Author's Note:
Chapter 30 is here! And it's massive.
A LOT happens in this chapter, here are the three storylines again in case it's too confusing:
First: Yusei's and Dark Aki's duel continues, watched over by Crow and Sherry.
Second: Yusei's and Aki's duel during the Fortune Cup, spliced with the current duel and getting Dark Aki all confused and sick. I actually watched Episodes 23 and 24 (in Japanese with subs) as I wrote these parts, so all the actions and spoken dialogue are directly taken from the show.
Third: Carly finds Jack and tries to talk to him.
My biggest worry is that Aki's Fortune Cup memories are kind of disrupting the flow of this chapter, but I do believe they are necessary. So much of it is parallel to what's happening to the heroes right now. And to be perfectly honest, I miss Aki and writing the love story part of this fanfiction so much, that I shamelessly continue adding these here. It's still character development I guess…
Also, please note. There is something disturbing that happens about 75% of the way. It's dark. But in this chapter the story reaches the boiling point for our heroes. There is no turning back after this.
To whoever ends up reading this, I guess let me know if you hate me…
NineInchNailed.
"You think you know all there is to know about her immediately upon meeting her,
but everything you think you know is wrong.
Passion flows through her like a river of blood.
She only looked away for a moment, and the mask slipped,
and you fell."
~Neil Gaiman.
"Yusei…I don't know what's happening. I'm so scared. Help me."
"Aki…?" he gasped, his face pale. His pulse was racing at the speed of light, hindering his breathing. He stumbled forward and a hand reached out for her.
"Yusei, why have you let this happen to me?" she whimpered.
"Aki…Aki, I'm…I'm so sorry…I…"
"You promised to always protect me. Why didn't you?"
Yusei winced. That voice. Those words. They scratched against him, no, skinned him, pulled at what he was so afraid of. He was nearly frozen in terror. And then….
"Yusei, Yusei, I'm so scared. Save me, Yusei," she begged in a small voice and then her lips twitched and curled up. And he knew… He knew even before she lost it and began laughing. "Look at your face. I'm sorry for fucking it up but this was way too funny. But hey, not a bad imitation huh? You're so easily fooled, Osiris. I just had to add those little tears and voila, you're only too desperate to believe me."
Yusei stared and then slowly focused his gaze elsewhere. Laughter reached him an echo… He saw Crow and Sherry in his peripheral vision, the concern on their faces. And then surges of anger as they synchronized and thumped with the deafening beats of his heart. Deep, powerful anger which awoke and resonated within his soul. Anger and hatred the likes of which he'd only felt when Rutger sacrificed Martha to Earthbound Immortal Uru and when Mahdi tortured Aki. That bottomless, pitch-black fury.
"What an asshole!" Crow yelled. "Make him pay for what he said, Yusei. Show him how it's done."
Yusei nodded, breathing rapidly. When he finally looked at Set in Aki's body, his eyes were as cold as steel. He was going to defeat it. That…that disgusting, evil thing.
"Oooh, now we're talking," Dark Aki faked a gasp and placed a hand over the left breast. "I like how you look at me, Osiris. Be still my heart at this passion. Now, show me what you've got."
That's it. "Speed Warrior destroyed Vampiric Leech and you have nothing on your field," he said in a low voice.
"Ha. Nope! Trap card open – Rope of Life!" she activated the only hidden card on her field. "When my monster is destroyed, I can discard my entire hand and Special Summon one of the monsters from my Graveyard. Welcome back, Belial Marquis of Darkness!" The dark-winged demonic angel returned, Attack at 2800 and Defense at 2200.
Yusei gritted his teeth.
"Oh sorry, forgot one more thing. When using Rope of Life, the monster I brought back also gains 800 Attack points. Amazing, isn't it?" she grinned. Belial's attack went up to 3600. "Now, did you say you were finished?"
"Oh no…" Sherry mumbled. "It's strong."
"Stardust still has more," Crow said. "But her turn is only starting."
"I'm certain Yusei already has a strategy in mind for this," Sherry responded and looked in his direction.
"I set one card face down and end my turn," Yusei concluded. Speed Warrior's attack points halved back to 900.
[Yusei Fudo]
[End of Turn Three: Stardust Dragon (Lvl.5) ATK3700/DEF2000 in Attack Mode; Speed Warrior (Lvl.2) ATK900/DEF400 in Attack Mode; 3 Face down Cards; 1 Card in hand; LP2500]
"This will be ending very soon," Dark Aki giggled.
"Then why don't you hurry it up," he said shortly. So I can purge you from this world faster.
"As you wish. My turn!"
The excited emcee announced her as Izayoi Aki, the Black Rose Witch, as she was lifted on the platform to the designated dueling field. The Fortune Cup finals were beginning.
Instantly, the crowd began booing and calling for her disqualification and defeat. They called her a disgusting witch and told her to leave while she still could.
Calm down, she was telling herself, keeping her eyes on the ground. Don't listen. Don't listen.
Then the emcee introduced Yusei Fudo, the presently popular Shooting Star of Satellite. He appeared to the cheers and encouragement from the crowd. Now that he was facing her, he had become significantly more accepted by the audience than when he first showed up. Guess the two of them were slim pickings and if the idiotic audience members had to choose one, they went for the one who wasn't a scary freak.
And the duel began.
Basic play, at first. By the beginning of his third turn, she had Ivy Wall and summoned four plant tokens on his side of the field. He had Turret Warrior and set cards. They were "feeling" each other out, two strangers like they were. Even the crowd had calmed down.
She released a lower level monster and summoned Rose Tentacles, to destroy Turret Warrior. And when the monster was killed, she saw Yusei Fudo shield his face from impact while 100 Life Points were drained from him. Ah, but this was only a beginning.
She announced to him – and to the whole stadium – what was going to happen next. Rose Tentacles would attack repeatedly for every Plant-type monster on his side of the field and inflict 300 points of damage per destroyed token. She was going to attack him four times. She scrutinized his facial expressions as she explained this and saw that he didn't seem tooconcerned. Ha…bad mistake.
She began counting the attacks down, all the while basking in the destructive currents of power as they surged (red-hot and venomous) through her.
"Thorn whip one!"
One token destroyed and Rose Tentacles' tendril wrapped around Yusei Fudo's right arm.
"Thorn whip two!"
Another token obliterated and the tentacle snapped over his right leg. She saw it then. His impending panic. He was a brave one, after all, but he wouldn't be able to keep this appearance up for long.
"Thorn whip three!"
Pain and loneliness were released with each cursed word escaping her lips, with each blast of wind that terrified the people seated right behind the dueling field. Looking at their scared faces, she wanted to laugh. Yes, screw all of you. Isn't this what you wanted to see?The green tendril wrapped around her opponent's left leg and squeezed with the thorns digging into his body and she saw the pain clearly on his face, reflected in his gasp. She was hurting him badly by doing this.
"Last thorn whip," Aki announced, breathing heavily, feeling some weariness seep into her. This took a lot of power… but it was worth it. She relished in it. And the thorned vines wrapped around Yusei Fudo entirely and lifted him up in the air, as he hung there as helpless as he could be. He actually looked pitiful like that. Like a ragdoll. So this was her opponent for the finals? So this was the one that invaded her thoughts, lingered in them, made her think that there was something different about him? Like they were connected somehow?
Laughable. This was laughable. She would make him feel pain, all of them feel pain, for making fun of her…for trying to distract her from her mission…for not taking her seriously. A small smile touched her lips.
He was up several feet in the air and she heard him begin saying something to her. "You…"
Too late. Rose Tentacles flung him to the ground, she heard his muffled cry and the impact of that attack sent an explosive wave that hit the first rows of the stadium. A bunch of people scrambled up and ran away screaming. Those that stayed back began their chants again. "Witch, she's a witch!"
Yes, that's right, she thought with a pleased smile. I am a witch. I'm a monster who likes to hurt people. Isn't this what you came to see? Isn't this the freakshow you've paid for? ENJOY.
Yusei Fudo struggled to his feet. His Life Points dropped to 1500. He looked to be in some pain, a little bruised up. There were some scratches on his face. She didn't feel bad. In fact, she didn't care. This was a battle and only one of them would be victorious in the end.
"My turn," he declared, voice weak. With a shaking hand he summoned Shield Warrior in Defense mode. Then he put two cards face down and ended his turn.
Aki was still gasping for air, feeling exhilarated. This was so easy. She was going to win this!
"I finally know," Yusei Fudo suddenly said and locked his gaze upon her. "I know your one other emotion that lies beyond rejection and anger. Izayoi Aki…" he was speaking her name, for the very first time. "You enjoy the power of destruction. You feel joy from that power."
"I enjoy destruction?" Aki repeated slowly, somewhat stunned. Do I? Who the hell do you think you are, Fudo Yusei? What do you think you know? Do you presume to know me?
