Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's - Sutādasuto / Stardust Accelerator

~ by Yusei ~

Summary - "Rena awakens in Satellite with no memory of who she is. Sticking close to Yusei, the journey to uncover the past and follow the unknown Signer into Neo-Domino City unfolds. Then the adventure really begins".

Disclaimer - I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's or any of the characters.

A / N - A somewhat loose retelling of the DS game. I haven't played Stardust Accelerator, but I've seen and read about the storyline. And there's things that I felt could be expanded upon. So yes, it's an OC-insert but as much as the game focus on the character's story, this ties to story to the anime where the others gain a large focus compared to the game. As for the overwhelming length, it's just because of two duels occuring rather than one, I'm not going to repeat the attempt in the near or distant future.

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Jack -「Neo - Domino」 Duel Stadium

The stadium of the proud city had come alive with cheers and yells of fans young and old in seeking the pure white D-Wheel labelled "Wheel of Fortune" racing along the track laid in the shape of the structure, another D-Wheel was chasing after it with yet a chance to take over the large model. The blonde rider of the large model lifted a card from the stack slotted into the Duel Disk mounted upon the vehicle, the CPU flashed with the field and lifepoints of each player.

Two monsters floating around his D-Wheel began to change form; one transforming into green rings and the other into four lights racing through the tunnel created for them, chanting about the conditions, he laid the white card onto his Duel Disk. Like a bolt of lightning, a flash hit the ground behind him, lighting up the stadium.

"Shinkuro Shoukkan! Waga tamashii, Reddo Dēmonzu Doragon! " the blonde Duel King yelled into the blinding force that was the dragon emerging from the light.

The large being emerged, roaring with the force to shake the ground, the dragon that had emerged with such devastating power. The King's dragon. Fans rejoiced as the wings extended to their limits, pushing the being into the air at the time a fireball grew between its jaws. Ejecting the attack, the target monster gazed in terror before finding itself at the centre of the flame, shattering into thousands of pieces. The D-Wheel riding behind the blonde King began to wobble dangerously, forcing the rider to slow before he crashed, hearing the cheers for the man that had defeated him. The cheers that he couldn't hold the power to overthrow the King.

Over their heads, the speakers that had been silent since the dragon's appearance burst to life with the voice of the wild master of ceremonies.

"He won! He's done it again! He's just too good! He cannot be dethroned!" he yelled into the microphone he clutched tightly. "How long will this magnificent King go undefeated? Will anyone ever be able to match up to him? He's a living legend; our one true King. Jack Atlus!"

The blonde whom had risen from the seat of his D-Wheel gazed into the crows of cheering fans, the chants of the cheerleaders swinging their bodies in celebration of his victory. The sounds of the city he ruled over cheering him on were pouring into his ears.

"There is no denying that I am King!" he yelled, pointing to the bright sky above. "The goddess of victory smiles down upon me. No-one is strong enough to overcome my power!"

The level of cheers rose at the words of the confident blonde man. Another day, another duel, another victory. That was the life of King.

-遊戯王5D's-

Stardust ~ Chapter 1 - Abandoned by Memory. Decks of Underground ~ Sutādasuto

Rally -「Satellite」- Streets

Rally rushed through the street of Satellite, the wasteland filled with mounds of trash. The dumping ground for the city that would not hold onto their waste and use Satellite as an excuse to part from their previous possessions. The young boy had lived in the district for his entire life, cut off from the city. Because of it, he had become skilled in thievery. Said skill had also earned him a Marker at the base of his left eye following the incident in which he had been caught in the act and given the tracer in order to prevent another attempt.

The observation threat had failed, Rally continued to thieve whatever he could, whatever he needed.

His smile faded when he entered a large area that was once a crossroads leading into a residential area, his feet came to a halt. In the centre of the abandoned and fractured road, a girl laid face-down without any sign of consciousness. He rushed towards her, the large ice-blue coat flapping behind him with each time his leg hit the fabric.

"Are you alright?" he called in his rush to the body.

The fallen girl gave no answer; the fact worried the young boy who dropped onto his knees by her side, grabbing her shoulder and beginning to shake the body in the hopes he wouldn't have to determine her to be a corpse dumped to avoid a burial.

"Hey, wake up. Pull yourself together!" he called.

At that moment, he realized a small backpack by her side, a strap still wrapped over her right shoulder, perhaps it held some clue as to who she was. The sound of the raised voice sparked life, the girl's eyelids flickered briefly before they opened completely. The girl pushed herself onto her hands and knees, revealing to the boy what she looked like. Amber hair rested against the fronts of her shoulder blades, her eyes were of an azure shade, a colour familiar to the boy.

With the girl conscious, Rally took the moment to examine the rest of her body; a slim torso, chest covered by a low-sleeved grey shirt with jagged ends hanging partway down her torso, her abdomen exposed. Her legs remained covered by tight black trousers, showing just how thin they were. She looked very similar to a victim to anorexia, accompanied by dirties white trainers. Despite the observation, Rally smirked welcomingly when her eyes met the sight of him.

"Thank goodness you woke up. I was getting worried" he chuckled. "Are you alright? You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"

The girl shook her head, the lack of audio intrigued Rally; perhaps she was shy. Instead of waiting to hear her voice, he decided to continue on, hoping that he could learn something about her.

"It seems you weren't attacked by thugs, but it is dangerous here. What on earth could have been here for? And why did you collapse?" Rally asked, inching closer to the girl. She gave no answer, her expression hinted that she wasn't keen on Rally's advance; instead, she picked herself up while he continued to yammer on. "Come to think of it… I've never seen you around before, where did you come from?"

More silence, the lack of answers frustrated Rally. He wanted to know what had happened, who this girl was. He sighed, folding his arms over his chest.

"You don't want to say, huh? Well… this is Satellite. Oh yeah, I haven't given you my name. I'm Rally" he added. "What's your name?"

The girl flinched at the question, her eyes falling to the floor. Rally raised an eyebrow at the response; there was a sense of feeling lost in her eyes, something he couldn't understand when it came to simply giving her name. Her mouth opened, much to his relief.

"I… I don't know" she muttered disheartened.

"What? How can you not know your name? Are you nuts?" Rally called, waving his arms alarmingly. "Maybe you have amnesia. But then what can we do? If only we had something to go- Hey, is that a Duel Disk?"

The girl glanced down at the machine on her arm, it had been there since she had woken, but this was the first she acknowledged it. In the machine, forty cards had been stacked in a holder to keep them in place, a deck of cards.

"So you're a duellist, huh" Rally chuckled. "Maybe you'll remember something if you duel. Why not try against me then? I'll get my deck and be back in a few minutes, okay? Don't wander off anywhere".

