NEW! Yu-Gi-Oh! Limitless!

[Faytl]

Hello, Cardmaker.net. I have here my little fanfic project that I've been working on for a while now. I started it back in... oh wow, January of this year, and I've been increasing it since. I've been posting the chapters as I wrote them on an RP-ing site that I frequent up till now, and I wanted to join Cardmaker to present it for a wider audience (the Yugioh fans on the site are somewhat few).

I currently have 12 chapters finished, and plan to have many more. But I don't want to get you guys overloaded with all this new material so quickly (not to mention that each chapters are rather long), so for now I'll only post the first chapter, and I'll post another of my finished ones every couple of days until we're all caught up. Then you'll get new chapters as I write them :)

Criticism and reviews are welcomes and greatly appreciated.

I hope you enjoy my fanfic!

 

(Warning: Fanfic contains some slight swearing)

 

Chapter One- Shadows Amid the City! Rise, Falchior!

 

 

CHAPTER ONE

 

The sun lanced through the gaps between the skyscrapers of the city. It struck the face of a clock that adorned the side of a bank, the clock reading 6:56. Artificial lights were beginning to flicker on in the windows of the various buildings, lighting up like small eyes. Kyoto was just waking up. Various honks and rumbling engines could be heard as the early risers began the trek to their places of occupation, accompanied by droopy eyes and bad tempers brought on by both the earliness of the hour and the already-beginning traffic jams that always accompanied the city mornings.

 

This morning symphony rose higher into the air, a burgeoning of sounds that drifted through the open window of one apartment. The window opened into a bedroom, one that was occupied by a boy of about sixteen or seventeen years old. While his room was somewhat better-kept than a lot of the rooms of those his age, there were several clues that pointed to his age. A few schoolbooks littered the desk that sat under the window, but atop these books laid a standard gray D-Pad that had obviously seen more use than the books, alongside a deck of Duel Monsters cards. That, and, of course, the boy who was currently asleep in the bed across the room.

 

His breathing became more pronounced as he cracked open one eye, exposing one blue iris to the world before letting out a sleepy groan and closing it shut.

 

"This is too damn early..." he mumbled to himself drowsily, wishing he hadn't opened the window last night. A particularly obnoxious honk now could be heard cutting harshly through the morning buzz, and he squeezed his eyes tighter shut in protest. "Noooo..." he muttered, desperate not to give in to the morning, which seemed extremely eager to rudely wake him today.

 

The sound began to drift out of his hearing, and he blessedly began to fall back asleep. He had just been having a great dream. Maybe he could have it again...

 

Suddenly he felt the bed under him start to tilt. His eyes flew open, and he looked just in time to see a tall woman with dark green hair much like his own, tilt the mattress of his bed up just enough to send him and the blankets piled on him tumbling to the floor with a loud and painful THUD.

 

"Aaaaaagh..." he protested piteously from his spot on the floor. He forced himself to sit up, glaring up at the woman who now held his bed up at a ninety degree angle, looking down at him expectantly, hand on her hip. "What was that for?!" he demanded, gesticulating at the clock, which read 6:58 now. "School doesn't start for another two hours!"

 

"Be quiet, Daichi," she said tersely, dropping his mattress back into place. "I need you to run down to the store for me. We're out of eggs."

 

"You don't like eggs," Daichi said flatly, expression one of annoyance and consternation. "I don't like eggs. Why the hell do I have to get up at the crack of dawn to get eggs when nobody in this house likes eggs?!" He didn't like to shout at his mother, but she HAD rudely awakened him at an absurd time of the morning.

 

"Maybe not," said his mom, tightening the tie of her red bathrobe, oblivious to his anger, "But your Grandmother is coming to visit us today, remember? And your grandmother likes eggs. So, we're getting eggs."

"By which you mean I'M getting eggs," Daichi grumbled as he struggled to his feet, pulling himself up by his bedpost. "Why do we have to eat eggs if we don’t-?"

 

"Because it's polite!" His mother snapped suddenly, cutting him off. "Now just go and get the eggs, Daichi." She turned and walked out of the room, slipper heels clacking against the floor. "And you'd better not go back to bed!" she yelled back as he started to do just that. He swore under his breath, stumbling over to his dresser and pulling out some clothes.

 

On his way down the hallway, he passed another room, one with the door firmly shut. He slowed as he did so, looking at it briefly from the corner of his eye. He then sped up to a normal walking pace after the door was behind him.

 

_________________________________________

 

A little over an hour later, Daichi trudged out the door of the apartment building, eggs delivered to his foot-tapping mother, freshly clad in a black shirt, along with a pair of blue jeans, in addition to his usual jacket, a large, thick dark green one that held more pockets than most people would believe physically possible for one garment. His green high-tops slid over the asphalt below, and he glared at the sun that hurt his drooping eyes.

 

"Heeeeey!" came a loud call behind him. He jerked in surprise, turning to see a smiling, skinny boy his age come running up to him, one with spiky brown hair and excitable eyes of the same color. He skidded to a halt next to Daichi, large, clunky boots scraping over the sidewalk as he grinned at him.

 

"How you doing, buddy?" he asked, placing his hands behind his head and walking backward with Daichi, silly grin never fading as his overly large shirt flapped in the wind, loosened blue tie flung over his shoulder.

 

"Tired," Daichi replied with a yawn, mood slightly improved by the presence of his best friend. "How about you, Hayate?"

 

"You're tired? I'm never tired. Tired is for boring people. And I can't be boring, that would be horrible," Hayate replied glibly. Daichi snorted in laughter, rubbing his eye with his hand.

 

They weren't alone, as they thought they were. A face peered out from a side alley that they walked by thinking it empty, as it always was. A woman's face of great beauty, with flawless white skin framed by long, flowing blond hair surmounted by a pair of vibrant amber eyes that watched the two boys, eyes on Daichi in particular.

 

"Yukufune Daichi..." she said to herself, voice like a bell. She then turned back into the alley, striding down it, white dress flowing around her like water as she disappeared into the dark.

 

__________________________________________________

 

Daichi and Hayate walked through the doors of their Yamamori High School, hands holding their book bags over their shoulders as they joined the many students that filtered through the hallways like a swarm of fish. They made their way to the second floor, eventually coming to a door marked 10-C.

 

"Hellooooo, 10-C!" Hayate cried out, sliding the door open with a loud slam, stupid grin plastered on his face. He received no reaction. Their classmates were used to this method of entry. Hayate nevertheless waited a few seconds for an acknowledgement that did not come, then turned to Daichi with a consternated expression on his face.

 

"Honestly, it's like they just don't care anymore," he said thoughtfully. He turned to the room, hopping up onto a desk in an almost frog-like manner, crouching on it as he looked at the surprised occupant, a girl with long black hair and small glasses, her expression quickly changing to one of annoyance. "Madame President," Hayate began in a formal tone that was heavily dramatized, "Has it really gotten to the point that my coming into this lovely room is going unwanted? Please, say it ain't so, say it ain't s-" He was cut off by the girl (whose name was really Mizu Maramune, and was indeed the Class President) sweeping her hand through the air and knocking Hayate off her desk to collide with the floor in a manner similar to Daichi's morning fall, looking uncaringly down at her schedule while doing so. Hayate took it a lot better than Daichi had.

 

"And I am denied AGAIN!" he cried in an exaggerated wail. "Once again knocked to the ground, both literally, and metaphorically, in a crushing-"

 

Cut off for the second time in half as many minutes, he stopped his laughter-inducing bemoaning when a foot whacked into his shin. He yelped out, more from surprise than actual pain. He looked up to see a tall boy with shaggy black hair looking down at him in contempt with cold ice blue eyes.

 

"You don't ever shut up, do you, Arishima?" he asked sardonically, dropping his bag onto his desk. "I suppose you have to make up for how poor your grades are by trying to get everyone to like you instead. Too bad you haven't got me fooled."

Hayate jumped to his feet, face in an expression of anger as he raised his fists, lightly hopping from foot to foot. "Oh yeah, Nakayama? You think you're better than me, huh?" It was quite clear from his tone that he wasn't actually mad, just once more messing around. Other members of the class chuckled and giggled into their hands. They pretended to tolerate Hayate, but everyone not so secretly enjoyed his presence, even Maramune, who was even now allowing herself a grudging smile as she looked over her literature homework.

 

Kentaro Nakayama was the only exception. Daichi wasn't sure if he really liked anyone. He was a member of a family who had been known to be nobles, and was even now very rich. Daichi and Hayate had been constantly at odds since the year started a month ago, Hayate because Kentaro was, to quote, "A burgeoning git," and Daichi because he saw the scorn behind Kentaro's eyes, and saw his cruelty.

 

"Course I do," Kentaro said scathingly, sitting to flip through a science book. "Especially given your record as a Duelist. Honestly, do you even know how to duel properly? I heard a ten-year old beat you the other day."

 

At this point, Hayate DID get angry. He repeated his frog-jump, hopping up swiftly onto Kentaro's desk, nose to nose with the scowling boy.

"Oh yeah, Kentaro, you worm?!" He yelled into Kentaro's impassive scowl. "I'd like to hear you say that after I beat your ass into a-"

 

"Arishima!" came a sharp reprimand as a yardstick whacked into the back of Hayate's head. Hayate once again cried out as he turned to see their teacher, Mrs. Fukahara, looking disapprovingly down at him, arms crossed and eyebrow raised. "What is the meaning of this?" she asked tersely.

 

"Fukahara-sensei," he said urgently, "He said I was a terrible Duelist. I had to-"

 

"Your squabbles with Nakayama can wait until you AREN'T in this classroom," she interrupted, tapping the floor sharply with her yardstick to indicate that he should return to it, which he grudgingly did. As she turned her back, Hayate turned to resume his arguing with Kentaro, but Daichi intercepted him, gently grabbing his elbow and steering him in the direction of his desk.

