Writer's Note:
The cover for this Chapter was made by my dear friend Aoitsuki Mizuko. She's an amazing artist and all credit for this art piece goes to her. If you'd like to support her, feel free to visit her page - https://linktr.ee/aoitsukimizuko
Chapter 40
(filler between episodes 130 and 131)
Part II
Hanako's runner was piercing the air like a bullet as she was speeding through the duelling lane with Yusei on her tail - Yusei whose heart was racing against his own runner as his eyes watched her in action, putting her Soul into this duel and having a strong desire to defeat him and erase him from her life like they had never been friends before.
"What is it that you're duelling for...?" He mumbled into his chin, trying to understand this version of Hanako but also asking himself a question he was about to find an answer to. Those thoughts only inspired him more, increasing his drive to win this duel, and cutting Hanako at the corner, taking the lead.
"Great, now Yusei can go first!" Aki's voice echoed through the garage of Poppo Time's house while she was watching the duel stream with the rest of Team 5D's members.
However, her enthusiasm was soon crushed by Crow's words. "Something's not right..."
"What do you mean?" Rua asked as if he was able to read Aki's mind and it didn't take long for Crow to explain himself.
"She let Yusei take the first turn".
"But how? We saw him take the lead!"
"That's Hanako for you", Jack joined the discussion while his eyes were still glued to the screen, "She can do many things not even we are aware of!"
As Jack said those words, both Yusei and Hanako drew their cards for the first turn, jittering while scanning their draw with their eyes when Yusei reacted to it with a smile, giving his thoughts away. "Great! I got a perfect hand for the first turn but why did she let me take the lead?" His thoughts were curious, "If she doesn't remember me at all, that means she's also not familiar with my deck and my strategy while I know her cards like I know my own... I should take that as an advantage but still-"
"What's wrong, Yusei?" Hanako's voice pierced his ears and he could tell she exclaimed that call with a smirk on her face, "I gave you the lead and now you're procrastinating?"
"Just as I thought, she let me pass that corner first but why?" Yusei caught himself gazing at the distance so he immediately shook his head and came back to reality. "I summon Speed Warrior (ATK 900 / DEF 400) in attack position!"
Seeing this move, Hanako's thoughts made a conclusion within seconds without even analysing what he's done. "Is he trying to summon Junk Warrior?" As she thought to herself, her eyes widened and she shook her head to get rid of those imposter ideas. "Wait, why am I familiar with this situation? It's like I know this card... And if he wants to Synchro Summon, he'll need his Junk Synchron, which means he'll have to draw it first if it's not in his hand! And that means keeping his Speed Warrior on the field is crucial and that face-down card... must be Scrap-metal scarecrow!" Again, she had to shake her thoughts off, trying to understand why she was so familiar with his move, "But what if I send his Speed Warrior to the Graveyard? Then he can Special Summon it via Junk Snychron's Effect..."
"Is she struggling?" Yusei whispered for himself only, seeing Hanako was hesitant to make her first move, failing to understand why. Little he knew she was going to give him a real reason why, a reason not even he was expecting.
"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?"
For a moment, as Yusei stayed silent, Hanako was left processing her thoughts and analysing her next move but seeing he had nothing to say, she proceeded with her first intention - declaring an attack, "Now, Princess... Let's dance that Warrior away from the field, attack!" As her plan was successful, Yusei's field was wide open and the first numbers in Life Points decreased. What was until now 8 000 Life Points for Yusei turned into 7 200.
Noticing he was the first to suffer from any damage, Yusei sighed, "Now she knows what I have in my hand..."
"What's wrong, Yusei? One monster down and you're already re-thinking your own idea of duelling me?"
"I may be at a disadvantage but that won't stop me from getting my friend back!"
"But we've never been friends or you forgot about that tiny detail?"
"The only person that forgot about our friendship here is you, Baby!"
"Persistent as always, aren't we?" Hanako smirked, now feeling the thrill of the duel running through her veins and clearing all the fear and insecurities away, "I set one card face down and end my turn!"