Before she could even voice her surprise at how fast Rally could move the conversation along, he had shot off into the wasteland around them in search of his cards. She said nothing, but instead removed a handful of cards, observing the Monsters, Magic and Traps that rested in her hands.

Why had she woken in Satellite? Why couldn't she remember anything? What was happening? She gave a sigh, everything felt hopeless without her memory, she could never find out what she had been before; where she was aiming, what she was talented at. A couple of moments after his parting, Rally returned as promised, waving a Duel Disk that he had fixed upon his arm with a wide smile.

"I've got my cards, now we can duel" he called.

He came to a halt a distance from the girl, activating his Duel Disk. Seeing the display, she mimicked the activation of the machine. The young boy chuckled excitedly at the possibilities the duel ahead held.

"At least tell me you remember the rules to the game" he added. The only response was a nod. He smirked at the silence acceptance of his challenge. "Alright then, let's do this".

"Duel!"

RALLY -- GIRL
4000 -- LP -- 4000
MECHA SHOT -- VS. -- MISC. DECK

FIRST TURN - RALLY

Rally drew six cards from his deck; the starting number of cards a duellist would hold. From his hand, he removed a monster, laying it onto the upper layer of the Duel Disk.

"I summon Gradius [ATK 1200] in attack mode" the boy declared.

In front of him, a white spacecraft appeared, the front of the futuristic craft appearing very much like it had been cut in half, what appeared to be the bridge marked the end of the divided feature.

"I'll throw two cards face down and end my turn" Rally added, smiling confidently.

SECOND TURN - 'GIRL'

The nameless opponent drew a card from her deck, laying a monster onto the upper level of her Duel Disk and raising her eyes to meet Rally past his monster.

"I summon Gigantic Cephalotus [ATK 1850] in attack mode" she called.

The creature that emerged seemed much like a carnivorous bud standing on thick leaves forged to create legs. A large vine materialized out of the back of the creature's bud-like head, curved in order to meet the rear of the creature. The being hissed sinisterly at Rally and his Gradius, revealing the pink teeth hanging over each edge of its mouth and a scarlet tongue. Rally cringed at the sight of the creature, there were thousands of cards that he had yet to uncover and the Plant-type monster hovering on the opposite side of the field was merely one of those many.

"Gigantic Cephalotus; destroy his Gradius" the girl commanded, swinging her arm around in order to point at the machine hovering opposite.

The Plant creature lunged forward, opening its wide jaws at the prospect of eliminating the craft from the field. Rally smirked and pulled back, pressing the tip of his finger against a control that resulted in the rising of one face-down card.

"You wish; I activate Spellbinding Circle to stop your monster's attack" he protested smugly.

The hexagram began to form around the Plant, miniature bolts of light striking it as a punishment for resisting the binding magic. Behind the struggle, the girl pulled another card from her hand, presenting it to Rally before she placed it within the lower level of her Duel Disk. The Magic card appeared, bearing the image of a tornado tearing items from beneath viciously.

"I activate Twister. By paying 500 lifepoints, it can destroy your Spellbinding Circle and prevent my creature from freezing on the field".

"What?" Rally gasped in shock at the sudden manoeuvre.

The gust appeared from the card, sweeping across the field and causing Rally's Spellbinding Circle to shatter instantly. The glowing outline of the hexagon vanished from around Gigantic Cephalotus; the Plant-type creature lunged forward, continuing its assault. The Plant's jaws snapped shut over a large portion of the futuristic craft, causing it to break apart; Rally sounded his disappointment in the destruction as he covered his face with the forearm that didn't support his Duel Disk in order to protect his eyes from the dust distributed from the explosion.

RALLY -- GIRL
3400 -- LP -- 3500

"I'll set a card face-down and end my turn there" the girl added, glancing across the field.

Her creature had returned to her side of the field, Rally had no monsters and one face-down card, he continued to smirk confidently despite the advantage she held over him. But it had come to the beginning of his turn.

THIRD TURN - RALLY

Rally pulled another card from his deck, grinning widely at the emergence of a strong low-level monster. Without hesitation, he laid it onto the field, continuing to smile proudly at the strategy he had concocted in his mind.

"I play X-Head Cannon! [ATK 1800]" he declared loudly.

"But why? It has fewer attack points than my creature" the girl murmured to herself, watching the monster curiously. All she could be sure of was that Rally's turn was only just beginning. She would learn just how correct she had been.

"With X-Head Cannon on the field, I'll activate my face-down card; Limiter Removal!" Rally called, extending his arm in the direction of the card that had remained face-down since the end of his previous turn. "With this, I can double X-Head Cannon's attack points. The cost is losing it at the end of my turn".

A glow appeared around the machine monster floating above the crumbling ground, its attack points shooting up. Gigantic Cephalotus was now far weaker than Rally's superior X-Head Cannon [ATK 3600].

"X-Head Cannon, destroy Gigantic Cephalotus!" Rally commanded, throwing his fist forward as though to launch his own attack against the defenceless creature existing opposite his monster.

The machine dove forward, the spiked sphere at the base of its body spinning threateningly. The creature tilted back, allowing the sphere to travel ahead of the main body and crashing into the Plant which screeched before shattering. The girl gave a groan as a gust resulting from the destructive assault blew around her, her lifepoints falling rapidly.

RALLY -- GIRL
3400 -- LP -- 1750

Rally smirked at the score, proud that he had been able to gain such a lead so early in the duel. He pulled another card from his hand, ready to reveal it to his opponent mercilessly.

"Because I've Normal Summoned X-Head Cannon, the effect of my One-Shot Booster allows me to Special Summon it" he announced, laying the card onto his Duel Disk. "And because it's being summoned after the effect of Limiter Removal took control of my creature's attack power, it won't be affected. Come out, One-Shot Booster! [DEF 0]".

A yellow being appeared with two large cannon-like arms, each pointing at the girl's empty field. Above its undersized head, three lights appeared much like those hanging over crossings, traffic lights. Why he had brought out a creature with no attack or defence power was a mystery to the girl, she had no comprehension of its effect.

"Now I'll end my turn" Rally added. "So my X-Head Cannon will be destroyed by Limiter Removal's effect".

A light began to build from within the machine, creating the explosion that tore it apart, smoke covering the spot it had been while Rally placed the card in the graveyard of his Duel Disk. While he had lost a monster, he seemed satisfied with the effect its role had played in the battle; sacrificing it was simply part of a plan.

FOURTH TURN - 'GIRL'

Another card left the girl's deck, a new monster that could defend her against whatever Rally was planning. Her eyes met the monster with nothing to fight back with hovering over Rally's field.

