(Chapter 11: The Wilted Roses)
Greetings everyone, I'm back. hese chapters will give us a glimpse of Yuri's backstory and also the story of Aki. This chapter is going to be rather dark so be warned. I hope you enjoy!
From her helicopter, Melissa Claire spoke loudly, "Everyone, time to welcome our duelists! Appear now, challenger of Jack Atlas for the exhibition match, Sakaki Yuya!" With that Yuya came up on his D-Wheel to the starting line, and was met with constant booing from the audience.
Not letting their disdain for him get into his head, Yuya yelled, "Everyone! Please listen to me. Do you all know what happens to the duelists who lose the Friendship Cup?! They're being shipped down to a Facility to treat and fix up garbage. They're being treated like slaves!"
"Um, Yuya, what's your point exactly?" Melissa Claire asked.
Shocked, Yuya replied, "What's wrong!? Isn't it obvious? This whole Friendship Cup is a fraud, just an excuse for one duelist to rise while everyone else falls!"
"So what!" People in the crowd yelled at Yuya, "They lost, so they deserved the trash. If they didn't want to do the labor then they should've been stronger!"
Jack sighed from his view box, "You've just come here, having nothing to prove of your worth and capability, and you expect people to just follow you blindly." He closed his eyes, "That is why you are self-absorbed."
From the shadows, Yuri noted that it wasn't just the Tops who were disagreeing with Yuya, but the Commons as well. "Well isn't that hypocritical. For all their talk of wanting freedom and changing the system, the Commons are just as bad as the Tops."
"Give me a break; all of these disgusting humans are hypocrites. They enjoy watching others squirm and struggle, but when it happens to them, then it's evil. Humanity is nothing but a den of filth." Starve Venom spoke within Yuri's mind, having realized this years ago.
"I know Venom."
"Well, all that aside, presenting to us now, Duel Chaser 227!" With that a man in a Security uniform came into the stadium on a Duel Chaser D-Wheel before coming to a stop next to Yuya.
Yuya turning to the man, "Please listen to me, we shouldn't do this, I don't want to see you sent to a Labor Facility."
The security officer spat at Yuya, "As though you could actually defeat me. In any case, if you don't want to fight, you may as well surrender."
The duel between the 2 began, with Yuya setting up a good combination with his Odd-Eyes and Pendulum cards and was set to take the win against the officer's Goyo Predator, but for some reason wasn't attacking.
From his room, Shingo sighed out of exasperation, "Come on Yuya, if you let this chance slip by it might not comeback." From his own room Dennis agreed.
Yuri saw the look on Yuya's face and understood what Yuya was thinking. He didn't want to do it, he didn't want to lose, but he couldn't bring himself to finish up his opponent. It went against his moral principles; there was no justice in this, just cruelty and unfairness. Sadly, in his inner turmoil, he allowed his opponent to get an Action Card which saved him from the attack. The tables were turned on Yuya, and his monsters were stolen by Goyo Emperor.
As the attack came to Yuya, he heard the wretched audience scream for his defeat, wishing to watch him fall in defeat. Very well, if blood was what they wanted, then that's what they'll get.
"I activate Performapal Odd-Eyes Light Phoenix's effect, by destroying the other monster in my Pendulum Scale, I can summon Light Phoenix from the Pendulum Scale!" The avian bird shot from the scale to intercept the attack, leading Fireflux to back off.
"My turn, draw! Activating spell, Double Reborn Level 4! Now we each special summon a level 4 or lower monster from our graveyards in defense mode! I choose Bot-Eyes Lizard!" His monster appeared on the field.
No. 227 replied, "I'll choose Jutte Lord!" With that his monster returned to the field.
"Now, I use my Lizards effect to treat it as Odd-Eyes Dragon so I can tribute it while sending Light Phoenix to the graveyard to summon Odd-Eyes Saber Dragon from my hand!" With that Yuya's monster's vanished, replaced by a new Odd-Eyes (ATTR:Light/LV:7/ATK:2800/ DEF:2000). "Now attack and destroy Jutte Lord!" With that the dragon sent a blast of energy at the revived monster, destroying it. "Now thanks to Saber Dragon's effect, I can destroy a monster you control since it destroyed a monster by battle. Say farewell to Goyo Emperor!" The dragon shot another blast at Goyo Emperor, wiping the beast from the field. With it gone, the spell holding Odd-Eyes and Fireflux to the officer's field was gone, and the monsters rejoined their true master.
"Now Odd-Eyes, direct attack, finish him!" With that the beast charged at the Duel Chaser. Both duelists went for Action Cards, but Yuya's made No. 227's useless. With that Odd-Eyes rammed it's head into the man's motorcycle, causing the man to fall off and end up unconscious.