Hanako finishing her turn now gave Yusei some space to analyse her moves and plan another strategy, knowing she remembered his deck, "She showed me General Raiho from her hand. In this situation, she can easily Tribute Summon and I can't allow that to happen! Besides, Raiho can negate an effect of my monster if I don't discard 1 card from my hand". His thoughts started flowing and with every prompt, he could see more clearly, welcoming new ideas into his brain, "Could it be?!? She's trying to stop my Junk Synchron from Special Summoning another monster. Could it be she read my strategy this far?" His eyes widened once he realised his realisation could potentially be true, fearing the outcome of this duel even more only because he was aware of how much more strength and dedication he would have to put into it in order to bring Hanako's memories back. He then announced his next move and drew a card.
"Debris Dragon?" He spoke slowly, gazing at the card in his hand for a moment then quickly scanned his other cards just to avoid making mistakes or any haste moves. "I play Debris Dragon (ATK 1 000 / DEF 2 000) in defence mode! Secondly, I will leave one face-down card and end my turn".
"Again?" Hanako provoked, acting superior over him even though the duel was only at its beginning, "Isn't it useless to play something I am already familiar with?"
"You may be familiar with the current situation but none of us knows what will be the outcome of it!"
"Always so wise, aren't you, Yusei?" Hanako let out a soft snigger, enough to grab Yusei's attention and show him she was playing it seriously, with no fear or hesitation. Yet, there was no response to what she said or the mockery she played out so she just shrugged and drew a card, immediately setting it to the field, "I play Strategist of the Ice Barrier (ATK 1 600 / DEF 1 600)!"
"Let's see", Yusei mumbled to himself, letting Hanako play her turn the way she wanted, not interfering with anything she had in mind.
Meanwhile, she was scared of Yusei summoning Junk Warrior, knowing that, if he does, she's done for it. But Yusei was already able to predict that much. Thus, she did all in her power to prevent it from happening. "Now, thanks to the effect of my Strategist who allows me to draw a card by sending one Ice Barrier monster from my hand to the Graveyard, I'll use my Raiho and remove him, then draw another card from my deck", she explained as her body was following the moves of her instructions step by step, carefully planning out her every move.
The next card she drew fit perfectly into what she planned so she didn't intend to stop, "Now, I activate the effect of my Dance Princess thanks to the Cryomancer of the Ice Barrier in my hand! Say goodbye to your trap card - again!" She said as the effect of her monster returned Yusei's Scrap-metal Scarecrow back to his hand, "I am also activating a Speed Spell - Summon Speeder! Thanks to my 3 Speed Counters, I can Special Summon one level 4 or lower monster from my hand, a monster you've already seen!"
Following that setting, Cryomancer of the Ice Barrier (ATK 1 300 / DEF 0) appeared on the field as Hanako just kept going, stepping further and further into her plan of defeating Yusei and making him sorry for ever challenging her to this duel. "I am tuning my Cryomancer (lv 2) and my Strategist of the Ice Barrier (lv 4)! Two Souls will combine their Power to become one! Synchro Summon! Be crowned, Dewloren, Tiger King of the Ice Barrier (ATK 2 000 / DEF 1 400)!" Her voice was soon followed by a loud roar whose tone started streaking across the sky and a mighty beast showed itself in front of Yusei.
"Wow! It's only her second turn and Hanako already has her field full!" Rua exclaimed in disbelief, parting his lips while his eyes were witnessing what was happening on the duelling lane.
"If you're enjoying it, there's more!" Hanako smirked with pride, feeling her spirit filled with excitement, proving to Yusei and to everybody else she was worthy - both as a person and as a duellist. "I can return my Prior of the Ice Barrier from the field to my hand for my Dewloren to gain 500 attack points. It will last for this turn only but it's still enough to destroy your monster!"
Yusei's Debris Dragon was erased from the duelling field, leaving his Life Points completely vulnerable to any influences from Hanako's side. "Is it over yet?" He asked calmly with a serious glow in his eyes what Hanako translated as derisive, thinking he was getting bored by her strategy.
"We'll see who'll be the last to laugh!" She responded with anger, ordering for her Dance Princess to attack Yusei directly, thus, reducing his Life Points to 5 500. "I place one card face-down to end my turn".
Everyone was silent. Thoughts started floating around the duel between Yusei and Hanako as their friends were weighing the scale to see who has a greater chance of winning this duel. Somehow, all of the worth was going into Hanako's favour.
