"Mercy! Come on, wake up!" Ruka yelled.
"Come on, Mercy!" Ran yelled. "Aki! This isn't fair! Give her help!"
"Traitors will fall." Aki calmly said.
"Aki's power is amazing." Divine thought while watching the duel.
"Let us do something then!" Ruka yelled. "You're not proving anything while allowing this!"
"Don't you dare move!" Aki replied.
"Stop, Aki." Divine ordered. "She's right…."
"Divine?" Aki questioned.
"I'm interested to see this girl's power with my own eyes, even if she's a traitor." Divine replied.
"As you wish…" Aki replied. Aki put her hand out and the vines of Black Garden stretched out across the chasm and made a small bridge.
"I'll go." Ruka said.
"No." replied Setsuko. "I need to be closer to Aki… I have to try."
"I understand." Ruka replied. "Be careful."
"Fine… but please hurry… Mercy still hasn't moved!" Ran added.
Setsuko slowly got onto the make-shift bridge and walked towards Mercy. With the watching crowd overseeing her and her daughter waiting, it was like she was entering a gladiator stadium.
Setsuko got the other side and the vines returned, taking away the bridge. Setsuko rolled Mercy over and saw she was still very much alive with a cut on her face already starting to heal.
"She's alive!" Setsuko tried to help Mercy up but Mercy stopped her.
"You can't…" Mercy said. "I…. think I've broken my legs…."
"Broken legs?!" Setsuko said.
"The fool has broken her legs?!…. Aki never had this power!" Divine yelled.
"We need to get her to a hospital!" Setsuko pleaded to her daughter.
"No-one leaves! Now show us your power, traitor!" Aki ordered.
"It's fine.. I don't feel the pain." Mercy said slowly. "I'm already healing myself up… but… I… need you to hold the duel disk for me."
"I don't know how to duel?!" Setsuko replied.
"I'll tell you how to do it… I just need you to hold and play the cards."
"I… I will try." Setsuko said as she took Mercy's duel disk.
"Now this is an interesting turn of events." Divine said. "Aki is basically dueling her mother... Aki, don't hold back!"
"I won't." Aki replied firmly.
"Just do what I say." Mercy replied. "When a Skeleton Knight is destroyed, Horse-Men returns and I can draw one card. Horse-Men doubles its level as well. Now place it sideways in defence." Setsuko stuttered but then a card came out of Mercy's graveyard. Setsuko summoned it as Mercy ordered. Setsuko then drew a card.
Skeleton Knight Horse-Men ATK: 1200 DEF: 900 Dark/Zombie/Tuner/LVL 2
Horse LVL: 4
"And now I return Cross Bower as well since Cerberus was destroyed!"
Skeleton Knight Cross Bower ATK: 2200 DEF: 1200 Dark/Zombie/LVL 6"And when he returns, I send a card from your hand to your graveyard!" Mercy replied. "I choose the middle one!"
"So you've recovered your field for now." Aki sent a Trap to her graveyard.
"And up to three times per duel, when Cerberus is destroyed, it returns to my field!" Cerberus returned in attack position.
Skull Knight Cerberus Synchro/Zombie/Dark/LVL8/ Attack: 3000 Defence: 2500
"But all three lose halve of their attacks thanks to my Field Spell!"
Horse ATK: 600
Cross ATK: 1100
Cerberus ATK: 1500
"And you gain Rose Tokens, I know." Mercy replied. Aki's field now was covered with three Rose Tokens and Majestic as well as Blue Rose Dragon which was still in defence.
Rose Token ATK: 800 DEF: 800 Dark/Plant/Token/LVL 2 X 3
"I end my turn." Aki calmly replied.
Turn 4
Aki LP: 2000 Hand: 3
Mercy LP: 2050 Hand: 2
"Now, Mrs Izayoi, draw!" Mercy said. Setsuko did and showed the hand to Mercy who was still on the floor.
"Aki, I know you won't listen… so I shall help Mercy get through to you!" Setsuko added. Aki remained silent.
"First my Continuous Trap Card! Skeleton Land Revival! I return my Field Spell from my graveyard and back to my Field Zone!" Mercy's Field returned to her half of the field.
"And it gives your Monsters a 300 point boost… I know." Aki replied.
Horse ATK: 900
Cross ATK: 1400
Cerberus ATK: 1800
"Next you can't destroy my Field Spell without destroying this card first… and now its final effect! My Field Spell gains a Skull Counter for each time a Skeleton Knight is destroyed, and my Trap gives my Field Spell an early start! For each destroyed Monster from my last turn, it gains a Skull Counter!"
Field Counters: 1
"Isummon Skeleton Knight Archer!"
Skeleton Knight Archer ATK: 1600 DEF: 1000 Dark/Zombie/LVL 3
"I use Archer's effect! I halve your Majestic's attack and add it to another Monster I control. Only the selected Monsters can do battle!"
