141 New Chapter: The One Who Touches the "World Taboo"!

A white, unknown space. The only things visible to the naked eye were circuit-like pathways, flickering with seven-colored radiance, etched into the spatial perception of up and down.

“You’re leaving… aren’t you?”

An electronic, synthesized voice rang out, its tone filled with reluctance.

“Ah… We’ve tried almost every feasible method we could think of, and none of them worked. The only thing left is to try ‘that method’!”

Another voice answered—clearly human, brimming with youthful vigor.

They had exhausted the remainder of their lives, all four of them, and even unto death they had failed to change this ruined world.

“I know. ‘That method’ could be called a forbidden existence in this world! If we weren’t truly at the end of our road, who would touch it? Who would be willing to touch it? But… we really have no other choice!”

That forbidden “method”—they did not dare touch it, nor even think about it. If there had not been even the slightest hope, the faintest possibility, they would never have reached out toward it.

“…Regardless of whether this ‘method’ succeeds, you should understand what the result will be.”

The reason it was called a “forbidden” existence was simple: once you became tainted by it, there would be no hope of escaping unscathed.

If the plan succeeded, it might change this already ruined world—but your very existence would be altered in the process.

If the plan failed… everyone understood the outcome. There would be no “afterward,” because that future would no longer have anything to do with you.

“I understand. But I must do this! For our sake—and for the sake of this dying world!”

After a portion of their final reserve of energy was diverted, he was the first to be resurrected and restored to youth. The other two companions were still in the process of being revived. Furthermore, “he” could not leave this world, which was why he had said that only he could undertake this task.

“…If you truly intend to do this, then take this card with you!”

As he spoke, a card appeared beneath the great mechanical hand—a Duel Monster card not even as large as a single mechanical finger joint.

“This world blossomed and became beautiful because of it. But because of it, this world also withered and fell into ruin. During your operation, it will play an important role!”

He reached out and accepted the unfamiliar Duel Monster card. As he examined it closely, the electronic voice spoke once more:

“I have gathered all the power that still remained within this ruined land and condensed it into this card! Paradox! Let this card create the power you will use for this operation!”

To touch the forbidden was to set Paradox against that existence—the greatest duelist in the history of Duel Monsters, the one who had propelled Duel Monsters to unprecedented heights, and the creator of the new summoning method known as Synchro Summoning.

“The power left behind by the ruined land… I understand!”

His gaze fell upon the card’s name, where a single profound and striking word stood: Sin.

Paradox put the card away and climbed onto his D-Wheel, Truth.

“Z-ONE! I… will miss you all!”

“Mm.”

As the motorcycle roared to life, Paradox and his D-Wheel, Truth, vanished into the white space amid a burst of radiance.

Z-ONE stood in silence for a long while, watching the vortex of the space-time passage gradually dissipate.

Could there truly be hope within Synchro Summoning and Duel Monsters—the very things that had destroyed the world?

A possibility of saving the world?

…

…

Duel Monsters Year 50.

This was an age in which the newest summoning method, Synchro Summoning, formed the core of almost every deck’s battle strategy. Tribute Summoning, Ritual Summoning, and Fusion Summoning remained active as well, but ever since the new style of dueling known as Riding Duel had been introduced, Synchro Summoning had flourished.

And in the New Domino City of this era, fifty years later, on this particular day—

“To have that nightmare about the Zero Reverse Incident again at a time like this… Could something be happening today?”

From a high vantage point, Yusei gazed down upon the complete New Domino City, where the City and Satellite Areas had finally been joined together. He recalled how he had awoken in a cold sweat that morning, terrified after dreaming of the Zero Reverse Incident the night before.

The Zero Reverse Incident—the catastrophe seventeen years ago, when the old Moment went berserk and brought about the destruction of New Domino City.

As a result, during those seventeen years, New Domino City had been divided into five different strata: the Top Area, where the powerful and wealthy gathered; the City Area, where the middle class lived; the Fallen Area, where marked individuals who could never return to the City Area—and who did not wish to descend any farther—congregated; the dark, desolate Satellite Area, inhabited by the lowborn and resembling a slum; and the Ruined Area, where the Zero Reverse Incident had taken place.

