Yusei came back to Domino City with Akiza in the hospital dueling Yuma. Not exactly the welcoming party Leo had hoped for, Yuma was sure.

But Yuma knew that Yusei would understand why though.

Grief gripped onto Akiza's mind, both Sayer's death and her parents' appearance made her power more wild than usual.

"All of this happened because you interfered with my life." Akiza growled. Fragments of glass flew around the room, a few of them sliced across Yuma's skin and for once Yuma let the wound bleed. "I'll make you squirm before I erase you from my memory!"

Black Rose Dragon, empowered by Thorn of Malice, lashed out at his Strategist of the Ice Barrier. Half Unbreak shielded him from half of the damage but one of Black Rose's vines wrapped around his arm and Yuma let out a grunted at the pain.

"Erase your memory, huh?" Yuma mumbled, recalling a particular duel. In the back of his mind he could feel both Luna's and Yusei's worries. "Akiza, listen. Losing someone you love is….unbearable. But you don't have to deal with this pain alone. There are people in this room who are willing to be there for you."

"Stop trying to reach me, Yuma." Akiza sneered, pain laced her voice. "I get it; you're a good kid. You like saving people, but you can't save me. No one can. Not now. Only one person really got me , really tried to help me. Only one person understood what it was like to be me. Dad doesn't, you don't. Just Sayer , and he's…" Her words trailed off into a sob.

"With him gone, there's no place left that I can call home. It's just me, and I don't feel like talking about it."

"You do have a home; you've always had a home. With your family." Yusei said from outside

"That's right, Yusei." Mr Izinski said.

"My family? So you're saying I should go home and play house with those people over there, the ones who sent me away 'cause they thought I was a monster? I don't think so! My real family is gone! There is nowhere left for me!" Akiza ripped the power modulator off her hair, letting it fly free.

"But what about your deck? Have they not been with you all this time?" Yuma asked.

"That again? Duel Monsters do not have feelings! So cease your senseless mumble and start your turn." Akiza snapped,

Black Rose Dragon visibly dropped its wings at the words, sadness plagued its eyes.

"They do Akiza, perhaps you should learn to listen to them more."That was a lesson Yuma learned the hard way. Placing his hand on the deck, Yuma let out a whisper. "Kattobingu."

He discarded Sprite using Stategist's effect and drew yet another card. "I activate Sprites of the Ice Barrier's effect in the graveyard to special summon 1 Level 4 or Lower Ice Barrier monster from my deck. Come on Cryomancer of the Ice Barrier. With two Ice Barrier monsters on my field, I get to special summon Scarlet Star from my hand."

"That monster." Akiza whispered.

Cryomancer tuned with Strategist to bring out Brionac but Yuma didn't stop there. Scarlet Start danced alongside the dragon to form a brand new power. "This is finally your turn buddy. Frozen oath of distant star makes eternal through echoing roars! Let them be heard! Brionac, Chaos Dragon of the Ice Barrier!"

Yuma panted from the summoning. Making a Number took a lot out of him, not to mention shielding Akiza from the collapsing building and now imbuing Brionac with his own power. Yuma hadn't had a proper rest since waking up in the Arcadia building and he was running out on steam.

But he would endure.

"Brionac's effect activates by shuffling any number of 'Ice Barrier' cards from my grave back to my deck, I can banish the same number of cards that you control. I return Cryomancer to banish your Doom Petal Countdown."

With only 2400 ATK, Brionac was nowhere near strong enough to take on Black Rose. He could get rid of both Doom Petal Countdown and Thorn of Malice, heck even Black Rose itself, but Akiza needs to understand that Yuma accepted her as she is. With that Yuma endures the hit from Black Rose Dragon in Akiza's turn. While Brionac was entangled, a few of the vines shot for the onlookers .

The vines zeroed into Akiza's parents but before they could hit the couple a warrior in red intercepted the attack. Yuma's legs gave out under him.

"I won't ask you to forgive your parents. They hurt you and it's your choice whether or not to forgive them." Because for all that Kaito still loved Faker, he had never completely forgiven the man for what he had done. As the older one once admitted to Yuma before pretending they neve have that conversation. Slowly Yuma forced himself to stand up. "But I can't let you hurt them either, it won't solve this turmoil in your heart."

"What do you know, huh? You talk about all of this like you understand but you're just a naive brat." Akiza retorted, screwing her eyes shut. Her hair whipped through the rising winds as she commanded Black Rose Dragon to attack.

Yuma paused, he let the attack run its course, accepting all of Akiza's feelings.

"My parents travel a lot for their job." Yuma began. "And I mean a lot. Like, they miss nearly 4 of my birthdays in a row and the longest they've ever stayed at home was like a month before they left to travel. It was lonely without them there for me but back then I thought that it was okay since they always returned eventually…..

