The dust and debris covering the battlefield from the psychic duel was blinding, and Jack had completely lost sight of Aki. Divine had ordered his Thought Ruler Archfiend to attack her, and she'd been open to it.
"Aki?!" He called, coughing through the smoke. He got no answer, making his stomach twist. If she wasn't okay, he'd strangle Divine himself.
Soon though, he heard a familiar roar.
The dust was blown away by the force of the roar, and the field was revealed to him again. Aki was still standing where she had been, arms up defending her face. Standing before her, blocking the attack, was Black Rose Dragon.
"Once again hiding behind your dragon, Aki?!" Divine shouted from behind the archfiend. "It can't stay here, it's supposed to be in the graveyard!"
"It would be, had I not activated my spell card!" Aki shouted. "I played Basal Rose Shoot! Using it, I can special Summon Black Rose Dragon from the graveyard!" The dragon roared in agreement, and with a mighty swing of it's tail pushed Thought Ruler Archfiend away. The great beast tumbled backwards and into one of the highway's support pillars, crumbling it. The roadway above began to shudder.
"That isn't good," Leo noted weakly. The highway continued to groan, making Jack wince. The damage from the psychic duel was taking it's toll. Raigeki and the battle damage was too much for it.
"Aki, the highway!" He called. Aki looked up and noticed what was happening, eyes widening.
"Both of you, to me!" She shouted. Jack ran to her with Leo, watching as Black Rose Dragon shifted so he could climb up it's back. He spared a glance at Aki, who nodded, so he climbed on top. Just as he sat down, the dragon erupted off the ground and through the hole created by Raigeki, into the open sky above the highway. As the floral dragon coasted through the open air, the unsupported highway moaned and the section they had been underneath collapsed in on itself, rubble flying everywhere.
"Think Divine died?" Leo asked.
"If only we were so lucky," Aki spat. Just as they said this, the rubble beneath them began to shudder, and a second later Thought Ruler Archfiend burst through it and into the air as well, using it's own wings to fly as Divine stood on it's shoulder. Jack could hear his laugh from where they were.
"You won't be rid of me so soon, Aki!" He shouted, "this fight isn't over yet!" Aki gritted her teeth.
"Hold on, both of you," she said, "this is going to get rough!" Before he could ask, Jack saw Thought Ruler Archfiend bring it's hands together, an orb of energy gathering there. The blast soared for them, Black Rose Dragon shooting a blast of fire to counteract it.
The explosion that occurred because of this nearly knocked him off the back of the dragon.
Yusei had nearly completely zoned out of whatever he and Luna had been watching, his mind on Aki. He hoped that she was okay, but he knew that there was a small chance she wasn't. He hadn't lost faith in her, but that didn't mean there wasn't a part of him that doubted.
"Yusei, look!" Yusei snapped back at Luna's voice, and turned to see her pointing to the TV. He looked, and his eyes widened.
"We interrupt this broadcast to bring you this urgent bulletin! Duel Monsters have been spotted flying near the docks of Neo Domino City! Security had advised all civilians to flee the area, as these monsters are indeed real and causing real damage! I repeat, all civilians-"
Yusei wasn't focused on the news reporters words. He was focused on the distinct floral dragon flying circles around the docks, blasting flames at what looked like a demon in silver armour.
"Aki," he hissed weakly, "she's fighting!" The demon through a ball of energy at Black Rose Dragon, which it snaked to avoid. Yusei caught sight of two extra bodies on it's back.
"Is that Jack and Leo?!" Luna demanded worriedly.
"It's all gone to hell," Yusei said, "I need to get down there!"
"Yusei, stop!" Luna said, grabbing a hold of him as he tossed his bed sheets off. "You still can't walk, much less ride there! What can you do?!"
"I should be there!" He shouted, "Aki might need us!"
"This is Aki's fight!" Luna replied. Yusei watched the green-haired girl quietly, noting the terror in her own eyes. She was scared too. "This is Aki's fight," she repeated. "Let her fight it."
Turning his eyes back, he watched Black Rose Dragon shoot flames at the demon, who hide behind a warehouse on the docks. That warehouse was engulfed in flames as a result.
