We are close to the end, but this is not the end yet.
Yes, I will conclude this story, despite how long it has been going for.
Thanks once again for all the support.
VIII Love
"Beast! Obey my will!"
Rudger roared in the golden light that was raising up from Carly's pod, a golden brilliance that was threatening to swallow him whole. It completely enveloped the black hummingbird and the spider, displaying their inky bodies for all the spectators to see. The bird was in the process of extracting its beak from the spider's limb slowly and carefully, its movements languid with sarcastic glee. And when it had finished extracting its beak from one limb, it plunged the beak back into another leg, resulting in another frantic shiver from the spider.
"What kind of crazy stuff is this?" All composure lost, Crow was scooting backwards away from the creatures and towards Yusei. "I thought Psychic Duelists can only summon Duel Monsters! What is this?!"
"That… that is a Duel Monster though…" Yusei made a trembling a reply. "I think I recognise this one…"
"This one?" Crow scrambled to his feet and ran over to stand next to Yusei. "You mean, that bird?"
"Yeah…" Yusei allowed his eyes to move up the outline of the creature. "I didn't recognise it with Rudger's creature, but I realise what they are now. This monster… is Carly's."
"What… what do you mean?" Crow paused. "I thought you out of everyone would recognise all the Duel Monsters."
"Not all of them are useful. There are some cards which are rare or very situational. Professional duelists would not use those cards if they want to advance their careers." Yusei gritted his teeth. "This is Carly's rarest card, but she hardly used it. This is Earthbound Immortal Aslla Piscu… and I dare to guess Rudger's monster is from the same series."
"So… they are still summoning Duel Monsters after all the power went out?!" Crow made an angry growl. "That's not how Psychic Duelists work!"
"You… you are still looking down on us….?!"
Yusei and Crow both jumped at Rudger's sudden spat of anger. His spider was still engrossed in the struggle with Carly's monster. Seemingly exasperated with giving his monster commands, Rudger turned his fury to the two youngsters standing in the middle of the cave.
Even though there were two of them, Yusei was not sure if they can win in a physical fight against Rudger. Rudger was a muscular and fit man despite his age, while both Crow and Yusei were nursing a bleeding limb.
"This is the true power of Psychic Duelists… this is the kind of ascended species I can become!" Rudger, sounding very much enraged, pounded towards Crow and Yusei.
"Ascended species, huh?" Crow seemed like he still wanted to rile up his enemy even in this situation.
"Yes, a species that communes with more than just this world and this reality, a species that intermingles with things you puny normal humans don't even begin to believe in!" Rudger laughed menacingly. "An enlightened species – of which that girl Ruka was only the very tip of the iceberg."
"You mean… every Psychic Duelist is in fact communing with real Duel Monster spirits, like what Ruka claims she does?" Yusei spoke softly. "So even those things behind you…"
"Yes. Yes. Those are Duel Monsters, but they are not what you call Duel Monsters. They are a different kind of being, from a different kind of reality… they are the inhabitants of the impossible realm from which Momentum draws upon its power!"
"What… did you say?!" Yusei blinked at Rudger's words, and next to him, Crow took a step backwards in shock.
"Yes, Fudo Yusei. Your father managed to punch a hole through the very fabric of reality. He created this revolving needle that pierced into the dimensions of the Duel Monsters." Rudger cackled, seemingly delighted to deliver the final piece of the buried truths and watch Yusei squirm in the revelation. "There were so many countries in the world developing novel technologies at the time. Why did you think Domino City, a middle-class Japanese city, was the only one that succeeded? Why did you think one of the first applications of Momentum, a world-first power source, was to power Duel Disks for a game? Yes, Duel Monsters, Psychic Duelists, and Momentum… They were so tightly woven together, that an outsider wouldn't even start to understand!"
"So then… Neo Domino has been using the power of the world of Duel Monsters all this time? It feels so weird saying that." Crow muttered in awe. "So, Momentum taps into the power of that parallel dimension, which is why it needs Psychic Duelists to stabilise it, because Psychic Duelists are people who can contact the Duel Monster world directly…?"
"Smart one, Crow Hogan. I underestimated you as a child. Even though you are not a Psychic Duelist, you have quite the intellectual potential. You might have been more rewarding than Jack Atlus, in that case." Rudger's low voice, like the echoes of a malevolent ocean wave, rumbled in the large wave.
