We're five reviews away from the next shout-out! Make sure to review, and maybe YOU will become the winner!
Disclaimer: I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!
Chapter 6: Day before the Fortune Cup
I made myself some breakfast and lunch with the few ingredients Blister had in the kitchenette. I decided to try cleaning the apartment a bit because it was dirty and some things were unorganized. I started with Blister's desk and threw away some trash that was lying around. I also washed some coffee mugs that still had some cold and old coffee.
For the rest of the day, I wrote in my notebook and added a new diary entry while listening to some songs on my smartphone with earphones. I had Blister's spare cell phone in the pocket of my jacket the entire time, so I could answer fast if he were to call.
I didn't hear anything from him until the evening. The clock was close to 7 p.m. and neither he nor Yusei were back. I was just about to make some dinner when the cell phone began ringing. I fished it up and saw it was Blister, so I answered it.
"Hello?"
"Estelle, it's me", Blister's voice said. "I'm afraid Yusei and I'll come back late tonight, so don't stay up and wait for us."
"Is Yusei in trouble already?"
"I don't know; I've just hacked into the system of the impound center to see how things are going. I did see a group of Securities enter the center from the back, including that friend of yours, so I fear it's not going to be an easy ride."
"Whatever happens, be careful and look after Yusei."
"I will, and don't worry 'bout us. Crap, I need to put down the phone! I'll call back later!"
With that, Blister ended the call before I heard the hooting noise in the cell phone. I ended the call before flipping the cell phone shut and put it back in the jacket. For a moment, I couldn't help but wonder if Yusei would encounter the twins, Leo and Luna, just as in the anime. And if he did, was he going to suffer from amnesia as in the American version or not?
I shook my head, trying not to think so negatively. Things would hopefully end up on the correct path.
XXXXXXXXXX – Yusei's POV
I had quite the adventure in the last twenty-four hours. First, I had an encounter with Trudge in the impound center when I retrieved my Duel Runner and was forced to Turbo Duel him. Then I crashed by the place called Tops so hard that I lost consciousness and suffered from amnesia. Luckily, I was found by a pair of young twins named Leo and Luna who took me in and kept me safe in their home from Sector Security. Their parents were away, so I could stay for a while, although I wanted to leave first so I wouldn't put them in danger due to my criminal mark. Leo helped me regain my memories by having a Duel, which I won. I had to say, Leo had the potential to become a good Duelist, but he had to learn to improvise and adapt to his opponent.
In the late night, a few hours after dinner, the twins had gone to their bedrooms to sleep. I stayed in the living room for a while to fix both their Duel Disks as thank you for looking after me. I always kept some tools in a hidden compartment on my Duel Runner. The twins' Duel Disks were adult-sized, so I removed some parts to make them smaller and easier to carry on their arms.
I left their Duel Disks and the spare parts on the coffee table before leaving the house. I rolled my Runner into the elevator and made to it to the ground floor without encountering another resident of the Tops. I looked around for a moment to see if Sector Security was around and drove off when the coast was clear.
Or so I thought.
Trudge showed up on his Duel Runner again and wanted to drag me back to the Facility when the headlights of a limousine shone upon us. A short figure with lavender hair, makeup that resembled a clown, and dressed in a fancy outfit stepped out of the vehicle that was marked with the emblem of Sector Security.
"Officer Trudge", the clown, who I assumed was a man, spoke up. "Aren't you supposed to be guarding the Candles and Calendars Kiosk at the outer rim mall?"
"I didn't get your name, short stack", Trudge growled.
The clown held out a badge that clearly said "Sector Security". "Special Deputy Lazar Yeager. I work for the Director General, and I outrank you, sorry", he introduced himself before chuckling.
"How come I've never heard of you?" Trudge asked, surprised.
"I'm on official business, Officer Trudge", Lazar told him. "I would advise you to leave the area immediately."
"This punk's a menace!" Trudge yelled furiously while pointing at me. "He stole that Duel Runner from the impound center! He should-"
"Officer", Lazar interrupted with a strict and straight voice. "There's very little room in the city for street-beat cops who don't know their place or when to shut their mouths."
