“Yusei! Yusei!” Crow shouted, standing to the side of his Duel Runner while attempting to reach his friend. He banged his fist on the screen of his Duel Runner. “It’s no use. I can’t get through!”
“Something must be jamming the signal,” Trudge said, standing behind Crow.
“I’ve already called specialists to fix it, but it’s going to take some time,” Mina stated.
“That’s not something we have,” Crow said, putting on his helmet and boarding his Runner. “There’s only one place they could be on if Yusei managed to catch up with him.”
“Crow! Wait!” Mina called after him, as he drove off.
“That kid. He won’t be able to find him that easily, not with the signal jammed,” Trudge commented.
“Then let’s go. Officer Kaz and others are already on their way here.”
“Right.” Trudge quickly entered the car and got in the driver’s seat. The two buckled up as he drove after Crow.
Yusei pressed the buttons on his touch-screen monitor. “It’s no good… something is disrupting the signal… I can’t get in touch with Crow…” he thought.
“What’s wrong, Yusei Fudo?” Dobocle taunted. “I thought you wanted to Duel.”
“I’ll have to buy some time…” Yusei glared at his opponent. “Let’s go.”
Dobocle grinned. “I thought as much,” he mumbled. Both drew five cards from their Decks, which lay stored on top of their arms.
DUEL!
Yusei (LP 4000) VS Dobocle (LP 4000)
“I’ll go first!” Dobocle declared, drawing a sixth card. “I Summon Gyaku-Gire Panda in Attack Position!”
Gyaku-Gire Panda
LV: 3
ATK: 800
A large panda bear appeared next to Dobocle and faced Yusei, glaring at him with an anger-induced expression.
“I Set two cards face-down and end my turn!” he concluded.
The images of two large cards appeared at the side of his Duel Runner before vanishing just as quickly.
“It’s my turn!” Yusei stated.
Dobocle
LP: 4000
SPC: 0 + 1 = 1
Yusei
LP: 4000
SPC: 0 + 1 = 1
“I Summon Speed Warrior!”
Speed Warrior
LV: 2
ATK: 900
A human-sized metallic warrior appeared at Yusei’s side, its legs moving as if skating down the Duel Lane alongside him.
“Only 900 ATK?” Dobocle replied. “Please, that won’t be enough. Due to Gyaku-Gire Panda’s effect, it gains 500 ATK for every monster you control!”
Gyaku-Gire Panda
LV: 3
ATK: 800 + 500 = 1300
“That weakling won’t win this battle!” Dobocle chuckled.
“We’ll see about that,” Yusei countered.
“What?”
“During the Battle Phase of the turn it’s Normal Summoned, Speed Warrior’s ATK is doubled!”
Speed Warrior
LV: 2
ATK: 900 * 2 = 1800
Dobocle scoffed.
“Battle! Speed Warrior, attack Gyaku-Gire Panda!” Yusei commanded, his warrior charging forward while twirling itself on its hands. “Sonic Edge!”
“Not so fast!” Dobocle exclaimed. “I activate the Trap Card Rising Energy!”
“What?!”
“By discarding one card from my hand, this card increases the ATK of my monster by 1500 until the End Phase!”
“But that means…”
“Oh, yes. Your monster is about to bite the dust!”
Gyaku-Gire Panda
LV: 3
ATK: 1300 + 1500 = 2800
The large beast held its arms up to block Speed Warrior’s kick.
“Good-bye!” Dobocle shouted. His monster clawed at Yusei’s warrior and vanquished it.
2800 – 1800 = 1000
Yusei
LP: 4000 – 1000 = 3000
SPC: 1
Gyaku-Gire Panda
LV: 3
ATK: 2800 – 500 = 2300
“Anything else?” Dobocle chuckled.
“I’ll Set one card face-down and end my turn,” Yusei concluded.
Gyaku-Gire Panda
LV: 3
ATK: 2300 – 1500 = 800
He then looked at the equine tied to his opponent’s Runner. “Hang in there… I’ll save you…”
“Looks like they’re not having any luck with the signal,” Trudge said, his car following close behind Crow’s Runner.
“How did he do this…?” Mina asked.
“It wasn’t Dobocle,” Crow answered. “Not completely, anyway.”
“Huh?” Trudge responded.
“What do you mean? That Dobocle was assisted?” Mina questioned.
“Exactly. That lab is closer to the inside, almost near the Ener-D Reactor Yusei had been working on. To hit that point exactly and to go only for the horse and nothing else… not to mention the signal jam…” Crow continued. “He couldn’t have done it alone. Not Dobocle. He had to have had help.”
