Disclaimer: I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!
Chapter 12: VS. Aki – Part 2
Aki recovered from the shock of seeing Blue-Eyes White Dragon. "Rose Tentacles, stop!" The plant Monster's vines stopped whipping around in the air, very close to touch my dragon. "You may have stopped this attack, but it'll take more than that to stop me."
"Aki, I want to help you", I told her genuinely. "You can't keep Dueling with this anger."
"Oh yeah? Well, until you've battled in my Duel Disk, save it!" Aki snarled. "I don't need your help!"
"I think I'll be able to change your mind later, Aki", I told her as I drew a card from my Deck, seeing it was Shadow Spell. "I activate my facedown; Call of the Haunted! I Special summon Oracle of the Sun back to the field!"
Oracle of the Sun, Level 5: ATK 1000
"Blue-Eyes White Dragon, burn Rose Tentacles into ashes with White Lightning!"
Blue-Eyes White Dragon opened his mouth before releasing a white beam that sparkled like lightning. The beam hit Rose Tentacles and caused an explosion as the plant Monster shattered into pieces. The pieces flew around Aki as her Life Points took damage.
Aki: 2000 LP – 1200 LP
Estelle: 2800 LP
"I place two cards facedown and end my turn", I put Shadow Spell and Enemy Controller in the Spell/Trap Card Zone. Now all five zones were occupied with cards.
"What's this? Estelle's not choosing to attack Aki with Oracle of the Sun? Could it be a strategy? What is going on here?"
I was holding back for a reason and secretly helping Aki to Duel in the same way as in the anime. That was why I summoned Oracle of the Sun.
"How foolish of you", Aki frowned as she drew a card. "First of all, since my Spell card, Ivy Shackles, is still in effect, your Monsters become plant-type Monsters. Next up, I summon my Copy Plant in defense mode."
Copy Plant, Level 1, Tuner: DEF 0
"And I bet you can guess what its effect is, just from its name. But in case you weren't paying attention, it can copy the Level of any other plant-type Monster on the field, and since your spellcaster's under the control of my Ivy Shackles, my Copy Plant now becomes a Level 5 Monster."
Copy Plant used its roots to scan Oracle of the Sun before it shapeshifted into said spellcaster.
Copy Plant, Level 1 – Level 5, Tuner: DEF 0
"And now that I have the Tuner Monster, Copy Plant, on my field, I can trigger the effect of my Dark Verger that's in my Graveyard to summon up your destruction, Estelle."
Dark Verger, Level 2: ATK 0
"Get ready, 'cause now I can use my Monsters for a Synchro summon! I tune my Level 5 Copy Plant with my Level 2 Dark Verger to create my ultimate Monster!"
The two plant Monsters shot up to the air and became one, transforming into a bright magenta beacon of light that appeared behind Aki. The wind blew around once again, a bit stronger than before, but I was still standing on my feet.
"Chilling flames engulf the entire world. Pitch-dark flower, set into bloom! Synchro summon! Appear now, Black Rose Dragon!"
Black Rose Dragon, Level 7: ATK 2400
Black Rose Dragon spread her wings once she was summoned and roared to the sky, causing a strong whirlwind that almost forced me down on my knees.
"Get ready to feel the fury of my Black Rose Dragon, Estelle!"
I felt a familiar burning sensation from my right arm. I could tell right away that Black Rose Dragon's presence was triggering my hidden Mark which was now glowing through the sleeve of my black top.
"I don't think so, Aki!" I called as I flipped up one of my Breakthrough Skill cards. "I activate my facedown; Breakthrough Skill! With this Trap card, I can negate one of your Monsters' effects until the end of this turn, and the Monster I choose is Black Rose Dragon. This means you can't clean up the field or remove one of my Monsters' attack points this turn."
The Trap card glowed before a clawed dragon paw shot out from it and headed towards Black Rose Dragon. The paw slapped her on the muzzle, surprising her by the action. She grew silent as the wind calmed down.
Aki growled through her gritted teeth while glaring at me. "Maybe you stopped me from destroying your Blue-Eyes White Dragon this turn, but Black Rose Dragon can still take out your Oracle of the Sun! Black Rose Dragon, attack!"
