"They found Divine?" I have to repeat what Aki said. My eyes don't leave her face. I'm searching any hint of a joke or sarcasm. But I don't find any. "But you said that you looked after everyone appeared." She sighs deeply.
"I guess he reappeared somewhere else. The same way you didn't show up with everyone else." She pauses. "I had almost convinced myself that he was gone forever."
"Who knows?" She bites her lip.
"Mikage told me that they found Divine in the Satellite. I haven't told anyone else." Aki looks me straight in the eyes. I'm surprised. "I haven't even told Yusei." Almost like she can read my mind. "Mikage said that I could go speak with Divine if I wanted to."
"Do you want to?" Aki looks down, deep in thought.
"I do, I have so many things I want to say." She turns. "Then again, I'm terrified by the thought."
"If you want to say something, you should. Else, you were probably regret it."
"I suppose so." She sighs. "Will you come with me? I don't want to alone." She pauses again. "In case something happens."
"Of course I'll go with you." I smile. "Nothing will happen if I'm around."
"Thank you." Aki tries to smile, but she bites the inside of her lip. There's so many emotions stirring inside her, I can't pick out one in particular. Almost like a deep dark void that will swallow anything that gets too close.
Aki puts on a brave face going into the elevator. She's been silent for a while. She concentrates on her breathing. I'm starting to wonder if she really be okay. If this was a good idea. There's no turning back. Divine has been moved into the interview room. I can tell that by the aura, and we're only at the start of the corridor. Mikage meets us in the corridor. She has a rather solemn expression. I imagine it's because of Aki. All of her anxieties are starting to bubble to the surface. Mikage leads to a door. A guard stands next to it, I can see the muscles rippling underneath the jacket.
"The guard will lead into the interview room. You will have guards with you. Your friend and I will be behind one-way glass, we'll be watching everything that happens. We've placed restraints on him so that we limit his psychic powers. You have no reason to be afraid." Mikage's words do nothing to calm down Aki.
"Breathe." I say. Aki looks towards me. "You can do this." She takes a deep breath and nods.
Mikage leads into a small room. We stand in silence as Aki is led in. Divine just sits there. There's the beginnings of a sinister smirk of his face.
"Hello Aki." I can see the semblance of a scar on the side of Divine's face that I can't see. Something that, no doubt, is linked to the Dark Signers. My skin crawls at the mere sound of his voice.
"Hello Divine." She remains completely straight-faced.
"How have been holding up?" I notice some sort of strange metal armband above Divine's handcuffs. Is that how they're restraining his powers? Divine stares straight at the one-way glass. I could swear his eyes meet mine. Clearly it's not working. Aki stays silent.
"Fine." She manages to get out. The room stays silent as Aki tries to form the words on the tip of her tongue. Divine just sits back. His wrists move like he's trying to get out of the handcuffs. The guards in the room are ready to pounce. "Is it true? That you were really making a psychic army?" Divine looks back at the one-way window.
"Yes, and you were going to be the centre of it." Is Divine really admitting to this when he knows that he's being watched like a hawk? He's clearly up to something. Aki's eyes harden a little bit.
"I have outgrown you." Aki's mouth forms a hard line. "I don't need you anymore." Something flickers in Divine's eyes. "I'm not that lost little girl anymore. I don't need you to guide me. I won't let you mold me into a warrior. I can control my powers now. I know who I am now, and I don't need you." She takes a deep breath. That's been weighing on her mind for some time I imagine. Divine says nothing. Silence lingers again in the room.
"Really?" There's this smile on Divine's face that literally gives me the chills down my spine. Boy, am I glad that I didn't join the Arcadia Movement. "You think you can?" I close my eyes in an effort to stop myself breaking through that glass and beating up Divine.
"Yes." Aki's voice leaves no room for discussion, but Divine continues.
"Prove it." There's something to Divine's voice. I can't quite put my finger on it. It gets under my skin and just makes me plain uncomfortable. Raiden. That's what it reminds me of. It puts a shiver in your spine. It nags you, it doesn't leave you alone. You do what it wants.
Aki freezes. She looks at the glass, as if hoping she'd get an answer from it. She's torn. Prove that she is in charge of her own life, or prove that she still does whatever Divine wants. She looks at her hands, folded in her lap. She looks so lost. Her brow starts to furrow. Her emotions keep swirling and changing so much that I can't keep up with them. Aki is a storm in her own right. This is really the moment she shows whether she is in charge of her life or not.
