Yu-Gi-Oh! 5 Deluxe Dragons

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Ed: Oh, you're about to see.

Chapter 39 – Arcadia Movement

That Moment…

During Yusei's duel with Placido, he summons Shooting Star Dragon. The Cosmic Signer Dragon traverses the atmosphere and dispels the storm. As light shines upon the desolated city, hope returns to the hearts of its citizens.

Over at the hospital, Aki feels Yusei's heart through her mark. She also watches as it disappears when his turn begins. 'Good luck, Yusei.'

As the duel concludes, a figure approaches the redhead from behind. People are being flung to the side, clearing a path for her. Hearing their voices, Aki turns around and gasps. Haruka cowers behind her as well. "Y-You? But…"

"That's right. I am you… the better you."

The person before her is a woman in disguise, adorned in dark robes with thorns and roses on them. On her left arm is a duel disk. She also has a white mask, but it isn't like any other; this one has two cracks on it. One is by the mouth and the other is split between the mask from the top to the bottom crack.

"Now, I have waited a good deal for this moment, and it is time to take you with me," she declares, slowly approaching Aki.

The young patient steps back. "What do you want with me?"

The woman stops before Aki, and says, "Everything," before activating a card on her duel disk. "I summon Rose Tentacles."

To her surprise, one of Aki's unused monsters appears. Tentacles shoot out from the being and entangle Haruka, lifting her in the air. "Haruka!"

"Oneechan!" she cries, feeling the vines strangle her.

"Now, you're coming with me. Otherwise, you'll have that little girl's blood on your hands."

Aki doesn't hesitate. She surrenders, saying, "Okay, I'll go with you."

"Good." Rose Tentacles disappears, and Haruka falls on her behind.

"Haruka!"

"Let's go, Izayoi." The woman walks away. Aki grits her teeth and follows the masked woman.

…

Neo Domino City; a day has gone by since the Diablo raid upon the city. Everyone is working hard to clean up the damage. Mikage and Ushio are working hard on the process. But, for the moment, there is something far more pressing on the minds of Team 5D's.

…

"Have you seen our daughter?!" cries Aki's mother before Security. By her side is her husband the senator, who is equally worried for her safety.

"We are doing everything we can," speaks the service member. "But several people have gone missing in yesterday's storm."

Elsewhere in the city, Team 5D's are out looking for their precious teammate. Jack stops by the local duel rings asking questions, but receives nothing. "Nothing again…"

Crow is visiting relief centers for the injured. There, he asks around looking for Aki, but there is nothing for him to deliver back. "Damn it."

Lua and Luca are together with their friends at Duel Academia. The former talks to Patty, asking, "Have you heard anything about Aki?"

"No, sorry," says the girl with her head shaking.

"Tenpei, how about you?" asks Lua of his friend, who shakes his head. "Dang it."

"She has to be around here somewhere," Bob states, crossing his arms together. "I mean, they're starting to find people now, so maybe she'll turn up somewhere."

"I hope so…" Luca looks around, noticing something off. "Where's Sly?"

"Like he'd be helpful anyway," Lua shrugs.

"Lua!"

…

We come to the shores of Neo Domino City's beach, where Yusei parks his vehicle. He looks around, hoping to find some form of clue.

"According to that little girl Haruka, a woman with red hair in a mask took her away. They said they saw a woman in a mask come by here." Yusei looks around, checking the area. He sees some footprints, but they're washed away by the salt water of the beach. Sadly, there's no other proof.

"Nothing… Aki, where are you?"

…

"Aki? Wake up, Aki." The Signer girl opens her eyes, looking around at her surroundings. It looks to be some moist cave.

Her eyes stare up at the source of the voice and sees a man covered in a hood. Next to him is the woman masquerading as her Black Rose Witch persona. Aki attempts to get away from him, but her arms are chained up above her head.

"Aren't you glad to be back with your kind?" Now she recognizes that voice better.

"D-Divine?"

"Yes, Aki. It's me."

He removes his hood, revealing his face to her. She gasps seeing him, the former leader of the Arcadia Movement. His face retains the scar from his defeat by Carly, but there is a new one in the form of a yellow Mark across his face looking like he was cut in the face.

"How did you escape from prison?" Aki asks, trying to break free.