[Dark Aki]
[Beginning of Turn Four: Belial, Marquis of Darkness (Lvl.8) ATK3600/DEF2200 in Attack Mode; 1 Face down Card; 1 Card in hand; LP2300]
One card in hand only, Yusei noted.
Dark Aki absently glanced at the card she drew. Smiled. Then began cackling. "Oh my…that was pretty good, actually."
I'm tired of this, Yusei thought.
"Good combo, I'm impressed," she mumbled, lost in her own thoughts again. "2500 Life Points depleted in one turn, plus a little torture thrown in. She's…actually pretty good."
"What are you rambling on about?" Yusei snapped, having had enough of these nonsensical outbursts.
"I'm not talking to you, Osiris," she looked up, still smiling. "Oh yeah, and also?" she turned the card over in her hand so he could see. "Here is what I drew. Magic card, Card of Sanctity! Both us get to draw cards until we have six in hand. You're welcome!"
Yusei obediently drew five additional cards and she drew six. She got lucky with her nearly-handless combo.
"Ah, even better," she sighed, studying her draw. "Let's play! Don't you wish to use your Egyptian God card now? See how I'm pandering to your needs?"
Yusei would not grace her with an answer to that.
"Now, I summon Bowganian in Attack mode," she announced and a metallic eye appeared, holding a metal crossbow. Its Attack was at 1300 points, Defense at 1000. It was stronger than Speed Warrior and likely had some sadistic, hidden effects like all of Mahdi's monsters.
"Next, I play another Magic Card – Black Pendant," she said and a familiar black necklace appeared over Belial, Marquis of Darkness' neck. "Do you remember this one, lover?" she asked him sweetly.
Yusei frowned. Yes, he did. When this Magic card is destroyed, 500 points of Damage are inflicted upon him. It was the vicious attack that drained his strength during their Riding Duel and nearly caused him to crash.
"Belial gains 500 Attack points," she narrated as its Attack points went up to 4100. "Now, Bowganian attacks Speed Warrior!"
"Trap Card open," Yusei called out. "Scrap-Iron Scarecrow. I negate your attack and set the card face down."
"I know you have it but you can only use it once per turn," she sneered. "My dear Marquis – attack Stardust Dragon!"
The angel of darkness launched at his signature monster.
"Trap Card open!" Yusei called out. "Card Defense! By discarding a card from my hand I can negate your attack and then draw a card from my deck."
Belial retreated to her side of the field.
"You don't have enough traps to save you!" she shouted. "I activate Magic card, Surprise Attack from Beyond! During the End Phase, I can conduct the Battle Phase again using monsters that were summoned this turn. Go again, Bowganian! Destroy Speed Warrior, once and for all!"
Yusei couldn't stop it this time. As Bowganian shot and destroyed Speed Warrior, he folded his arms over his face to shield himself from the impact. Scraps of Solid Vision flew by and ripped into his arms. A shard went through the space and scraped his right cheek, deeply. Once it was over and he uncovered his face, he felt warmth rolling down his chin. He was bleeding.
His Life Points dropped to 2100.
"I end my turn," Dark Aki concluded, as her own blood trickled over her lip.
[Dark Aki]
[End of Turn Four: Belial, Marquis of Darkness (Lvl.8) ATK4100/DEF2200 in Attack Mode, equipped with Black Pendant Magic card; Bowganian (Lvl.3) ATK1300/DEF1000 in Attack Mode; 1 Face down Card; 3 Cards in hand; LP2300]
Aki declared her next turn in the Fortune Cup finals. Using a Magic Card – Ivy Shackles – she could turn all monsters on her opponent's side of the field into Plant-type. So this meant that Rose Tentacles got yet another free attack.
"Thorn whip!" she commanded mercilessly, destroying Shield Warrior and dealing another blow at Yusei Fudo, which he took helplessly and recoiled in pain. He lost 300 Life Points, dropping to 1200 total.
She couldn't help but to smirk again. This was too good. She was going to win!
"So it's true that you enjoy destruction," he spoke up.
She grimaced, hearing those words again. What the hell? Shup up! "Rose Tentacles attacks for the second time! It attacks you directly!"
But then he flipped up a Trap Card, Card Defense. He discarded a card from his hand to negate her attack and drew another card from his deck.
Whatever, she thought. "I end my turn."
"Same trap, huh? Card Defense?" Dark Aki giggled, swiping a sleeve under her nose but leaving a red smudge. Furthermore, the blood continued escaping – very gradually but not stopping. "How they say, time is a flat circle."
"You're still bleeding," Yusei said. Within all that anger, the twinges of sickening fear were back. It was doing something to Aki. It was using her up, hurting her. And it was getting worse.
"If only I cared," she shrugged, a wrist pressed above her mouth. "I do what I want."
Yusei scowled. He had to hurry. The longer this duel continued, the more power it was using, the more it was damaging Aki. "My turn, draw!"
"Izayoi," Yusei Fudo said, speaking her name for the second time during their Fortune Cup duel. By acknowledging her, by saying her name, she felt like he was trying to force his way closer to her. "You enjoy dealing out pain."
"Enough!" she snapped. "What are you talking about?" He was starting to get on her nerves. Why was he even blabbing his mouth? Chatting up to her during this important duel? What did he think, that they were buddies now? Just because they had the same mark, made some intense eye contact since the tournament began and spoke for 5 seconds in the corridor? Divine was right – now that Arcadia had revealed itself, all these people were trying to confuse her. I won't let you distract me, she thought, glaring at her opponent. I won't let you cloud my heart. Divine is the only one who leads my heart in the direction it needs to go.
His eyes narrowed but he wouldn't answer her. Instead he declared his turn and summoned Junk Synchron to his field. With that annoying monster's effect, he could bring back a low-level monster from his Graveyard; thus, he resurrected Speed Warrior. And then he performed Synchro Summon and brought out Junk Warrior, a Monster with 2300 Attack Points. Finally, all within that turn, he activated a Magic card, boosted up his monster, and destroyed Rose Tentacles.
Aki stood motionless as shattered Solid Vision pieces flew about her. Her Life Points dropped to 3900.
He wasn't done. He announced that due to the equipped spell card on Junk Warrior that she'd receive damage equal to half the monster's attack points. Junk Warrior shot at her, creating an explosion of fire, and she took it, untouched and unbothered. All these were fake visionary sensations. When you were a psychic duelist you didn't even blink. But her Life Points dropped to 2800.
Finally, Yusei Fudo ended his turn.
The emcee shouted excitedly how she'd just taken a lot of damage and how surprising the finals could be. The encouraged chants from the audience resumed: "Defeat the Black Rose Witch!" "You can do this Yusei!" "Defeat the witch!"
Aki forced herself not to hear and to concentrate on the duel instead. She declared her turn. Due to her continuous Trap, Junk Warrior was converted to Plant-type. Then she summoned Copy Plant and copied Junk Warrior's level, making Copy Plant a level 5. Finally, she activated the special effect of Dark Verger from her Graveyard: it could be summoned back when there was a Plant-type Tuner monster on her field. Its level was 2.
I'll show you what you're up against here, Fudo Yusei, she thought as she tuned Level 5 Copy Plant to Level 2 Dark Verger. She began chanting: "Chilling flames engulf the entire world. Pitch-dark flower, set into bloom! Synchro Summon! Appear now, Black Rose Dragon!"
She noticed the shining red mark appearing on Yusei Fudo's arm and heard his gasp. But…it didn't matter. She couldn't get distracted. She activated Black Rose Dragon's special effect, where by removing a Plant-type monster in her Graveyard from play, Junk Warrior's attack points became zero for one turn.
"Attack, Black Rose Dragon!" she ordered. I'm going to win! This is it, I'm going to win! Are you watching me, Divine? Are you proud of me?
"I activate Shield Warrior's effect from the Graveyard!" Yusei Fudo quickly announced. Apparently by removing it from play, he could negate the destruction of Junk Warrior in battle.
"But you still take Battle Damage," she pointed out, watching as the impact of her attack hit the stadium rows behind him, sending people running scared.
"Trap Card open – Spirit Force!" he exclaimed. "For one time only, the battle damage I take becomes zero!" And that he could also bring a low-powered monster from the Graveyard and back into his hand. He picked Junk Synchron.
I'm still in the lead, Aki thought. "I place two cards facedown and end my turn."
"You disgusting witch!" some audience members continued howling insults from the stands. "Get out of here! Return to where you've come from! Defeat her, Fudo Yusei! Get rid of her once and for all!"
She tried not to hear but all of this…the duel…the crimson, vicious flow of her power…it had all reached a boiling point. Yusei Fudo heard all of these insults too of course…what did he think? He probably agreed with them. And after all, there was no point in denying the truth. She could use it to fuel her anger and to make her evil power stronger. "That's right," she mumbled, agreeing with them. Accepting who she was. "You're exactly right. I'm a witch. I'm a scary girl who enjoys dealing out pain."