I held back a small smile when I saw the look on Trudge's face before he left us while muttering profanities. "So what official business are you on?" I asked Lazar once we were alone.
Lazar pulled out two white envelopes from his coat while walking over to me. "Delivery for Fudo Yusei and Ms. Estelle Malmström."
I took the envelopes and saw they had the same emblem as the letter Leo showed me before; of how his sister Luna got invited to this Fortune Cup thing. But that wasn't what caught my attention the most.
Lazar had added a photo of Rally, Nervin, Blitz, and Tank in my hideout in the Satellite! They were all smiling and seemed to have a conversation, not knowing someone had spied on them and snapped the picture.
"We'd like for you and your female friend to participate in the Fortune Cup", Lazar informed me. "If just one of you refuses, the four people you see in that photograph will pay the penalty for the rogue actions you took in obtaining that Runner."
I held back a growl as anger shook through my body. Did Goodwin sink so low he was now threatening to hurt my friends if Estelle and I didn't participate in the Fortune Cup?
"Have a good evening", Lazar said with mirth as he returned to the limousine.
I almost crunched the invitation letters in my other hand as I glared at the retiring limousine. This was going too far. I felt like Goodwin was playing around with me now. First, he wanted to give me a pamper life outside of the Facility, and when I didn't accept the offer, he turned around and left with a hidden warning. Now, he was playing the card to bribe me into Dueling in the Fortune Cup for the sake of my friends' safety.
I looked over my shoulder when I heard footsteps approach me. I thought it was Trudge again, but my shoulders sank in relief when I saw it was Blister.
"Glad to see you're okay, Yusei", Blister said with a small smile. "What happened after you got out of the impound center?"
I put away the photo and the invitation letters inside my jacket. "I drove through a horde of Securities who hit me and my Duel Runner with batons. I kept my eyes close and couldn't see where I was going until I crashed at the Tops and blacked out."
"Man, that's rough", Blister grimaced. "Glad to see you came out in one piece. But how come you weren't kicked out of the place?"
"A pair of twins found me and took me in and my Runner and kept me safe in their home."
"Huh… That's pretty unexpected. The rich folks are usually very hostile towards people from the Satellite or those who have a marker. But what's the thing about the Fortune Cup? You were invited or somethin'?"
"You could say it like that."
"I see… Well, let's head back to my place", Blister shrugged. "Someone over there's pretty worried about you."
I hoped Estelle didn't worry so much about me, but questions started piling up inside me. Lazar said her last name was Malm-something. Did she have a different nationality, like she originally came from Europe? Her last name sounded very Germanic, considering those unknown words she would sometimes say in a whisper when she thought I didn't hear her.
XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV
My heart sang in relief when Blister called and told me he and Yusei were finally coming back. He explained briefly what happened to Yusei after he crashed by the Tops area and how a pair of twins looked after him. I had a huge feeling it was Leo and Luna, so everything seemed to go according to the anime.
I waited outside of the apartment building for Blister and Yusei. It was late at night, but I was like one meter from the building if I needed to run inside for safety. I had seen different kinds of people while I had been staying in Blister's apartment whenever I looked through the windows. Many of them smoked weed and used drugs even during daytime, which was disgusting to me.
I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard the familiar sounds of Duel Runner engines. I looked to my right and saw the headlights of two Runners in the darkness. I squinted to see who they were as they came closer. My eyes widened in relief when I realized they were Yusei and Blister.
"Welcome back, you two", I greeted them as I walked closer to them.
"Sorry it took some time", Blister chuckled as he removed his helmet. "Trouble came and went unexpectedly."
I nodded to him before I turned to Yusei. "Are you okay, Yusei? I heard from Blister you crashed with your Runner after you escaped from the impound center."
"Yeah, that was a very rough crash, but I'm fine now", Yusei nodded as he got off his Duel Runner before removing the helmet.
"You still need to rest for just in case", I pointed out with a slight strict voice.