Yet now, thanks to the efforts of Yusei, Jack, Akiza, Luna, Leo, and Crow, the boundary between the City and Satellite Areas had finally been erased, merging them once again into the New Domino City of seventeen years ago.

“You had that dream again? The Zero Reverse Incident from seventeen years ago?”

As Yusei was lost in thought, Crow’s voice came from behind him. He turned to see Jack approaching as well, dressed all in white and carrying his helmet.

“You always come back here whenever something is troubling you.”

As Yusei’s companion and childhood friend—someone who had grown up alongside him—Jack could still see through Yusei’s thoughts on certain matters, even after the time they had spent apart.

“You really don’t need to dwell on this! You were only a baby back then. Even if you had wanted to do something, you couldn’t have, Yusei!”

The parents of all three of them had perished in that catastrophe, yet neither Jack nor Crow blamed Yusei.

Yusei was their companion, their family—and besides, the Zero Reverse Incident had not been caused by him alone. What was more, Yusei’s own parents had also died in that tragedy.

And if not for Yusei’s father, Professor Fudo, discovering the “Yusei Particles” that existed within the world but had remained in a state of dormancy—and if not for the King of Duelists subsequently uncovering their true nature and creating the new summoning method known as Synchro Summoning, in addition to Tribute, Ritual, and Fusion Summoning—the three of them could never have been together as they were now.

“Instead of worrying about that, why don’t we have a duel?”

“Exactly! When you’re in a bad mood, nothing works as a better seasoning than a duel!”

Jack and Crow grinned. A Riding Duel on the newly constructed City riding highway, built in preparation for the World Riding Duel Grand Prix—the greatest dueling tournament on the planet, to be held the following year—would be perfect.

“…I suppose you’re right.”

Infected by their enthusiasm, Yusei temporarily forgot the nightmare.

After putting on their helmets and mounting their respective D-Wheels—Yusei’s Yusei Go, Jack’s Fortune, and Crow’s Blackbird—the three of them soon entered the riding highway.

They rode for a while. Just as they were deciding to have a friendly free-for-all, the unmistakable sound of another D-Wheel suddenly broke into their communication channel.

The rider wore a black-and-white mask resembling a demon’s horns and a flowing purple-black robe and coat. His long golden hair streamed freely behind him, and his overall appearance suggested a man in his twenties.

The D-Wheel he rode was an enormous silver-white machine of extraordinary proportions, at least one and a half times the length of their own.

“What an enormous D-Wheel!”

As Crow exclaimed in surprise, the unknown young man pressed a button on his machine, causing its front lights to flash three times in succession.

“He dares challenge us? Hmph! He certainly has nerve!”

Three consecutive flashes from the front lights of a D-Wheel were a provocation directed at the rider ahead—a signal that a Riding Duel had been initiated.

The three of them understood its meaning. They had just begun deciding who would accept the challenge when an unfamiliar voice came from the D-Wheel behind them:

“Yusei Fudo! Jack Atlas! And Crow Hogan! The three of you… come at me together!”

“What?!”

Challenging the three heroes who had saved the city from the Earthbound Immortals was one thing. But now this kid had the nerve to demand a one-against-three duel?

He had to be dreaming.

Even someone as mild-tempered as Yusei felt his anger rising at being challenged to fight three against one.

He had been jolted awake by a nightmare of the Zero Reverse Incident first thing in the morning. Jack and Crow had persuaded him to have a friendly free-for-all duel, only for this stranger to barge in and arrogantly demand to face all three of them at once.

He clearly did not take them seriously in the slightest.

As Yusei’s irritation mounted, the young man spoke again, pushing the three men’s anger even higher:

“All three of you! Fight with everything you have! And make sure you summon your ace monsters!”

“This guy…”

Jack, the most hot-tempered of the three, had reached the limit of his patience.

“Since that’s what he wants, we might as well teach him a lesson.”

After being provoked to this extent, Yusei had no intention of simply letting it go.

One against three—and he wanted each of them to summon their ace monsters?

Fine. They would grant him his wish.

But they hoped he could withstand their fury.

“We accept your challenge!”

At the words of their leader, Yusei, all four D-Wheels immediately began configuring themselves for a Riding Duel.

To welcome the upcoming WRGP, the old Speed World had been upgraded into the brand-new Speed World 2.

“Riding Duel—acceleration!”