'There's got to be a reason he's summoned that. Is he using it as a shield for his lifepoints? Or does he plan to release it next turn in order to summon something that can finish me off?' she wondered, glaring sternly at the layout of Rally's field. 'I don't have much of a choice. Even with little choice, I know what I have to do'.

She laid the card onto her Duel Disk, a vortex of light appearing over the torn ground, a red warrior with what appeared like jacks to the ends of headphones in the place of hands. Across its chest and shoulders, meters had been placed.

"I summon Tune Warrior [ATK 1600]" she called. "And I'll use it destroy One-Shot Booster. Go now!"

The humanoid monster dashed across the field, thrusting its narrow replacement fists forward and piercing the machine opposite. The robotic monster shattered instantly, Rally lifted his arm to protect his eyes from the gusts. His lifepoints remained as they were, there had been nothing wrong with losing One-Shot Booster; while it was his favourite; its best purpose currently was to be a shield. It had done that.

"End turn".

FIFTH TURN - RALLY

"My turn begins" the boy called, pulling a card from his deck without looking down at the shrinking set of cards.

He glanced at the card, then at the cards in his hand. He was beginning to run low on options, each time he was able to gain a comfortable position, the girl standing opposite him was able to erase it and force his back against a wall. He was losing each shield he put up to protect his lifepoints.

"I'll place a monster face-down and then another card" he muttered, laying the two in their assigned spaces. "There's nothing more I can do, I'll end my turn".

SIXTH TURN - 'GIRL'

"My turn".

Ejecting another card from her deck, the nameless duellist smiled at the set she held. A turn had passed without losing her monster and her lifepoints remaining at the same level as they had been during the turn's commencement. She removed a card from her hand, prepared to take on Rally's new shield.

"I play Dark Valkyria [ATK 1800] in attack mode" she called, allowing a light to emerge on her field.

Ahead of her body, a purple-skinned woman appeared with black metallic wings. Her armour consisted of a purple shade, several plates of blue and grey placed over the initial layer, a headdress of blue and grey wings covered the head beyond her face.

"Dark Valkyria, destroy that face-down monster!" the duellist called, pointing to the only monster lying unidentified.

The Fairy lunged across the field, raising one of her hands encased in the same black metal that created her wings. She brought it down upon the card, revealing the monster's identity. To the girl's shock, it remained; she had fallen for Rally's trap and attacked a monster with a higher defence power - she had attacked his Roulette Barrel [DEF 2000]. Her lifepoints decreased further.

RALLY -- GIRL
3400 -- LP -- 1550

Dark Valkyria leapt gracefully across the midway point that divided the field between the duellists and returned to her original space, less than impressed at the failure to destroy the opponent monster. The girl behind gave a sigh.

"Turn end".

SEVENTH TURN - RALLY

"I summon Jade Knight [ATK 1000]" Rally called, laying down the card he had picked from his deck. "And now I'll activate Roulette Barrel's effect; I can roll a die twice and then choose the result I prefer. If I roll a number equal to the level of any of your monsters and choose that result, then I can destroy any monsters that share that level".

The girl grit her teeth at the explanation of such an effect; just when she had believed her lifepoints could be safe, another twist had rendered that hope useless. She was facing a new threat from the boy's deck. A large holographic die appeared over Rally, shooting forward and jumping against the ground. Within second, the die landed flatly against the ground, presenting a 5. Rally scoffed childishly at the result, the number didn't match either monster's level. The die vanished and reappeared in front of him. Repeating the roll, the die bounced until it landed once again; Rally called out in exhilaration seeing a 3 presented skywards.

"Alright! I'll use that result to eliminate your Tune Warrior!" the boy called eagerly, pointing to the red creature.

Without any chance to comprehend what had happened, the monster exploded beside Dark Valkyria who watched the destruction of its comrade without the ability to display shock.

"And since I daren't attack your creature, I'll end my turn now" Rally added.

EIGHTH TURN - 'GIRL'

'He summoned a monster as weak as Jade Knight in attack mode and left it at that? Why would he pull such a reckless stunt?' the girl thought, analyzing Rally's field cautiously. 'Perhaps it's to do with the card he has face-down, maybe he's trying to lure me into attacking in order to block the attack like he did before. He's a tricky one to read, he's constantly upbeat'.

She removed another card from her deck, placing it face-down on the field; a single monster in defence mode by her Dark Valkyria. She glared at the Jade Knight appearing much like a white and blue fighter jet hovering menacingly.

'It's best that I don't provoke him to activate that card; whatever it may be' she debated inwardly, glancing down at her hand.

"Turn end" she called.

NINTH TURN - RALLY

As Rally drew the new addition to his hand from his deck, he glanced at his Roulette Barrel. Two dice appeared either side of him, rolling forward to determine what results he was going to receive and which creature he would be permitted to destroy. The dice halted simultaneously, presenting a 4 and 5. The boy leapt into the air, raising his fist above his head.

"Another perfect result, I'll choose the four and destroy you Dark Valkyria" he declared.

The dark fairy twitched, the same light that had grown from within Tune Warrior beginning to appear through her armour. She exploded just as the previous victim, leaving the female opponent with one barrier in her face-down monster. Rally smirked at the factor, realizing how the duel had shifted in his favour.

"Jade Knight, attack her face-down monster!" the boy yelled, his finger extended to the unidentified card.

The aircraft shot forward, two of the blue missiles hanging on the underside of the wings fizzed before racing ahead of the craft which averted its path, rising upwards as though it had avoided a disaster. The path of the craft began to alter again; it was travelling back to Rally's field in a graceful loop. The opponent had no opportunity to observe the display when the missiles collided with the card and exploded, smoke billowing from the destruction, her Jutte Fighter vanished amongst the flames.

Waiting until the smoke cleared to confirm he had been successful in eliminating the lone monster, Rally waited until the smoke cleared and revealed the empty field before he gave a howl of delight at the turnaround.

"I'll end my turn" he added, suppressing his thrill.

TENTH TURN - 'GIRL'

Pulling a card from her deck, Rally's opponent glanced at the sight of the Magic card, there were no monsters in her hand and her lifepoints remained low; if Rally decided to switch Roulette Barrier into attack mode, then she would stand no chance. The duel would end with her defeat. She scowled, sliding a card into her Duel Disk and glaring anxiously at Rally's field.

"I lay one card face-down and end my turn" she spoke, feeling sweat clinging to her forehead beneath her thick fringe.

ELEVENTH TURN - RALLY

'She didn't summon a monster? This could be it, I could win this turn!' Rally wondered, ripping the top card from his deck and grinning smugly. 'But then there's that face-down card… what if it's something like Mirror Force? By switching Roulette Barrel, I could be sealing my fate. I've got to test what it is; she hasn't been able to overcome Roulette Barrel since it appeared on the field. My plan is set'.