Trudge and Mina remained silent, in shock.
“Then it’s just a matter of finding his accomplice,” Mina finally spoke.
“That’ll have to be put on hold until we get the signal cleared. We won’t be able to coordinate efficiently without it,” Trudge added.
“Agreed.”
“But Crow… why are we going this way?”
“If Yusei caught up with Dobocle… there’s only one place they could be,” Crow answered. “Be careful, Yusei…”
“It’s my turn!” Dobocle declared.
Dobocle
LP: 4000
SPC: 1 + 1 = 2
Yusei
LP: 3000
SPC: 1 + 1 = 2
“I Summon Maji-Gire Panda!”
Maji-Gire Panda
LV: 4
ATK: 1000
“Go, Gyaku-Gire Panda! Direct attack!” he commanded. Dobocle’s first monster charged forward at Yusei and swiped its paw at him.
Yusei
LP: 3000 – 800 = 2200
SPC: 2
“Maji-Gire Panda, it’s your turn!” The second beast lunged forward.
“I activate the Trap Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!” Yusei declared, a large metal scarecrow appearing out of his revealed card. "This card negates your monster's attack!"
“I don’t think so! I activate the Counter Trap Seven Tools of the Bandit!” Dobocle stated.
“What?!”
“By paying 1000 Life Points, I negate the activation of your Trap Card and destroy it!”
Dobocle
LP: 4000 – 1000 = 3000
SPC: 2
Yusei flinched as his scarecrow was shattered into pieces, followed by another swipe from Dobocle’s Maji-Gire Panda.
Yusei
LP: 2200 – 1000 = 1200
SPC: 2
“How’d you like that? At this rate, you’ll never stop me or get your precious horse back!” Dobocle cackled. “I Set one card face-down and end my turn!”
“Why do you want the horse?” Yusei asked.
“I don’t care about it.”
“What?”
“I’m just earning my pay, Yusei Fudo.”
“Your… ‘pay’… Who hired you?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know? Like I’d tell you!”
Yusei glared at Dobocle, then glanced once more at the equine. “One way or another… I will stop you,” he stated. “It’s my turn!”
Dobocle
LP: 3000
SPC: 2 + 1 = 3
Yusei
LP: 1200
SPC: 2 + 1 = 3
“I Summon Junk Synchron!”
Junk Synchron
LV: 3
ATK: 1300
“When this monster is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 2 or below monster from my Graveyard in Defense Position! Revive, Speed Warrior!”
Speed Warrior
LV: 2
DEF: 400
“Summon all the monsters you like! My Gyaku-Gire Panda’s ATK far surpasses them!” Dobocle stated.
Gyaku-Gire Panda
LV: 3
ATK: 800 + 1000 = 1800
“Is that so?” Yusei replied.
“What?”
“I tune Level 3 Junk Synchron with Level 2 Speed Warrior!” Yusei continued. His Junk Synchron rose into the air and transformed into three green transparent rings. As they lined up, his Speed Warrior rose into the holes.
3 + 2 = 5
Yusei’s Speed Warrior transformed into two small white orbs as it and the three rings were enveloped in a thick beam of light.
“Gathering stars will call upon a new force! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! Show yourself, Junk Warrior!”
A blue metallic warrior emerged from the light.
Junk Warrior
LV: 5
ATK: 2300
“A Synchro Summon…” Dobocle scoffed.
“With one less monster on my field, Gyaku-Gire Panda loses some power!” Yusei stated.
Gyaku-Gire Panda
LV: 3
ATK: 1800 – 500 = 1300
“Gyaku-Gire Panda’s ATK depends on the number of monsters on the opponent’s field. However, Maji-Gire Panda’s ATK will increase by 500 for every Beast-Type monster that’s destroyed. Even if it’s at 1000 ATK right now… I can’t risk it getting too powerful. In that case…” Yusei thought. “Battle! Junk Warrior, attack Maji-Gire Panda!” he commanded. The rocket boosters on his monster’s back propelled it forward as it extended its large right fist. “Scrap Fist!”
“I activate Impenetrable Attack!” Dobocle declared. “During this Battle Phase, one monster I control can’t be destroyed in battle!”
A barrier appeared and intercepted Junk Warrior’s attack.
“But you still take the Battle Damage!” Yusei countered.
2300 – 1000 = 1300
Dobocle
LP: 3000 – 1300 = 1700
SPC: 3
“Why you…” Dobocle groaned, as his Runner shook from the impact.
