Chapter 15: Hate From Sorrow! Withstand It, Cynder The Black Dragon!

Hideo watches the duel, silently, Setsuko cowering behind him. "Aki…" Hideo says.

Jack, Yusei and the kids spectate from behind Sakura as the duel continues.

Grim's still down on the ground, barely moving, aside from his breathing.

Sakura has Golden Queen on the field in defense mode, between herself and a Black Rose Dragon whose thorns have grown even sharper and nastier than usual.

Aki glares at her, resentfully. "Black Rose Dragon's effect activates! By removing Evil Thorn in my graveyard from play, Golden Queen switches to attack position, and its attack points become zero. Black Rose Gale!" Says Aki.

Four of Black Rose Dragon's thorny vines ensnare Golden Queen, forcing it into attack mode, which it has 1000 attack points, and lowering its points to 0. It's now wide-open for a three-thousand-point hit, and so is Sakura.

"Black Rose Dragon attacks Golden Queen! Hate Rose Whip!" Aki says.

"I open the trap card 'Realize Defense'! When a monster with more defense points than attack points is in attack position, I can switch that monster to defense position!" Says Sakura, her voice menacing and echoic.

Golden Queen turns blue again and breaks the vines that restrain her, switching back to defense mode, 1800 defense points.

"Keep going, Black Rose Dragon!" Aki says.

Black Rose Dragon attacks, whipping at Golden Queen with her vines. She holds them at bay.

"Due to the effect of your equip spell, you can't destroy a monster in battle." Says Sakura.

"But if the equipped monster's attack points are greater than your monster's defense points, then you lose life points equal to the difference!" Aki says.

Part of Golden Queen's shielded arms snap off and a piece of debris hits Sakura straight in the center of the soaring, dragon-shaped sigil burned into her forehead, causing blood to immediately run down from the impact and between her eyes. Her life points fall to 2300.

"Sakura!" Says both Lua and Luca, worriedly.

Sakura reaches for the cut and brings her hand to view, seeing blood on her glove now, but she doesn't seem at all bothered by it.

"When my monster equipped with 'Thorn of Malice' attacks your monster, your monster loses six hundred attack and defense points after damage calculation." Aki says.

Golden Queen's defense points are now 1200.

"Oh no! Due to 'Thorn of Malice's' effect, her monster isn't destroyed, and it loses attack and defense points." Says Luca.

"I end my turn. I won't defeat you quickly. I'll make you feel more pain." Aki says.

"Aki…" Says Sakura.

Aki glances at her arm, contemptuously, remembering the glow of its sign. "This is a detestable mark." Aki says. As she speaks, her anger gives way to sadness and loneliness. "I don't care about Signers! Sakura Kuraitaiyou, the most powerful Signer of them all, the Host of the Crimson Dragon itself. The only person in this world who accepted me was Divine. He was the only one who gave me a home. Not you, Papa! Nor you! And Divine was…" Says Aki.

Flashback. The top levels of the Arcadia Movement headquarters building fill with violent smoke, and Divine falls with the debris through the center space beyond the open walkways of the buildings, groaning with pain, face scratched and battered.

"Divine!" Aki says. She watches, helplessly, as Divine plummets into the dark abyss below. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "I no longer have a home in the entire world. I'll make you face the same fate!" Says Aki.

"Aki, don't you understand? You've had a home from the very beginning!" Sakura says.

"Sakura…" Says Hideo.

"No, there isn't. When Divine died, this world changed into a detestable world. That's why…" Aki says. She removes the power-dampening roller from her hair, and the long bangs that support it fall down around her face. More strong winds spread out from Aki in waves. "I will destroy this world!" Says Aki.

The spectators wince and shield their faces.

Then Hideo risks opening his eyes. "Aki…" Hideo says.

Sakura looks back at him, surprised, then at Aki. "This is bad. Aki's hatred is increasing her power." Sakura thinks to herself.

The wind dies down again.

"My turn!" Says Sakura. She draws and glances at her card, it's a spell, 'Release Restraint Wave'. "I open my trap card 'Reinforce Truth'! By not battling this turn, I can Special Summon one monster with one thousand five hundred-or-fewer attack points from my deck! Come, Stealth Elf!" Says Sakura.

