Patreon LogoYour support makes Blue Moon possible (Patreon)

Yu-gi-oh 5Ds: Rise of Darkness and Corruption (Athene/ImaginaryMuse & Razgriz)

Hajime ​


Aki merely smirked, keeping quiet for now. He obviously didn't understand. That was fine. Come the end of this duel, he would. After all, Divine would never send her out onto a battlefield without a back-up plan. Now that she happened to find a target who had comrades, it made her all the more grateful she'd accepted that card from her boss. It would definitely be used and needed. And once it was activated ... she would reveal just how weak both Yamichi and Hajime were against her.

Of course, work would be done on the latter.

For Yamichi, it'd likely be a devastating blow to his honor and ego. Or was it more pride?

Whatever the case, she was looking forward to it. The rare but existing sadistic side was steadily taking over her, and more than anything, she was really hoping for Yamichi to get on the offensive soon. So when he kept himself on the defensive, she couldn't help but elicit a slightly disappointed sigh. "Really, boy? You're going to keep hiding like that?" She then shrugged. True, it wouldn't be any skin off her nose ... or body for that matter.

But she'd hoped for a more ... productive fight than this.

"Very well, I suppose. Draw!"

Hajime, meanwhile, was snickering. She was making the most novice mistake in dueling by underestimating her opponent. But particularly with Yamichi, that was all the more true on how accurate it was. With Hajime having gone against him in the last round and losing to the other Disciple, Hajime knew best it was stupid to look down on the blonde-haired man.

"I know," Aki quipped, causing Hajime to scowl and frown.

"Get the fuck outta my head," he muttered.

Ignoring him once again, Aki proceeded with her turn. "I summon Botanical Lion! I flip up the set Copy Plants to attack mode, further boosting its attack!"

The Lion roared, his attack stopping just shy under 3000 attack. Now, Yamichi and Hajime had a bit of an understanding why no Synchro summoning had happened. There were several reasons, truthfully. The main one, however, was the simple fact she didn't have a level 8 Plant in her deck. Some sixes and sevens. Even a very small handful of fives.

But with all she'd done thus far, those wouldn't help her out. She was walking down the right path; Aki could feel it.

"Trumpeter Angel, attack his set! Botanical Lion -- "

An eyebrow raised. The card flipped, but didn't disappear. Scrap Goblin; that was the name of this card. Her first thoughts were it was like Dark Resonator and needed to be hit twice to die.

"Fine. Botanical Lion, destroy it."

... Still, it didn't vanish.

"Hate to burst your bubble, but Scrap Goblin can't die from battle."

"I see.... " Whereas Hajjime or Yamichi may have expected Aki to get upset, she instead smirked. "Fine. Your turn. Come at me if you can, boy."

Judai's expression didn't return to his more carefree look. All but implying he was quite serious about this guess. "Look," he calmly said, "I can't say any details about how this was pulled off or whatnot. But even you are admitting the woman felt off. Sometimes, we just need to follow what our gut is telling us. I'm not completely crazy, not if even you can agree something was amiss about her."

And yet, there were other issues. The main one being the barrier was up.

However ....

"I don't think there's a rule saying we can't talk. Just no interference; but that's not what we'd be doing. I don't believe they're soundproof. If you wanna try something else, I'll respect that. But the first - and most vital - step seems to be seeing if we can even eliminate her as a suspect. And asking your pal Yamichi would be a good start."

It was very unfortunate, but Judai had indeed had to deal with his own share of 'missing persons' cases; something that was implied in how he spoke to Takeshi.

Still, it would be up to Takeshi on whether he'd heed the advice or not.
 

Of course she would look down at him for not going on the offensive...Well, she'd get a very rude surprise if she thought she would get such an easy shot at his Life Points. And as Goblin was flipped face-up, both of her monster's attacks were rendered ineffective. She can raise her Lion's attack to infinity and it still wouldn't change the fact that Goblin was indestructible in battle.

And once her Battle Phase concluded, the tiny metal gremlin exploded. "In case you're wondering, Scrap Goblin's effect is what destroys it after it's targeted for an attack. And with it, I can add a Scrap monster from my Graveyard to my hand. And to top it off, I chain Factory's effect to Special Summon another Scrap monster from my Deck, and Searcher's effect to Summon itself from the Graveyard! Rise up, Scrap Golem and Scrap Searcher!"

And after two flurries of metal fragments dissipated, she would find two more monsters on his field in Scrap Goblin's place...And with it being his turn, he would be able to do just as she wished: Attack.

"My turn, I draw! I summon a second Scrap Goblin, then activate the Quick-play Magic card, Scrap Sheen! I destroy a Scrap monster I control, and all other Scrap monsters on my field gain 1000 ATK for the rest of this turn! Scrap Goblin is destroyed and Scrap Golem and Searcher's ATK are boosted!" While Searcher would only be at 1100 ATK, Scrap Golem's would rise to a staggering 3500. "Goblin's effect then allows me to add another Scrap monster from my Graveyard to my hand, so I'll be taking back Scrap Soldier and using Factory's effect to Special Summon Scrap Chimera from my deck! Then I activate Golem's effect and Special Summon the Goblin I just destroyed back to my field!"

Giving her a hard stare once his monsters appeared, he then said, "You wanted me to attack, right? Well then, wish fucking granted. I tune Scrap Chimera and Scrap Searcher with Scrap Goblin! Rise, draconid of rust and oil! Synchro Summon! Level 8! Scrap Dragon!"

And moments later, Aki would be facing down two heavy hitters with 3000 ATK or more. "Next, I activate Scrap Dragon's effect! By destroying a card I control, I can destroy one of yours! Which means your Lion's worm food! Demolish it, Scrap Dragon!" And after one of the spotlights on its front targeted Botanical Lion, it was instantly annihilated just as one of Yamichi's set cards was destroyed.

"Since you asked so fucking nicely, you psychotic bitch, here I come! Scrap Dragon and Scrap Golem will attack both your Copy Plants! FUCKING BURN!" Of course, little was he aware of the true danger he had just placed his friend in...And would get a shocking revelation once both the heavy hits connected and decimated the 0 ATK monsters on the masked woman's field.

Naturally, Takeshi was hesitant to go right up there; they were from the Satellite after all, and any half-decent Sector officer would be able to spot as such if they got up close. Being who they were, they'd love to arrest their asses for crossing over into the Tops. Not to mention he would put Yamichi's chances at risk if he went up there and started shouting through the barrier.

But, this was Hajime they were talking about. Aside from him being a damn good friend, if Hotsuma didn't kick their asses for leaving him behind, Yuna would for sure. "No, yeah, I getcha...And I agree. So let's go, what are we waiting for?!" At the very least, they would just be taken off stage, and without much more hesitation he stormed the stage and went up to the barrier in question...Only to hear a horrifying sound.

A bloodcurdling scream echoed from within, continuing on for at least ninety seconds that was overlaid by a loud "HAJIME!"

"Oi, Yamichi! The hell's going on in there?! Hajime's with you?!" the tech would hear, having fallen to his knees after seeing what happened to his friend, tears running down his cheeks. "You....You...." Yamichi muttered, gritting his teeth and clenching his cards before glaring at her with those tear-streaked eyes and shouting "YOU FUCKING MONSTER! THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!? WHAT DID YOU FUCKING DO TO HAJIME!?"

"Yamichi? Yamichi! Talk to me, man, what's happening?!" Takeshi shouted, starting to admittedly get freaked out. "AKI'S FUCKING GOT HIM BOUND...AND SHE SOMEHOW MADE HIM TAKE MY ATTACK! HE'S REALLY FUCKING HURT, TAKESHI!"
 
Hajime ​

"And so it begins," Aki inwardly mused, her smirk widening even more. She was indeed glad - maybe even relieved - Yamichi had set Scrap Goblin. It turned out to be exactly what she'd been hoping for; a card that was meant to allow for an offense to be built. Lo and behold, there it was. The deck potential he had shown in the last round, as his field was soon swarmed with two rather large and strong monsters. She had flipped the Copy Plants for a more true reason.

And it was all finally revealed when the two attacks went through.

Aki didn't react. Didn't even flinch. In fact, she stayed perfectly silent. Hajiime, meanwhile, first bit down on his lower lip. His teeth gritted together and his fists clenched against the vines.

Try as he might, he couldn't hold back his pained cry anymore. The fact Aki was shot down to 1500 in one hit took its toll, and that was what made him elicit the longest, loudest scream in his whole life. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Tears began to fall down his own face. Surge after surge of agony shot through him, his body writhing and squirming frantically against the restraints. All to no avail. Every so often - one thousand life points to be exact - the vines dug deeper and deeper, sinking further into Hajime's neck and shoulders. This wasn't to say his lower body wasn't immune to its own world of pain, but those were the two main targets. Like everything else she'd done so far, there were reasons for those specific locations.

And the motive for the throat injuries would be revealed soon enough. Right after Takeshi's voice registered from behind the barrier in fact.

Hajime weakly turned his head, the screams having stopped on instinct. At least that was what he assumed.

"Takeshi?"

His lips moved, but the words didn't leave like he ordered them to.