"I don't like this", Crow narrowed his eyes, releasing a soft humph of disapproval.
"Yusei said he had a plan", Jack added, not wanting to give up on the hope just yet, "I believe in him!" He also released a humph, only a bit stronger and more confident than the one coming from Crow; it also got the attention of everyone as they moved their eyes to Jack, their hearts deciding to trust his words, hoping Yusei got this.
"My turn!" Yusei announced as he drew a card, "Perfect! This is just what I need!" He smiled for himself only then narrowed his eyes once he looked over the duelling lane to check on Hanako who was speeding up in front of him but he had to accept that disadvantage, especially because of what was coming now. "I play Angel Baton! By removing 4 Speed Counters, I can draw 2 cards!"
"Desperate times call for desperate measures, Yusei", Hanako added a comment to the way he started his move, turning her head towards her shoulder to watch as his runner reduced in speed after he sacrificed his speed counters. However, what she did not know was that his hand was now containing everything he needed to start turning this duel around.
In the meantime, out of those two cards, Yusei sent his Quillbolt Hedgehog to the Graveyard, keeping Synchro Defuse Spell in his hand. "Come forth, Junk Synchron (ATK 1 300 / DEF 500)!" He shouted as his monster was summoned and he could use its effect to revive his Speed Warrior from the Graveyard. "It's my turn to show you what effects of my monsters can do!"
There was something different in his voice, as of now, his tone sounded like something Hanako's memories couldn't understand, something she has probably never encountered before - not even in her heart.
"By activating the effect of my Junk Synchron, I can summon Speed Warrior from my Graveyard! That's not all!" He shouted louder to encourage himself, "Since my Quillbolt Hedgehog (ATK 800 / DEF 800) is lying in the Graveyard, I can Special Summon it in defence mode!"
"The moment we've been waiting for", Crow murmured, realising how Jack might be right about trusting Yusei and his plans. After all, every time up until now, he always managed to turn things around, and with Hanako's memories being at stake, he could only imagine how much of his heart Yusei was putting into this duel.
"I'm tuning my Quillbolt Hedgehog (lv 2) and my Junk Synchron (lv 3)! The stars come together to call forth a new power! Become the path that lights the way! Synchro Summon! Come, Junk Warrior (ATK 2 300 / DEF 1 300)!"
"He still has Speed Warrior on the field", Jack commented, trying to analyse Yusei's moves in order to understand them, and Aki's brain joined the process.
"That means..."
"My Junk Warrior's attack points become 3 200 for this turn only thanks to my Speed Warrior! But I don't wish to disappoint you, Baby!" He smirked as he looked her way, wanting her to feel his emotions travelling through the speed of the wind, transmitting every atom of his feelings to her soul.
"Oh, no", Hanako whispered to herself, trying to figure out what was on his mind, knowing he will want to summon his Stardust Dragon any time soon but she still had her Dewloren on the field and this trap card would serve her well. But she couldn't even imagine how the tables would turn.
"I play Speed Spell Synchro Defuse!"
"No!"
"Yes!" Yusei added to Hanako's exclamation, now knowing she was not expecting this to happen but the real question was, did she plan it this far already? "I can now take control of your Tiger King of the Ice Barrier for one turn!"
"Turning my own deck against me, huh?" She hissed as she watched her Dewloren attack her Dance Princess, reducing her Life Points by 300. It wasn't such a bad damage yet but her field was now vulnerable to any other attack coming from Yusei's side.
"I am uniting our powers to show you the true might of our friendship!"
"Liar! I've never heard so much scrap from you before!" She was mad, feeling tears of frustration gathering in her eyes because she was confused but didn't know why... she was so focused on the duel and hating Yusei, she hadn't realised yet that her heart was leading a war against her mind.
Yusei noticed this. Her struggles were letting him know that this duel was the right way to make her remember - it was only a matter of time, he thought.
"Trap Card, activate! Back to the Front!" Yet, Hanako refused to give in to his tries of helping her see the truth. She blindly kept defending herself, summoning her General Raiho from the Graveyard in defence position only to watch him being destroyed after Yusei declared an attack. At least her Life Points were safe.
"Junk Warrior, attack General Raiho!" He ignored her statements, knowing he had done enough already. He noticed the change on her face after they both saw her Life Points lower in number.