"Aki," he hissed, "it's all on you."
"Black Rose, dodge it!" The dragon responded to her will, snaking over the blast fired at them and roared after Thought Ruler Archfiend. The demon flapped it's wings and avoided them, moving towards office buildings nearby. This caused Aki's stomach to drop. She couldn't let him near the buildings!
"Catch up!" She ordered. Black Rose Dragon responded to her will, a mighty flap of it's wings sending them flying after the Archfiend. Furling it's wings in, Black Rose caught up to the demon and latched onto it's leg with it's mouth, and pulled with all it's might. The Archfiend had been unprepared, and was tossed backwards through the air and towards the highway. Aki followed, and landed on the other side of the highway.
"Off, quickly!" She said to Jack and Leo, who followed her order quickly and dismounted. Aki stayed with Black Rose Dragon, watching the archfiend across the rift on the road. Cars were stopped all around them, the drivers watching with horror or fleeing. Thought Ruler Archfiend recovered, Divine walking out from between it's legs.
"Shall we abandon all pretences of a Duel, Aki?!" He shouted, "I'll gladly pummel you with my psychic power!"
"You never matched up to me in that regard, Divine!" She shouted back, "I won't let you hurt anyone else!"
"Won't let me?" He asked, "let's see how capable of that you are! You want to be a hero, Aki?! Then be a hero! Show me these people matter to you! Thought Ruler, blast the building!" Aki watched in horror as Archfiend prepped another blast, aiming it at the nearest building. Neither she or Black Rose would intercept the blast fast enough.
So she reached out with her power.
Latching onto the blast, she redirected in straight into the sky.
"Again!" Divine shouted. Thought Ruler followed through, blasting again. Aki stopped it again. And again. And then again. She turned back, prepared to order an attack on Divine, but he was ahead of her.
Thought Ruler Archfiend had left him over on the other side of the highway, flying straight at them.
Aki was tossed back into the highway, hitting it hard as Black Rose Dragon raised it's talons to defend her. She sensed it apologising to her as she fell, but she didn't blame it. They'd been caught off guard. The monsters scrapped as she scrambled further away, watching weakly. The petal wings of Black Rose Dragon were quite annoying to fight, blinding Thought Ruler as it tried to fight. Unfortunately, the dragon was unable to get enough momentum to slash through the Archfiend's armour.
"Thought Ruler is stronger, Aki!" Divine called. "It'll pluck your dragons wings eventually!"
"Attack points mean nothing in a psychic fight, Divine!" She shouted back. Divine smirked at her.
"My bad. I meant to say he's stronger because he doesn't care! Thought Ruler!" The wordless order was carried through, and Aki watched as the Archfiend grabbed Black Rose Dragon by the tail and tossed it aside, towards her. Aki ducked as the dragons body sailed over her, coming to a stop at the edge of the highway. She'd been ready to run to it when she heard the sound of Thought Ruler preparing an attack. She turned, but saw it had it's back to her.
It was aiming at the nearest building.
Her eyes widened. She couldn't hope to stop it without Black Rose Dragon defending her.
She watched, helplessly, as Thought Ruler Archfiend fired of a laser beam of energy, and began sawing at the building. She watched as it began to destroy the half of the building that boarded them. The building began to rumble as it's supports gave way, and began to tumble towards them. It was going to fall.
Fall on top of her.
"Aki, run!" She heard Jack shout from somewhere further down the highway. But she couldn't. That building wasn't empty. She could see people in the windows, desperately running away as the building began to topple.
"You want to be a hero, Aki?! Then show me! Show me these people matter to you!"
She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists.
She'd promised no one else would get hurt.
Divine would not kill anymore innocent people.
Not while she was here.
"Aki!" Yusei shouted in fear, watching the building fall. But he could do nothing.
He watched Aki lift her hands up to defend herself, and Black Rose Dragon curling around her.
"Aki, no!" Luna shouted.
Neither of them could do anything.
The building fell on top of her.
Leo watched in horror as the building hit the highway,crushing Aki and Black Rose Dragon underneath it. His stomach felt like it was trying to escape his body, and his legs wanted to turn to jelly.
