Yu-Gi-Oh! 5 Deluxe Dragons
Disclaimer: This one doesn't own the Yugioh series.
Review Reply – JCHudson: I do plan on exploring Sly's little subplot that was ultimately abandoned. And thanks for noticing the callouts to GX.
Guest: I had to make him lose. That was one duel that should have ended in a loss since there were no stakes to force Yusei to win. Also, Antinomy is a stronger duelist than everyone on Team 5D's compared to Yusei who is equal to Sherry and everyone else clearly below them.
Chapter 17 – Izayoi Aki – Acceleration
Another bright day illuminates the square. Inside our familiar abode for Yusei's group, the trio are in the garage. Fully decked out, they're ready to begin the day. As the mechanic of the group goes to work on a D-Wheel before him, footsteps come from the stairs.
He finishes just in time for the steps to stop, before turning around to face the walker. It is Aki, wearing something outside of her usual Victorian attire. A scarlet jumpsuit with black highlights and heels is on her, perfectly snug too. Around her left arm is a helmet.
Seeing her outfit, Crow whistles. "Well, aren't you looking sharp?"
"They say clothes make the man, but women have a much larger wardrobe," Jack says, which she takes as a compliment.
"I'm not used to this, and it feels a little tight." Aki reaches up and pulls the zipper down a little, unintentionally revealing the top of her skin and getting some air in. "Ah. Better."
Yusei, who seems to be looking away, says, "Your vehicle is ready. It isn't much; I made it out of spare parts from a friend's junkyard, but it should be good enough for training and your test."
Touched by his efforts, Aki thanks him. She owes a lot more to him than she realizes.
'Yusei, after your duel with Sherry, I've been curious. The world you see, the emotions you feel, how you, Sherry, Jack, and Crow are as you embrace the wind. I want to get my license.'
Later…
Over at Duel Academia, Aki sits by herself by the racetracks. She among others await to start their riding lesson, the first step to attaining the D-Wheel license. Aki cleans her helmet while awaiting the beginning, but is soon approached.
"Aki!" Lua and Luca come forth to the seats where she is.
"Luca! Lua! What are you doing here?"
"We figured you would try to get your license," says Lua while sitting next to her.
Luca mirrors him on the other end asking, "What brought this on?"
"Curiosity," she explains, smiling while thinking about the truth of it. And Sherry.
"Curiosity ain't enough to get in, little lady." All three look in the direction of the new voice spotting three guys approaching them.
"The Riding World ain't for chicks! You're better off going home and playing house with dolls!"
"Excuse me, can you guys time travel?" Luca's question takes them off guard. "No? I thought you could with your dark-age sexism!"
"Whoa, Luca, calm down!"
One guy plays scared before backing off. He then gets a good look at Aki, noticing something. As his buddies warn her of the dangers of riding, he realizes something. The guy then grabs his friend's mouth and pulls him away.
"Oi, what the hell?"
"Step back, man," he whispers to him. "Don't you know what she is?"
"… a minor?"
"No! Maybe. But, that's not important. She's that witch!" His follow-up whisper gets him to curse before they all step away.
She only hears a little of what they say, but lets it be. She can't be bothered to focus on that part of her life at the moment. The test will require her attention.
Herself and four others stand in front of the instructor. He wields a bokken that he slams into the road. "Alright, all of you punks focus! A lot of you greenhorns have been trying to get your licenses since the moment the WRGP got revealed. So now we gotta tighten the rules to avoid idiots getting on the road!"
He points to the road. "You have today and tomorrow to pass the road test qualifier under the restricted time limit. Begin!"
The first guy, one of the assholes harassing Aki, goes on the road. While driving his vehicle, he shifts on the curve and ends up flying off the road. He rolls in comedic pain as the instructor yells, "Too fast, you idiot! Control your speed or you'll end up dying!"
The next guy goes forth, driving slowly and easily passing the curve. But, that's also a problem. "Too slow, you moron! Drive faster or you'll get rear-ended!"