"Isn't it obvious?" Divine angrily recalls the time he was devoured by Misty's demon god lizard. "When I was incarcerated, I knew it was only a temporary excursion. Because while so many have turned, I still held truly loyal soldiers. Meet her, Saeko Izanagi."

Saeko steps forward, placing a hand on her mask. She removes it, showing her golden eyes and red hair containing black roots. There is plenty of black and red makeup on her face as well. She looks like an exact copy of Aki, if not clearly by at least two years.

"You're… me-guh!" Saeko grips Aki's throat, increasing the pressure to choke her.

"Saeko is unlike you; she is an especially helpful psychic, capable of everything that you can do. I escaped my imprisonment with her, and we have begun reviving the Arcadia Movement." Divine steps aside, allowing the strangled Aki to see them; two of the members of Team Catastrophe Hans and Hermann are chained up. Two men in hoods are by them, using smelling salts to awaken them.

"Like myself, Saeko has awoken to manipulate her psychic powers outside of Duel Monsters. For example…" Releasing Aki to let her breathe, Saeko walks over to Hans.

"Oi! Wait, what are you doing?" he cries, struggling to break free.

Saeko extends her hand and releases a powerful psychic wave from her body. All of a sudden, his body explodes backward, freeing him out of her restraints by ripping him out of his arms. The man lies on the wall, splattered despite remaining solid. The bloody boogie of a man slides down the wall before splashing on the ground.

Hermann and Aki stare in horror at what they've seen, before the former screams. Aki's voice is caught in her throat. "W-Wait! Please! Don't do this!" Mercilessly, she murders the other duelist sending him flying into the wall.

Hyperventilating, Aki gasps seeing the woman murder those men while wearing her face. Divine laughs a little, his sanity having left him. "See that? See the true potential behind psychic duelists?"

"I don't need these powers!" she shouts, a little more than frightened after seeing two people murdered back to back. "They're nothing but a curse to me!"

"I bet you wished you had these powers when you crashed," Divine retorts, to which she remains silent. "After all, if you have them you could have still placed in that preliminary duel. Do you see how easily Saeko dispatched the two duelists who caused you to crash? With her, and many more, we can revive the Arcadia Movement and take our vengeance upon the world!"

"Then why are you here?! I'm useless to you!" she cries.

Divine cups her chin. "I told you before; I need you, Aki. As powerful as Saeko is, you are far more valuable. Your true powers have yet to awaken."

"My true powers?" Divine releases her chin before walking off to his other members.

"Sadly, we're in a rut as long as your powers are gone. So we're going to reawaken them." Divine turns to four members in capes and masks. "Inotsume, Liquid, Okita; you will go and distract the Signers. Kawasaki, you will come with me to acquire the other Class A psychic."

"Got it." The five psychics make their exit.

"Saeko, clean up this mess you made. And make sure Aki doesn't move."

Following his command, Saeko stares down at the chained redhead. Aki pleads with her. "Please. You can't do this! He's just using you to-"

Saeko kicks Aki in the stomach, shutting her up. Saliva spits from her mouth as she coughs. The older woman hisses, saying, "You make me sick. To think someone as powerful as you would waste it on being an idiot. On being weak. A helpless damsel in distress who needs to be saved by some bad boy hunk. It's pathetic."

Saeko slaps her with the back of her hand, causing blood to spill out. "What do those two see in you?"

Aki stares at Saeko. "What are you going to do to my friends?"

"We do not need them, except for Luca. Divine was always interested in her powers, and he's a pro at getting girls under control." Aki grits her teeth at that. Back then, it didn't seem so terrible, but now knowing how horrible Divine is, it adds a layer of disgust with what he intends for the poor girl. For what he intends for Aki herself. "But Yusei? He will indeed be put to death. Divine despises him more than even Goodwin, for stealing you from him and exposing him to Misty."

Saeko ignores the gasp Aki predictably makes. "He'll kill Yusei!?"

"That's what he wants… however, I have other intentions." Saeko smirks. "Divine's powers over control are not so absolute; I work for him out of my free will. And why kill Yusei when I can keep him for myself?"

"W-What?!"

Lightz: We come to the end of the chapter and the beginning of the next arc. Next time, the Arcadia Movement takes their revenge by assaulting the Signers and Neo Domino City. It'll be Minus One for them.