Black Rose Dragon released a beam of dark rose petals from her mouth and destroyed Oracle of the Sun. The remains of the Signer Dragon's attack hit me, but they bounced off and didn't cause any harm to me. It was like I was immune to Aki's psychic powers.
Aki: 1200 LP
Estelle: 2800 LP – 1400 LP
However, I heard the glass of the Duel Runner course shatter behind me and people's cries of shock and pain. I looked over my shoulder and saw Black Rose Dragon's attack had caused a lot of damage to the stands. Some people were even bleeding or holding their broken arms while crying for help. That proved Aki's powers were getting out of control.
"When Oracle of the Sun is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, I can add Fire Ant Ascator from my Deck to my hand", I quickly informed.
"Let's see what your dragon can do against two facedowns", Aki taunted as she put two cards facedown to end her turn.
People had enough of Aki's destructive powers and yelled horrible things to her.
"You ruined my seat! Do you have any idea how much it cost me?!"
"She's dangerous! Just send her away!"
"No one likes you!"
"FREAK! FREAK! FREAK! FREAK! FREAK! FREAK!"
My own anger grew as I heard the crowd chant those words over and over again. I clenched my right hand into a fist as I growled through my gritted teeth, trying to maintain myself from exploding in rage. How dared they hurt Aki verbally?!
"Just keep it up", Aki mumbled with no emotion in her voice. "Just keep putting me down. I know it makes you feel good, but now let me show you what makes me feel good." Her creepy smile returned to her lips, but her eyes revealed the pain deep in her soul. "It's time to show you what misery really is. My whole life… I've tried to ignore all the teasing and name-calling, but you can't ignore the pain that it causes forever, Estelle. I'll make them stop!"
My heart clenched in pain as I sensed Aki's pain through the bond of our Marks. It almost made me cry because we were so similar in many ways. But I wanted to prove to her that things could get much better if she just opened her heart to the right people who could give her the kindness and love she needed. She was still young, so it wasn't too late for her to change.
"It's my turn!" I drew a card.
The new card was Protector with Eyes of Blue. I had to stop and think for a moment. I had two choices now that I had two different Tuner Monsters in my hand. I could use Fire Ant Ascator and Synchro summon Star Eater or use Protector with Eyes of Blue to Synchro summon one of Blue-Eyes White Dragon's Synchro forms. Should I call forth my ace Synchro, just as Yusei Synchro summoned his Stardust Dragon in the anime?
"No, Mistress", Star Eater's voice echoed in my head. "Do not call me forth now. This is not my duty."
Well, that certainly helped me to make my decision. "I summon Protector with Eyes of Blue to the field in attack mode!"
Protector with Eyes of Blue, Level 1, Tuner: ATK 800
Protector with Eyes of Blue jumped out from a gate on the Duel field, but before he could get into battle position he bowed respectfully to Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
"It's time we even the Monsters on the field with a little tuning! I tune Level 1 Protector with Eyes of Blue with Level 8 Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
"What's this?! Could we be witnessing a new form of Blue-Eyes White Dragon?!"
"Silver scales clad the dragon. Protect its glory and roar like thunder! Synchro summon! Arise, Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon!"
The bright light died down and revealed Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon who roared to the sky while its scales shone in silver.
Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon, Level 9: ATK 2500
"This is a majestic view for sure! Who could've thought Blue-Eyes White Dragon has a Synchro form?! Estelle seems to be full of surprises for every single Duel!"
"When Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon is summoned, his effect activates. All dragon-type Monsters that I currently control cannot be targeted or destroyed by card effects until the end of the next turn", I explained.
"You brought out that dragon to remind me of all the pain that detestable Mark on my arm has caused me!" Aki yelled angrily as she gripped her right arm. "Why would you do that?! Do you really believe that because we both have this Mark in common you know what I'm feeling and what I've been through?!"
"It's to show you that you're not as different as you believe, Aki", I replied calmly. "I don't want to be your enemy. I want to be your friend."