"Jack… you knew Jack was a Psychic Duelist ever since he was a kid, didn't you?" Crow spat. "I remember now. Jack told me the story and I thought it might have been Rex Goodwin, but today we knew it was you who recognised his birthmark for what it is."
Rudger gave out a barking laugh. "It's ironic how well Rex actually remembers those days. Enough for him to name those things he now put on criminals' faces 'Marks' as well."
Crow drew a sharp breath and his hand flew to his face, which was riddled with Marks of the second kind.
"You have a Mark of Psychic Duelists as well, don't you…" Yusei said quietly. It wasn't a question, but a statement.
"Indeed. I was the very first person to do so." Rudger stood straighter, as if taking pride in the fact. "Rex rejected the whole idea soon after Demak committed suicide, though. Demak's death was a pretty big event. Your father would definitely have remembered it. It was after I summoned this creature for the first time. The government back then threatened us 'Psychic Duelists' with life imprisonment in their fear, and there were even whispers of Psychic Duelists becoming test subjects. Demak couldn't stand that kind of a life. He chose to jump into Momentum from the top of the cylinder to end everything. That was when Rex decided to cut off his arm to show his stance. Pretty fanatical even back then, wouldn't you say? Rejecting a part of himself like that… I bet he still thinks of himself as a martyr to this day, with giving up his brother and his arm as well."
"I don't care what Rex Goodwin is, but I know you are a damn piece of shit!"
Jack's voice, filled with irritation, roared out over the conversation. He was crouched next to Carly's pod, which was still radiating its alien golden light. Carly was twitching inside, making dull bumping sounds akin to the movements of a caged beast. In response, the bird above her screeched and tore its beak out of the spider's limb, only to pierce it yet another leg in fury. The spider twitched and hissed and tried to use its other legs to strike at the bird in retaliation. However, the bird responded to that only with a beat of her wings, and the spider wriggled helplessly like a skewered insect, ready for the picking.
Rudger positively growled. "How fortunate of you to have such a powerful ally, even though she only came to her powers today. Maybe your power is not in becoming a powerful Psychic Duelist yourself, Jack Atlus, but for acting as a catalyst to awake others."
"You shut the hell up with your bullshit analysis and get Carly out of here!" Jack was not having any of Rudger's comments, however. "Let her out!"
"Oh? She is one of the only Psychic Duelists keeping Momentum running. You will choose to free her over the welfare of Satellite and the City?"
"Talking to you is useless." Jack muttered in a seething way and instantly applied himself to free Carly. Seeing a latch next to the pod, he pulled and pushed it repeatedly, even though it was not making the pod bulge any. Rudger made a move towards Jack, evidently wanting to get the younger man off the mechanism. However, the giant bird that Carly commanded made another giant swoop of its wings, and the resultant gale positively lifted Rudger off his feet. The older man landed a few meters further from Jack than where he started, while cursing angrily under his breath.
"Carly! Hang in there! I'm going to save you!"
As if he was completely oblivious to the audience around him, Jack yelled to Carly's floating shape inside the pod. Lifting a chair close to Carly's pod, Jack threw it towards the pod, in a desperate attempt to break the layer of glass that separated him from the dark-haired young woman.
"You think that will break the pod?!" Rudger made another move at Jack's direction, only to be rebuffed in the same way by Carly's monster. Jack didn't even bother to give Rudger any attention this time. He was too engrossed in shouting words of encouragement and declaring his love towards the girl in the pod, who likely can't even hear him.
A movement behind Rudger caught Yusei's eye. Instinctively, he tensed up, fearful of any further tricks. But the red shape behind Rudger only wobbled unsteadily as its face came into view. Aki's red cloak was dyed an even deeper shade of scarlet, soaked in the collective blood that she and Yusei had shed. She stumbled as she got up, but her attention was apparently focussed on Jack's activity around Carly's pod.
"Izayoi-kun!"
Rudger called out to Aki, but she did not move or even seem to register his voice. Probably displeased, Rudger turned away from the others in the cave to face her.
"Izayoi-kun, summon your dragon, quickly!"
Crow cursed softly next to Yusei. "Damn it, is he saying that Izayoi has the ability to summon something like that too?"
"I don't think she will summon the same type of monster." Yusei replied as he kept his eyes on Aki. "But it will reflect the one monster she feels most attached to… which is why Rudger said 'dragon'."