"She's right, and I've got the perfect place for you, Yusei", Blister spoke up as he walked over to a closed garage door at the apartment building before opening it. "You'll be safe here until the Fortune Cup." Yusei backed his Duel Runner inside the small and slightly empty garage while Blister turned on the lights, revealing a couch with a coffee table next to it, desk with a laptop, two collapsible chairs, and tools and equipment for Duel Runners. "Not quite five stars, but it's got all the creature comforts you would except from this part of town; cockroaches, mice, stray cats."
"Even spiders?" I asked, feeling a bit ill by the thoughts of those eight-legged creatures.
"Yes, some spiders too", Blister confessed.
"I'm out. Bye", I said half-serious and half-sarcastically before backing out of the garage, but stayed in front of it.
"Thanks… I think", Yusei thanked Blister hesitantly.
"I decorated the place myself", Blister added before he became serious. "Now, get some rest. You still haven't recovered from that fall you took. And if you plan on Dueling and winning the Fortune Cup, you'll need a clear head."
"I'll rest, Blister, when our friends are safe", Yusei told him before he joined me outside of the garage, but he turned his eyes on the tall Sector Security building in the far distance.
"I hear ya, Yusei, but you're no good to anybody if you don't have all your strength", Blister retorted calmly.
"Don't worry. I heal real quick", Yusei assured.
XXXXXXXXXX
Yusei decided to sleep in the garage to guard his Duel Runner, in case Sector Security would try reclaiming it. I stayed in Blister's apartment and got to sleep on the couch while Blister had his own small bedroom where he slept. I woke up early in the morning by the sunlight again. When I checked the clock, I saw it was a bit past 8 a.m. This was around the time Yusei would usually wake up. I washed myself and prepared some breakfast for both me and Yusei. When I finished eating, and quite fast too, I put on my satchel and carried a tray with Yusei's breakfast down the stairs of the apartment building until I reached the door that led to Blister's garage.
I knocked on the door with my foot, since I had my hands full. "Yusei? Are you awake?"
It took a few seconds before the door opened by Yusei who had removed his jacket and gloves. I couldn't help but eye his slightly muscled arms for a second before snapping out of it before he could realize what I was doing.
"Good morning", I greeted him with a small smile, trying to ignore my warm cheeks. "I brought you some breakfast."
"Thanks, Estelle", Yusei replied before he grabbed the tray.
I followed Yusei down to the garage, seeing he had already begun fixing his Duel Runner. Tools were spread around the motorcycle while wires were connected to it with the laptop. Yusei sat down on the couch and ate his breakfast while I sat down next to him, placing my satchel between my legs. I opened it and pulled out my notebook and began writing a bit. It was mostly doodles and some drawings now, since I had written a lot in the last few days. I wanted to save the remaining empty pages for diary entries and other stuff.
Yusei thanked me for the breakfast before he resumed his work on the Duel Runner. However, before that, he gave me a letter that was an invitation for the Fortune Cup, and a photo of our friends back at the Satellite. He told me Lazar had threatened that our friends would get hurt if we didn't participate. Anger rose within me when I heard how Goodwin was now starting to use force to manipulate us and treat us like the pawns in a game of chess.
Blister joined us half an hour later and sat down on the empty spot of the couch while drinking a mug of coffee. "So what exactly did that purple-haired freak say to you about Dueling in the Fortune Cup?" he asked Yusei.
Yusei lowered his shoulders before he picked up his invitation letter from his jacket that was hanging at the back of his Runner. "It's not what he said, but what he showed me."
He threw the letter to Blister who caught it with ease. He put aside the cup he had and opened the envelope, finding not only the invitation but also the picture of Rally, Nervin, Blitz, and Tank.
"So these're your friends, huh?" Blister questioned.
"Yeah, and if Estelle and I don't show up to the Fortune Cup, Goodwin said that they'd pay the price", Yusei answered as he went back to work on his Runner.
"Sounds like something Goodwin would do", Blister stated. "If it's not a bribe, it's a threat. Your friends are in the Satellite?"
