Bonds That Can Change the Future (Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds)

A Duel to Remember Part II

"If you thought that Scrap-metal Scarecrow could scare me, you were terribly wrong, Yusei!"

          "She read my strategy?!?" He spoke in utter shock as his eyes widened, having a hard time believing this was true. He wouldn't even flinch if it was Hanako he knew... but how is it possible for this version of her to know him so well? Was it only her feelings and memories that were wiped away, or was it her whole life? Is there something about her situation he was being blind to?

"What?!?" The voices of the entire team 5D's exclaimed in unison, sharing the surprise Yusei was feeling. Only Crow smirked as if he knew what the future was holding.

          "See? I told you so".

"But how is she doing that?" Aki asked to what Jack decided to feed her curiosity with his personal opinion.

          "It looks like Yusei has been erased from her mind but she still remembers his strategies and his cards..."

"Yeah, and that could make this duel very terrifying".

          "What do you mean, Crow?" Aki asked again, delivering questions each time one of the guys would ring a bell of curiosity, bringing new questions to play.

"You see... Yusei can be very predictable when you get to know him because he uses the same approach over and over again", Crow spoke slowly, giving an introduction to what he meant by those words, and then Jack decided to continue.

          "And if Hanako remembers his deck, this duel will be over sooner than we thought".

"There's no way Yusei would lose!" Ruka protested without a second thought, knowing Yusei was doing this for Hanako and to bring her memories back.

          "Guess we'll just have to sit back and watch", Crow shrugged. He didn't share the same dose of enthusiasm and it was evident. "Hoping for a miracle to happen", he then slowly moved his eyes toward the screen, focusing on the duel, having no other option but to trust Yusei and his plan - whatever that was.

"There is no way I could remember something like this", Hanako was still lost in her thoughts, not making a single move yet because she was trying to understand what was happening to her. "Was it just a dream?"

          "C'mon, Hanako! You can't run away now!"

"Who's running away, Yusei? My turn!" She shouted with determination in her voice, finally making her first move, "I summon Dance Princess of the Ice Barrier in attack mode (ATK 1700 / DEF 900)!" Before her monster even got the chance to appear on the field, she continued, "And while I control one Ice Barrier monster, I can Special Summon this guy from my hand!" She explained as she showed Yusei her other monster, Prior of the Ice Barrier (ATK 1 000 / DEF 400), placing it in a defence position.

          "No, what was I thinking?" Yusei scolded himself with a rather brusque tone, trying to avoid falling into naïvety, "There's no way to outsmart her, not like this!"

"Now, when I have two Ice barrier monsters on my side of the field, Dance Princess' effect activates. By revealing an Ice Barrier from my hand, I can return a spell or trap card from your field to your hand. And because I have General Raiho of the Ice Barrier in my hand", she stopped to take a breath and show him her card in hand but the moment she parted her lips in readiness to continue, Yusei interrupted her.

          "I thought you didn't remember me or my cards".

"So... it is a Scrap-metal Scarecrow?"

          "Well", a smirtle travelled across his face, firing up the rivalry between them, "There's only one way for you to find out".

"Get ready then, 'cuz here I come! You can take that Scarecrow back to your hand!" She flew her hand along the horizon, following the line of her runner as Yusei's trap card was revealed, and the Scrap-metal Scarecrow was sent back to Yusei's hand. Witnessing this, Hanako mumbled a realisation into her chin, "It really was that card...My intuition was... correct?"