Majestic ATK: 1950
Cerberus ATK: 3750
"You gave it to Cerberus?!" Aki replied.
"Yeah but now I'm tuning Horse with Archer! Go, Synchro Summon!"
"What do I use?" Setsuko said.
"Use the card which just came out of my extra deck slot!" Mercy said.
"R-Right!" Setsuko placed the card onto the duel disk.
"I Synchro Summon,Skull Knight Assassin! And when I Synchro Summon this card, I can treat the other Monster as another level to summon it! I reduce Horse to level three!"
Horse LVL: 3
"Now go!"
3+3=6
Assassin was a black cloaked skeleton with a sword.
Skull Knight Assassin ATK: 1500 DEF: 300 Dark/Zombie/Synchro/LVL 6
"Its attack still halves even though my field is full!" Aki replied as Assassin powered down.
Skull ATK: 750
"But now Cerberus will attack your Majestic!"
"No! Aki's best Monster!" shouted an Arcadia student watching.
"She's the former Queen, she won't lose to that!"
Cerberus spun in the air and slashed away at the dragon creating a huge blast which shook the entire building and created a dust cloud.
"Yes, Mercy!" Ruka cheered. Even Divine was surprised by the move and quickly tried to find Aki within the dust.
As the dust cleared, the mask of Aki's face dropped on the floor with her head looking down at the ground.
Aki LP: 2000 – 1200
"She halved my attack?!" Mercy said in shock.
"No…." Aki said weakly. "I played the Trap, Rose Reduction! For each Rose Token on my field, the damage is reduced by 300. I have three so that was 900 less damage! And now it has another effect!"
Aki stood up and everyone in the building could see Aki's face.
"A… Aki?!" Setsuko stuttered. She saw Aki with a pale look, her eyes tired and almost soulless.
"What did you do to her?!" Mercy demanded to know.
"I unlocked her! Aki will do anything for me… and I return her loyalty with this!"
"Divine! Aki, don't you see he's killing you?!" Mercy pleaded.
"Divine saved me…. and I won't let him be taken away again! I banish Rose Reduction to destroy all Rose Tokens on my field… this hits you with 200 damage for each!"
Aki's three Rose Tokens along with Mercy's only one all shot into the air and created a ball of energy which hit Setsuko, sending her to the floor.
Mercy LP: 2050 – 1250
"Mrs Izayoi! Are you okay?!" Mercy said to her.
"Please be okay…" Ruka gritted her teeth.
"Yeah, I'm okay." Setsuko had gotten up. "So that's the pain a duelist feels? I guess Aki felt much, much worse than that…."
"You can keep trying to understand me but it won't work!" Aki yelled back.
"I know…." Setsuko replied. "I know… your heart is closed, Aki…. and…. if you truly want to stay with Divine…. that's up to you. You're an adult now, Aki. Twenty-five to be exact… you make your own choices now. I have no right to do that… nor your father. I won't beg or order you to come home…. and you know I accept your powers… no… your powers are a part of you, Aki… I love you for everything you are."
"I… have that… right? …No! SHUT UP!" Aki yelled holding her head, making the entire building shake.
"Did you see that?" Ran asked Ruka.
"Yeah… It seemed she questioned herself!" Ruka added.
"I end my turn with a face down." Mercy replied. "Cerberus returns to normal."
Cerberus ATK: 1800
Turn 5
Aki LP: 1200 Hand: 3
Mercy LP: 1250 Hand: 1
"I draw! I use the Spell, Plant Storm! I destroy a Monster and a Black Garden on my field to draw two new cards! I destroy Blue Rose and my Field Spell!"
The Field Spell around Aki's field faded and Mercy's Field Spell took over the full field.
"So she removed it along with Blue Rose… this isn't good." Ran said.
"Since she destroyed Black Garden… the attack loss still remains." Mercy added.
"When Blue Rose Dragon is destroyed, Moonlight returns from my graveyard!" Aki's Monster returned in all its glory.
Black Rose Moonlight Dragon ATK: 2400 DEF: 1800 Light/Dragon/Synchro/LVL 7
"My Field stops you targeting any of my Monsters, so Moonlight won't work!" Mercy replied.
"I wasn't aiming that for… I summon Rose Paladin!" A blonde-haired female with a red and green cape emerged holding a spear.
Rose Paladin ATK: 1800 DEF: 200 Earth/Warrior/LVL 4
"Rose Paladin, attack her Skull Knight Assassin!" Rose launched her spear at the Synchro and cut it in halve. As the Monster was destroyed, Setsuko was sent flying across the floor and since Black Garden was no longer in play, there was no barrier stopping her from falling.
"I'm sorry, Aki!" Setsuko yelled as she was about to fall. Aki looked on with a blank face.
"Go Ancient Pixie Dragon!"
Ruka summoned her mighty blue dragon. It was about to grab Setsuko in its arms and returned her to the field.