Yusei Fudo was frowning. He was very serious. A guy like this probably didn't even know what a smile was like.
"I…I enjoy it," she confessed, voice trembling without her realizing. She smiled wide and looked up, making eye contact with the Shooting Star of Satellite. There was something different in his eyes now…there was something there, some intent. He was studying her, trying to figure her out. No need – she'd tell him everything he needed to know. "I really enjoy using my power to deal pain to everyone who pushed me into isolation!"
[Yusei Fudo]
[Beginning of Turn Four: Stardust Dragon (Lvl.5) ATK3700/DEF2000 in Attack Mode; 2 Face down Cards; 7 Cards in hand; LP2100]
"Seven cards in hand? A little loaded, huh?" Dark Aki laughed. "If you're going to summon Sky Dragon of Osiris it'd be truly unstoppable! I wouldn't even be mad if that's how you win. Don't you want to please me?"
"What a sicko," Sherry whispered to Crow and he agreed, sullenly. He had finally finished telling her the whole story so she was brought up to speed.
Yusei appraised his draw. He heard her comment and, in a way, it was true. Sky Dragon would hold incredible power like this. But Yugi Mutou's God card wasn't in his deck anymore. That destiny was over when he defeated the original Mahdi. And, in this new destiny grasped by his own two hands, he was going to show this thing how it was done: how Signers of the Crimson Dragon played this game.
"When I control Stardust Dragon, I can special summon Stardust Xiaolong from my Graveyard in face-up Attack position," he said and brought out Stardust Xiaolong he'd discarded when he played Card Defense. A small dragon with only 100 Attack and 100 Defense points appeared.
"Next, I play Saviour Dragon!" he announced and a small pink dragon appeared. It was the last ingredient needed for incredible power.
"Yes, Yusei!" Crow cheered, realizing what he was about to do.
"Level 1 Stardust Xiaolong tunes Level 1 Saviour Dragon and Level 8 Stardust Dragon!" Yusei began chanting, raising his hand to the sky where the transformation of light occurred. "Gathering star lights will enlighten a new miracle! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! Arrive in light, Savior Star Dragon!" The brilliant enhanced dragon soared and hovered next to him, Attack points at 3800 and Defense at 3000.
Dark Aki chuckled. "Flashy introduction and yet still weaker than Marquis!"
"But stronger than Bowganian. Saviour Star Dragon!" Yusei called and gestured at the creepy metallic eye. "Attack Bowganian! Shooting Blaster Sonic!" If he were to destroy it successfully, he would win the duel by dealing 2500 points of damage to her current 2300 Life Points.
"Ha. Nope!" she gestured at Belial, Marquis of Darkness. "Belial's monster effect activates! When Marquis is on the field you cannot target any other monsters I control, only Belial. So Saviour Star Dragon attacks my 4100 Marquis. Enjoy…watch your dragon self-destruct!"
A little smile touched Yusei's lips. "Once per turn, Saviour Star Dragon can negate the effect of 1 face-up monster you control. So I overcome Belial's special effect and continue targeting Bowganian. Saviour Star Dragon – finish this!"
"No, fuck off!" she hissed and activated a card. "Trap card open! Mirror Force! I destroy all Attack monsters you control! Say goodbye to your Dragon!"
"Oh my god," Sherry mumbled and Crow wiped the sweat off his forehead.
"Saviour Star Dragon special effect activates!" Yusei deflected.
"Again!?" she screamed. "Twice in one turn?"
"During any turn!" he shouted. "When you activate a Trap card, I can release Saviour Star Dragon to negate it and destroy all cards you control!"
"No!" she screamed and lost her composure, covering herself as the splendid silver dragon released a beam of bright light and obliterated all cards on her field. Then it also vanished, within rays of light.
"YES!" Crow cheered on. "I almost had a heart attack Yusei…but well done! That thing now has nothing!"
"At the end of my turn, with Saviour Star Dragon's effect, I get to summon Stardust Dragon from my Graveyard," Yusei continued, drawing strength from friends by his side. Stardust Dragon was reborn on his side of the field, Attack points back to normal.
"Yes…well…" Dark Aki breathed heavily, blood still trickling down her face without signs of slowing down and without her efforts to hide it. "When you've destroyed Marquis…you've destroyed the Black Pendant Magic card. Enjoy 500 points of direct damage!"
"Trap card open!" Yusei announced, activating his other hidden card aside from Scrap-Iron Scarecrow. He would not permit any damage to come through. "Jump Guard! Because Saviour Star Dragon was removed from field this turn, I don't take any Battle Damage the turn a monster is removed."
"I see," Dark Aki growled. "Dumb luck."
"I set two cards face down and end my turn," Yusei said.
[Yusei Fudo]
[End of Turn Four: Stardust Dragon (Lvl.5) ATK2500/DEF2000 in Attack Mode; 3 Face down Cards; 4 Cards in hand; LP2100]
Yusei Fudo declared his next turn in the heated Fortune Cup finals. He summoned Junk Synchron and used its effect to summon Speed Warrior from the Graveyard again. Having all three of these robotic monsters added 900 Attack points to Junk Warrior, making its Attack to 3200. This was trouble…but then….
"Level 3 Junk Synchron, tunes Level 5 Junk Warrior!" he announced. "Clustering stars become a shining new hope. Become a light that reveals itself. Soar, Stardust Dragon!"
A brilliant silver dragon materialized and Aki, in her agitated and somewhat senseless state, couldn't help but notice its beauty. It was truly majestic…and it looked pure, somehow, nearly glowing. This is nonsense, she thought. He's a terrible duelist. Junk Warrior had more attack points than this dragon. What is he thinking?
The two dragons were on the field now, facing one another. She heard Black Rose Dragon screech threateningly at Stardust Dragon and she sympathized with its animosity.
Then a savage bright pain awoke on her forearm and she clutched to it, barely preventing herself from whimpering. Again? AGAIN? She despised it. "This is a detestable mark," she moaned, not realizing what she was disclosing by saying this. "I hate this mark. If only…If only I didn't have this power, I…"
"You wouldn't have felt joy from power," Yusei Fudo spoke up, as if reading her thoughts. And abruptly, something had changed. It was as if they weren't in a duel, as if the whole city wasn't watching, as if they were sitting somewhere private, face-to-face, with nobody to overhear the intimate discussion. "You would not have gained pleasure from people's pain."
"Yes…" she agreed quietly, unconsciously opening-up. To him, the first person ever. And it didn't hurt…it wasn't even noticeable…it felt right. "This mark is a detestable symbol carved into me by a monster that surpasses humanity." It ruined it…it ruined everything! It ruined my life! "That's why…that's why I hate myself. I can't hold back my feelings of destruction." It's all I'm good for. It's all I am, all I was born to do. To destroy and to hurt others. (it's how I've hurt you, it's how I've killed you, Yusei)
Aki continued telling him things, things she'd never told anyone before. "I felt that I shouldn't be allowed to live," she confessed. "However, the stronger those feelings became, the more it transformed into impulses for destruction. So I stopped being me. I created another version of myself."
She thought of the first time she put that white mask over her face, flashbacked to all the night she roamed the dueling underground and challenged others. "My masked version wasn't me. I didn't care if I enjoyed destruction and laughed at pain. That's when Divine taught me that I didn't need a mask and I should just be me. Those words…they saved me. I'm fine as long as I remain alive. I won't think of anything anymore. I'll only just feel."
"You have to think for yourself!" Yusei Fudo exclaimed.
She shook her head. It was futile. "I don't care. Divine will think for me."
"Don't run from your problems, Izayoi!" he said passionately.
"It can't be helped," she whispered sadly. "There is nothing I can do."
"Yes there is!" he shouted. "There is a part of you…another person, who doesn't enjoy this pain! As long as those feelings exist, somewhere, you can start over! You can save yourself…you only."
No…no…I can't. I CAN'T! "Be…be quiet," she gasped.
"Stardust Dragon attacks Black Rose Dragon!" he announced then, continuing with the duel.
The mark in her arm throbbed painfully again and she cringed.
"Roar! Shooting Sonic!" he finished. The blast reached her and Black Rose Dragon was blown away. And this time she was no longer stoic, no longer emotionless… She thought she could feel the impact on her skin, the wind as it blew her hair. There was something real about this, outside of psychic power, outside of the Fortune Cup finals.
Her Life Points dropped to 2700.
Gasping for air, slouched and unsteady, she reached behind her coat and brought out the white mask. "I'll only just feel. I'll feel pain and strife from you," she declared, glaring at him. Then she put the mask over her face and stood up straight. No more confusion. She was cold and powerful in her resolve.
"Izayoi," Yusei Fudo spoke her name but she fought against the sound of his voice. She refused to let him reach her again. She was stupid and thoughtless, having told him so much already. She had to stop making mistakes. She had a duel to win.
"I sincerely hope she wins that duel," Dark Aki mumbled. "Otherwise, what a disappointment. She folds like paper when it comes to you, Osiris."