After that, with the rule of 3, Aki goes forth. The wind hits her, bringing palpitation to her heart. 'This is… this is amazing!'
Seeing her ride, Yusei realizes something. "Aki, you're not gonna make that!"
And she doesn't; she hits the box barrier and goes flying, shouting, "KYA!"
After her catastrophic finish, the instructor calls her out. "Pay attention to what you're doing!"
At the end of the day, no one passes. Luckily, they have another day to try. But, now that everyone else is gone, Aki returns to the track. She drives on her bike trying everything to get it right.
A little crash happens again, and she picks herself up wondering how to pull this off. That's when a thought occurs. "Wait… the speed was right, but I need to move faster at the end. So if I hang in it there…"
Yusei and the twins watch her. She's surprisingly getting into it.
On her next attempt, she tries to turn and accelerate, only to crash. Her follow-up is trying slower and turn, but she doesn't turn with her body so she loses control and falls off. The third time's the charm as she attempts to combine the two lessons, but still goes flying for trying too hard.
As twilight settles in, Aki attempts it one last time. She gets in a good speed nearing the curve, before slowing to turn. While turning, she positions herself to face the end before accelerating. This gives her the push to make the curve at her speed and allows her to finish the rest of the track.
Aki makes it through relatively quickly. As it will appear, the majority of the track's difficulty stems from the curve. She passes the quadruple loops Sonic-style and reaches the end finally. After finishing the course, the others cheer at the result of her hard work.
Aki removes her helmet, shaking her head to release excess perspiration. She shines beautifully in the setting sun, almost glowing. Seeing it, a heart skips a beat.
"Aki, good work," Yusei says, composing himself.
"Thank you. Now to show my efforts tomorrow…"
Tomorrow morning, the second test begins. While the others repeat their mistakes or make brand-new ones, Aki shows off the results of her training. Her grind comes to fruition when she passes the course with flying colors. As a result, she ends up being the only one passing.
The instructor approaches Aki. "The last part of the test is in three days. Ya gotta win a Riding Duel against the proctor. Use that time to train and prepare your deck; only Speed Spells are allowed."
After that, she returns to meet up with Yusei and the twins by their D-Wheels. "All I have to do is win a duel against the exam proctor."
"Aki," speaks Yusei, revving his engine, "This isn't on your checklist, but I think it's a useful skill to learn."
He then drives down the track, before making a U-turn. After doing so, he performs a back turn. This allows him to drive backward. Upon returning to the others, he comes to a stop. "Alright, now you try it."
Pumped up, Aki adjusts her D-Wheel and drives forward. She makes the turn but loses her nerve. This leads to an unfortunate crash and she flips over, upside down like her D-Wheel. Thankfully, her helmet prevents a bloody nose.
"Ouch… I think I've crashed enough this week…"
Having watched her, Yusei cups his chin while he thinks about a plan. How can he get her to better perform the reverse? A few seconds of this and he comes up with a perfect idea.
Tomorrow…
In the afternoon of this new day, Yusei and Aki are together at a skating ring. As other people are around skating and doing whatnot, they're on the waxed floor together on rollerblades. He's happy to assist, she's ready to see his flair.
And for some strange reason, the twins are there.
"Good point. Why are we here?" Lua asks Luca with a bored look.
"We're here to help Aki with her test."
"Okay, but Yusei seems to have it covered. Aren't we a third wheel at this point?"
"Lua, this isn't a date!" she shouts back with slight jealousy.
"To perform the back run on skates makes it easier to do with the D-Wheel," Yusei says to her before skating. He glides backward with elegance fitting his style, circling her even. He then slides in front of her.
"Okay, now you try." Aki makes her attempt, before slipping forward on top of him. He catches her, realizing something. "Hold on. Do you know how to skate?"
Embarrassed, her amber eyes look everywhere but his eyes. "I… have never come to places like these before…"
Seeing that, Lua asks, "Are you sure it's not?"
