THORN OF THE ROSE PART II

[Caius' Perspective]

Catch up. Akiza challenged me to a duel, I forfeited, and she sent Luna home, now she's bearing down on me in my own home with a psycho look on her face.

"To the victor go the spoils... Now Caius..." Her tone is almost sing-song, taunting. It's like looking into the eyes of a spider. Terrifying... I'm frozen. I have to move... Move! Move Dammit!

My legs finally accept the signal and I leap backward just as she reaches for my throat, barely managing to escape her grip.

"Akiza... Before you tear my balls off, let's use words... What do you want?"

"Well I am claiming my prize for victory"

"And that is..?"

"I want..." She turns as red as her hair, then grabs my collar and pulls me into a hug... Unexpected. She looked like she wanted to surgically replace my stomach with live explosives... "I want you to take me on a date... Now..."

"My, my Master. She is quite smitten with you it seems?" Beelze says playfully in my mind, I just wave her off and pry myself from Akiza's grip.

"You... Want me to take you to lunch?"

Akiza nods.

"Now? Like right now?"

She nods again.

"You're not going to kill me?"

"So long as you behave yourself"

"Don't you have a thing for Yusei?"

"GOD NO! Don't even know him that well. Just get your coat and come on..."

She turns and walks out. I just do as I'm told, grab my jacket, wallet, and follow her out into the city; I can already feel the heat in my cheeks...

[Blaze's Perspective]

I look into Aeon's eyes and see something off.

"You okay Aeon? You're looking a little pale..." I glance outside and see a redhead, that Akiza from the Fortune Cup... And behind her is... Aeon's friend, Caius.

"I'm fine" He says without looking up. "I just need to ask someone about something"

"Who? Your friend, Caius?"

He nods. "Yeah, just as soon as he's out and about... He's not feeling too great"

I can't help but chuckle as I point out the window to the white headed champion across the street.

"He looks alright to me"

[Caius' Perspective]

Akiza leads me through the streets, past a cafe and an arcade, toward the beach. She stops by a bench and points to it.

"Sit."

I decide that doing as I'm told is better than the alternative, I sit down and she sits beside me, pressing her shoulder against mine.

"Do you hate me Caius?"

"No, why would I?"

"Are you gay?" She tilts her head at me.

"No that's Aeon" I respond before the thought catches up with me.

"Then why don't you date someone? You have the looks!" She seems sincere. I can't believe her though.

"The one I'm interested in... Is out of my league"

"Bullshit! You are probably out of hers!" She punches my arm and glares at me.

I roll my eyes and look at Akiza, speaking the only things I can think to say. "She can do better, so could anyone else"

There's a sharp sound and it takes a couple of seconds before the slap registers in my brain, Akiza is glaring at me angrily, but the slap doesn't really hurt, like she was holding back.

"Duel me again Caius. Properly. No surrendering."

"Why? What do you get out of it?" I rub my cheek where she slapped me.

"A point gets proven... Please Caius. Let me prove my point"

"Fine... but let's go to a private place, I'd rather my deck stays a secret..."

She nods and grabs my wrist as she stands, pulling me to my feet, she then starts walking down the street, I follow and after a little bit I check my phone as I hear the text come through, it's from Aeon...

'Karen at the Arcade, where are you birds at?'

I wince, Akiza notices, she walks over and glances at my phone.

"Who's Karen?" She looks confused about it.

"Karen is a blanket term for an entitled bitch... A narcissist."

"Oh... So Aeon just encountered one?"

I nod and send a reply. He's not bringing a Karen to me.

Akiza then nudges me through a door, her apartment. She heads into the main area of it and turns to face me.

"We'll duel here. What do you want to happen if you win? Me leaving you alone?"

"No I want you to answer my questions. What about you? Another date?"

"No I'll tell you what I want when I win"

"So be it.."

DUEL START: CAIUS VS AKIZA

"Ladies first?" I offer.

"No doubt! Draw!"

A moment of silence as she looks at her hand, then smiles. Not good.

"I begin by summoning Clear Rose Dragon!"

Clear Rose Dragon: Lv 4, DARK, ATK 1700

It's like one of her little Rose Dragons, but it's completely transparent.

"When I normal summon it, I get to draw a card! Then since I control a Rose monster that isn't Heart Rose Dragon, I can summon it from my hand!"

Heart Rose Dragon: Lv 3, DARK, ATK 700

I think I just broke. That's not a dragon. That's a miniature Akiza with Black Rose Dragon's wings on her back... wearing a Rose Petal Bikini...

"Stop staring Caius!"

"Uh.."

"I said stop! I tune Heart Rose Dragon with Clear Rose Dragon!"

"A cold flame envelops the world! Black flower bloom!
Synchro Summon!
Black Rose Dragon!"

Black Rose Dragon: Lv 7, FIRE, ATK 2400

"I promise I wasn't staring.." I mutter as Akiza's mark ignites in crimson light.

"Shut up Caius! I play the spell Seed of Deception, to summon Copy Plant from my hand!"

Copy Plant: Lv 1, WIND, DEF 0

"Then I return it to my hand to summon Fallen Angel of Roses!"

Fallen Angel of Roses: Lv 7, EARTH, ATK 2400

"Then I set a card, activate Black Garden and end my turn!"

TURN CHANGE: CAIUS

"Draw!"

I look over my hand and chuckle. This field spell won't hinder me this time.

"I am not going to lose this one Akiza! I set my pendulum scale with Scale 0 Ignis of the Diabolic Dragons and Scale 8 Ventus of the Diabolic Dragons! Then I destroy your field spell with Mystical Space Typhoon!"

P-Scale, Caius: 0,8

Probability of me winning, 80% I guess. Three cards in hand, all monsters.