"Friend? What says I want a friend?!" Aki frowned as her Mark shone through her black elbow-length glove. "We both have these stupid Marks, and no matter what we do, we'll always be outcasts. Get it? Our fate is to be alone. My family, my classmates, everyone I've ever known, I've hurt. That's why having friends isn't a choice; it's something that I can never do, and that's why it's so much easier to wear a mask. It's amazing how little you care about other people when you can live behind a wall of plaster and paint, even if it is only the size of your face. And so I Dueled with it. I won with it, and I lived with it. Some have said it's time to move on, to show my true face to the world, because maybe then people wouldn't fear my abilities. Maybe then I could live a normal life, or at least as close to normal as people like us can get. Maybe even have a friend… But you heard the crowd, didn't you, Estelle? They don't understand me. Eighty thousand people are shouting they're afraid of me!"
"Don't listen to them. Just listen to me", I said calmly.
"I need my mask. Why are you trying to help me, Estelle?"
"Because I know your true self."
"You know who? The scared girl? Maybe the face behind the mask?"
"Don't you remember what I told you before? I'm an outcast too. I was born with autism."
"Autism?" Aki's sad eyes changed slowly into curiosity.
"Autism is a neurological disorder that makes one mature in a much slower pace than a normal human being, and people like me have difficulties with social interaction and communication", I explained. "Ever since I was a child, I've grown twice as slow mentally. When I went to school, the other children noticed I wasn't acting like them and I was very vulnerable with my childish behavior. I became a victim of bullies every single day. My mother had to come to school to comfort me or bring me home for the day because it got too much for my brain to take it all in. My head often felt like it was going to explode because I couldn't comprehend the world around me. There were older children who tried to help me, but I was so scared to get hurt by them too, so I pushed them away."
I realized the stadium had grown silent. Every eye was probably at me, listening very closely to my life story. I glanced at Aki and saw she was looking at me with a stunned expression, probably not really believing what I was talking about.
"But I didn't just suffer; I also found my stronger points. I have a very good memory and I learn things fast, pretty much by myself with very little instructions. Slowly and surely, as I got older and understood the world around me better, I could live in it and start acting more 'normal'. I transferred to a special needs class in the fifth grade to the ninth grade where I was together with other special needs children. While my life slowly got better, I slowly lost my friends because we were so different, even though we had the same diagnosis. But that was okay, and do you know why?"
"Why?" Aki asked, sounding curious.
"I found the things I love to do. I found comfort in not just Duel Monsters, but also in movies, cartoons, anime, books, and especially music. With all of these things, I felt like I was never alone. Whenever I read a book or watched a movie, I felt like I was part of the action and the characters counted on me. My parents helped shaping me into the woman I've become today and I see things much better and clearer now than when I was a child. Thanks to their support, I've come a lot further than I first imagined back when I was ten years old. I'm sorry that things are tough with your parents, Aki, but even a single individual can change if they open their eyes and heart and view the world around them in a different way than they're currently doing. You can find the things that make you feel good and feel like they give you something. With all of this, I got less afraid of the world. You can't live in a world being afraid of everything, Aki. You can't hide behind a mask forever. Sooner or later, that mask will come off and you'll be twice more vulnerable than you are today."
"You're wrong", Aki mumbled as she glanced away, looking very conflicted.
"My motto is 'The bad experience in the past will become good experience in the future.'. This means that the pain and loneliness you've gone through in your childhood will become an important key for your future. You know what it felt like back then, but you've gotten much stronger and can ignore bullies and their hurtful words better as an adult. I know you're a strong individual, Aki, but you shouldn't hold onto the pain and let that become your fuel. I was able to move on because I accepted my past. If you can't accept the past, you can never take the next step into adulthood. Let me help you with that."
Aki was silent, but her eyes were getting glassy. Apparently, my words had finally touched her heart.
"Let's hurry and end the Duel and then we can talk more, Aki", I smiled softly before looking at my dragon partner. "Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon, attack with Silver Lightning!"
Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon opened his mouth and collected silver energy before releasing a silver lightning beam at the Signer Dragon. Black Rose Dragon shattered into pieces as Aki shielded her face with her Duel Disk from the wind of the impact.
Aki: 1200 LP – 1100 LP
Estelle: 1400 LP
"Sorry, but I've already made my decision", Aki spoke up. "I…need the mask. Without it, it's too easy to be hurt."