Narrowing her eyes, Luca adds, "No reason to call it a date though…"
So, in addition to learning how to skate backward, Yusei and Aki spend the day skating. There is occasional handholding, falling, falling while holding hands, falling into his chest, and holding the waist, but she still picks up the basics. By the end, their little lesson turns into a fun outing.
"Just like that, Aki," Yusei says proudly as she manages to skate backward and match his speed.
"I think I got it," Aki says while matching him, her cheeks slightly red.
Seeing them, Lua smiles saying, "Man, this is a nice mood now."
"So in the end, it did become a date…" Luca accepts this fact.
As the two enjoy their time, someone from the shadows watches them. She shakes her head before walking away, jotting down notes.
Three Days Later…
On the day of the exam, Aki enters the abode. There she spots her friends gathered together by her training D-Wheel. Dressed in her riding suit, she is surprised by them suddenly huddled by it.
"Surprise!" they shout, parting away from the D-Wheel. And she gasps at its new appearance.
Her D-Wheel is far more refined, looking like an official one instead of a practice street motorcycle. The display is placed under a light-blue screen shield. Her handles are connected to a curved, crescent disk. Her wheels look just like those of the Yusei Go. Even the paint is matching of her, like a bloody rose.
"We finished it up last night," says Yusei as he pats the bike.
"I handled the brakes," Crow states with pride.
"I painted the exterior," Jack adds with even more of a big nose.
Aki is speechless as she approaches her new vehicle. "Thank you guys… I don't know what to say…"
"You're our friend, Aki. And this is our gift to you, the Bloody Rose."
With everything set, the Signers team all leave for the examination. There, they find out that the course is much different, which makes sense since it's a new location. The kids all look in awe at the environment. Their expectations increase when one exam begins, but someone ends up crashing before the duel can start.
The exam proctor, driving one of those Duel Chaser vehicles, parks and shakes his head in disappointment. "Pathetic. To think you got even this far."
"Ushio?!" Crow shouts when they all realize who is in charge.
"Oh, you guys."
Jack approaches him, asking, "So you're in charge of these? Feels like a demotion."
"WRGP has gotten a lot of shmucks to come out looking to get their licenses. And only the best have a right to surpass me." Ushio stares down Aki at that. "You're gonna have to get passed me to enter the World Riding Duel Grand Prix."
It's an intense standdown. To become a duelist, Aki will have to defeat her friend Ushio. Well, not really friend. But being a member of the Duel Chasers, he'll be an opponent she'll have to face with all she has. Can she win?
… YES.
In less than ten minutes, Aki grasps the ropes of how to perform a Riding Duel and defeats Ushio. Even at the cost of her prized Black Rose Dragon, she scores a victory.
With her victory, everyone approaches Aki and cheers except for Jack. He's busy dusting off the knuckles on his fists. Watching from afar is Sherry, dressed in her burgundy white jumpsuit. With her arms crossed, she smirks a little. "So… the little rose garden is trying to enter the world of Riding Duels…"
Her little smile devolves into a scowl. "Let's see how far she can go…"
After her victory, Aki receives her license. She is now ready to hit the road as a proper Riding Duelist.
…
It's the following day, and Aki is walking out of her abode. Decked in her racing jumpsuit, she sighs while taking in the light of day.
SPLOOSH
As well as the tomato that hit her face. She wipes her face staring at the person responsible and sees someone standing there. From her appearance, she's a lady far too old to be someone who should know her. Maybe she's someone's mother.
"Izayoi, correct?" asks the woman as she approaches, her eyes angrily on the young girl.
"What… what did you-"
"You monster." She glares darkly at Aki, deep into her eyes. "Why would you want to join the World Riding Duel Grand Prix? With your powers, you'll just destroy the city and all the lives of the people involved! Like how you ruined my son's life and hurt his arm!"
She then vehemently walks away, having said everything she needed to. Aki is left there, unable to calm herself. '…'
Silent, Aki goes to her D-Wheel while wiping away the tomato. She boards her bike and drives off, unwilling to let what happened ruin her plans. Regardless, her heart can't let that information go.