"You'll have to try harder than that!"
"You're still not safe from me!" He replied, showing her he was not planning on giving up on her. To regain her memories is what he intended to do, he was on a mission to fulfil this promise he made when he met Hanako in her nightmares. He was positive that version of her was in there somewhere. And while his heart was fighting for hers, his monsters were fighting Hanako's determination to erase Yusei from her life forever. "Speed Warrior, attack Hanako directly!"
Hanako was helpless in that moment of attack, knowing she had nothing else on her field to protect her Life Points so she just watched them drop down to 6 800. "So what? You nearly scratched me and my Dewloren is back to my side now!"
"I am aware of that!" He said, setting two cards face-down, and ending his turn.
"So... That's it...?" She asked with a firm tone even though her voice was shivering; she tried to hide the fear she suddenly felt, a fear that was coming from not knowing or recognising this side of Yusei. Due to no response from his side, she just shrugged and drew a card, "As you wish... My turn!"
The stakes were getting higher and more serious now. Hanako knew she had to give her best and seeing the card she drew, she was calmer, knowing things could still be in her favour. "Because Dewloren is now on my side of the field again, I can Special Summon Prior of the Ice Barrier (ATK 1 400 / DEF 800) and I can also summon the card I just drew, Shock Troops of the Ice Barrier (ATK 1 500 / DEF 800)!"
"I wonder..." Yusei muttered while watching Hanako summon her monsters, "She is still keeping General Raiho in the Graveyard. Could it be she is waiting for my Stardust Dragon to appear?" His mind was carefully analysing her every move, knowing she was about to attack so he activated his Scrap-metal Scarecrow which prevented him from continuing the flow of his thoughts. "Trap card, activate!"
"We all know this move, Yusei!" She rolled her eyes, seeming disinterested in what he was about to do as if she already knew every single move he'd make, "Shock Troops will finish the work!" She had to use a monster to attack first before another monster can attack again due to his Scrap-metal Scarecrow being on the field. So once she could attack for the second time, everyone watched Speed Warrior being eliminated, leaving Yusei's life points severely damaged, now reaching 4 900.
"But Yusei still has his Junk Warrior on the field", Aki said with hope, trying to convince herself that this duel will bring something good out of itself.
"True", Crow nodded, moving his eyes towards Aki for this brief moment in time, capturing the beauty of her face as he smiled, "But his attack points are reduced to 4 900 now. Hanako has 2 monsters on her field and a huge advantage in Life Points. Even if Yusei destroys one of her monsters, she still has an upper hand".
"I'll end my turn with a face-down card!"
Another moment of deep silence took over the duelling lane when Hanako ended her turn. Only the sound of the speed cutting the wind and the engines of Yusei and Hanako's runners were filling the air, vibrating on its surface like circular water waves.
Soon, a slide of the card from the deck was heard, "My turn!" Yusei's voice joined the music of the duel. "She didn't resolve the effect of her Shock Troops, meaning the trap card she placed could be the end of me - Poseidon Wave!" He analysed the field again, knowing Hanako's deck almost as well as he knew his own so it was easier to predict certain things but she could probably say the same for him.
The card Yusei drew, Synchro Material, couldn't help him at the moment and he was aware of it. However, he was also counting on using this card later on in the duel, feeling like he'll need its effect soon. "Now that I have my Junk Warrior on the field, I can remove your Dewloren from the game!"
"Come at me with all you've got!" Hanako smirked, knowing she had him right where she wanted him, waiting for his attack to finalise so that she could finally crush him.
"I'm coming, Baby!" He said, declaring an attack and waiting to see if his assumption was correct.
"Trap Card, activate!" Her voice shouted loud enough to send chills down everyone's spine, seeing her fighting spirit was so wild and strong, "Poseidon Wave!"
"NO!" Jack's voice roared through the garage as his face turned pale, "Poseidon Weave negates Yusei's attack and deals 800 points of damage for every Aqua-type monster she has on the field!"
"What?!" The twins exclaimed in unison, turning their eyes to Jack to ask for an explanation.
"That means", Aki joined them, counting the damage on her fingers since Hanako had 3 monsters on her field, "2 400 points of damage!"