Stealth Elf has 1100 attack points and is a Level 2 monster. "Then, I summon the Tuner Monster Hex!" Sakura says.

Hex has 1500 attack points and is a Level 3 monster.

"Three monsters… The total Level is Eight…" Jack thinks to himself. It then hits him. "It's coming!" Jack thinks to himself.

"Level Three Hex tunes Level Three Golden Queen and Level Two Stealth Elf." Says Sakura.

Hex shoots a ghostly skull from her hand, and transforms into three shimmering stars, which revolve once in unison to form three identical green rings. Golden Queen soars into them and becomes three stars, then Stealth Elf adds its two. They align together at the center of the three rings, and create a stream of black light.

"The stars align to bring forth a new path to retribution! Become the light that emerges from the darkness! Synchro Summon! Come forth, Cynder the Black Dragon!" Sakura says.

Cynder's emerald green eyes glint, she spreads her wings to their full extent and fills the air with showers of shadowy darkness, shrieking. Cynder the Black Dragon has 2700 attack points and is a Level 8 monster.

She has taken the field, nose-to-nose with the wicked thorns of Black Rose Dragon.

"But, Black Rose Dragon has greater attack points." Says Lua. "Cynder the Black Dragon is protecting us?" Luca thinks to herself.

"I end my turn." Sakura says.

"You're protecting your brother, children and friends? What a farce. You're all talk. You can't save anyone!" Says Aki.

"That may be true, but I shall still try." Sakura thinks to herself.

Aki draws. "My turn. Go, Black Rose Dragon! Slice Cynder the Black Dragon! Hate Rose Whip!" Aki says.

It does, whipping Cynder with its vines, leaving burning red cuts in a hundred places. One vine slams into Sakura instead, her life points fall to 1800. "Aaa-aau-ugh!"

"Mother!" Says Subaru, worriedly.

"Due to 'Thorn of Malice,' it's not destroyed. Cynder the Black Dragon will feel pain on its skin, flesh and bones for eternity!" Aki says.

Cynder the Black Dragon is left weaker, with 2100 attack points.

A few more vines whip toward the spectators.

Sakura turns, worriedly.

They are then blocked at the last moment by Cynder's wing. They look up from bracing themselves. "Cynder the Black Dragon!" Says Luca.

Cynder shrieks, defiantly, as though daring her to do her worst.

"Aki, stop!" Hideo says.

"I end my turn." Says Aki.

"My turn!" Sakura says. She draws. "From my hand, I activate the Quick-Play Spell 'Half Shut'! This card halves the attack points of one monster. Then that monster cannot be destroyed in battle this turn. I select Black Rose Dragon as the target!" Says Sakura.

Black Rose Dragon's attack points fall to 1500.

"Oh, yeah! Cynder the Black Dragon's attack points are greater than Black Rose Dragon's!" Lua says. "Is Sakura going to attack?" Yusei thinks to himself.

"Aki, Cynder shall strike you from its soul to wake you up! Cynder the Black Dragon attacks Black Rose Dragon! Spectral Lightning!" Says Sakura.

Cynder attacks, Aki takes the hit without flinching, down to 3400 life points. "However, Black Rose Dragon cannot be destroyed." Aki says.

"I set two cards and end my turn." Says Sakura.

"During this End Phase, Black Rose Dragon's attack points return to normal." Aki says. She smiles, sinisterly, and draws. "My turn! Black Rose Dragon attacks Cynder the Black Dragon! Hate Rose Whip!" Says Aki.

Still cut up from before, Cynder takes another round of vine-whipping, and one of the vines slaps Sakura hard across the face, which causes more blood to run down between her eyes from the hit she took to the forehead. "Aaaaggghh!" Sakura's life points are now 700.

Velvet gasps, slightly. "Mommy!" Velvet says.

"Due to 'Thorn of Malice's' effect, Cynder the Black Dragon isn't destroyed, but it loses an additional six hundred attack points." Says Aki.

