The crowd is silent, waiting for news on Godwin's safety. One of the large floor-length windows at the top of the tower was completely smashed to pieces. Suddenly, Godwin's face is projected on to multiples screens around the stadium. "Everyone in the stadium, please remain calm." It looks like Godwin is safe, shame to be honest. "As the director of the Public Maintenance Department, I have the responsibility to protect you." Protect us? Please, you only protect the privileged. The ones who need it the least. "No matter what happens, I will protect you. Even if it means it's in exchange for my life." The crowd is cheering at Godwin's promise, unaware that he's secretly planning something. Every duel in the tournament makes me more suspicious of Godwin's true motive. That duel with Ruka, sending out weird psychic energy causing me to be ill. That Frank's first duel, ending too quickly and him being completely outclassed. Now, Bommer's attempt at Godwin's life, how the city can turn a blind eye on all of these events astounds me. Though, maybe they have become accustomed to turning a blind eye on everything that's wrong in the world. As the crowd cheers, I spot Bommer being dragged away by Security. They've cleverly turned the microphones off down there, allowing us not to hear what's actually going on. I'll likely never see Bommer again given the severity of what just tried to do. That man has a courage of steel.
The crowd quietens down in anticipation for the next duel. Izayoi will be dueling next. I feel nervous at that very thought. If she loses control of her powers, her own psychic energy could make my own react, giving my true identity away. I fix my sunglasses and brush the straight fringe of the black wig out from underneath the sunglasses. If she doesn't control her powers and brews up more wind, it could cause my wig to fly off. That would surely catch the attention of Kaoru, my light blonde hair is a dead giveaway. I don't turn to Shinji or Reika, I would need to disguise my voice too. I have a hard time doing that when I get nervous. I sigh inwardly and take a deep breath. I don't need to rely on anyone else to help me, only myself. The lights suddenly go out inside the stadium, signalling the next duel. I try to focus my thoughts on the duel, rather than my inner turmoil.
"It's time for the second semi-final that you've all been waiting for! The dueling worker, Kodo Kinomiya!" A spotlight shines on said duelist. "Facing him is the person who made a lasting impact in the first round! The Black Rose Witch, Aki Izayoi!" A bit harsh introducing her by that name not in an underground setting. As the spotlight appears on her, the crowd begins to heckle like usual. "This game is a standing duel!" The heckle softens to a murmur. "The anticipated battle begins now!"
"Duel!" Kinomiya and Izayoi declare, starting the duel.
"My turn. I draw." Izayoi starts the duel, a nice change of pace. "I summon Violet Witch(ATK:1100). Next, I activate the Field Spell Black Garden from my hand." Same as before, vines come out from under Izayoi, creating a dome shape around the field.
"It's started. You just seal yourself away in your own world." Oh Kinomiya is one of those people.
"I set one card. I end my turn." Izayoi remains unaffected by Kinomiya's strange comment.
"Izayoi has already used Black Garden! What will Kinomiya do?" I don't know, use an effect maybe?
"My turn. I draw!" Kinomiya takes his first turn. "I know why you use Black Garden. You want to become friends with other people. However, this is how you behave towards family and friends." I'm pretty sure she has none based on how she was at Duel Academy, but okay. "I set one card and end my turn."
"What? All Kinomiya did was set a card!" Good insight there MC, maybe he has a strategy in mind.
"This set card symbolises all the people you've met so far. No one wants to be friends with a witch." Okay, that was uncalled for. "It's those eyes! Everyone is afraid of those eyes that stare at the opponent!" I hate this guy already, it's official.
"My turn. I draw. Battle. Violet Witch attacks you directly." The attack is successful, making Kinomiya's life points drop to 2900.
"Just as we expected, Izayoi's direct attack damaged Kinomiya!" Psychic duelist does actual damage, shocking. Tomorrow's news, water is wet.
"You hurt another person again in a duel. Psychic duelist Aki Izayoi! Three years ago on May 15th, you hurt a classmate using Violet Witch during dueling practice. That was the first time you used your power at Duel Academy." I remember that, but he wasn't there. How could he possibly know that? "From that point on, everyone was afraid of you, so you turned your back on them." Even though that was directed at Izayoi, those words, they hurt me all the same. "Just like the back of this card! Your power is a sinful thing that you shouldn't have. Disgusting power requires punishment. I activate the trap card Crime and Punishment! This card activates when I take direct damage. One of your monsters is destroyed."
"Violet Witch's monster effect." Izayoi calls out. "When this card is sent from the field to the graveyard, I add one Plant-Type monster with 1500-or-fewer defence points from my deck to my hand. The card I select is Phoenician Cluster Amaryllis."