"Then you are saying… she is gonna summon her Black Rose Dragon… for real?!" Crow cast a cautionary glance towards Yusei, but the other was only watching Rudger and Aki.
"Izayoi-kun, what are you hesitating for?" An edge of genuine anger had crept into Rudger's voice. He turned fully away from the others, putting all his focus on Aki. "We are at a standstill here. Help me, Izayoi-kun. Summon your dragon!"
"I…" The hesitation in Aki's voice was audible even across the room.
"What's the matter now?" Rudger's voice dipped lower. "Have you changed you mind now that you've seen him? Have you forgotten what he and his people did to you? They left you here to rot, and they never supported your decisions. Remember what you joined us for – we will use Momentum to rule the City and the entire world as payback, to put Psychic Duelists onto the elevated status we deserve. Don't tell me you are getting cold feet now."
"I don't think she's getting cold feet, Rudger." Yusei spoke up then. "But I won't speak as if I knew everything about her. Not anymore."
"Yusei…?" Aki's voice was full of doubt. Yusei stepped forward to face Rudger, who had turned back to look him fully in the eye.
"Rudger Goodwin, there is something I never understood." Yusei stood up to his full height as he tried to put the final piece of the puzzle together. "I believe this is the key to understand everything that happened during the prototype project. Why did you have a fall out with Rex Goodwin – what was the insurmountable difference between the two, that he decided to abandon his scientific career and left his brother in Satellite?"
For the first time, Rudger seemed to genuinely pause in consideration before he answered.
"Rex had… a very unfortunate view of Momentum's potential." Rudger's tone was wistful, something that Yusei did not expect to hear from the man. "My little brother did not understand how the world runs. He thought the invention of Momentum on its own would enable Domino to climb the ladder in world politics. He never thought what Domino can truly do with such an amazing power. Momentum should be used to grant Domino strength never imagined, so we will never have to bow to anyone else. Better still, it would help us conquer the rest of the world, make others cower before us. That was my dream, but Rex would have none of that."
"Yet Rex Goodwin still achieved that goal." Yusei frowned. "He used Momentum to create the first completely self-efficient city in terms of energy, and the technological advances Momentum enabled made Neo Domino the most advanced place in the world. Not to mention the investment of Momentum in Duel Monsters brought in so much revenue, that Neo Domino is one of the richest cities on earth. He managed to make Domino rule in a different way. That more than proved how incorrect your intentions were."
"Does Neo Domino truly rule the entire world? I don't think so." Rudger made a dismissive sound. "Rex created a city that is not feared nor loved by its neighbours. Momentum is powerful, but not all the military uses it. Neo Domino established itself financially by selling the energy Momentum made, and it had the galls to be stingy with deals. Even I heard about these grumblings while I was in a cell in Satellite. Now Neo Domino is on the verge of losing Momentum, do you think anyone would pity Rex's city? That anyone would lend him aid? He was a poorer scientist than me, and even after deciding to sacrifice his own brother, he remains a bad statesman as well."
"He's shit-talking Rex Goodwin just to rile us up. Guess he and Kiryu helped each other out on that department." Crow growled.
"You… don't get to talk down on Rudger-san…"
Kiryu growled back as he slowly got up from the ground. Yusei had forgotten about him, but it seems Kiryu simply kept quiet on the ground while the Psychic Duelists fought above him.
"You don't get to look down on what Rudger-san wants to do… He believes in the same kind of things I do… and you understand nothing about it!"
"You are the bloody scariest when you are preaching your crazy ideas to other people." Crow spat. Yusei felt Crow shift beside him, as if the orange-haired young man was getting ready for yet another physical fight.
"Heh. You and Jack never liked it when I showed my brains. Likes to think the villain as a dumbass, don't ya?" Kiryu coughed and answered gleefully in return. "But I'm just doing what I believe to be right, just like you and Jack. I believe this is the way the City and Satellite should be ruled – what is wrong with that?!"
"It's wrong because you are hurting innocents left and right –" Crow made a start at rebuking Kiryu, but was immediately interrupted by his opponent.
"And how is Domino run now?" Kiryu raised his voice. "It is run on the back of hurting Psychic Duelists day in and day out, using them as if they are fuel. How is that any better than my plan? I'm only trying to gain equal rights for Satellite, and Rudger-san is only getting Psychic Duelists their rights. There are no plans to enslave normal humans, unlike what is happening now for Psychic Duelists!"
