Time passed quickly. Four or five days later, Team 5D's base was no longer receiving guests who came proactively, and after these five days, Kite had also finished his preparations.
Actually, he'd long finished preparations, and had always been prepared, to the point of being somewhat impatient.
Kite hadn't looked at the plan Hikaru designed. It wasn't that he was being arrogant. Before this, Team 5D's members had already decided not to let Kite waste too much time.
Since he wanted to save his brother, they naturally had to go all-out helping Kite meet his brother. How could they let him waste time on other aspects?
So the other members of Team Despair were mainly handled by Team 5D's.
They were both helpers and equally executioners. Regardless of who it was, so long as they were of the Synchro Dimension, they absolutely couldn't accept "invaders."
If they were kindly, friendly assistants, then of course they were welcomed.
But if they were malicious, wicked, conducting duels and activities aimed at tormenting others, no one would accept that.
Yusei was very kind, but only kind. He would not allow this kind of person to run wild.
What's more...
Even without counting these matters, through communication with other teams these past few days, they'd also learned that some "God's Chosen" teams that had matched with Team Despair had clearly experienced accidents. If not for divine protection, they'd probably have unstable minds and jumbled thoughts. In smaller probability, they might even fall unconscious.
Those ordinary duelists who'd dueled Team Despair had already begun to experience fainting.
Unlike Kite, Team Despair never held back when using Number monsters!
Vroom.
Zoom, zoom.
On the City's enormous ring road, Team 5D's members drove their D-Wheels swiftly through. Some passing buses and private cars saw Team 5D's speeding by, some crying out, others quickly using vehicle cameras to snap photos and upload them online.
With the appearance of the photos, the "WRGP Tournament Forum," which had never gone dormant since its birth, once again erupted with a torrent of brand-new posts.
Some were of Jack, some of Yusei, some of Crow. Of course, more photos were of Akiza Izinski. People worldwide were the same. Beautiful young women always attracted more attention.
But setting aside these things without practical meaning, more people realized what was about to happen next.
They called friends and companions to wake up, poked their classmates and partners awake, or directly put on clothes, crawled out of bed to turn on the TV and computer to prepare to watch the broadcast, or quietly slacked off at work using minimized video feeds to prepare to watch the upcoming duel.
Even in desert towns like the American West, several people gathered somewhat excitedly at the town's only tavern to prepare to watch this "Team 5D's first proactive attack after their rest."
After all...
With so many Team 5D's members simultaneously appearing on the Upper City's road driving D-Wheels, rather than training at the base, then didn't only one possibility remain for their outdoor appearance?
Proactively finding a certain team to duel!
Because the duel hadn't started yet, many people began discussing which team this duel initiated by Team 5D's would target.
Some thought it should be a team with lower ranking and lower win rate, easier to defeat.
Others thought they should directly find Team New World for "revenge," more challenging that way.
Everyone had their own thoughts, everyone had their own views. Some didn't support Team 5D's and hoped they'd take a huge tumble. Some were full of anticipation, hoping to see a brand-new king-tier team appear.
Amid such anticipation, the broadcast footage slowly began to appear.
First was an enormous high-altitude camera angle. From the high-altitude camera, one could see Team 5D's members passing through the road in sequence.
The total number was 5, including captain Yusei Fudo, main members Jack Atlas and Crow Hogan, and substitute members Hikaru and Akiza Izinski. Except for the two younger children who should be sleeping to grow, everyone was mobilized!
Beyond this, there was also a surprising point. Beside this team, there was an additional member!
From the Xyz Dimension, from the Xyz team, Kite Tenjo!
A drone zoomed in its camera function, pulling the image closer. Kite's appearance appeared more clearly on the screen.
"Eh, why is there another person?"
"Kite Tenjo of the Xyz Dimension, also surnamed Amagi. What's his relation to Hikaru?"
"Nothing much. This is Team 5D's, Yusei's team. Since there's already someone from the Fusion Dimension, an Xyz Dimension person appearing is also very normal! Didn't Yusei say Synchro is mutual cooperation, then transforming into powerful force?"
"Having other-dimension people feels not very convincing though..."
The comment section chatted about anything as always.
But as Team 5D's and Kite slowly stopped their vehicles, viewers gradually detected something off.
Eh...
The base before them, why did it seem off?
"Despair, it's Despair!"
A viewer cried out, shouting at the screen. His friend beside him heard the shout and immediately came to himself, realizing where he'd seen this before, and hurriedly exclaimed.
Really!
This was Team Despair's base!