"Yes", I nodded.
"Ah man…", Blister muttered before taking another look at the photo. "Listen. I wanna help you out." Both Yusei and I turned to him as he stood up. "I'll check on them and make sure nothing bad happens."
"You can get to the Satellite?" Yusei asked in slight disbelief.
Blister chuckled as he walked toward the stairs out of the garage. "I can get anywhere, Yusei. Now, don't worry, you'll be back with your buds in no time."
XXXXXXXXXX
After an hour or so, I decided to stretch my legs a bit and left Yusei in the garage. I went up to Blister's apartment to get a glass of water, only to get a big surprise. Tanner and Yanagi had showed up and were talking to Blister when I stepped into the apartment.
"Hey, Estelle", Blister said as the two new faces turned around to see me. "These two met Yusei while he was in the Facility. Tanner and Yanagi."
"Hiya, lass!" Yanagi grinned widely.
"Hi", I nodded shyly. "I'm Estelle. Thank you for looking after Yusei."
"So you're that gal Yusei told us about, huh?" Tanner asked with a slight smirk. "He was pretty worried 'bout you the whole time."
"Pardon?" I blinked my eyes, not expecting to hear that.
"Yeah, he spoke so highly of you as if you were his girlfriend!" Yanagi giggled like a high school girl. "When I asked him if you were, he said no, but his cheeks went all red!"
I couldn't help but blush at that comment, but then I giggled softly when I heard that Yusei went all shy when he had answered the question.
"Is Yusei 'round? I'd like to say hi to him", Tanner said.
"He's in the garage", I replied.
"Then let's go and surprise him!" Yanagi said enthusiastically.
The four of us headed down to the ground floor before Blister opened the door to the garage. We took a few steps in when the blasting noise of Yusei's Duel Runner revving its engine bombarded around us while a radio was on.
"Turn that off!" Blister shouted as we all covered our ears.
"I can't hear you!" Yusei called as he continued revving the Runner.
Yanagi dashed past us and ran straight to Yusei, jumping around him. "Yusei, it's me! Yanagi!"
Yusei spotted Yanagi and quickly turned off the radio and stopped revving his Duel Runner. That was a huge relief for my ears as the rest of us joined him and Yanagi.
"Yus, nice place", Tanner chuckled.
"You're out?" Yusei asked, surprised to see the duo.
"And it's all thanks to you", Blister answered.
"When you out-Dueled Chief Armstrong, we didn't just get early release, we got way early release!" Yanagi explained. "So we headed right over to this… Um… This interesting-"
"This place is a dump! Why don't you get a throw rug and work some fung schwa in here?" Tanner said.
"Tanner, you said you'd be nice!" Yanagi scolded the former pro Duelist.
"That was nice", Tanner chuckled before looking at Yusei's Duel Runner. "I'm liking the Duel Runner, though. Twin exhaust, turbo rotor, holo-display, and your own Deck. Bet you wished you had that back in the Facility." He turned to Yusei. "What do you say you let me take it for a little ride and see what she's got? I'll bring it back with a full charge, and not one scratch."
"Yeah, right", Yanagi chuckled with mirth. "You mean, like your last Runner?"
Tanner pulled out his Deck from his vest. "How 'bout we Duel? I win, I take her for a quick spin, okay?"
"I've gotta see this!" Yanagi exclaimed in joy.
Yusei smirked lightly, but nodded his head. "Sure. I need to warm up before the Fortune Cup."
"Wait, did you say Fortune Cup? You're gonna participate in the tournament?" Tanner asked in disbelief.
"Not just Yusei, but me as well", I added.
Tanner and Yanagi turned to me, their eyes widen in shock. "Really? That's incredible! I get to see your Deck too!" the old man exclaimed with shiny eyes. "I heard from Yusei you've got some amazing dragons!"