"You dare!" Divine yelled. "We told you not to interfere!"
"Wait… Divine." Aki replied.
"Aki?" Divine was shocked that she answered back.
"We want to see Mercy fully heal… she needs a bit longer… so my mother needs to live…" Aki replied.
"Aki…. that isn't supposed to happen!" Divine yelled. "You do as I say! I saved you! You owe me!"
"Aki is answering back!" Ran added.
"I know, Divine… but… we all make mistakes… we need her alive."
"She's not your mother anymore… and don't you dare answer me back again!" Divine replied. "But fine…" Divine gritted his teeth. "I will sort Aki out once she's won this duel…" he thought.
The rest of Arcadia begun to mutter as Divine had let Aki do what she wanted for once.
Mercy LP: 1250 – 950
"You will still suffer, Mother… once we use the machine to purge…you…. Aki clasped her hands together as she stuttered to say her sentence. "I tribute Rose Paladin to summon one Plant Monster from my deck in defence thanks to its effect! I summon Hedge Guard!"
A wall of brown tree roots emerged.
Hedge Guard ATK: 0 DEF: 2100 Earth/Plant/LVL 3
"When Assassin is destroyed I can summon two Skull Tokens in defence!" Two small skulls emerged
Skull Tokens ATK: 0 DEF: 0 Dark/Zombie/LVL 1/Token X 2
"I attack a Skull Token with Moonlight!" Moonlight flapped its wings which shot sharp bullet-like thorns at the Monster and Setsuko. The hit sent her to the ground and her dress now had tears in it.
"Damnit… how much more?" Ran said.
"Now my Field Spell gains two more counters!" Mercy said as her two Monsters had been destroyed.
Field Counters: 3
"Since Skull was destroyed, Horse and Archer return from my graveyard!"
Skeleton Knight Archer ATK: 1600 DEF: 1000 Dark/Zombie/LVL 3
Skeleton Knight Horse-Men ATK: 1200 DEF: 900 Dark/Zombie/Tuner/LVL 2
"Horse returns with its level doubled and I draw a card!"
Horse LVL: 4
"When Archer returns, I can decrease a Monster you control by 1000 attack! Power down Moonlight!"
Moonlight ATK: 1400
"It won't make a difference; I end my turn with a face down!" Aki replied.
Turn 6
Aki LP: 1200 Hand: 2
Mercy LP: 950 Hand: 2
"Draw! I play Cursed Sword! This Spell destroys a Skeleton Knight and then I draw once more! I destroy Horse-Men!" Mercy drew once again. "And my Field gains another counter!"
Field Counters: 4
"I summon Skeleton Knight Shield-Men!" Two Skeletons emerged holding shields.
Skeleton Knight Shield-Men ATK: 0 DEF: 300 Zombie/Dark/Tuner/LVL 1
"I tune Bower with Shield!"
6+1=7
"Appear Skeleton Knight Commander!" A skeleton in a red cape emerged with a long sword.
Skeleton Knight Commander ATK: 2500 DEF: 1200 Zombie/Dark/Synchro/LVL 7
"Synchro Summon all you want, Mercy, it will do nothing!"
"Next I set one card!"
"Why would she set a card before she battles?" Ran asked.
"I think you forget Commander's effect!" Ruka added, she was happy at Mercy's next move.
"Commander destroys my set card!" Commander turned and hit the set Trap Card with its sword, destroying it.
"What was the point in that?!" Aki replied.
"Commander now allows me to destroy a Monster on my field…. be gone Cerberus!" Commander slashed his fellow Skeleton Knight, also destroying it.
"And now Mercy gains another counter and her graveyard summons can begin again!" Ran cheered.
Field Counters: 5
"Now since Cerberus was destroyed, I can summon it back via its own effect!"
Skull Knight Cerberus Synchro/Zombie/Dark/LVL8/ Attack: 3000 Defence: 2500
"Crossbower and Shield return!" Crossbower returned in attack while Shield was in defence.
Skeleton Knight Cross Bower ATK: 2200 DEF: 1200 Dark/Zombie/LVL 6Skeleton Knight Shield-Men ATK: 0 DEF: 300 Zombie/Dark/Tuner/LVL 1
"When Cross is summoned, I destroy a card in your hand! I destroy the one on the left!"
"Ugh.. fine!"
"Now my field bumps up their attacks!"
Cross ATK: 2500
Shield ATK: 300
Cerberus ATK: 3330
"Now Cerberus, attack Moonlight!" Cerberus charged forward with its sharp sword towards the dragon.
"I play the Trap, Half Counter! Moonlight gains attack equal to halve of Cerberus' attack during the Damage Step!"
"What?!"
Moonlight ATK: 3050
Cerberus destroyed the Synchro Monster and Aki felt some pain but nowhere near as much if she hadn't used the Trap.