"You once again selected a card that has deep meaning for a sixteen year-old." What is he on about? Deep meaning for a sixteen-year-old, he's clearly smoking something. "Crime and Punishment's effect! At the end of the Battle Phase, I can Special Summon one Level 4-or-below monster from my hand! I Special Summon Agent of Hatred in defence position(DEF:0)!"
"Due to Black Garden's effect, the attack points of the summoned monster are halved." As Izayoi says this, vines begin to constrict the monster.
"Too bad. Agent of Hatred has 0 attack and defence points! The effect of that spell is meaningless!" Yes, but that number is 0.
"Since you Special Summoned Agent of Hatred, I can Special Summon one Rose Token onto my field(ATK:800). The Token that I Special Summoned using this effect cannot be destroyed in battle, or attack." Izayoi's somewhat infamous strategy rears its head again.
"Then I also activate Agent of Hatred's monster effect! Once per turn during your Battle Phase, I can regain life points equal to the battle damage I took from one attack." Kinomiya's life points return to 4000. I must admit that effect is a nice trade for its 0 attack points.
"From my hand, I summon Phoenician Seed in defence position(DEF:0). Black Garden's effect activates." Once again, vines constrict around the monster. "Black Garden halves the attack points of the summoned monster, and a Rose Token is Special Summon onto the opponent's field in attack position(ATK:800). I activate the Continuous Trap Rose Flame. When a Plant-Type monster is summoned onto the opponent's field, the opponent takes 500 points of damage." Kinomiya attacked by a storm of flaming purple petals as his life points drop to 3500.
"This time, you're replaying what happened when you were five years old." Izayoi looks slightly surprised by this reveal. How would he know about something that happened eleven years ago to a little girl? Pervert. "It's the day you won a duel for the first time. The excitement of your first victory awakened the power that was lying dormant in your consciousness!"
"My power just doesn't destroy things around me." Izayoi pauses and looks at her hand. She thinking some deep, emotional shit right here, isn't she? "I end my turn."
"You're a monster that's destroying this world. Since you're a monster, go back to your monster's nest! This world is for humans!" That physically hurt me, my heart is aching. She's not some hideous dragon, she's a sixteen-year-old girl who's clearly been through some serious shit in her life. Izayoi doesn't respond, I'm still amazed at how she does it. "My turn. I draw. From my hand, I activate the spell card Mind Monster." A weird blue blob appears on the field like a monster. "Mind Monster's effect. I guess what monster you have. I guess Black Rose Dragon!" The crowd acts surprised. She used it in her last duel, you nitwits. "If you have the monster I guessed, you take damage equal to half that monster's attack points." Mind Monsters morphs into the infamous dragon. "Black Rose Dragon has 2400 attack points. You take half its attack points as damage, so you take 1200 points!" Izayoi is attacked by purple flames, in the way her own dragon attacks. Her life points drop to 2800. The crowd is surprised and happy that Kinomiya managed to damage Izayoi.
"Too bad. If I had your power, I could have hurt you for real." I have Izayoi's powers, I could hurt you if you want. "Stay tuned for the next turn. I switch Rose Token on my field to defence position and end my turn(ATK-DEF:800-800)."
"My turn, I draw!" Izayoi declares, then pauses. I imagine Kinomiya's taunts and insults are now getting to her.
"What are you doing? Come on! The Arcadia Movement is depending on your power!" There we go, I was waiting for that. He must have researched Izayoi before the duel. How else would he know about the Arcadia Movement?
"I came here because I believe in someone. And I have the power I need!" She must mean Divine. Though I personally wouldn't put my trust in him, he seems fishy and up to something, in my opinion at least. "Phoenician Seed's monster effect. By sending this face up card on my field to the graveyard, I can Special Summon Phoenician Cluster Amaryllis from my hand(ATK:2200)!"
"Due to the effect of Black Garden, the summoned monster's attack points are halved(ATK:2200-1100), and a Rose Token is summoned onto the opponent's field(ATK:800). Since Rose Token was Special Summoned, the Continuous Trap Rose Flame activates!" Izayoi's trap causes Kinomiya's life points to go from 3500 to 3000.
"Battle! Phoenician Cluster Amaryllis attacks Rose Token!" Kinomiya's life points once again drop, this time to 2700. "When Phoenician Cluster Amaryllis attacks, it is destroyed. Then its monster effect activates. When this card is destroyed and sent to the graveyard, it deals 800 points of damage." Kinomiya begins to fall to his knees from the damage.
"So that's why it self-destructed after the attack." His life points keep dropping, now at 1900.
"Due to Agent of Hatred's monster effect, Kinomiya regains life points equal to the battle damage!" The MC calls out, finally, giving some usual information. Kinomiya's life points return to 2200.
"My body is tearing apart... The witch is seriously trying to end my life." She's not trying to kill you. Injure you, yes. But kill you? No. "If my life points become 0, there are more important things than my fee." Like your hospital bill.