"Aki..." he said weakly, wanting to walk forwards but not finding the strength. It felt like he was dreaming, but this was all too real. "What do we do, Jack? Jack?" Leo turned to look at the blonde, and saw that he was staring at the building as well, his mouth agape. Because there was nothing that they could do. Not to lift a building off of her.
Collapsing to his knees, Leo felt the tears rolling down his eyes. Aki had been crushed, she had to have been. There was no way she could have survived. Not even Divine was saying anything He stood across the gap in the highway, mouth and eyes wide. He looked like he couldn't believe his plan had worked. Leo couldn't either. Why hadn't she run? It was obviously going to hit her!
"...Aha...Ahaha...Ahahaha!" Divine's laughter began to ring out from the other side. "What a end you decided to have, Aki! Of course you'd die trying to help those innocents! Of course you'd do something like that! Hahaha! Haha...ha..ha?" Divine's laughter began to trail off, making Leo look up and look at him. He looked surprised, but he had no idea why.
Until the building rumbled.
Leo turned his gaze to the top-half of the building, and saw it rumble again. The remaining windows shuddered, and the highway underneath them groaned. What was happening?
He soon found out.
Leo watched, awestruck, as the building began to lift off of the concrete. It went slowly, stopping sometimes, but it kept rising and rising. Soon, he saw people grouped up near the middle of the highway, all looking stunned and horrified, but otherwise okay. As the building rose farther and farther, he saw Black Rose Dragon come into view fully, it's wings guarding the group of people from the rubble as it fell.
and it between the dragon's wings, he saw Aki.
Her clothes were ripped and tattered, and blood dripped from various cuts on her arms and stomach. Still, she stood on bent legs, her arms above her head. It was then Leo saw the glow, and he realised what had happened.
Aki had caught the building with her psychic powers, and she was lifting it above her head to free them. Her red hair obscured her face, but he could see blood dripping from her mouth as well. She was hurt. Her arms was shaking, looking ready to give out at any moment, but she didn't. She eventually lifted the building ten feet above the highway, and he could hear her grit her teeth.
"Run!" She roared through her clenched jaw, "run away, now!" The people she was protecting obliged, sprinting towards him and Jack. Jack came too first, urging them to go faster and picking up those who stumbled. Leo was in too much shock. He'd known Aki was strong, but watching her lift an entire building was something else.
After everyone had escaped the rubble, Aki nearly collapsed to her knees, but she didn't. Instead, her fingers curled into fists and, with a mighty roar, flung her arms towards the docks. Leo watched as the building soared through the air, landing in the sea. A mighty wave engulfed the docks, flooding the area and shattering crates and anything fragile in it's path.
"...She saved them," he said in shock. "Everyone in the building."
"Of course she did," Jack said, pride in his voice. "She's a member of Team 5D's!"
Yusei watched in awe as the building was flung into the water, freeing Aki from it's weight. He didn't know what to say. She's caught it and saved those inside. She'd stayed because she knew people had been inside.
"I have to do this. If I don't, he's just going to keep hurting the people I care about. I can't let him."
He managed to force out a shaky laugh.
"I guess you won't let him hurt anyone, will you?" He asked quietly.
Aki couldn't breathe.
Her entire body screamed in agony.
She'd known right away catching the building was a mistake, but she couldn't allow it. She couldn't let Divine kill all those people. Using her powers, she's found all the people in the upper half of the building, and made sure they all came out once the building was on the ground. Now that they were free, and she's thrown the building into the bay, she realised how much pain she was in.
She stood rigid on the highway, panting heavily as she stared at the sky. Her arms lay limp at her side, her Duel Disk a dead weight that tugged at her forearm. She wanted to fall over and sleep, but she couldn't. This wasn't over yet. Spitting blood out of her mouth, Aki stumbled sideways and faced Divine, watching him through her hair. He looked surprised, which made perfect sense. She was surprised too. Surprised she wasn't dead. She'd exerted so much psychic power at once that she should've collapsed. She remembered one of the good lessons Divine had given her back in the day.