Out driving, Aki intakes the wind beautifully as she tries to enjoy the freedom of driving. Now that she has the basics down, she can focus on bettering her skills so she can become a valuable asset to the team. She passes a car, heading further into Tops.
But on the way, she gets a detection on her monitor. Looking back, Aki spots someone coming up her six. She shifts left as the rider passes by, recognizing her as Sherry. "Sherry?!"
Sherry gestures to follow with her head, before taking to the high road. Following, Aki meets her by another road where they stop. The two stare at one another.
"Sherry..." Aki mutters, wondering what she wants from him.
"I see you've gotten your license," Sherry says, checking out Aki from head to toe.
"Y-Yes. I want to join the World Riding Duel Grand Prix," she tells her.
"Interesting. One watch and you suddenly get curious..." Sherry shifts herself in her seat before looking onward. "Then, duel me."
"Duel?"
"You said you were joining the WRGP, so let's see what you got. You might learn a thing or two." As she speaks, Sherry moves forward.
Narrowing her eyes, Aki shifts into high gear and chases. Honestly, she's glad about this opportunity. A duel like this is a nice distraction from her earlier trouble, and Sherry is just the person she wants to face personally.
"Speed World 2, set on!"
DUEL MODE ~ AUTO PILOT STANDBY
With their duel starting, the roads shift as a path forms for them. The ladies follow the ascended road to begin.
"RIDING DUEL ACCELERATION!"
Aki Izayoi: 4000
Sherry Leblanc: 4000
A corner is shown up ahead. Smirking, Sherry says, "First one to pass the corner gets the first turn."
The two take off racing for the corner. Even though Aki is going as fast as she can, Sherry easily passes her. She makes the corner, watching as Aki catches up. "Looks like that's the limit to what Yusei can build from scratch."
Sherry faces forward and draws, beginning her turn. She pilfers a card before playing it. "This monster can be special summoned by banishing a Fire monster in my hand. Come forth, Infernoble Knight – Astolfo!"
Appearing to the field is an androgynous sacred flame knight dressed in white with red and charcoal highlights. His cape billows past his red hair.
Astolfo: 500/200 (1)
Seeing it, Aki is a little confused. Why summon such a weak monster at the cost of another?
"Astolfo becomes the level of the monster I banished for this effect, so it gains Ogier's level 4 status. Next because I have an Infernoble Knight, I can special summon Renaud!"
Coming in on horseback is another knight, this one in a darker blue color scheme.
Renaud: 500/200 (1)
"These are very different than what I expected."
"What, were you expecting the same strategy I used against Yusei?" Sherry replies with a question. "Only copycats and children do the same thing for every opponent. You're about to see the true power of my Chevalier de Sacree Flamme deck, for Renaud when summoned that way becomes a Tuner!"
"A tuner?!" Aki realizes that's what she's setting up for, a Synchro Summon this soon.
"I am tuning my level 4 Astolfo and my level 1 tuner Renaud!" Renaud rides forward, before slashing the air in a circle. He then throws his sword forward through the sole ring before disappearing. Astolfo chuckles before flying in through the ring, turning into four stars. "Grand paladin of flames, ride into battle to deliver the song of victory! Synchro Summon!"
Light shoots out, blinding Aki slightly. The rose mistress opens her eyes enough to see a twister of flames surrounding Sherry's field. Twin swords land on the field from where Renaud threw his. A single person stands between them, lifting the swords and slashing the air in a cross formation.
"Infernoble Knight – Captain Oliver!"
Captain Oliver: 2000/500 (5)
Sherry takes two cards from her hand and sets them. "I'll set two cards, and banish Astolfo from my graveyard." Her monster rises before fading into flames.
"Turn end." Sherry looks back at Aki. "Now, it's your turn, Black Rose Witch."
That gets her to gasp. "What?"