"That's plenty of talk already." Rudger glowered. "We are not here to talk. Fudo Yusei, I don't think you would be inclined to join our cause. Would you at least consider standing aside?"
"No… I cannot." Yusei replied, and Crow grunted in assent. "I do not agree with your goal or your means."
"Even after you knew all of the truth?" Rudger's tone tilted mockingly. "Even if you knew you have been lied to all your life?"
"Rex Goodwin lied about the nature of Momentum, but it doesn't make everything Momentum achieved a lie." Yusei shook his head. "I can't turn my back on all the good people living in Neo Domino, just because of Momentum's past. And if you do take down Rex Goodwin… what would you do? Would you be able to control Neo Domino and Security like he did? How can you run Momentum without using Psychic Duelists?"
"Now you are questioning me about politics, little prince?" Rudger barked a laugh. "I refuse to answer your questions!"
"Perhaps that's because you cannot answer it." Yusei stepped forward. "Perhaps it's because you are no better than your brother, and you will continue to exploit Psychic Duelists weaker than you and build your empire on the suffering of Psychic Duelists. A Neo Domino ruled by you would be no better than one ruled by Rex Goodwin!"
"As if we care!" It was Kiryu who answered him this time. "I just care about giving the weak a fair chance! Satellite folks have been oppressed for far too long, just like Psychic Duelists! And you City people have been fed all sorts of lies! I'm gonna stick with Rudger-san because he is gonna place power in the hands of people who have never had it, and that is better than everything I have seen from Domino in my life!"
"That's your choice, Kiryu, and I'm not going to question something that you've thought over." Yusei stood up straight. "But is this what you want, Aki?!"
There a gasp from Aki as well as Kiryu.
"You are trying to help her now? Bullshit." Kiryu growled. "What a hypocrite, coming all the way here and still wanting to save her, to put her back in the fold. Can't you tell that's not the kind of person she is?"
"Shut up, Kiryu." Yusei narrowed his eyes. "That's not what I'm here to do."
"Then why are you still trying to take her back with you?" Kiryu hissed venomously.
"No. I'm not. She doesn't have to go anywhere. I may not support Aki's decisions, but I support her rights to decide for herself. That's what I realised to be her cage. And it wasn't only locking her up. It was everyone in Tops included." Yusei raised his voice. "Do you agree with what Rudger wants to do, Aki?"
"It's not a matter of whether I agree with his principles…" Aki's voice was much lower than her usual timbre. "I want people to pay for what they did to me. I want to get back to the City for all the lies they have spread, and for them to respect Psychic Duelists as equals."
"I think I am finally starting to understand." Yusei replied. "You only wanted to hurt others because they hurt you, myself included. At the end of day, though, you just want to be respected for who you are. It is a battle for survival for you, not conquest – not what Rudger want."
"The battle for the survival Psychic Duelists is one of conquest!" Aki raised her voice in return. "You think people will actually allow Psychic Duelists to exist peacefully, if we don't show our power? You think they will understand and accept what we have been through? That they would willingly give up their privileges to allow us to fit into Neo Domino's society?"
"I know I am partly to blame for this, Aki. I am sorry – sorry for not trying hard enough, for not being there when I could have, and for standing aside and allowing you to disappear. I am a coward, and I realise I have always been one." Yusei took a deep breath. "I took my family privilege for granted, and I clung to my title of King."
"If even you are like that, Yusei…" Aki murmured, "then how can I trust anyone else to accept Psychic Duelists?"
"Let's find out."
Yusei had felt a different power inside himself for a while now. He could not explain it, but he instinctively knew this was probably what Rudger meant to be a Psychic Duelist with a Mark. His left arm itched constantly, and he had no doubt that the red mark was now on his skin at full display. There was a surge of elation in his mind, as if he only needed to reach out and call out, and an answer would be given. As to who or what he was reaching out for, Yusei had no doubt that it would be his Stardust Dragon.
Was this what Rudger felt when he first summoned his own beast?
Yusei closed his eyes and simply asked Stardust Dragon to appear. There were no words used, just thoughts, and yet Yusei felt a definite connection with something that should not exist. He didn't need to open his eyes to feel that his dragon had arrived from a place beyond this earth. It was a natural process, as normal as breathing or walking, and it felt like a part of his being. Now he knew why Rudger became so addicted to this power and why Rex Goodwin grew to fear it – it was different to everything he had ever felt, and it is not an experience to be found anywhere else.