From her room, Yuzu was disturbed from what she had witnessed, "Yuya…is this what you want to tell the people?"
However, Roger found it highly amusing, "So this is his true nature? Perhaps there's more to Sakaki Yuya than meets the eye." With that he left with these new thoughts.
Yuya eventually woke up to find No. 227 taken away on a stretcher with the crowd applauding him, cheering him on for what he had done. After failing to stop the people from taking the man away, Yuya sat on his D-Wheel before clenching his head, "Not this…this wasn't what I wanted."
Yuri for his part left the stadium like a ghost, Sora trailing behind him to keep up, wondering what was wrong. Yuri couldn't explain anything; he couldn't tell why his fists were shaking, why he wanted nothing more than to rip apart everything in this blasted city. He couldn't explain why he was so affected, but if Yuri were to tell the truth, it was because he had heard his voice from Yuya, his voice, saying the very same thing so many years ago…
(3 years ago: Academia; Survival Duel Training)
Yuri was in tears as his opponent lay before him. He hadn't wanted to do it; he hadn't wanted to hurt him. However, Sanders had other plans.
"Well done Yuri, looks like you're finally starting to toughen up. Now finish this fool and card him." Sanders said with a sadistic smile on his face, a whip in one hand poised to strike at the boy.
Yuri moved his free hand open to the button on his duel disk, one touch would give him a reprieve from Sander's methods of torture and discipline. Yet as he stared at the boy in front of him, he saw his fallen foe's eyes opening, filled with fear and despair. Yuri fell on his knees as tears spilled from his eyes.
"I…I can't do it." His faced turned back to Sanders in a begging manner, "Please, what's the point of-"
"SMACK."
Yuri was lying on the ground in a daze, the blow to his head from the whip leaving him somewhat confused. At the very least…it left him bewildered enough to manage the pain of what must have been 20 lashes on his back, the last few hits drawing blood then stayed on the whip. When he came to, he felt as though he had died and had been shocked back to life. The next thing he noticed is that he was tied up on the ground with Sanders towering over him.
The maniac's face went from serious and disappointed to bloodthirsty and sadistic as a warped grin came to his face. Taking out a card from his pocket, he showed it to Yuri, revealing it to be the other student he had been dueling.
As he saw Yuri's upset face, Sanders laughed before saying, "You really should have finished him yourself, otherwise it would've been better for both of you. Don't turn around right now Yuri, I want you to see this, and kill all your weakness."
He then took a burning cigarette in his other hand, and used it to light a small fire on the ground. Then he dropped the card into the blaze.
Yuri just sat there…shocked. As he stared at the burning card, he knew that Sanders had killed him. Even as a card, you could still be brought back. Now however…the boy was dead. He had been Yuri's age, and though he had held no mercy to Yuri, forcing him to defend himself, they had been dueling for the same reason…to live. He felt like crying, and in a way he did cry, but his tears had been evaporated. This wasn't what he wanted, when he joined Academia years. He thought that he was going to be a hero…and now he wondered if hero's were fiction people made up to keep from despair.
He wasn't given any food that day…not that he would've eaten. The next thing he knew he was thrown back in his cell, barely any space to move. With whatever strength he could muster he picked himself back onto his bed and held his deck to his chest.
"This wasn't what I wanted." With that Yuri fell asleep. Unknown to him, his dragon's spirit was in that cell with him. As he looked at the boy he wrapped his tail around him to keep Yuri warm. It stared into the wretched moonlight that came from the sole window at the top of the cell, wondering exactly why it had spared humans of the fate they deserved.
(Present Day: City alley way)
Yuri punched the wall as his wrath peeked, only his dragon holding him back. "This City is just like back there…different levels of abuse, but the same principles apply."
"I know Yuri…but that's just how humans are. It seems no matter what, they will always be vile creatures." Starve Venom spoke in his mind.
"You never did tell me…what happened to you. Does it relate to the Black Shadow?"
"It does, the shadow wishes for the death of everything, not that I wouldn't mind that."
"Then why are you so set on protecting me from it?" Yuri knew Starve Venom loathed humans, but he also could tell from the shadow's whispers through the roots in his mind that it did as well, so why were they enemies instead of allies.
"It devoured me and those I loved, and threatened to end us entirely. That is why I will not lose you to it."
"Don't worry buddy; I'm not leaving anytime soon."
"Hey Yuri, what's going on!?" Sora appeared out of breath. "Is everything alright?" Sora stared at Yuri and now seemed a bit concerned.
