As the story progresses and the Earth-Bound Gods revive, the Dragon Sealers' hidden powers awaken one after another, pushing this war of destiny to its peak.
On the Dragon Sealer side, the main Grand General is naturally the orphan of Tongshiyi, the Satellite District's Superman, Yusei Fudo. Facing his good bro Kalin this time, Yusei doesn't even bother unscrewing any bolts; he goes straight into a lovers' quarrel-style brawl, and during the Duel unleashes the long-lost Duel King Secret Technique, "Mouth Escape." After a barrage of talking, he manages to shake Kalin's heart, who finally believes that Yusei hadn't betrayed him back then by reporting him to Security, and the two clear up their misunderstanding.
Of course, clearing up their misunderstanding doesn't stop Kalin from getting knocked straight back to the Underworld by a soul strike from Yusei's World-Saving Star Dragon.
Yes, World-Saving Star Dragon—the new ace Yusei printed live on the spot. This is probably the first time in 5DS that the Red Dragon Printing Machine actually started running. Yugen has already foreseen it: this battle basically kicks off Yusei's irreversible road of close cooperation with the Red Dragon Card Factory.
If Yusei's side is carrying on Yugi King's fine tradition of bromance blazing everywhere, then Jack's side is probably the least "Yugi King" episode of them all.
As a man capable of starting a harem in Yugi King, Jack shows off astonishing flirting talent in this battle, practically dragging the darkened Carly back from the Dark Markers' camp with something close to a confession.
There's a saying: a beating means you care, scolding means you love. After this ordeal, Jack and Carly are basically at the point where getting married on the spot wouldn't be surprising. Yet it's as if the scriptwriter suddenly slapped his forehead: hold up, this is Yugi King, isn't the plot starting to go in a weird direction?
So the scriptwriter hastily slapped on a setting that Dark Markers lose their memories after they finish their Duels, making Carly forget the whole Duel along with Jack's heartfelt lines.
However, by the later part of 5DS we'll discover that although they said all the Dark Markers lost their memories, Kalin and Poma and the rest all end up remembering; it seems only Carly, no matter what, can't recall what happened back then. She spends her days miserably circling Jack together with the other two harem members, finally enduring all the way to the finale only to be rewarded with Jack's famous line: "I want to become world champion; women and stuff just get in the way," and still can't remember she'd been only one step away from getting to home base.
If the scriptwriter claims he wasn't targeting anyone, even he probably wouldn't believe it.
But no matter what, Jack really does use his actions to explain what it means for a card nerd never to marry a partner—truly a role model for us all.
On Luna's side, with help from her brother Leo, she also manages to defeat the Dark Marker she's facing without incident, and successfully lifts the seal on her Ancient Fairy Dragon in the Elf Realm.
Lastly there's Akiza's side, where she's up against an international star model, Xiaowu. Xiaowu has fallen into being a Dark Marker believing that her younger brother was killed by the Witch Akiza Izinski, and seeks revenge on Akiza. But Akiza actually knows nothing about this; Xiaowu's brother died at Diwein's hands.
Yugen had already had this key intel sorted out and handed to Akiza ahead of time, so compared to the original story Akiza has the absolute initiative in this battle.
With Yugen's evidence, Akiza very quickly convinces Xiaowu that she's not the murderer who killed her brother, and the misunderstanding between the two is cleared.
Of course, the Evil God behind the Dark Markers isn't about to let its pawn go that easily. Seeing that the two have resolved their misunderstanding and it looks like they can't keep fighting, it personally logs in and takes over the account, overwriting Xiaowu's own consciousness to step in and play for her.
However, while this Evil God's forced-cool level is unknown, its card skills are really not that great. In the original story, it never managed a single win when taking over in endgames; its record is on the books—one glance and you can tell it's weak but loves to play.
So Akiza wins this battle even more easily than in the original, defeating the Dark Marker Xiaowu.
Aside from these four, the earliest Dark Marker Poma was the first to move out, choosing to flank around and directly cut down the enemy's gold medal support, attempting to take out Godwin, who was gathering the Dragon Sealers. Unfortunately, Poma still hasn't returned from that flank, and counting him, five Dark Markers are already dead.
Only one remains.
"..."
Satellite District, site of the old Perpetual Motion Machine.
Ludger Godwin is bracing himself against a wall, clutching his splitting head as sweat pours down.
At this moment, a voice rings out behind him.
"Looks like you're down to a one-man army now."
Ludger turns his head to see his younger brother from back then, Rex Godwin, standing behind him with his hands behind his back, smiling.
Ludger straightens up, steadying his ragged breathing, and says coldly, "You're not Rex."
Yugen nods and cheerfully admits, "Right, I'm not."
Ludger says darkly, "Then who exactly are you? What have you done with Rex?"
"You want to know? If you want to know..."
Yugen smiles and gestures at his Duel Disc.
"A Duel, huh?"
Ludger snorts.
"You, who aren't a Dragon Sealer, dare to challenge the power of the gods… fine. Once I win, I'll naturally strip away your true face."
"That's what I was going to say." Yugen says coolly. "Whether you're Dark Marker Ludger Godwin or Skeleton Knight Ludger Godwin—I'll also figure that out through this Duel."
Two same-position selves from different Dimensions, both named Ludger Godwin, yet with completely unrelated backgrounds and personalities. These two personalities have been fused into a single body; last time he appeared before Yugen he was the Skeleton Knight, but right now the one in control seems to be Dark Marker Ludger.
Hearing this, Ludger's face twists hideously. He grits his teeth for a moment, then waves his hand and shouts, "I am myself! Come on!"
"Duel!" x2
[Yugen, LP4000]
[Ludger, LP4000]
Yugen: "Then I'll take the first turn. Draw."
Yugen draws two cards in one go and sets one each in front and back, a standard opening.
"I set a Monster in face-down Defense Position in the front row, then set a card in the back row. Turn end."
Ludger: "My turn, draw!"
Ludger draws, then pinches a Magic card between two fingers and raises it overhead.
"Activate Field Spell 'Spider Web'!"
Purple crystal-like prisms thrust up from the ground, white spider threads weaving in the air into a huge web structure that occupies the entire Field.
"In this Spider Web Field, whenever any Monster on either side declares an attack, after the battle that attacking Monster must change to Defense Position."
Ludger says.
"And until the end phase of that controller's next own turn, that Monster cannot change its battle position."
Yugen: "So it's a Field that increases attack restrictions to a certain extent?"
"Correct. On the Spider Web Field, every attack must be made cautiously.
And the Monster best suited to this Field is this one.
When your opponent controls a Monster and you control none, this card can be Special Summoned from your hand."
Ludger reveals another card from his hand.
"I Special Summon Dark Adjustment Monster 'Spider Cocoon'!" (Original Card)
"Dark Adjustment," Yugen says coolly. "So you're going straight for Dark Synchro right from the start?"