"Aki?" Yusei demanded, making a guess. "Are you talking about Aki? What do you know? Are you seeing something?"
"Oh yes," she looked up, sniffling back the blood and wiping at it again. It seemed to begin slowing down, finally. "I'm seeing how you will lose."
"No monsters, no cards on your field!" Crow called-out to her. "You may as well give up now, Mahdi!"
No, Crow, Yusei thought, minding his opponent. There is always a way to recover your footing in a duel. It still has something up its sleeve.
"It's not over, Hogan Crow," she smirked. "You wish it was. My turn, draw!"
[Dark Aki]
[Beginning of Turn Five: 0 Monsters; 0 Cards on Field; 4 Cards in hand; LP2300]
She studied the card in her hand and began cackling again. Laughing so hard she doubled-over in half. "Yes…YES! This will now be all over. I drew it, I finally drew it! I play Magic Card – Monster Reborn!"
Belial, Marquis of Darkness? Yusei thought. It's fine, I can deal with it.
"If you remember, I've discarded a bunch of cards when we've begun," she said. "When I changed Vampiric Leech to Defense mode, when I activated Nightmare Mirror… I had discarded something then. At the beginning of my first turn, actually. Something very special."
Yusei's eyes grew larger, as he understood.
"Oh yes, you know what it is, Osiris," she grinned. "Let's go! Winged Dragon of Ra! I command you, appear!" A yellow God card appeared from her Graveyard and she activated it on the duel disk.
"My turn, I draw," Aki Izayoi announced. She played Magic cards and activated a Trap card, Wicked Rebirth. By paying 800 Life Points (hers dropped to 1900) she could return a Synchro Monster from her Graveyard. And she resurrected Black Rose Dragon but, due to Wicked Rebirth's effect, it was unfortunately unable to attack this turn. However…if Black Rose Dragon were to be annihilated by any means other than Wicked Rebirth's destruction, it would be summoned back at the end of her turn.
She continued, voice detached from behind the mask. It was like she was watching herself from far away. "Black Rose Dragon's monster effect. When it's successfully summoned, all cards on the field are destroyed! Black Rose Gale!" The pain in her arm seared up again, even stronger than before, and she bit down on her bottom lip to stop herself from crying out. And the gusts of wind from her powers became even more overwhelming, spreading out to devastate the whole stadium.
Yusei Fudo glanced back, seeing the destruction Black Rose Gale attack was causing. Quickly, he said: "I activate Stardust Dragon's effect! By releasing Stardust Dragon, an effect that destroys cards is negated and destroyed! Victim Sanctuary!"
And then something crazy had happened. Stardust Dragon flew towards Black Rose Dragon and enclosed it in its wings. Aki looked up at this scene, fascinated and bewildered. It was like his dragon was embracing hers. And then the two monsters disappeared, together.
Fine, it's fine. I still have a plan."I'm not done," Aki announced. She summoned Phoenixian Seed. Then, by releasing it right away, she could Special Summon Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis with 2200 Attack Points. Immediately, she used it to destroy Speed Warrior sitting in Defense mode. Finally, she announced: "When Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis attacks, it self-destructs and deals 800 points of damage!"
Yusei Fudo shielded his face from the blast as his Life Points dropped to the measly 400.
The blast ricocheted and tore off a piece of her white mask, revealing her smile. She was back to herself, to the way she was at the beginning of the duel. No shameful secrets or feelings revealed for everyone to laugh at.
"When Stardust Dragon activates its monster effect, it resurrects during this turn's End Phase!" Yusei Fudo declared. His monster appeared again.
"Due to the effect of Wicked Rebirth, I Special Summon Black Rose Dragon during the End Phase!" she declared also, as her dragon returned also. Neither of them were backing down. Then she activated a Continuous Trap card, Overdoom Line. Her Monster gained 1000 extra Attack points, increasing it to 3400. And Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis was back from the Graveyard due to its special effect, in Defense mode. "Turn end," she finished, knowing that she back in the lead again.
"My turn," Yusei Fudo said and drew a card. "I switch Stardust Dragon to Defense mode." And then he activated an equip spell card, Prevention Star. It could be equipped to one of his monsters while it was in Defense mode. Then, once a turn, he could select one of her monsters and then it wouldn't be able to attack or change battle position. He selected Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis, cleverly preventing himself from taking 800 points of damage during the next turn.
Aki wouldn't give up. "Trap card open – Synchro Back. I return one Synchro Monster on my field to the Extra deck. I select Black Rose Dragon." And her monster disintegrated.
"I set one card and end my turn," Yusei Fudo concluded.
It's over, it's going to be over so soon."My turn, draw," Aki announced. "Due to Synchro Back's effect, I resurrect Black Rose Dragon!" Because whenever it was summoned back to the field, she could use its monster effect to destroy all cards on the field. And as it returned to the field, it sent intense burning pain to hers and Yusei Fudo's marks.
"I know you're not enjoying this," he spoke up, sorrowfully.
"Shut up!" she retorted.
"You're in pain, aren't you?"
Why am I not enjoying this? Why am I in pain? she thought, furiously, glaring at him through the mask. Why won't he shut up? Why won't he leave me alone? Stop it. Stop talking to me.
"The time has come for you to change," he said…gently…and her eyes widened, hidden by the expressionless mask. He was speaking to her only again. This guy had a strange gift. When he looked at you, spoke to you, you were the only person in the world. She couldn't hear the chants of the stadium or see anyone else. "The joy of destruction has been tormenting you. And that pain…" he trailed off, clutching to his own forearm where the mark glowed red. "That pain is changing to something we both share because we have the same mark. The mark has guided us. This pain is trying to tell us something. In order to know the answer, you have to think for yourself. This mark holds the answer!"
It holds the answer…? she repeated in her thoughts. The answer to what? Are you…do you mean something to me, Fudo Yusei? Are you and I connected, are we sharing something no one else is?
"Don't let others think for you. You have to think for yourself!" he exclaimed.
She shook her head again. "What will a witch like me think about? As long as Divine guides and loves me, that's enough!"
"You're wrong!" he shouted. "You have to love yourself!"
She gasped, those words touching something in her…hurting something. "If I could do that…if…If I could. I'm in pain because I can't!" she screamed and the power blasted from her with the strength of her anguish. She felt it. It resonated so strongly that it broke the Arcadia pin fastened over her bangs and her hair flew free. "Black Rose Dragon's monster effect activates! Black Rose Gale!" She was going to destroy everything on the field again, her opponent and stadium bystanders be damned.
"I'll keep taking it! Send out all your sadness – I will take on your sorrows!" Yusei Fudo shouted. His remarkable blue eyes were locked upon her, again looking somewhere deeper than it should've been possible for a person to do; into the darkest centre of her heart, into everything she had hidden. They had captured her, enthralled her. The rays of light in her darkness, the catalysts of change. "Victim Sanctuary!"
Stardust Dragon launched at Black Rose Dragon and her monster tried to fight it off with futility. His dragon was holding hers within its wings again. And seeing this happen once more was mildly disturbing. It triggered something in her. Being held like this by someone. She felt a little suffocated, like Yusei Fudo was here too, in front of her, arms around her, hugging her tightly while she was trying to push him off. What an awful and embarrassing sensation this was. Then the dragons vanished and, with them, the burning pain.
"The pain is fading," Aki sighed with some relief and looked up at him. "Now Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis is free of Prevention Star's curse! Your field is wide open. If I successfully attack you directly, I win!"
He said nothing.
It's over. It has to finish now! "Everything must vanish. Don't make me think," she begged. Leave me alone. Don't talk to me. Don't look at me. Why are you still looking at me? Why are you suddenly so close? "You're a detestable enemy!"
"Then why are you crying?" he suddenly said.
She drew in a sharp breath of air. Not even realizing…not even feeling it…When did it start? When Stardust Dragon embraced Black Rose Dragon? The tears were streaming freely, showing through the broken mask for the world to see… for Yusei Fudo to see. Don't look…don't look…don't gloat…it hurts, it really hurts... And there is nothing I can do.
"Trap card open – Cosmic Blast!" Yusei revealed the last hidden card on his field. "When a Dragon-type Synchro Monster leaves my field, it deals damage equal to that monster's attack points!"
No…oh no! she raised her head, watching as a ghost of Stardust Dragon emerged and sent upon her the final attack. A shard of Solid Vision flew at her mask, breaking it, and she gasped. The mask fell away. Her Life Points dropped to zero.
Broken…defeated…helpless… she raised her eyes at the hazy figure of Yusei Fudo as her vision blurred. He was the only person in this stadium right now. No one else…there was nobody else. Tears were streaming from her eyes. "Help…me…" she whispered. To him. To herself. To anyone…to anyone that could hear. She collapsed to her knees.