 

"Come on, buddy, it isn't worth it," he said quietly, sliding into his own chair next to Hayate's. His friend plopped dejectedly into his chair, looking glumly to the front of the room. Daichi sighed, looking out the window as Fukahara started to talk about the ancient writings of someone or other. Something caught his eye as he did so... a person hiding behind a tree, looking up at the window. He squinted to get a better look, but the person slid behind the tree, out of sight. He sighed, turning to once again face the front, assuming his usual thoughtful expression.

 

____________________________________________

 

Hayate was quiet until lunch, an event most unusual for him. It happened in the line for the cafeteria, where he whacked his tray on the metal surface of the ledge in front of the food and exclaimed, "That smug Kentaro, saying I got beat by that ten-year old... Mind you, I did, but he was a TOUGH little kid, dammit!"

 

"You don't need to tell me that," Daichi said placatingly as he pulled a sandwich towards his tray, examining it in an attempt to identify what kind of sandwich it actually was. This attempt was unsuccessful. He looked to Hayate. "How are they allowed to feed us this stuff?" he asked, in an attempt to change the subject. "Honestly, I think Ibiki Momori eats better, and he's homeless!"

 

"I'm not THAT bad," Hayate grumbled, oblivious to Daichi's words. Daichi sighed, walking over to a table and setting his tray down, followed by Hayate. As he passed a window, he caught a glimpse of someone outside. He turned his head sharply, but there was nobody there. He looked at Hayate, brow furrowed.

 

"You ever feel like someone's watching you, and they really aren't?" he asked. Hayate shrugged, still sulking, and Daichi decided to drop it.

A few hours later, the two were walking back home, and Hayate was beginning to regain some of his usual joviality. "See, they hold the WORLD Duel Carnival in Heartland," he said, hand in the air, gesturing with his points, "But they don't have it open to the pros, like Jack Atlas, or Phoenix. So really that Tsukomo kid is pretty much the champion of the people, the every-day guys like us."

 

"I dunno," Daichi said, looking at a video of the World Duel Carnival final on his D-Pad. "That Zexal thing he pulled was pretty impressive. I thought there was no way he could beat that Tron guy. I mean, look at that monster of his, it’s ridiculous. Negating the effects of EVERYTHING?"

 

"I still think that Kamashiro fellow should have won," Hayate said, twisting his mouth in an expression of consternation.

 

"You only say that cause you had to give me ten yen when he lost," Daichi chuckled. He then walked off a road to the right, waving goodbye to Hayate. "I'll see you later," he said, hoisting his bag onto his shoulder. "My grandma is coming over tonight."

 

"The egg-lover?" Hayate asked. Daichi laughed, walking away. He hadn't gone far when he heard a strangled cry. He looked back, worry crossing his face. That had sounded like Hayate.

 

"Hayate?" he asked, walking back in the direction he had come. He rounded the corner to see Hayate lying against a wall, nose bleeding, eyes shut, breathing heavily. Over him stood Kentaro, massaging his fist.

 

"Kentaro, you prick-!" he yelled, running forward, but stopped when Kentaro held up something. A deck of cards, the bottom one visible to Hayate. It was one of Hayate's. He recognized it.

 

"Come any closer," Kentaro said, holding the cards above a storm drain, "And these cards go swimming." He leered at Daichi, with a glare that looked like it could melt bricks.

 

"Why are you doing this, Nakayama?" Daichi demanded.

 

"Because this moron is a pain in my ass," he replied. "He's worthless and deserves to know it. He doesn't even deserve this pathetic deck."

 

"Give it back right now," Daichi demanded, eyes cold and hard as he stared him down. "Do it or you'll regret it."

 

Kentaro was silent for a moment, then slid the cards into his pocket. "Tell you what," he said, pulling another deck from his jacket. "Duel me for the loser's deck. You win, he gets it back. You lose, and I throw his deck down the drain." Daichi started to protest, but Kentaro interrupted. "I'll just do it anyway if you don't. What's it gonna be?"

 

Daichi resignedly pulled his D-Pad out, activating it as he slid a gray and green D-Gazer with a blue lens over his eye. Kentaro smirked, activating his own green-lensed one. "Excellent," he said.

 

"DUEL!" they both shouted as they drew 5 cards, the area around them awash with green digits as their D-Gazers activated.

 

At this point, Hayate stirred, opening his eyes. He looked to see the two, then confusedly asked, "Daichi? What's going on? Are you two dueling? Why does my nose hurt? Oh," he said, as he touched it and his hand came away with blood. "THAT'S why." He looked up, seeing Kentaro, then jerked upward. "Did he punch me?!" he demanded angrily.

 

"Yeah, Hayate, he did," Daichi said, looking at the cards he had while Daichi fixed his own yellow-lensed D-Gazer onto his eye. "He took your deck as well, but don't worry, I'm going to get it back."

 

"He took my deck to?!" Hayate demanded, jumping up swiftly, then falling dizzily against the wall. "Well, then," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose as he attempted to stop the pounding in his head. "I guess I'll just... leave you to it... I'm not exactly in the best of situations to give him the sound thrashing he deserves."

 

"I was right. You never DO shut up," Kentaro said, vexed. "Let's get this show on the road! I draw!" He pulled a card from his Pad, adding it to his hand. He surveyed his cards, then chose one. "I summon Burst Salamander in attack mode!" He placed the card on his D-Pad, and a red lizard with flames running over its back appeared, hissing with a flapping reptilian tongue.

 

Burst Salamander

FIRE, Reptile, Level 3. 1000/800

 

"Only one thousand attack points?" Hayate crowed, punching the air. "That monster can't do any-"

 

"This'll be a lot less annoying if you just keep your mouth shut, Arishima," Kentaro interrupted. "I use Burst Salamander's special ability! Once per turn, I can inflict 300 damage to my opponent!" Burst Salamander opened it's mouth, releasing a barrage of small flames that peppered Daichi. He crossed his arms in front of him to ward of the flames, grimacing as his Life Points dropped to 3700. First turn and his Life had already been damaged? Not good.

 

"I set one card and end my turn," he said. "Let's see what you got, Yukufune!"

 

Daichi grimly drew, observing his hand. He picked one, saying, "I summon out my Fallen Vanguard!" A warrior in battered white armor appeared, sporting a shield and a long curved sword.

 

Fallen Vanguard

LIGHT, Warrior, Level 4. 1700/1200

 

"Vanguard attacks your Burst Salamander!" His monster lunged forward, slicing through Kentaro's monster easily, causing it to burst asunder into many particles of light. Kentaro grunted as his Life Points were reduced to 3300. He then smirked.

 

"Just like I wanted. Activate Damage = Reptile!" His set card, revealed to be a Trap card, flipped up, glowing brightly as Kentaro placed his hand over his deck, a card sliding out. "This card summons a Reptile from my deck every time I take damage, so long as it's attack points don't exceed the damage I took. I summon Coppermane Gecko!"

 

A green lizard with a metal spiked mane growing from it's neck, hissing as the last monster had.

 

Coppermane Gecko

EARTH, Reptile, Level 3. 500/700

 

"When Coppermane Gecko is summoned, I can summon another one to join it from my hand!" Kentaro proclaimed as a similar monster appeared on his field.

 

Daichi placed his hand over his deck as well. "When my Fallen Vanguard destroys an opponent's monster by battle, I can send another Fallen monster to my Graveyard!" A card ejected, and he slid it into the Graveyard. "I send my Fallen Sharpshooter. Sharpshooter has an ability that inflicts 500 damage to my opponent whenever it's sent to the Graveyard!" A blast of red light erupted from his Graveyard zone to slam into Kentaro's chest, reducing him to 2800.

 

"I set a card and end my turn!"

 

"You'll regret that," Kentaro growled as he drew a card.

 

"Doubt it," Daichi muttered under his breath. He then heard what sounded like a cough. He looked around, just in time to see someone disappearing from sight on the roof of the store they were in front of. "What in the world..." he muttered to himself.

 

"Quit your muttering! I overlay my Coppermane Geckos!" His monsters became lancing bolts of orange light, spinning through the air as a red portal opened up, through which they streamed, the portal exploding and revealing a large green six-legged lizard with large red eyes, two orange orbs orbiting around it. "Xyz Summon! Say hello to Flaregill Iguana!"

 

Flaregill Iguana

EARTH, Reptile, Rank 3. 1950/1600

 

"Flaregill Iguana attacks your Vanguard!" His monster's gills blasted out, huge fanning flaps of skin as it lashed out it's tongue at Daichi's monster.

 

"Activate Trap card!" Daichi's card revealed itself as he explained what it was. "Gravity Pulse! This card switches your Flaregill Iguana to defense mode! Then it inflicts damage equal to half it's defense points to your Life Points-"

 

"Nice try! Flaregill's effect!" One of the orbs flew into the flapping gills with a bright light. "Once per turn it can negate any Spell or Trap card that would affect a single Reptile-Type monster, and raises that monster's attack points by 300 until your next End Phase by detaching an overlay unit!" Daichi's Gravity Pulse exploded, and the tongue lashed out unimpeded, destroying Vanguard.

 

He now pulled a card from his hand to activate. "I activate the quick-play spell Toxic Burst! This card inflicts damage to you equal to half the attack points of a monster destroyed in battle with a Reptile! Enjoy 850 damage!" A burst of purple light struck Daichi, and he fell to one knee as his Life Points were reduced, leaving him with 2300 Life Points.

 

"Daichi..." Hayate said worriedly, having finally managed to clear his nose of blood. Daichi looked over to him, giving his friend a reassuring smile.

 

"I'm fine," he said, standing. "Don't worry about me, Hayate. Worry about how badly I'm going to beat Nakayama for taking away your deck."

 

Hayate slowly grinned, pumping his fist in the air. "You show him, Daichi!" he yelled.

 

"Anytime you want to get back to the DUEL..." Kentaro said tersely, arms crossed. "I'll play a card face-down and end my turn!"

 

"My turn, then. I draw!" Daichi looked contemplatively at his cards, when Kentaro spoke up.