Cynder's attack points fall further to 1500, glowing scratches marking her all over.

"This monster… Sakura is trying to protect us. Despite being wounded, she's still trying to face Aki. But I'm scared…" Hideo thinks to himself.

Flashback to him being slammed against the wall by a little girl afraid of her own power, and the teenage Aki walking away into Duel Academy. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "No matter how much I try to smooth things over, I can't avoid reality. That's why I closed the door to my feelings. Even though my true feelings were behind that door…" Hideo thinks to himself.

"I set one card and end my turn." Aki says.

Sakura draws. "My turn!" Says Sakura. She glances at her card, 'Defense Draw', and looks at the 'Release Restraint Wave' spell card already in her hand. "I didn't get it. If I get that card, I can use this." Sakura thinks to herself. "I set one card. I end my turn." Sakura says.

"You've finally run out of things to do. I know that this is how you really are. You can't save anyone!" Says Aki.

"You're right! I don't have the power!" Sakura says.

Aki's eyes widen and she gasps, lightly.

"I, the Host of the Crimson Dragon itself, the so-called most powerful Signer of us all. I can't save anyone. However, I can't abandon a friend who is in pain!" Says Sakura.

Aki's parents gasp.

As do the kids. Jack and Yusei watch even more intently.

Grim suddenly opens his red eyes and slowly lifts up his head, whimpering slightly, in pain.

"Friend?" Aki asks.

"All I can do is hope that my friend shall be saved." Says Sakura.

"You're saying that you won't do anything! Divine embraced me! He made me feel safe! He gave me a home!" Aki says. She draws. "My turn! Battle! Black Rose Dragon attacks Cynder the Black Dragon! Hate Rose Whip!" Says Aki.

Cynder is hit again. A vine goes for Sakura.

Grim, sensing danger, gets up to his feet, staggering a bit, and runs over to her, ignoring his own pain.

"Divine accepted my power! No matter how hard life became, he gave me a home that I could return to!" Aki says.

Black Rose Dragon's vine whips toward Sakura.

Grim makes it over to her and gets in front of her, prepared to take the hit for her.

However, at the last minute, Hideo runs out onto the field and throws out his arms, trying to shield him and Sakura. "Stop this, Aki! Stop hurting people!" Says Hideo. "Watch out!" Sakura says. Grim moves to stand behind her, staying out of the attack range. Hideo doesn't move, but braces himself. "I open my trap card 'Defense Draw'! Damage from this battle becomes zero!" Says Sakura. A black shadowed barrier appears in front of Hideo and deflects the vine. "Then, I draw one card from my deck." Sakura says. Hideo stops bracing himself and looks at Aki, eyes full of pain. "Sorry, Aki. It's my fault." Says Hideo.

"Stop it! It doesn't matter what you say now!" Aki says.

"I was afraid of your power." Says Hideo.

"Huh?" Aki asks.

"I'm not tricking you. I'm being honest. I was scared of you." Says Hideo.

"I knew that. That's why you threw me away! Because I'm a monster!" Aki says.

"It's true that I stopped feeling after what I said to you. However, I was wrong. I should have realized that I had feelings beyond that. I… We love you." Says Hideo.

"You expect me to believe that?" Aki asks.

"I'm not asking you to believe me. In fact, the person who was supposed to believe was me. To believe that I love you." Says Hideo.

"Be quiet! I'll never believe that!" Aki says.

"Aki!" Says Sakura.

"Due to 'Thorn of Malice's' effect, Cynder the Black Dragon loses an additional six hundred attack points!" Aki says.

Cynder shrieks with pain, her points slashed further down to 900.

"I activate the spell card 'Wonder Clover' from my hand! By sending one Level Four monster in my hand to the graveyard, one of my monsters can attack twice!" Says Aki.

"Please stop, Aki!" Hideo says.

"Black Rose Dragon, attack Cynder the Black Dragon again! Crush Papa this time!" Says Aki.

"Cynder the Black Dragon has nine hundred attack points." Jack says.

"I open my trap card 'Iron Resolve'! By halving my life points, battle damage becomes zero!" Says Sakura. Her life points are reduced to 350.