" ... What the .... ??"

His head lowered, now studying the wounds. They were more precise than one would expect; likely from Aki controlling or ordering them somehow. The good news was the vines avoided his jugular to keep Hajime alive. His voice box, however, was a different story.

"YOU FUCKING BITCH! HOW FUCKING DARE YOU!?"

"Hmph. I told you when I finished the chant; you can do what I was originally going to do; silence him. Thank you. Took you long enough, but I'll take what I can get. I warned you, Hajime, to be silent and watch. I don't make idle threats."

Hajime whimpered and growled, unable to say anything out loud. His fists clenched even tighter. His knuckles were bright white and for once in a long-ass time, Hajime was sincerely livid. Much like Yamichi, it took a lot to make him this pissed off. Oh but was he absolutely infuriated, and that was the kindest word to use.

Judai had followed ... though part of him almost wished he hadn't. The scream and what Yamichi had relayed immediately made him think back to the worst years, hands down. When Professor Cobra and Darkness had been very prominent part of his life in the Academy. So much unnecessary pain and anguish. The cry made him grimace, as far too many flashbacks rushed to his mind. He hated when his or Yubel's instincts were right. His head lifted as he offered the only thing he could to Takeshi; an apologetic look.

"Don't worry," Aki added, drawing and beginning her next turn, "What he relayed earlier was true. He's no use to me dead. So I won't make him die even if you win this duel. But - as you can see and hear - he will not be the same ever again."

Hajime's eyes narrowed as he stared angrily at Aki. The hell with his own body. He was losing blood. He knew that, even if he didn't realize how much it was. But he didn't care how pointless this next move would be. He spat ... and actually did manage to land a bit of saliva and blood on Aki's glove.

"... Stubborn brat," she merely murmured, continuing with her turn, "I'll activate my second World Tree and set a monster face down. I'll remove two counters off the first to destroy -- "

"T-Trap card open! Scrap Iron Statue!"

... Well, that was definitely annoying. Then again, the results of this duel didn't matter. And honestly, Yamichi was doing her a second favor by speeding this duel up. The sooner it ended, the sooner she could use the Teleport card Divine had given her. She'd gotten her place in the Fortune Cup, and more than enough funds. No reason to remain here any longer ... even less so now that his other friend seemed to put two and two together, as heard by the voice outside the barrier.

"Very well. Then I'll have my Angel Trumpeter attack your face-up Scrap Searcher. Turn end!"

Now would come the true test; would he have it in him to beat her knowing it wouldn't hurt her at all? She was curious to see if he could push himself to do that much or not. Most wouldn't dare make such a move. But that determination that had entered Yamichi's eyes ... it hinted otherwise. A true Disciple to the end; that was what she was hoping to see, anyway.
 

Yamichi still couldn't believe what had happened. Just...How? Solid Vision shouldn't have inflicted damage to ANYONE, not actual damage anyway. He could look over the fact that she'd done it to him...But now she did it to Hajime too. And that made him more angry than anything. Angry and hurt that she would stoop so low as to using someone else as a meat shield.

Maybe Hotsuma was right about certain people from the Tops: No sense of pride, no honor at all. In his mind, she definitely fit the profile.

Wiping his eyes with his jacket sleeve, he looked up in time to see her start taking her turn...But before she would be able to use World Tree to destroy his Scrap Dragon, even if he could have easily gotten another one out, he used his own face-down. "T-Trap card, open! Scrap Iron Statue! When a Spell or Trap that is already face-up activates its effect, I can use this to negate and destroy it, you fucking coward!"

Yeah, he called her a coward...because that was how he viewed her right now.

"My turn, draw!"

And as she would soon find out, he fully intended to continue; this time he would make sure to try and aim right for her. Even if she wouldn't be hurt, he would do his damnedest to make her pay for this. For Hajime's cruel and unusual torture. "I Summon Scrap Chimera, then activate its effect to Special Summon Scrap Goblin! Next, Scrap Dragon will destroy your last face-down and Goblin!"

A hard grimace crossed his face, his eyes starting to tear up as he took in Hajime's battered form. "Hajime...If this doesn't work, fucking forgive me." he told himself, declaring "It's more of the same! I chain Searcher, Factory and Goblin, adding Scrap Shark to my hand and Special Summoning Scrap Beast and Scrap Searcher once more!"

He normally didn't like using this card, because it only worked in very select circumstances...But if anything, he wanted to see why she shouldn't look down on someone just because they don't attack recklessly. "After this attack, I suggest you run...Because once your Life drops to zero, I'm going to drop you! You cowardly fucking bitch!" he threatened; strong he wasn't, but he would forsake his own personal rule of never striking a woman if it meant getting some retribution for her actions.

"I tune Scrap Golem and Scrap Searcher with Scrap Beast! Burn, erupt and destroy! Raise your three heads and howl in fury! Incinerate the enemy with the fury of the sun! Synchro Summon! Level 10! Atomic Scrap Dragon!" And in a brilliant burst of light, the three-headed metal behemoth roared as it materialized, a 3400 ATK monstrosity with a core burning brightly, the radiation hazard symbol glowing quite hotly as the three heads looked upon Angel Trumpeter, low mechanical snarls leaving its three maws, the three sets of eyes a brilliant shade of yellow-white.

"Final attack! Atomic Scrap Dragon! Destroy Angel Trumpeter and end this Duel! Nuclear Scrap Blaster!" Yamichi shouted, energy gathering into three identical orbs in Atomic's mouths; and in a flash of heat and light, Aki's entire side of the field was cleared away, her form temporarily disappearing as the magnitude of energy seemed to swallow her whole.

Takeshi meanwhile, was actually starting to pound on the barrier, "Yamichi! Yamichi! Don't man!" However, by this point, a guard had run up to the pair and started shouting "Hey, you two! Down from here now! You're not allowed up here!" Takeshi just turned and shouted, "Fuck off, pig! My friend's trapped in there! That bitch Aki's holding him hostage!"

Letting out a 'Tch' he was about to reach for his billy club, but then heard the woman remark about someone getting hurt. "Oh shit...Hey, hey! Get this barrier down! We have a hostage situation inside! Yes, I'm fucking serious! Get all available units down here to arrest Aki!" the guard bellowed into his radio; moments later, dozens of Sector officers flooded through the entryways into the main Arena stage, starting to surround the barrier itself. "Once it's down, assess the situation and then take her down!" the first guard commanded, the rest forming a perimeter and drawing their weapons. Seconds later, a loud yelp sounded off from within, Takeshi stating "That was Yamichi...Hey, what's taking so long!?"

Once the barrier did lower, however...They would only find Yamichi there, laying spread-eagle on his back and Aki nowhere in sight. "Oh shit...Yamichi!" Takeshi crie out, running to check on his friend...Only to see the tech wasn't unconscious, but grief-stricken. His eyes were squeezed shut from agony, his body still beat up from Aki's redirecting the attacks to him.

Almost instantly, the crowd began whispering amongst itself, the commanding officer here growling, "Fuck...All of you, spread out! Check every inch and seal the exits! Let's go, move, move, move!"
 
Hajime ​

Even Aki couldn't deny it. Yeah, she was being a bit of a coward. She, however, preferred to think of it as being smart. Strategic. Cruel, most definitely. But hey, this was getting everything she needed completed. Already, she had the next ten or so steps planned for when this duel ended. None of them would include Yamichi or any of his comrades beating her. Humorous as the image was to the Psychic duelist ... no. She had more important things to do than waste her time.

"Hmph. Me? Run? Not because you ordered me to, but yes. I'll take my leave."

"Oh god ... " Hajme shut his eyes. He didn't need to see more of Yamichi's turn to know what was about to happen would hurt. Worse off, it wouldn't be a weak little sting. No, this wouldn't be much better than the first hit that connected to his body.

"It's okay, Yamichi; you're not the one who needs forgiveness. I don't hate you for this ... "

Just the woman a few feet in front of him. That was the only person getting any of his hatred at the moment.

When the second dose of agony began to build up in Hajime's body, he threw his head violently from side to side, shuddering and whimpering in pain as more blood began to drip on the wooden platform.

Judai, meanwhile, looked ... torn. Wanting to help Takeshi, but ... what then? This woman had as much as Yubel had hinted very wrong with her. And that could only begin to suggest - as did Yamichi's words - she had some sort of powers. He was a bit relieved the guard came over; it gave Judai something to focus on where he wasn't too unsure on what to say or do. "No, no! He's right! Get the barrier down! Something really bad's going on behind there!"

"Alright. Time to go."

Will power; it was the only thing keeping Hajime conscious. His head weakly tilted as he met eyes with the masked woman. And when a realization came to him ... his face paled.

She hadn't gotten hit. Ever. The damage was all redirected at him.

"No! Why you!!!

"Exactly," Aki admitted, reaching down and pulling out two cards. "I had you be my shield for another reason. So I could escape with as few issues as possible. You being conscious is ... annoying. But easy to remedy." Finally, the first would be put on her disk, her deck having automatically shuffled save for these two copies she set aside in her robe. A rose appeared on Hajime's cheek - a sight that no doubt would have pissed Hotsuma and Yuna off if they were there to see that.