 

"You know, Yukufune..." he said lazily. "Your brother played that deck a lot better than you do now." He smirked, but quickly lost it when he saw the expression on Daichi's face. So often calm and thoughtful, it was now one of anger and rage.

 

"I activate the spell card Foolish Burial!" he said, playing the spell with unneeded ferocity. "This sends the Fallen Hawk in my deck to the Graveyard! Hawk's special ability then sends another two cards from my deck to the graveyard!" He picked up the top two cards of his deck, sliding them into his Grave slot. "The cards I sent were Sapphire Guardian and another Fallen Vanguard. Now, I summon Fallen Avenger!"

 

A new monster appeared on his field, one with a black cloak and many white bandages wrapped around it's arms, wielding a hooked blade.

 

Fallen Avenger

DARK, Warrior, Level 4. 1500/1100

 

"Fallen Avenger can, once per turn, decrease the attack points of any monster by 100 points for every Fallen monster in my Graveyard." Phantom images of Daichi's monsters appeared in the air, all of whom streamed into Avenger's knife blade, which he threw at Flaregill Iguana. It struck it, causing it to cry out as it lost attack points.

 

"As I have four, it loses 400 attack points."

 

"Not enough to destroy my Iguana-" Kentaro started.

 

"I'm not finished yet, you ass," Daichi snapped, playing a new card. "Activate Continuous Spell card, Bladefall!" A flash of light could be seen in the sky, and from it fell a spinning sword, which fell to strike the ground, burying itself in the asphalt. Avenger reached forth, taking ahold of it and yanking it free, spinning it in midair.

 

"Bladefall lets me, once per turn, increase the attack points of a Warrior-Type monster on my field by 500 points, until my next Standby Phase. Avenger's attack points become 2000! Now go, destroy Flaregill Iguana!" Avenger rushed forward, swinging the sword down with great force, cleaving Flaregill Iguana in two. Kentaro snarled as his Life Points decreased once more, now to 2650.

 

"You forget Damage = Reptile! I summon the 100 attack point Venom Cobra in defense mode!" A coiled cobra took the place of Iguana, baring its fangs viciously.

 

"I'll also activate my Gator Spawn trap card! This lets me summon a Reptile from my hand when another one is destroyed by battle, by paying 1000 of my Life Points! I summon my Balloon Lizard!"

 

Venom Cobra

EARTH, Reptile, Level 4. ATK 100/DEF 2000

 

Balloon Lizard

EARTH, Reptile, Level 4. ATK 500/DEF 1900

 

"Two level 4 monsters... Oh no!" Hayate said from his spot on the sidelines.

 

"I end my turn," Daichi said stiffly, still glaring at Kentaro. Hayate looked worriedly at him, but didn't have much time for it. Kentaro wasn't wasting any time.

 

"I summon my Exploder Scales!" THIS monster was another snake with angry-red scales that emitted steam from them.

 

Exploder Scales

FIRE, Reptile, Level 4. 1500/500

 

"THREE level 4 monsters?!" Hayate exclaimed, clutching at his hair desperately. "Oh God, why?!"

 

"I overlay my three Level 4 monsters!" His three reptiles all shifted into different-colored jets of light. They all gyrated through the air, making their way towards the red portal that opened to accept them.

 

"I build an Overlay Network with these three monsters! Xyz Summon! Crocodile Berserker!" The portal exploded, and a huge silhouette appeared, fading into sight to reveal an enormous green bipedal crocodile, one armed to the teeth with a vicious-looking broadsword that was as big as Kentaro himself was.

 

Crocodile Berserker

WATER, Reptile, Rank 4. 2600/2300

 

"That is one UGLY monster," Hayate said as the monster roared loudly enough to drown out his comment completely. Daichi looked up at the monster, momentarily cowed by its sheer might.

 

"Crocodile Berserker, rip his Avenger to shreds!" Kentaro called out, pointing forward. His monster lumbered forward, picking up Fallen Avenger and indeed tearing it to shreds. Daichi's life flew down to 1700.

 

"Now, Crocodile Berserker's special ability!" Berserker snapped one of its Overlay Units out of the air with its teeth, roaring once more. "By detaching an Overlay Unit, I lower its attack points by the original value of Avenger, and then attack you again! Direct attack!" Berserker swung its mighty sword, and Daichi flew back as his Life Points flew down to 600.

 

"Daichi!" Hayate called. Daichi didn't respond. He was too busy noticing that Crocodile Berserker's teeth were starting to blaze with flame.

 

"What the hell is that?" he asked, secretly dreading the answer.

 

"Hmm?" Kentaro looked up at his monster, then laughed briefly. "Oh, that? I forgot to mention... when Exploder Scales is sent to the Graveyard, I inflict 500 damage to my opponent!" Berserker then opened its mouth, releasing a crocodile head composed purely of flame. Daichi's eyes widened as it struck him, and he cried out as his Life Points were reduced to a mere 100.

 

"Crap..." he grunted as he pulled himself to his feet, green hair disheveled. Kentaro laughed sardonically.

 

"Now I see why you associate with a weakling like Arishima!" he called to Daichi. "You're both pitiful!" Hayate hung his head low, looking dejected.

 

"Why are you so glum?" Daichi asked, opening a communication window with his D-Gazer, allowing his talk with Hayate to be more private.

 

"This is all my fault..." Hayate replied, tears starting to well in the corners of his eyes. "He's right... I am a crappy duelist..."

 

"So what?" Daichi demanded. Hayate looked up, surprised. Daichi glared at him through the window. "So you're a crappy duelist. Big deal. That's why you get better. Honestly, you're so damn positive about everything else, I'm surprised you let that prick Kentaro get to you. If anyone can become a better duelist, it's you, Hayate."

 

Hayate was silent for a few seconds, then broke out into a smile, now crying tears of happiness. "Thanks, Daichi," he said, wiping his eyes. "I'm.... I'm good now. Now kick his ass and get my cards back!"

 

"Already on it," Daichi assured him, closing the window and turning to face Kentaro again. "It's time we finished this, Nakayama!" he yelled at him.

 

"I couldn't agree more!" Kentaro replied back, placing the last card in his hand face-down. "I'll give you that little present before I end my turn. Now make your last move, cause now that my turn is over, Crocodile Berserker returns to its full strength!" Berserker's attack points were upped to 2600, making it formidable as hell all over again.

 

"Come on, deck, don't fail me now..." Daichi whispered, and drew. He turned it over to look at it. It was a monster by the name of Fallen Warhorse.

 

"I summon Fallen Warhorse!" A black steed appeared on the field, rearing and kicking it's heels in the air, neighing loudly, bright white eyes peering out through the slits in it's weathered steel helmet.

 

Fallen Warhorse

DARK, Beast, Level 4. ATK 0/ DEF 1000

 

"Do you really think a monster with zero attack points is going to be able to stand up to my Berserker?" Kentaro asked scathingly.

 

"No, but just you wait! I activate my Fallen Warhorse's effect! Once per turn, I can banish one Fallen monster in my Graveyard to Special Summon a Warrior-Type Fallen monster in defense mode!" His Fallen Hawk spiraled out of the grave, and Fallen Vanguard rose from a purple portal that opened in the ground, crouched in a defensive posture.

 

"Two level 4 monsters? You're going to Xyz Summon as well?!" Kentaro demanded.

 

"Damn right I am! I overlay my two level 4 monsters!" Becoming lights of yellow and purple, his monsters spiraled together into the red portal that awaited them, and from the resulting explosion rose a thin dark shape; a humanoid shape that wore black, war-torn armor, black hair flowing about its head as it raised its eyes to stare Kentaro down with its black glare.

 

"Xyz Summon! Falchior, Warrior of the Fallen!" Falchior landed on the ground, on a bended knee, hand splayed along the ground.

 

Falchior, Warrior of the Fallen

LIGHT, Warrior, Rank 4. ATK 2400/DEF 1700

 

Hayate pumped his fist in the air yet again. "Yes! Daichi's ace monster!" His grin was renewed, and he looked like he was about to pop his lid from excitement.

 

"Too bad it doesn't have enough power to touch my Crocodile Berserker," Kentaro pointed out, crossing his arms.

 

"Maybe not now, but it does with Bladefall!" Another flash of light appeared in the air, and a beam of light flew down from the sky and flew into the sheathed katana at Falchior's side. It straightened, drawing the blade as its attack points increased to 2900.

 

Daichi then saw something he didn't like at all. Crocodile Berserker's attack points were increasing as well! They capped now at 3100.

 

"What? How did Berserker gain attack points?!" He demanded. "What did you do, Nakayama?"

 

"I merely activated my set Compliance Trap card," Kentaro said smugly. "This card mimics any attack boost and applies it to MY monster, so Bladefall was USELESS to you."

 

"But you forget, Kentaro," Daichi said with a smirk. "Falchior has his own effect as well. By detaching an Overlay Unit, and banishing a monster in my Graveyard, I can lower the attack points of your Crocodile Berserker by half the attack points of that monster until the end of this turn. And this turn is all I need!"

 

"What?!" Kentaro gasped, shocked that his Berserker was effectively doomed.

 

One of the yellow orbs that circled Falchior flew into it's sword, which it spun through the air and plunged into the earth. A purple portal appeared from where it had hit, and from it rose a ghostly image of Daichi's first Fallen Vanguard.

 

"No... No!" Kentaro spat, as the ghostly monster flew at his Crocodile Berserker, sword brandished. It flew straight through it, Crocodile Berserker's power dropping to 2250.

 

"Next, I activate the spell card Soul Collapse!" A white aura appeared around Crocodile Berserker, appearing to cause it pain. It howled, a deep, ululating screech as it's attack points dropped even lower.

 

"Soul Collapse lets me select one monster on the field that has lost attack points, and then lower that monster's attack by another 1000, so long as I discard a card." He discarded his Counter Counter Trap card into the grave, and Crocodile Berserker finally evened out at 1250.

 

"Your Berserker has 1250 attack points," Daichi said solidly, while Kentaro looked rapidly between the two monsters. "My Falchior has 2900. And your Life is 1650. Seeing as how you like to remind us how you're top of the year in math all the time, maybe you can tell us what that means. Or I can just do THIS. Falchior, go! Destroy Crocodile Berserker!"