Aki LP: 1200 – 920
"Crossbower, attack Hedge Guard!" Cross fired its arrow at the plant and it was destroyed.
"One more attack!" Ran said with excitement.
"Archer, direct attack!"
"Then I summon Battle Fader from my hand!"
"Battle what?!" Mercy replied. A dark fiend with numerous black wings emerged.
Battle Fader ATK: 0 DEF: 0 Dark/Fiend/LVL 1
"This ends the Battle Phase!" Archer was sent back to Mercy's field.
"Damnit…. she had to have that card…" Ran gritted her teeth.
"I end my turn with one set card."
Setsuko dropped to one knee, slowly out of breath.
"Mrs Izayoi, are you okay?" Mercy said.
"Yeah… just…. not as young as you kids!"
"Damnit!" Mercy looked at her legs. "It feels better but…. I still can't stand!"
"Then it seems your powers aren't anything compared to mine." Divine replied.
"Divine….. let me take over!" Shinji said.
"Y… you? So you do have a voice… I thought you and your group were more focused on taking out Tops… Arcadia is still Tops!"
"No… you're neither…. you're terrorists!" Shinji replied. "I thought Tops were bad, but what you're doing here is a whole new level!"
"I'll bite…. what are you talking about?" Divine replied.
"This girl… Aki… what you did to her. I know she's loyal to you but when I first saw you… when I thought I killed you… Aki had free-will… now, she's just your puppet!"
"Nonsense!" Aki replied.
"Really? Look at how he's speaking to you now compared to then…. Aki, when you beat me in the Friendship Cup final, you were passionate… you had feelings… what you have now… it's like you're a robot following orders!"
"But I want this!" Aki replied.
"You want a fair world for physic duelists… that I get. And… seeing Mercy and Ran now, they are normal. Myself and the others across City are at fault for treating you all like freaks. I guess even… some Tops are decent people…"
"Shinji…" Ruka looked impressed at his change of heart.
"Do you really wish to kill all non-physics though?" Shinji said.
"Of course she does!" Divine replied.
"I was talking to Aki, not you!"
"Of course I…."
"Aki…. tell him the truth!" Divine ordered.
"Divine and Euridice both want that… and I agreed with their goals…. but why… why am I shaking?" Aki looked at her hands.
"I feel similar… it's like I feel my heart is open…. your mother said you're in charge of your own life… something you never thought she would say. Maybe, you just wanted your parents to recognise you… as you."
"Aki? Are you okay?" Setsuko said.
"EVERYONE SHUT UP!" she yelled.
Turn 7
Aki LP: 920 Hand: 0
Mercy LP: 950 Hand: 0
"I DRAW!"
"Aki's confused… her feelings have gone into overdrive!" Ruka said.
"I play Thorn of Malice! I equip Black Rose with this Equip Spell to return it to the field!"
Black Rose Moonlight Dragon ATK: 2400 DEF: 1800 Light/Dragon/Synchro/LVL 7
"That dragon never goes away…." Shinji said.
"Black Rose gains 600 attack!"
Moonlight ATK: 3000
"I banish Power Rose from my graveyard! Thanks to you destroying it from my hand, you've sealed my victory! This allows me to attack each Monster you control and it increases her attack by 500 until the End Phase!"
Moonlight ATK: 3500
"Moonlight, finish this duel! Thorn of Malice stops your Monster from being destroyed in battle with the equipped Monster. Also after you take damage, your Monster loses 600 attack and defence! And when it battles a defence positioned Monster, you take piercing damage!"
"Is this… the end?!" Setsuko said as she Black Rose power up an attack.
"Not a chance!"
Mercy slowly but surely walked to Setsuko and took the duel disk.
"Mercy! You can't!"
"I can! Now get behind me…" she said, still in pain. "I play my Trap! Skeleton Knight Barrage! I destroy all my Monsters on my field to negate that many attacks this turn! I have three so I'm safe!"
Each of Mercy's Skeleton Knight's dissolved as did Moonlight's attack.
"And that increases my Field Counters!"
Field Counters: 8
"Why won't you just stop dodging and accept defeat?!" Aki replied with fury.
"Because I'll save you from yourself!" Mercy replied. "Now Cerberus can return one more time and also I can bring back Archer and Horse!"
Moonlight ATK: 3000
Skeleton Knight Archer ATK: 1600 DEF: 1000 Dark/Zombie/LVL 3
Skeleton Knight Horse-Men ATK: 1200 DEF: 900 Dark/Zombie/Tuner/LVL 2
"Horse returns with its level doubled and I draw a card!"
Horse LVL: 4
"Archer reduces Moonlight's attack by 1000!"
Moonlight ATK: 2000
"And my Field Spell gives them 300 more attack!"
Archer ATK: 1900
Horse ATK: 1500
"I don't need you to save me… Power Rose's attack boost ends!" At this point, Aki fell to her knees.
Moonlight ATK: 3000
"Aki, get up!" Divine ordered.