To my horror, she picked up the Black Rose Witch mask from her robe and put it on her face.
"Don't do it, Aki!" I shouted worriedly.
"I will do it!" Aki shouted back, her voice a bit muffled by the mask, before she drew a card. "It's my move, and I activate Magic Planter! By removing my Ivy Shackles from play, I get to draw two more cards. And next, I'll play one of my facedowns; Overdoom Line! So every Monster I summon from my Graveyard gains 1000 attack points. Why do I activate this Trap card, hm? Because I now activate my second facedown; Wicked Rebirth! For the low price of 800 Life Points, I can Special summon any Synchro Monster from my Graveyard, and I'm bringing back Black Rose Dragon!"
Aki: 1100 LP – 300 LP
Estelle: 1400 LP
Black Rose Dragon flew from the Trap card and roared to the sky while causing another powerful whirlwind as she gained 1000 attack points from the Overdoom Line Trap card.
Black Rose Dragon, Level 7: ATK 2400 – ATK 3400
"But I'm not done yet, because I now can equip Wicked Rebirth to my dragon", Aki continued. "She might not be able to attack this turn, but as long as she's equipped with this card, Black Rose Dragon can be re-summoned at the end of each and every round! So for those of you at the back of the class, that means if it's ever destroyed in battle or by some special Spell, it comes back as good as new at the end of my turn. Oh, and last but not least, when Black Rose Dragon is Special summoned, all the cards on the field are destroyed! So say goodbye to your pathetic pet!"
The young Signer suddenly grunted as she gripped her right arm once again. It was possible the Mark of the Dragon was trying to tell her to stop causing destruction.
Black Rose Dragon opened her wings and created a massive whirlwind around the stadium. Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon fought against the wind because he was still immune to card effects.
"I won't let you cause any more destruction, Aki!" I shouted determinedly as I shielded my face with the Duel Disk. "You can't destroy Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon because he's still immune to card effects! But our other cards can stay on stage because I activate my second Breakthrough Skill! You remember the first time I used this card? I'm stopping Black Rose Dragon from putting the Kaiba Dome into ruins!"
My Trap card glowed before the white dragon paw shot out towards Black Rose Dragon and slapped her on the muzzle once again, halting her destructive powers. The wind calmed down until there was just a soft summer breeze that ruffled my and Aki's hair. I quickly realized part of Aki's mask got broken by Black Rose Dragon's razor petals, so her lips were exposed.
"You may have stopped my dragon's effect once again, but let's see how you handle this facedown card", Aki smirked as she planted a facedown card at the end of her turn.
"It's my turn", I declared as I drew the Return of the Dragon Lords card. "Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon's second effect activates during my Standby Phase!"
"Your dragon has another effect?!" Aki growled.
"I can Special summon one Normal Monster from my Graveyard to the field, so say hello again to Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" I said as my Duel Disk pulled out Blue-Eyes White Dragon's card.
Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon roared to the sky, as if he was making a mating call. Blue-Eyes White Dragon's cry answered before he flew out from a gate on the ground and roared to the sky as he joined Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon, both dragons standing behind me just as Black Rose Dragon was standing behind Aki.
Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Level 8: ATK 3000
"Blue-Eyes White Dragon has returned to the field, people! And with two loyal and powerful dragons, Estelle could be facing one big victory, but they need to find a way through Black Rose Dragon's attack boost!"
I couldn't do anything to increase my dragons' attack points, but I did have Shadow Spell, ready to use. However, I felt like I should wait and have more time to Duel with Aki.
"I switch Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon to defense mode and end my turn."
Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon bent his head down and used his wings to shield himself.
Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon, Level 9: ATK 2500 – DEF 3000
"That's disappointing", Aki said sarcastically as she drew a new card. "I activate one of my favorite Equip Spells; Mark of the Rose! Do you remember when I used it on Sir Randsborg's Monster in my last Duel? Well, let's just say one of your so-called loyal dragons will join my side and the dragon that's perfect to crush you is none other than Blue-Eyes White Dragon."
The Equip Spell card shot a stamp in the shape of a rose that got tattooed on Blue-Eyes White Dragon's forehead. His blue eyes changed into the color of red roses before he flapped his wings and flew over to Aki's side to join Black Rose Dragon.