"Izayoi!" he called out and through her wavering vision she saw genuine worry plastered over his face. He started towards her. He…he was going to run over to her…he was going to (put his arms around me, comfort me, hold me, the way Stardust Dragon held Black Rose Dragon, but I wouldn't resist…I'd let him…He can take me away from here…take me away from everything…He's the one that can save me…) -
"It serves you right, you witch!" a nasty voice sounded from the stands. "Get out! Go home and leave! Leave and never come back!" more voices joined in, shouting at her. She was unable to drown out their horrible taunting.
Aki began shaking, tears freely spilling down her face. She had nothing…she had no one… And then abruptly there was a weight of a warm coat over her. A familiar smell. She looked up and saw Divine's kind face, the compassionate emerald of his eyes.
"You did your best, Aki," he said softly. "Now, let's go back together." He helped her to her feet and she followed. She wanted to glance back and see if he…if Yusei was watching her…if he changed his mind, if he was going to run over to her after all, even if Divine was by her side…that this all had meant something after all… But…
"There is a winner! Yusei Fudo!" the emcee exclaimed and the stadium erupted in cheers and applause. He was moving on to fight Jack Atlas.
And Aki was leaving the tournament. A defeated duelist. Scarred, broken and alone.
And she had let Arcadia and Divine down, with her loss.
"Well, that was anticlimactic," Dark Aki mumbled to herself, having finished watching an earlier showdown between the two Signers within the memories that wouldn't stop assaulting her. "At least this is going to end now," she looked up with a bright smile as the Winged Dragon of Ra began its descent from the celestial realm.
Yusei braced himself while Crow and Sherry observed the sky, transfixed.
Electricity surged through Dark Aki's duel disk, the device struggling to function from the system overload. Beams of blinding light broke through the night sky as the sun itself began materializing upon the battlefield.
"It's over, Osiris!" she screamed gleefully, the whole scene a repetition of their first duel. It felt like lifetimes ago. But how would this one end?
Steady…steady…Yusei was telling himself, trying not to let panic seep through. He and the two friends by the sidelines had to shield their eyes from the brightness, unable to watch for much longer.
The light burned and then dissipated. It revealed not the metallic golden majestic monster but a massive orb. It had the same mechanical, shimmering texture as the splendid monster Yusei recalled but warped into a sphere. And the dragon of Ra wasn't coming out of it.
Yusei blinked away the bright spots in his vision and stared at it, unsure.
"What the hell," Dark Aki murmured, revealing her own puzzlement. "Ra!" she yelled. "I command you. Appear!"
The sphere did not open or move, for that matter. It resumed hanging in the dark sky above them, as locked-in as before.
"What's happening?" Sherry mumbled to Crow. He could only shrug, as mystified as her.
"Alright, have it your way," Dark Aki decided. "If a formal summons is what you desire. I'll invoke the spell from outside time, the words of the Ennead." She closed her eyes and crossed her arms over the shoulders; beginning to chant in an indeterminate and foreign language, long dead and forgotten. Hairs stood up on the back of Yusei's neck, hearing the doubled echo within her voice. Whatever it was inside Aki's body it spoke freely with its own primordial knowledge and a voice that may have belonged to it only, once upon a time.
She continued chanting as a golden glow appeared about her, the ghostly fiery flames illuminating the thinness and the approaching gaunt within this body.
The beams of light broke through the orb…and then it appeared to have shriveled up, locked-up even further into itself.
Yusei turned and glanced at Crow and Sherry, as if asking if they had any theories on what was happening. Crow slowly shook his head at him.
"What are you doing?" Yusei managed, looking back at his opponent. Why was the Egyptian God not appearing the way it did during their first duel? Within its dragon form?
"Shut your mouth, Osiris," she hissed, having finished the spell, and pointed at the orb. "Ra! It's an order. Appear! I command you!"
Then she had re-started the strange, unnerving chant again, but she was rushing through it. And still, the massive sphere would not move; would not open.
"What the hell – Ra! Obey!" she continued yelling, revealing desperation.
It's not listening this time, Yusei understood. It's not coming.
"I'm your master! You chose to help me! Ra, you guided me here! Now obey! OBEY!"
Back inside the Free Duelists' Association, Jack Atlas minded his own business. He sat upon the throne, so reminiscent of the one he used to frequent during his shameful Satellite days, and observed all the duels below. He had fought four times today already, won within a few turns each, and grew tired and bored.
"Excuse me…King Jack," one of the bodyguards approached and interrupted his thoughts. All these employees were such a nuisance. Jack growled: "What is it?"
"There is a girl here who's insisting on seeing you," the man said sheepishly.
"Who cares?" Jack sighed impatiently. This is a waste of my time. "Send her on the way. Many people want to see Jack Atlas."
"I know, but-"
"Do your job and keep fangirls away from Jack Atlas," the Dark Signer King ordered. There were too many as is, already. They always appeared whenever he left the throne room and got ready for duels. They squealed and giggled and blew kisses at him.
"Right. I understand. But she said she knows you. She said she used to live with you," the security officer attempted. "She said she's your girlfriend and would like a few words."
Carly…? Jack thought. But they had spoken just this morning. She told him to continue with his power and status as a King: to defeat more duelists outside of FDA and convince them to join the organization. But ordinarily she came to see him as she pleased – why was she asking permission now? "Okay, if it's Carly – tell her to come talk to me."
The guard complied, disappeared, and a minute later ushered-in a timid brunette girl. She was small in stature and slouched, almost as if shrunk into herself. Massive round glasses unflatteringly took up half of her face. Even her clothes were ungainly, a bright orange vest imposed on a striped blue shirt.
Worst of all, Jack Atlas had no idea who this was. Actually, it took him a few seconds to register that this was the same girl who ambushed him this morning outside the building. He couldn't remember what she wanted…may have been an autograph…all he remembered was telling her to get lost.
"Jack!" the girl called out desperately and reached out with her hand towards him, as if she knew him.
"Again!?" Jack bellowed and pointed at the security official. "I told you to keep groupies away!"
"Please, Jack!" the girl sprinted towards him before the guard had a chance to react. And then, to his outmost shock and disgust, she jumped and put her arms around him. "Please. It's me. It's me. Please wake up. Please remember. I'm so sorry for what I may have done. I'm sorry if it was me that made you leave."
He recoiled and tried pushing the weird girl away but she wouldn't budge. "What hell? Let go off me immediately!"
"No," the weirdo looked up at him, circular glasses suddenly transparent and through those unbecoming bifocal lenses he saw large, tear-stained eyes. They were dark but gentle. Involuntarily he thought that she wasn't entirely as nerdy and as ugly as she looked originally. However, that still did not change the fact that he in no way permitted her to touch him! "No," she repeated softly. "Don't you remember? The way we were. The way we are. Jack… Please remember. Please come back."
Jack glared at the girl with hatred. "Get off me. Now. I don't know who you are."
She winced…and then she smiled. She's crazy, Jack thought with revulsion.
"I know what I did," she whimpered and nodded. "I let you forget about your dream. You should never have had to do that, Jack. I will always support you. I will never stand in the way. And if you want me to, I'll be by your side. Because I love you."
He shoved her then. Hard. The fragile girl tumbled back and into the rough arms of the security guard standing there. He caught her and, without further questions, started dragging her away.
"Get a restraining order on that one," Jack ordered. "Make sure she doesn't come here ever again. She's a stalker."
"No!" the girl cried. "No, Jack! It's me. Please. It's Carly."
That last part made Jack pause. He turned and appraised her as the security office was pulling her further away. The weird girl was still resisting against getting kicked out. She had long black hair. It was somewhat Carly-like but that was it. She looked nothing like the beautiful dark goddess he saw and kissed this morning. She whose eyes were as black as his own.
"What a joke," the blonde ex-Signer snickered and looked away.
"No!" the girl sobbed, struggling wildly and giving the guard a hard time with her ferocity. As she twisted and turned against the man's hold and he fought to restrain her, her glasses fell off her face. "Jack! Jack! I'm Carly, remember me! Remember us! Please! PLEASE!"
With that, she somehow succeeded at fighting off the guard momentarily, and again launched herself towards him. Jack looked over just as the scene transpired. The girl running towards him. Hand outstretched. Without her glasses he was struck by how different she looked. Almost…beautiful. Almost…familiar.
The security officer grabbed her wrist just as she slipped out and pulled her back, roughly. "Let go of me!" she protested, digging her nails into his hand, and causing him to yelp when she drew blood. "Bitch!" he swore and that was when he hit her. Just full on: he drew his fist back and punched her, just under her right eye.
The punch connected and the girl fell back, knocked out by the cruelty of the hit. He was no longer restraining her so she stumbled back against the railing and tipped over.
Jack Atlas watched, silently, as that person disappeared from the view. It was as if…in slow motion…They were up two stories. The silence suffocated like walls lined with white cotton. Then there was a dull, sickening thud.
There was screaming. A commotion. Louder, more horrified screams. People running.
Jack Atlas slowly approached the railing and looked down.
