown for a brief period of time just before the five orbs of light within the trio of Synchro Rings turned into a massive beam of light, "Synchro Summon! Take flight, 'Stardust Dragon'!"
Appearing from the beam of light and flying into the sky, was the majestic-looking white/silver dragon itself (Level: 8/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000). More pillars of fire erupted from the sun, but 'Stardust Dragon' gracefully flew and dodged them all.
"So, you've come at last, 'Stardust'!" acknowledged Ms. Simmons.
"Next, I'll activate 'Stardust Xiaolong's' effect!" As Matt explained the effect, appearing onto the field was the Chinese Dragon-like version of 'Stardust Dragon' (Level: 1/ATK: 100/DEF: 100) "If I control 'Stardust Dragon': I can Special Summon this card from my GY in Attack Position."
"He needs just one more monster—a Tuner," thought Ms. Simmons.
"Then, I'll activate a Continuous Trap!" continued Matt, as his Set card reappeared on the speeding field in-front of Fudo Go, flipped face-up, and revealed itself, "'Graceful Revival'! I must activate this card by targeting 1 Level 2 or lower monster in my GY; I must Special Summon that target in Attack Position," As he announced the monster in-question, reappearing on the field was 'Unknown Synchron' (Level: 1/ATK: 0/DEF: 0), "I Special Summon 'Unknown Synchron'!" He then gave the big command, "Level 1 'Unknown Synchron' tunes Level 1 'Stardust Xiaolong'!"
'Unknown Synchron' turned into a single Synchro Ring, which 'Stardust Xiaolong' flew into while turning into a single orb of light as a familiar Summon Chant from Matt followed.
"Clustering wishes will call out a new speed's horizon! Become the path its light shines upon!" chanted Matt, as the symbols 1 + 1 = 2 were shown briefly just before the single orb within the lone Synchro Ring turned into a massive beam of light, "Synchro Summon! The power of hope, Synchro Tuner, 'Formula Synchron'!"
Appearing onto the field was the robotic, humanoid racing car-like monster (Level: 2/ATK: 200/DEF: 1500). The face-up 'Graceful Revival' Trap Card then shattered into shards of glass since the targeted monster had left the field.
(elsewhere…)
Outside the simulation…
"Oh, this is it, everyone!" warned James R..
Everyone was anticipating an Accel Synchro Summon from Matt now that 'Formula Synchron' had appeared.
(elsewhere…)
Back in the simulation…
"The first effect of 'Formula Synchron'!" declared Matt, bracing two fingers on top of his Deck, "When this card is Synchro Summoned: I can draw 1 card."
He drew his card, which was the 'Enduring Soul' Trap Card.
"Erica, I won't let the Dark Signers break me! I will continue to fight in order to protect my friends and the world!" vowed Matt, "I'll do it with the ultimate power I have obtained!" After a beat… "Clear Mind!"
With that last part shouted, he started crackling with absolute power as a large image of the Seal of the Crimson Dragon appeared behind him and Fudo Go. Ms. Simmons seemed to smile when Matt reached Clear Mind.
"Level 2 Synchro Tuner, 'Formula Synchron'," Matt went on, motioning his right arm about while also thrusting the right hand out. While still speaking, 'Stardust Dragon' flew above him and Fudo Go, "tunes Level 8 Synchro Monster, 'Stardust Dragon'!"
'Formula Synchron' immediately turned itself into two balls of light and was absorbed into an unknown force straight ahead, causing the symbols 8 + 2 = 10 to be shown briefly. Not only that, Fudo Go started to gain speed while also allowing flames to surround it. 'Stardust Dragon' let loose a roar as it flew above Matt and followed him, just as he began a highly familiar Summon Chant…
"Clustering crystal dreams open the door to a new evolution!" chanted Matt, raising his right hand into the air above 'Stardust Dragon', "Become the path its light shines upon!"
More and more flames surrounded Fudo Go as it went faster and faster, just as Matt gave quite possibly one of the strongest, most hot-blooded screams anyone could ever hope to hear…
"Accel Synchro!" The dirty blonde-haired young man echoed, motioning his right arm out to his right at the very end of the scream.