"No… I'm fine, just needed a quick stroll, that's all." Yuri sighed, "Let's head back to the stadium."
On the way back, Yuri quietly dropped a few cards on purpose on different streets. They were special cards, not for one's deck, they had other uses. Starve Venom told him that he sensed Clear Wing engaged in combat, though won in the end.
Sure enough, Yugo had defeated Shingo Sawatari and was heading to the next round. Though Shingo was saddened the people wouldn't be able to enjoy his amazing theatre, he took the ,oss in stride and left to be taken to the labor facility.
At said facility, a former proud security officer was whimpering on bended knees. "But I don't belong her. I'm a member of the Tops, Duel Chaser 227."
"Correction, you were a member of the Tops." A snazzy dressed black man named Gallagher said before him, "But you lost the duel fair and square. Like all the losers, Tops or Commons, now you have to satisfy yourself here, along with the other rejects."
With that, the broken officer sat dejected, while Gongenzaka asked, "Is there any way out of here. There are others in our lives that depend on us."
Oh…is that so?" Gallagher fixed his glasses. "Well, if you manage to win a certain number of duels in the underground here, you may be able to leave. Here, everything's decided by dueling."
"In that case let's get started!" Shingo said as the doored opened. "We have people waiting for us on the other side."
Gallagher laughed, "I wish you boys luck. Though just as a quick warning, only one duelist has ever escaped from here."
"Who escaped from here?" Chojiro asked next to Gongenzaka.
"Why the dear lady who's going to be dueling in the tournament right about now. The Black Rose Witch – Aki Izayoi."
Why is she called the Black Rose Witch?" Shingo asked.
Gallagher began to chuckle nervously, "Well…she's not normal, to say the least. She's called that because she is a Psychic Duelist. She has the power to truly summon monsters…"
(Synchro Dimension: Friendship Cup Stadium)
"Well everyone, time for our 3rd duel today. This duel will be starring Damon Lopez from the Commons, against the mysterious Black Rose Witch – Aki Izayoi!" Melissa exclaimed as Yuya sat in his room, not even paying attention to the duel.
Though Aki had been born in the Tops, she was booed by both Tops and Commons, both also cheering for Damon to bring down the witch. It seemed that if there was one thing that united them, it was their shared hatred and fear for Psychic Duelists.
"I can't even believe she's still alive. Weren't most wiped out after the Arcadia movement fell down?" A woman asked her husband.
"I suppose not. For once I'm hoping the commoner wins." The man replied while clutching his wife and son, the 2 duelists waiting at the starting line.
"Well, let's begin this! Riding Duel! Acceleration!" Melissa cried as the duel began.
Back at the labor facility, Gallagher continued his story. "Aki used to be the right hand of Divine, leader of the Arcadia movement."
"I heard of that, wasn't it comprised of Psychic Duelists?" Chojiro asked.
"Yeah, it was. In case you guys don't know, these psychics were a special sort of people with strange powers from both Tops and Commons. Some could move things with their minds, some could read minds, and a few could even summon actual monsters. They had real mass and everything, just like Real Solid Vision, but they didn't need the technology to do it." Gallagher stated.
"Wow, that sounds awesome!" Shingo cried.
"I suppose, if you could control it, but most people couldn't, and Aki was one of them. She along with others would've been hauled in by Security if Divine hadn't stepped in and saved them."
"Wasn't he the runner-up in the last Friendship Cup?" Gongenzaka asked, having heard the name from a reference somewhere.
"I'll get to that later, but yes he was. Divine was the son of a rich and influential member of the Tops, and when he gained the inheritance later on, he used it in order to free them and create the Arcadia Movement, under the promise that he was only going to help them train and master their powers, having taught himself how to control his own. Not many people liked that however, both Tops and Commons saw them as a threat. The power to summon actual beasts terrified many. That is until…he came in." Gallagher said and grimaced.
"Who?" Shingo asked.
"Jean-Michel Roger. The man who came out of nowhere. Word has it, he came from another world."
"Another world, what do you mean?" Gongenzaka yelled.
"I mean that he literally showed up out of nowhere and offered the City Council a solution to Arcadia, Real Solid Vision." Gallagher continued, shocking the 3 men. "Roger stated that with the technology, Security and civilians would have the same power as Psychics, putting them on a level playing field. This also helped Security bring down riots from the Commons, eventually leading to the Friendship Cup, and that's where things get interesting."
"Interesting, what do you mean?" Chojiro asked, a bit scared of the answer.