"Take a nap - and be glad that command has no double or hidden meanings to it."

Hajime's body squirmed, trying its best to fight the order ... only to stop and go limp after a few seconds. When Aki was completely sure he was stationary and unconscious, she snapped her fingers, making the vines disappear. Her right arm stretched out as she secured Hajime's body against her shoulder, keeping him firmly held.

"Sayōnara ... Yamichi-kun."

The second was the Teleport that Divine had given her. A bright orb of light surrounded her and the Yomi member. That would maybe be one of the last things the guards would see; a large, bright orb appearing, only to disappear.

But the body of Yamichi and the blood where Aki and Hajime had been revealed this was no hoax. That had really happened.

"Goddamn ... " Judai muttered, feeling his heart sink. Just when he'd found some new friends ... something bad came up. He knew it wasn't his fault, but he really wished this curse would go away and leave him alone. It had been an irritating trend he'd experienced for some time now.

The travel back to Arcadia's base took mere milliseconds. Soon enough, Aki was in, keeping the still knocked out Hajime held. She strode confidently down the halls, stopping first at the infirmary. "He's mute now. I had to make him that way. You may wanna give him a bit more anesthesia than usual so you can heal him properly. When he's done and ready to be dismissed, put him in Yuna's old room."

"O .. Of course, Aki-san," one of the doctors replied, looking stunned at both how Hajime looked and the sight of the second-in-command's clothes and even hands being a bit bloodied. "What of you though?"

"Hmph. That's not my blood. Besides, I can get it taken care of." Aki would leave it at that as she pivoted on her feet and turned away. A long elevator ride later, she entered Divine's office, the doors opening automatically as they sensed her presence. Her head bowed slightly as a sign of respect as her figure came fully into her Master's sight,"It's done, Divine-sama. I found someone to replace Yuna and Hotsuma. It's only one person, unfortunately. Alas, no one else had any potential."

That wasn't true; it was more like the other person who may have been good enough had been protected in the form of their own spirit.

Then again, even if she'd sensed Judai, there would have been too many problems getting to him. Especially since he was supposed to be in the finals. It was best to have just taken Hajime and left; that's what her instincts were reassuring Aki.
 

Takeshi didn't really know what else could be said; this fucking sucked. Talk about putting a sour damper on what was supposed to be a way for them to enjoy themselves. He just held onto his friend, letting the tech cry his eyes out; and truth be told, the brunette Disciple felt his own waterworks starting to come on. "Yami...Yami, it's alright man...Hey, Judai, help me out here. Let's get him off this stage..." And once their new friend would hoist him up by a shoulder, Yamichi was slowly carried off the stage and allowed to sit next to one of the pillars along the perimeter of the Arena floor.

"Well...This fucking sucks." Takeshi grumbled mentally; now what would they do? Their bosses were in the Facility, and they had no idea where that masked bitch took Hajime. He could only pinch the bridge of his nose and say, "Worst timing ever...Seriously, Kami-sama, just why? What did Hajime or Takeshi do to deserve this?"

Yamichi meanwhile, just held his head on his knees...Remembering the last words that Aki spoke.

"Sayōnara ... Yamichi-kun."

And what made him feel even worse was that he did absolutely nothing to help Hajime; he couldn't save him from her. Nothing could be done, and he even damaged one of his truest friends and allies horrifically. And he didn't know which was worse: Letting her leave or that.

MC, meanwhile, would come to the stage to announce that there would be a brief interlude; and despite his ability to usually have the crowd eating out of the palms of his hands, even the boisterous announcer found little reason to do so. And given how he had seen the three young men on stage reacting to all this, it would just be rubbing salt in the wound no matter how he tried to spin it.

Rex Goodwin, meanwhile, watched on from the television screen in his office with Jack Atlas himself present; they were right in the middle of discussing a new ad campaign for the Fortune Cup and Rex had the idea to tune into the Selection Tournament. Needless to say, neither he nor Atlas were pleased with what transpired. "Fantastic...First Mister E with his hacking, now this Aki woman with her stealing a contestant. Why now, why now?" he grumbled, rubbing his temples in frustration. This had Divine written all over it; he may have gotten the Beelze card theft written off of his handiwork, but this was near irrefutable proof the madman was tampering with his tournament.

Jack, meanwhile, had watched what transpired with more than a hint of vested interest despite the cowardly retreat this 'Aki' had made; more and more, his own world view was shifting. Subtlely, but still closed off enough to where most would think him hard-headed. How had she taken that Hajime character without being noticed? He was beginning to think there was more and more truth to what Fayth had been saying...How else would it explain what had been going on?

"Rex...When we first met, you said I was meant to be a King. I've achieved this as much...But now I find myself growing more and more uneasy, especially with the appearances of the that red dragon in the sky. You seem like you know something...Especially with how many times I've caught you staring at my right arm. What is going on here?" Jack then stated, turning his attention away from the television to face the Director.

Rex let out a small sigh through his nose, sitting up to more properly address his protege, "King-sama, you're right. You deserve to know the truth...Though understand that my own knowledge is limited by what I've read up on." Keeping a rather stoic expression, "And please bear in mind this is mostly legend...But that mark you carry? It tells that you are a Signer, a savior who is destined to stop a cycle of destruction by a dark god that happens every 5,000 years. They say that the Crimson Dragon, the one that you saw during the minor tournament and your encounter with that Satellite trespasser, begins to appear when that time is close. To call to those that bear its mark and take up arms against the coming darkness. And the fact that you reacted to its presence proves that much. And I believe these events that occurred are tied in with these strange occurrences."

Jack sat there for a moment, carefully contemplating his mentor's words before replying "But...You also know what I've done, Rex. How I came to be who I am...And seeing Yusei again..." At this Rex leaned forward and put a hand on Jack's shoulder, "I know it wasn't easy, but I chose you for a reason. And the fact that the Dragon is here only confirms I made the right choice. In these uncertain times, Jack, people need an icon...You are their symbol, you and your Red Dragon. Never forget that, and you will be a King for as long as you live and beyond."

Divine, meanwhile, waited in his office for his most trusted associate to return; he could feel her having used the Teleport card he gave her, their newest charge in tow. How interesting that they were able to find someone linked to Yuna and Hotsuma, though more the former. And when she returned, he just smiled and said, "To be perfectly honest, Aki, I'm surprised you were able to even find one. We both know how rare those two were, and they've set the bar rather high. Your efforts are well-appreciated, I assure you...I do believe I would be completely lost without you by my side."

Giving a slight chuckle, he then added, "Of course, I kick myself now because I was indeed foolish to let them go so easily...But yesterday is history, right?" A low 'Hmph' of amusement passed his lips as he commented on last time. "Besides, I'm sure you'll want to get his blood off your clothes before it sets in. So please, go unwind...I'll go see to it our new guest is taken care of." starting to walk up to her and placing a hand caringly on her shoulder, before saying "You've done so well, Aki-san...Thank you. For everything."
 
Hajime ​

If it weren't for the fact it probably would have looked really fucking weird - and maybe a bit unfair, or at least unjustified - Judai also would have joined in. He'd been in Yamichi's spot too many times for his own good. This never felt good. And it was always worse when it seemed like there was no way to change what had just happened. Even right then and there, he was having a frantic, internal talk with Yubel.

"We can't just stand here! Is there anything you can do?!"

"Me?" Yubel replied, adding a bit of a scoff in the response, "What do you expect me to do, let alone for them?"

"Oi, I'm serious!"

"Judai, not everyone you meet is your friend. You should remember that. You're not back at the Academy, you know?"

Judai frowned. It was moments like this where he lamented fusing himself with the Spirit the most. Unfortunately, it couldn't be undone. He would have to deal with it. His head turned as he heard Takeshi's request and nodded, "Yeah. Yeah, let's .. here. Excuse me." Gently reaching down, Judai gingerly picked the other arm up and hoisted it atop his own shoulder, helping escort Yamichi off the stage so the officers could do their inspection. Although ... if they could do anything more than ask questions, kudos to them. Because, for once, Judai was having almost zero ideas come to his head.

A very significant feat, given he was usually quick when it came to solving problems like this.

But now? He felt as helpless as Yamichi. A few offers steadily began entering his mind. Still, now wasn't the time for those. Now ... the best thing he could do was allow Yamichi to cry and get his tears done. One thing Judai knew for sure was he didn't want the poor guy to be so scarred - or scared at that rate - from this tragedy that he threw his duel against him away.

With the most major issues having been the puncture wounds on his throat and shoulders, it'd taken almost no time to finish healing Hajime up. It was a fair enough assumption - at least according to how the brief surgery had gone - that Aki had meant to make his voice box unable to be fixed. And she had very much succeeded. It was the only thing that could not be returned to normal, much to the dismay of the medical staff.

By the time they wheeled him cautiously into the new cell, they would find Aki - with cleaner hands and clothes - waiting against the door frame.

"Just put him on the bed and leave us. I will only be here for a short while." Seeing the doctors looking hesitant, she sighed, "I have no intentions of making you all patch him up again. I promise."