"He did it just like that?" Yusei could hear Kiryu gasping.
"As I expected from the son of Professor Fudo. What a powerful Psychic Duelist you are." That was Rudger's gravelly voice. "So much more the irony."
"What do you expect to do with your Stardust Dragon, Yusei…?" Aki gave out a reserved question. "Even if Psychic Duelists can summon monsters, these monsters still just have the same powers and strengths like their card versions. Your dragon is not that much stronger than mine, and definitely not against the Earthbound Gods."
"I know." Yusei answered calmly. "This is my answer to your resolve. I won't stop you from doing what I want, but I will also defend what I believe."
"And what is it that you believe, now you have seen everything, Yusei?" There was a brief shimmer in the air as Aki summoned her dragon while she asked the question. Unlike the Earthbound Gods, her dragon did not emit any light. It only waved its carapace wings and its whipped tails menacingly in the hair, making swooping noises that haunted the darkness.
Yusei did not back down from that sound.
"I believe in the goodness that is within Neo Domino. I believe that at least some people in Neo Domino will sympathise with you. I believe that Psychic Duelists have more ways to co-exist with others than ruling over them by force."
"Lies!"
Crow twitched and gasped next to him. Even Yusei's own heart skipped a beat. The screech that Aki let out was beyond raw and broken. It contained so much anger and distrust, so much desperation that the emotion was threatening to tear out of her. Yusei had never heard anything like that from Aki, even when she was angry as a child or during the difficult moments in the trial. He finally knew what she meant by 'being free' - she was free to express herself, for better or worse.
"Lies! No one cared! No one cared a single bit! Even my parents didn't care! You didn't care!"
Even Rudger and Kiryu remained still and silent, simply letting Aki have her outburst.
Therefore, Yusei did the same. Before Aki's trial, he would have tried to console her, to tell her that he most certainly cared, but he couldn't help because of the circumstances.
Now, those words sound hollow even to him.
"I can't speak for other people, but I have changed." Yusei stood his ground. Aki was certainly getting more agitated. Her dragon was making unhappy screeching noises, and its wings flipped more impatiently than before.
"I don't believe you…" Aki positively growled. "I've killed people, Yusei. I did. It doesn't matter the circumstances. We can't go back to how we used to be, no matter how much you want to. All I wanted was someone to tell me it was okay to be myself, but that chance was gone. It wasn't like I was an out-of-control monster… I knew I had to control myself. But if only anyone could acknowledge how difficult of that job was, instead of telling me over and over that it was my duty and what I should be doing anyways!"
"I'm not trying to make us go back to what we used to be." Yusei took a deep breath. "If you think that either of us deserves payback, then come at me."
"Kiryu. It seems things are going to get busy here again." Rudger choose this moment to give a command to Kiryu. "Make sure to take care of the last Psychic Duelist here, Jack Atlus."
Kiryu gave a sound of agreement and could be heard scampering off, but Yusei only had eyes for Aki and her dragon.
She was not holding anything back. Her dragon swooped down at him in the darkness, and he could only use the sound of the red dragon's wings to help guide his own white one. Stardust Dragon needed little guidance, however. It rose up out of its own accord, its eyes sparkling in the dim light, as if it was truly a bird of prey that could see its target even in the darkness. Rearing up, Yusei's dragon gave out a long roar, then lunged for a bite on something solid. It must have hit its mark as Aki's dragon gave out a screech. Then Yusei's dragon was flung aside as Black Rose Dragon briefly retreated, no doubt also nursing its wounds.
Meanwhile, something seemed to have happened with Carly. The black hummingbird gave out a pitiful shriek and backed away from Rudger's Earthbound God but did not completely disappear. Yusei spared a glance towards the direction of Carly's pod. Kiryu had already arrived and was again struggling with Jack.
At the same time, Aki's dragon had grown weary of physical attacks. Yusei could hear the rapid flapping of wings, and then there was a bright flash of purple lightening, illuminating the silhouette of Black Rose Dragon. The entire form of the dark red dragon crackled with ominous electricity as it bent its form backwards, ready to spring forward and unleash its power.
Stardust Dragon did not back down at all. Similarly, it flapped its wings viciously, stirring up a great torrent of wind. As if weaving armour about itself, the gusts of wind twirled closely about the white dragon's body. A brilliant light, in stark contrast to the shadowy lightening of Black Rose Dragon, was gathering in the chest of Yusei's dragon.