"I will." Her voice is definite. She creates with every word she speaks. Creating her own path in life with vigorous movements. She is the unstoppable force. Her past, the unmovable object.
Mikage starts talking into a walkie talkie, arranging a duel field for Aki and Divine. Divine is taken out of the room first. Safety, I imagine. The guards escort Aki somewhere, Mikage mentions a place but I don't catch it. I follow Mikage to a duel field. If anything, I'm confused. Why this City felt the need to install a duel field in their Security headquarters, I don't know. Really, in all honesty, it just makes me lose faith in this City.
"How's Mr. Atlas?" Mikage suddenly turns to me as we're walking. I'm a little shocked that she asked me and not Aki. Does she know who I am? She referred to me as Aki's friend earlier, so I figured she didn't know who I am. Now I'm just confused. Then again, she's high-up in Security. She's probably already seen my files. I remember something about her working for Godwin. Maybe that's it. As time goes on, I keep getting the impression that Rex Godwin knew exactly who I was. I imagine that implies Mikage does as well.
"Doing okay I guess. Getting ready for the WRGP."
"That's good." That's the last she says to me before things get properly set up.
Divine gets taken, in handcuffs, to one end of the arena. One hand is freed, while the other is chained to the floor. They attach a duel disk to his left arm. Aki is escorted to the other end of the arena. Aki stands tall at her end of the field. Her aura spreads around her, almost acting like a shield. Divine, meanwhile, stands slightly hunched. His aura festers. It's almost slimey. It's not like I remember it. It used to be smooth, calming. Like it was just a natural charm. Now, it's almost the opposite. I take a deep breath. This atmosphere is very tense, the weight of it on my shoulders.
"Duel!" There's a definite tone to their voices, like this is it, one last hurrah.
"I'll go first." Something in Divine's aura changes. It's darker, a little bit colder. "I summon Psychic Commander(ATK:1400)." The monster isn't materialising, this is good. Maybe those restraints actually do work. "I set two cards and end my turn." A smirk appears on his face. I start to shake. I can feel my aura being pulled outwards, I hunch to try stop the feeling. What's going on? Is this Divine's doing?
"I draw." Aki seems unfazed by what's going on. "I set a monster and two more cards. I end my turn." She rests her arms by her side, and takes a deep breath. Her aura isn't being manipulated, I can say that. But she's clearly torn up inside. She can do this. I know she can.
"My turn. I summon Telekinetic Shocker(ATK:1700)." Something in the air changes. "Level 3 Psychic Commander tunes Level 4 Telekinetic Shocker. Surge, my dark vengeance! Synchro Summon! Come, Psychic Lifetrancer!" The monster appears in a dark shroud and bursts out. Wind sweeps through the room. Aki is visibly shaking.
"Mikage, are you sure those restraints are working?" I turn to her. A look of panic sweeps over Mikage. She contacts somebody. With a harsh tone, she asks about the restraints. Apparently, they are working. "Maybe Divine is so strong that the restraints aren't working." Mikage stares at me with wide eyes. Even at rest, Divine's aura is one of the strongest I've encountered.
"I'll give you one last chance, Aki." There's a soft glow to Divine's eyes. "One last chance to apologise. You turned your back and everything we believed in. The people in this City need to pay for what they did to us, to our people." In that moment, I don't see Divine. I see Raiden standing there, the building crumbling around us. Divine looks away from Aki and looks me straight in the eyes. I shudder, he knows who I am. "What about it, Aki?" She remains silent. "Fine, I see how it is." The glow in his eyes grows stronger for a split second. "I activate Premature Burial. By paying 800 life points, I can Special Summon a monster from the grave." Divine's life points drop to 3200.
"I activate Illusion Destruction." Aki calls out. "I choose one card on the field, and flip it face-down. I choose Psychic Lifetrancer!" Divine grits his teeth.
"I Special Summon Telekinetic Shocker from the grave(ATK:1700). I attack your set card." Aki's set card flips to reveal Hedge Guard(DEF:2100). Divine's life points drop to 2800. "I end my turn." Divine frowns. There's a darkness in his eyes, it freaks me out. I'm starting to be worried for Aki.
"I draw. I set one monster and end my turn." Aki closes her eyes, I think I see her bite her lip.