“I’ll Set one card face-down and end my turn,” Yusei concluded.
“I can’t lose like this. All that cash is just waiting for me to grab it… It’s my turn!”
Dobocle
LP: 1700
SPC: 3 + 1 = 4
Yusei
LP: 1200
SPC: 3 + 1 = 4
Dobocle chuckled as he looked at his drawn card.
“What’s he laughing about?” Yusei wondered.
“I didn’t think it would come to this, Yusei… but you left me no choice! I Summon the Tuner Monster Disharmony Spark!”
Disharmony Spark
LV: 1
ATK: 0
“Disharmony Spark?” Yusei repeated. “I’ve never heard of such a card…” He felt another pulse in his arm as his Signer mark glowed. “I have a bad feeling about this…”
“I tune Level 1 Disharmony Spark with Level 3 Gyaku-Gire Panda and Level 4 Maji-Gire Panda!” Dobocle continued. His new creature rose and transformed into a single black ring, otherwise identical to the rings Yusei’s Junk Synchron had transformed into. The two large pandas rose into the ring and transformed into seven small black orbs, only to be enveloped by a dark pillar.
1 + 3 + 4 = 8
“A raging beast emerges! Tremble in fear as it arrives! Synchro Summon! Come forth, Disharmony – Fury King Panda!”
A larger beast emerged from the blackness carrying the features of the two previous pandas and descended to Dobocle’s side.
Disharmony – Fury King Panda
LV: 8
ATK: 2700
“What is this monster…?” Yusei wondered. He felt a burning sensation in his arm as he also saw the star on the crown glow brighter. “Whatever it is… my mark and that crown are both reacting to it…”
“Yusei… end of the line,” Dobocle said.
“What?”
“When I attack… you’ll take 400 damage from the battle… and your Life Points will be a mere 800. And, as you already know, we are already beyond the Speed World 2 safety line. You can bet that I definitely have a Speed Spell in my hand. So if I remove the four Speed Counters that I have, you’ll take 800 points of damage! Which means you lose!” Dobocle gloated.
“Then what are you waiting for?”
“Eager to lose? Fine by me! Fury King Panda, attack Junk Warrior!” Dobocle’s large beast charged forward at Yusei’s warrior, vanquishing it in a single swipe. “Like I sa—huh?! What the?!”
Yusei
LP: 1200
SPC: 4
“No damage…?” Dobocle mumbled.
“I activated my Trap Card, Defense Draw! It reduces the Battle Damage to 0 and lets me draw one card from my Deck!” Yusei stated.
“Clever… but I’ve still won!” Dobocle moved to grab the remaining card in his hand.
“What?”
“From my hand, I activate the Speed Spell – Speed Storm! Since I have at least three Speed Counters, you take 1000 points of damage!”
A large gust of wind shook Yusei’s Runner.
Yusei
LP: 1200 – 1000 = 200
SPC: 4
“I end my turn! During my next turn, I’ll have six Speed Counters… and if I remove three of them during my Standby Phase… I can add Speed Storm from my Graveyard to my hand! And since I’ll have three left over, I’ll be able to activate it again!” Dobocle cackled, pulling further away from Yusei’s Duel Runner.
“In that case… I’ll settle this Duel this turn!” Yusei declared. “My turn!”
Dobocle
LP: 1700
SPC: 4 + 1 = 5
Yusei
LP: 200
SPC: 4 + 1 = 5
“This should help,” Yusei thought, glancing at his drawn card. “I activate the Speed Spell – Angel Baton! Since I have at least two Speed Counters, I can draw two cards from my Deck then discard one!” He then placed his hand on his Deck, preparing to draw additional cards.
“And with that comes your death sentence!” Dobocle stated.
“What?!”
“At this moment, I activate Fury King Panda’s effect! Once per turn, during the opponent’s turn… when you activate a card effect, I can increase its ATK by 500 until the End Phase!”
Disharmony – Fury King Panda
LV: 8
ATK: 2700 + 500 = 3200
“In addition, should my Panda’s ATK decrease, you’ll take damage equal to that amount!”
“That means… I might not even make it to next turn… and even if I do… he’ll still be able to return Speed Storm to his hand… What should I do…?” Yusei thought.
A sudden moan was heard.
“Wh… where am… I…?” a young female voice asked.
The two duelists became wide-eyed as they saw where the voice came from.
“It talks?!” Dobocle exclaimed.
“Why do I feel… so… restrained…?” the equine began to squirm. The struggle caused Dobocle’s Runner to wobble slightly.