Very quickly, a familiar card ('Shooting Star Dragon') materialized out of thin-air and in-between Matt's fingers. Not only that, both Fudo Go and 'Stardust Dragon' were also now moving/flying at the speed of light while burning like a shooting star—eventually vanishing into what looked like a green ring-like vortex without a trace. Within seconds, however, Fudo Go (and its rider) reappeared from the same vortex, overtaking Ms. Simmons and Murasame. Not only that, following Fudo Go before flying into space happened to be a VERY familiar dragon…
"Be born, 'Shooting Star Dragon'!" boomed Matt.
Soaring gracefully through space before stopping above Fudo Go, was none other than 'Stardust Dragon's' bigger, more powerful, more evolved form (Level: 10/ATK: 3300/DEF: 2500).
"'Shooting Star Dragon'!" realized Ms. Simmons, "You're now dueling seriously, Matt!"
"Erica! I will fight you past my own limits!" raged Matt, before entering his Battle Phase, "Battle!" While giving the order to his evolved ace monster, 'Shooting Star Dragon' flew through the stars while doing magnificent aerial dynamics, "'Shooting Star Dragon', attack 'T.G. Metal Skeleton'!"
'Shooting Star Dragon' raced into 'T.G. Metal Skeleton', destroying the weaker monster on contact with ease. The mighty explosion left behind rocked Murasame about slightly, while Ms. Simmons sustained some very heavy damage from the battle (LP: 4000 → 1800). This allowed Fudo Go to catch up and drive alongside the faster Duel Runner.
"I Set one card and end my turn!" finished Matt, slotting a card into his Duel Runner.
A face-down card materialized on the field in-front of Fudo Go before fading away for later use.
(elsewhere…)
As the group watched the duel with great interest, a very panicked-looking Asagi Caldwell finally arrived in the room. She looked around and finally found Mayura and Juri. Relieved, she approached in a haste and grabbed them by the arms, startling them as they exclaimed some wordless protests while being pulled away without anyone else noticing them.
(outside…)
Outside the room, Asagi pulled her two best friends along until they were far enough away to ensure their conversation couldn't be heard by everyone else.
"Asagi! What the heck is wrong with you?!" snapped Mayura, looking rather peeved, "Why'd you roughly pull us away from the action when you could have just-" She was then silenced by a note being thrust near her face, "Huh? What's this?"
"It's a note," frowned Asagi, "I found it outside on my way here. You'll never believe who it's from."
Curious, Juri took the note and read it aloud. This was what it said:
"To Matt Fudo, Michael Atlas, and James Hogan…
It's finally time we six settle our scores, once and for all. Meet us at the town square in one hour, and don't keep us waiting—because you will regret it. Bring your gear, and don't even think of holding back in the fight, because we certainly won't.
Signed by Shani Andras, Orga Sabnak, Clotho Buer."
Juri looked up with a very fearful expression on her face when she finished reading, wanting to believe it was a joke, but it wasn't. She (Juri) and Mayura were extremely worried about the three Bio-CPU boys' request for a challenge. This was too important to ignore.
"I say we should warn Matt and the others immediately," requested Mayura.
"No argument there," accepted Juri.
"No!" refused Asagi, "He has to continue his duel with Ms. Simmons!" Juri and Mayura both looked surprised if also dismayed as she (Asagi) continued reasoning with them, "We all know how important it is for Matt!" She then gestured towards herself using the thumb of her right hand, "We three will accept the challenge in their place!"
"Asagi, that's insane!" protested Juri, "Orga, Clotho, and Shani are now Dark Signers!"
"We'll be just fine," reassured Asagi, "After all, we've beaten those guys many times when we were kids, and we've grown much stronger since studying here at Orb."
Mayura and Juri looked at each other, both weren't exactly sure if this was such a good idea, but Asagi, at the same time, made a couple of good points since they were more powerful than they were years ago when Duel Monsters was first released in the United States. At last, they looked back at their wavy blonde-haired best friend and nodded, telling her they were in. Asagi smiled, but then looked dead serious as she looked at the letter from Clotho and his two best friends.
(elsewhere…)
Back in the simulation, Matt was still pulled up beside Ms. Simmons, having dealt her a significant amount of damage.
"Matt, I praise you for mastering Accel Synchro and bringing out 'Shooting Star Dragon' at a young age," complemented Ms. Simmons, "You're just like me…" Despite her calmness, she then spoke more sharply, "However, what you've done now has only gotten you on equal footing with me!" She closed her eyes, "That's too bad, but what you think is your limitations isn't the actual limit."