"Trap Card, activate!" Yusei shouted, destroying his friends' thoughts on this being the end of the duel for him, "Synchro Barrier Force!"
"That won't scare me, Yusei!"
Seeing Hanako's reaction to Yusei turning the tables, the twins became curious about what just happened, "What does this mean?"
"Yuse's card negated the effect of Poseidon Wave and now deals 500 points of damage for every Synchro monster he controls", Jack explained so the twins moved their eyes to the screen.
"That means Hanako will take 500 points of damage instead?"
"My Life Points reduced to 6 300, Yusei! That's still way above your status!"
"So we are choosing our friends based on the status now?"
"Who mentioned friends and you in the same sentence?"
"How far do you think you can run away from me?" Yusei asked as their argument was heating up. He also took this chance to place another card face-down along with his Scrap-metal Scarecrow; those moves then ended his turn.
"I'll keep running away until you'll no longer be able to see me!" She replied as she drew a card to start her next turn. "First, I'll reduce my Speed Counters by 7 in order to draw another card!" She explained, not really happy with the card she drew at first but then the next card made no sense at all anymore, The End of the Storm. "Oh, scraps!"
Her dissatisfaction was noticeable, at least to Yusei who knew her so well so he assumed her draw wasn't matching her plans. Judging by the situation, after she reduced seven speed counters, she must have drawn a Speed Spell that required a lot of counters to be activated.
"I'm resolving my Shock Troops' effect", she said but instead of seeming as though she knew what she was doing, others felt like she was making a mistake out of fear, "I'm sacrificing my monster to destroy my Prior of the Ice Barrier. With this, I can add one Ice Barrier monster from my deck to my hand, and I choose General Gantala of the Ice Barrier!"
"General Ga-na-who?" Rua asked in confusion, trying to understand Hanako's plans after she got rid of all of her monsters on the field and was left completely vulnerable.
"General Gantala of the Ice Barrier", Crow said to help the twins understand it better, "A very powerful monster, actually".
"But it's a level 7 monster", Jack added, still keeping his eyes focused on the duel, "That requires 2 tributes if you wish to get him to the field... Unless you find a way to Special Summon it from your deck, hand, or even graveyard. Then you can skip the tributes".
"So that means..."
"Yeah!" Jack nodded as if he knew exactly what Rua was trying to say but didn't care to interrupt before hearing anything else, "And if she summons Gantala, his effect will allow her to summon any monster from her graveyard to the field once per turn".
"Once per turn?!?" Now both the twins, along with Aki, shouted in unison, not expecting this news. They were not the only ones, even Crow was now worried that, if Hanako succeeds in her intentions, Yusei might have a hard time turning this around unless he summons his Stardust Dragon, but then that has to happen very, very soon.
"I end my turn!"
"What?!" Yusei gasped into his chin after hearing those words coming from Hanako. She made no moves at all except for clearing her entire field to put Gantala into her hand, there was only Dewloren left and during his next move, he could easily destroy him with his Junk Warrior. "I still have my Scrap-metal Scarecrow on the field, that's true... but what is holding her back?" He asked himself, thinking Hanako must have started doubting her reality and their friendship - it must be that! There was no other explanation as to why she would do that, unless she truly had nothing else to play. "Her General Raiho is still in the Graveyard, which means she can now special summon him if Gantala enters the field. She must be preparing a strategy against Stardust Dragon. If only she knew..."
"Didn't you hear me, Yusei?!" Hanako asked after a while of waiting for him to start with his turn, "It's your move!"
"Right", he nodded, trying not to seem as he was taken by her last move, "I draw!" Damage Eater he drew had no special uses unless sent to the graveyard so he kept it in his hand. "Junk Warrior, attack her Tiger King!" That was his only move for this turn he had, now falling into the same situation as she did, not being able to believe he has allowed himself to fall this low. He only watched Hanako's Life Points reduce by 300 which was still not enough, "You may continue".
"Since when do I need your permission?" She hissed through that rhetorical question as she drew a card she was able to summon immediately, "Welcome my Dewdark of the Ice Barrier (ATK 1 200 / DEF 800)".
"Ah, here she comes", he smirked, knowing what she was capable of.
"Thanks to Dewdark's special effect, I can attack you directly!" Hanako explained, thrilled about the duel and the fact she was able to reduce Yusei's Life Points to 3 700.