“Hey, knock it off!” Dobocle shouted.
Yusei watched as the horse screamed for freedom, only to be silenced by a blow to the head from the crown Dobocle now held.
“If I’d known this thing can talk, I’d make the guy pay double. You know what… I’ll have him triple it or I keep it for myself,” the bulky duelist scoffed. “Now, where were we… Huh?”
Dobocle noticed Yusei’s eyes brimming with determination.
“I don’t know what’s going on…” Yusei said, “but I do know this: This is as far as you go, Dobocle.”
“Eh? Tough talk, champ. My monster has 3200 ATK. I doubt you could beat it in one turn… and unfortunately for you, one turn is all you have! You’ll either lose because of Fury King Panda’s effect… or, if you somehow manage to defeat my beast, Speed Storm on my next turn! You’ve got nothing left.”
Yusei glared at his opponent once more. “Due to Angel Baton’s effect, I draw two cards and discard one. Here I go!” He slowly revealed the cards to himself. His eyes grew wide as the image of a path of cards, connected by sparks of electricity, appeared in his mind. Yusei then discarded a card from his hand.
“What’s he up to?” Dobocle wondered.
“If I control no monsters, I can Special Summon Junk Forward from my hand!” Yusei declared.
Junk Forward
LV: 3
DEF: 1500
“Next, I Summon Debris Dragon!”
Debris Dragon
LV: 4
ATK: 1000
“When Debris Dragon is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a monster with 500 ATK or less from my Graveyard! Come, Sonic Chick!”
Sonic Chick
LV: 1
ATK: 300
“You couldn’t be…” Dobocle mumbled.
“I tune Level 4 Debris Dragon with Level 1 Sonic Chick and Level 3 Junk Forward!” Just as before, the small dragon transformed into four green rings that surrounded Yusei’s other two monsters. The two monsters became four small white orbs and were, along with the rings, engulfed in another pillar of light.
4 + 1 + 3 = 8
“Clustering wishes will become a new shining star! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! Take flight, Stardust Dragon!”
A large white dragon emerged from the light and descended above Yusei.
Stardust Dragon
LV: 8
ATK: 2500
“Stardust Dragon… your ace monster…” Dobocle commented. “However, its power pales in comparison to Fury King Panda. You can’t win!”
“Is that so?” Yusei countered.
“What?”
“I activate the Speed Spell – Overboost!”
“You get four Speed Counters and lose all but one at the End Phase. So what?”
Yusei
LP: 200
SPC: 5 + 4 = 9
“That’s not enough!” Dobocle shouted.
“Wrong,” Yusei replied. “My victory is assured… with this! I activate the Speed Spell – Final Attack!”
“No… not that card!”
“Since I have at least eight Speed Counters, I can double the ATK of a monster I control!”
Stardust Dragon
LV: 8
ATK: 2500 * 2 = 5000
“5000 ATK?!” Dobocle exclaimed.
“Go, Stardust Dragon! Attack Disharmony – Fury King Panda!” Yusei commanded, a large blast shooting out of his dragon’s mouth at Dobocle’s panda. “Shooting Sonic!”
An explosion occurred, obliterating the bulky duelist’s monster.
5000 – 3200 = 1800
Dobocle
LP: 1700 – 1800 = 0
SPC: 5
Dobocle and Yusei both became shocked as the former’s screen flashed red. “What the?!” Dobocle exclaimed.
Another explosion.
Yusei watched the blast fling the horse into the air. Almost instinctively, he rotated his Runner so that the left side faced forward while maintaining his direction. Rotating the armpiece of his Runner up, he extended his arm to catch the falling equine. The impact caused Yusei’s Runner to fall on its side while still going at a high velocity. Quickly regaining control of his Runner, he turned around and headed in the direction he came with the small horse across his lap. Lowering the armpiece, he saw a sparkle in the distance. He turned his head to see the crown fall into the sea below.
Another soft moan came from the horse as it struggled to lift its head and open its eyes.
“It’s okay. I won’t hurt you,” Yusei spoke.
“Wh… what happened…? Where am I…?” it asked, in a soft female voice.
“You were captured earlier… but you’re safe now. I’m just taking you to a place where you can rest and regain your strength.”
“Who… are you…?”
“My name… is Yusei Fudo.”
“Yusei… Fudo…” the equine repeated. It then noticed the light emanating from the Signer mark on Yusei’s right arm. “This light… so… warm…”
He then felt the creature relax in his lap as he continued back down the Duel Lane.