"Swing far pendulum! Shatter the bonds of past and future! Bring me victory! I pendulum summon Aqua of the Diabolic Dragons, Abi of the Diabolic Maidens, and Aether of the Diabolic Dragons!"

Abi of the Diabolic Maidens: Lv 1, DARK, ATK 100

Aqua of the Diabolic Dragons: Lv 3, DARK, ATK 1800

Aether of the Diabolic Dragons: Lv 5, DARK, ATK 2000

Her garden would be a burden, that's why I destroyed it...

"When I summon Aether, its ability summons Sa'an from my deck!"

Sa'an of the Diabolic Maidens: Lv 3, DARK, ATK 1000

"Now-"

"Hold on Caius! I play a trap! Blooming of the Darkest Rose! It grows a rose token on either field for each field spell in my grave! I choose my side!"

Rose Token: Lv 2, DARK, ATK 800

"Don't know why you did that... I tune Abi to Aqua! Synchro Summon Level 4! I call my Abaddon of the Diabolic Dragons!"

Abaddon of the Diabolic Dragons: Lv 4, DARK, ATK 2000

"Since i used Abi to summon Abaddon, her ability gives me 1000 bonus life points!"

CAIUS LP: +1000 = 9000

"Now I tune Sa'an to Aether!"

"Rise up from the great depths of nothing! Overcome the enemy and vanquish light!
Synchro Summon Level 8!
Beelze of the Diabolic Dragons!"

Beelze of the Diabolic Dragons: Lv 8, DARK, ATK 3000

The arm mark on my arm starts to glow again, but brighter than normal.

"Akiza, it's your turn."

TURN CHANGE: AKIZA

"Draw! I will end you Caius! The same way I did before! I summon Diabolic Maiden!"

Diabolic Maiden: Lv 1, DARK, ATK 0

"I tune Maiden to Rose Token and Black Rose Dragon!"

"Now witness it, our shared strength taking a divine form for the ultimate blooming rose!
Synchro Summon! Level 10!
Infernal Rose Dragon!"

Infernal Rose Dragon: Lv 10, DARK, ATK 3000

"Now all other cards on the field are banished!"

"My monsters will evade that ability Akiza!"

"How?!"

"Abaddon lets me tune it with another monster during your turn! I tune Abaddon and Beelze together to Synchro Summon!"

I glance down at my arm as my two monsters merge together, it's turned gold...

"Shatter my chains. Free my soul. Become the shining absolute principle!
Level 12! ACCEL SYNCHRO!
Diabolic Absolution Dragon!"

Diabolic Absolution Dragon: Lv 12, DARK, ATK 2000

"It's weak... And banished"

"Not true, Absolution Dragon is unaffected by your cards' effects, furthermore... Watch"

Diabolic Absolution Dragon ATK: +1000*2 +500*4 = 6000

"My scales are banished, but for each of the two synchros in my grave, Absolution gains 1000 Attack points. Then another 500 for each pendulum monster in my extra deck..."

"That's a strong monster..."

"And I do recall, your rose dragon banishes itself too and summons back Black Rose Dragon"

Black Rose Dragon: Lv 7, FIRE, ATK 2400

"Your dragon against my pinnacle Akiza."

"I choose to swap my Black Rose Dragon with Infernal Rose Dragon..."

Infernal Rose Dragon: Lv 10, DARK, DEF 3000

"So be it"

"Turn end..."

TURN CHANGE: CAIUS

"Draw. I summon Ventus of the Diabolic Dragons."

Ventus of the Diabolic Dragons: Lv 4, DARK, ATK 500

"Ventus adds a diabolic maiden to my hand, then by shearing off 500 points i can summon it! So come forth Lia"

CAIUS LP: -500 = 8500

Lia of the Diabolic Maidens: Lv 3, DARK, ATK 1500

"Now I tune Lia to Ventus! Synchro Summon!"

Diabolic Absolution Dragon ATK: +500*2 = 7000

"Come forth! Lilith of the Diabolic Dragons!"

Lilith of the Diabolic Dragons: Lv 7, DARK, ATK 2500

"Then her ability! When she's summoned, a card on the field is destroyed! Goodbye Rose Dragon!"

"Well then Caius... You win?"

"Lilith! Attack!"

AKIZA LP: -2500 = 5500

"Absolution Dragon! Crimson Infinity Wave!"

AKIZA LP: -7000 = 0

CAIUS WINS

The blast from the attack throws Akiza back through a doorway. I immediately run toward her, that shouldn't have happened!

"Akiza?!"

She landed on her bed thankfully, she's not moving, but she's glaring at me, tears in her eyes, she just doesn't want to move...

"Idiot..." She says quietly.

My phone buzzes, I missed a call from Estelle, I put the phone to my ear and listen to the voicemail.

"Caius? You there? I'm with Aeon, there were dark signers, three of them. Was on a date with Yusei, they interrupted rather rudely, Yusei had to chase after one, apparently he got away, the other two chased me here to him. We won, just letting you know to watch your back."

End of the message... But I'll be honest I lost interest after she mentioned the date with Yusei... Akiza looks at me and I think reads my expression. She moves to one side of the bed and pats the empty space beside her.

"Tell me about it. Come lay down..."

I make the stupid mistake of lying down beside her; she's almost immediately on top of me and pinning me down.

"Akiza..?"

"Shut up. Just shut up. I know you won but just stay put..."

She lies down on top of me and hugs me, I really can't tell whether she wants to kill me or not...

"What did you want if you won..."

"This... So please can we just stay put a while..?"

"Okay..." This is probably a mistake. But she seems depressed about something, and I am too so I think I'll stay here with her for a while...

She sighs happily and giggles. Aeon must never find out about this...

"So about that monster in the bikini?"

-SLAP-