That seemed to suffice, because only after vow was made did the doctors heed her order. Seconds after they left, Aki entered, lightly resting a hand atop Hajime's heart; more checking how much of the anesthesia was still coursing through Hajime. Enough; that was what his pulse suggested.

Good. She didn't need much time, to be fair. Still, this would simply be easier to do uninterrupted. Aki reached down, producing a rather simple looking, leather collar. One hand gently rested on the back of Hajime's head to keep it supported while the other slowly placed the new choker around his throat, tying it in place when finished.

"Don't worry, Yuna; I'll take care of him since you won't be able to anymore."

Carefully, Aki pulled her hand away, standing up and smirking. That really did suit him. Shame this idea didn't come to her sooner; ah well. Better now than later. Eliciting an arrogant 'Hmph' after staring down at Hajime's unconscious body, she confidently strode out. The glass door to Hajime's cell shut, seeming to click and activate all of the locks on its own.
 

Takeshi was definitely content to let Yamichi mourn; he wasn't feeling too hyped himself. Definitely more pissed than anything, especially now that Hajime was gone. "Man first Sector...Now that Aki bitch had to go and ruin it all. I swear if I find her, I'll break her fucking nose as a start." he muttered angrily, leaning against another pillar. Even worse, he had absolutely zero idea on where to start.

"Oi, Yamichi...So remind me again. You said that she knew Hotsuma and Yuna?" he asked, the blonde tech nodding affirmatively but still staying silent. "So, wherever they were taken is where Hajime is..." he then said aloud, Yamichi curling up more in growing realization of what that meant. Whatever had been done to embolden the leaders so much was going to happen to Hajime...But would he survive it? Especially after Yamichi knew how much he had hurt him.

And it was here that he could take no more, standing up, "Screw this...I'm not waiting for Sector to do anything. Takeshi, we should go...We need to try and get more information somehow. And we're not going to find it here." At this Takeshi put a hand on his friend's shoulder, "Whoa, whoa...Hold up there, Yami. Where would we even start? We need to calm down first...We're all on edge here, and rushing out there isn't going to help us."

"Then what? We let him rot wherever the fuck that red-headed bitch took him?! She was responsible for what happened to Yuna! What happened to Hotsuma, or did you forget that?! And now, it's going to happen to Hajime! Whatever sick fucked up things they did, he could die!"

Takeshi sighed, "I know, I know...But if we start chasing ghosts, it could land us in a lot of trouble. And if we slip up and get thrown back into the Satellite, then we're not going to be able to help him at all. As it stands, these fucks still seem to think we're from the Tops...We can use that to our advantage, but we need to play the part."

Yamichi just sniffled, wiping his eyes, "I know...I know, but you didn't see it...Aki somehow made the damage real, and she didn't take a single hit. And just picturing him...Being held there like a goddamn prisoner...Damn it! It just makes me think of them too...Hotsuma especially. The guards at the Facility will be wanting payback, and I can't do a damn thing!"

Takeshi was starting to get unnerved and felt even worse for Yamichi; he was trying to be strong, and he needed to remind the tech that he had to step up too. "Oi, oi...Yamichi! Look at me!" he shouted, making his friend look right into his eyes. "Hajime's strong, you know this...So are Yuna and Hotsuma. So are we; we didn't get selected because we ran from a fight! This is our fight, right here, right now...And I need you to stay strong. Those two are counting on us...Hajime's counting on us to be strong, so we can find him and bring him back!"

Divine would arrive soon after Aki took her leave, watching the young man as he was laid up to recover from his encounter; while he would have preferred to have his vocal cords intact, in the end that wasn't exactly relevant. One upside of the Psychics was telepathic communications, after all...And he was sure they would be hearing it plenty once he awoke.

Even so...He was deathly curious, a sly grin spreading across his face as he pondered all the possibilities. "Dear, oh dear...How will you turn out, boy? If you truly are your master's prodigy, then it's no coincidence. Fate chose you to be here, whether you like to believe it or not..." he commented bemusedly, grinnig that wicked grin.
 
Hajime ​

Judai felt his heart sink even further. So ... not only had they lost a good pal, but apparently to someone who'd abducted others they knew before? Ouch. Was this done on revenge? Or was there something else?

"Seriously, Judai; why do you care so much?"

"What do you want me to do?! Sit here and not help support them somehow?!"

"Well, it's not like you can do much anyway. This is their battle. Let them fight it."

" ... They don't sound like they've heard or run into these people before now. Having someone who's been in Hajime's shoes ... it's better than nothing. Especially since it sounds like these Yuna and Hotsuma figures aren't immediately available."

An exasperated sigh echoed in Judai's head.

"Fine, fine! Whatever! But I think you intervening is so fucking stupid."

"Not as much as your selfish attitude is," Judai bitterly shot back, breaking the connection lest he started having a rather colorful vocabulary himself. She was right with some of the comments she'd uttered. Yes, this was their fight and, sadly, there was little that could be done right now. So when Yamichi stood up and tried to storm away, he got up to his feet, gently resting his hand on the other shoulder.

"He's right," Judai would state after the two Disciples finished their exchange, "Leaving now wouldn't do you any good. You definitely wouldn't be able to dissect my deck - as Takeshi warned me - if you left now. You were eager to see. You now have the chance to do just that soon enough. I'm not saying you shouldn't be mad. That'd be stupid of me. But blindly exiting this tournament and looking for Hajime when you have almost no leads is even more foolish. And ... "

He paused, double and triple checking to be damn sure he wanted to extend his offer. Why not, he figured? His own comrades had yet to be found. And even then, it wasn't like they wouldn't try to help out also. Most lectured Judai about taking too many burdens on his own shoulders, after all.

"I'll help you two out, if you want. There was a more exact reason besides good instincts that I knew how to suggest to check the barrier, Takeshi. But I'd rather tell you in a more discreet place. That can be done after this tournamet. For now ... come on, Yamichi. I'm curious to see what you have. You must have quite the deck, given you pulled your own turn-around duel against her out, yeah?"

It wasn't Judai's most 'perfect' pep-talk. But hopefully it'd be more than good enough to help him calm down and react in a more proper way.

Memories flooded Hajime's mind. From hanging out at that small restaurant in the Tops with Yamichi and Takeshi to going and joining the tournament. It was a lovely dream. One that quickly turned into a nightmare. A very painful one. Literally so, as his body shuddered from recalling the vines wrapping tightly around him. And if that hadn't been enough, that bitch had cheated, as far as Hajime was concerned.

Using me like a fucking shield .... lame. If I ever get my hands on her, I'll beat her myself ...

Ah well. It was only a dream, after all. Right? How had he gotten to the Tops anyway? Some parts were becoming a blur.

A low groan resounded from Hajime's lips as he rubbed his forehead. White -- it was all around him, which made him blink. This was too clean to be his room in Yomi. And even his aniki didn't have this immaculate of a room.

"Wait! Where the hell am ...?? "

When the words failed to echo in his ears, Hajime scooted back on the bed, his back pressing agains the cold wall behind. That hadn't been a dream.

Then .... then she really .... ?!

His head jerked from side to side, a new set of tears falling down his face.

No. This can't be happening! This isn't fair. This is beyond unfair! This ... this is fucked up! This can't be real ...

Raising a hand, Hajime tried to move them through his hair. Think of any and everything to improve his mood, including Yuna. But realizing she was trapped in the Facility only made it worse.

Oi! You really did speak in my head then, right? You're coming for me ... right? Where the fuck am I?!

Unfortunately, with any powers he may end up potentially having not yet being unlocked, only the people in Arcadia would hear them. Including the man beside him ... which Hajime finally paid heed to the moment his peripheral vision caught sight of a shadow belonging to an unfamiliar figure beside him.

... You! Where am I?! WHY DID AKI KNOW OF YUNA?! Is it you bastards that are the reason for her out-of-place disappearance a few weeks ago?! And what the fuck do you want with me then? Am I some sorta bargaining chip? It's not gonna work for ya'll. Just getting that out there right now. If anything, this is gonna seriously bite you all in the ass. Real fucking hard, too.
 

Even if Judai's pep talk wasn't perfect...It did seem to help Yamichi calm down a little, if only to not look like he was going to bolt out the door. "Arigato, Judai, Takeshi" he said with a weak smile, wiping away the last of the tears from his eyes. "Yeah, Judai...Trust me when I say we'll take all the help we can get."

"You guys are right though; we need to come up with a plan. But first...Judai, I plan to make you use everything you've got in that deck of yours!" Yamichi grinned, slowly starting to come back to life. And just in time too, for the guard that had chastised Judai and Takeshi approached the group. "Hey...Uhm, sorry about earlier, I didn't realize the gravity of the situation. Don't worry though...We will find your friend."

Yamichi already guessed they were gone, and it seemed Takeshi did too, "It's...It's alright. Not like anyone expected this to happen." The guard just nodded, "Anyway, you guys are the last two right? Well, whenever you're ready...You can head on up to the platform; we swept the arena and there's nothing else. Oh, and don't tell anyone I told you this...But with this being the last duel, they've decided to keep the barrier down. Probably going to get rid of it altogether after today; last thing we need to have more Duelists kidnapped.