"What are you talking about?" frowned Matt.
Ms. Simmons opened her eyes, "You have only begun to barely scratch the surface of the current situation," she confessed, "Accel Synchro Summons are meant as nothing more than an exhibit; a mere display of what lies beyond it. I will show you a power that no one has ever seen before—except for the late Discord J. Crawford!"
"What?!" flinched Matt, "There's a power greater than Accel Synchro?!"
Rather than answer the question, Ms. Simmons poured on the gas and had Murasame pull away from Fudo Go before beginning her next turn.
"It's my turn!" howled Ms. Simmons, drawing a card.
Another Speed Counter was given to both players:
-Matt: 3 → 4
-Ms. Simmons: 3 → 4
Turn Five: Erica Simmons (LP: 1800)
Deck: 50
Current Hand (3): "Double Type Rescue", "T.G. Drill Fish", and "T.G. Gear Zombie"
Speed Counters: 4
Upon seeing her drawn 'T.G. Gear Zombie' Tuner Monster Card, Ms. Simmons made her move.
"I can target 1 'T.G.' monster I control; I must Special Summon this card from my hand, then the targeted monster loses 1000 ATK!" explained Ms. Simmons, holding out her drawn card while going over its only effect before she placed the card ('T.G. Gear Zombie') onto her Duel Runner, "I Special Summon 'T.G. Gear Zombie'!"
Appearing on the field was a greenish Zombie monster littered with gears (Level: 1/ATK: 600/DEF: 0). It was then 'T.G. Blade Blaster' lost some power from the new monster's effect (ATK: 3300 → 2300), which Matt seemed surprised to see.
"From there, I'll activate the second effect of 'T.G. Drill Fish'!" continued Ms. Simmons, placing a card ('T.G. Drill Fish') onto her Duel Runner. This caused a swordfish monster with a large drill for a nose (Level: 1/ATK: 100/DEF: 800), "If all monsters I control are 'T.G.' monsters (min. 1): I can Special Summon this card from my hand!" She then held her right hand out, "Level 1 'Gear Zombie' tunes Level 1 'Drill Fish'!"
'T.G. Gear Zombie' turned into a single Synchro Ring, which 'T.G. Drill Fish' soared into before turning into a single orb of light while a Summon Chant echoed throughout.
"Limiter Removal Level Two! Regulator Open! Navigation, All Clear!" chanted Ms. Simmons, as the symbols 1 + 1 = 2 were briefly shown just before the single orb of light within the lone Synchro Ring turned into a massive beam of light, "Go! Synchro Summon! Come on, 'T.G. Recipro Dragonfly'!"
Appearing on the field was a mechanical dragonfly-like monster (Level: 2/ATK: 300/DEF: 300).
"'Recipro Dragonfly's' effect!" began Ms. Simmons, "Once per turn: I can target 1 other 'T.G.' Synchro Monster I control; I must send it to the GY, then, if all the Synchro Monsters that were used for its Synchro Summon are in my GY, I can Special Summon all of them," The weakened 'T.G. Blade Blaster' began to split apart and turn into two large orbs of light, "I send 'Blade Blaster' to the GY and Special Summon 'Hyper Librarian' and 'Wonder Magician'!"
Reappearing on the field were 'T.G. Hyper Librarian' (Level: 5/ATK: 2400/DEF: 1800) and 'T.G. Wonder Magician' (Level: 5/ATK: 1900/DEF: 0).
"But why would you send your own Accel Synchro Monster to the GY?" asked Matt worriedly.
"This is what's beyond Accel Synchro," replied Ms. Simmons, with her right hand clenched into a fist.
She then revved up her Murasame and it began moving even faster than ever before, leaving Fudo Go way behind.
"What's going on?" blinked Matt.
"The state of supremacy beyond the limits of your own being!" uttered Ms. Simmons, before saying (rather yelling) something else completely out of the blue, "Top Clear Mind!"
(elsewhere…)
Outside the simulation, everyone present (even Mr. Kisaka) was shocked by what they heard Ms. Simmons say.
"Top Clear Mind, did she say?" recoiled Zack.
"Is it stronger than Clear Mind?" came from Ashima.
(elsewhere…)
Back in the simulation, everyone was going to see if it was true through the ultimate command being issued.