Rally pulled his arm back momentarily and thrust it forward once again, his outstretched fingers each directed at the defenceless opponent who stood firm, legs shifting apart slightly. She knew very well what was coming to her.

"Jade Knight, direct attack!"

The craft rose again, shooting forward towards the girl. The missiles materialized beneath its wings again, firing rapidly just as they had during their launch. The girl crossed her arms in front of her head defensively as the missiles collided with the ground in front of her, vicious gusts whipping her body. A moment passed before her eyes opened once the stale wind subsided, glaring uneasily at the craft hovering in front of Rally.

RALLY -- GIRL
3400 -- LP -- 550

'Tch. She really didn't lay a trap to counter my attack. I can feel confident about attacking next turn; I can switch Roulette Barrel into attack mode in the case she tries to pull anything. Next turn, I win!' Rally inwardly lectured, smirking securely.

"I end my turn" he continued aloud.

TWELFTH TURN - 'GIRL'

"Draw!" the girl called, dragging the top card of her stack away. Her eyes fell onto the artwork, showing a woman in blood red armour and black shields over her breasts. She smirked having pulled a creature capable of defending her, but her intentions for the creature passed being a mere shield.

"I summon X-Saber Ampler [ATK 1800] in attack mode" she called, laying the card on top of her Duel Disk, the blonde warrior appeared gracefully opposite Rally's Jade Knight. "Now I'll activate my face-down card; Graceful Revival!"

The card that had worried Rally rose, showing a skeleton rising from a grave, two cherubs floating close to the skull of the deceased figure, Rally raised his eyebrows; she had been hoping he would fall for her bluff in the previous round and now she had a use for the card.

"With this, I'll revive Jutte Warrior [ATK 700]" the opponent declared.

The blue vortex appeared against the ground as it had in the recent summoning of creatures, the short man appeared from the graveyard, dressing in maroon and mustard yellow robes. Rally shuddered briefly, he had seen the tactic of gathering lower level monsters before; he was already expecting the newest type of summoning added into the game's play over years.

"I'm tuning my Level 4 X-Saber Ampler to my Level 2 Jutte Warrior!" the girl called.

The short man lifted the metallic device in his hand which began to vibrate violently. Behind him, the taller female warrior vanished into four stars, one representing each of her levels. The short man faded as rings appeared, a tunnel for the stars to gather and align. While the process took place, the girl reached for her Synchro monsters. What caught her eye wasn't the creature she had planned to summon, but a card bearing the image of an angelic dragon, four white feathery wings extending from its slim back. From its head, a large golden metallic halo extended from both sides. The dragon was a wondrous sight, making the duellist wish that she had the opportunity to summon it rather than anything else. She pulled the white card beside it, slapping it down onto the Duel Disk.

"Synchro Summon! Appear; Gaia Knight, Force of Earth! [ATK 2600]"

The stars drifting through the tunnel of green rings intensified in brightness, enveloping the field. What rode out was a large purple horse wearing a blue helm with three red spikes. Upon the horse's back sat a large man, clothed in a large blue armour with yellow plate edges and three spikes matching those on the horse's helm; two on his shoulders and one atop his helm. In his hands, he clutched two large crimson spears.

"Gaia, destroy Jade Knight!" the girl called, stretching her fingers out as she directed her hand at the craft.

The horse snorted fiercely before racing forward, galloping swiftly across the field. The man roared as he thrust his spear forward, puncturing the craft which fell apart; explosions ripping it apart internally before it detonated. Rally called out as his lifepoints began to plummet.

RALLY -- GIRL
1800 -- LP -- 550

"I'll place a card face-down and end my turn" the girl called, showing her merciless approach that reflected Rally's throughout the duel.

THIRTEEN TURN - RALLY

"I activate Roulette Barrel's effect!" Rally shouted.

The pair of dice appeared again, rolling over Rally's field for a moment, landing with two separate results of 1 and 3. Rally growled at the result in disappointment, he had failed to roll the one result he truly needed. He looked up at the opposite field, eyes locking onto the knight until he realised the card that had been placed at the end of the last turn had risen.

"What the-?!" he yelled in shock.

"I activate my trap card; Raigeki Break" the girl called. "I can destroy one card on the field once I discard from my hand. So I'll discard to destroy Roulette Barrel".

A card departed from her hand, slipping into the graveyard of the Duel Disk. In front of Rally, his Roulette Barrel shattered into golden pixels, leaving him no monsters on his field. He groaned anxiously, looking down at his hand; there were no monsters he could play as a shield for his lifepoints against the overbearing knight seated upon his steed across the field.

"Turn end" he mumbled.

FOURTEENTH TURN - 'GIRL'

Without even looking at the card she had drawn, the girl set her eyes on the knight standing in front of her, stretching her hand in Rally's direction."Gaia, go! Direct attack!"

The steed cried out before charging across the field. Rally cried out in anxiety as he could only watch the charging horse crossing the field, the knight's spear closing in on him. He lifted his arms up, allowing the end of the weapon to collide with his Duel Disk, holographic bolts sparked from the connection.

RALLY -- GIRL
0 -- LP -- 550

DUEL END

Rally groaned, a sound echoing across the empty streets, when his lifepoints fell to zero; he had lost. But he couldn't feel resentment towards the opponent whose Duel Disk reverted to its Standby position on her arm. Rally copied the motion, removing his cards from the field, graveyard and deck holder, gathering them in his pocket before he rushed forward.

"Wow, that was a great duel; it's been a long time since I had such an enjoyable time duelling" he called vibrantly. "Oh yeah… did you remember anything?"

The girl's eyes lifted skyward, thinking back to the missing times before waking to the sight of Rally. A brief flash occurred within her, the opening of information; a memory of her erased past returning to her. An unrecognizable voice sounded from within the depths of her mind.

"Rena…"

The red-headed allowed her eyes to fall onto the child before her, gazing naïvely into the eyes lit with hope. She opened her mouth, ready to speak her first words since the end of the duel; seeing her lips part filled Rally with anticipation.

"Rena" she spoke discreetly.

"'Rena'?" Rally echoed. "Well it's nice to meet you, Rena. It seems that duelling helped you remember; perhaps more of your memory will return as you duel more. My friends and I hang out in an old subway to the south not too far from here. I'd guide you there now, but I've got to be somewhere else, I'll meet you there in a few hours. I'm sure they'll let you in; you've just got to say my name. I'll be there later".