Takeshi just smirked, "Well alright, finally we actually get to see some action!" He then grabbed Yamichi in a half-arm hug, a goody grin on his face, "And don't worry, Judai, I didn't forget your wanting to know about Synchro Summoning. He'll tell you ALLLLLLL about it, won't you Yami?" Yamichi just pouted, "Just because I'm smart doesn't make me your encyclopedia, Takeshi..."

Divine continued to stand there, just keeping his eye on Hajime while he would rest and recover from the procedure to restore his body sans vocal cords. He could feel the turmoil, the shifting emotions as he started to wake up. First, the joy, the happiness of memories that came before...Then the crushing sadness as he took in the gravity of his situation.

Then the act of desperate begging, of someone coming to take him from what he perceived to be his hell. Their bosses thought very much the same, but he would make sure that Hajime here understood why this had to happen.

"If you're referring to her and her lover's attempt to steal the Beelze cards, then yes, that was me. I'm surprised you had to ask though; it seems Aki's intuition was spot-on. They really didn't tell you a thing, did they? Not fair of her to keep her second-in-command in the dark, especially for something as important as that...I wonder what would make her so secretive all of a sudden." Divine replied playfully, already knowing full well what it was. This boy was a treasure trove of information.

Those two really were quite bold; to think they would attempt something so daring. He suspected they might, but it brought an odd sense of satisfaction knowing that they were actually going through with infiltrating the Facility. There were so many with potential in there; but he couldn't risk Arcadia being caught liberating prisoners. No, far better to have a rogue element do it for him.

"And trust me, you're hardly useful as a bargaining chip. Your friends have absolutely no value to me, nor do they have anything I would want. Yuna already gave me everything I could need; I just wish I had listened to Aki and made them stay here longer. But, I am a man of my word...Call it one of my few flaws." Divine added on, smiling "And as for 'biting me in the ass', well...That'll be half the fun, right? I have to say, Yuna surprised me with how well she adapted. She's a quick learner that one."

Divine then just sighed, "Hotsuma on the other hand...So stubborn that one; I feel Aki got cheated fighting him. It was all too easy for her to pick him apart, piece by piece. I only wish I could have been there in person to see him shatter like glass before her power. In a way, seeing how you were brought memories of that sigh back...She is a remarkable woman, wouldn't you say?" Letting out a bemused 'Hmp', he continued, "But then again, it made her Duel with your leader all the more of a challenge; I've never seen another push her as hard as Yuna did...Truly impressive. I wonder if you'll live up to her standards. I do expect quite a bit from you, being her underling and all."

He then opened his arms outward and said, "Welcome, Hajime...To Arcadia."
 
Hajime ​

The more stoic expression Judai had been wearing disappeared, turning into his more usual happy-go-lucky one. "There we go. Good to have the more usual you back." He lightly patted the tech's back a few times before letting his hand fall back by his side.

When Yamichi vowed to make him use everything he had in his deck, Judai gave him a thumbs up. "Good! Bring it, because you'll need it to handle my deck!"

His head turned when he picked up on a new set of footfalls approaching. The guard was approaching. Inside, he was just a bit prepared to become defensive; but only if it was needed. Thus when said officer apologized, he visibly relaxed. It was nice to see and hear at least one person of authority admit they made mistakes.

Most of the others Judai had seen or heard had a 'mightier than thou' mindset.

This whole place was ... strange, both in good and bad ways. Within the past few hours or so, the brunette was very quickly seeing both sides of the coin revealing themselves.

"What they said. There are just some things no one can easily prepare for. A kidnapping - let alone in a very public setting - is one of them."

His eyes followed the cop, watching him leave. When the trio was alone again, Judai's gaze went back to Yamichi. "Well, come on! We - well, we could use all of today to get this duel under way. But I doubt you wanna take that long, and I definitely don't wanna. Let's go, shall we?"

Grinning from ear to ear, he took the platform on his right side. Raising his left arm, Judai activated his duel disk. "Since you were so eager to see, hope you don't mind I go on ahead first. Duel and draw!"

.... Oh dear. All monster hand.

Still, it was something he could work with; particularly due to a very specific card he was staring down at. "Alright. Meet my Elemental HEROes! First up, Elemental Hero Heat! For every Elemental HERO - including itself - it gains an extra 200 attack."

Not much, no. But over time, it would definitely become quite the beat stick; assuming Judai got his way, that was.

"Since you're gonna see soon enough so I have no qualms revealing they're a Fusion-focused deck. You'll definitely see more what I mean in due time. Until then, your turn to introduce me to your deck!"

... Her lover?

It wasn't overly surprising. In fact, it did seem like her disappearance had made Yuna somehow stronger. The more Hajime thought on it, the more sense it made.

There was a very small part of him that - for perhaps 10 seconds - was indeed jealous.

But it wasn't so much of Hotsuma. Rather, it was the fact they had a genuine, deep bond that was more than simply comrades or allies. It was difficult enough as it was to find friends in any form or fashion. Lovers were even harder.

Eventually, yes, Hajiime did want someone to share his life with.

But .... right now, those desires didn't matter.

Hmph. If you're trying to piss me off with that revelation, F in effort and overall grade. They had their reasons, and the encounter with Aki makes it rather easy to understand why. Who'd wanna talk about a crazy bitch like her and anyone else she had to deal with? If I still had my voice, I'd keep quiet when I leave here.

... Already, he seemed to be placing quite a bit of faith in Yuna and the Disciples. Just like Takeshi had told Yamichi mere moments ago, he was doing his best to stay more positive. Be as brave as possible, despite not fully comprehending what was going on, nor even why.

Did she cheat with Hotsuma too? Use whatever bullshit abilities she has on Yuna agaist Hotsuma? Or simply on him? Because if so ... that's likely one of the few ways she won. She did lose a few moments ago, after all. She's not as invincible as you make her sound.

Of course, that was likely just his interpretaion of Divine's words. Then again, Hajime was also beyond caring.

Most of these words were translating to 'Blah, blah, blah, Aki rant. Yada, yada, yada more nonsense. Shit like that'. There hadn't been much that was truly as essential to learn as there could be.

Not yet, anyway.

Hmph. Don't get too used to my presence here, he quipped, crossing his arms over his chest.

Unless you made a deal with Yuna and Hotsuma for them to never return, they will. And they will do whatever it takes to get me out; even killing you and everyone here, if absolutely needed. You're gonna need a lot more strong and capable people than simply Aki. Good as she is, she's only one person.

Hajime finally turned his head away, breaking eye contact with Divine.

If today is just introduction day, so be it. But kindly go fuck off elsewhere, that'd be perfect, thanks. I'm not overly enthused with you or anything I've seen in this wanna-be asylum thus far.
 

Yamichi too raised his right arm and let his Duel Disk activate, the meter reading 8000 LP and the auto-shuffler doing its thing to randomize his cards. This time, the Duel would be different though; against Ling and Aki, he had some form of anonymity. But now that the Duel Barrier was taken down, he would have every move judged. Every card played announced and tactic analyzed, much like how they saw it on television back in Yomi.

But, at the very least, he was facing the opponent that had given Takeshi such an enjoyable fight. So if there was any good takeaway, he was happy that was it.

"Elemental HERO, huh? Can't say I've heard of that archetype, but I'm definitely looking forward to seeing them!" Yamichi grinned, feeling a little bit better about this whole situation. And as Heat took the field, the crowd too seemed to appreciate the awesome appearance of the monster. And at 1800 ATK, it was definitely not something most of his monsters could beat. He did have one monster though, that could destroy it. And since there was no backrow to worry about, he felt pretty confident he could get an upper hand.

"My turn, I draw! I'll show you my Scrap deck, Judai! I summon Scrap Shark in attack mode!" he declared, the mechanical fish bursting from the ground and hovering before Yamichi; at 2100 ATK, it easily outclassed his monster. "Battle! Scrap Shark attacks Elemental HERO Heat!"

"I activate Elemental HERO Honesty Neos' effect from my hand!"

Yamichi mentally face-palmed; he should have considered the possibility of hand-traps, but at the very least he would be spared any damage from this round. "Scrap Shark's effect activates! When a monster, Spell or Trap effect resolves, it's destroyed!" And as Heat's ATK would rise to 4300, Scrap Shark blew up halfway through its attack, pieces of itself falling all over the battlefield. "And when Shark is destroyed by a 'Scrap' effect, I can send one Scrap monster from my Deck to my Graveyard. I'll take this chance and place Searcher there!"

Realizing that nothing else could be done, he then said, "I place one card face-down and end my turn. Let's keep this going, Judai...Give people a Duel to watch after having to just look at numbers the whole time."



Divine, meanwhile, just watched with interest as Hajime seemed to take a moment to process that first statement; were their subordinates so untrustworthy they couldn't even tell them they were lovers? Divine sensed the momentary hint of jealousy, much as he'd felt from many of his own disciples after it was revealed that Yuna and Hotsuma actually transformed into Duel Monsters themselves.