"Are you enjoying this?" Yusei asked before Hanako was able to end her turn properly and had to stop placing her card to look at him as her eyes widened.
"What?"
"Are you enjoying this, Hanako?"
But she didn't answer his question. She couldn't. It felt so wrong to feel any positive emotion during this duel so she ignored him, hoping that he wouldn't misinterpret her decision, "I set one card face-down and end my turn!" Her voice barely spoke as she clenched her teeth, fighting the urge to shout at the top of her lungs to let all of her pain away. She couldn't let him see her vulnerable side and allow him to notice how much influence he has already had on her – she was like a bottle of champagne he just shook, bottling up the bubbles and creating a pressure inside of her body just waiting for the cork to explode.
"My turn", Yusei announced his draw. Hanako's reaction was the answer he was looking for. "You don't have to give me an answer, Baby! Your heart speaks for you instead", he started, giving an intro into his next move, "Junk Warrior, attack and make sure we show her who we're fighting for!" As he declared his attack, Hanako's Dewdark was about to be sent to the graveyard and her Life Points were about to reduce by 1 000 but then her trap card activated.
"Trap Card, Half Unbreak! The damage I take from the battle with this monster involved is halved and my monster cannot be destroyed!"
The Team 5D's watched the duel carefully, being astir when Crow added a comment, "That means instead of 1 100 life points, Hanako will lose only 550".
"I place one card face-down and end my turn", Yusei said after there wasn't anything else he could do this turn, feeling hopeless again.
"My turn", Hanako said while drawing a card, feeling her hands shaking. "Why isn't he summoning his Stardust Dragon?" She mumbled into her chin, trying to understand Yusei's way of duelling. She was familiar with his strategies but today there was something different about him and everything he was doing.
Seeing Hanako only announce her turn without making any moves, Bruno got closer to the screen. "Is she... hesitating?" He asked softly, now deciding to join the others in commenting on the duel between Yusei and Hanako because it was thrilling and tense.
"It looks like it", Crow agreed, paying more attention to Hanako and her expressions now that Bruno switched their attention to it. "They also started with 8 000 Life Points which is never the case in Speed Duel. It must be part of Yusei's plan".
"But he hasn't summoned his Stardust Dragon yet", Aki noted, knowing if Junk Warrior is on the field, Yusei must be preparing something.
"If Stardust is coming, then she's ready", Crow added, explaining what Hanako probably had in mind. "She sent her General Raiho to the graveyard and she can Special Summon it once General Gantala comes to the field".
"So... She wants to use them against his Stardust Dragon?"
"Yeah", Crow nodded his head, "General Raiho can negate the effect of a monster unless you discard one card to stop it".
"That is her trump card against Stardust Dragon", Aki noted. She was now finally able to understand what was on Hanako's mind and why she played her turns this way.
But somehow, Jack wasn't entirely sure that it was what Yusei had in mind, "What is it that's on your mind, Yusei?" He thought to himself while listening to the conversation between Crow and Aki and keeping his eyes on the duel.
"First, my Dewdark will attack you directly!" Hanako finally continued with her turn, reducing Yusei's Life Points again, now making them 2 500 only. "Then, I play Zuijin of the Ice Barrier (ATK 500 / DEF 300)!"
"She's getting ready for my Stardust", Yusei whispered, realising now his theory was correct.
"Now, I will tribute Zuijin in order to use its effect and Special Summon General Gantala of the Ice Barrier (ATK 2 700 / 2 000) from my hand!" Hanako continued, wanting to get this over with as soon as possible. "Now that Gantala is on the field, I can Special Summon another Ice Barrier monster from my Graveyard and I choose Dewloren, Tiger King of the Ice Barrier!"
"Dweloren?" Aki asked in confusion, thinking Hanako would choose Raiho instead, just as they discussed previously.
"I'm confused now", Rua admitted as well, looking at others but they were so focused on the duel, anyone barely said anything so he just lowered his presence and did the same.
"I'm ready!" Yusei said with determination, ready to fight anything Hanako wanted to throw at him, aware that she chose Dewloren instead of Raiho for a reason but instead of attacking and making any moves, she shocked them all.
"I end my turn".