XXXXXXXXXX
Just before Yusei and Tanner could Duel in an abandoned basketball area, Jack showed up on his Duel Runner and returned Stardust Dragon to Yusei when he said he heard the raven-haired man was going to participate in the Fortune Cup. The blonde got surprised when he heard Goodwin had threatened Yusei that he would hurt our friends back at the Satellite if we didn't participate. Jack claimed he had nothing to do with the scheme and left with a deal; if Yusei would lose, he had to return the card of Stardust Dragon to him at the end of the tournament.
Yanagi got to see Stardust Dragon's card and could confirm that Yusei was possibly a Signer. When Yusei said Jack was present during the Crimson Dragon's appearance, Yanagi suspected that Jack could also be a Signer. No one said anything about me, so I kept my mouth shut, not revealing that I was part of the Signers and the Crimson Dragon.
Tanner lost hard against Yusei, so he didn't get to take the Duel Runner out for a spin. I also got to Duel Tanner, surprising him, Yanagi, and Blister when I managed to summon one of my Blue-Eyes White Dragons to the field and won, but that victory had once been close to a defeat since I started the Duel with a bad hand.
After the Duels, we decided to walk around in the Daimon Area and watch a few street Duels by a Duel field. None of us brought our Duel Disks because we didn't want to get attention and be questioned if we wanted to Duel. Blister had gone to meet someone, but he said he would join us later.
XXXXXXXXXX
It was early evening now and more people had showed up by the Duel field to watch the Duels. Our group stood a bit away from the crowd, but we still had a good view of the Duels and Duel Monsters. The air was getting a bit chilly, so I was relieved that I had brought my jacket with me.
"Yusei, Estelle", Blister called when he joined our group, getting our attention. "Good news. I've found a work boat that'll take me to the Satellite tonight."
"A work boat? Don't those things just carry trash and diseases?" Yanagi asked.
"If you're lucky", Blister said. "This ain't some pleasure cruise. It's to check Yusei and Estelle's friends. They may be in trouble, grandpa. See, Yusei's got much bigger things to worry about."
"Like the Fortune Cup?" Tanner shrugged. "Hey, our boy will clean 'em up."
"There's a lot more at stake here than just the tournament, Bolt", Blister retorted. "Goodwin and Atlas forced Yusei to Duel. If they're involved, something bad's going on."
"Like the end of the world", Yanagi said with a concerned voice. "Everyone in New Domino; marker or not, Satellite and citizen. All our fates are tied to the Signers. To Yusei."
Yusei pulled out his invitation letter from his jacket and checked it. I could tell he was worried about the upcoming events. I wished I could tell him things were going to be much worse than he was probably imagining.
Blister placed a hand on Yusei's shoulder, making him snap out of his thoughts. "Not sure I believe that, but just in case; why don't you win for the sake of all humanity, okay?"
"Sure", Yusei nodded with a small amused smile.
"Don't forget me, boys", I spoke up. "I'll do my best in the tournament as well, and maybe we'll meet each other in the finals, Yusei."
Yusei smiled softly. "We'll see about that."
I giggled softly while tucking my hair behind my left ear.
"Mister."
I snapped my head up when I heard that familiar voice. I looked at the crowd and spotted two twelve-year-old boys walk up to a man, asking him something, only to be shunned away. I recognized them immediately.
They were Leo and Dexter!
If they were here, didn't this mean that the Black Rose Witch AKA Akiza was going to show up?
"Leo!" Yusei called out as he walked towards the duo.
Leo turned to us and when he saw Yusei his lips grew into a big smile. He turned to Dexter and said something before dashing towards the raven-haired boy. I smiled softly as the rest of us followed the unofficial Signer.
"So what's up?" Leo asked when he reached Yusei.
"What are you doing here, Leo?" Yusei questioned instead of answering. "This is a dangerous place for little kids. Where's your sister?"
"She didn't want to come", Leo shrugged.
Dexter ran over to us, but he released a gasp of fear when he spotted Yusei's marker on the cheek. "Leo, I don't think this guy's a superhero. Check his face", he whispered to the greenish-bluish-haired boy.
"That's his secret identity", Leo told him.
"What are you doin' here?" Yanagi asked with a big grin while leaning closer to the children, scaring Dexter.