The child rushed away, leaving Rena alone with nothing more than her bag, her Duel Disk and her deck. She pulled the sack from over her shoulder, letting its weight fall into her hands. The zip growled as it travelled along its fixed path, opening the mouth of the bag. Inside there was little; a couple of bracelets made of purple fabric, a pouch to hold her deck and a bottle half-filled with water. The nature of the contents puzzled her; nothing was going to help her realize who she was. She shrugged, pulling the zip along its predetermined path and slinging it over her shoulder once again, allowing the bag to hang loosely, supported by the single strap over her left shoulder. What Rally had mentioned entered the centre of her mind, an old subway nearby where he and friends would hang out.

She had nowhere else to go, who knew how much time was going to pass before she regained enough to stop being a burden on those people if they accepted her? She made her way in the direction she believed to be south based on the position of the sun and the angle of her shadow. Almost a quarter-hour passed before an opening in the ground entered her field of view, three short walls rising to leave only one direction to enter from, a thick roof with a slanted edge over the edge of the steps. She paced across the open space towards the square opening in the concrete, inspecting the stairway descending to a large flat step; walls filled with cracks of erosion, rubble lying on the steps. Above the bottom of the steps, a sign caught her eyes, the same three words printed upon it as the slanted edge over her head; "Subway. West Domino".

The crunch of stones lying in the deserted road pierced the silence, filling the girl's ears. She glanced suddenly to the left where the road, void of cars, presented a new presence. The man's caramel-coloured hair had been gathered beneath a turquoise bandana wrapped around the top of his head. His hands clenched inside the pockets of his jeans beneath the short-sleeved aquamarine shirt hanging over an apple-green long-sleeved shirt. What caught her attention about the man's face were the piercing eyes glaring at her, the mouth just above a tuff of hair growing out of his chin opened.

"Who are you?" he snarled.

Rena gave no answer immediately; she focused on analysing the man, wondering why his hands had withdrawn into his pockets. Her eyes bore no emotion. Without any idea who she was, she couldn't be sure that she was the type to display them. The brunette growled furiously, stomping towards her.

"Only our friends can go down there, I hardly call someone I don't even know a 'friend'" he growled. He had become very defensive over the subway, were these the type of people Rally liked to hang out with? Did they protect him?

"I was told to come here by Rally" she answered monotonously.

"Rally? What about him?" the brunette asked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously. He released a sigh before the girl could answer his question. "He'd invite anyone here; I bet he doesn't even know anything about you".

'Right now, it seems he knows more about me than even I do' Rena sighed inwardly.

"I know how we'll settle this" the brunette mumbled. "I'll get my Duel Disk; if you so much as consider following me or running away, I'll hunt you down to the ends of Satellite".

The brunette began to pace towards her, crossing without any sign he was watching her, making himself out to be vulnerable in order to test her. The girl's eyes weren't even on him, but where he had been. Where he had challenged her. He watched her over his shoulder suspiciously; so she hadn't tried to attack or flee in his eyes what chance was there that she wouldn't try while he was gone? He stepped down at the top of the stairway.

"I won't run" she spoke suddenly in the same tone of voice as before.

The man paused, gazing over the wall back at her, she still wasn't looking over her shoulder at him, he couldn't' use her eyes to determine whether what she claimed was fact or false. His pause remained short, descending down the steps leading into the shadows to shallow him and conceal him from the outside world. Voices echoed along the platform to greet him, followed by questions about why he had recovered his Duel Disk and heading out once again. The two extra voices were certain excited by the return of a friend rather than an officer from Security locating their hideout. The brunette man began to trek up the stairway again, sun shining over him and drawing out his shadow along the concrete ascent. His eyes met the sight of the nameless girl standing just as she had when he had departed the road, he scoffed at the presence; he felt the aura of tension between them, it was two-way.

He proceeded towards and past her, returning to the spot - or as close as he could estimate - he had issued the challenge from. His Duel Disk swung into activation, lighting a rainbow of colours, Rena followed.

"Here're the stakes; if you win, I'll believe your story that Rally and you have met. If I win, you're out of here and don't come back" the man called. "My name's Nerve and you're going to learn why it is.

Both placed their decks inside, glaring at each other as they opened their mouths, calling the traditional battle cry before their bout could commence.

"Duel!"

NERVE -- RENA
4000 -- LP -- 4000
TOTAL EQUIP -- VS. -- MISC. DECK

FIRST TURN - RENA

"I'll start" Rena declared, ripping a card from the top of her deck and holding it at the other side of her body. "I play Dark Valkyria [ATK 1800] in attack mode".

The same purple-skinned fairy creature in armour of blue and purple emerged, her black metallic wings stretching out. Rena removed two cards from her hand, sliding them into the Duel Disk.

"I'll place two cards face-down" she added, pausing for the large holographic projections of her hidden cards to emerge before continuing briefly. "Turn end".

SECOND TURN - NERVE

"My turn. Draw!" Nerve called. "I'll bring out my Battle Ox [ATK 1700]".

Before the man, a large brown ox balanced on its hind legs materialized, bearing a large axe in one hand. Atop its head sat a metallic helmet in shades of crimson and yellow, fixed over its crown, two horns protruding from either side in addition to much shorter one situated above the helm's peak. The armour over its torso matched the helm, blood-red plates over its chest and biceps outlined with yellow edges of the same material, the being snorted fiercely through its large nostrils.

"Then I activate my Magic card: Lucky Iron Axe" Nerve added, sliding the card into the lower level of the machine attached to his arm. "This'll increase the attack points of my monster by 500".

Rena's jaws met at the sight of the larger axe materializing in the place of the default weapon the beast he been clutching.

"Battle Ox, [ATK 2200] destroy Dark Valkyria!" Nerve commanded, pointing at the lone creature.

The warrior-like beast charged forward, grunting fiercely as it began to swing its weapon wildly at the Fairy creature, slashing through her with ease. The opponent monster exploded swiftly.

NERVE -- RENA
4000 -- LP -- 3600

Rena sounded her displeasure at the destruction of her creature, feeling the brief gust whipping her harshly. Nerve copied her previous movement in transferring a card from his hand to his field.

"I'll place a card face-down" he stated.

"Magic card activate!" Rena protested sharply. "I'll use my Twister to destroy your face-down card. The cost is 500 lifepoints".

NERVE -- RENA
4000 -- LP -- 3100

Nerve growled, redirecting his card to the Graveyard. The only benefit to the move was that the gap between their lifepoints had extended to almost 1000. Why she was willing to give up those lifepoints worried him, why hadn't she used the card to destroy his Lucky Iron Axe?

"Turn end" he replied after the pregnant pause.

THIRD TURN - RENA

"Draw!" Rena called, removing the top card of her deck, smirking as her eyes fell onto the artwork. "I summon Tune Warrior [ATK 1600]".

The familiar red creature appeared, various parts of appliances fixed onto its humanoid form. Rena plucked another card from her hand, presenting it to Nerve before she planned to place it into her Duel Disk.