"I set one card and end my turn. During the End Phase of my turn, I can Special Summon Phoenician Cluster Amaryllis from my graveyard in defence position(DEF:0)."
"This means Rose Token is Special Summoned onto Kinomiya's field(ATK:800)!" Has the MC been replaced with his more useful twin brother?
"The Continuous Trap Rose Flame activates." Izayoi calls out, signalling more pain for Kinomiya.
"The Continuous Trap attacks assails Kinomiya!" The MC cries out as Kinomiya's life points drop to 1700.
"You freak..." Okay, now I'm offended. Psychics aren't freaks, they're all beautiful, amazing and I will fight you if you say otherwise. "My turn! I draw! I release three Rose Tokens to Special Summon Mad Profiler from my hand(ATK:2600)! I can Special Summon Mad Profiler from my hand by releasing three monsters on my field!"
"Due to the effect of Black Garden, the monster's attack points are halved(ATK:2600-1300), and a Rose Token is summoned onto Izayoi's field(ATK:800)!" Okay, I'm actually worried for the MC right now, this isn't like him to be giving useful commentary.
"Mad Profiler's monster effect. By sending one card to the graveyard, a card on the field that's the same type as the discarded card is removed from play!" Black Garden's vines begin to glow green and fade away. Mad Profiler's attack points return to their normal 2600. "I'm going to continue using Mad Profiler's monster effect. I send a monster card to the graveyard. Phoenician Cluster Amaryllis is removed from play! Now when a monster is destroyed, the monster effect won't activate! Let's battle! Mad Profiler, attack Rose Token!" Izayoi's life points drop from 2800 to 1000. The crowd once again begins cheering for Kinomiya, telling him to keep attacking that freak. I try not to be affected by their harsh words. This disguise protects me.
"I hope you learned that a freak shouldn't disgrace the art of dueling! Go back to your nest!" Oh gods, I think he's actually worse than that knight guy. "I activate the Equip Spell Destruction Insurance from my hand." That card, could he be? When the equipped monster is destroyed, the opponent takes damage equal to half its attack points. Since Mad Profiler has 2600 attack points, Izayoi would take 1300 damage, meaning she would lose. "Then I activate another Equip Spell! Lightlow Protection!" That card allows you to destroy your opponent's monster if that monster's effect changes the attack points of the equipped monster. That proves it, these cards counter Black Rose Dragon's effects.
"My turn. I draw." Izayoi begins her turn. "I summon Twilight Rose Knight(ATK:1000). Level 3 Tuner Monster Twilight Rose Knight tunes two Level 2 Rose Tokens. Chilling flames engulf the entire world. Pitch dark flower set into bloom! Synchro Summon! Appear, Black Rose Dragon(ATK:2400)!" The dragon appears in a bright light. It causes harsh winds to fly around the stadium, I grip the top of my head hard so my wig doesn't fly off. Dark purple petals fill the air. It's stronger than last time and that fills me with a strange fear in the pit of my stomach, could she be?
"The witch's ace in the hole. Bring it! I'll counter it! You're a freak whose parents abandoned you!" Okay, that was uncalled for! As he says this, Izayoi's hair clip falls to the ground with a metallic, hollow sound, calling her hair to fall into her face. The crowd is dead silent, in fear of what will happen next. However, I know what's coming as her hair and clothes begin to flow, as if they were in a breeze. I've seen this so many times before. There's a faint red glow off Izayoi. So, this is what she looks like when she loses control of her powers. Looking at her makes me feel that familiar electricity in my veins. If I'm not careful, I'll lose my ability to contain my own.
"I won't forgive someone like you who stomps on a person's heart. I'll carve pain into your body!" So, this is the real Black Rose Witch. "Black Rose Dragon's monster effect. By removing one Plant-Type monster in my graveyard from play, your monster's attack points become 0. Rose Restriction!" Mad Profiler's attack points fall to 0.
"I was waiting for that! I activate Lightlow Protection's effect! When the equipped monster's attack points change due to your monster's effect, that monster is destroyed!" Smoke fills the stadium as Black Rose Dragon is destroyed.
"I activate the trap card Rose Curse. When the attack points of a monster on your field changes, you take damage equal to the difference between that monster's original attack points and its new attack points." Red petals begin to swirl around Kinomiya, creating a tornado shape.
"Do it." Petals engulf and damage all around the field. The crowd screams in fear of being hurt themselves, my hand still tightly gripping my skull. Once the petals have done their damage, they begin to settle and fall. They reveal Kinomiya lying in a hole in the dueling field. The crowd is dead silent, taking in that image.
"It's over! Hurry up and bring the paramedics! Aki Izayoi advances to the finals!" I look at Izayoi, standing there with her hair still covering her face. As my hands fall into my lap, I look at Kinomiya and wonder what damage she could do to Yusei.