Boom!
Another deafening explosion. A tornado whipped up outside the window, sending rebar and debris flying.
Kira got out and walked to the edge of the flyover, looking down from above.
"That area…The Daimon Area?" he mused.
After some time as chief, he'd learned a bit about the city. That section beneath the bridge was the so-called "Daimon Area," inhabited mainly by expelled ex-convicts marked as "scum," unable to live in the city but unwilling to return to the Satellite Zone. Over time, such people had settled in the liminal area between city and Satellite, forming the Daimon Area.
Now, a black whirlwind gouged the ground, the wind filled with rebar and brick like a cutting weapon. Ruined buildings crumbled, old brickwork turning to dust, concrete chunks forming a vortex.
In the midst of the storm, huge tendrils lashed out like monstrous stitches, piercing through buildings.
"Tendrils?" Kira instantly guessed who was behind the chaos.
Down in the square, people screamed and ran. "A witch! It's the witch!"
"Black Rose Witch has appeared!"
The swirling tentacles slashed through the haze. They weren't projection holograms from a Duel Disk—they had real substance. Every swing brought fierce squalls. The square soon emptied, leaving just one figure.
It was a graceful woman's silhouette, wrapped in a billowy black cloak and hood, with pink hair spilling from beneath and a white mask hiding her face—almost entirely concealed.
"She's here—Number Two," Kira chuckled quietly.
He knew this was another Signer he needed: the heroine of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's—if you can call it a story with a heroine—Akiza Izinski.
Unlike the classic duelists of DM and GX who could manifest spirits, Akiza had no dark powers—just "psychic dueling": a kind of superpower akin to a genetic mutation. She'd been born able to project card monsters into reality.
The trouble was, she couldn't control her powers—they triggered whenever she used cards, like in the GX "spirit world."
Because she'd hurt people without meaning to, she lived amid hatred and fear, branded as a "witch." Even her own parents were scared of her, causing a rift and leading to her running away. (Later, with Yusei's help, she reconciles with her family.)
Of course, she was also a Signer. Her psychic powers were innate and seemingly unrelated to the Crimson Dragon, but since her dragon mark and psychic powers coexisted, she blamed the dragon mark, loathing her own power and calling it "the cursed seal."
Kira watched from the bridge as Akiza rampaged and then vanished from the square. He didn't intervene, nor did he immediately invite her to the tournament. If he gave her an invite now, she might accept—or not.
It didn't matter. Kira had a better plan to ensure her participation.
A proper villain needs a strategy.
For now, it was better to approach someone easier first.
…
Back at the Sectory Security, Kira headed to a forbidden area deep inside. Not many knew of its existence—a dark, lab-like room filled with weird instruments.
At its center, a tank filled with liquid and…a severed arm.
A human arm, chopped at the elbow, a dragon tattoo clearly visible. This was the "Head Mark," representing the leader Signer—the Crimson Dragon's totem head.
In the later part of the anime, the mark shifted to Yusei, owing to his heroism. Until then, the owner was Goodwin's elder brother, Roman, the first awakened Signer.
Roman had researched the perpetual motion engine with Yusei's father years ago. During the catastrophic Zero Reverse, which split New Domino and created the Satellite, Roman was swallowed by evil forces. Both Crimson Dragon and an evil god inhabited him, waging a contest for his body.
Driven to despair, Roman cut off his marked arm, entrusting it to Goodwin, and became the leader of the Dark Signers.
Although it was just an arm, the mark counted as collected. That, plus Yusei's acceptance for the Fortune Cup, now made two Signers.
Thirdly…
A call came in from Lazar, his vice chief. "The King is here, sir."
"Good," Kira replied, exiting the lab to the main hall. There, a tall, blonde man leaned back arrogantly on the couch.
Jack Atlas—the Number Two of 5D's, the King, the strongest duelist, and also a Signer.
"What's going on, Goodwin?" Jack frowned. "This clown says you invited Yusei—is that true?"
Lazar, called a clown, simply grinned slyly at his side.
"That duel between you and Fudo Yusei, the Satellite man, was noticed by everyone. We know the King has spent years looking for a worthy rival in New Domino, yet found none. Fudo Yusei is the one who can match you, isn't he?"
With that, Kira nodded to Lazar, who quickly handed Jack an envelope.
"I invited Yusei purely to satisfy the King's hunger for battle. After all, you've waited so long for this moment, haven't you?"
Jack was silent for a moment, then took the envelope, grunting, "This is for my dignity as a duelist—not for you, Goodwin."
Kira smiled. "Of course. Fight as you like, King."
Jack was in.
Three down, two to go.
Next up…
Kira looked outside at the tallest building in New Domino.
Akiza Izinski.