That dark, damp, terrifying design like a haunted mansion. This was Team Despair!
Team 5D's had just stopped their vehicles when beside them, Kite already impatiently jumped off his vehicle, rushed to the door, and pounded on the gate. Beside him, Yuma and Tori, who'd come along when Kite joined up with Team 5D's, hurriedly panickedly tried to hold him back.
"Hart! Hart! It's your brother, brother's here!" He shouted heedlessly.
Unfortunately...
He knocked twice on the door. Seeing no response at all, he sighed inwardly, then rummaged in his pocket.
A tall mechanical phantom flashed above this enormous haunted mansion, and then thunder seemed to crash from the sky.
Then Kite, his already sharp eyes, his knife-carved face, and his upright body suddenly seemed to grow taller. His right hand clenched into a fist as he roared at the house:
"Throne! I know it's you! Come out and see me!"
"I have the qualification! If it's you, you must want more power!"
"Come out and see me!"
Although they didn't know what was happening, viewers watching the broadcast could more or less feel something.
Some imagined Kite's brother was going through a rebellious phase. Some imagined Kite's brother had been kidnapped. In any case, so long as enough people imagined with divergent enough thinking, someone would think of what was actually happening.
More unmanned cameras flew in, shooting the events here from various angles and heights.
Just as everyone thought they'd still keep the doors shut and could only meet during the WRGP main tournament, the door slowly opened.
A man looking utterly exhausted but with still-forceful, fiercely intense eyes pushed the door open and appeared before everyone.
"Quattro..." Kite immediately recognized his acquaintance.
"Actually so many people~ how could this be~" Quattro acted as always, one hand on his chest, speaking exaggeratedly: "Could it be that in this world I've lived less than two short months and already have this many fans?"
Kite directly opened his eyes wide, stepped close to Quattro, met Quattro's eyes with a calm and kind gaze, and said: "Quattro, do you want to die?"
He didn't move to grab Quattro's collar, nor use any particularly harsh tone. He merely spoke in a tone as if chatting about household matters, softly.
Just this single sentence, and Quattro felt his back instantly soaked. Cold sweat involuntarily emerged.
But this creature's instinct wouldn't affect Quattro's duelist talent. He looked directly at Kite, tone calm, slowly speaking a string of words: "Kite, don't fantasize.
Here, there is no Dr. Faker's son, no Hart Tenjo brother of Kite Tenjo. There is only one, and that is Hart Tenjo of Team Despair."
This sounded like harsh words.
But Kite, Yusei, Crow, and Hikaru simultaneously realized the deeper meaning within.
Could it be...
Kite slightly narrowed his eyes and continued: "Then, what exactly must be done for me to see Hart!"
"Hahahaha, Kite, not having seen you for so many days, could it be you've already lost your memory!"
Quattro burst into laughter, not concealing his mockery of Kite at all: "Duel! Duel! Only duels!"
"However... this match's rules should be slightly different?" Quattro continued, pointing at the people beside Kite. "Wanting to duel us at this time isn't something you can do alone. If you let these guys join in, you won't be able to see your beloved brother. Truly pitiful."
Along with the conversation, viewers were gradually able to understand why Kite's attitude was so bad.
This man's appearance and behavior were so vile, so much like a trafficker deceiving innocent naive little boys into working for him.
No wonder Kite was so anxious.
Hikaru looked at the drone beside them and asked: "Is there a way for us to duel separately?"
"Of course." The drone suddenly spoke.
"WRGP permits Joint Battle rules. Two teams simultaneously challenging one team, so long as the challenged team accepts, then the two challenging teams can dispatch a total of 3 people to participate in this duel.
Upon victory, the defeated side must provide their rare cards to the victors. If the joint team loses, then the joint team must each pay one card, totaling two cards."
"How about it?"
"Sounds good." Quattro flicked his hand and pointed opposite. "Taking rare cards from your hands is also quite good.
Follow along!"
He spoke while walking into the house, leading everyone, seemingly heading to find a dueling field.
But at this moment.
Clap, clap, clap.
Faint applause rang out.
A boy who looked thin and small suddenly appeared in the base. Lights concentrated on him, making him the most distinctive in the entire base.
Quattro was startled.
"Throne!" Kite's anger surged up.
Hart had been kidnapped by Throne at least twice. He got angry just seeing Throne.
"Long time no see, Kite. And hello, all of you from the Synchro Dimension and the Fusion Dimension."
"Father, weren't you saying you'd let me handle them..." Quattro spoke in shock.