"You didn't think I'd notice when you used your power to stop that truck?" She faces forward as they near a curve. "The Arcadia Movement has been hoping to use you for their goals. Even in France, they talked about you last year. And you're a well-known Class A psychic duelist, a Joan of Arc of the modern era."
"I don't go by that, anymore."
"Sure you don't. Of course, I've yet to see you step out of that shadow. Now, your turn…"
Annoyed with her mind game, Aki draws for the turn. "I summon Phoenixian Seed."
Appearing to her field is a tiny plant with a single eye poking out. "By releasing this monster, I can special summon Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis!"
The seed blooms, turning into a phoenix-like plant staring down Oliver. The captain aims his left sword up challenging the plant.
Amaryllis: 2200/0 (8)
"Amaryllis, attack Captain Oliver!" The phoenix flower flings petals like feathers upon Oliver.
As the petals explode upon the area around Oliver, Sherry emerges from the smoke untouched. A trap card is shown on her side of the field. Seeing it, Aki realizes what happened. "Is that…"
"Kusaritsuki Boomerang." As the smoke clears up, the kunai with chain wraps around Amaryllis. "Upon activation, it increases the equipped monster's attack by 500."
The swordsman holds the monster at bay from above while seemingly being dragged, his right sword sheathed on his back. "Counterattack, Oliver!"
The fire captain comes down and slashes Amaryllis, scattering it into petals. Aki cries out as the damage hits her, causing her to swerve.
Aki: 3700
'Wait… that was faint, but I felt damage.' She corrects herself before she points. "Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis upon destruction will deal 800 points of damage to you. Scatter Petals!"
Flaming petals fly down at Sherry, who expertly dodges them.
Sherry: 3200
Looking at Sherry, she asks, "Are you a Psychic Duelist?"
"Took you long enough to figure that out. If I knew about your name and the France branch of the Arcadia Movement, why wouldn't I also be one?" Sherry glares back at her. "I tried joining them when I learned they might have information on Yliaster, and I naturally had the power to use psychic powers. But, they didn't know as much as I wanted."
"Branch…"
"So? It's still your turn. Leave the conversation for the end phase."
Aki takes two cards from her hand and sets them. "Turn end. And at my End Phase, I can special summon Amaryllis by removing Phoenixian Seed from play."
Sherry watches as her monster returns to the field. With a smirk, she draws her card as a plan forms in her brain. "Oliver, attack Amaryllis!"
The captain pulls himself down toward Amaryllis, his sword burning brightly. "Captain Oliver's effect; when I declare an attack with him and he's equipped with a card, I can destroy one card you control."
"Nani!" Aki watches as her monster is vanquished, leaving nothing left except flickers of heat that burn Sherry.
Sherry: 2400
"Now for the replay; Oliver, direct attack!" The noble captain switches up weapons, swinging its chain.
"Trap card open; Offensive Guard!" A shield forms over Aki. "When you declare a direct attack, I can cut your monster's attack in half for that battle and draw one card!"
The chain is flung, denting her in the helmet. She regardless draws a card.
Aki: 2450
"Despite your efforts, I'm still above you in life," Aki says as if trying to psyche herself up.
"You can be above in life points, but that means nothing in terms of controlling the flow of a duel." Sherry takes a card from her hand and sets it. "I'll then end my turn."
Aki draws for her turn. "I play the Speed Spell – Angel Baton."
With her counters at 2, she's able to draw two cards and discard one. "I'll then activate the effect of Rose Princess." She reveals her card, a pink woman endowed in a beautiful dress. "If you control a monster and I don't, I can special summon this card as a Tuner! Appear now, Rose Princess!"
Rose Princess: 1200/800 (3) Tuner
"Next, I normal summon Botanical Girl." Appearing beside the Rose Princess is another plant girl, this one having a bulb for a back.
Botanical Girl: 1300/1100 (3)
"I'll then perform a tuning!" Rose Princess draws a circle in the air, before pushing it and releasing 3 rings. As it shatters to pieces, Botanical Girl rushes in and passes by the rings. Hunter of splendid thorns hidden in the sacred forest, with your whip of punishment in hand, come forth now! Synchro Summon!"