 

Falchior leapt into the air, spinning it's sword above it like a helicopter blade. it descended down towards Berserker, while Kentaro cried out in rage. It cleaved straight through the weakened monster, and it exploded into a huge blast, Kentaro flying backward as his Life Points hit zero.

 

'All RIGHT!" Hayate yelled in triumph as the AR Vision deactivated with the declared victor. He ran up to Kentaro, kneeling down and grabbing him by the collar. He lifted him up, delivering a swift punch to his nose before the dazed boy could do anything. His head lolled back, letting out a low groan.

 

Hayate fished around in his pocket for a while, before finally pulling out his deck. "Ha HA," he said, spreading out his cards to survey them. "That'll teach him not to mess with us, eh, Daichi?" Daichi had now joined his friend, smiling, though he personally could have done without Kentaro receiving a punch to the face.

 

From atop the roof, the cloaked woman observed the two jubilant boys, blonde hair flying about her face in the wind. "Daichi Yukufune..." she muttered to herself. "Maybe you ARE the right one for this cause..."

 

_________________________________

 

"Where have you BEEN?" Daichi's mother demanded as he careened into the apartment, hurriedly scooting past her to avoid the reprimanding whack she aimed at his head. "Your grandmother will be here any minute!"

 

"Sorry, mom!" he said as he made his way down the hallway. "Got a little sidetracked. You know how Hayate is."
 

"Hayate..." his mother said with a sigh. “I swear that kid's going to drive his mother crazy one day."

 

Daichi once again passed the door, but stopped this time, turning to look at it. He had memorized every detail of this door by now, and knew exactly what lay beyond it, despite not having gone through it in three years. He popped open his deck case, pulling out one of the cards. He looked at his Falchior card, then at the door.

 

Just learn from me, little bro, he heard inside his head. I'll teach you everything I know. Then we'll be the best dueling brothers the world has ever seen. You just wait. It's gonna happen.

 

He stood like this for a few seconds, alone with his thoughts. He then finally spoke in a low whisper. "Thank you, bro." He put the card away, and returned to his room, closing the door softly behind him.

 

____________________________________________

 

"Well, it looks like he gave YOU a royal thrashing."

 

Kentaro angrily wiped at the crusted blood on his chin, scowl seemingly permanently etched into his face. "Shut up," he snapped. "I did what you wanted, I dueled the guy. You didn't say I had to win."

 

"No, no, no," said the person that stood before him in the small lot the two stood in, hidden from the view of the street. He was tall and stick thin, and was wrapped in a black cloak, hood drawn up to hide his face entirely. "You've done quite well. Now we know what the kid is capable of." He turned to a similarly dressed, but larger man. "Juro," he said, snapping skinny fingers. "Give him the agreed payment."

 

The figure's companion produced a small box, which he handed to Kentaro. Kentaro greedily grabbed it, opening it to survey the contents. His eyes observed them for a few seconds, before he nodded and shut it. "Good," he said in a businesslike tone, looking up. "Now, why the hell did you-" he stopped when, to his surprise, he saw the two were no longer there. They had vanished with the setting sun, nowhere to be seen.

 

 

To be continued...

 

[Faytl]

Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter! Here's chapter 2 :)

 

Chapter Two- The Mask of Houdini! Underground Police, Go!

 

Chapter 2

 

"Hayate, I'm telling you, it's impossible to get all the way to the classroom window from that tree."

 

"You just say that because you aren't a believer in the possibilities of the constantly late."

 

"There's got to be an eight foot gap between it and the window-"

 

"A jump made easy by yours truly."

 

"-off a branch that looks like it couldn't hold a toddler, let alone you."

 

Hayate huffed exasperatedly. "Think of how much QUICKER we could get to class if we could just climb the tree-"

 

"Whoa, whoa whoa," Daichi interrupted. "We, we, when did it become we? You're crazier than I thought if you think I'm going to try it, and you're the one who's thinking of attempting a suicidal death leap."

 

"Fine, be a wet blanket then," Hayate said with a shrug. He jumped up, grabbing onto the lowest branch, thin body quickly hoisting himself onto it. He perched on the branch, striking a bird-like pose for a brief moment before continuing his ascent.

 

Daichi watched this, expression of one resigned to the inevitable, hands in his jacket pockets. Others in the school yard started to notice Hayate climbing the oak, pointing and watching with interest, chopsticks left idle in their hands as they turned their attention to Daichi's friend.

 

After about a minute of methodical climbing, interspersed with goonish waves to the masses below, Hayate reached the base of the branch that was closest to their class building. He balanced deftly on the branch, cracking his knuckles with a flare of showmanship. He then reached forward, wrapping his fingers around the branch, which was no bigger around than a large egg role, and inched along it, body stretched across it, feet and hands vice gripped around the wood.

 

Daichi called up to his friend, "Um, Hayate..." Hayate proceeded to stick his tongue out at Daichi, before proceeding to do the exact thing Daichi was about to warn him not to do: He lost his balance, and flipped upside-down. He was now hanging from the underside of the branch, like a bizarre, spiky-haired koala.

 

"Oh," he said, looking down at the ground, which suddenly looked a lot more solid and painful than it had a minute ago. "Well, this is.... yeah, this is not good.... not good at all..."

 

Daichi put his head in his hand, shaking it in amazement at his friend's predicament. He was interrupted in his laments by the bell ringing, signaling the end to the lunch break.

 

"Uh, Daichi?" Hayate called down as students hastily packed their stuff up. "What do I do? Get me out of this!"

 

"What the hell do you want me to do?" Daichi asked as students passed by, stifling wracking giggles as they looked up at the immobilized Hayate.

 

"Well don't just leave me up here!" Hayate yelled, removing a hand to shake a fist down at someone who was pointing at him as they guffawed, returning it back to its original position almost immediately.

 

Daichi sighed, looking around for anything he could use to get Hayate down. "You've got to be kidding me," he muttered.

 

"What was that? What'd you say, Daichi?"

 

"Nothing, Hayate," he called up nonchalantly, briefly considering chucking a left-behind rubber ball at his friend.

 

_________________________________________

 

"Don't worry," Hayate said reassuringly to Daichi, who was resolutely looking into his textbook, not looking at Hayate. "For someone who just had another person fall on top of them, you actually look remarkably dapper."

 

"You waited until I was under that branch," Daichi replied snappishly.

 

"I did not! I told you, I lost my grip."

 

"Yeah, very convenient that I was right under you when you did," Daichi retorted, running his hand through his dark emerald hair to dislodge more dirt from it. Hayate shrugged innocently.

 

"Yukufune Daichi?" hissed a voice to Daichi's left. Daichi glanced to the side and saw only a window. He returned his attention to his book, and then remembered that it was a window to his left. He looked again, and saw a pair of large eyes peering over the windowsill, between a pair of hands that clutched onto the windowsill.

 

Daichi looked surreptitiously to the front of the room. Fukahara was pointing to the board, occasionally slapping her yardstick against it to point something out. He then looked to Hayate, jerking his head towards the window. Hayate looked as furtively as he could, looking bemused at the sight of a kid hanging from the window.

 

Daichi leaned closer to the window. "Ummm... speaking," he whispered out the side of his mouth.

 

"Oh, good," the kid said. He couldn't be much older than twelve, with a mop of messy blond hair on his head. He looked slightly nervous, but then, he was hanging from a second-story window. "I wasn't sure if this was the right room."

 

"What are you doing hanging from the window?" Daichi hissed, completely perplexed at the situation.

 

"More importantly," Hayate whispered loudly, briefly pausing as Daichi kicked him in the shin to communicate he needed to speak quieter, "HOW did you get there? I'm pretty interested in that."

 

"I came to deliver a message to Yukufune Daichi," the kid whispered, face gaining a dawning expression of embarrassment. "But I can't reach it." He looked at his hands, so occupied with keeping him from hurtling to the ground below.

 

"I see..." Daichi muttered, setting his book on the desk as he turned fully to face the window. "Er, who is the message from?"

 

"I'm losing my grip," the kid hissed, fingers shaking as they started to slip away from the sill. "Could you just-" Daichi wordlessly extended his hand out the window, letting the kid grab ahold of it. He gratefully nodded to him before letting go with his other hand to reach into his overalls pocket, pulling out a folded square of green paper, lightly tossing it through the window onto Daichi's desk. As he did, Daichi looked down to see a small tower of cardboard boxes that reached up to just below the window. The kid had needed to jump the extra few feet to reach the window, but at least Daichi could rule out flying.

 

"OK, thanks, now just... lemme down a bit," the kid hissed. Daichi turned back to the front of the class, still keeping his arm out the window, he and Hayate trying to look as innocent as possible as he leaned to allow his arm to fall the maximum length out the window, before letting the kid go to fall back onto his cardboard tower.

 

There was a thunderous crash of collapsing cardboard, followed by a yelp of surprise from outside the window. Hayate and Daichi quickly grabbed their notebooks, looking into them with feigned nonchalantness.

 

"What was THAT?" Fukahara asked loudly, looking up from her spot at the front of the room.

 

"Nothing, Fukahara-sensei" they both said simultaneously.

 

_____________________________________________

 

Yukufune Daichi,

I heard that you recently faced Nakayama Kentaro in a duel and managed to actually defeat him. We are quite familiar with the usual attitudes of Nakayama, and highly disapprove of his actions. Thus, we are extremely glad to hear you beat him.

 

I represent a group of duelists operating here in Kyoto, whose intent is to stop the actions of bad duelists such as Nakayama, including cheating, deck thievery, etc. We refer to ourselves as the Dueling Underground Police, and we are looking for members to make ourselves more effective. A man of your skills would be extremely useful. A spot is also offered to your friend Arishima Hayate, if he wishes to take it. If you would be interested in learning more, meet me at the Mototonaki train station at 4:00. And if you would, please bring my younger brother Natsuo along with you, he gets lost.