The girl lay on the ground of the first floor, flat on her back. Long dark hair was messy about her. Trails of fresh tears stained her cheeks. Eyes, dark with dilated pupils, were staring up at him. Completely still. Puddle of blood began spreading around her head in a halo, burgundy and almost purple against the asphalt of the dueling arena she had crashed through.
"It's Carly," the strange girl in a nurse's outfit told him when he asked her name. She came to warn him and now she was helping him duel against a possessed police officer. She was quirky but honest, open with her feelings and thoughts. She treated him like he was a normal person, not as the King he used to be. She didn't flatter him for no reason or tried too hard, like others.
Jack stumbled back, suddenly dizzy. Sick. He turned to the side and dry-heaved, once.
"You should start your life anew," Carly told him. The warm light of the sunset glowed upon her skin. "The old Jack died in his battle against Yusei. The real Jack Atlas starts his life now. And tries becoming a real King," she finished. "You're right," he said and turned to face her, resolved to find his own way. He smiled at her - at this odd, funny girl who believed in him so much. "I'll no longer be confused. I'll travel my own path." And she beamed at him.
His hands were shaking. He didn't understand why. He had to get down on one knee, suddenly weak. Still feeling inexplicably ill.
The security guard ran up to the railing, looked down and paled. "Oh my god, oh my god," he started moaning. "Oh my god, she just fell. I didn't mean for her to fall. I just…I just wanted her to stop fighting."
"Hey, so thank you for coming, Jack, I hope you like this p-p-place," Carly stuttered while studying the menu. She nervously pushed up the glasses which slid down her nose. She didn't notice that a bra strap slithered down her shoulder. This was a week after the Arc Cradle disappeared and the city returned to normal. Carly called him, asking him for an interview: she wanted to get his side of the story on what happened that day. He showed up at this fancy restaurant to find her dressed-up and nervous. She asked him a few basic questions, scribbled something in the notepad. It didn't take him long to figure it out. Watching her fumble while pouring herself a glass of water…he smiled. She had tricked him. The interview was only a cover-up. She had asked him out on a date. And he realized that he didn't mind. During the battles at Arc Cradle, he thought about the impermanence of it all; how sometimes you just had to take a plunge and do something crazy, out of your comfort zone. Seize a moment, seize a day. Because, sometimes, in a split second it is all gone.
That evening became their first date.
"She just fell. Oh god," the public security officer continued. "I think she may be dead."
"Jack…Jack…" she gasped and turned her head to look at him. Her dark hair was splayed over the pillows. Her eyes were dazed, beautiful. If this sweet, pretty girl looked at him like this, he had everything he needed in this world. Her arms crossed over his shoulders, legs wrapped tighter, pulling him closer. "Jack, I'm so happy…" she whispered and he leaned down, kissing her.
Jack's gaze focused on a pair of round glasses nearby. He slowly reached for them, picked them up and studied them in the palm of his hand. One of the lens was shattered.
"Why don't you stay over until tomorrow too?" Carly asked shyly. He always stayed over the weekend since they've begun dating. But on Monday she had work so he'd return to Poppo Time on Sunday evening. "I won't become a nuisance," he declined, pulling on his shoes. "You wouldn't be!" she objected: "I want you to stay! In fact…you should stay here the whole time!" Jack looked up at her with surprise and then, noticing the blush on her face, couldn't help a small smile. She could get so easily embarrassed…it was cute. He treasured it. "Carly, are you asking me to move in?" he asked lightly, jokingly. "Why not!" the shy girl stuttered, "I have enough space here. Just bring your stuff…and then stay." "Do you rent this place?" he asked. "Yes, but you don't have to worry!" she hurried to answer, "You won't need to help with rent." He refused: "A King would never be a freeloader. I have a better idea. My WRPG winnings. Why don't I help? You can own this place. I can help you." And Carly gasped: "Are you serious? You'd like to help with that?" He shrugged and stood up, gathering her into his arms: "Why not. You make me happy." She smiled widely and hid her flushed face in his chest: "Okay Jack. If that's what you want. Let's do that." And it was a week before they had moved in together, into the shared space.
"Fuck, oh fuck. This isn't good," the bodyguard picked up his phone and dialed some numbers. "Red alert. RED ALERT. Evacuate the building." And as more Public Security representatives ran over to him an announcement came over the intercom and echoed across each corner of the Free Duelists' Association.
"THERE HAS BEEN A SECURITY ACCIDENT. PLEASE REMAIN CALM AND EVACUATE THE BUILDING. PLEASE EVACUATE THE BUILDING. THIS IS NOT A DRILL."
Scared and confused duelists began sprinting towards any available exists they could see.
"We have to clean up," the guilty officer was saying to others. "She was crazy and she fell off. I was trying to get her to leave but she just slipped. Somebody call an ambulance, quickly."
Breathing heavily, face inexplicably broken-out with cold sweat, Jack settled his black eyes on him.
His hand slowly closed over those bifocal glasses and squeezed.
"EVACUATE THE BUILDING AND REMAIN CALM. THIS IS NOT A TEST. THERE HAS BEEN AN INCIDENT."
"What the fuck!" Dark Aki shouted, having finally heard this at the top dueling platform. "What's happening down there?"
Yusei, Sherry and Crow exchanged looks. Meanwhile, the Winged Dragon of Ra was still a tightly closed orb.
"What the hell is happening today," Dark Aki continued raging and opened her phone. "What the fuck? Accident on the first floor…evacuating the building… What, without my permission!?" Then, just as suddenly, she cried out-loud and grabbed her head. "Ahhh fucking hell, MY HEAD."
"Yusei, what's happening?" Crow yelled. They were all on edge and disturbed.
"I don't know," Yusei responded and called out to his enemy: "What's happening? Is the building shutting down? Is the duel over?"
"No, shut your mouth!" his opponent growled. "You wish it was over. Ra! RA! Come on, let's go! What are you doing? Traitor! TRAITOR! You said you were going to help!" she yelled at the golden sphere and then cried-out again from an onslaught of inexplicable pain, hands over the forehead. "My head! MY HEAD! Enough, enough of that!"
"What's wrong with you?" Yusei demanded. Aki? Is it Aki? Is she fighting it? She has to be. This is what this is. This is what everything is pointing to.
"TOO MUCH NOISE IN MY HEAD!" that thing wailed, in a foreign voice which didn't belong to Aki.
"It's over then!" Yusei shouted. "Ra is not obeying you! It won't protect you and you have no monsters on the field. Give up!"
Dark Aki screamed something unintelligible and then grabbed the duel disk off her arm and tossed it on the ground, far away. The disk turned off and the Solid Vision – the orb of Ra and the vivid form of Stardust Dragon – all disintegrated.
"You forfeited the duel?" Yusei gaped.
"I don't have time to deal with this anymore! I have other important matters to tend to!" she yelled and sprinted towards the elevator. Just as instantaneously, she was gone.
Sherry and Crow approached him. "Yusei…you won," the female duelist said, uncertainly.
"I have no idea what's just happened," Crow said, scratching the side of his head.
"I don't either," Yusei answered. "But her long-time ally Ra had turned against her. And she's sick."
"The most important thing is that you've won, Yusei!" Sherry resumed.
"Yeah…There was definitely something off with her. Do you think…" Crow gulped. "Do you think it has something to do with Aki?"
Yusei nodded, feeling the overpowering beat of his heart. But he had seen the signs with his own eyes. He believed it. Aki was alive. She was in there somehow, within that thing, and she was fighting it.
"What now?" Sherry asked.
Yusei retrieved his cards and tossed away the FDA disk he was borrowing. Then he walked over to the discarded duel disk Set left behind and repossessed the Winged Dragon of Ra.
Dark Aki raced down the hallway, feeling like her head was breaking apart. It felt simultaneously like getting stabbed by knives and having explosions circuit through each neuron. It hurt so badly that it was nearly impossible to see, unthinkable to breathe. But she forced herself to move…to keep running. Because it didn't make any sense at all and she refused to let it incapacitate her.
The announcements still resounded throughout the intercom system.
"PLEASE EVACUATE THE BUILDING. PLEASE REMAIN CALM. THERE HAD BEEN A SECURITY INCIDENT. PLEASE EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY."
A few panicked duelists sprinted by her, looking for an exit. All the shops and dueling arenas had closed as the building was quickly becoming deserted.
"Who ordered this!" she grumbled as she continued on her way. "How dare they! They have no rights. It all goes through me!"
She made it to the ground floor and finally saw the source of this disarray. There were public security officers as well as paramedics, surrounding someone. It looked like an accident; someone was injured. They had loaded her on the stretcher.
She heard high-pitched screaming nearby and noticed the guards dragging away a young girl with blue-haired pigtails, towards the door leading outside. She was shrieking: "Rua! Rua! Carly! Nooooo."
Their eyes met and the girl momentarily stilled. Then she mouthed something. It took a second for her to read it and it was: "Aki-san." And then the girl was hauled away, through the exit.