"I activate Riryoku" she declared, leaving Nerve baffled throughout the brief pause that followed. "This card drains your monster's attack by half and adds it onto my monster's attack power. So Tune Warrior's attack will rise to 2700!"

As the card entered the lower compartment of the machine, an aura appeared around each monster's form. Battle Ox [ATK 1100] descended to one knee as its power began to leave it, flowing into the mechanical Tuner opposite. Nerve scowled at the move, watching the attack points of Tune Warrior rise.

"Tune Warrior, attack Battle Ox!" Rena called sharply.

The scarlet monster dashed across the field, thrusting the jacks in the place of its hands forward, connecting with the beast opposite which released a growl of agony before shattering.

NERVE -- RENA
2400 -- LP -- 3100

"What the-?" Nerve hissed.

"I'll place a card face down and end my turn" Rena commented. "Riryoku goes to the graveyard, meaning my Tune Warrior's attack returns to its original value".

FOURTH TURN - NERVE

Nerve removed the top card of his stack, grinning confidently at the Magic card he had drawn and placed it into the machine resting atop his forearm swiftly.

"I activate Paralyzing Potion. You monster may look like a machine, but it's classified as a Warrior" he called proudly. "And my Paralyzing Potion prevents a non-Machine monster equipped with it from attacking. So your Tune Warrior is practically useless now".

Rena scowled at the move, Tune Warrior was her only creature and the matter that Nerve had prevented it from attacking again worried her about just what he was planning. The man presented another card, placing it in the slot where his Battle Ox had been.

"I play Dark Effigy [DEF 0] in defence mode" he added confidently. "One card face-down and my turn ends".

FIFTH TURN - RENA

'He held my monster back and then placed a monster with no defence points in a shield positioning. Why would he do that? Is that monster important in his strategy and he couldn't risk Tune Warrior eliminating it?' Rena thought, analysing the monster that hovered much like a mass of small cubes locked together to form a large maze, like a distorted cube.

Without wasting time, she pulled a card from her deck, calling out the command as her arm stretched to its limit. The corners of her mouth rose at the monster she had gained.

"I summon Gigantic Cephalotus [ATK 1850]" she called, immediately placing the creature in attack position onto her field. "Attack Dark Effigy!"

The large plant dashed forward, snarling hungrily at the floating object hanging opposite it. Nerve sneered before pulling back and pressing a fingertip against a control on his Duel Disk.

"Trap card activate!" Nerve intervened. "Negate Attack!"

'I knew it' Rena internally snapped, stepping back defensively, her eyes narrowing at the invisible barrier that Gigantic Cephalotus crashed into, throwing it to the ground where it flailed briefly.

The Plant creature retreated to her field and without Tune Warrior capable of destroying the enemy monster, Rena glanced down at her cards anxiously.

"Turn end".

SIXTH TURN - NERVE

"Draw" Nerve yelled. He smirked almost darkly as he plucked the central card in his hand from the batch he held. "I'll use Dark Effigy's effect here; if I'm using it to summon a Dark monster, then it counts as two sacrifices".

"'Two'?" Rena gasped.

"Yes, I only need to sacrifice my one creature in order to bring out my strongest monster" Nerve chuckled. "I release my Dark Effigy in order to Advance Summon my Cosmo Queen! [ATK 2900]".

The humanoid woman appeared, clothed in blood-red and black robes, over her shoulder blades and the base of her neck, a metallic green piece sat defensively, lined with a golden colour of the same material. Covering the crown of her head, a large headpiece sat bearing a strange design of gold, a pink jewel fitted in above her face.

"Cosmo Queen, attack Tune Warrior!" Nerve called, opening his hand in the direction of the target.

The woman's hands rose before her chest, fingers stretched out either side of an orb created from black and purple matter grew. She gave a dark chortle as she launched it forward, grinning throughout the travel of the orb that smashed into Tune Warrior and exploded on impact. A stronger gust to the previous wind swept across the field, forcing both players to shield their eyes with their arms and Duel Disk.

NERVE -- RENA
2400 -- LP -- 1800

Nerve folded his arms over his chest following the aftermath of the attack, with 2900 attack points, there was very little that could overcome his creature. He smirked confidently; there was no chance that he could lose.

SEVENTH TURN - RENA

Rena drew from her deck, scowling when she drew a low level monster, beads of sweat began to form against he skin of her forehead; she brought the card to her Duel Disk.

"I'll summon Worm Barses [DEF 1500] in defence mode. And switch my Gigantic Cephalotus [DEF 700] to a defensive position as well" she mumbled uneasily, both monsters painted a deep shade of blue in their protective stances. "Turn end".

EIGHTH TURN - NERVE

"Draw" Nerve called, presenting the new card to his opponent. "I activate my Big Bang Shot; this'll increase the attack power of my Cosmo Queen. On top of that, whenever she destroys a monster in defence mode, the difference between the values is subtracted from your lifepoints.

"No…" Rena breathed apprehensively.

"Cosmo Queen, [ATK 3300] attack Worm Barses!" Nerve yelled, throwing his fist forward in a victorious manner. Each attack was bringing him closer to victory.

Rena's feet shifted apart slightly, as though to brace herself for the incoming impact between monsters. Her Duel Disk rose before the lower half of her face, eyes fixated on the creature diving at her field.

"Trap card open: Overworked!"

"What?!" Nerve yelled, astonished.

"This trap card destroys any monster whose attack power is higher than their original value" Rena called ardently. "In this case, your Big Bang Shot has backfired and your Cosmo Queen is destroyed!"

Nerve let out a gasp of devastation as his Cosmo Queen self-destructed partway through her dive to Worm Barses. He stared in disbelief; his strongest creature had been taken down by a Trap card that relied on him powering her up.

"I'll place a card face-down" he muttered in a disheartened tone.

NINTH TURN - RENA

"My turn. Draw!" Rena called fiercely. "I'll switch Worm Barses [ATK 1400] into attack mode and play Mecha Bunny [ATK 800]".

Before Rena, a small bionic white rabbit appeared, balanced on its large back feet, blood-red eyes locked onto the opposite field. Upon its head, between its eyes, letters printed in blue appeared, spelling out "Love It". Rena's eyes fell onto the card laid down on Nerve's field, wondering if Nerve could have placed a deadly trap, he withdrew her hand from her Duel Disk, leaving her Gigantic Cephalotus in defence mode.

"Worm Barses, direct attack!" Rena yelled, directing her finger at Nerve past his largely empty field.

The large orange creature with four arms suited with a limited amount of armour across its form stormed forward, clenching its four fists. Nerve's feet shuffled apart, bracing himself for the impact.