"Hanako I know would never give up so easily!"
"Who's giving up, Yusei?" She smirked, showing herself in a different light than he assumed she would be, "There's no way I'll fall in this duel!" Her eyes showed the fire of determination, making Yusei wonder if she saw through his strategy.
"Even if you do, I'll still be there to catch you!" He refused to give up. The duel was slowly reaching its peak and he knew his real plan would surface sooner or later; especially now that everyone was ready to welcome his Stardust Dragon.
Crow was the one who was so sure Yusei was about to summon his ace monster to bring Hanako's memories back. After all, Stardust Dragon was a key to everything in Yuse's life, "Here it comes!"
"Stardust Dragon", Aki whispered as her hopeful eyes watched the duel and her heart agreed with Crow.
"My turn!" Yusei finally drew a card, having exactly what he needed, what he's been waiting for this whole time, "I play Turbo Synchron!"
"Turbo Synchron?" Hanako asked curiously. Although she wasn't surprised, she was still confused about what Yusei had in mind. Turbo Synchron wasn't enough for his Stardust Dragon; he could only tune a level 6 synchro monster with that.
"What is he doing?" Crow asked, opening his eyes wide as disbelief vested his body.
"Maybe he found a new way to Synchro Summon", Bruno assumed but then Jack kept thinking and thinking, remembering what Yusei told them before he left to Martha's place.
"Could it be...?"
"What is it, Jack?" Crow asked after seeing how Jack might have figured something out, something none of them was able to see.
"Stardust Dragon... is not in Yusei's deck".
"WHAT?!" Everyone exclaimed in unison, widening their eyes at what Jack said, thinking he was talking nonsense.
"But how is Yusei going to win this duel without his ace monster?" Aki asked again, holding her hands together for a prayer of hope, not wanting to accept that what Jack said was true.
"Also, her General Gantala is too strong", Rua said to support Aki's theory, thinking Yusei had no other way to win if it wasn't with his Stardust Dragon.
"And she's not even using her synchro monsters", Crow added to make it 3 on 1 against Jack.
"True", Jack lowered his head and closed his eyes. He was speaking calmly because he did have an idea as one tiny detail crossed his mind, "Without Stardust dragon, there's no monster in Yusei's deck that can fight Gantala unless..."
"Unless what?" Aki asked, shifting her eyes to Jack, wanting him to share his idea with them all.
"Yusei must have another plan... look at his face!"
Once Jack made everyone aware of it, Ruka spoke, "He looks like he's confident in his win!"
"But how?!?" Aki protested not because she was doubting Yusei or having no faith in him. It was more because everything she believed about him now seemed to turn out to be false. How could he even duel without his Stardust Dragon? It was like his trademark! "Hanako is clearly in advantage!"
"I don't know but Yusei somehow knows what he's doing... Maybe he figured something out while duelling Hanako".
"What do you mean?"
Aki's question was valid but instead of letting Jack answer that question, Crow jumped in, "For speed duellists, turbo duel is the best way to communicate with each other. It's like opening up your heart and soul, leaving yourself vulnerable to the person opposing you. That's why I was surprised when Hanako accepted this duel in the first place".
"I still don't get it", Rua said, curling his lips.
"Hanako is afraid of Yusei. She sees him as a killer and a threat... There is no way she'd have a duel with him like this in that state unless she already had a change of heart", Crow spoke again, only this time in a different way, speaking the language everyone would be able to understand. He thought that everyone who knew Hanako and Yusei slightly better than just on their surface would be able to understand.
"You think she remembered him?"
"I don't know, Aki", Crow confessed, "But I'm sure they will communicate this misunderstanding out of this duel".
"Let's see", Jack answered briefly, refusing to break the contact between the duel screen and his eyes, feeling uptight as his veins were boiling with anticipation. He did not share the same vision with Crow and he still believed there was something more to Yusei and this duel than they can see, something more intimate – maybe something none of them knows. Maybe there was a moment in Yusei and Hanako's past that was connecting them, a moment no one else witnessed except for the two of them, a moment that was serving as a crucial engine to this duel. He also knew that, in order for others to find out the truth and understand what was really going on, they all had to stay here and witness the end of the duel – the end that may bring so many answers they may not be ready for yet.