"Do… I… want to kill people…?"
"Aki!" Divine repeated.
"She's calmed down again…." Setsuko said.
"Yeah but for how long…?" Mercy replied.
"I want a fair world for psychics." Aki said, tears now dropped from her eyes. "Euridice and Divine both want to kill the others but…. do I?"
"Aki! Don't let those words get into your head!" Divine replied.
"Aki is finally opening her eyes." Ruka said. "When her mother spoke about what Aki wanted, her heart was unlocked. Her anger was clouding her judgement over Arcadia's plans…."
"And now she can make her own mind up!" Ran added. As she finished speaking, the sound of laughter filled the room.
"Excuse me…"
"What now?!" Divine said. Screens of Roget appeared around Arcadia.
"Roget! Oh yeah, he's still watching the duel…" Shinji said.
"While I'm enjoying this show…. I had a thought… what if I killed all of Arcadia right here, right now… with your own weapon?" Roget smugly said. The screens cut to the three council members, all now no-longer under Roget's control.
There Mr. Izayoi, Mikage and Yeager were tied up and were hanging over the tall Security tower.
"D….Dad?" Aki stuttered.
"Dear?!" Setsuko also replied.
"Thanks, Roget… Aki hates her father… you're doing her a favour!" Divine replied with glee.
"Oh I know… well kind of. I had them under my control but having Mr. Izayoi say this of his own free-will will make this so much better! Now Councilman, say the line… or FALL!"
"Fall?!" Setsuko repeated with terror.
"Fall…." Aki also repeated. Mr. Izayoi looked at the camera and gritted his teeth.
"Aki… you were….a mistake…." He closed his eyes with shame as he said it.
"No! Aki, he's lying, he has to say that!" Mercy yelled. Aki looked at the ground and the building begun to shake.
"He's going to bring the building down on us!" Divine said as the students all begun to panic.
"Aki! Please, trust me!" Setsuko begged.
"Trus…. trust you?" Aki held her head as she looked at her mother.
"Please! Your father, look at the regret on his face! He feels just like me…."
"He said that to save his own skin!" Aki shouted back. "Like he has always been… he's always first!"
"You're right! He was! But I believe he said it because he wants to see you again! He doesn't want to die… he has hope you can forgive him!"
"Dad has…. hope in me?" Aki replied. The building slowly stopped shaking and everything returned to normal.
"What is this?!" Roget replied with anger. "You hate him?!"
"Aki! Don't tell me… you feel?! ANSWER ME, GIRL!" Divine said in disbelief as he looked at her.
"No…. my mother is right…. I have my own right to make my own choices… and Divine, you've changed… you…. you never treated me like this?" Aki replied.
"Aki!" Setsuko couldn't sound happier.
"Damnit!" Roget replied. "Fine… let's see how long they can last until they fall!"
"You won't kill them… they're your only bargaining chip." Aki replied.
"You dare talk to me like that?!" Roget replied in a fury as he disconnected the line.
"Aki…! You dare?!" Divine yelled. "You know that my orders are absolute! What I think is what you think! Now obey me!"
"You're not the Divine I considered my best friend!" Aki replied.
"Brat! Fine… I'll show you, Aki! I'll show you that you're being manipulated. I will prove myself to you!" Divine walked off as the rest of the students murmured and Aki looked back to Mercy.
"So you believe us?" Mercy said.
"I don't know what to think…" Aki replied. "Just make your turn!"
Turn 8
Aki LP: 920 Hand: 0
Mercy LP: 950 Hand: 0
"I will!" Mercy said. "Draw! Ha, I got just what I needed! I play another Cursed Sword to destroy Skeleton Knight Horse-Men! I can now draw again!" Mercy did that after her Monster was destroyed.
Field Counters: 9
"I play Cursed Sword for a third and final time! I destroy Skeleton Knight Archer!"
Field Counters: 10
"You're not going to bring back any Monsters from your graveyard?!" Aki replied with surprise.
"I don't need to now… plus we need to end this duel as soon as possible…." Mercy fell to her knees, her legs still weak. "I know you wouldn't know much about my deck… I was never given much attention from anyone here at Arcadia… but I don't blame you, Aki… I believe you're a good person after all…."
"Good person?" Aki repeated with surprise.
"I use my Field Spell's other effect! When I have ten counters, I send every card on my field to the graveyard so I can bring out Skeleton Knight King from my deck!" Cerberus and the Field Spell left the field and a surge of thunder shot down and a huge skeleton with a crown emerged from underneath the ground.
Skeleton Knight King ATK: ? DEF: 0 Dark/Zombie/LVL 12
"I gain a 1000 lifepoints for each card which was sent to the graveyard via this effect!"
Mercy LP: 950 – 2950
"King gains 1000 attack for each Skeleton Knight in my graveyard! I have four!"