"Next, I activate Black Rose Dragon's effect! By taking a plant-type Monster from the Graveyard and removing it from play, I get to choose one of your Monsters and reduce its attack points to zero. I sacrifice Wall of Ivy!"
The transparent image of Wall of Ivy floated up to Black Rose Dragon's eye level before the Signer Dragon crushed it with her teeth.
"It's a small price to pay to take out your Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon's attack points, but it's going to be worth it."
Black Rose Dragon's vines with long and sharp thorns glowed before they shot themselves at Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon. The vines wrapped themselves around my dragon as he cried and struggled against Black Rose Dragon's powers, forcing him back to attack mode.
Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon, Level 9: DEF 3000 – ATK 0
"That silver dragon's worthless now! And it's going to hurt you twice as much, Estelle, because Blue-Eyes White Dragon will crush both you and his Synchro self!" Aki shouted. "Attack, Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
Blue-Eyes White Dragon opened his mouth to prepare himself to release a White Lightning attack, but I was ready.
"You can try and turn my loyal dragons against me, Aki, but they will always stay by my side!" I shouted. "I activate my facedown Quick-Play Spell; Enemy Controller! I switch Blue-Eyes White Dragon to defense mode, meaning he can't attack Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon!"
The controller floated out of the Spell card and sent its cord towards Blue-Eyes White Dragon. The cord got attached on his forehead before the buttons on the controller flashed, switching him to defense mode.
Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Level 8: ATK 3000 – DEF 2500
"So, if I can't destroy you with your own dragon, then I guess Black Rose Dragon will rip you apart!" Aki snarled.
Black Rose Dragon raised both her wings and was about to open her mouth when dark chains shot up from the ground and wrapped themselves around her. The Signer Dragon cried out as she struggled against the chains, which caught Aki's attention.
"What's this?!" Aki yelled as she looked at her dragon.
"It's my Trap card, Shadow Spell!" I replied as said card flipped up. "With the chains of this card, I can not only stop Black Rose Dragon from attacking, but it also reduces her attack points with 700 and she can't change her battle position!"
The chains of Shadow Spell glowed in a dark color which moved over to Black Rose Dragon as she was enveloped in an aura with the same color.
Black Rose Dragon, Level 7: ATK 3400 – ATK 2700
"Why are you doing this?!" Aki growled as she clutched her arm with the glowing Mark. "Why are you always getting in my way?!"
"It's no longer fun when you can't cause more pain and destruction, is it?" I replied calmly. "Your Mark is telling you to stop this nonsense."
"I wish it was gone", Aki grunted.
"But it's part of you. It's part of all of us", I continued. "The Mark doesn't make you a witch, Aki. It makes you special, just as my autism makes me special. I know other people don't see that and it hurts, but when you get angry at them, you're only hating yourself." I put my hand on my right arm, feeling the warmth of my Mark. "I can feel your pain in my Mark because we share a bond. It's trying to bring us together to strengthen us. Our feelings are connected to each other, so understand you're not alone with this. We have to come together in order to understand what our Marks are truly about and make sense of it, and embrace your dragon. Black Rose Dragon is beautiful, just like you are underneath the mask."
"I'm not beautiful", Aki hissed through gritted teeth. "People don't like me. And it's this Mark that's caused all the suffering I've had to live through."
"That's true, but if you stay the same, you will always suffer", I shook my head.
"So, just accept it? Embrace it? Forget the past?" Aki's energy stabilizer fell out of her hair, spilling the long front bangs. "Hate's all I know! This discussion is over!"
"No, it's not!" I swung my right arm. "You don't need the whole world to understand you! You just need one single person who can pull you out from the corner of darkness and guide you to the road of light, and I want to be that person!"
"I already have Sayer! He found me and helped me, and he will do all the thinking for me! I don't need you or Yusei or anyone else for that matter! So, leave me alone!"
"I refuse, because you are already my friend, Aki!"
Aki's body went rigid after my sentence. "Friend…?"
"You've been calling my name several times while you had the choice not to do that", I explained. "This is proof you feel something for me. You're searching for my hand." I proved it by reaching my hand out to her with a small smile. "Don't be afraid to take the next step and grab the hand that's being offered to you, Aki. I can become your guiding star and show you there's more to you than you think."
