With a roar, both D-Wheels burst out of the tunnel. Hikaru's eyes widened as the duel circuit opened before him.
On the left, neon lights shimmered across the skyline, the glittering towers of the Upper City, bright as day even under night's veil.
On the right, the world fell into silence, the dark, empty sprawl of the Commons, not a single light or sign of life.
"Keep your eyes on the road, rookie! First turn's mine!"
Trudge's voice thundered through the wind as his D-Wheel surged ahead.
"My turn! I activate the Spell Card, Card Destruction!"
Hikaru glanced over his five-card hand, calculated his follow-up play, then slid the cards neatly into his Graveyard.
He'd already figured this world out back when he saw Seto Kaiba duel Jack Atlas, these Riding Duels followed the ARC-V-era rules.
That meant Spell Cards were legal here.
Good thing too; otherwise, Hikaru would've had to rebuild his deck entirely around Traps.
Trudge barked a laugh as the red police lights flickered behind his D-Wheel.
"That El Shaddoll Winda of yours caused quite a headache for my men, locking down their Special Summons."
"But on the first turn, you don't get to shut me down, do you?"
He slammed a card forward.
"I Normal Summon, Raging Captain!"
A battle-worn soldier, his body riddled with arrows, appeared sprinting alongside Trudge's D-Wheel, eyes blazing with fury.
Raging Mad Captain — Level 1 / EARTH / Warrior / ATK 400
"When Raging Captain is Normal Summoned, I can target one Level 4 or lower monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon it in Defense Position, but its effects are negated."
Trudge's expression hardened; the card suited him perfectly.
"Return, Jutte Fighter!"
The bespectacled samurai re-emerged beside the captain.
Jutte Fighter — Level 2 / EARTH / Warrior / ATK 700
Hikaru shot him a sidelong look.
"So that's your play, using that monster to avenge your subordinates?"
"Heh. You catch on quick," Trudge sneered.
"But don't pretend you're innocent! Running with the Commons, resisting arrest, attacking Security officers!"
Hikaru stayed silent, eyes fixed on the track.
"Tch… fine, then watch closely!" Trudge roared.
"I tune my Level 2 Jutte Fighter with my Level 1 Raging Mad Captain! Witness it, outsider, the pride of our dimension: Synchro Summon!"
The samurai turned into twin stars of light.
A green energy ring spread around them, swallowing the starlight before forging a new silhouette within the glowing circle.
"Synchro Summon! Level 3, Justice Bringer!"
With a sharp clang, a steadfast guard stepped forward, raising his shield.
Goyo Defender — Level 3 / EARTH / Warrior / ATK 1000
"Goyo Defender's effect! Once per turn, if I control only EARTH Warrior Synchro Monsters, I can Special Summon another Goyo Defender from my Extra Deck!"
The small defender spun his shield, and another identical one appeared beside him.
"And the second one's effect activates to call the third!"
Two guards locked shields, then split apart, summoning a third between them.
Three Goyo Defenders now rode in formation, shields interlocked like a mobile wall.
"Three monsters with 1000 ATK each?" Tierra murmured, "And all identical… what's the point of that?"
Before Hikaru could answer, the trio formed a barrier directly in front of his D-Wheel. Their combined energy distorted the air, dragging at his momentum, his machine slowed, and Trudge pulled cleanly ahead.
Hikaru arched a brow.
"Oh… so that's how you want to play it."
He recalled something from 5D's lore, security sometimes built "barrier" strategies to block acceleration during Riding Duels.
Figures he's the captain of Security.
Glancing at his Duel Disk's minimap, Hikaru noted the circuit wasn't long.
If he lost too much speed now, the finish line would come before he even stabilized.
So that's the idea behind 'Pursuit Duels'…
After all, as an officer of Sector Security, his greatest mission was to catch criminals. That was why, in addition to strategies that focused on cutting down Life Points or deck resources, they had developed a third tactic unique to Speed Duels, cutting speed.
In a Riding Duel, besides ordinary combat, there was another way to slow an opponent down: the more their Life Points dropped, the more their Speed Counters would plummet.
"I Set two cards face-down and end my turn."
Tierra, observing from above, crossed her arms thoughtfully.
"So his plan is to lower your speed? Hmph. But with only three monsters that each have 1000 attack, you could easily break through his defense line with one attack. Which card are you going to use?"
Hikaru glanced down at the cards in his hand, but didn't move immediately.
Instead, he called out to Trudge ahead of him:
"You just said I was 'mixing with the criminals of the lower districts,' didn't you?"
Trudge gave a cold laugh.
"Hah, finally decided to talk, huh? Of course I said it! The lower sector is crawling with robbers and thieves. Those scum never learn their lesson. You mingle with them, and that makes you just another criminal in training!"
"If you'd come into our world the proper way, we would've welcomed you," Trudge continued. "After all, that Friendship Cup of yours was quite a spectacle.
But you...you just had to go and pull something like this! Even if we catch you, as long as you reveal who you are, you'll be treated as an interdimensional visitor. Like I said earlier, the worst we'd do is deport you."