Skeleton ATK: 4000
"Now, Skeleton Knight King, end this!" Mercy declared. Skeleton Knight slammed his giant hand onto Moonlight, destroying it. Aki could only watch as the blast was about to hit her.
"Black Rose… didn't work…." she thought as the blast hit her, sending her flying.
Aki LP: 920 – 0 Mercy Wins
"She did it!" Ran cheered.
"She did…." Ruka fell to the floor and let out a sigh of relief.
"Aki… lost again?!" the crowd said to themselves, they all begun to whisper to each other.
"Aki!" Setsuko went over to her and bent down next to her daughter.
Yuzu/Yuya
Yuzu was flat on the ground after taking the full power of Minerva and Raito.
"YUZU!" Yuya ran over and tried to get her to wake up but she wasn't waking. "Free her now!"
"She's not trapped…." Minerva said.
"Right…. it's not our fault she got in the way…..!"
"You two… always gloating…. always…. causing mayhem….! NO MORE!" Yuya felt his throat tighten, his breathing became faster… Yuya's other hand clenched, I n the other hand, a dark aura begun to emerge with his eyes slowly going red.
"Yuya! Stop it!" Warrior yelled who emerged from Yuzu's deck. "Don't become Odd-Eyes!"
"SILENCE!" Yuya yelled to Warrior. Warrior was going to hold her sword up for self-defence but she knew Yuya was still in control… for now; she remained on guard as she hoped Yuzu would wake up.
Yuya then looked at the two Arcadia members with fury.
"You deserve to die….. you shall….. DIE!"
"Are you really Yuya or …. Odd-Eyes?!" Warrior asked.
"Still Yuya…. if I was Odd-Eyes…. I wouldn't be doing this for Yuzu."
"What would she think if she saw you like this?!"
"What… she would think….?" Yuya stuttered. However before Yuya could answer, Minerva and Raito launched their powers at Yuya, knocking him to the ground.
….
"Ah…. I got hit again…" Yuzu rubbed her head as she looked around, she was in a white space. Yuzu knew she had been put into another vision.
"It won't work this time!" Yuzu yelled. "You've tried this trick before!"
The white space changed to Yuzu's home world, the Standard Dimension. There were no longer any buildings and the ground was just dirt. Yuzu could tell it was her home by seeing an old leaflet on the floor.
She picked it up to read it further; it was advertising You Show School.
"Really funny…" Yuzu said aloud. "I know Standard needs rebuilding, you won't scare me anymore you two!"
Yuzu put her hand on her chest but she couldn't feel something. She no-longer felt Ciel and the other spirits presence.
….
"Where… where am I now?" Yuya said.
Standing opposite him was another figure that looked just like Yuya, just with brighter red eyes.
"Well, look who's awake!" the figure replied.
"Odd… Odd-Eyes?" Yuya stuttered.
"Yes and now you shall disappear! Your time is up!" Odd-Eyes put out his hand and it glowed.
"Wait, what are you doing?! Stop this!" Yuya said, parts of his body begun to dissolve and enter Odd-Eyes.
"You're soul will be mine… don't worry, you'll be able to live on inside of me!" Odd-Eyes replied with a grin.
"Stop this!" Yuya yelled as more of his body dissolved.
Yuzu
Yuzu had continued to walk, waiting for the vision to end. There she saw another part of Standard that hadn't been destroyed. You Show.
From the skies a bright red light appeared, blinding Yuzu.
"What now?!"
Above the school stood Yuya, he looked down at it with hands on his hips.
"Yuya?!"
"This won't do… not at all!" Yuya grew in size, his shirt ripped off; a red tail grew from behind.
"Odd… Odd-Eyes?!" Yuzu gasped. Before her, Odd-Eyes was now in dragon form.
"Total destruction!" Odd-Eyes yelled. He unleashed a vicious black beam at the school, blowing it apart.
"Yuya! Did you get hit as well by the vision?" Yuzu shouted. Odd-Eyes noticed her and teleported in front of Yuzu.
"Nowhere here except me!" Odd-Eyes replied.
"Where's Yuya?!"
"Oh him… I merged his soul into mine!"
"This is just another vision!" Yuzu replied.
"Yes it is… but this will come true soon!" Odd-Eyes replied. Odd-Eyes leapt into the air and around Yuzu another city begun to emerge, it was the Synchro Dimension.
"Nothing like this will work on me!" Yuzu replied.
"Oh no? This is your future as well, girl!"
Odd-Eyes launched numerous blasts at the city, wrecking buildings across it. Yuzu continued to watch and just then she could feel something coming from within the dragon.
"No! Let me out! Please! I don't want this!"
"Yuya?" Yuzu replied.
"Please, Odd-Eyes, stop!" Yuya yelled, he couldn't see or hear Yuzu.
"Yuya is trapped?!"
"He can't be trapped!" Odd-Eyes landed on a building and turned back to aversion of Yuya but with a long red tail. "He's me… so how can be trapped?"