 

Hoping to hear more from you,

 

Takayama Ryoji

 

"Is this for real?" Daichi asked Natsuo, who was still picking twigs out of his thatch-like hair from when he had fallen from the cardboard implosion.

 

"Course it is," Natsuo said distractedly, shedding dirt in a cloud as he whacked at his clothes, with Hayate's assistance. "You think I'd fall from a 2-story window for a joke?"

 

"He has a point, Daichi," said Hayate, dodging around a fire hydrant he had failed to notice until he nearly ran into it. "But why are we meeting at a train station? Are we going somewhere?"

 

"No," said Natsuo, looking himself up and down and appearing satisfied with his appearance. "Onee-chan is just like that, he likes to imagine he's like one of the secret agents in the movies."

 

Daichi sighed, sliding his note into his pocket. "Well, I suppose it can't hurt to hear what he's got to say."

 

"Yeah, maybe it'll be cool," Hayate grinned. "We could be duel police! Like superheroes!"

 

"Uh-huh," Daichi said as they turned a corner and the station came into view. "Yeah, Hayate, exactly like superheroes."

 

"Onee-chan!" Natsuo called, running forward to join a taller, blond man with a scruffy beard and large cheekbones, clothed in gray clothes with a leather jacket surrounding him. He laughed as he saw Natsuo.

 

"Did you fall into a hole or something?" he asked, fishing a leaf out of Natsuo's collar. He looked up, seeing Hayate and Daichi. "You must be Yukufune Daichi and Arishima Hayate," he said, walking up to them and holding out his hand, which they shook. "I'm Takayama Ryoji," he said in greeting. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

 

"Likewise," replied Daichi. "So, this Dueling Underground Police thing?"

 

"We're in!" Hayate said cheerily. "We'll sock it to those-"

 

"Hayate!" Daichi said, glaring at him. Hayate grinned, raising his eyebrows.

 

"You want to learn more about what you're getting into, I assume," said Ryoji good-naturedly. "Well, of course. Follow me, I'll show you where we operate out of." He turned to walk down the street, Daichi following after a second of hesitation.

 

"Not very easy to defeat somebody like Nakayama," Ryoji commented as they passed a small tea shop. "He's actually been looked over for a spot in the pro Dueling circuit. Probably would have gotten it too, but his parents were clear that they wanted him to finish his education first."

 

"Kentaro is a pro-level?" Hayate asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "Hear that, Daichi? I reckon that makes you pro material."

 

"Course not," Daichi said, waving his hand. "I got lucky, that's all."

 

"Who knows," said Ryoji as he approached the door to a small apartment building. "Luck may be just what we need." He pressed the button on the call board marked for a room on the second floor. A few seconds later, a voice crackled through the speakers.

 

"Hello?" it asked, a male's voice that sounded like its owner smoked a bit more than was good for him.

 

"Yeah, Osamu, it's Ryoji," was the response. "I brought Yukufune and his friend with me."

 

A buzzing sound was heard, and the lock to the door clicked open. Ryoji breezed through, followed by Natsuo and the duo. They ascended the rickety staircase, narrow boards creaking under their feet as they ascended to the second floor. Ryoji opened the first door on the floor they came to, opening onto a small, dim room with dark green wallpaper. It was largely occupied with a large table that dominated the center of the room, one that held a map of the city, with all the districts marked in black. Several pins were scattered about the map, stuck into the paper. The only lamp in the room was also on this table, and behind it was a man.

 

The man was short and a little chubby, with thinning black hair. He wore a fading blue sweater vest over a rumpled green shirt, and looked somewhat harried. The cigarette he held in his hand made Daichi surmise that this was Osamu.

 

Another person was in the room as well, sprawled out on a black couch with her booted feet on the armrest. It was a girl who didn't look much older than Daichi himself, one with dark purple hair that also held a streak of bright blue. She wore all black, along with a rather large number of rings in her ears. She looked up from her D-Pad, both her and Osamu seeing the new entrants.

 

"Which one of them is Yukufune?" the girl asked, not sitting up. Daichi raised his hand, and she snorted. "Come on, Ryoji, they're just kids," she said, returning her attention to her D-Pad.

 

"Right, Rin," Ryoji replied with rolling eyes. "They can’t be more than two years younger than you are. Besides, what about Akio? He's only thirteen."

 

"Akio is the mayor's nephew," Rin replied flatly. "He actually has a useful function outside of dueling. These two are nobodies."

 

"I resent that," Hayate muttered mutinously. Daichi narrowed his eyes as he looked at Rin.

 

"Now, now," said Osamu nervously, stepping out from behind the table, hands raised pleadingly. "No need for that, Rin. I'm sure they'll do just fine."

 

"Right, then," Ryoji said, clapping his hands together. "Daichi, Hayate, this is Tanaka Osamu and Yamashita Rin. They're two of our members." He walked around to the table, bending over the map, hands splayed over the paper. "I'm afraid our last member, Akio, isn't here right now. You'll meet him later, I expect."

 

"We'll see," Daichi replied, looking down at the map. "So, what's all this, then?" he asked, gesturing to the marked-off districts.

 

"This is a map of wherever we have members," Ryoji said, pointing at the pins. "We only have four members right now: Rin, in Higashiyama, Osamu here in the northern Sakyo, Akyo in northern Ukyo, and me in Fushimi. Of course, having the two of you with Osamu in such a large district will be a big help to him."

 

"I'm not as young as I used to be," Osamu said apologetically. "It's hard to keep an eye on everything."

 

Daichi nodded, looking at the map. "So, what would we actually be doing?" he asked, looking up at Ryoji. "That's the part I'm unclear on." He ignored Rin's snort of derision from the couch.

 

"Well, basically, all you have to do is keep an eye and ear out for activity of unfair dueling practices," Ryoji explained. "Like how Nakayama stole Hayate's deck. He's done it before, but the only time we tried confronting him about it, he unfortunately beat Osamu. We haven't had a chance to rectify him since then, so you've helped us out already."

 

"That's it?" Hayate asked, taking a stray pin and spinning it on top of the table. "Sounds easy."

 

"Well, we'd also like for you to keep a lookout for other potential members," Osamu said. "Especially in the districts we don't have any in."

 

Daichi nodded. "Makes sense," he said, pointing at the map again. "But what do those mean?" He gestured towards a red "x" on the map. There were several others like it, dotted across the map randomly.

 

Ryoji and Osamu were silent, Natsuo looking down at the floor. Rin now piped up from the couch. "Those are places where Houdini struck."

 

"Houdini?" asked Hayate, taking his attention away from his dreidel-like spinning of the pin to look over at Rin with interest. "The magician?"

 

"No, you idiot," Rin barked, moving her legs so her feet hit the floor, rising and moving over to the map. "Houdini is a duelist who keeps taking the decks of other duelists. We call him Houdini because we can never catch him. All we know is that it's the same every time: Some poor sap defeated in a dark alley, deck gone, no idea where he went. What's worse, he keeps changing his deck around with the cards he takes, so we don't even know what kind of deck he's using."

 

She tapped her finger down on a spot in Higashiyama. "This is where he last was," she said. "About a week ago. I actually saw him running away. I almost had him!" She slammed her fist on the table, causing it to jump an inch into the air.

 

"Relax, Rin," Ryoji reassured her as Hayate grimaced, pulling out the pin that Rin's table-tremor had caused to bury itself in the skin between his thumb and finger. "We'll find him eventually." He turned to Daichi and Hayate. "Well?" he asked, eager expression on his face. "What do you think? Will you join?"

 

Daichi looked to Hayate, who was too busy observing his bleeding hand to really notice. He looked down at the map, observing the red markings. He then looked up to Ryoji.

"We'll have to think about it," he said resolutely. Ryoji looked a bit disappointed. "We'll let you know, though," he assured him. "When we've made up our minds." He looked to Hayate. "We'd better go now," he said, and Hayate reluctantly nodded.

 

"Well, I suppose we'll see you some other time," Osamu said, following them to the door. "It was nice to meet you."

 

"Likewise," they both said, and shut the door behind them.

 

____________________________________________________

 

"Why didn't you go for it?" Hayate asked as they walked down the road. "Seemed like a pretty cool thing to me. Dueling police, a mysterious enemy, all that."

 

"I don't know..." Daichi said, looking forward with a furrowed brow. "Something isn't right. There was something weird about that group, and I want to try and figure out what it is before I join up with them."

 

"Is it that Rin is a bit of a bitch?" Hayate asked innocently. Daichi laughed, and the two continued home, thoughts heavy on their minds.

 

___________________________________________________

 

"Daichi, where did you put the broom last time you used it?" his mom asked, rummaging through the kitchen closet.

 

"I think it's in the hall closet," he said, making a finishing mark on his literature homework. "Mom, do you think that I could become a pro duelist someday?" he asked, setting his pencil down.

 

His mom stopped looking through the closet, turning back to face him. "No idea," she said frankly, leaning against the counter with crossed arms. "I've never actually seen you duel. I've had to go off of what Hayate says, and since he sees the world through hyper-colored glasses I don't always really listen to him."

 

Daichi nodded, and then looked back to his work, glancing over it silently. The two were silent for a moment, before his mom spoke again.

 

"Of course, you did learn from one of the best," she said, a little forced. Daichi looked up, a little surprised. His mom never mentioned his brother, not in the slightest. It was the same as with his father, although for entirely different reasons. "I suppose... if you tried, yeah, I do think you could go pro." She quickly turned back to the counter, grabbing a rag to wipe it down.

 

Neither spoke for a few seconds. Then Daichi, not looking up, said "Thanks, Mom." She allowed herself a small, sad smile.

 

At that point, Daichi heard a beeping noise coming from his pocket. He pulled out his D-Gazer, the end of its antennae flashing brightly. He held it up, pressing the end. In the lens appeared an image of Hayate.

 

"Hey, Hayate, what’s..." he trailed off as he saw that Hayate looked the worse for wear. His eye was black, and he was panting heavily.