Yusei felt Black Rose's impeding attack with his skin. The electrical discharge in the air made goose bumps jump out. He gulped uncontrollably and fought the instinctual desire to run somewhere and hide. There was an invisible storm around him as the air fizzled, and brief flashes of light danced through the darkness. All these tendrils of energy flashed threateningly around him, only to slowly gather together into a ball of alien energy in the mouth of Black Rose Dragon, which shot the attack squarely towards Stardust Dragon.
Stardust Dragon responded on equal terms. The light of Stardust Dragon was a singular point of brilliance and certainty in the invisible movements the other dragon created. The ball of white light that grew in Stardust's chest moved up its throat, and the white light shot out as a reply to Black Rose's attack. The white light hit the black energy coming from Black Rose Dragon head on, and the sonic waves it created shook the very ground Yusei was standing on.
Struggling, Yusei managed to not fall over. The cave was not a good place for such massive magical beasts to fight. The walls and the equipment were shaking slightly in the aftermath of the clash, and Yusei feared it was only the first one to come. But Stardust Dragon had other ideas. Before Yusei could make up his mind, his dragon decided to launch another attack straight into the darkness.
There was a hasty sound of wings, and Black Rose Dragon must have dodged immediately. Stardust Dragon's attack hit the wall, and Yusei heard the heavy thud of some rock falling from the impact. There was a weak squealing, which Yusei assumed to be from Black Rose Dragon, only to be surprised by a sudden torrent of lightning that headed straight for where he stood.
Stardust Dragon immediately leaped to Yusei's defence, standing in front of its master and using the wind that was surrounding its limbs to deflect the energy. Yusei let out the breath he didn't realise he was holding in. Even if he was the King of Duel Monster, this was much more terrifying than any duel he was ever in, either standing or when riding a D-Wheel. Even though the holograms – the Momentum-based technology – used in Duel Monsters was incredibly realistic, the impact Yusei was feeling now was miles beyond the illusions cast on the duelling field.
Stardust Dragon remained hunched, as if anticipating another assault. The whole area was still reverberating from the previous attack, with machinery shaking and making rattling sounds as everything slowly settled down. However, out of the darkness, multitudes of sharp vines shot towards Yusei.
Yusei's dragon reacted instantly and reached out to shield its master with one arm, and shot back a sharp bolt of white light towards where the other dragon must be. From the sudden silhouette of the dark dragon, it hit its mark.
Yet Aki's dragon was not going down without a fight. One of the thorny tails shot out and tangled with Stardust's wings. As Yusei's dragon writhed to get free, Aki's dragon followed up with another energy blast and this time, it hit Stardust Dragon squarely on the head.
Yusei's dragon reeled back in shock, and Black Rose Dragon did not miss this opportunity. Bolt after bolt of lightning chased after the white dragon, and more than a few landed on their target. Yusei crouched down and tried not to cry out in pain. Each hit on his dragon made a dull impact on his body, deep wounds that did not bleed but ached constantly. Whether Aki had endured this before, or how she managed it, Yusei did not know. Perhaps this added to Rudger's sense of superiority over other people, a sense of entitlement after his trials.
"You are going to have a taste of the pains of a Psychic Duelist, Yusei!" Aki gave out a guttural yell. "This is how much we've been bottling up all this time! How can I possibly expect you to understand?!"
Black Rose Dragon clung to Stardust Dragon. Despite their differences in the game of Duel Monsters, her dragon was evidently more used to its power than his. The black dragon was trying to use every advantage possible, battering Stardust Dragon with one quick attack after another. For once, Stardust Dragon seemed at a loss. It was trying to fend off as many attacks as possible, but it was clearly on a losing streak.
And then, Black Rose Dragon reared its head back again, dark purple lightening flashing deep in its chest, ready to deliver a final blow.
"Victim… Sanctuary!"
Even as a true monster from another realm, Yusei guessed his dragon still had similar powers to its card counterpart. A part of those powers, as Yusei rightfully knew, was the ability to sacrifice itself to remove other powerful monsters from battle.
Stardust Dragon wrapped its wings around Black Rose Dragon as if in a tight embrace, and both monsters disappeared in the blink of an eye. There was a loud cry of surprise from Rudger. At the same time, Yusei doubled over, as an impossible weight suddenly landed on his chest.
