Chapter 49: First Synchro
Having his Life Points wiped in one strike, Akira unconsciously collapsed sitting on the ground.
Quintet Magician—as a Level 12 Fusion Monster, its attack power had reached a realm capable of shattering space.
This degree of direct attack, even with physical feedback through Duel Disk projection, would inevitably result in unconsciousness and serious injury if the duelist took a direct hit.
The truth was, the instant the attack was about to strike him, Akira had seemingly seen the word "death" floating before his eyes.
Yet at the final moment, the attack seemed to deflect.
The boy across from him had deliberately aimed off, letting Quintet Magician's magic power graze past his body and strike the wall behind.
Cold sweat dripped from Akira's brow as he turned back in disbelief.
The scene before his eyes—through the massive hole, the sky.
The boy had broken through the wall.
He'd pierced straight through this tower standing at the lower district's apex, blocking countless lower district duelists.
(("Because you accepted fate, you can't beat me."))
"I lost."
Akira was beaten—beaten in every sense.
Removing his police cap, putting away his Duel Disk, Akira sitting on the ground completely lacked an inspector's appearance—utterly just a slovenly middle-aged man.
The slovenly uncle habitually reached into his pocket for cigarettes. Only to discover the one just knocked away had been his last.
Looking at the empty cigarette pack, Akira's eyes seemed to change somewhat.
"Heh heh, even important people can misjudge. Stopping Amano Rei—for this uncle buried halfway in the ground, such a task was truly too cruel."
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"In recognition of defeating Inspector Akira... Mr. Amano, we're issuing you a special transit permit."
Completing supplementary procedures, Amano discovered the female officer who'd handled his security earlier now looked at him differently—even her voice trembled slightly with fear.
This was Level 12 Fusion's tactical nuclear deterrence?
Quintet Magician was indeed formidable, but without stealing Painful Choice—a truly broken banned card—current Amano could hardly Fusion Summon it.
Banned cards really were still the best.
"Honestly!" Finesse remained very dissatisfied. "Amano, I personally processed your transit permit—how could there possibly be problems!"
"The inspector said I offended someone important."
"Someone important?" Kikawayu's eyes rolled. "Amano Rei, where would you even have opportunities to offend any important people?"
"..." Amano's eyes narrowed slightly, looking meaningfully at Kikawayu.
"Wh-why are you looking at me?"
Hey, speaking of which—
Initially Amano couldn't figure out which important person he'd offended either.
But seeing you, Kikawayu—Amano suddenly had some recollection.
A month ago, wasn't there a high-ranking female brat who got so angry at your emotionally clueless comment that she ran away crying?
(("Amano Rei, you small fry! You remember this!"))
Very timely, a system notification appeared without warning.
[Kaiba Chiha] [Affection -1]
So it really was you! Remote affection deduction operations incoming.
[Affection change detected, skill reward distribution failed, please try again later.]
The reward bug was still stuck? No need to specifically remind me every single affection change.
"Inspector Akira!"
In an instant, Transit Tower's auxiliary officers handling complex cases collectively stood and saluted.
Clearly the inspector profession commanded considerable status and respect throughout Transit Tower.
After all, Transit Tower frequently encountered extremely dangerous immigrants. Ordinary officers were helpless—inspectors had to step in.
Akira seemed to have just finished a phone call, his slovenly demeanor intensifying as he walked straight toward Amano.
"What do you want?" Finesse stepped before Amano. "I advise you not to cause more trouble. The Wein Family isn't to be trifled with either."
"A misunderstanding, beautiful lady."
Don't say Akira's surface gave a slovenly impression—toward women he possessed British gentleman vibes.
"I have something to give Amano Rei."
"Give me?"
He hadn't raised this uncle's affection at all though?
Wait, wait—not everything required raised affection to receive rewards. The system's poisoned me deeply!
"A word in private."
"Sure."
Akira brought Amano back to the room where they'd dueled.
The two stood at the broken wall's edge, endless sky stretching before them.
Akira directly offered a cigarette.
"Don't smoke."
"Men who don't smoke lose half their life's pleasures in the latter half."
"Haven't reached that age yet."
"Hahaha, true. After all, youth has many pleasures."
Seeing Amano refuse his cigarette gesture, Akira simply lit one for himself.
"Uncle, what exactly do you want to give me?"
"Nothing particularly important. Mm, not important, not important."
While saying "not important," Akira opened his police-issue card case at his waist, drawing out a card.
If truly unimportant, Akira probably wouldn't grip it so tightly.
Could it be, Painful...
[Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth]
Well, obviously he couldn't give Painful Choice. Akira said that card was lent by someone important—naturally he'd have to return it.
"A Synchro Monster, why give it to me?"
"Hey hey hey, you want this uncle to say something sentimental? Don't ask too much—if you want it, just take it."
"If you're forcing it on me, I won't refuse."
Amano accepted the card from Akira's hands.
This was his first Synchro Monster?
How come even his Synchro Monster was the effect-less Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth? In a sense, also Vanilla.
Besides, Amano currently had no Tuner monsters—definitely couldn't Synchro Summon.
You'd be more useful giving me a Tuner instead.
However, Akira's Tuner monster Trap Eater could only Synchro Summon Warrior monsters—completely useless for his Dragon-focused Extra Deck.
Akira gazed toward the sky ahead, speaking again: "648 meters."
"What 648 meters?"
"648 meters—that's the lower district sky's height."
This trivia, Amano was hearing for the first time.
He'd only known Eden Tower's sky was fake, created by main AI Eva.
He hadn't realized the lower district where he'd lived eighteen years had a sky not even reaching one kilometer high.
Yet with only this 648-meter sky, Amano had never felt anything abnormal all these years.
"Within Eden, lower districts have the most population, the heaviest work, yet only deserve the lowest sky. But people living in lower districts complain about environment, complain about income—yet never complain about the sky's height."
"Uncle, you..."
"This world's true inequality is always hidden where ordinary people cannot see. Kid, before meeting you, I thought ordinary people's power fundamentally couldn't shake this rotten tower's order."
Akira tossed his half-burned cigarette toward the distant sky. Its ember struck the crack mark Quintet Magician had left, as if hitting an invisible wall, bouncing straight down.
"But if it's you, maybe you can do it."
"Amano Rei, promise me—never accept fate. Even if you witness deeper darkness above, remember—as long as you can strike a crack, light has the chance to enter."
This instant, Amano suddenly felt the slovenly uncle before him actually possessed some coolness.
Reaching into Akira's pocket to pull out that opened cigarette pack, Amano also wanted to look cool once, pretending as he placed a cigarette in his mouth.
"Of course I won't accept fate, uncle."
"Otherwise, how do you think I got here?"
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