He slammed his fist into his palm, his face twisting with anger, clearly wanting to teach Hikaru a lesson himself.
"Law, huh?" Hikaru said quietly.
"Of course. What else?"
"Then tell me, Officer, have you ever thought about why they became thieves and robbers?"
"Huh?" Trudge frowned. "Why should I waste my time thinking about that? It's their own fault! If they didn't want to live like that, they wouldn't. Why don't we have that many criminals in the upper district, then?"
Hikaru chuckled softly.
"Their own fault, is it?
When someone gets knocked unconscious by garbage falling from the upper city, is that their fault?
When someone glances at a Sector Security officer and gets beaten into the street, is that their fault?
When they have no income, and even the cards they own are confiscated by upper-district collectors, is that their fault too?
When they accidentally wander too close to the upper district and get arrested just because they 'look dirty', tell me, Officer, is that their fault as well?"
Trudge opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Hikaru's voice sharpened.
"Officer, everything I just said, that's not rumor or gossip. That's what I've personally seen in the short month I've spent in this dimension.
I've witnessed things far worse than what I've heard.
One day, if I hadn't been quick on my feet, I'd have been hit straight on by a patrol car! If I'd been weaker, I'd be dead right now.
Would that have been my fault too?
Would you say, 'Oh, why were you standing there, citizen? Didn't you see we were on duty?' I wasn't in the road. I didn't stop your men. I didn't interfere with anyone!"
Trudge fell silent.
"Tell me, Officer," Hikaru continued, "why is it that you and your subordinates have to patrol day and night, while those upper-district nobles spend their days doing nothing, not even working, just watching you duel for entertainment?"
"Enough!" Trudge shouted, his face twisting even further, darker than before.
The truth was, even this duel was being broadcast across the upper levels.
A high-speed pursuit against an "interdimensional invader", a rare and thrilling live-chase duel like this was the perfect form of entertainment for the nobles.
"If you want to make it back to your own dimension alive," Trudge growled, "then I'd advise you to keep your mouth shut."
Hikaru gave a faint, knowing smile.
"So, you do realize it, after all."
"Fine then. Let's focus on the duel. Otherwise, I'll fall too far behind."
As they argued, the gap between their Duel Runners widened. Hikaru had already fallen behind by three or four car lengths.
"My turn, draw!"
He pulled his next card, eyes sharp.
"I discard Evil HERO Adusted Gold from my hand to activate its effect!"
Trudge's eyes widened.
"Not Shaddoll…?"
"When Evil HERO Adusted Gold is sent from the hand to the GY," Hikaru explained, "I can add 1 Dark Fusion or a card that specifically lists Dark Fusion in its text from my Deck to my hand, except Evil HERO Adusted Gold itself!
I add Dark Calling to my hand!"
He slapped the card onto his Duel Disk.
"I activate the Spell Card, Dark Calling!"
A dark magic circle flared across the racetrack as the system projected the glowing fusion spell into midair.
"This card lets me banish Fusion Materials from my hand or GY to perform a Fusion Summon of a monster that can only be Special Summoned by Dark Fusion!
I banish Elemental HERO Flash and Elemental HERO Clayman from my Graveyard!"
A thunderclap exploded overhead. Lightning struck the track, carving a scorch mark into the asphalt as arcs of power surrounded Hikaru's D-Wheel.
"Fusion Summon!"
"Descend, Evil HERO Lightning Golem!"
The thunderous giant appeared, electricity crackling across its armor, striding beside Hikaru's machine as if the storm itself were riding with him.
Evil HERO Lightning Golem — Level 6 / LIGHT / Fiend / ATK 2400 / DEF 1500
This was one of the many Light monsters gifted to him by the "Master of Light." Hikaru hadn't expected he'd need it until now
"Evil HERO, huh?" Trudge sneered. "Trying to play the hero now, kid?"
Hikaru smiled faintly.
"No. I'm only pursuing the next stage of Fusion.
Whether in the past or the future, in my world or yours… I only seek the path to a greater evolution."
Trudge blinked, baffled.
"What's he even talking about? This world's about Synchros, not Fusion!"
Hikaru raised his hand toward the field.
"Three identical monsters on your side of the field, clearly meant to stall me with their effects, right?
So I won't waste time attacking head-on."
"Lightning Golem's effect! Once per turn, I can target 1 monster on the field and destroy it!"
Electric light surged down the track. Lightning Golem clenched its fists, gathering blinding energy between its palms before unleashing a searing bolt.
"I target and destroy your third Goyo Defender!"
A deafening BOOM! echoed as the thunderbolt struck true. One of the defenders shattered instantly, its fragments scattering across the virtual road. The remaining two raised their shields again, but the barrier they formed was weakened now.
"Tch… When Goyo Defender is attacked, its ATK increases by 1000 for every EARTH Warrior Synchro Monster I control," Trudge muttered. "You saw through my setup that quickly…?"
He grimaced, half in irritation, half in grudging respect.He'd assumed an outsider from another dimension wouldn't recognize the effects of his cards, but Hikaru had dissected his entire defense in seconds.
"No wonder this guy made a name for himself in the Friendship Cup," Trudge thought bitterly.