Boom—
A blinding orange-red fireball suddenly erupted above the overpass. The shockwave twisted the guardrails on both sides, while burning metal fragments rained down onto the roadway below like a meteor shower. Thick smoke rose into the sky like a giant python, instantly blotting out half the heavens. The flames climbed even higher than the streetlights, bathing the steel bridge supports in the dark red glow of a furnace. Guardrails melted by the intense heat dripped liquid metal from the edge of the bridge, splashing sparks that carried the scent of sulfur across the lower road. The overpass looked like the entrance to hell. Fresh explosions flashed through the black smoke from time to time, tearing fleeting crimson cracks across the night sky.
Fudo Yusei's D-Wheel emerged from the direction of the towering inferno, its back turned toward the flames. He stopped at a safe distance beyond the wall of fire and looked back at the blaze, his expression somewhat somber.
His copy had self-destructed.
He had failed to stop him, barely managing to escape to a safe distance before the self-destruction countdown ended.
Yusei watched the orange-red flames for a moment, then lowered his gaze to the card in his hand—the Cosmic Blazar Dragon card that had only just been entrusted to him.
The final scene before his departure flashed through his mind again.
"Though it seems you haven't yet comprehended the highest level of Clear Mind, if it's you, it'll definitely only be a matter of time."
Copy Yusei had pressed the card into his hand.
"When that time comes, you'll definitely be able to wield this card freely."
"Go save your world and your companions, Fudo Yusei."
"..."
Yusei got off his D-Wheel and stood beneath the night sky, nearly dyed red by the flames. The hand