 

"Hayate, are you alright?!" Daichi demanded. Hayate swallowed, and then spoke, sounding like it hurt to speak.

 

"I think... I found Houdini," he gasped. Daichi instantly grabbed for his D-Pad and deck, running into the front hallway.

 

"Sorry, Mom," he called back, opening the door and hovering below the doorframe. "Hayate needs my help!" He slammed the door shut as his mother looked down the hallway at the door, looking confused.

 

"But... Daichi... I... I still can't find the broom!" she yelled out hopelessly, at a loss for anything else to say.

 

_____________________________________________

 

"Hayate!" Daichi yelled, running through the dark streets, looking down every street for his friend, D-Gazer out in front of him. He shook it angrily. "Damn it, FIND him!" he yelled at it. As if responding to his rage, it beeped suddenly, although it wasn't the beep he wanted.

 

"WHAT?!" he demanded as the call connected. He then saw that it was Ryoji.

 

"Daichi, we need your help. I got a call from Osamu. He just got attacked by Houdini. Rin's on her way now, but you're closer."

 

"He attacked Osamu too?! He just got Hayate!" Daichi exclaimed.

 

"Hayate was attacked too?" Ryoji looked stressed, then said, "If he attacked both of them, then he knows we're after him. Be very careful, Daichi."

 

"I need to find Hayate, but after that I'll go to Osamu," Daichi said, and ended the call. Almost immediately he got a lock on a signal.

 

"Finally!" he said, seeing that it pointed to a location that was only a block away. He quickly ran around the corner, sprinting down the block. He could see Hayate already, leaning against a wall in the glow of a streetlamp, his cards littering the ground around him.

 

"Hayate! Are you alright?" he asked, running up to his friend and kneeling down.

 

Hayate appeared to consider the question. "Yeah, I think so..." he said, rubbing at his eye." I just, you know... thought you oughta know if Houdini was around."

 

"How do you know it was him?" Daichi asked, starting to pick up Hayate's scattered deck. "I thought he took the decks of the people he beat?"

 

"Well," Hayate said, rising slowly and holding his head in his hands, obviously nursing a headache. "When he beat me, he said my cards weren't worth taking. Ah well, what does he know? Besides, he said Ryoji should have never picked me."

 

"He's attacked Osamu as well," Daichi said, handing Hayate his deck. Hayate looked through it quickly, making sure it was all there.

 

"Really? Well, damn, let's go!" He put away his deck, starting to walk down the street. "He's older, he probably can't even-" he stopped himself, very slowly falling to lean against the wall again. "... Stand," he finished sheepishly.

 

"Hayate, you get home," Daichi told him. "I'll take care of Osamu."

 

"No! I wanna come with-"

 

"Go home, Hayate!" Daichi ordered him. Hayate gave in, turning around to walk back towards his house. Daichi watched him go, and then turned to run for the nearest subway station.

 

______________________________________________

 

Daichi blew through the door to Osamu's apartment, looking around for him. He found him on the couch, breathing heavily as Rin sat by him, looking worried. She looked up as Daichi entered, glaring at him.

 

"About time you showed up," she snapped at him. "I've been here for twenty minutes!"

 

"Look, when I can control the train schedule, then you can complain," Daichi said, coming to stand by Osamu. "Osamu, are you alright?" he asked.

 

"Just a little shaken up, is all," replied the man, sweating and wringing his hands. A trickle of blood ran down from hand. "He came out of nowhere," he said, eyes wide. "Just whipped out his Duel Disk and... that was it."

 

"What did he look like?" Daichi asked.

 

"Think I didn't ask him that?" Rin spat, rising and walking into the kitchen that adjoined the room. "That's the first thing I said. He wore a mask, we don't have a clue."

 

"Where's Ryoji?" Daichi asked, rising and walking to the table, leaning on its edge. "Surely Houdini will go after him."

 

"He's checking up on Akyo. He figures that if Houdini DOES attack them, it'll be better if we're together," she answered as she came through with a glass of water, which Osamu gratefully accepted. "Wish I didn't have to be stuck with you, though," she said vehemently, glaring at Daichi.

 

"Okay, look," Daichi yelled, storming up to Rin. "Back off, alright? I'm scared and confused about this whole situation, and you being unhelpful isn't going to help!"

 

Rin sucked in breath to yell at him, but stopped as she heard her own D-Gazer ringing from its spot on the couch arm. She grabbed it, punching the button to accept the call. Ryoji's concerned face appeared in it.

 

"Ryoji! How's Akyo?" she asked.

 

"I don't know," Ryoji replied, sounding genuinely scared. "I can't find him anywhere. He isn't at his house, and nobody's seen him for the last half hour."

 

"Ryoji, get out of there!" Daichi said, looking over Rin's shoulder. "He could be anywhere!"

 

"Not until I find- What was that?" Ryoji asked, looking away from the D-Gazer. "Hey, who the hell are you?" The call then suddenly cut off.

 

"Ryoji!" Rin cried, desperately punching at the button. Daichi subsided into a stray chair, running his hands over his face.

 

"Dammit!" Rin yelled, throwing her D-Gazer onto the table. Osamu looked at her, concern evident through his shakiness.

 

Daichi rose, coming over to the table next to Rin. He looked down at the map, then grabbed Rin's D-Gazer. Rin didn't react, breathing shakily as she looked with dead eyes at the map.

 

"I got a lock on his call," Daichi said, holding it up. "He's still in the Ukyo District." He headed for the door.

 

"Wait!" Rin yelled. "Are you crazy? We can't go there!"

 

Daichi stormed up to her, pointing out the window. "Both Akio and Ryoji are out there now. They might be hurt, and I'm not going to sit here because I'm afraid of some phantom man roughing me up a little. Now, are you going to come with me, or are you not?"

 

Rin stared at him, not removing her eyes from him. She then grabbed her D-Gazer out of his hand and headed for the door.

 

"Fine. Don't drag your feet," she said sardonically. Daichi chuckled lightly, following her out the door.

 

_______________________________________________________

 

"He hasn't moved in the last ten minutes," Rin said worriedly, looking down at her D-Gazer. "Maybe the duel is still going on?"

 

"Let's hope so," said Daichi, following Rin down the narrow street. "How close are we?"

 

"He's just around this corner," Rin said, hastening her pace. She reached the corner before Hayate did, rounding around it, immediately yelling out, "Akio!"

 

Hayate dashed around, seeing Rin kneeling next to a thin boy with long, messy black hair. His eyes were cracked open, looking up at Rin.

 

"Rin?" he asked softly. "Is that you?"

 

"Yes, Akio," she said, propping him up against the building wall. "What happened? Where is Ryoji? We tracked his D-Gazer here-"

 

"Found it," Daichi said grimly. He bent down, picking up a D-Gazer. He turned it over in his hands ruefully. "I thought he hadn't found Akyo yet. He didn't move the entire time, he must have been right on top of him..."

 

"But where did he go?" Rin asked hopelessly.

 

"Ryoji... Ryoji was here..." Akyo said thoughtfully. "But, then he was gone..."

 

"That must have been why he cut off the call," Rin said, wringing her hands. "He must have seen you and gotten attacked by Houdini."

 

"Right..." Daichi said thoughtfully. "Question is... why would Houdini actually TAKE Ryoji? Where is Ryoji now?"

 

"I think I know," sounded a voice from above. Daichi, Rin, and Akyo looked up sharply, and saw a cloaked man standing atop the building they were at the foot of. Daichi backed up, raising his fists defensively. The figure shook his finger.

 

"No, no, no, we don't settle disputes that way," he said, high-pitched and whistly. "I think if you want to know where Ryoji is, you'll have to defeat me in a duel!"

 

"Are you Houdini?" demanded Daichi, not moving. "Are you the one who's been attacking everybody?"

 

"Indeed I am," the man said. "Now, are you going to duel me or not?"

 

"Bring it on, hood boy!" Rin moved to pull out her Duel Disk, but Houdini raised a hand. She stopped, surprised.

 

"No, no, I think I want to duel... THIS one here," he said, pointing at Daichi. "So interesting, the one to beat Nakayama."

 

Daichi pulled his Duel Disk out, activating it and his D-Gazer. "Bring it on, Houdini!"

 

"DUEL!"

 

"I'll even be so kind as to let you have the first move," Houdini hissed from under his hood.

 

"I draw!" Daichi added the trap card he had drawn to his hand, looking over his hand. "I summon Fallen Sentinel in attack mode!" A weathered warrior with a pole arm appeared, armor similar to that of his other Fallen monsters.

 

Fallen Sentinel

LIGHT, Warrior, Level 4. ATK 1500/ DEF 900

 

"I then set a card face-down and end my turn!" Daichi awaited Houdini's move, thoughts running through his head.

 

Houdini's deck is made up of the most powerful cards he could get from every deck he's ever taken. That means it's probably very strong, but the cards I have on the field should stop him. My Sentinel can't be destroyed in battle once a turn, and my set Negate Attack will force him to end his Battle Phase if I activate it. I'm all set!

 

"I start with Dark World Lightning!" Houdini called. "This Spell destroys one of your face-down Spell or Trap cards!"

 

"What?!" Daichi demanded, as his Negate Attack card was vaporized by black lightning.

 

"Dark World Lightning also forces me to discard one card from my hand after I use it, so I'll discard Airknight Parshath. Next, I activate the spell card Dimension Necromancy!"

A split in the air appeared before him, and he drew the top several cards of his deck and threw them into it.

 

"Now, at the cost of 1000 of my Life Points, I can summon a monster from my Graveyard by banishing cards from the top of my deck equal to its level! I banish five cards to revive Airknight Parshath!" His Stop Defense, Abyss Warrior, Needle Burrower, Minor Goblin Official, and Offerings to the Doomed cards spiraled into the portal, and from it flew a centaur-warrior monster with a sharp blade and wings sprouting from its back.

 

Airknight Parshath

LIGHT, Fairy, Level 5. ATK 1900/DEF 1400

 

"He's already summoned a Level 5 monster!" Rin said, gritting her teeth.