"Face-down card activate; Jar of Greed. This will let me draw one card" he shouted back.

The large fists connected with Nerve, knocking him back against the crumbling ground. He rolled briefly before his body landed flatly against the ground. Rena hesitated at the display; Nerve pushed himself from the ground gradually, his body twitching from the impact a few times before he stood on his feet and stepped towards the duel field again.

"Are you alright, Nerve?" Rena asked anxiously.

"I'm fine" Nerve grunted, somewhat surprised that she had even inquired.

NERVE -- RENA
1000 -- LP -- 1800

"Mecha Bunny, direct attack" Rena called, wincing nervously as she pointed towards the target being Nerve once again as he drew his card.

There was nothing to worry her, his Trap card had been useless in the face of battle; her Gigantic Cephalotus was safe to attack in the next turn. The small robotic pet hopped across the field, leaping up higher when it reached a distance to attack Nerve from. Its large feet rose in front of its body, slamming into his chest. A groan of discomfort escaped Nerve, but he remained in place, the small creature had been unable to knock him back. His lifepoints plummeted as it hopped back to Rena's side of the field.

NERVE -- RENA
200 -- LP -- 1800

"Turn end" Rena added agitatedly.

TENTH TURN - NERVE

Nerve ejected a card from his deck, eyes speedily falling onto the picture of a blue lizard-like creature. His eyes wandered to the opposite field, laying the card onto his Duel Disk.

"I summoned Armoured Lizard [ATK 1500]" he declared solemnly. "Attack Mecha Bunny!"

The blue lizard creature rushed forward, appearing in front of the small creature in seconds. Before the small robotic creature could comprehend what was happening, the large claws of the assailant began to tear through its body, provoking it to self-destruct.

NERVE -- RENA
200 -- LP -- 1100

"Mecha Bunny's effect activates, allowing me to Special Summon another face-down" Rena called, drawing the card that protruded from her deck.

"I'll place one card face-down and end my turn" Nerve replied.

ELEVEN TURN - RENA

Rena carried out her draw to begin her turn, analyzing the card she had received from her deck. The card entered her hand, the free hand then reaching for her face-down Mecha Bunny.

"I flip my Mecha Bunny into attack mode!" she called. "And I'll summon Krebons [ATK 1200] in attack mode as well".

"I activate my face down card; Gift of the Mystical Elf!" Nerve interjected. "This will give me 300 lifepoints for each creature on the field. With five, I regain 1500 lifepoints".

Rena remained silent for a moment while Nerve's lifepoints increased to a higher amount than hers,

NERVE -- RENA
1700 -- LP -- 1100

"Mecha Bunny's effect activates; I select one card on the field and deal 500 points of damage to the card's controller" Rena added. "I'll choose Armoured Lizard".

Nerve's eyes narrowed as his lifepoints decreased, the matter that they had fallen made him feel all the more grateful for activating his Trap card at the moment he had.

NERVE -- RENA
1200 -- LP -- 1100

"Next I'll tune my Level 2 Krebons to my Level 3 Worm Barses and Level 2 Mecha Bunny!" Rena added fiercely.

The three creatures on her field faded, the tuner transforming into green rings that allowed passage for the five stars. A tower of light grew from the process; none of her previous creatures appeared through the brightness.

"Synchro Summon! Appear; Psychic Lifetrancer! [ATK 2400]"

The Synchro monster appeared, taking on the form of a young woman, half of her body seemingly robotic parts brought together while the remainder showed her natural cerulean skin, the body clothed in a deep blue dress.

"Next, I activate Premature Burial to revive my Mecha Bunny" Rena added, holding the card with the image of a head emerging from the ground.

NERVE -- RENA
1200 -- LP -- 300

The small robotic creature reappeared, the words printed on its forehead catching Nerve's eyes once again. What really seized his attention was the appearance of a Synchro monster, either way, he could see no way of getting past the formidable force on the field with what he had to fight back with.

"Psychic Lifetrancer, destroy Armoured Lizard!"

The young woman's hands opened, creating two orbs that hovered gently; one of light above her true hand and one of darkness above her artificial limb. Her eyes locked onto the lizard creature, launching both at it. The two exploded on contact with the monster, causing it to explode whilst screeching in agony, the same gust that had blown in the opposite direction whipped Nerve's body.

NERVE -- RENA
300 -- LP -- 300

"Mecha Bunny, direct attack!" Rena yelled, pointing at Nerve once again. There was nothing for him to fight back with.

The small pet hopped across the field just as its twin had before, leaping harder towards the end and slamming its large hind feet against Nerve's chest. The man gave a moan of disappointment as the rabbit's feet connected with his chest. The duel had ended

NERVE -- RENA
0 -- LP -- 300

DUEL END

Nerve growled, falling to his knees in frustration, hands balling into fists to pound the ground. His duel record from the past was not one to be proud of; now he was suffering defeats from strangers. Even when he was able to call forth his most powerful creatures. Remembering the terms of the duel, he rose to his feet, giving the girl at half-smile.

"Alright, alright. You've won, I'll admit defeat and believe you" he sighed, still sore over his loss. The wound wouldn't heal until his opponent could be proven to be one of true strength. Just like him; that man who reigned victorious over the entire group.

"Nerve!" a familiar young voice called out.

Nerve and Rena glanced to the west where Rally raced towards them down the street in the direction of the subway's opening. The fact that he hadn't called Rena provoked Nerve to raise an eyebrow.

"You two were duelling just now?" the child asked happily, coming to a sudden halt in front of them.

"We were. I didn't believe this one about knowing you" Nerve mumbled, pointing over his shoulder to Rena. "I thought I'd fight her off, but it turns out, she's pretty strong".

"I know. We duelled a short while ago when she and I met; quite the duellist, right? I wonder what he'll say" Rally laughed cheerfully, there hadn't been a moment of doubt in the child's presence. He was incessantly positive. "So Nerve, I'll introduce you to Rena".

"Huh… so you two did meet" Nerve mumbled, turning his eyes to Rena. "I'm sorry I doubted you; Satellite is a dangerous place, we have to be cautious about who we're getting involved with. It's nice to meet you".

Rena gave a nod to return the friendly words without opening her mouth. Something she continued to hide behind the mask of anti-social silence was the fact that she was nervous; wandering without her memory had diminished her confidence outside of duelling. The two victories she had gained had been the only factor in feeling the confidence in playing the card game. Rally quickly brought an end to the pregnant pause in the conversation that had derailed.

"Say, Nerve" he called, smiling brightly at his friend. "I think that Rena may have amnesia; it seems she can't remember anything, she didn't even know her name before we duelled. Isn't there anything we can do?"