"Is that all?" Divine asks. "Are you afraid, Aki? Can you not fight back? Or do you know that I'm right? Yusei can't keep saving you forever." Aki's eyebrows furrow slightly but she says nothing. "My turn. I activate Foolish Burial. I send one monster from my deck to the grave. Telekinetic Shocker attacks your new set card." Another Hedge Guard(DEF:2100) appears. Divine's life points drop again, this time to 2400. "I end my turn." Divine is getting more and more agitated.
"I draw." Aki sighs. "I'm not afraid of you, Divine." She looks him right in the eyes. "I will never be afraid of you. I end my turn."
"You did nothing, huh? My turn. I activate the Continuous Spell Psi-Station. Whenever I Normal Summon a Psychic-Type Monster, I can pay 500 life points to increase that monster's Level by 1 and its attack by 300. I end my turn." Divine stands a little straighter, almost egging Aki on.
"I draw. I summon Twilight Rose Knight(ATK:1000). I activate its effect. When this card is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower Plant-Type monster from my hand. I choose Lord Poison(ATK:1500). Level 3 Twilight Rose Knight tunes Level 4 Lord Poison. Chilling flames engulfs the entire world. Pitch dark flower set into bloom! Synchro Summon! Appear, Black Rose Dragon(ATK:2400)!" I realise. This is the first time I've seen Black Rose Dragon without it being materialised. I suddenly see how beautiful it is because I'm not ducking for cover or shielding my face. There is a beauty to its destructive power. I see that now.
"I was wondering when that dragon was going to appear." Divine smirks. "You're still the Witch, Aki. You crave that destruction and power. You want to hurt everyone and everything around you."
"No." Aki's tone is definite, and stops Divine in his tracks. "I'm not that person anymore. I never want to hurt anyone ever again. I want to help people, and that's what I'm going to do." She takes a deep breath. "Black Rose Dragon attacks Telekinetic Shocker." Divine's life points drop to 1700. "This also destroys Premature Burial."
"I activate Telepathic Power." Fear flashes in Aki's eyes. "When a Psychic-Type monster I control is destroyed by battle with you monster, I can destroy that monster. I also gain life points equal to that monster's attack." Black Rose Dragon explodes into a flurry of petals. Divine gains 2400 life points, leaving him at 4100. He has more life points now than Aki, this mightn't turn out well. Then again, Aki still has her two Hedge Guards.
"I end my turn." Aki doesn't sound resigned. If anything, she sounds more determined.
"My turn. I set one monster and end my turn." I keep staring at Divine. It's nothing like I remember it. How much has he changed? Did Aki cause this? "Is this what you really want?" Divine tilts his head. "Are you sure you're not just following Yusei? He doesn't understand you like I do."
"This is what I want. I am my own before I am anyone else's." Aki's changed. She's blossomed while not being under Divine's thumb. No longer a scared little girl, she is now a woman in her own right. "You manipulated me. I will not let that happen to me again. I'm stronger now. I don't need you."
"I draw." Aki starts her turn. "I summon Copy Plant(ATK:0)." She holds her head down and takes a deep breath. She grasps her right arm. Her Signer Mark. "Level 1 Copy Plant tunes two Level 3 Hedge Guards. Pitch dark flower that blooms alone in moonlight, spread out your roots and heal the Earth! Synchro Summon! Appear now, Black Rose Moonlight Dragon(ATK:2400)!" This dragon looks identical to the normal Black Rose. I almost feel calmer with this dragon around. The atmosphere feels lighter and soothing. The normal Black Rose Dragon creates a fire in the air, a cold burning sensation. This dragon is different, and so is Aki. "When this card is Special Summoned, I can choose a Level 5-or-higher monster that was Special Summoned to your field and return it to your hand. I choose Psychic Lifetrancer!" The monster returns to Divine's Extra Deck. Divine grits his teeth again but says nothing. "Now, Black Rose Moonlight Dragon attacks your set card. Lunar Rose Flare!" It is destroyed. "I end my turn."
I keep staring at the dragon. Is this the Crimson Dragon's doing? Aki's mark burned just before she summoned it. Aki certainly never had that card before. I think this dragon suits Aki better. I feel its very presence healing me. It doesn't destroy everything around it, it only heals.
"My turn." Divine starts. He keeps staring at Aki and her new dragon. I wonder what he's thinking. I imagine he can feel its healing aura. He sees that Aki is different. She is no longer the Black Rose Witch. That's for certain. "I end my turn." I'm taken aback by Divine ending his turn. Did he get a bad draw? Or is this something different entirely?