 

"Now I'll summon Fencing Fire Ferret!" An orange weasel with many sharp blades on its tail appeared, sneering at Daichi.

 

Fencing Fire Ferret

FIRE, Beast, Level 4. ATK 1700/DEF 600

 

"I hope you aren't too fond of those Life Points, Daichi," Houdini said, pointing down at the worried-looking Daichi. "Because you're going to be losing them very quickly. Activate Equip Spell! Rainbow Veil!"

 

A glow of rainbow light flew about Parshath, surrounding it in a bright aura. "This card negates the effects of any monster Parshath fights with during the Battle Phase! Parshath, attack his Sentinel!"

 

"No!" Daichi shouted as Parshath ran forward, swinging it's sword through his monster, rainbow light suffusing his monster as it exploded. Daichi looked grimly at the shards of his monster as light collected around Parshath's blade.

 

"When Airknight Parshath inflicts damage to an opponent, I draw one card from my deck. Now, Fire Ferret, attack Yukufune directly!" The weasel ran forward at speed, and sliced its tail across Daichi's chest. Daichi fell to one knee, growing out as his Life Points rapidly dropped to 1900.

 

"One turn and you've already been dropped down to less than half your Life," Houdini said, stroking his chin through the hood. "Maybe Hayate was wrong. You aren't pro material. Not in the slightest!" He laughed to himself, the sound echoing off the empty streets and reflecting back at Daichi.

 

When the laughter started to die down, Daichi looked up slowly to face Houdini. "I knew it," he said slowly, standing and staring directly at him with intent focus. Houdini inadvertently took a step back.

 

"What? Knew what?" he asked, confused.

 

"Who you are," Daichi said simply, pointing at Houdini. Rin and Akio looked up in curiosity, brows furrowed. "Why don't you take off your hood... Ryoji."

 

Rin made a startled sound. "What?!" she demanded, looking to Daichi accusingly. "Don't be ridiculous! Ryoji would never-"

 

"Oh, I don't know, Rin," Houdini interrupted contemplatively, looking down at her from his spot on the building. "Your friend Ryoji..." He drew the hood off, revealing his face to indeed be that of Ryoji. "Your Ryoji might do just that."

 

"Wha- No. No." Rin's face paled, eyes wide. "Ryoji... why?"

 

"Why? Why? Because what better way to hide the fact that I'm stealing powerful cards than be on the trail of the thief?" he yelled down. "Did you think I formed the Underground Police because I had some naive concept of justice and honor as a Duelist, like all of you poor saps? The only thing that matters is power, and I intend to take it!"

 

"You son of a bitch..." Rin whispered, body tremoring.

 

Ryoji turned to look down to Daichi, face flat. "How did you know?" he asked simply.

 

"Well, I've been thinking it was you since I saw Osamu after you attacked him," Daichi said, "But it wasn't till just now that I was sure. The only people who were around when Hayate said I could become a pro were you and Natsuo. And of course, you aren't Natsuo."

 

"He'll be devastated," Rin said, looking up in anger. "How could you, he idolized you-"

 

"Oh, shut up, Rin!" He yelled down. "We're trying to have a serious conversation here." He returned his attention to Daichi. "What made you think it was me?" he asked.

 

"The map," Daichi said. "The map had four marks in your sector. All the others didn't have any more than two. Almost like you were trying to avoid anyone thinking it could possibly be you. After all, anyone with half a brain wouldn't steal from where they lived, so it couldn't possibly be you."

 

"Good, good," Ryoji said, nodding. "What else?"

 

"You disconnected the call," he said. "Starting a duel doesn't turn off the phone. There was no reason for you to turn it off. It would have helped us find him, actually, if you kept it on. We'd at least have something to go on. But you wanted to scare us off. You didn't want us following you."

 

Ryoji shrugged. "I didn't feel like dealing with Rin," he said lazily. "She's no fun. Turns out you aren't either. But I'll still enjoy taking your Falchior." He grinned horrendously.

"Over my dead body," Daichi said vehemently.

 

"That can be easily arranged," Ryoji said, placing the last two cards in his hand in his Spell and Trap card zone. Now, go on. This turn will probably be your last."

 

"I draw! I summon Fallen Martyr!" This monster wore a white, torn robe, and wielded white fire in its hands.

 

Fallen Martyr

LIGHT, Spellcaster, Level 3. ATK 1400/DEF 1000

 

"I hope you don't expect a monster of that caliber to be able to take on either of mine," Ryoji taunted.

 

"Maybe if I activate the spell card Riryoku!" A white light erupted from Parshath, flying across the field to strike his Martyr. "This card cuts your Parshath's attack points in half for one turn and gives the points to my Martyr. Now, Martyr, destroy his Par-"

 

"Activate Trap card, Attack Guidance Armor!" A suit of armor designed to resemble a toothy monster appeared, encasing Ryoji's Fire Ferret. Martyr blasted out a burst of white fire that changed course in midair, striking Kamaitachi.

 

"This card reflects your attack to any monster of my choosing!" Ryoji laughed. "And choosing this monster isn't exactly the best scenario for you. When Fencing Fire Ferret is destroyed in battle, I can destroy your Martyr and inflict 500 points of damage to your Life Points!"

 

"What?!" Daichi gasped, as a burst of red fire incinerated his monster, and their Life Points fell, Ryoji to 2350, Daichi to 1400.

 

"Well, that was boring," Ryoji drawled. "Looks like there isn't much point in this now, seeing as your field is left undefended-"

 

"I activate the effect of Fallen Martyr from my Graveyard!" Daichi pulled Martyr and Sentinel from his Graveyard. "When it's destroyed by a card effect, I can banish it and any other Fallen monster in my Graveyard to summon another Fallen monster from my hand. I summon Fallen Grappler!" A large, muscled warrior with bare chest and huge metal-bound gloves appeared, smashing its armored hands together.

 

Fallen Grappler

DARK, Warrior, Level 5. ATK 2350/DEF 1900

 

"But that monster's stronger than my Parshath!" Ryoji protested.

 

"You catch on quick. Now, go, Grappler! Attack Parshath!" His monster jumped up, smashing its hands together around Parshath, decimating Ryoji's monster.

 

"You punk!" Ryoji yelled as his Life Points fell to 1900, matching Daichi's.

 

"Then you're really not going to like this," Daichi said, gesturing to his monster, who's hands were now coursing with electric sparks. "When Grappler destroys a monster in battle, it inflicts damage to my opponent equal to that monster's attack points!"

 

"What?" Ryoji's eyes widened as Grappler smacked its hands together, releasing a shockwave that flew straight towards Ryoji.

 

"Yes! He won!" Akyo exclaimed. Ryoji just smirked, watching the shockwave approach him. As it did, it gradually grew smaller and smaller, until it disappeared entirely a mere inch from his body.

 

"What?!" Daichi said in complete surprise. "How did you-" He looked at his Grappler, and saw that it was crouched down, a rainbow aura surrounding it, shuddering.

 

"Rainbow Veil's effect negates the effect of any monster that fights the equipped monster during the Battle Phase, even after Rainbow Veil has left the field. Nice try, though. You almost had me."

 

Daichi growled, taking a card from his hand and placing it on the field. "I'll set this and end my turn!" he snapped.

 

"I draw!" Ryoji said.

 

"Well, at least Yukufune has an advantage now," Akyo said to Rin. He only has the one card in his hand, and one face-down card."

 

""Activate Trap card, Reckless Greed!" Ryoji smirked, having heard Akyo's comment. "Seeing as how my hand is a little empty right now, I think I'll use this card to draw two new cards to fill it."

 

"Well... son of a bitch," Akyo said ruefully.

 

"Now, I play Monster Reborn! This brings back my old friend Parshath!" Once again reviving from the Graveyard, Parshath slashed its sword through the air, back to annoy Daichi further.

 

"Next I summon Wind-Up Soldier!" A mechanized monster appeared, raising its metal arms as it was summoned.

 

Wind-Up Soldier

EARTH, Warrior, Level 4. ATK 1800/DEF 1200

 

"Wind-Up... I hate Wind-Ups..." Daichi muttered to himself.

 

"Well, at least neither of those monsters have enough attack points to destroy Fallen Grappler," Akyo said hopefully.

 

"I use the effect of my Wind-Up Soldier!" A golden key in the back of the monster began turning, and the monster began jerking, and its attack points were seen to increase. "This increases its attack points by 400, for a total of 2200 attack points!"

 

"Uh... Hmm," Akyo said. "That isn't good. Still, it isn't powerful enough-"

 

"It also increases its level by one, making both of my monsters level 5!" Ryoji smirked in triumph.

 

Eyes hooded in a "you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me" expression, Daichi looked dryly at Akyo. "I'd be immensely grateful, Akyo," he said with no inflection, "If you would please stop commenting on the game." Akyo nodded, looking slightly apologetic.

 

"I overlay my two level 5 monsters! Now, Xyz Summon! Adreus, Keeper of Armageddon!" Splitting into streams of orange and yellow light, his monsters streamed into the portal that opened to accept them, and from it rose a black figure, wreathed in huge dark wings. It raised its clawed hands to the air, letting out a screeching cry.

 

Adreus, Keeper of Armageddon

DARK, Fiend, Rank 5. ATK 2600/DEF 1700

 

"Crap, crap, crap crap crap crap," Daichi said, taking a step back.

 

"Adreus's special ability! By detaching an Overlay Unit, one face-up card on the field is destroyed each turn!" Adreus absorbed the unit, and a dagger of red energy appeared in its claws. It then threw the dagger, which flew directly into the gut of Grappler. Grappler doubled over, before exploding.

 

"Grappler!" Daichi yelled, hand out to the dust of his monster.

 

"You have bigger things to worry about, Daichi! Like yourself! Now go, Adreus! End this duel!" Adreus flew into the sky, forming another, longer dagger of red energy in its claws. It then dived down at Daichi, looking up at it with wide eyes. It descended, landing in front of him, and struck with its dagger.