Then they went missing. And I got involved with a war. Come to find out. My parents were alive." Yuma let out a hysterical laugh, tears began to swell up in his eyes. "My dad knew a war was going to happen, he knew I was going to get involved and he did nothing to warn me. I watched-"

Words choked within his throat. "So yes, Akiza. I can related."

He took in a deep breath trying to ease all of the chaotic emotions within him. Remembering his parents was like trying to tear a barely healed hole in his chest. And as he recollected himself, Akiza's father

stepped in to plead Akiza for her forgiveness.

"Sorry, Aki…I… I wasn't as good a father as I-"

"Save it. It's all too little and too late."

"I admit it. I was scared of your power. I was scared of you. I didn't understand your…your abilities. You just… You really frightened me."

"Yeah, I know all of this. That's why you decided to get rid of me. You were scared… Scared of your little girl."

"That's right. You had powers I couldn't comprehend and that terrified me. But that's not the only reason. I was disappointed in myself for not being able to deal with you. Having you around made me feel powerless, like a failure. What I'm saying is-"

"So wait a minute! This is about you now?"

"Yes, it's about me letting you down. I never stopped caring about you, Aki, neither did your mother. You'll always be our little girl."

"Stop! Just stop talking, Dad! No way am I falling for this!" Akiza stopped her feet, her psychic power rippled through the room with it. "Draw your last pathetic card Yuma before I end this charade that you've set up with my father."

"If you won't listen to our heartfelt appeal, maybe the power of my deck will open your heart." Gathering his last remaining strength, Yuma flipped back before drawing. "Black Rose Dragon, please lend me your strength!"

Akiza's mark glowed, comfort and warmth bloomed from it. And suddenly the world was a bit louder.

Black Rose Dragon roared in response to Yuma's request. To Akiza, it sounded like hope.

"Can you feel it, Akiza? Our feelings?" Yuma asked. "All this duel, I've been accepting all of your pain, anger and hate. So please, Akiza, don't deny our acceptance."

Akiza blinked back to that moment during her duel with Misty, where all the pain she caused began to pile onto her from Misty's missing brother to all the people at the Fortune Cup. Darkness and anger slowly consumed her then when tiny hands had reached out to pull her out of it. For a second, Akiza's pacified.

She had pushed those outreach hands then. But now, the solace was too much to deny.

" I summon Necromancer of Ice Barrier who will bring back Cryomancer. Synchro summon, Armory Arm!"

Yusei's monster flew onto Yuma's field and wasted no time to attack itself onto Brionac. Empowering the dragon.

"Now Brionac attack Black Rose Dragon!" Yuma commanded much to everyone's shock.

"Are you crazy? Even with that arm your dragon is nowhere near as powerful as mine." Akiza questioned.

Yuma just smiled. "I activate the quick-play spell Promise to the Ice Bound Calamity!"

Flickering image of Scarlet Star flew alongside Brionac's icy breath. "Once per turn, by banishing one Dragon of the Ice Barrier and Scarlet Star. I make it so that one of my Synchro 'Ice Barrier' monsters is unable to be destroyed by battle."

Of course, it didn't stop his already low life points from getting even lower.

"Not only that, any monsters that battle with my Brionac will now join my field!" Yuma wiped away the blood dripping down his cheeks. Not sure when he even got cut in the first place, but that wasn't important now.

"What? Akiza asked in shock.

Petals scattered as Black Rose Dragon changed sides, looking up Yuma gave the dragon a grin as it nodded. "Go Black Rose Dragon."

Akiza braced herself for an attack but gasped when soft wings wrapped around her as Black Rose Dragon enveloped her into a hug.

"I end my turn."

Still that wasn't enough, Akiza pushed for one last attack. Determined to win the duel.

Furniture began to fly around the room as a whirlwind of black petals. Everything was going by so fast not even Utopic Future could block all of it. But Yuma refused to back down and neither did Akiza's father.

Yuma watched as the man braved the storm to reach Akiza, not noticing the large crate flying at him. "Watch out!"

Akiza froze, finally noticing the chaos around her. Her power leaked out in a raging storm that she could not pull back. "Stop it! I don't want to do this anymore."

The warm feeling returned to her, reassuring. A gentle 'You can do it'. And through her tears, she put a stop to her power. "I did it…I control my power"

Embraced by her father for the first time in a long time, Akiza turned to Yuma. "Yuma, please…end this. I don't want to fight anymore."

Yuma nodded. "Okay, Akiza."

He ended the duel with Brionac's effect and once the dust had settled. Yuma slumped down onto the ground, his energy depleted. Someone caught him before he hit the hard ground.