"Let him out!"
"He's me! Don't you understand it?! Yuya's alive within me… so he's not dead… he's just going to be stuck there for all eternity, unable to escape… watching it all!"
"Stop it now!" Yuzu yelled, tears now coming out of her eyes as she yelled.
"The pain never stops
"Yuya!" Yuzu cried out as the buildings all dissolved, Yuzu could hear Yuya crying inside Odd-Eyes as everything faded.
….
"Ah!"
Yuzu let out a deep breath and found that she and Yuya had returned at the same time.
"Yuya, are you okay?!" Yuzu quickly asked him. Yuya was clearly shaken by what had happened.
"I was trapped…. sealed away….." he stuttered. "I saw what a Monster I truly was…."
"Yuya! We can talk about this later but we have a duel to win!" Yuzu replied.
"It's not so easy for him…" Minerva replied.
"You're not some horrible beast within!" Raito replied.
"But don't worry; we will end you and the other-worlds soon!" Minerva added.
"I end my turn with a face down." Yuzu replied. She looked at Yuya and he was still shaking.
Turn 5
Minerva/Raito LP: 1800 Hand: 0 0
Yuzu/Yuya LP: 4000 Hand: 0 1
"I draw!" Minerva yelled. "I use Iona Guardian of the Heavenly Gates/Assault Mode's other effect! I discard one card from my hand and the difference in our lifepoints is added to him as attack!"
Iona ATK: 4700
"And when it attacks, you can't use anything in response to it!" Minerva added. "Attack Simphony!"
Simphony was quickly wiped out and the blast made Yuzu and Yuya flinch with pain.
Yuzu/Yuya LP: 4000 – 1500
"I end there!"
Turn 6
Minerva/Raito LP: 1800 Hand: 0 0
Yuzu/Yuya LP: 1500 Hand: 0 1
Yuya stood there, still looking at the ground; he was completely dazed from the vision that he wasn't even aware it was his turn.
"Yuya, I know you saw something scary but we need to finish this!" Yuzu said to him, trying to get him to snap out of it.
"I didn't just see something… I felt it… I was there…" Yuya stuttered.
"If you don't do anything now, then they will win and end you!" Warrior replied who appeared.
"I… can't…!"
"Yuya! Remember your father!" Star and Timegazer emerged from behind Yuya.
"My father?" Yuya replied.
"Yes! All those shows he did… even when he was scared he carried on!" Time said.
"It's okay to be scared but like your father knew, he had people relying on him." Star added. "This is war, and you have to continue fighting, no matter how scared you are."
"Now you mention it…. yeah, Dad always said to me that the show must go on. That we owe the crowd a strong finish no matter what happened during the start or the middle." Yuya looked up and more confident.
"You need to fight for the people you love." Yuzu said."Like me, I'm fighting right now for someone I love...you… as my best friend!"
"Thank you everyone." Yuya said. "I'll fight.. just as my dad would do! I draw!"
"Well then, let's see what you can do!" Raito said.
"I use our set Pendulum scales to Pendulum Summon!" Yuya yelled as a blue portal appeared above them.
"We can summon Monsters from levels two to seven!" Yuzu added.
"I Pendulum Summon, Melodious Prima Simphony, Queen Knight: The Chosen One of the Gods and Bass the Melodious Songstress!"
Melodious Prima Simphony 2200 ATK / 2400 DEF / Light / Level 7 / P.S. 8 / Warrior / Pendulum
Bass the Melodious Songstress ATK: 2400 DEF: 1800 Light/Fairy/Pendulum/LVL 5/Scale 4
Queen Knight: The Chosen One of the Gods 2800 ATK / 1900 DEF / Light / Level 6 / P.S.3 / Warrior / Pendulum
"And now!" Yuya looked at Yuzu and she nodded back. "I tribute Simphony and Chosen One to Tribute Summon! Appear level eight, Performapal Smile Sorcerer!"
A man in a blue ringmaster suit appeared. He had a cape attached to his shoulders similar to Yuya along with a top hat. His suit had stars across it.
Performapal Smile Sorcerer ATK: 2500 DEF: 2000 Light/Spellcaster/Pendulum/LVL 8/Scale 1
"When he's summoned I can add Smile World to my hand!" Yuya showed the Spell.
"Smile… what?" Minerva said.
"You get fun out of pain… well I get fun out of smiles!" Yuya replied. "Go Smile World! This Spell increases all Monsters' attacks on the field by 100!" Smiley faces appeared around the field.
Smile ATK: 2600
Bass ATK: 2500
Iona ATK: 4800
"And the point of that was…?" Minerva replied.
"This! I play my Spell, Performapal Central Stage!"
"And I play this!" Yuzu added. "I play my Trap, Melodious Musical!"
"A combo?!" Raito said.