 

A blast of red light erupted around them in a sphere, completely obscuring everything in it. Daichi’s yell could be heard over the howling of the sphere. "Daichi!" Rin yelled, stepping forward, looking devastated.

 

Ryoji laughed derisively. "Looks like I win. Don't think you can get away, Rin, you're next!" He turned to her, pressing the Duel Disk to initiate a new duel. His Duel Disk chipped up, "Cannot perform action. Duel already in progress."

 

"What?" he asked, turning to look at the column of smoke that now surrounded Daichi. As he looked, he saw that his Adreus still stood there, wings spread. And looking up at him, breathing heavily, face determined, was Daichi, with his Life meter reading at 300.

 

"How the.... But I attacked you directly!" Ryoji exclaimed, completely surprised. "How did you survive that attack?!"

 

"You attacked me directly?" Daichi asked, the smoke starting to subside a little more. "Are you sure about that?"

 

Adreus folded in its wings slowly, unobstructing Ryoji's view of the space directly in front of Daichi. Standing there was a monster that looked very familiar.

 

"Fallen Sentinel?!" he demanded. For there, pole arm across its body, stood the very monster that Daichi had summoned on the first turn of the duel.

 

"It's all thanks to my Trap card," Daichi said, splaying his hand and gesturing with it to the card that now lay active on his field. "It's called Fallen Resurgence, and it summons a banished Fallen monster at the cost of banishing a stronger Fallen monster from my Graveyard." He held up his Fallen Grappler card, smiling deviously. "Just so happens I had one. And since Sentinel can't be destroyed by battle once a turn..."

 

"You little- Gaaah! I set this and end my turn!" Ryoji fumed as the turn passed over to Daichi. Inwardly, he was chuckling.

 

What that brat doesn't know is that my face-down card is the Trap card Plummet Bomb! I can use it to discard a card from my hand once per turn to inflict 700 damage to his Life Points! He'll be crushed like the worm he is!

 

"I draw!" Daichi said, looking to see he had drawn his Fallen Vanguard. "I summon Fallen Vanguard!" he said, summoning forth the monster.

 

Fallen Vanguard

LIGHT, Warrior, Level 4. ATK 1700/DEF 1200

 

"Now, I overlay my two level 4 monsters! Xyz Summon! Appear, Falchior, Warrior of the Fallen!" From the summoning portal appeared the familiar dark-armored warrior, drawing it's sword and holding it out, ready for battle.

 

Falchior, Warrior of the Fallen

LIGHT, Warrior, Rank 4. ATK 2400/DEF 1700

 

Ryoji looked a little intimidated by this monster for a second, then barked out a laugh. "Too weak!" he spat. "200 too little!"

 

"Falchior's special ability lets me use an Overlay Unit to banish a monster from my Graveyard to lower the attack points of a monster by half the attack points by half those of the banished monster!" Daichi countered.

 

"I'd be a bit more worried about that if you actually had any monsters in your Graveyard!" Ryoji said acidly. "Grappler was your last one! It's effect is worthless!"

 

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Daichi replied coolly as he drew a card out of his hand, turning it to reveal it. "I activate the Spell card Burial from a Different Dimension! This card returns up to three banished cards to their owner's Graveyards!"

 

"No!" Ryoji shouted as a sarcophagus appeared on the field in front of Daichi, a portal opening above it. Through it streamed ghostly images of Fallen Martyr and Grappler, into the sarcophagus, which slammed shut after them before disappearing with the portal.

 

"Now, Falchior's monster effect! I detach one Overlay Unit to banish my Fallen Martyr, and decrease Adreus's attack points by half of 1400! That means it only has 1900 attack points now!" Falchior stabbed it's sword into the ground, conjuring forth a ghostly image of his robed monster. It flew straight at Adreus, flying through it and sapping it's strength.

 

"Falchior, attack Adreus!" Daichi ordered. Falchior ran forward, weaving over the ground, leaping past Adreus. Adreus appeared unaffected for a second, before it's top half slid off the bottom, bifurcated completely, both halves exploding into shards of light.

 

"Graaah!" Ryoji yelled as his Life Points dropped down to 1400. He snarled. "Done yet?!" he barked. "I'd like to finish you off!"

 

"I end my turn there," Daichi said nonchalantly. "But I get the feeling you won't be doing much next turn, Ryoji."

 

"Shows what you know! I have this duel completely won! I dr-" Ryoji stopped talking as he tried to draw from his deck. The deck holding device had clamped down, and he couldn't pull the card out of the disk.

 

"Invalid action," his Duel Disk said helpfully. "Draw Phase skipped."

 

"Skipped! Skipped?! Why the hell is it skipped?!" he demanded, whacking at his Duel Disk. "What the hell is wrong with you, you stupid-"

 

"Nothing is wrong with the Duel Disk, Ryoji!" Daichi called up with sudden force. "What's wrong is that your own greed has come back to get you in the end, as it always will!"

 

"My own greed? What the hell are you talking about-" Ryoji angrily asked, but then the penny dropped. His heart stopped as his eyes lost focus, the realization of what had just happened all over his face. "R-.... Reckless..."

 

"Good card, Reckless Greed," Daichi said coldly. "Lets you draw two extra cards with no drawbacks. Ah, but there is a drawback to it, isn't there, Ryoji? Because the user of Reckless Greed gets two cards immediately, but has to give up their normal Draw Phase for the next two turns!" He pointed up at the horrified Ryoji. "This is what your greed has brought you, Ryoji!" he yelled, drawing from his own deck. "I hope you're satisfied with it. Falchior, go! Attack his Life Points directly!"

 

Falchior leapt into the sky, flipping as it drew it's sword once more. Ryoji looked up at it, shouting as it descended, and cleaved his sword through him, reducing the last of his Life Points to a mere zero.

 

Losing his balance, Ryoji fell from the building, the ten feet to the street below as Falchior dissolved into the night, the duel over. He slammed into the street, letting out a great bellow of pain. Daichi was sure he heard something snap.

 

"You vile, scum, son of a BITCH!" Rin shouted, leaping on him and scratching at his face with her purple-painted nails. He yelled, feebly struggling as she tore at his face, blood trickling to the ground.

 

"Rin!" Daichi called, walking over. She stopped, gasping for breath. "He's had enough." She looked down at him, looking as if she were considering continuing her onslaught anyway. Ryoji looked up at her apprehensively, breath irregular.

 

"Fine," she said suddenly, standing and walking away from him, being sure to deliver a casual not-so-accidental kick to his ribs, eliciting a shout from him. "He isn't worth my time anyway." She then turned back, grabbing for his Duel Disk, grabbing his deck out of it. She then knelt by him, rummaging through his jacket pockets until she had pulled out four large boxes. She opened one, confirming that it was absolutely stuffed with cards.

 

"I think that just about every Deck he took is in these," she said, nodding as she surveyed the contents. "I guess we'll have to make sure they find their ways back to their owners."

 

"I suppose you will," Daichi said weightily. Rin stopped flicking through the cards, looking up at him.

 

"So that's it, then?" Akyo asked, now standing and limping towards them. "You're not staying?"

 

"No," Daichi said, sliding his hands into his pockets. "I don't think that this line of work is for me. I have a different path in mind." You aren't pro material. Not in the slightest! Ryoji's words echoed through his head as they had through the streets, but Daichi ignored them. He looked down at Ryoji.

 

"What happens to Natsuo now?" he asked, addressing the other two.

 

"Well," Akyo said uncomfortably. "Ryoji stole from at least ten people, and attacked three more. He's going to go to jail for a while."

 

"Natsuo can live with me," Rin offered. "Their parents are abroad, I'll just have to look after him until they get back..."

 

"Alright," said Daichi. He nodded to the other two. "I suppose I'll... see you around." He turned, but was stopped by Rin's voice.

 

"Daichi..." she began hesitantly. "If... not that I think you will... but if you ever need help..." she didn't continue. Daichi turned, raising his D-Gazer, cavalier smile on his face.

 

"You'll be the first to know," he said. "And the same goes for if you ever need mine." He then turned and walked down the street, away from the life of the Underground Police and into possibility.

 

________________________________________________

 

"Tsubasa's description was a bit lackluster, if you ask me," said a soft male voice from under it's dark hood. He lowered his binoculars, crouching on the edge of the small house down the road from where Daichi and Ryoji had just been dueling. "He's skilled, no denying that."

 

"Tsubasa doesn't like to give anybody credit for anything," said his companion, pulling a trailing strand of hair into her hood. "Why do we have to wear these things? I'm sweltering."

 

"You know the rules," the male said. "We don't want him to know we're watching him."

 

"I guess you're right," she sighed. "Still, he doesn't seem like he'd fit in with our lot, does he?"

 

"You could say much the same about yourself," the boy replied. His companion didn't offer up any retort. "Yukufune Daichi is certainly an interesting guy. Especially since I'm pretty sure Lady Gwen is following him as well."

 

"Lady Gwen?" she asked, surprised. "How do you figure that?"

 

"Well," the boy said, looking down the street with his binoculars again. "She'd have found out about him the same way we did easily enough, so of course she would follow up on it. Then there's how she likes to get in our business and always seems to know where we are. And of course there is also the fact that I'm looking at her right now."

 

"What?!" his companion demanded, quickly rising and snatching the binoculars from him. She looked through them, scanning left to right until the view ran over a balcony that held a woman. The woman was tall and slender, wrapped in white, with blonde hair and blue eyes that were looking directly at her.

 

"Is she look-"

 

"Yep."

 

The boy shivered. "How does she always know when we're here?" he hissed, as if she could hear them as well.

 

"I don't know... but we'd better report back to Tsubasa," she said thoughtfully. "If Lady Gwen is here, then this is getting serious."

 

_________________________________________________

 

The woman looked after Daichi as he walked back towards the train station, brow furrowed in worry. She looked again at the two spies down the road, and closed her eyes, hand wrapped around the balcony railing.

 

"Please be careful, Yukufune Daichi..." she whispered into the night.

 

 

To be continued...