"Level 5 'Wonder Magician' tunes Level 2 'Recipro Dragonfly' and Level 5 'Hyper Librarian'!" The voice of Ms. Simmons announced, as 'T.G. Recipro Dragonfly' and 'T.G. Hyper Librarian' both were ready for the show, while something happened to 'T.G. Wonder Magician' as she closed her eyes, "Observe this, Matt! Observe the true power of Accel Synchro!"
With her eyes still closed, 'T.G. Wonder Magician' started glowing before turning into five Synchro Rings as the Murasame Duel Runner continued picking up speed. It, along with both 'T.G. Recipro Dragonfly' and 'T.G. Hyper Librarian', soon went through the five Synchro Rings produced by 'T.G. Wonder Magician' into a tunnel of sorts as a whole new Summon Chant from Ms. Simmons began.
"Limiter Removal, Level Max! Regulator Open, All Clear! Infinite power, break through time and space to open up an unknown world!" chanted Ms. Simmons, as the symbols 2 + 5 + 5 = 12 were briefly shown before her eyes opened and she delivered a final, very powerful yell, "Go! Delta Accel!"
With the last part yelled out, Murasame, with purple flames surrounding the front of the Duel Runner, continued to move at the speed of light. In addition, the sun in the background shrank and shrank before it finally went kaboom. Matt screamed as he felt the backlash from the sun's explosion. Meanwhile, up ahead on the track, Ms. Simmons was bringing out her newest monster…
"Come on, 'T.G. Halberd Cannon'!" she thundered.
Appearing onto the field, now that the Synchro Summon sequence ended, was a gigantic robot colored black with some orange hues and a large rocket pack on its back. The main weapon, on the other hand, was a giant staff with a blade at the very end (Level: 12/ATK: 4000/DEF: 4000). A black hole was left behind where the virtual sun used to be before it exploded, and both 'T.G. Halberd Cannon' and 'Shooting Star Dragon' faced each other, ready for a battle.
"What is…?!" gasped Matt.
"Matt!" The voice of Ms. Simmons called out, which caused Matt to look up. She was looking over her shoulder at her opponent, "Did you see that? It's a Synchro Summon using three Synchro Monsters! This is a Synchro surpassing Accel Synchro!" She then clenched her right hand into a fist before pointing at her opponent, "It's called Delta Accel Synchro!"
Matt recoiled, "Delta Accel Synchro…!"
"If you want to be able to defeat the Dark Signers," The voice of Ms. Simmons continued, while Matt stared in utter shock at the revelation and 'T.G. Halberd Cannon', "then you first must learn how to master Delta Accel Synchro! As a fellow Coordinator, you will have to prove to me that you can surpass your limitations!" She then looked back ahead on the path she and her opponent were taking, "For starters, why don't you try defeating me and my 'Halberd Cannon' with 'Shooting Star Dragon'!"
Matt flinched again. While 'T.G. Halberd Cannon' and 'Shooting Star Dragon' continued facing each other, a large, faded image of Erica Simmons from the chest up loomed over Matt Fudo—who knew he was in for the fight of his life.
(elsewhere…)
On the highway leading to Hartford, Forbidden, Calamity, and Raider were traveling to said city. Their riders had spent a whole day in Albany, having their fun dueling various people. As they remembered how much fun they had, a flashback ensued.
FLASHBACK
In several stills, Flashback Orga, Flashback Clotho, and Flashback Shani had brought out their respective 'Earthbound Immortal' monsters in different duels, using them to defeat/kill duelists they were facing, and also from Summoning them for the first time, they sucked up the souls of the people trapped in the geoglyphs. Some buildings were smashed and/or destroyed, killing various people in the process. After winning their last respective duels, the three Bio-CPU boys each burst into maniacal laughter over how truly unstoppable they seemed to have become.
END FLASHBACK
The flashback ended, and they also remembered their headmaster praising them for completing their mission perfectly, and letting them return to Hartford to finally settle some old scores as a reward. It helped that it was actually Azrael who secretly sent the note to Orb, knowing someone there would pick it up and deliver it to the Signers.
"We'll get those three…" began Shani.
"…damn duelists," added Clotho.
"For sure this time," finished Orga.
And so, on the three of them went, heading straight to Hartford. A massive rematch between the rivals was now on the horizon. Would the Biological CPU trio actually get those rematches though? That was still unknown at the time.