Crimson Star Priestess

Protect the Spirit World

I let out a sigh as I entered the lounge, feeling a bit exhausted after my duel with the Professor. Shira was gone, but Yusei, Ash and Grieger were still sitting on the couch. Something told me that Shira had gone to talk to Lazar about the upcoming Turbo Duel. I headed to the locker and opened it before removing my Duel Disk from my arm and put it in there. I removed the deck from the device and put it inside my satchel to keep it safe. I shut the locker and turned around, only to come face to face with Yusei.

"Eep!" I exclaimed in surprise, blushing a bit from the close contact. "Yusei, don't sneak up on me like that!"

Yusei cracked a small, amused smile. "Sorry, Estelle. But I need to grab my stuff for the Turbo Duel. Congrats on winning the duel."

My lips formed into a small smile as my cheeks burned up. "Thank you."

I stepped aside, calming my heart down, as Yusei opened the locker and picked his helmet and a small, portable toolbox up. He shut the locker and turned around, looking ready to head to the garage where he kept his Duel Runner.

"You wanna come and help me check my Runner?" Yusei suddenly asked.

I blinked, surprised by the offer. "Eh...I don't know that much about Duel Runners, but if you just want my company, I'll gladly go with you."

Yusei smiled softly and I returned the smile before we walked out of the lounge and went to the garage. We met up with Tanner who wanted to give Yusei some advice and a warning about Shira. I knew Shira was going to be knocked down and replaced by Hunter Pace, but I said nothing. I sat in a crouch next to Yusei as he did some final adjustments on his Duel Runner, giving him the tools he asked for. I had learned a lot about Duel Runners and engineering ever since I came to this dimension, so I had some knowledge.

"What do you know about Shira?" Yusei asked Tanner after he finished tinkering with his Duel Runner and straightened up.

Tanner crossed his arms while he leaned against a crate. "A couple of fellas I know had some run-ins with the guy a few years back in the underground duels. According to them, he wasn't exactly a fan of playin' nice. Back then, he was calling himself the Shadow Reaper. Apparently, he never takes off those creepy robes of his. You plannin' on using Stardust Dragon?"

"I'm saving Stardust for my duel against Jack." Yusei replied as he narrowed his eyes while inserting his deck into his wrist dealer. "And when I face him, he's gonna wish he never gave it back to me."

"You won't even use Stardust Dragon against me if we happen to duel each other in the finals?" I asked Yusei as I straightened up.

"Since there's a odd number of competitors, you might face me instead." Ash told her.

Yusei turned to me with a small smile. "I might make an exception for you, Estelle. I'm curious about your Clear Wing Synchro Dragon."

"Yeah, me too." Tanner nodded. "That's a monster I've never heard of before. Where did you get it?"

I looked aside while trying to come up with a reasonable excuse. "I found it randomly in a card shop and felt attached to it."

"Is that dragon your ace Synchro?" Yusei wondered as he put his helmet on.

"Would you be surprised if I said no?" I asked, turning my head back to the two men.

"That's not your best monster?" Tanner raised an eyebrow. "Well, which monster is your best?"

I smirked lightly. "You'll have to wait for the final round and then I might Synchro summon it."

Tanner started laughing heartily. "Soon you're gonna say your best Synchro monster is an ancient relic, just like grandpa! You sure you two are not related?"