"Urk!"
There was a wriggling, heavy being in his heart – at least, that was what he physically felt. Mentally, he felt as if Black Rose Dragon had entered his soul. This new something was straining against his mental boundaries, as if it was trying hard to break free from the prison that consisted of Yusei's himself.
"You… you took it away?"
Yusei coughed harshly and looked up with eyes blurry with pain. He felt the new power inside him ramming against his ribs from the inside. He gasped, hardly able to make a sound or call for help.
"I did not know one could use one's Psychic Duelist powers in that way… But in a way, that is fitting for Fudo Yusei." Rudger was musing somewhere close by. Yusei tried to look up and was hit with another fierce bout of coughing.
"I can't summon Black Rose…" Further away, Aki's voice was shaking with fear. "I can kind of feel it still, but it won't answer to me… This has never happened before…"
"That is because we have never seen another Psychic Duelist who had the power to fiddle with another Psychic Duelist's monsters." Rudger's voice was concerned. "Izayoi-kun, summon your dragon again. Try harder this time."
That power within Yusei's chest bumped against him with renewed force. Yusei groaned and his arms wobbled as he tried to climb back to his feet, only to fail miserably and crumbled back into a heap on the floor.
"I can't, Rudger-san…" Aki spoke again, her voice positively quivering this time. "I can't summon Black Rose at all. It's like… it's like Yusei sealed it away."
"What a fascinating ability, though utterly useless for us." Rudger mused aloud. "But it would be interesting to test his limits. Izayoi-kun, try even harder."
Aki made a gasp. Yusei closed his eyes, and mentally prepared himself for the pain to come. It was as bad as he had anticipated, if not worse. Aki's metaphysical dragon rammed against his chest in fury as it attempted to escape from him, and Yusei took a deep breath and tried to hold it in as much as he could. It was scary, but Yusei could swear that he could feel Aki at the same time. It was as if this dragon, the symbol of Aki's power, had brought with it all her years of frustration and anger with it, and deposited it inside him. Yusei could also feel that she had softened up since just a while ago – her dragon's movements, while still hurting him greatly, now carried a hint of caution rather than the desperation he felt before.
"So, this is your power, Fudo Yusei. You take in the power of other Psychic Duelists and keep them inside you. A terrifying ability, and definitely detrimental to every other Psychic Duelist."
There was the thud of a heavy boot next to Yusei's head. And when he looked up, he was not surprised to see Rudger there. Now that he was so close to Yusei, the young man could finally see all the details of the elder Goodwin's face. It was a chiselled, hard countenance, but Yusei saw the resemblance now. Rex Goodwin sometimes wore a face like this too, especially during moments of great tribulation. Idly, Yusei wondered what would have happened had the two brothers avoided their feud. Perhaps they could have ran the City together…?
His musings were cut short by another curt command from Rudger.
"Now I'm wondering if this might not be the best way to kill him. Maybe the power of another will eat him up from within. That's what you want, isn't it, Izayoi-kun? You want him to pay for his neglect and ignorance. Then use your power inside him. After all, it doesn't seem like you will get Black Rose Dragon back unless he agrees to release it."
Yusei didn't need to look up to know that Aki wavered on that resolve. The renewed struggles of Black Rose Dragon were much weaker than what it previously gave out. She was evidently uncertain, not to mention having a growing distaste for Rudger's brusque commands.
"Rudger-san… This isn't working." And Aki voiced it too. From the sound of it, she was walking closer to Yusei. "This is also not the kind of confrontation I want to have with Yusei. I want to face him and let him know –"
She was abruptly interrupted by a loud smash. Shocked, Yusei looked up and saw the massive peak of the hummingbird had stabbed straight into the ground in front of Aki's feet.
Aki managed to keep her composure. She instantly put her arms up to protect herself, but when she saw that no further attacks are coming, she immediately looked behind her to Carly's glowing pod. Yusei and Rudger both followed her gaze.
"Kiryu!" Rudger's voice boomed out. "I told you to take care of those two! What are you doing!?"
"Carly Nagisa is in a pod, Rudger-san." Aki's voice rang out again, clear and not fuddled by the shock she just experienced. "She can't be reasoned with. Kiryu is not a Psychic Duelist. He can't do much against her."
"That bird will tear the entire place down. If it does so, we will all die here!" Rudger was evidently displeased with Aki's argument. "And what can you do to stop it, Izayoi-kun?"