One of the security officers neared her. "Boss, there had been an accident. But there is also trouble upstairs." He pointed towards the second floor.
Dark Aki looked up at the balcony and caught a glimpse of Jack Atlas surrounded by security. There was yelling and a commotion; a fight.
"What the hell is happening today!" she threw her arms up in exasperation and quickly headed upstairs.
Once she reached there she was stopped flat in her tracks.
Jack Atlas stood surrounded by the guards trying to calm him down. On his powerful fists were flashes of red. At his feet lay a public security officer, moaning unintelligibly. His face was beaten up.
"Step away and try to calm down, King Atlas," one of the tougher-looking bodyguards was saying to him.
Jack Atlas, breathing heavily, turned towards her and she saw something deeply concerning. His eyes. One was as black as the night, the way it should have been, but one was half-red and half-white in the retina. Resilient purple shone through that one, fiercely.
"Carly! CARLY!" he was bellowing and it was a desperate, heartbroken sound.
Oh fuck, Dark Aki pieced everything together. This was trouble. "Hey…hey Jack," she began murmuring pleasantly as she approached him. She used her power and reached inside his head, clouding his vision. Creating the façade that he wished to see. "I'm Carly, it's me. What is it?"
The tall man winced. Blinked rapidly. It was Dark Signer Carly, the same one he saw this morning. The same hair, the same eyes, the same body. But then he glanced down at the glasses in his hand and, finally, somewhere towards the first floor. "No… No, Carly…she's…"
"I'm right here," she purred, pushing the guards aside as she neared him. "Jack, my love. What happened to you? What are you doing?" She saw that his eyes were beginning to water.
"You…she…she'd fallen."
"I saw. She looked a little like me. But it wasn't me. I'm here, my love. I'm with you," she reached up and placed the back of her hand against his cheek. "See? I'm right here."
Jack's eyes pierced into her. The weird, asymmetrical one began clouding-over again by the black. "Carly…you are…"
"I'm always with you, my King," she repeated and her hands framed his face. Standing up on her tip toes she leaned up and pressed her lips against his.
She kissed him long and slow, until his arms moved and wrapped around her. The security officers stood about and looked very uncomfortable.
It was then that a boyish cry sounded. "Aki-neesan! Jack! Noooo!"
Dark Aki stopped making out with Jack Atlas and turned around. Jack's completely black eyes were staring, emptily, in the space she used to be. A single tear, almost invisible, disappeared as soon as it escaped. But those broken glasses…they were still in his hand...not knowing why, not even realizing, he slowly dropped them into his pocket.
A blue-haired boy was screaming at them. Dark Aki studied him and remembered him, both from her original memories and from the ones of Aki Izayoi: Rua, the Signer who held the heart of the Crimson Dragon.
"Aki-neesan, Jack! What are you doing? Please wake up!" the boy shouted and passed a sleeve over his face. "Carly! Carly has been hurt. She's been hurt badly."
"Carly is right here," Jack said, flatly.
"Carly is being taken to the hospital and I don't know if she'll be alright!" Rua corrected. He defiantly pointed his finger at the two ex-Signers. "And the two of you are doing that while she's dying. How could you!? Aki-neesan, Jack…I will never forgive you!"
Jack remained stoic, gaze empty.
Dark Aki grinned slowly. "Brave boy. Rua, huh? You have the last mark of the Crimson Dragon. You're the heart of the Signers."
"I am!" the boy shouted, angry. "We are all Signers and teammates. And the two of you...you've betrayed us!"
Dark Aki weighed her options. On the one hand, she had a headache that could not be described, an embarrassing unfinished duel with Osiris, Ra who randomly decided to flip her off and Jack Atlas who'd nearly broken from her control. It had been a pretty bad evening so far.
On the other hand, if she used just a little bit of the strength she had left and concentrated, she could have two Signers under her fingers. And she could use this to further break apart Yusei Fudo and his team…they who were constantly putting their noses where they didn't belong and challenged her, getting in the way of all the plans. And because Osiris turned his back on their ancient conflict and chose the fate of the Crimson Dragon instead, she could do this and spoil his selected destiny. Oh, this would be a very devious thing to do.
Dark Aki turned on the glamour and began approaching the young blue-haired teenager. "Rua, the youngest of the Team 5D's. The most loyal and devoted. Why do you permit your friends to treat you like this? To forget about you? Are you not the one keeping the essence of the team together?"
Rua took a small step back, unsure what was happening. "What?"
"It's because they don't respect you. They don't know what you're capable of. They take you for granted. They never ask for your help. But why would they? You have the weakest duel deck out of all of them."
"Hey!" the boy awoke a little. "That's not true! Face me in a duel and my Power Tool Dragon will show you! I know you're not Aki-neesan, you're…you're that evil thing!"
All of a sudden, faster than he could expected, she neared him and stared into him. Aki...Aki-neesan, he had missed her. But those eyes…they showed something equally horrible and memorizing. The planets of vast cosmos. The meaning of it all. The monsters lurking within the room's shadows while you were sleeping.
"Look here, Rua," she murmured and knelt in front of him, hands on his shoulders. "Look into my eyes and see the path you have chosen. What the future has in store for you."
She began projecting visions into his head, powers rampaging like tendrils through his darkest insecurities.
"Look at what happens, when all of this is over," she narrated. She showed him how his parents never returned. They've abandoned him and his sister. How his dueling skill never progressed, how the Signer marks went away, how his friends joined the next big tournament but due to the qualifying number of spaces they chose him to leave out. How after that, they've continued excluding him from other activities. Even Ruka became busier and stopped asking him to tag along. Then they all left him behind, all the while laughing and having the time of their lives. He became the forgotten one.
"Do you see?" she asked. "Don't you wish to pay them back for this? To hurt them the way they've hurt you?"
But something was wrong.
The boy, hypnotized, stumbled back and slowly shook his head. "I'm okay with this, I think."
What the fuck. "What?" she asked sweetly, still staring deep inside him. She could see his heart flutter like a bird in a cage. Show me those fears.
"They're my friends. I would never hold them back. If leaving me behind is what they need to chase their dreams and to become happy …then I'm okay with that. I will always support them. And I would never hold Ruka back from anything she wants to do."
Dark Aki jumped up to her feet, angrily. Glamour starting to fail. "What…how dare you!" Was this snot-faced kid refusing her? HER? An immortal deity with powers within the celestial realm, well beyond the wildest imaginations? God damn the limitations of the human body…and damn this headache. It was making her lose her touch.
The boy seemed to wake up a little too. He blinked rapidly. "You're not Aki-san, you're Set! Let her go!"
At that she grabbed his arm, twisted painfully, and hissed: "Listen here you little shit. How dare you? Nobody refused this." No one else had ever refused this - not the people she had reached into and manipulated weeks ago when she'd started the sacrificial duels. Not when she had but a speck of the power the current body possessed, while awoken within an ailing, anemic body of Higuchi Tetsuo's son. Not when she had to be hooked up to daily IVs and blood transfusions, and there was a day she became so drained and sick from manipulating those duels that she had passed out for a full day – and on that day, the city was free of sacrifices. But today… she had only this headache. She possessed power stronger than any human body before. And this annoying kid wasn't getting swayed? What the hell was this?
"Let me go!" Rua yelled, trying to get out of her ruthless grip.
Dark Aki concentrated and dug deeper into that rebellious, infuriating heart. She wouldn't give up. She wouldn't let this defeat her. She peeled through the boy's brave soul like an onion…and then she saw it. The speck of opportunity. "I will kill Ruka."
"What?"
"If you don't want to join me to change your tragic future, then do it for your sister. If you don't join me then I'll kill her. I will torture her, I will rip out her beating heart…And it will be all. Your. Fault."
"No. No!"
"She will suffer horribly and then she will die. The one person who needs you, lives for you, the only one who loves you. You will have killed her with your selfishness. Do you see this?" she placed disturbing images into his head. Flashes of torture, the hospitals, the blood, the crying, and friends turning their backs on him for what he'd let happen to his sister.
"No!"
"Will you be a murderer?"
"No! Not Ruka. Please, don't hurt Ruka."
She had him. She latched-on and there was no way out. She knelt again and smiled slowly. "Then let me show you how you can fix this. How this nightmare will never become a reality." She continued whispering to a nearly catatonic Signer while his eyes began glazing over with black.
It didn't take long for personnel in Public Security uniforms to make it to the arena on the top floor of FDA and to find Yusei, Sherry and Crow there, just as they were getting ready to leave. All the alarms were still blazing and announcements resounding through the speakers.
"We're closed now. Please leave immediately."
"What happened?" Crow asked as the security guards surrounded them.
'We can't disclose that. But we are closed. You have to leave."
"We were just about to," Yusei assured them.
"Now!" one the officers barked and placed his hand on Sherry's shoulder. Immediately, she grabbed and twisted his arm, causing him to howl pathetically and drop to the ground. "Did I say you could touch me?"
