Chapter 974: Suspect Jack Atlas

Public Security Maintenance Bureau, Control Room.

On the massive floating projection screen, the image flickered in the darkness.

It was the high-speed racing circuit above the city, with neon lights tracing flowing ribbons of light through the night. Two D-Wheels were speeding at an astonishing pace, the roar of their engines audible even in the recording.

One of the D-Wheels was silver-white, its metallic-sheened rims gleaming under the lights.

It was the "Wheel of Fortune," the signature vehicle of the former King, Jack Atlas.

"This is last night's surveillance footage," the technician quickly pulled up the data. "The location is the East District High-Speed Loop, time is approximately 2:15 AM."

Fujiki You Xuan stood before the screen, arms crossed, his gaze locked on the footage. The capable, long-legged Special Investigation Division Chief, Kiryu Xiaowu Xiaowu Shenying, stood beside him. It was her phone call that had summoned him to this control room.

In the recording, Jack's D-Wheel cut through a corner with a near-perfect arc, while another black D-Wheel clung tightly behind him. Judging from the video, the two were clearly engaged in a Turbo Duel.

"Who is the pilot of the other D-Wheel?" Fujiki You Xuan asked.

"It seems to be another WRGP participant, but that's not the point," Xiaowu Xiaowu Shenying said. "Let's just look at the outcome of this duel."

The technician fast-forwarded the footage to the end of the duel.

The scene on the floating projection screen suddenly turned intense.

Jack Atlas's manic laughter almost pierced through the recording as he raised his arm, his Duel Disk erupting with a scarlet glow—

"Shatter! 'Red Dragon Archfiend'—Direct Attack!!"

In an instant, crimson flames ignited in the night sky! The massive demonic dragon spread wings that blotted out the sky, lava-like patterns flowing between its scales. It roared as it dove, its claws wreathed in high-temperature hellfire, striking the pilot of the black D-Wheel!

"Argh—!"

Flames, seemingly substantial, erupted from beneath the Red Dragon Archfiend's claws, striking the D-Wheel directly. The black machine shook violently, losing its balance at high speed, its tires grinding against the track to produce blinding sparks.

The opponent's Life Points hit zero, and the front of the D-Wheel had already burst into a massive cloud of steam, representing the stall of its onboard perpetual motion engine, as it began to decelerate sharply. Yet Jack laughed wildly, showing absolutely no intention of holding back.

"It's not over yet!"

He twisted the throttle hard, and the "Wheel of Fortune's" engine let out a beastly roar as the white chassis slammed into his opponent like a battle-axe!

"Bang—!!"

Amidst the violent sound of metal colliding, the black D-Wheel lost all control, tumbling as it smashed into the guardrail! The pilot was thrown clear, his body rolling repeatedly across the track before finally slamming into the isolation wall, motionless.

Jack braked his D-Wheel, glanced back, and a cold arc curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Hmph, pathetic."

—Inside the control room, the air nearly froze.

Fujiki You Xuan raised an eyebrow.

"Huo, the former King really has a fiery temper," Fujiki You Xuan remarked. "That probably goes beyond the scope of a normal duel." At that moment, Xiaowu Xiaowu Shenying hurriedly spoke up: "Chief, that's what I wanted to say. The person in this recording... I don't think it's necessarily Jack!"

Fujiki You Xuan: "Oh?"

"It doesn't make sense," Xiaowu Xiaowu Shenying's voice was tighter than usual. "Jack Atlas is not that kind of person."

Fujiki You Xuan shifted his gaze from the screen to her, examining the beautiful investigation chief with a playful look. "The recording doesn't lie. He intentionally rammed his opponent; that is a fact."

"But Jack has absolutely no motive to do such a thing!" Xiaowu Xiaowu Shenying stepped forward, pulling up Jack's recent activity logs. "I've been by Jack's side ever since he first came to New Tongshiye; I know Jack. He values the honor of a duel more than anyone. Such underhanded tactics simply don't fit his character."

She swiped quickly across the data panel, her fingertips tracing blue arcs in the air: "And look, on the afternoon of the day this duel took place, Jack's team, 5Ds, had just finished a WRGP preliminary match. Logically, he should have been resting—"

Fujiki You Xuan: "Then have you taken statements from the others on Team 5Ds? Does he have an alibi?"

"This..." Xiaowu Xiaowu Shenying looked away. "I asked, but they said Jack had been alone since the match and no one saw him—"

Fujiki You Xuan spread his hands: "Then that means there's no evidence. So, Investigation Chief Xiaowu Xiaowu Shenying, are you saying you want to assert Jack's innocence based on your own personal bias?"

Xiaowu Xiaowu Shenying blushed, biting her lip as she stared at the floor, momentarily speechless.

The control room fell into a brief silence. The technicians exchanged glances, none daring to interject.

Fujiki You Xuan watched her reaction, finding it amusing. In truth, he knew the perpetrator in the video likely wasn't Jack. He vaguely recalled a similar plot from the anime—a robotic replica that had copied Jack's personality and Deck, yet was surprisingly even more skilled than the original, impersonating Jack to cause trouble everywhere and framing him for arrest.

But the problem was, in the anime, that was a conspiracy by the Three Emperors of Iliaster, using Zone's technology to create the Jack replica. However, Fujiki You Xuan was now partners with Zone, and he was the new Emperor of Iliaster. If this fake Jack was also created by Iliaster just like in the anime, why didn't he, the Emperor, know about it?

Thus, Fujiki You Xuan naturally associated this with the replica of Breo he had just encountered.

Could it be the same group of enemies?

Although Kiryu Xiaowu Xiaowu Shenying had no evidence to prove Jack's innocence, she was a veteran member of Jack's harem, a fanatical fan of his who had called him "Lord Atlas" intimately back when he was the Duel King. Now that Jack was in trouble, she was pulling out all the stops to try and clear his name.

Of course, Xiaowu Xiaowu Shenying also knew the gravity of the situation.

Jack's Wheel of Fortune was the only one of its kind in the world, a fact known to everyone. And the video showed that very Wheel of Fortune.

Then there was the Red Dragon Archfiend. As Jack's signature dragon as a Signer, no one else could command it. The appearance of his ace monster in the video was another decisive piece of evidence.

Precisely because of such compelling evidence, the Public Security Maintenance Bureau had no choice but to act immediately, and Jack had already been arrested from the residence of Yusei and the others, currently being held in a nearby detention center awaiting sentencing.

Kiryu Xiaowu Xiaowu Shenying had only contacted Fujiki You Xuan after learning of Jack's arrest, hoping to plead with the Chief to buy Jack some time so she could arrange an investigation and attempt to prove his innocence.

But unfortunately, things did not go as planned.

Before she could even plead with the Chief, another piece of bad news arrived.

It was an emergency communication from the detention center. A security officer appeared on the control room projection, saying hurriedly: "It's—it's bad, Chief! The suspect, Jack Atlas... has escaped from custody and his whereabouts are unknown!"

Kiryu Xiaowu Xiaowu Shenying felt a sudden roar in her brain, nearly blacking out from the shock.

(End of Chapter)