"Well, remember when you guys asked about Divine being the runner-up of the tournament, well he was. Divine saw the Friendship Cup as an opportunity to solve the issues Arcadia was facing. As an act of fairness, he allowed RSV to be turned off for him and dueled purely with his abilities. Divine wanted the City to accept the Psychic duelists, stating that they had nothing to be afraid of now that they were on equal footing, and that Arcadia protected both Tops and Commons. He said that the Psychic Duelists could work with Real Solid Vision, and enable dueling to reach its next level. It was an interesting proposal, but he unfortunately lost the final round to Jack Atlas, and was taken by Security. With Divine gone, no one really saw any point in sparing the Arcadia movement, and most of the psychics were rounded up and taken here and to places in Security." Gallagher then gave a rather strange laugh.
Back at the duel, Aki was pushed on the defensive, her Rose Tentacles destroyed by Damon's Alien deck. Damon laughed as he shoved his duel runner into hers and forced her back, the crowd cheering him on.
"Hah, I guess the Black Rose Witch isn't so mighty now that she doesn't have her power to defend her. Next turn I'll end her."
Whatever the girl was feeling on the inside, no one knew, the mask she wore covered any facial expressions she may have had. She then silently drew her card and started her turn.
Gallagher continued telling his tale to people listening to him, "I was the one chosen to supervise Aki as her powers were tested against 50 of the best underground duelists I had."
"What happened to them?" They all asked.
Gallagher sighed, "Remember when I said Aki had no control over her powers. She was one of the stronger members of Arcadia, and although she didn't mean to, she crippled all 50 of the duelists with her powers."
"All 50 of them! That's insane! What happened next." Shingo asked.
"Well, I gave the information to Roger, and he took her for some 'Special uses,' I didn't really want to know what he meant." Gallagher said, his mask of calmness starting to slip.
"So that's all, that's why she escaped." Gongenzaka said.
"Well…I don't know if I'm allowed to tell you this, but I heard that she actually escaped and ran off before being recaptured."
"She ran away?" Chojiro gasped, what had happened to her back then.
"Obviously that's what happened. I don't know what Roger was doing to her while he had her, but it must have scared her so bad that she ran off and somehow got back to her family." This time, Gallagher's fear became apparent, and all 3 men grew scared to know the ending, yet couldn't help but wish to learn.
With a quivering voice, Shingo asked, "Well, you said she was recaptured. Did her parents give her back to Security or…"
"Her parents are dead, how they died is unknown." Gallagher said to the 3 appalled faces before him. "Aki's parents never liked how their daughter was being held by Security, which may have increased depending on what happened to the girl. They were probably killed off by Security and Aki was taken back." With that Gallagher sighed and closed his eyes.
"That's…just awful." Gongenzaka said in a broken voice.
"Preaching to the choir my friend, people learn sooner or later that Jean-Michel Roger is not a man to be trifled with. He came from nowhere, and made himself one of the most powerful people here, and the extremes he'll go to get what he wants are terrifying." Gallagher said in wavering voice.
"You know, for a scumbag like you, I'm surprised you seem upset over Aki's fate." Shingo noted.
"Well, I fancy myself to be a rather chivalrous scumbag if a do say so myself. Lost my sister and mother, what can I say?" Gallagher sighed and his expression turned into a rather wistful and forlorn one, "Though a word from the wise, when it comes down to it, you're going to have to act like a real scumbag to get ahead in life; world waits for no one. Aki was one of the sweet and innocent flowers, and sadly, those are always the flowers that wilt first."
Back at the arena, the duel was over. In a smoking heap, Damon was clutching his abdomen where a massive cut leaked blood with scars and burn marks all over him. Next to him left the burning and destroyed remnant of what was once his duel runner. The crowd lay in shock, they though RSV would enable people to fight on equal footing with Psychic duelists, but Aki's power magnified the intensity of the dragon she wielded, to the point that it could slice through the system like a knife through butter. Without saying a word, Aki left the stadium to return to her quarters.
The other contestants were in shock and terror of what they had witnessed, never seeing anything like that in their lives. Yuri's eyes stared down the female's retreating figure. He could see it in her dueling, something had happened to her. Something had twisted her life and broken it down to near nothingness. They say the eyes were the windows to the soul, but Yuri couldn't help but feel that if he removed the mask on her face, he would find his own eyes staring at himself.
Back at the labor facility, while Shingo and Gongenzaka were sorting through the trash, Gongenzaka pulled Shingo down and whispered to him, "Remember what Gallagher said, about Roger supposedly appearing out of thin air, from another world?"
"Yeah, what about it?" Shingo asked, causing Gongenzaka to smack his head.
"Don't you remember what Roger supposedly brought with him?"