As the light clears, a blond female monster appears. This being has a jumpsuit out of W, the right black, and the left green.
Splendid Rose: 2200/2000 (6)
With the appearance of her monster, Aki flips over her face down. "Synchro Sonic activate; I can destroy one face-up Magic or Trap card for every Synchro Monster I control."
A blast of energy shoots out of her trap and blows up the chain Oliver possesses. After that, Splendid Rose raises her hands as vines form. "By banishing Rose Princess from my graveyard, Splendid Rose will reduce your monster's attack by half."
Captain Oliver gets entangled by the vines, held in place by the plant type's effect.
Olivier: 1000
Seeing her strategy has paid off, Aki smirks. She can win; all she needs is to destroy Oliver, and then Splendid Rose will finish her off… actually, no. She'll have one hundred life points left. She doesn't have a Speed Spell in hand so she won't be able to finish her off. But she can hold off until the next turn.
"Battle! Splendid Rose, destroy Captain Oliver!" The rose woman spins in the air, before diving down into a drop kick.
"You think everything is working so well, do you?" Sherry opens up her trap card, Synchro Barrier. Empowered by the trap, Captain Oliver releases a shield of flames before dying. The Splendid Rose kicks the barrier, before being repelled. "By releasing my Synchro Monster, you can't hurt me this turn."
Angry, Aki has a card ejected from her graveyard. "I activate the effect of Grow-Up Bulb in my graveyard."
Another card extends from her deck, entering the graveyard. She then brings out another monster, another tiny seed. "By sending the top card from my deck to the grave, I can special summon this monster."
Grow Up Bulb: 100/100 (1)
"I will set one card and end my turn."
Sherry laughs a little. "Not as easy as you think, is it, Black Rose Witch?"
"I told you to stop calling me that!" she shouts angrily.
"Honestly, I prefer that name as opposed to what you are now, Izayoi," Sherry tells her as they make a turn. "Why are you even here?"
"Why…" Aki pauses trying to answer that question. "I wanted to see the world my friends did. So I can-"
"-get closer to Yusei?" Her response shocks Aki, the girl looking forward at the woman she's behind.
"W-What?"
"You're a girl trying to emulate the interests of your crush to get closer to him. Not because you enjoy it, but only because of him. It's sad because of what you used to be, little girl, a woman of power and respect." Sherry focuses on the road ahead. "I called you the Black Rose Witch because who you were in the past is far better than the immature girl you are now."
Aki's hair billows a little. "That's not true! There was nothing about my past that I liked! There is nothing I can say is better back then than now!"
"Then you'll be able to survive this turn." Sherry draws her card. A pillar of fire bursts from one of her monster zones. "It's time for Astolfo to conclude his effect."
"Astolfo?" After saying the name, Aki recalls the name of the monster she had. "Wait. Didn't she banish that?"
"Because that's part of his effect; by banishing Astolfo, I revive him in two turns along with another FIRE Warrior." Appearing now are two monsters: Astolfo, and Ogier. Ogier is a handsome blond with red highlights and white armor that contains black and red plating for his shoulders, elbows, and legs. Fairies fly around him.
Ogier: 1500/2000 (4)
"And with that, I shall use Oliver's effect in the grave." Captain Oliver rises from the graveyard as Astolfo bursts into fire. "I can special summon Captain Oliver from the graveyard and equip him with one Fire Warrior I control."
The androgynous paladin turns into a halberd of flames before Captain Oliver grabs it with his free hand. "And… he becomes a Tuner."
Captain Oliver: 2500/500 (5) Tuner
"A Synchro Tuner?" Aki looks up at the flame swordsman, who smirks.
"I shall perform a tuning using my two monsters!" Oliver, empowered by Astolfo's power, slices the air and forges five Synchro Rings. Sherry in response speeds up as Oliver shatters. Ogier passes through the rings and transforms into four stars.