"My Trap allows me to select one Monster on your Field!" Now for every Monster on the field which currently has an attack which is different than their original value, the targeted Monster loses 1000 attack for each! That's 3000!"
Iona ATK: 1700
"And now for mine!" Yuya said. "Central Stage allows me to target a Monster whose attack is different than their original amount and summon a Performapal from my deck for each 1000 difference!"
"That's three?!"
"Yes!" Yuya said as, Golden Fang, Dag Daggerman and Fire Mufferlion!"
Performapal Gold Fang ATK: 1800 DEF: 700 Light/Beast/Pendulum/LVL 4/Scale 3
Performapal Fire Mufflerlion ATK: 800 DEF: 800 Fire/Beast/Pendulum/LVL 3/Scale 5
Performapal Dag Daggerman ATK: 2000 DEF: 600 Earth/Warrior/Pendulum/LVL 5/Scale 2
"Now!" Yuzu said. Bass begun to sing a melody as her fellow Melodious appeared in the background playing classical music.
"What is all this?!" Minerva demanded.
"We're giving you a show!" Yuya replied. Daggerman held up a hoop which Mufferlion set on fire with a fiery breath. As Gold Fang and Mufferlion leapt through it, the Melodious Monsters continued to play a classical beat.
"Cut this out!" Raito yelled.
"We're showing how fun dueling can be!" Yuya added. "Now Smile Sorcerer attacks!"
Smile Sorcerer unleashed a blast of smiley faces from a wand which appeared in his hand. The faces hit Ratio's Monster, destroying it.
Raito/Minerva LP: 1800 – 900
"Now Bass, end this!" Bass fired her melody at the two duelists. The musical blast defeated them and sent them flying along the road.
Raito/Minerva LP: 900 - 0 Yuzu/Yuya Win
Minerva and Raito landed on the floor, they slowly looked up.
"Damn you…." Minerva said as she tried to launch another vision attack but she was too weak.
"We did it." Yuzu smiled at Yuya.
"Thank you, Yuzu." Yuya replied. "But you told me to smile…. despite once telling me we had to battle first?"
"Sometimes we have to battle first but other times, we can entertain. Against Academia when it's our lives on the line… we have to put our safety first but if we have a chance, we should try and show that dueling is more than fighting."
"So you finally won…" Minerva said as she and Raito stood up. Minerva laughed.
"What now?!" Yuzu replied.
"You shall see in due course." Raito added.
"We have been keeping you guys away from Arcadia….!"
"What are you planning?!" Yuya demanded to know.
"If you can stop it… we might consider if your ideals are right or not." Minerva added. "But you can't."
Arcadia
In the secret room, Divine along with the mind-readers watched as the machine begun to activate. The plan to remove the life force from all non-physic duelists had begun.
"Now, Aki… you shall be running back to me!" Divine said aloud, laughing after he did.
A/N
Thank you to Rom for his ideas and the entertainment performance at end! Thanks to Royal2 for his great deck and Mercy OC!
Royal2 – Thanks for your cards dude, I hope I good use of them!
Sakura Matou – I couldn't add one more chapter to this, a few left of Synchro though! Thanks for the review.
Samueljoo- That was a good idea dude but Mercy was going to win this one. Don't worry, Yuzu has a lot to get angry over soon!
Fantasymaker76 - No you didn't miss anything, I should've made that clearer. The intention was that they hope Martha and Synchro are save from any threats, sorry and thanks! Thanks for the review as ever.
Mercy
Skeleton Land Revival/Continuous Trap
Return a Skeleton Knight Field Spell from your graveyard and activate it in your Field Zone. Your opponent cannot destroy that Field Spell while this card is face up on the field. For each destroyed Skeleton Knight which was destroyed last turn, place a Skull Counter on that Field Spell.
Skeleton Knight Barrage/Trap
Destroy as many Skeleton Knights on your field and then you can negate as many attacks X the amount destroyed this turn. You can only use this card once per turn.
Aki
Rose Reduction/Trap
When you take battle damage, for each Rose Token you control, reduce the damage by 300. Banish this card from your graveyard, destroy all Rose Tokens on the field and inflict damage to your opponent for each X 300.
Power Rose ATK: 0 DEF: 0 Dark/Plant/LVL 1/Tuner
Banish this card from your graveyard then target one Synchro Monster you control. Increase its attack by 500 and it can attack each Monster your opponent controls.
Plant Storm/Spell
Destroy one Black Garden Field Spell and one Rose Dragon Monster, draw two cards
Yuya
Performapal Central Stage/Spell
Target one Monster on the field, whose attack is different than its original value while you control Performapal Monster. For each 1000 difference in its attack, Special Summon one Performapal from your deck to your field with their effects negated.
Yuzu
Melodious Musical/Trap
Target one Monster on the field while you control a Melodious Monster or a Fairy-type Monster, for each Monster on the field which has a different ATK then its original value; decrease the targeted Monster's ATK by 1000.