Shingo's eyes widened, "Real Solid Vision. You don't think…"
"I do. He couldn't have come from Standard, nor from Xyz, which leaves only one dimension left…"
"Jean-Michel Roger must originate from the Fusion Dimension." Reiji said to Tsukikage, having heard Gallagher's tale and escaped the underground facility in secret. The two and Reira stood at the top f a building while Reiji continued to speak. "Good work Tsukikage, continue your investigation."
"As you say." Tsukikage turned to leave when suddenly…
"Wait, Tsukikage." Reira said from behind Reiji, prompting Tsukikage to face him as the boy left his brother's shadow and faced the ninja. "I wanted to apologize to you for my behavior earlier today. I thought that big brother trusted you more than me and…I was actually hoping that you would lose. I'm ashamed of it. You don't deserve such ungrateful treatment."
Reira lowered his head when Tsukikage placed his hand on the boy's shoulders. "You have nothing to fear, I will always protect you and the Lancers with my life if need be." The ninja reassured him.
Reira then grew confidence before continuing, "That's why I want to fight now, to keep from being a burden like back then. I want to prove myself to you, and my brother, Jack, and Yuya too." As his brother and the ninja stared at the boy in shock, Reira continued, "I need yyou to send Yuya my message, so that he can understand what we have to do…"
Later on that day, Yuya stared at his deck in confusion when a knock came to his door, "Who is it?"
"It's me, Tsukikage." The ninja replied.
At that moment, Yuya leaped and exclaimed, "Your free, what about the others, are they with you."
"No. I am the only one, Reiji says it is not an appropriate time to free them."
"Not appropriate, what is wrong with him? Doesn't he care about us?" Yuya said as he slammed his fist at the door.
"It's not that he doesn't, he cares for all of you, he just cannot express it. You are but a child, and we are to be in war. These are difficult times that challenge us and force us to behave in ways we wish not to. Master Reiji learned that long ago." Tsukikage waited and heard no response before continuing, "Trust me, if Reiji Akaba was truly a cruel man willing to sacrifice anything to win, I'd have left his side long ago."
"So, why are you here?" Yuya asked.
"Master Reira wanted me to pass a message to you. He told me to , 'Tell Yuya…tell him we have to harden our resolve and move forward if we are to win the hearts of the City. Duels to bring smiles…Academia's invasion, they are all important, but these people have no understanding of either and have no belief in us. To them we are nothing, and because of that no matter how much we shout, they will just ignore us. That's why, we have to win, we can't focus on anything else. By winning the Friendship Cup, that's how we can win the respect of the City. Please Yuya; defeat Jack, that way the City will truly believe us.'" Tsukikage finished his statement and Yuya smiled.
"I will…tell him I will." Yuya said.
"I'd love to, but I can't, they have both retreated to the Council building, and I am incapable of entering it to speak to him."
"In that case, can you send this to someone else? I have a message to right her." With that, Yuya took a note pad and a pencil and began to write…
Yuzu was lying down on her bed, still contemplating the events of Yuya's duel when she saw a slip of paper slide under her door. Picking it up, she read it and began to tear up…
Yuzu…I think I've finally got it, what I've been missing since I got here. I'm trying to win the hearts of people who don't know a thing about me, appearing from out nowhere stating that I am right. I guess that's why Jack called my dueling conceited, because I haven't proved myself of anything yet. That's why I… no we, can't worry about things any longer and focus on winning the Friendship Cup. We have to make the people accept us, and the Friendship Cup is the only way to do it. Once we win, that's when they'll finally listen to us. After that…after this is all over. The war over and peace restored to everyone, then we can go back, where everyone's waiting. My mom, Shuzo-san, and our friends, they're waiting for us back home. I promise Yuzu, we'll see them again.
Sincerely, Yuya
"Yuya.." Yuzu cried as she held the paper close to her heart, the person she was thinking of held his deck, vowing to win with his dueling.
He was not the only one, from the shadows Yuri watched as the announcement was made for the final match of the day to begin, between Dennis and the infamous Kurosaki Shun, Ruri's elder brother.
Smiling, Yuri thought, 'Good, I hope to speak to Dennis soon, I feel that a change of plans are in order for this mission.'
Sensing these ominous thoughts, Starve Venom laughed, "And what will that change be?"
'Well, let's just say things are going to be a lot more, explosive, in this City.'
And that about wraps up this chapter, so what do you think? What sinister fate lies in store for this City and its inhabitants. Also, quick not to whoever is Guest, please give an actual username and if you don't have anything to comment, then don't comment. Don't say next chapter, of course I'll be sending a chapter soon. Don't be so impatient.