"We've been looking around for the Black Rose Witch", Leo explained.
Black Rose Witch? Akiza was known as the Black Rose Witch, not just Black Rose? Did this mean her name was Izayoi Aki or Akiza Izinski? I was getting a bit confused.
Yusei turned to me and the other men. "He helped me get my memory back. He's cool."
"Yes, I'm cool!" Leo smiled before he wrapped an arm around Dexter's shoulders, pushing him forward. "And this guy's my best friend, Dexter."
"Um… Hello", Dexter greeted nervously.
"That guy's the best. He's got this combo that's like 'Whoa!'. You should definitely Duel him!" Leo encouraged his friend.
Dexter looked nervously at Yusei. "Maybe some other time…" He glanced down, seeing the invitation letter from KaibaCorp in Yusei's hand, which made him relax a bit. "Look at that!"
"Hey! That's an invitation to Duel at the Fortune Cup", Leo stated when he noticed the letter. "You'll be there too?"
"Uh-huh", Yusei replied.
"I get to Duel you~! I get to Duel you~!" Leo chanted joyfully before he pointed at Yusei with a determined expression. "But this time, you're going down too!" He turned to Dexter with a grin. "Maybe if I win, he'll make me his sidekick like in all of those comic books. Cool, huh?"
"Yeah!" Dexter nodded.
I couldn't help but smile at Leo's imagination. It was just the same as in the dub version of the anime. Before I knew it, Yusei suddenly grimaced and fell down on his knees while clutching his right arm, hissing in pain.
"Yusei?!" I called worriedly and kneeled down next to him to see if I could help him.
"What's wrong?" Yanagi asked.
"It hurts just like before…", Yusei hissed through gritted teeth.
"Before?" Tanner questioned.
"When it first appeared… The Crimson Dragon…", Yusei mumbled.
I started to feel a burning sensation on my right arm, but I ignored it for now. People around us suddenly started screaming in fear, shouting something about the Black Rose Witch was coming. I looked over my shoulder when a powerful wind blew around us.
"T-T-The Witch?" Yanagi stuttered in disbelief.
"She's just a myth!" Blister commented.
"Oh yeah?!" Tanner retorted irritably.
"There's a reasonable explanation here!" Blister countered.
Roots with sharp thorns and vines broke through the concrete, and lodged into buildings and knocked down people before they could run away. My eyes widened when I saw how some people got scratched by the thorns, drawing blood.
One root came towards us as a crack grew on the concrete, dividing our group. Just before the root could hurt us, Yusei grabbed me and jumped away from it. We landed safely while the others, including the children, crashed on the ground.
Yusei and I were on our knees once again when we spotted the shadow of a dragon in the dust, its eyes and mouth glowing red. I recognized its shape as Black Rose Dragon.
"Whose dragon is that?" Yusei grunted in pain.
I watched him remove his glove to pull up the sleeve of his jacket to reveal the Tail Mark of the Dragon on his arm while it was glowing red. "My Mark!" Yusei exclaimed.
Blister, Yanagi, and Tanner gathered around us and gasped when they saw Yusei's Mark. Dexter and Leo lied paralyzed on the ground just a few meters from us, but I saw how Leo stared at Yusei's Mark as if it was a nightmare.
"Oh my!" Yanagi gaped.
"That's no tattoo!" Tanner stated.
"You're right, Tanner! It is the Mark of the Dragon!" Yanagi nodded.
The burning sensation on my right arm was growing stronger now, making me grunt in pain before clutching it. I had to check if it was the same Mark as the one I saw before at the Kaiba Dome. I pulled up the sleeve of my shirt and revealed the Crimson Star Mark.
"Den är tillbaka… (It's back…)", I mumbled to myself, making sure no one heard my Swedish tongue.
"Estelle's got a glowing Mark too!" Blister exclaimed above me.
"In the shape of a star!" Tanner added.
"Shape of a star?!" Yanagi exclaimed.