"'Amnesia'?" Nerve echoed in surprise. "That's rough. And it's strange that a duel brought back a memory. That's got to be a clue about what we can do. Maybe if we keep duelling, then she'll remember more".

"Yeah" Rally called. Rena watched the exchange between the two, nothing had come to her during her battle with Nerve, but hope had splashed across the faces that lit up. The truth could damage that hope later, Rally turned to her. "Come on, Rena. Let's head downstairs, the others will be waiting".

Rena nodded as Rally raced forward, rushing past her like trouble was closing in on them, Nerve followed at a brisk walk, deactivating his Duel Disk and recovering his lost cards from the graveyard. Rena eyed the youngster racing like a naïve child playing a game, allowing her own Duel Disk to revert to its Standby position. The man that Rally had referred to intrigued her; he sounded like a duellist in a league of his own, one that could challenge the Pro-League in the city of Neo-Domino opposite the district. She followed the two heading into the shadows of the subway, her sapphire eyes meeting the sign that hung over the mouth of the underground facility. The two raised voices from before the duel would gain names and faces, Rally chuckled as he entered the level at the bottom of the staircase.

"Rally!" one of the voices called, a man with dark blue hair tied back, small glasses sliding down his nose.

"Blitz" the child answered, glancing to the other before he opened his mouth again. "Taka".

Nerve and Rena hit the platform and departed from the descent that had brought them into the hiding place. Rena glanced around, impressed that the four had been able to find somewhere so effective for living and hiding from the authorities. While she had no memory of who she was, the facts of Satellite and Neo-Domino seemed to have surfaced in her memory; at least she had gained an idea of where she stood in the tense existence of the region and the City it originated from.

Before her stood the blue-haired man wearing a tweed green vest and white shirt with baggy brown shorts. The other was a man with short chocolate-coloured unkempt hair, his plump body clothed in a brown sleeveless jacket stretched to reach around his torso, a green t-shirt and worn jeans. These were the people Rally had spoken of, these were his friends. But neither seemed to give the impression that they were the one Rally and Nerve had discussed.

"Who's that?" Taka asked.

Blitz slapped his hand down, a vicious reminder about how he hoped they would treat guests. The stumpy man glared at the other's eyes through the spectacles.

"This is Rena" Rally replied, intervening before the two could clash over the scolding between their hands. "She's a duellist".

"A duellist, huh?" Taka asked, raising an eyebrow fascinatedly at the prospect of another duellist standing in front of them. "What kind of cards does she use?"

"It seems when she woke up, there was just a jumble of cards. I can't see any real focus in the structure" Rally sighed. He had been hoping to learn about Rena through the cards she had selected. Apparently, anyone that had encountered her before Rally had not desired that scenario.

"So she was able to defeat both you and Nerve with a stack of random cards?" Blitz commented, pointing at the child.

"You say that like it's a bad thing" Rally pouted, folding his tiny arms over his chest.

"Then I doubt that either Taka or I would stand a chance against her" Blitz sighed, thrusting his hands into the pockets of his baggy shorts.

"Maybe not you, but I'd do just fine" Taka protested arrogantly, shooting a devious smirk at the other.

Observing the childish debate about to unfold, Rena's eyes shot between each of the men as they spoke, unsure what to do or say before chaos erupted. By her side, Rally instead laughed in amusement.

"What's gotten you laughing?" Blitz moaned, waiting for the inevitable statement that they had encountered a formidable female duellist. One that made them question their abilities.

"I told you Rena was a great duellist. There's one person she should fight in order to prove that!" Rally replied, extending a finger to point upwards as though using the finger to count the absent duellist.

"Even she won't stand a chance against him" Taka laughed, waving his hand dismissively at the thought of such a conflict.

'Him'? Was this the same man that Rally and Nerve had discussed before they had descended into the shadows of the subway? Rena's brow furrowed at the chatter focused on the nameless rival, for them to speak of him as they did, meant he had to be extremely powerful; the best Satellite had to offer? The thought of such a duellist, especially rotting away where his talents remained anonymous to the City that praised such skills, it was enough to make her almost tremble. Partially with worry at this man, partially at the excitement in hearing what the others had to say, at the prospect that perhaps she could meet him, let alone duel. She smirked ever so slightly, just waiting for a name to rise out of the males' mouths, but their discussion had lowered in volume, they were almost whispering as though to hide his power from her. To avoid harming her confidence with his achievements.

"Who is this guy you speak of?" she asked, raising an eyebrow curiously at the youngest boy. "You and Nerve were talking about him after the duel we had up there. I'm curious about just who you've been hanging around with; the way you talk about his duelling talent, sounds like he should be duelling in the Pro-League".

"He would, but this is where he's grown up. The City wouldn't take kindly to him unfortunately" Blitz sighed, casting his eyes downwards in despair at the luck they had encountered. The rough cards that fate had dealt into their hands.

"Blitz, Nerve. We're going to be late!" Taka called, rushing past the others.

Rally and Rena watched silently as the three began to race to the staircase and ascent towards the light from the surface world that poured down. Whatever three of them had planned remained a mystery to the two remaining.

"You guys haven't told me his name, almost like you don't want me to know" Rena sighed, shifting her eyes back to Rally who smiled sheepishly at her, well aware of what was to follow. "Does he even have a name? I'm curious about this guy".

"Okay, we'll say. We didn't mean to hide it from you, Rena" Rally chuckled nervously at the fact the newcomer had spoken of. "His name is Fudo Yusei".

"Fudo Yusei…" Rena whispered. She liked that name.

The air came alive when a rumbling from an unknown source echoed down the tunnel. Rally chortled discreetly, rushing towards the end of the platform, Rena curiously followed at a slower pace. Within seconds of reaching the end, a crimson motorbike raced into sight through the shadows of the underground tunnel, seizing Rena's interest, she hadn't seen anything like it since waking. Sparks flew from the two tires as a harsh screech replaced the roaring of an engine. The bike slowed rapidly, the rider able to bring it to a halt before Rally and Rena. Rally's tiny fists clutched tightly in admiration of the stunt, his mouth hanging open. The rider's hands pressed either side of his helmet, pulling it off to reveal the spikes of unkempt black hair, golden streaks running along a few. His sapphire eyes opened, meeting Rena's. For the first time since the sound of his bike could be hear, silence seized the underground.

Stardust ~ PREVIEW ~ Sutādasuto

Yusei: Who are you?

Rally: Yusei, this is Rena. She's a great duellist, you two should fight!

Yusei: Rally, I'm afraid I have no time to duel. You know what I'm aiming for. Next, Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's - Sutādasuto Accelerator, Chapter 2 "Vow to Regain Hope. Fated Encounter".

Rena: What? …Was that a D-Wheel in my memory?