"Blazing swords of the twelve orders, crown the grand emperor. Stand forth righteously as the olifant roars! Synchro Summon!" From the light of Synchro, flames ignite the field. A great man appears from the fire, adorned in royal red and black clothing that possesses traits of armor. Behind him, a crimson cape flows. In this blond man's left hand is a beautiful crystal sword. "Bruler, Infernoble Knight Emperor Charles!"
Emperor Charles: 3000/200 (9)
"An attack of three thousand?!" Aki shouts in shock upon seeing it.
"Next, I shall use the effect of Ogier in the graveyard, and equip it to Emperor Charles." The spirit of the knight rises from her grave, before merging with Charles. Her emperor yells as power swells in him, a marking forming on his sword. "Battle!"
Emperor Charles wields his mighty sword with two hands, his attention turned to the Splendid Rose.
But, that's of no worry to Aki. "Because that's just what I was waiting for! Trap card open; Urgent Tuning!"
Aki's trap opens up, illuminating her two monsters. "I'll perform a Synchro Summon using my two monsters!" The bulb turns into a ring that passes by Splendid Rose, and her monster turns into six rings. "The whole world shall be engulfed by chilling flames, setting in bloom the pitch black flower! Synchro Summon!"
Her monster appears with a powerful gale, the ominous Black Rose Dragon. With its appearance, and Aki's state of mind, Sherry feels the wind as well. 'I'll show you that I am better than who I was!' "When Black Rose Dragon is Synchro Summoned, it can destroy all cards on the field. Black Rose Gale!"
The monster unleashes its signature ability, causing a tornado to blow away everything else on the field. Emperor Charles remains in place, however, simply using his sword to pierce through the wall of wind. He then slices through, as Ogier's spirit leaves him.
Black Rose Dragon concludes its effect, disappearing into nothing. Of course, Aki is rather perplexed by what she sees; Emperor Charles is the only card still on the field. "Why? Why is Charles still here?!"
Sherry smirks looking back. "Because… while equipped to a monster, Ogier protects that monster from being destroyed by card effects. Emperor Charles, direct attack!"
That shocks her; everything she did hasn't worked. "Blazer the Great!"
Wielding his flaming sword with both hands, the heat surrounding it becomes a physical white in color. Charles yells as he slashes at Aki, releasing a wave of fire that hits her in the front. Aki cries out as her life points drop.
Aki:0000
Her D-Wheel shuts down, smoke emitting that blinds her. She comes to a stop and curses, unable to continue. As the duel concludes, the barriers come down, and Sherry stops to face Aki. She removes her helmet, sweat glistening off of her face that she shakes off elegantly. "I know what you're thinking; that I'm harsh, that I don't know anything about you, that I'm wrong deep down. But nothing you say now will convince me otherwise."
Aki looks up at Sherry, removing her helmet. She is just as moist, but twice as tired due to panting. "The battle against Yliaster will be far more dangerous, and they're all more than likely aiming for Yusei. He needs allies that can keep up with him, not benchwarmers that can only chase after him. Whoever you were in the past is stronger than who you are now, and it's true. The Black Rose Witch was not so weak."
Sherry then docks her helmet before driving away. As she leaves her, almost half a mile away, Sherry gets a call. It shows the man Elsworth. "What?"
"Don't you think that was a little harsh?"
"Reality is harsh." She then cuts him off, driving away.
Back with Aki, she remains where she is. Her emotions have fallen from anger to pure frustration. "I am not weak… I am…" Tears flow from her eyes, staining her helmet. Unable to deny the truth, she screams and throws her helmet to the ground.
Up on a higher road, a figure watches them. She jots down some more notes before sighing. "Divine… I don't know what you're thinking trying to bring this declawed cat back."
Sighing, the woman walks away.
Lightz: And that ends this chapter. I forget what's up next since this was on the checklist of things to do, but I think it's either Jack or the twins. Regardless, we have one chapter before you know who appears.