"I draw." Aki stares back at Divine. Gods know what she's thinking. Her aura is telling me nothing at all. "Black Rose Moonlight Dragon attacks your set card." The card is destroyed. "I end my turn." Aki is managing to control her powers. That's better than what I was able to do. Hopefully she can end this duel on better terms than I did with Raiden. Maybe this is what I should have done. Stayed calm, control my powers. Reason with him, talk it out. Not going in guns blazing, destroying everything.
"My turn. I set one card and end my turn." Before Aki begins her turn again, Divine cuts her off. "I activate Psychic Tuning. I choose one Psychic-Type monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon it in Attack Position. If either the monster or this card is removed from the field, the other is destroyed. When that happens, I take damage equal to that monster's Level times 400. I choose Mind Protector(ATK:0). This monster is also treated as a Tuner." He's planning to Synchro obviously. Divine gestures to Aki, letting her begin her turn. He looks so unhinged. His hair falls unevenly and slightly crimped. Nothing like his smooth appearance before. He almost looks like he could fall apart at any moment.
"I draw." Aki starts. "Black Rose Moonlight Dragon attacks Mind Protector." Divine's life points fall to 1700 in a flurry of nonexistent petals. "Psychic Tuning's effect activates." His life points drop again. Now they stand at 500. Aki has nearly won. She has total field advantage. I don't see how Divine can get out of this. "I end my turn."
"You haven't got me yet." Divine has his face down, hiding his face. "We were supposed to be together." There's a look of desperation on Divine's face. "I was meant to be yours. We were supposed to get our revenge on this cruel city together. But Yusei Fudo ruined that! He put all of these ideas in your head. He won't be around forever. He may have saved you, but he won't always be there for you. But I will. I'm the only person in this world who really understands you. I can save you again. We're the only people who can make each other happy!" There's something crazed in Divine's eyes. He's slowly becoming more and more unhinged. "My turn. I set a card and end my turn." The field stays silent.
"Aki." Divine whispers it so softly that I barely hear it. It catches me by surprise. There's a small glance at the real Divine. None of this revenge on the City, no psychic armies, no Arcadia, just Divine.
"I draw." Aki doesn't respond to Divine.
"First, I activate Psychic Overload." Divine cuts her off. "I choose three Psychic-Type monsters in my grave and shuffle them back into my deck and draw two cards." It's useless. He's lost.
"Black Rose Moonlight Dragon attacks you directly!" Aki barely waits for Divine to finish. There's a hesitation in her raising her arm. The rose petals in the air, though not materialised, start to cleanse the air. I feel the weight in my stomach subside. Divine's life points fall to 0.
The guards rush forward to Divine. Aki steps forward, walking towards Divine. The guards let her walk. She stands a bit away from Divine. I start walking towards Aki, I don't think about it. My feet lead me. They hold each other's gazes. I can the weight in their stares.
"You can't save me. Yusei didn't save me. I saved myself." She takes a deep breath. "Goodbye Divine." With that, she turns her back to Divine.
I follow Aki out of the arena. She leans against the wall. I can see the tears threatening to spill. I take Aki in my arms. I feel her shaking. We stay like this for a while. She doesn't cry. There are no tears. Raw emotion. They escape in shaky breaths and trembling hands. I rub her back. I don't say anything. I don't want to say anything. I know she doesn't want me to say anything.
"Yuuka." She mutters my name after a while. I step back to let her breathe. She still wipes her eyes even though no tears fell. "I told him how I feel."
"You did great." I keep my voice soft. She nods with a small smile. The smile then slowly fades.
"I realised something." A somber expression takes over her face. "Maybe Divine isn't the monster I painted him out to be in my head." I squint a little, is she sure? Because that's what I saw. "He's the same as me and you. Someone shunned by society for our powers. He was just angry at the world like the rest of us. I realised that when he said my name just there. He's just like us. He deserves sympathy just like the rest of us." I'm taken aback by Aki's words. Who'd have known what wisdom lies behind her youthful eyes? Do I agree? It would be like me saying that Raiden deserves sympathy. He's done nothing to deserve sympathy. I hate to say it, but I don't agree with Aki. There's a line, Divine and Raiden crossed it long ago. "Is there something wrong?" Aki frowns.
"Nothing."