He even felt it for the briefest moment from Aki herself, though he suspected it was more to do with a perceived difference of power. She was always looking to strengthen herself, that one. A trait, among many, that he admired about her.

"On the contrary, my boy, I thought it would bring you joy to hear that your leader found someone special. Even if it wasn't under the best circumstances." Divine replied smoothly, adding "And truth be told, Aki was actually quite instrumental in helping Yuna cope with her situation here. I would go even so far as to say they bonded a little, kindred spirits and what have you."

And when Hajime went so far as to actually declare Yuna and Hotsuma would return, he just paused before letting out a small chuckle. "Dear boy, you honestly think you know Aki's power, let alone mine? What you have seen so far, and what Yuna and Hotsuma have seen isn't even close to the full extent of what she can do. Whether you believe it or not, she was well and truly holding back; it's one reason your friend - Yamichi, wasn't it? - didn't perish the moment his attack was rebounded. Besides, Hotsuma still can't even fully utilize his own power..."

His eyes flashed a bit dangerously, adding "If he even tries, Aki or myself will put him down before he can even twitch. And to quote you, your boss will just be 'one person'..." Scratching the side of his head, he then said, "But, I can tell you're going to be just like them, so I'll let you rest for now. I suggest you make yourself comfortable, Hajime...Because you won't be going anywhere for a long time." And with that, Divine turned and took his leave, leaving the Yomi lieutenant to himself.
 
Hajime ​

"Hehe, yeah. That's what almost everyone else has said thus far to me."

That really was one of the most intriguing things about this world he seemed to be forced to reside in; it had a lot of new archetypes. It was rather diverse and intriguing, particularly for dueling. In its own odd way, Judai kinda felt like he was back in the Academy all over again give he was learning so much with every day he continued to live here. It was allmost like he never left home in the first place. Almost.

His head tilted as he summoned his first monster.

"Scrap Shark, eh? That's new for me too." His eyes widened slightly, mainly at seeing a four-star monster already over 2000 attack. He'd seen a very small handful of such cards before. He simply hadn't thought that would need to be a concern so early.

"Haha, well, well. Makes me all the more glad I started with this angel in my hand. I activate Elemental HERO Honesty Neos' effect from my hand! Think of it as a HERO-specific version of Honest. It'll add 2500 to any monster I choose, so long as I discard it from my hand. Well .... I only have one choice, don't I? Heat will jump to 4300!" Judai gripped his lower lip, half-hoping to see this the first bit of life point loss go to him. Only to see it wouldn't be that easy, as Yamichi simply sent another of his Scrap cards to the graveyard to negate the damage.

"... That's a new way to block damage. Not bad. Not bad at all. I already kinda envy you. My deck has no ability like that whatsoever, but it could use something. Alright! Draw!"

This was gonna be an amazing duel. He didn't think it. No, Judai knew it by now. Grinning from ear to ear, he started looking through his hand, trying to determine the best course of action. "I activate the Warrior Returning Alive to get Honesty Neos back to my hand. I then summon Elemental HERO Woodsman."

It was incredibly risky to summon Woodsman normally. It wouldn't take a genius - tech or otherwise - to assume Judai hadn't chosen Woodsman for his attack, but effect. And ... well, that was exactly why Judai chose him over any of the others in his hand. In order to get an edge in this duel, he'd need to start fusing, and sooner than later. This would help make up for having drawn all monsters in the first five cards.

"Both Heat and Woodsman will directly attack!"

With Heat being boosted to 2000 due to Woodsman's summoning, the two Elemental HEROes would strike, already taking almost half of Yamichi's life in one shot as his life plummeted to 5000. Judai chuckled slightly - not a sadistic kind like Aki had, but one that held a very sheepish and embarrassed tone. "Guess they really don't wanna play nice today. Alrighty! With that, I end my turn!"
Hajime scoffed, rolling his eyes. Hearing Aki had helped Yuna adapt to being here was already questionable enough. But when Divine declared they bonded, even his eyebrow raised.

.... Oh?

His body shook; not from fear, but indicating he'd be laughing if he could.

Well, she made the stupidest choice of her life. Whatever bond they had is going to be shattered the moment it's relayed of all the shit she did to me. Nothing short of a miracle will keep any other result from happening to your perfect little soldier.

... Powers?

Slowly, the gears began to turn in Hajime's head. Fine. He didn't overly like it; but with no way to confirm with Yuna or Hotsuma if any of this was true, he had to at least consider trusting Divine.

... Is this their trump card? Why they were able to hand themselves to the Facility with no problems?

... It was the only thing that even started making sense. If whatever powers Divine were speaking of truly were this great and impressive, then ... he could believe this statement. But it definitely did pain him that Yuna had kept that away from him.

She had to have a good reason. She doesn't withhold information just because.

That was what she'd done with her identity as Yukio, after all. This had to hold a similar significance.

Hmph. Even if all you're saying is true, they're not weak. Maybe temporarily unavailable - no point hiding that since my mind's an open book to you, you creepy fuck. But the moment they storm out, it'll be armed and at the ready. News goes around quickly; you should know that as well as me. Maybe better, even. And even if the others don't have a discreet way of being able to tell them right now, they will find out about the stunts you and Aki have done. And nothing will save this place from their wrath.

Raising his middle finger while Divine strode off, Hajime waited for the leader to be out of eye shot before standing up and beginning to examine his new room. Good. It at least had a bathroom, with a shower included. That was generous enough. If this had followed the layout of a prison or - as he jested earlier - an asylum, those wouldn't be likely to have been included.

Closing the door behind him - more out of habit than much else - he began to shed his clothing. It wasn't until after his shirt was removed, however, that now he noticed the collar.

... The fuck is this bullshit? Umm, no. Not into that kinda crap.

His hands reached back, beginning to feel for the strap. Something that held this thing in place. His face paled and eyes widened when he detected ... nothing?!

WHAT DO YOU MEAN NOTHING?! THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING! HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THIS OTHERWISE BEING ABLE TO BE PUT ON?! WHAT THE FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK?!

The first failed attempt in trying to remove the collar led to reveal its true purpose. A light jolt of electricity shot through Hajime, making him pant and wince. His hands tightly gripped onto the edge of the sink as he panted and winced. His head moved from side to side in disbelief as another internal chuckle could be heard in his head.

Ohhhhhhh yeah. Deeper and deeper you fuckers keep digging your graves. Yep. Noooooo fucking thing's gonna save anyone here save a miracle; con-fucking-firmed. Christ. Fine. I wear this for now, I guess.

... How long had it been since Hotsuma and Yuna turned themselves in? A few days ago? Surely they'd be out soon then. Right?

They gotta. I can't fucking stay here forever.

Fighting any tears that were trying to form, Hajme finished removing the rest of his clothes, setting them atop the nearby counter before walking to the shower. Waiting for the water to become lukewarm, albeit a bit more warm than cold, he stepped in.

Not my fucking fault if this collar gets ruined from the water. Hope whoever put this on thought about that.

Of course, it'd be more than fine if they hadn't. It'd give Hajime a reason to demand it be removed, if nothing else. It at least wasn't trying to shock him while in the shower; something he was very grateful for. Raising his hands, Hajime grabbed the soap, beginning to work on carefully but thoroughly scrubbing his body.
 

Yamichi just grinned sheepishly as Judai commented on his card, saying "Well, I can't let you damage me that easily, Judai." Of course, it was kind of ironic for him to say, considering Shark's effect left his field open enough to drive a fleet of Sector Runners through and still have room for a couple of patrol cars. Evidenced as such when the brunette managed to summon yet another HERO to the field; and while it wasn't the strongest, Yamichi had a feeling his opponent didn't summon it just for the extra damage.

He would wince as Judai's combined attacks cleaved a significant chunk from his Life Points; well shit, he thought. This wasn't going to be an easy match...And as much as he was trying to put it to the side, there was still the issue of Hajime. "No...No, don't worry about it, remember what Judai and Takeshi said. We need to come up with a plan, then we can get him out." Yamichi told himself, mentally. "My turn! Draw!"

He looked down at his hand and was certainly despondent; there was nothing that could counter Heat's attack, and even if there were, Judai would just be able to send Honesty Neos to the Graveyard and supercede any monster he could dish out. As it stood, the only viable move he could make was not one he was proud of...But when it came down to it, a move to protect his Life was better than no move at all.

"Doesn't matter how you play your cards, only that you play to win. Even if your opponent is your best friend, it's war. If it means you have to throw up a wall, then do it."

Yeah...And right now, his best option was a wall. An unbreakable one under most circumstances, but a wall all the same.

"I set a monster...Turn end."

Takeshi, meanwhile, just watched on and grimaced a bit as Yamichi took a solid hit to his Life Points. And the fact that he only set a monster meant that he was going to try and buy some time. And there was only one card in his deck that could do that.

He sensed the tech was having some issues; he could tell as much, despite his obvious want to just focus on the Duel. "Yamichi, you can do it man. Just believe that things will be alright." the other Disciple muttered, watching and waiting to see what his opponent would do.