"Aki, your powers are mighty, but they have limits. Exerting too much strength puts a strain on your body like any other muscle. Overwork it, and you risk hurting yourself."
She could tell immediately she had overclocked her power. Blood seeped from her mouth, nose, and eyes, which made it hard to see. She wiped at it weakly with her free arm, trying to see better. Exerting a little more power, Aki tried to heal her eyes. From what she could tell, she had a subconjunctival hemorrhage, which meant she'd burst blood vessels in her eyes. She used as little power as possible to heal herself, and her vision cleared. She had no more strength for the rest of her, so she wiped her hair from her eyes and glared at the man responsible.
"You'll pay for that," she shouted. Divine still looked stunned, but he managed a smirk.
"You'd nearly kill yourself for a bunch of nobodies?" He demanded, "I guess Yusei was right, Aki. You really have changed!"
"I swore I wouldn't be like you," she hissed. "I swore it when I went into medical school. I wanted to be what you never could be. Helpful to society, not a drain!"
"The only drain on this rotten society is those who cast out those different then them!" Divine shouted back. "You remember, Aki?! You try so desperately to not be like me, but we're the same! Cast out and abandoned by those who were supposed to protect us! Left to fend for ourselves by those in power! Ostracised for being different! I'll never understand how you could forgive them, but it doesn't matter! I'll take revenge! For you, for the Arcadia Movement! For myself! They'll all pay! They'll regret the day they decided I was unworthy of love and help!"
"All you're doing is making the average person hate psychic's more!" Aki roared, "look around you, Divine! Look at what you've done! Are you deserving of love or forgiveness?! Do you deserve a chance to change things?! All you've done is cause more harm and destruction!"
"You think I care what these sheep think?!" He demanded, "Maybe I would have, had anyone offered me their hand back then! But they didn't, so they can all burn! You remember it well, don't you Aki?! The stares, the judgement of those who could never understand! If they want to make me fend for myself, then I will! I'll burn it all down and show them that their selfishness was what caused their undoing!"
Maybe it was the possible head injury talking, but Aki felt realisation seep through her. Somehow, in all this time, a certain thought had never occurred to her. No, it wasn't that. She'd thought it countless times, but never applied in this way. She knew what Divine meant. Of course she did. It was the reason his manipulations had worked so well. They had gone through the same things. The abandonment, the fearful stares, the lack of help from those who saw children wandering alone on the streets. Even though there were small differences, like her parents not technically ever abandoning her, they still had the same experience. Ever since she'd left the Arcadia Movement, she'd wanted to convince herself that she and Divine were different. That she was pure of heart and he was pure evil. That that was why things were different for her.
But it wasn't that. Not at all.
She and Divine were the same. Opposite sides of the same coin. Abandoned, left to fend for themselves, rejected by society. What did she have that he never did?
Aki spared a glance backwards at Jack and Leo. She thought about Luna and Crow.
She thought about Yusei.
She laughed. It was a giggle at first, but soon she erupted in laughter and doubled over, clutching her stomach. She really was a fool.
"What the hell is so funny?" Divine demanded. Aki wiped at her eyes with a chuckle.
"It's nothing," she replied. "I finally realised what you've been trying to say is true."
"True?" Divine asked.
"You are I, we are the same Divine. Same powers, same rejection. We're the same." Divine smirked.
"Finally you realise," he said, "we can burn down this world together and forge a new one. Together." Aki shook her head sadly, her smile fading a little.
"No, we won't," she said. "We may be the same Divine, but not completely. It's more of a "two sides of the same coin' deal. We are the same, but...I was saved. That's what separates us. I was saved before I fell too far, and you weren't. Isn't that right...Sayer?" Divine's expression darkened.
"Don't call me that," he said. "I refuse to use the name my useless parents gave me."
"I often wonder," Aki continued, "what would have become of me had Yusei and the Signers not saved me. No matter how much I wanted to deny it, I knew I'd have ended up like you. But for so long, I thought that was because you were an evil manipulator feeding me lies...But that's not it. You weren't feeding me lies. You were feeding me your truth. The truth you saw and believed. And even though your methods were wrong, that truth is still real. The truth that you were abandoned, rejected, treated like an animal."