"You don't need to appear anymore, Quattro." The boy burst into laughter.
Quattro secretly clenched his fists.
"I do very much trust your strength, but... some things were long decided."
Hikaru, hearing this, was startled. Then he saw countless green prism formations light up around them. Seeing this scene, Yuma Tsukumo shouted: "Ah, that thing that threw me into the Star War Dimension!"
Without time to sort out the timeline, Hikaru pressed one hand on the prism before him. The next second, the prism before him shattered with a crack.
What did this mean?
He hadn't figured out what was happening when the entire Team Despair base suddenly began shaking violently. The entire base began rotating at high speed like building blocks. Equipment, furniture, everything began wild tumbling.
Tierra manifested beside him, extended her hands, and countless machines assisted Hikaru's body's operation, preventing him from flying about wildly but instead fixing him in place.
By the time everyone came to themselves, their positions had completely changed. The base, which had already looked like a haunted house, had thoroughly transformed into an exhibition room of various interrogation and torture instruments!
Hikaru got up, glanced left and right, and found he was still in the main hall.
But where were the others?
"Don't worry, they've gone where they should go."
Throne calmly looked at Hikaru, looking interested.
Then, on the base's screens, footage from each location appeared.
The vast majority of people had been gathered to a prison-like place. They could only see two screens through the prison bars, unable to do anything, only watching the screens. Among the many people, only two escaped this fate: Kite and Akiza Izinski.
"Father, this is!" Quattro was greatly shocked.
How did he not know his team's base actually had mechanisms!?
"Quattro, my most disappointing son." The smile beneath Throne's mask rose wildly. "Could it be you thought I hadn't detected that your coming to the Synchro Dimension with me was for ulterior motives? Could it be you thought I hadn't discovered that Shay and Yuto came here because of your private operations? Could it be you actually thought I believed Yuma had encountered Hart that night on temporary impulse!?
You thought your actions were flawless!
No. The god, the Goddess of Despair, has been watching you all along!
You are my son. Don't think that things you do, I can't see!"
Quattro's already exhausted face grew even paler. He half-knelt, unable to help coughing.
"Could it be... Chaos Rank-Up..."
"Ah, that was used to test whether the god's granted power was useful." Throne cackled madly.
"You wanted, in the crucial duel, to let Kite and them hold the advantage? Too naive." Throne raised one hand before him and spoke. "Everything is within E-Ra's expectations!
You thought your covert help accomplished everything, but actually, you don't know. E-Ra's true objective, from the very start, was Team 5D's... Akiza Izinski!"
Quattro couldn't quite maintain his emotions. His long-held persistence, proactively participating in duels to prevent Team Despair from hurting more people, had it become useless effort again?
"Akiza Izinski, that woman, seems very suitable for E-Ra to possess." Throne lightly held his mask and said. "As a One God candidate, God's Chosen are indispensable. Equally, a Priestess is also nothing better."
"Damnable..." Quattro finally couldn't hold on. His body slowly fell. "Was all of this in that bastard's plan?"
He was too tired.
But at this moment, Hikaru supported him.
The two were strangers. Although Hikaru knew of Quattro, he wasn't familiar with him. He just helped him sit against the wall, softly speaking: "It's alright.
Beyond the plan, I'm right beside you now."
"Tsk." Throne looked at Hikaru. "Boring intruder..."
Originally, according to the plan, using teleportation energy and mechanism modifications, they could basically handle everyone, letting them duel "suitable" opponents according to their arrangements.
WRGP rules were 3v3. Before the main tournament, so long as three people participated in a match, it was a compliant duel. Conversely, if three people had already participated, any other duelist could not participate in the duel!
Even the most excellent duelist, if teammates had participated in the duel and there were no more "slots," could only wait in despair!
This was a perfect plan utilizing the rules, selecting an opponent Kite absolutely couldn't defeat, then selecting the weakest, and the rest would be dueled according to circumstances!
But now... there was actually a person standing in the main hall!
This was truly completely beyond his expectations.
Those skilled in science generally weren't very strong in supernatural power. Those skilled in supernatural naturally weren't very proficient in technology!
But he hadn't expected Hikaru to have both!
"...Fair enough. Let it be the dessert after watching a comedy." He didn't mind.
Setting aside that he himself was an extremely powerful duelist, so long as Team Despair won the first two duels, Hikaru could only watch helplessly.
Just as he was speaking, on the screen, a duel had already begun!
The two sides of the duel were...
A mysterious black-cloaked figure, and Akiza Izinski!
...
STONES 💎
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