Divine would make his way to his office, eager to plan out his newest 'project'; with the deaths of Tokumo and Jun, it wasn't just replacements for Hotsuma and Yuna he was looking for. But he wouldn't send Aki out again; no, she had done enough for today. The world out there was unforgiving to the Psychics...And he found it was high time to start actively recruiting people.

And with what he learned from studying Yuna and Hotsuma's powers, he knew he could create Psychic Duelists the likes of which was never seen before. And as he contemplated this, he started writing dossiers from the field report he got through Aki. Most of the duelists she faced were indeed unimpressive, but perhaps searching them through Sector's database would reveal other connections he could make. Other recruits he could potentially bring to Arcadia.

One dossier he ended up taking a longer look at was of this Yamichi that she had faced; he had never seen this deck type before, and the fact that he was able to beat her after she did so much showed remarkable resolve. Then again, despite everything he'd said to Hajime, it was no wonder considering Hotsuma was his leader. Maybe the boy had no Psychic potential...But looking things over, he smiled.

Yeah, he could definitely find a use for this one.
 

Oh dear ...

Well ... that was very unfortunate. To be forced to go on the defensive so quickly. Still, duels were never fully nor truly over until someone's life reached 0. And hell, Judai had seen tons of times people turn duels around. Only time would tell how this one would actually go.

Despite the limited amount of moves he had been able to make, Judai still offered him a reassuring smile. "Ready or not, here I come! Draw! I activate Woodsman's effect to get a Polymerization card from my deck to my hand! I then activate it, using the Elemental HERO Avian and Neos in my hand. Fusion Summon, Vision Elemental HERO Adoration!"

With only using a monster to activate a rather simple effect, Judai now had his own monster just a bit shy under 3000 attack. And that was without any potential cards buffing it.

"I then normal summon Elemental HERO Ocean to the field. Ocean will attack your set!"

He chuckled softly as the card flipped up and revealed to be what was most definitely Yamichi's life saver; a Scrap Goblin. "I see. Can't die from battle, eh? Okay. Well, I have to end, then. Your turn."
He had seen a bit of the lacerations that still lingered on his body, namely around the shoulders. Now ... Hajime could feel them. They weren't overly deep, though even if they were, that wasn't what was bothering him. It was feeling they were there. It was the ultimate proof these fucking injuries were real. And that made Divine's earlier statements about powers seem more real. Hajime gulped softly, looking down at himself as his hands began to tremble.

... I don't want them. Those kinds of powers ... there's no good that could possibly from them.

Hajime wasn't usually a sadist; however, he was definitely fine with being able to beat on Divine and even Aki when the chance arrived. They at least deserved it. Aside from that small yet vital exception, Hajime didn't like hurting people. And if that's all these powers would do ... he didn't want them. He didn't want to be turned into someone he never wished to be.

A shiver trailed down Hajime's spine as he panted and shudddered.

... No. Even if he was forced to accept these abilities, it wouldn't mean he himself would become some bloodthirsty monster. After all, if Hotsuma and Yuna rally had ... whatever Divine hinted, they obviously had good enough control to keep their emotions in check. He could definitely do the same.

Nodding to himself - feeling a bit more calm but still very pissed off on this situation - Hajime reached up and gripped a nearby bottle of shampoo. His head tilted upon seeing .... this was strawberry-scented? An odd choice, but not bad.

... Why was it already here though?

It could have just been coincidence, but somehow, Hajime was doubting that. Then again, it could wait on figuring out why. He just knew the hot water was steadily beginning to vanish. The blue-haired lieutenant did not want to be here when only cold water was trailing down his skin. No thanks. And ... he was beginning to get a bit fatigued. Probably from the emotional and physical toll the day had taken on him.

Five more minutes would pass before Hajime walked out, re-dressed in his outfit. His hair was still a bit damp, but whatever. He'd live, as would the pillow that was provided on the cot.

... Yuna? You are coming, right?

He gripped onto his lower lip, holding himself as he slid under the blanket.

I ... I'll try to hang on. Really, I will. Just ..... please tell me you are gonna come over. I really don't wanna stay with these fuckers forever.

Seconds after his head found the pillow and eyes closed, Hajime found himself in a deep, natural sleep.
 

Yamichi knew this wasn't going to be a very exciting next few turns, especially if his opponent didn't attack again or if they didn't have a card like Raigeki or Soul Exchange to get rid of it. And with his current hand, there wasn't anything he could throw out that wouldn't get destroyed by Heat's attacks.

Even more so when Judai used his monster to get a fusing card out, only to be able to perform a Fusion Summon right off the bat. Yep, his opponent was definitely bringing his A-game. And here Yamichi was, having just a single wall monster to his name. And when Judai attacked, revealing the card to be Scrap Goblin, Yamichi prayed that Judai wouldn't attack it again...And thankfully his prayer seemed to be answered, as the brunette halted his offensive.

"Man, that's crazy you were able to Fusion Summon after just two turns; your deck's awesome! I can't wait to see what else it can do! Draw!" Yamichi replied, trying to keep himself upbeat. But, a thought did occur; if Judai didn't know about Goblin's effect, he could use that to his advantage. Of course, he needed to play this smartly. This could just as easily come back around and bite him in the ass. Especially since he was missing his field spell to truly make this deck work like it was supposed to. "First, I'll activate the Magic Card, Scrapyard! With it, I can add one Scrap Tuner from my Deck to my hand! I'll add my Goblin's twin brother, just in case something happens to it."

Showing another monster card, he then said "I then activate Scrapstorm! I target my Scrap Goblin, send Scrap Soldier to the Graveyard and draw a card! And with Scrap Goblin's destruction, I can add Scrap Shark to my hand. Unfortunately...That's about all I can do...Eh-he, sorry Judai". Of course, he knew it wasn't his fault; he just wanted to give the guy an exciting Duel. He couldn't use the same strategy every turn though; there was no telling what his opponent would draw.

And with that, Yamichi placed another card into his Duel Disk, "I'll set another card face-down, as well as another monster. Your go, Judai." Inwardly, he was kind of upset with himself because he didn't really have any other moves to make. All he could hope for was that he would eventually draw a card he needed, or Scrap Factory itself for that matter. His two sets would only be good for if Judai had face-up Spell or Trap cards to destroy.
 

"I'm usually able to fuse on turn one," Judai replied, grinning slyly. It wasn't simply a boast, either. It was, more often than not, the unfortunate truth. Unlucky for most people who had gone against him, that was. That was one of the most frequent questions he got asked; how he was able to get a huge monster out so soon. Well ... it was about as easy as what he'd told Takeshi. His deck was just built to support that, along with his monsters, Fusion or not.

It was interesting, however, that he had needed to rely on Woodsman this time around. When was the last time Judai had needed to do this?

Ah well. The fact he had to made this duel already more unique and fun than a good chunk of his previous ones. He was doing many new and unorthodox things he hadn't considering using before. But for Judai, learning was good. He couldn't always use the same tricks in every duel. So he actually loved having to do these foreign tactics.

"Draw! I activate both Woodsman and Ocean's effects! Woodsman will give me my second Polymerization, while Ocean will allow me to get a card from my grave and put it back in my hand. I choose Elemental HERO Neos! I activate my second Polymerization, using my Neos and Woodsman to create a second Vision HERO Adoration. Next, I summon Elemental HERO Sparkman! Finally, Ocean will attack your set."

Judai chuckled as yet a second Goblin revealed itself on the field.

"Wow. What are the odds? I suppose given my weird sense of luck, really high." Taking a moment to examine his hand, he merely smirked as Yamichi apologized. "Nonsense. I mean, I literally just did a very deja-vu-esque move on ya. So don't worry about it. Yep. That's all I can do also so .... your turn again."
 

Yamichi knew that this Duel was going to require him to think outside the box, even with this deck he was using. As it stood, Scrap Goblin was the only reason Judai hadn't been able to hit his Life Points yet. And it would only get more pressing as he managed to Fusion Summon yet again, another Vision HERO making its way onto the field.

His plan could be put into action with this; he had the thought that so long as this second Scrap Goblin wasn't destroyed, he could try to bait Judai into tossing Honesty Neos at an inopportune time. And if things didn't pan out, at the very least, he could put more materials into the Graveyard.

"My turn, I draw!" Yamichi declared; so far, with the cards he currently had, there was nothing else he could except try to set himself up for other plays. "I summon Scrap Shark again, and I'll go right into the Battle Phase! Scrap Shark, attack Elemental HERO Ocean!" And just as he predicted, Judai boosted his water-powered HERO to 4000 ATK, forcing Shark to self-destruct and let him send another monster to the Graveyard. And with the added destruction, Scrap Searcher was revived as well, summoned to Yamichi's field in Defense Position.

And with no other plays, Yamichi seemed a bit peeved; both of them were in a standoff at this point, and it was a matter of who made the first move and when. "I got nothing else sadly...So, yeah...Turn end." he then said, giving control of the match to his opponent.

Takeshi frowned; from this angle it looked like a deadlock. Did Yamichi have no other plays to make? "Must not; he had to have known Judai would use Honesty Neos again...Right? And won't Ocean just be able to put it back into his hand?" the Disciple wondered; he could already hear some of the whispers from directly over him about why Yamichi would make a move like that. "Bro...You gotta be planning for something, right?" Takeshi thought to himself, his eyes following the flow and trying to figure out exactly what the tech was trying to accomplish.
 