"We're leaving, okay?" Yusei quickly intervened before things could get worse, noticing the furious looks on bodyguards' faces. "Don't touch us."
They got escorted to the elevator and taken directly to the first floor. There was more disarray here, more guards, some paramedics. It definitely looked like something had happened. Yusei was looking around and thought he'd glimpsed Jack on the second floor but the three of them were already getting shoved towards the exit. "Get out," the security was telling them helpfully.
Finally, the two Signers and Sherry were outside the building. The parking lot was packed with confused duelists, D-Wheels, cars, and everyone else that had been at FDA on this fateful night. There were also multiple police cars and ambulances. That was when they saw it: a person carried on the stretcher by the rushed ER personnel. Nearby, Ruka was standing – and crying.
The person getting carried away was Carly.
"CARLY? Oh my god!" Crow shouted, exasperated, and tried to get closer but the paramedics wouldn't let him.
"Ruka! What happened?" Yusei ran over to the girl. How was she even here? Was Rua around somewhere also? And Carly…what happened? They couldn't get nearer but (neck brace, oxygen tanks, IVs, deep red spots) it was very serious.
"Carly…Carly…sh-she fell," Rua stuttered. "I saw it. It was from the second floor. Yusei…I don't know if she'll be okay. I think she's badly hurt. I think she may be…she may be…" she choked on tears and became hysterical. She clutched to his jacket and buried her face into his stomach, beginning to shake from distress.
Yusei knelt and pulled her arms around his neck, mumbling some soothing words to the upset girl but she was completely inconsolable…and then he heard her mumble: "And Rua…Rua is still inside."
"Rua is inside?" he repeated loudly and glanced at Crow, making sure he heard.
Crow tore his worried eyes away from Carly's ambulance and its closing doors. "Oh hell. How do we get him out?"
"Maybe he'll be found and escorted like we were," Sherry suggested.
"Maybe," Crow regarded the flashing ambulance pulling away, sirens roaring. "Fuck. And Carly…we need to go to the hospital with her."
"We can split up," Yusei offered, with inconsolable Ruka still hanging on to him and sobbing into his neck. "I'll follow Carly. You all stay and make sure Rua is safe. Then see if you can come meet us at the hospital, as soon as possible."
"Okay, let's try," Crow said and Sherry agreed. But Ruka shook her head, hugging him tighter, refusing to let go.
"Ruka," he said gently. "It'll be okay. We'll all meet soon. But I've got to go now."
"We can't…we can't split up, Yusei," she muffled. "The more divided we are…the worse it will be…"
"Ruka."
"I feel it, Yusei," the blue-haired girl pulled back and fixed her tearful but determined eyes on him. "Please. I think it's happened…We have ruptured. Broken neatly in half. Team 5D's, no more."
Those abrupt words shocked him. What could she possibly mean?
"Fudo Yusei…still here, huh?" Aki's voice reached him and he jumped to his feet, breaking away from Ruka's embrace, and turning towards that sound.
Dark Aki stood by the entrance of Free Duelists Association. To her right was Jack Atlas and to her left…was Rua. The boy had a small smile on his face. His eyes, pitch black, just like Jack's.
Public Security guards, with tinted helmets, surrounded the three ex-members of Team 5D's.
"Rua! RUA!" Ruka screamed and started in their direction but Yusei quickly grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. "No! No! Rua!"
"You…you bastard!" Crow shouted. "What did you do to Rua? What kind of crap did you put into his head? Release them! ALL OF THEM!"
"Release them?" Dark Aki asked innocently, smiled proudly at the youngest member of her posse and then glanced at the tall blonde man. "Am I keeping you hostage, my King? Or do you want to be here? With me?"
"I want to be here," Jack Atlas said and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Jack, you mule!" Crow growled. "What are you doing? Do you want me to come over there and give you a nice punch to the face? I'LL DO IT."
"I'd like to see you try," Jack invited. Public Security stepped out in front of him, batons in hand. If anyone would try to approach, they'd likely be beaten…savagely.
"Rua! Rua!" Ruka continued screaming, nearly mad with grief. She was trying to get out of Yusei's grip but he wouldn't let her go. "Rua, don't! Come back! COME BACK!"
"Ruka, this is the right way," the boy answered her. He pointed and smiled wider. "You need to join us. We're stronger. We know what the right thing is. And it's not with them, anymore."
"No," Ruka whimpered and stopped struggling. "No…Please no…"
"We're the Signers," Yusei managed, heartbroken. "Rua…Jack…" He released immobile Ruka and pulled up the sleeve on his arm, showing the birthmark; the head of the Crimson Dragon. "This is what unites us. This is our bond. You can't have forgotten it! Everyone…please!" Aki. Aki, are you seeing this? Where everything has come to? This world had shattered the day you left.
"That's right!" Crow joined in, standing by his side, and revealed the mark on his forearm; the tail of the dragon. "This is our bond. Remember it, guys! You have this… We're friends and our hearts are in synchrony."
Ruka rolled up her jacket and also presented her own mark, the dragon's front claw.
Dark Aki began laughing hysterically. Rua and Jack – brainwashed into Dark Signers – joined in.
"Wow that's…that's just too funny," she managed, wiping away some fake tears. "You're all so sad. It's over. Your team is broken, Fudo Yusei. Even your journalist friend is dead. Now get out of here, seriously."
"No…please…" Ruka sniveled.
"Damn it, damn it!" Crow growled. "Jack! Rua! Aki! Wake up, all of you! WAKE UP!"
"Let's go," Yusei spoke up to the friends by his side. His eyes were locked upon the red-haired figure who was still hiccuping with laughter.
"No," Crow glared at him. "We can't. Not…not like this, Yusei."
"We need to regroup," Yusei spoke up, his gaze still focused. "We'll be back…but once we have a plan. And we must go see Carly."
"Yusei, no. We can't," Crow attempted again. "Leaving Rua and Jack? With that thing? While it still has Aki?"
"What do we propose we do?" Yusei demanded of him, desperate anger reflected in his glare. "What can we do now?" Do you have a way of reaching them right now? Do you know how to rescue them? If you do, Crow, then we won't go. We will stay and we will fight today until our last breath.
"Rua…Rua…" Ruka was still pleading.
"We…" Crow looked back at their former friends. "We…" he clenched his fists, frantically thinking of what to do. "Damn it. DAMN IT."
"Let's go," Yusei nodded and placed his hand on Ruka's small shoulder. The girl was completely out of it but his touch returned a little focus to her. She looked over at him, agony on her face, but nodded lightly.
"Run with the tail between your legs!" Dark Aki bellowed. Jack and Rua began laughing again.
"It's not over, we'll be coming back," Crow warned and stared at the former King of Games, his foster brother, the fellow Team Satisfaction teammate, his best friend... They fought and argued constantly but there was never denying the friendship they shared, the sacrifices they'd make for each other. "Jack…after everything we've been through…I'm the one who will come for you. I'll beat the sense into you. I promise you that."
Jack smirked. "You can dream, Crow." He focused his dark scowl upon Yusei, the only one he acknowledged as a potentially worthy opponent.
"Rua…" Ruka whispered. Her brother looked at her coldly, as if not recognizing her.
"Aki…" Yusei said to the shell of the one he had loved. Deeply, desperately…for the short time that they had. The one he had fought for and died in the process of…and the one he had still lost.
Dark Aki waved, cheerfully. "Bye-bye!"
The three Signers and their three ex-friends appraised each other for a few more seconds. And then, slowly, the Signers turned away and departed in the direction of their D-Wheels, with Sherry closing the formation. Carly's car was still on the lot…they'd need to come back and get it afterwards.
Finally, the allies sped off in the direction where Carly was taken.
Dark Aki watched them all leave, chuckled a little more… And then suddenly her eyes rolled up and her legs buckled from underneath her. She grabbed on to Jack Atlas and the tall man held her up as her emaciated face turned a pale green and glistened with cold perspiration. When she opened her distant eyes to find his dark ones, blood dripped from her nose again and also from the corner of her mouth.
"My head…is exploding…" she groaned. "I can't take it anymore. The memories, they're constantly in front of my eyes…and her insane power…I think…I know she's fighting somehow…she's not dead… Help take me into infirmary, my King. I need to rest and gather my strength."
Jack Atlas obeyed and gathered her into his arms. Dark Aki let the horrible headache lull her into unconsciousness and drowned in her host's memories, powerless to resist them.
So yeah, so much happened in this chapter! Wayyyy too many duels too...ugh. Thankfully I'm not planning for any more duels until the very last showdown.
Also yeah, sorry for what I did to some beloved characters… But it's okay! The final battle is approaching and things should get better after that...?
So what happens next? Is Carly going to be okay? Is Yusei going to come up with a plan to fight the three evil Signers? Is Aki going to fight off Set once and for all? Are more secrets going to be revealed?
Stay tuned!