Author's Note: Finally, the last chapter. Thank you to everyone reading this (especially those kind enough to leave a review).

I hope you've had as much fun as I did making this. :)

Chapter 37

Yusei almost lost control of his bike. The crowd roared in his ears as the reality hit him. The Master wanted to steal Crimson Dragon.

In a regular duel it would be impossible. There wasn't even a card for the mythical monster. It was only something that had been held by the Signers until now. But, like all duel monsters, even it had to abide by the rules.

This whole thing had never been about this race. Never been about Yusei or Jack. Never even been about the Signers. It had all been a plot to steal the unstealable. And it looked like it was going to work.

"Crimson Dragon, direct attack," the Master ordered.

Yusei stared at the red jaws of what had once been his most trustworthy ally.

There was a brief moment of hesitation in the creature as it faced its original owner. And then it was gone. The jaws closed around Yusei and the pain set in.

Yusei screamed as the damage tore through him. The Dragon's fire seared his clothes and sunk into his skin, seeping into his mind like lava and ripping into old wounds with almost sentient intent. His legs flared into crisp agony before completely going numb and his midsection felt as if every bone had melted. The grim reaper closed a hand around his neck.

The world went dark. Yusei clung to his bike in the oppressive black, his entire body asking for relief. Warped sound filtered through the blanketing dark but Yusei couldn't make anything out. A part of him wanted to give in. Crimson Dragon was gone. Even his own monsters had turned on him. There was nothing left but more pain.

He was so tired. So sore. So broken.

What was the point of going on?

How does it feel to be hurt by your best friend?

The mantra began again and the words spiralled down, taking his consciousness with him.

"-sei…"

"Yusei..."

"Yusei."

The insistent cry drowned his doubts and he opened his eyes to a blurry world.

"Yusei!"

The call continued and Yusei sluggishly searched his surroundings for the source.

"YUSEI!"

There. Someone familiar stood out amongst the hazed figured. Yusei squinted.

Jack.

His best friend.

Jack's tense frame came into sharp focus and Yusei studied him closely. Saw the exhaustion. Saw the fear. Saw the desperation. All the things Jack had fought through to win. All the things Yusei was facing now.

Crow stood next to Jack, mouth open and shoulders braced as he almost leaned out of the stands in anxiety.

Aki was next: watching with arms crossed and a determined certainty on her face.

Luka and Luna were right nearby, eyebrows up and hands clasped together as they gripped each other for security.

His friends. The people who had stood by him all this time. The ones who had waited for him. Who had trained with him. Who had fought for him. Who had saved him.

Yusei couldn't let them down. Not yet. Not before it was over for good.

He straightened on his bike and gritted his teeth as he put his battered form to work reaching for his new card. He was down to 700 life points and one card. Not the best odds. But it wasn't over. Not yet.

He had to believe.

"Draw!" he gasped out.

He looked down at his final two cards and let out a breath.

Now it was over.

"I play Dust Tornado. This card lets me destroy any one of my opponent's cards that are on the field. I choose Snatch Steal!"

The Master's handcrafted card shattered.

"No!" he yelled.

Yusei let a weary smile take over as Crimson Dragon returned to his side.

"NO!" The Master yelled and he rammed his bike into Yusei's.

A siren sounded for illegal contact but there wasn't anything anyone could do to interfere. The Master snatched at Yusei's last card.

"NO! I won't let it end! I will win! The Crimson Dragon will be mine!"

Yusei disengaged and huddled close to his bike as he upped his speed to the fastest level.

"Finally, I play The Warrior Returning Alive and I summon Junk Destroyer from my Graveyard."

The card discarded from his extra deck at the start of his turn jutted out from his duel disk and he drew it with flourish.

"Junk Destroyer and Crimson Dragon, direct attack!" he ordered.

His monsters turned on the Master and his expression twisted into one of profound anger.

"NO!" he screamed as the monsters attacked.

The Master's life points dropped to zero and his wheel exploded. The Master toppled to the ground and slammed into the wall.

The crowd gasped in horror but the Master coughed and turned onto his side within seconds.

"Yusei wins!" the announcer screamed into the megaphone as police streamed onto the field and clasped cuffs onto the Master.

Yusei slowed as the crowd surged forward but he couldn't bring himself to stop. He wasn't sure he could get off his bike. Everything hurt. His legs were held in place by the wheel straps but he wasn't sure he would be able to move them if he stopped. The world around him didn't seem real and he swayed on his bike as it dropped below sustainable speeds.

Strong hands steadied him and more pulled him from the bike.

"Yusei? Yusei? Are you ok?"

Yusei peered up at his friends as they crowded over him.

He smiled and held up a fist.

"I won," he declared weakly.

The reactions of his friends were varied but they all put in a fist to meet his.

It was over and all was as it was meant to be.

-The End-