Aki stopped dead in her tracks, her face hard as she heard those words from Rudger.
"If Kiryu doesn't do something to stop that girl, none of us are going to leave here in one piece. Not to mention Old Momentum is going to get hurt!" Rudger did not stop. "And these half-a-dozen Psychic Duelists here supporting it too!"
Carly's hummingbird screeched high above them, adding even more confusion to the situation. Further away, Kiryu could be seen physically struggling with Jack and Crow again, as the former was trying to prevent the latter two from meddling with Carly's pod. As if angered by the chaos, Earthbound God Aslla Piscu tilted its head back again, and stabbed its beak into the torso of Rudger's already flailing spider.
With a hoarse gasp, Rudger fell to the ground, clutching his chest. His monster emitted another bolt of white light and disappeared completely. Having lost its target, Carly's monster turned its gigantic head around, and aimed its beak straight at Aki, Yusei, and Rudger.
"No –" Rudger gave a weak cry. Aki gave out a shocked cry and ran away, narrowly dodging some pieces of falling rubble. But Rudger was right. Without her monster or a Duel Disk, there was little Aki could do.
"Black Rose Dragon… I'm sorry. But please, help us this time…!"
Therefore, Yusei closed his eyes, and offered a prayer while mentally letting Aki's powers go.
He was not strong enough to see exactly what happened, but he felt the jubilation in the dragon's thorny wings as it flew out of his mind and towards the incoming threat. He did not know whether Aki had ever used Black Rose Dragon to protect anyone, but judging from the delight that lingered briefly between him and the dragon, he knew the dragon was capable of such a job.
"Yusei…!" There was a dull sound together with a shout from Aki. Yusei cracked open an eye to see the dark shadow of Black Rose Dragon, its teeth still in the beak of Carly's hummingbird, with the latter monster writhing in apparent pain. Then the smaller dragon pulled back and the hummingbird retreated fully, making small screeching noises.
"Good job, Fudo Yusei." Rudger's gruff voice sounded angrier than anything else he had heard today. "Now that you've released Aki's monster, it's about high time for you to die and pay!"
"Stop, Rudger-san."
Aki's red boot landed between Rudger and Yusei's face.
"What is it, Izayoi-kun? We've got what we want from him. He will only be a hinderance from now on. Besides, you said yourself that what he did was unforgivable." Rudger huffed a reply.
"I disagree this time, Rudger-san. It's up to me to decide whether I forgive him."
Yusei looked up slightly. Aki had her back to him. He could not see either Aki's or Rudger's expressions and he closed his eyes, too weak to do anything.
"I didn't think you would be this weak, Izayoi-kun." Rudger's growl was not benign.
"Whereas I thought Fudo Yusei would be weaker, but I was wrong." Aki's response was cold. "Not everyone can take in someone else's monster, together with all the emotional burdens and attachments… It takes an incredible amount of willpower to achieve."
"So, you are going to let him go." Rudger muttered.
"I didn't get to know the real Fudo Yusei, just like he didn't get to know the real Izayoi Aki." Aki rebuked. "There is a need to reassess my vengeance."
Perhaps Rudger and Aki would have come to blows, had they had more time. However, the scuffle around Carly's pod seemed to have concluded. Whatever happened there had made Carly's monster unstable. It reached up, poking numerous holes in the interior of the cave, and emitted a pitiful, haunting wail. Then, just as soon as it came, it disappeared without any signs. And with it, the entire mountain started to shake.
Aki swore loudly next to him. Yusei was on the verge of passing out, yet he still had some mental capacity to recall that he had never heard Aki swear like that.
"We're moving out." That was Rudger's reply to Aki. "I'm disappointed, Izayoi-kun. Do not forget that if you do not support me, then you would become be my enemy. I gave you everything on the condition that you are willing to kill Fudo Yusei when you see him, and you are breaking that promise."
Yusei didn't hear what Aki said to that. The injuries and the blood loss had caught up to him and he was feeling dizzy. All he could feel was the gentle notion of being lifted up by something, and when he gathered up all his strength to open his eyes again, he saw Aki up close in her dark red riding outfit, her Marked face marred by two tattooed teardrops. He realised he had never seen her like this before – powerful, quiet, scarred yet impossibly sure of herself.
He reached out to her weakly, and said what he had wanted her to hear for a long time.
"Kill me then, Aki… It's my due."
-FIN-