"What? But Cynder the Black Dragon's attack points become…" Aki says.

Cynder gets whipped with vines again, shrieking her agony, 300 attack points.

"Three hundred attack points…" Says Luca.

Hideo looks up at Cynder the Black Dragon, and he sees that Sakura's beast is trembling with pain and exhaustion.

"I open my Continuous Trap 'Doom Petal Countdown'! At the End Phase of my turn, by removing one Plant-Type monster in my graveyard from play, you take three hundred points of damage." Aki says.

"Please stay back!" Says Sakura, addressing Hideo. Glowing purple petals strike both of them, her life points are down to a mere 50. The petals are leaving little cuts all over Hideo's suit jacket.

"By removing one Plant-Type monster from play on the next turn, your life points become zero, Sakura. I end my turn." Aki says.

Hideo sinks to one knee, still being attacked by petals. Sakura realizes that the petals aren't stopping. "Hm? Her turn is over, but Aki's power isn't stopping." Sakura thinks to herself.

The petals' carrying wind whips Aki's hair and clothes, she opens her wild eyes.

"Can it be that she can't control her power?" Sakura thinks to herself. Hideo stands up, slowly, and tries to walk toward Aki. "Aki…" Says Hideo.

"Dear…" Setsuko says.

The kids gasp, except for Jace. Jack and Yusei are paying close attention.

Hideo keeps walking, step by arduous step. "Aki, come back to us… augh!" Says Hideo.

"Don't come any closer!" Aki says.

"Stop! It's too dangerous to step any closer!" Says Sakura.

"It's fine! I've decided that no matter how much Aki hurts me, I won't abandon her. I'll listen to what Aki has to say." Hideo says.

"I don't believe you!" Says Aki.

"Aki!" Sakura says.

"Huh?" Asks Aki.

"It's right in front of you! The eyes that shall look at you, the ears that shall listen to your tales of sadness… Your father and mother are your home!" Sakura says.

"In front of me…" Says Aki. She looks at her dad, still trying to reach her, and her mom, watching anxiously. "No! Uh-uh!" Aki says.

"Then, I shall destroy your shell built of incorrect hatred! My turn!" Says Sakura. She draws. "Here it is!" Sakura thinks to herself. "I equip the Equip Spell 'Shadow Wing' on Cynder the Black Dragon!" Sakura says. Cynder is still battered with glowing cuts, but her wings are becoming darker. "Then, I activate the spell card 'Release Restraint Wave'!" Says Sakura.

"That card is…" Aki says.

"By destroying one Equip Spell on my field, all spell and trap cards on your field are destroyed!" Says Sakura.

"Huh?" Aki asks. She turns, Black Rose Dragon's extra thorns glow and vanish. "'Thorn of Malice'!" Says Aki.

"The spell 'Thorn of Malice', which is equipped to Black Rose Dragon, is destroyed. Therefore, Black Rose Dragon's attack points and Cynder the Black Dragon's attack points return to normal!" Sakura says.

Black Rose's goes back to 2400, Cynder's rise back up to 2700.

"No way!" Says Aki.

"Cynder the Black Dragon attacks Black Rose Dragon! Spectral Lightning!" Sakura says.

Black Rose Dragon is destroyed in a massive fireball.

Aki's life points fall to 3100.

The crazy purple petals are still blowing through the air.

"I activate Hedge Guard's effect from my hand! By sending this card to the graveyard, one monster on my field isn't destroyed in battle!" Says Aki.

Black Rose Dragon reappears.

The petals are still blowing through the air, and everyone is shielding their faces, but even as she does, Sakura's still glowing bright red eyes are fixed on her. "Aki…" Sakura says.

"The attack points of the selected monster are halved!" Says Aki. Black Rose Dragon's attack points decrease to 1200.

"Aki…" Hideo says.

"Papa…" Says Aki. She suddenly feels small, at the center of a maelstrom of tiny petals raging through every corner of the room. "My powers won't obey me." Aki says.

Hideo's getting cut. "Aaaa-aagh!"

"Stop it! I don't want to hurt my papa!" Says Aki.