Aki shook her head again.
"For so long, Sayer, I wanted to believe you had always been evil. That there was no way you were redeemable. It was all I could do to heal the wounds you gave me. But it's not true. You were not born this way, the world made you evil, because it was evil to you. Because no one reached out to grab you, you fell further into this abyss you find yourself in. Am I right?"
Sayer stared at her for a long while, his face unreadable. Aki could not discern his expression, so she waited with baited breath.
"I was just a kid," he finally said, voice cracking. "A kid! My parents tossed me out on the streets because I accidentally used my powers on them and others. I had nothing and no one but them, but they tossed me away anyway! I ran and I tried to find help, but would anyone give it to me?! A poor, lost child on the street?! No, people saw my tattered clothes and lost look and thought, 'oh, someone else will save the poor child.' 'This isn't my business, I'll leave it alone' Selfish! All of them! What did I do to deserve that?!"
"I know," Aki said softly.
"I tried to stay in orphanages and homeless shelters, but once my powers went haywire they cast me out too!" Sawyer's voice was getting louder, his voice still cracking. "Because I was different, I needed to be left to die! That was what they believed! That to save the herd, the different and difficult to help must be left to die! Are we still cavemen living in the open plains, Aki?! What is the point of advancing our civilisation if we cling to these outdated ideals?! That those who cannot keep up are left to die?!"
"I know, Sayer," she said, "I know."
"Do NOT call me that name!" He roared, "Sayer is dead! I let that child die the day I decided I'd had enough! I am Divine, and I will get my revenge on EVERYONE for leaving me behind! I'll make them all regret turning a blind eye!"
"I can't let you do that," she said quietly. "You know I can't." Divine laughed.
"Of course you can't! Because you're a 'Signer', right?! A saviour of this shithole city?!" He shouted. "The duel isn't over! Draw your card and play, it was your turn after all!" Aki looked down at her Duel Disk, making a face. Her options were limited here. This draw would be the only card in her hand. She had two face-downs, but one was dead and the other couldn't get her out of this. She had this one chance.
"Fine," she said, "I draw." She placed her index and middle finger atop the first card in her deck, grimacing. She had one more move to make. If she drew the wrong card here, Divine would beat over Black Rose Dragon on his next turn.
"Hurry up!" Divine yelled at her, "I have a city to take revenge on! Starting with your friends!" Aki felt her temper flare back to life.
"You'll do no such thing!" She shouted, "not while I draw breath!" Divine just laughed.
"And you think you can stop me?!" He demanded, "you're just a pathetic girl trying to shield her friends, even though she's nothing compared to them in a Duel! I'll win this, Aki! There is no other end!" Aki gritted her teeth, taking a step forward. "I'm going to kill everyone you care about! Every single one of them is responsible for my fall! They'll pay!"
"You will not!" She shouted. "I am a Signer of the Crimson Dragon! A saviour to the people in this city! The Black Rose Witch! I will not let you hurt ANYONE ELSE!"
"Oh are you?!" Divine demanded, "then show me, Aki! Show me the power your 'friends' showed you!"
"I WILL!"
Bright red light erupted across the sky. Aki shielded her eyes, making a face as her eyes watered. What the hell was going on? What had happened?
And then, a familiar cry reached her eyes, sending a shiver down her spine.
Opening her eyes, Aki watched in awe as the Crimson Dragon snaked through the sky. It's cry echoed across the city, setting Aki's heart into overdrive. Why was it here? Last she had saw it, it had removed the Signer marks from her and the others. So why...?
Her arm erupted into a blazing pain, making her grip it in surprise. Looking down, she was greeted by another surprise. Her Signer mark, long since removed, had reignited on her forearm. She stared at it in shock as it brightened, before fading back into her skin and disappearing. The Crimson Dragon roared again, making her look up at it. It's eyes did not focus on her, and yet she felt it's gaze.
Then, her deck began to glow. Aki looked down at it and watched as a card seemingly moved up it onto the top. She stared at it in surprise before looking back at the dragon, who she could still feel watching her.