Aki seemed to hesitate as she lowered her masked face and her shoulders dropped. "I…end my turn."
With that said, Blue-Eyes White Dragon's eyes returned to normal before he flew back to my side and stayed in defense mode while Black Rose Dragon removed the vines around Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon as he regained his attack points.
Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon, Level 9: ATK 0 – ATK 2500
"I draw", I called.
My eyes widened in slight surprise when I saw the new card was United We Stand. It was quite a coincidence that it would show up now while I was talking about bond and connection with Aki. Maybe I could prove to her more with this.
"I switch Blue-Eyes White Dragon to attack mode!" I called.
Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Level 8: DEF 2500 – ATK 3000
"Aki", I called, getting her attention. "Let me prove to you what true loyalty and connection can do by using this Equip Spell; United We Stand! I equip this card to Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon, and by doing so, he'll gain 800 attack and defense points for each Monster I control."
Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon was enveloped in an orange sparkling aura as Blue-Eyes White Dragon stood close to his side, ready to aid and protect him.
Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon, Level 9: ATK 2500 – ATK 4100
"Do you see, Aki? Do you see how Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon are ready to help each other? That's because they trust each other and they will always be there for each other. We can be just like them if you take my hand. I want to be there for you. I want to know you. I want to create happy memories with you, memories we can cherish for a lifetime. Memories and moments… That will heal the scars in your heart."
"I… I don't know…", Aki's voice sounded like she was biting her lower lip.
I closed my eyes for a second to use the bond and sense what Aki was feeling. It was like she had an inner conflict with herself. She didn't know if she could trust me or not.
"Then I'll show you right now!" I shouted as I opened my eyes. "Blue-Eyes White Dragon, go!"
Blue-Eyes White Dragon opened his mouth and shot a White Lightning towards Black Rose Dragon. It looked like I was going to win, but Aki still had some fighting spirit and was going against me.
"NO!" she exclaimed exhaustingly. "This is not over! I activate Rose Blizzard! This card forces your dragon to defense mode while its attack is negated!"
A tornado of rose petals blew out from the Trap card and canceled Blue-Eyes White Dragon's attack. The remains of the rose petals hit him and forced him back to defense mode.
Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Level 8: ATK 3000 – DEF 2500
"I admire your stubbornness, Aki. It's one of your strong points", I smiled softly. "But it is over now." I looked at my Synchro dragon with concerned eyes. "Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon… Do it."
Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon opened his mouth and shot a Silver Lighting at Black Rose Dragon. The Signer Dragon looked like she was smiling in relief before she exploded into pieces by the attack. The remains of the rose dragon hit Aki, forcing her Life Points down to zero, and shattered her broken mask into pieces.
Aki: 300 LP – 0 LP
Estelle: 1400 LP
As soon as the Duel was over, I rushed across the Duel field to get to Aki while my dragons faded away. I watched how the Signer was falling down to her knees, but I caught her before she could collapse, wrapping my arms around her. She didn't flinch away from me as I slowly moved us down to the ground, never letting go of her.
I moved my left hand up to the back of Aki's head to caress her hair, giving her some comfort. I couldn't help but smile as I felt her hands hold onto my clothes as she lowered her head onto my chest before starting to cry.
"Thank you for taking my hand, Aki…", I whispered.
That made her cry even harder, releasing soft sobbing noises. I removed my Duel Disk to take off my jacket and placed it over her shoulders. The audience was shouting words at Aki that she deserved this defeat, but I didn't listen to them. My priority was this young woman who seemed to now crave for my help and warmth.
"Let's get out of here, Aki", I told her with a gentle voice.
Aki nodded while her sobs calmed down. I put my Duel Disk on my arm again, grabbed the Signer's energy stabilizer and helped her up on her feet before wrapping an arm around her shoulders. I led her out from the stage while the MC spoke up for the first time in a while.
"It's over! Estelle Malmström is our winner! She'll be moving on to the final where she will Duel Fudo Yusei! But we're going to take another fifteen minutes break to clean up the mess, so stay tune for the final Duel!"