Suddenly, blown by the violent winds, a large box, crate, maybe a computer, comes flying at her dad. "Aaaah!"

"Papa!" Aki says. She reaches out a hand and clenches her fist, as though to pull the object back to her with an invisible line.

Hideo ducks, bracing for the impact. Mere feet short of him, it stops in mid-air and drops to the ground. The petals are gone.

Everyone looks at Aki, as she stands with her arm still outstretched and a look of bewilderment on her face. "It's the first time I was able to control my power." Says Aki.

"Aki… ugh." Hideo says. He falls to his knees on the floor, spent.

"Huh?" Asks Aki. She runs forward to meet him and kneels down. "Papa!" Aki says. Hideo looks up at her. "Aki…" Says Hideo. Aki nods, then looks at Sakura, resolute. They're still in the middle of a duel.

Sakura calmly returns Aki's gaze as her eyes fade back to their natural dark-crimson red color, her scleras shift back to white, the glowing red veins vanish from across her eyes, and her gradation dims down and returns to its normal shade of red.

She seems surprised at first by her changing eyes, but then her surprise turns to amazed. "Sakura, please finish this. Finish this battle." Aki says.

Sakura nods. "I open my trap card 'Synchro Ring'! If a Synchro Monster was unable to destroy your monster in battle, that Synchro Monster's attack points are doubled, and it can attack again!" Says Sakura. Cynder's points rise to 5400.

Aki stands, supporting Hideo. She nods at Sakura.

She nods back. "Now, destroy the witch's curse! Cynder the Black Dragon attacks Black Rose Dragon! Spectral Lightning!" Sakura says.

Black Rose Dragon is destroyed.

Aki hugs Hideo, contented, as her life points drop to 0.

A black flash, and she is waking up in her dad's arms, she must've fainted. "Papa…" Says Aki. She smiles, weakly, and tears form in her eyes. Hideo hugs her close. "I'm sorry. No matter how afraid I was of your power, I should have embraced you like this. Because I love you." Hideo says. "I also love you!" Says Aki. She pulls away to look him in the face. "But is everything fine? I hurt you so much, Papa." Aki says.

Suddenly, Sakura groans and falls to her knees. Yusei catches her. "Are you okay?" Asks Yusei. Sakura sighs. "I feel like I should be asking you guys." Sakura says.

Grim walks over and drops to her side. "Aki, your father says that he accepts you. You have a home if you want it. You have to think for yourself and make a decision." Says Sakura.

Aki sighs, tears flowing down her cheeks. "My place… is here." Aki says.

Sakura smiles.

Hideo's crying, too. "Aki…" Says Hideo.

Setsuko starts crying for joy.

Lua jumps up and cheers, Jack, Luca, Velvet and Subaru are smiling. "Yahoo!" Lua says, cheering. "Aki!" Says Luca. She, Lua, Subaru and Velvet run over to join them. "I knew that mark was a bond between friends! Even though I don't have one…" Lua says.

For the first time, the six Signers stand together, as others signed have for millennium.

Sakura rolls up her sleeve and slips down her glove and arm bracelet. "This mark brings people together, and they become friends. It is not a detestable mark." Says Sakura.

Aki laughs a bit and looks up at her, being supported by Yusei. Luca and Jack hear this pronouncement, too. Hope is beginning to show in each of their eyes. Sakura pauses, then nods, approvingly, perhaps sensing the shift in tone.

Aki looks away. "But, I had a friend that I used to believe in." Aki says.

Flashback. She remembers Divine's reassuring smile, the first person to care about the person behind the Black Rose Witch's mask. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "Those feelings are still inside my heart." Says Aki. She closes her eyes against tears.

"I had a friend like that, too. But we now have different views, and it tears away at my heart." Yusei says.

Flashback. He remembers the confident smile of his best friend Kyosuke Kiryu, leader of Team Satisfaction. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "I don't know where these feelings will lead. But since we were friends in the past, I'll carry that burden and keep forward." Says Yusei.

"Yusei…" Aki says.

The kids are happy, Jack seems amused and Yusei seems to be showing a little crush towards her.