A strong light shone from Black Rose Dragon, causing us to shield our eyes until the light died down. My Mark throbbed a bit harder, but I couldn't feel the burning sensation anymore. The pain felt different… As if I was sensing powerful emotions.
"Help…"
My eyes widened when I heard Black Rose Dragon's voice inside my head. "Black Rose Dragon…?"
"Help my mistress…"
I got up on my feet, ignoring the pain in my arm, before rushing towards the Signer Dragon that cried for help. I heard Yusei and the others calling my name, but I ignored them. The dust slowly cleared up around me, just as Black Rose Dragon vanished, revealing the figure of a woman standing in the Synchro Monster's place. The woman was wearing a mask, black cloak, and a burgundy dress. She had dark burgundy hair spilling out from underneath the cloak, a pinkish-red Duel Disk with purple gems on her left arm, and cards in her hand.
"Akiza…", I whispered, calling her by her dub name by instinct.
I flinched when Yusei ran past me and stood protectively in front of me. I blushed for a second before I noticed Leo stood next to me as he gasped at the sight of Akiza.
"The Witch?" Yusei questioned.
"I think, but be careful", Leo took a step forward, but I held him back by placing a hand on his shoulder.
The others rushed over to us and gaped in disbelief when they spotted Akiza. I could call her Black Rose Witch, but that didn't feel right to me. Akiza was Akiza, or Aki.
"Okay, so she's not made-up", Blister commented. "Now what, grandpa?"
"I don't know…", Yanagi answered nervously.
I could feel Akiza was staring at each one of us as the pain in my Mark got worse. Was I feeling Akiza's emotions or something? Did I have an emotional bond with each Signer, making me able to sense their suffering?
"Your arms!" the masked Akiza exclaimed angrily. "You two also have a Mark!"
Yusei and I shared a look before we looked at our Marks that were still glowing. The pain in my arm was nearly unbearable, making me grit my teeth to hold back the grunts in my throat. Was Akiza getting furious because of our Marks?
"We do", Yusei replied to Akiza before taking a few steps forward.
"Stay away from me!" the masked Akiza hissed threateningly before throwing a card on her Duel Disk.
The next thing we knew, a beacon of light appeared where she was standing, causing the air to whip madly around the area. The force was too much for the others to handle as they all got knocked over, or were forced down on their knees. I was the only one standing. The wind felt like a gentle breeze, but I still had to shield my eyes from the light.
When the wind and light finally died down, there were only sparks of electricity left in Akiza's place. There were no signs of the girl.
"She's gone", Tanner said, taking the words out of my mouth.
"Amazing!" Yanagi exclaimed. "That's what I call an exit for the ages! How do you think her encore looks like?"
"We found her…", Dexter shivered as he and Leo held each other, looking both amazed and horrified at the same time. "The Black Rose is real…"
"That was so awesome…", Leo stuttered, being in the same condition as his friend.
I looked around to see people were helping the injured ones as they threw profanities at the Black Rose Witch. I felt deep inside very angry at them, but I couldn't help but worry about Akiza. She was in a deep emotional state, but I knew she didn't want to think and face the true reality because she was depending too much on Sayer. And Sayer was manipulating her.
"The Witch said you two also have a Mark", Blister said. "What did she mean by that?"
I glanced at Yusei's arm to see his Mark was no longer there. Mine was gone as well when I checked my arm.
"Where'd they go?" Leo asked when he and Dexter got the strength back in their legs.
"Vanished! Like magic!" Yanagi exclaimed in disbelief.
"I know", Yusei suddenly said. "I have to find this Black Rose."
The others gasped at him in disbelief while I stayed silent.
"After all, guys…", Yusei continued as he looked up. "I need to find out some answers."
"I'm sure we'll find them tomorrow…at the Fortune Cup", I told Yusei, placing a comforting hand on his back, just below the shoulder blades.
I couldn't help but wonder what kind of impact I would make while participating in the Fortune Cup. Was I going to replace one of the characters that originally Dueled in the tournament? If so, then who? And what else could happen in the tournament that never occurred in the original anime?
So many questions, yet no answers.