A/N: This is my first fanfiction so I hope you like it! I did my best to avoid grammar errors, but since I'm not a native speaker (I'm Italian) there will probably be some of them.

Chapter 1

Akiza sighed while her duel runner continued accelerating and the wind whistled passed her.

"It's been a year since we last met" she thought "what if he has found someone else? No, I saw it in his eyes last time, he loves me!"

The person she was thinking of was obviously Yusei, she had mailed him last month saying that she was coming in visit. She couldn't see his face, but when she read his reply he had seemed happy about it.

She remembered that she was driving just in time to avoid smashing against the car in front of her:

"What in the…!? Why did you stop suddenly like that!?"

She yelled to the man on the driving seat while she passed him. She regretted saying that after seeing the stream of cars that was trying to get in the city:

"Oh well, one of the advantages of duel runners is that you're not blocked in a traffic jam."

Nothing could stop her from reaching New Domino city... and Yusei of course.

A lot had happened in the past year, not only to her, after team 5d's had split up; so that everyone could follow their dreams; she had seen Jack on TV, and it seemed that he had managed become the king of turbo duels. Crow on the other hand had gone to the pro league and had entered a turbo dueling team, of which she didn't remember the name. And she knew that Luna and Leo were still studying at duel academy. Strangely she knew next to nothing of Yusei but that didn't worry her to much, she knew he was ok... she giggled:

"how could someone who had saved the earth 2 times already not be ok in the everyday life!"

As for her, she had gone to medical college, the reason why she had chosen that school was because, after having caused so much trouble with her uncontrolled psychic powers, she wanted to help people feel better, that's why she had left dueling aside, or better, she had only kept it as a hobby, in fact she was a fearsome opponent. And now she was thankful of not having forgotten how to play, because in these upcoming summer holidays she was planning of having a lot of duels, with Yusei too, but she was hoping in more romantic moments with him. She sighed seeing where her thoughts were going and after having avoided another accident she decided to keep them at bay until she was in a more appropriate place, a place like her parents' house.

XXX

Yusei couldn't stand it anymore, today Akiza was coming back from college for the summer break! For the past year he had longed for this moment! After that everyone had left he had tried to decide what to do of his life, after completing the reactor there was nothing left to do... or at least he had thought so. In the end he had entered the public security and had become the chief of the illegal turbo duel department. He tracked illegal duelists down and took away their decks and runners, not that he did that himself anymore. Being the chief had certain advantages. He had gained that position because usually criminals gave up as soon as they knew it was him they were dealing with. And so the mayor Lazar had thought, that if it was him in charge of the department crime levels would have drastically lowered... and in fact he was right, the crime rate had decreased by 40% after his promotion. Everyone in New Domino city remembered his epic battle with Zone, and thus his skills as a duelist, and no common criminal could hope to keep up with him in a turbo duel.

But unfortunately the strange case he had to deal with in these days was work of no common criminal. The mystery criminal was known as the phantom duelist and it was said that no one had ever defeated him, that was why Yusei himself was going back on patrol duty, if there was someone who could stop this guy from defeating duelists and robing them of there deck it was most definitely the fortune cup champion, Yusei Fudo. But even he was a bit nervous, this was all to similar to how the ghost story started... Even there names had almost the same meaning!

XXX

Finally she was nearly there! Akiza couldn't wait to see her parents and Yusei, especially Yusei.

-"Ok, to go to my parents' house I have to turn..."

Just then another duel runner approached hers and the man riding it signaled being in search of a duel.

"Oh not now!"

She had forgotten that the number of turbo duelists in New domino city was very high. She was about to decline when she thought of Yusei.

"He wouldn't run away from a duel so why should I?."

So she then yelled to the man:

"Well, if it's a duel you want a duel you shall have!"

XXX

Yusei had just bought a gift for Akiza and was now heading to her parents' house, were they would all have supper. He was thinking of how to ask her on a date, when the phone in his runner rang:

-Chief, do you have a moment? There's a problem... a phantom problem.

Yusei sighed before replying: "What's with our phantom duelist?

-ehm, he challenged someone to a duel and then kidnapped his opponent.

-WHAT!? He's never done that before, are we sure it's him?

-unfortunately yes, we have some witnesses.

-Tell me were this happened.

-I'll send the coordinates.

-Thanks.

And so Yusei headed to the crime scene, which was close to his original destination:

"I hope Akiza doesn't hate me for this" he thought as he rushed through the city.

When he arrived a member of security informed him that the phantom had made his opponent crash, and had then took him away, leaving his opponent's runner there.

Yusei was frustrated by the event, he was going to arrive late to meet Akiza! But as soon as he saw the duel runner of the phantom's opponent, he felt despair and rage rising in his heart. It was Akiza's runner.