She felt, for a moment, as though a pair of arms had embraced her. Was this a blessing from the Crimson Dragon? Why, after all this time? Aki watched as it continued to coast through the sky, roaring again.
"Thank you," she whispered under her breath. Even though the dragon couldn't have heard her, she felt an acknowledgement. And then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the Crimson Dragon left the sky. The light returned to normal, and Aki let out a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding.
"What the hell was that about?" Divine demanded, "What was that, Aki?!"
"A blessing from a higher power," Aki replied, grabbing the card on top of her deck. She had a feeling she knew what it was. "I won't lose this, Divine! My victory has been secured!"
"As if!" He laughed, "do your worst!"
"I intend to! I draw! I play the spell Monster Reborn!"
Aki slapped the spell down on her Duel Disk.
"I revive Roxrose Dragon from the Graveyard!" She said, "and I activate it's effect to search another copy of Basal Rose Shoot!" Aki played the familiar spell. "Using it, I special summon Black Rose Moonlight Dragon from the graveyard!"
The second of her Black Rose Dragon monsters reappeared on the field, roaring angrily.
"And what can you do with all of this?!" Divine demanded, "you have no play to make, Aki! Thought Ruler Archfiend cannot be targeted by Moonlight Dragon!"
"I'm not finished!" Aki shouted back. Taking a deep breath, she raised her arm.
"I'm tuning my level three Roxrose Dragon to my level seven Black Rose Dragon!" Divine's eyes widened as the monsters began to glow, disappeared into white light.
"What are you doing?!" Divine demanded.
"This is what you can do when you aren't alone!" Aki replied, "without Yusei, without the other Signers, I couldn't have come this far! I wouldn't have had the strength to face you! To face my past! Synchro Summon! Bloody Rose Dragon!"
The highway underneath her shuddered as her new dragon, gifted to her by Yusei, came to life. It was bigger then Black Rose Dragon, and it's petals were a lighter pink-ish red with a red outline. It had another, smaller set of wings parallel it's first, a distinct iron-like smell wafting through the air.
Bloody Rose Dragon.
Atk:3200/Def:2400
"I activate Bloody Rose Dragon's effect!" Aki said, "if this card is Synchro summoned using Black Rose Dragon as material, I can destroy every other card on the field!"
"Thought Ruler Archfiend cannot be targeted!" Divine roared.
"Good thing I'm not targeting it then, huh?!" Aki demanded, "this is a board wipe! No targeting required! Bloody Rose Dragon, do it! Blood Hurricane!" The mighty beast roared, and flapped it's wings. A red tornado was whipped up in an instant, consuming both duellists and their monsters. But Aki wasn't done.
"I activate my face-down!" She shouted over the winds. "Black Rose Thorn Wall! This card protects my side of the field when a Rose Dragon monster activates an effect that would destroy cards on the field!"
"No!"
The hurricane faded, and the effects were left obvious. Divine's field had been massacred, while Aki still had her monsters. But she wasn't finished. She had one more face-down to play.
"I activate my other face-down, Pricked By a Thorn!" The card flipped up, revealing it's art of a hand being cut by a rose's thorn.
"If I halve my Life Points," she said, "I can summoned up to three Rose Dragon Monsters from my graveyard, but I'll only need the one! Black Rose Dragon, return to me!" Aki felt her Life Points decrease, which was offset by her original dragon returning to the field.
"No," Divine hissed. "No! Not to you! I can't lose!"
"You already have," Aki replied. Her dragons attack combined was higher than Divine's Life Points. "Bloody Rose Dragon, attack him!" Her biggest dragon roared and sliced at Divine with it's talons, cutting him.
"Black Rose Moonlight Dragon, you too!" The next dragon soared at Divine, also slashing at him. Aki turned to Black Rose Dragon, her oldest 'real' friend. It watched her back with kind eyes.
"Finish this, old friend," she said. The dragon responded to her will, and followed it's brethren. It, too, sliced at Divine. All three attacks were enough to end it. The battle was over.
Divine:
Life Points: 0