Judai nodded, drawing as Yamichi ended his turn. As he drew his next card, it took all of his will to keep a decent face. In his hand was by far one of Judai's very last resort traps, Torrential Tribute. More than anything, his main issue was ... would it even work against Yamichi's deck? He honestly didn't think so. With how easy it was to keep his life points safe, something told Judai the same would be true with spells and traps. Still ... if push absolutely came to shove, he'd consider using it.

But only when it became that desperate.

"I'll activate Ocean's effect to get Honesty Neos back to my hand. I set a card. Sparkman! Attack his Scrap Searcher!"

He must be really having some unlucky draws, Judai assumed, watching the Searcher get destroyed with nothing to prevent its destruction.

"I don't have much more myself. Your turn again."
 

Yamichi just grimaced as the turn came back to him; right now, he was literally stuck. There was nothing he could do to destroy Judai's monsters; his draws weren't helping either, as he still had nothing to counter Judai using Honesty Neos to boost his HERO's ATK. And with Judai having used Sparkman to destroy Searcher, he didn't even have a monster to Advance Summon the Golem in his hand.

"Think, Yamichi...Think."

There had to be something he could do...Then it dawned on him. He could do this, but damn he was going to eat some serious damage. Even still, he needed to take this chance if he was going to stop Judai from constantly using Ocean to get Honesty Neos back into his hand.

And what was next could very well be considered a suicide move, especially since he was going to be breaking down his own wall. "I release Scrap Goblin to Advance Summon Scrap Golem! Then Golem's effect activates! I can Special Summon one 'Scrap' monster from my Graveyard every turn, so I'll return the Goblin I just released." If this worked, he could very turn this around.

"I tune Scrap Goblin with Scrap Golem! Rise! Draconid of rust and oil! Synchro Summon! Level 8! Scrap Dragon!"

Now THIS elicted a cheer from the crowd; Synchro monsters were always a treat to be seen, even if his didn't exactly have the polished look of other monsters. "Battle! Attack Elemental HERO Sparkman!" he declared, Scrap Dragon powering up a shot.

And just as he predicted, Judai would use Honesty Neos' effect to raise his HERO's power...And just like that, Scrap Dragon was on the receiving of a massive electrical overload, its hulking body crashing down in a ball of fire and smoke and Yamichi's LP dropping to 3700. "Scrap Dragon's effect activates! When it's destroyed by an opponent's card effect or battle, I can Special Summon a non-Synchro Scrap monster from my Graveyard! Form up, Scrap Golem! And Searcher too, will be revived from my Dragon's destruction!" And in a flurry of swirling scrap, both monsters would reappear, the tiny Winged-Beast huddled over in Defense Mode.

And for the first time in this Duel, Yamichi would be able to make a dent in his opponent's LP. "Golem! Destroy Elemental HERO Heat! Scrap Slam!" And true to the attack's name, the fiery HERO literally was crushed under the massive form of Golem, Judai getting a 100 LP ding from the attack. "Now, I activate Golem's effect once more! I'll resummon Goblin and Synchro Summon again! Come forward, my second Scrap Dragon!"

And then he would point at Judai's E-HERO Ocean, stating "I activate Dragon's effect! I destroy one of my set cards and destroy Ocean!" And sure enough, the HERO with power over water would be laid to rest, putting a stop (however temporary and/or permanent) to the combo that put his monsters in harm's way.

"Turn end...Your move, Judai."
 

The truth of the matter was rather simple for Judai. Could he keep getting Elemental HERO Honesty Neos? Assuming Ocean stayed alive and on the field, definitely. But in all honesty, he didn't want to do that. Not the whole duel. That was a tactic reserved for the more vile opponents he went against. He wanted to keep trying new and different things against Yamichi. Dueling was all well and good. Fun even, especially against decent guys like him and his pals. But even for someone as carefree as Judai, it could get incredibly repetitive ... if certain things continued repeating over and over again, anyway.

Finally! Judai inwardly screamed, grinning as Yamichi pulled a Synchro Summon off.

Unfortunately, Judai still had no intentions of simply throwing the duel over. So, just as Yamichi expected, he discarded Honesty Neos back into the graveyard. "I activate Honesty Neos's effect to add an extra 2500 attack."

Yet as the dragon vanished, his smile remained. These Synchros ... they truly were as interesting as the brunette had initially assumed. Oh was he looking forward to learning more about them properly.

... But Yamichi's turn didn't end with the destruction of his Synchro like Judai half-expected. He kept going ... and even put a small but still essential dent into his life points. "Hehe, yes! This is gonna be a great duel, just like it was with Takeshi. Draw!"

The next several turns were very back-and-forth, for a lack of better wording. Even though Judai didn't possess Ocean on his field nor Honesty Neos in his hand, he kept an offensive field. Compared to Yamichi, there were more attackers on his own side of the field than the tech's.

Last turn, he had activated his field card, Skyscraper. He was coming at him with another higher attack point monster. Thankfully, Judai had set a very specific card several turns ago in case something like this happened. "Trap Card, open! Draining Shield!"

If it hadn't been disheartening enough for Yamichi, the sight of Judai's life shooting up to over 10,000 probably would.

"We both know your deck hasn't lost all of it's fight yet. So keep coming at me!"

10,900 vs. 3,700; anyone judging solely by numbers would be a fool. Judai had been against foes with tons of life before. But that didn't always matter. A few had gotten as high as this; yet still, he managed ot make them fall to 0. And it wasn't like he was in this for the money. It really had been for fun, the chance to duel again. He'd gotten far more than what he'd expected, let alone sought out. Now that he'd gotten this far, he was simply playing the duel out to the end.

So let's see how it ends up going, he mused, nodding towards Yamichi.

"Here I go! Draw! I set a card! Heat will attack Scrap Dragon. Because of Skyscraper's effect, he gets an extra 1000 attack! Go forth, Heat!" Thanks to playing R- Righteous Justice earlier, his Scrap Iron Scarecrow had been destroyed. From what Judai had been able to read on the card, it would have been one of the few things to keep his monster alive. "Sparkman will attack your Scrap Golem next!" Both of the high attack Scrap monsters were defeated, disappearing in a cloud of dust.

"Turn end!"

"Don't give up!" he silently encouraged, continuing to grin at Yamichi.
 

Indeed, Yamichi was glad he was able to at least start making some moves, and not just have it be more of the same with every turn. However, even with his Ocean/Neos revival combo gone, the tech found that Judai's HERO deck was remarkably tough. Especially once his Skyscraper Field Magic was activated, allowing the brunette to power up his monsters even more.

Even if Judai felt like it was going to be a great Duel, Yamichi wasn't so sure; the only reason he'd survived as long as he did was because he managed to get both of the Scrap Goblins in his deck out to protect his Life Points. He wasn't doing anything entertaining, and he just felt like Judai was saying these things to make him not feel so bad about the results so far. And this was reinforced when Heat made a kamikaze attack against Scrap Dragon, its effect activating and allowing him to Special Summon Golem. He had thought maybe Skyscraper's effect was once per turn...Only to have that theory blown to bits as Sparkman reduced the mechanical beast to junk.

And even when he DID manage to turn it around and resummon another Scrap Dragon, having used Scrap Kong's effect twice over the past few turns to shuffle his Synchro monsters back into the Extra deck, he found Judai had another surprise waiting for him. And with it, the brunette's LP shot up to a ridiculous number: Unless someone was playing a Life Point deck, no one ever got their totals that high otherwise. Even with the Life Point doubling decision for Duel Tournaments.

And only when Yamichi would get his turn did he see how dire the situation was. Judai's Life was at 10000+ and he was down to 3400. How the hell was he going to come back from this?

And all he had on his field was a face-up Scrap Goblin as well as his Scrap Searcher. Thankfully, both of his Vision HEROs were otherwise unable to attack with this, but being forced to play on the defensive like this. He just felt like he was letting Judai down; the man wanted to have fun Dueling, that much was plain as day, and he just wasn't getting it done. The look of defeat all too prevalent on his face. And it especially didn't help the announcer was broadcasting everything he was doing; despite the neutral tone of the statements, it was painfully obvious who had the upper hand in this match.

It was getting close to ten turns....Maybe he should just surrender, or not even play any cards. The loss of a Duel wasn't any big deal...Right? Even if he did win, it didn't change the fact he couldn't save Hajime.

"Oi, Yamichi! Get it together, man!"

At this the tech looked back and saw Takeshi giving him a determined stare, "You think it's over, just because your opponent's got more Life Points?! That should give you more reason than ever to fight! I know you, Yamichi! You're stronger than you realize! Hotsuma chose you for a reason! So don't you dare give up! This is your battle, so fight!"

Yamichi took a deep breath, knowing what he said was true, but still not feeling great about how things were going. He just needed to find a way to break through Judai's backrow. Knowing him, he likely had something else up his sleeve. And with Skyscraper on the field, he didn't want to risk having his monsters just become cannon fodder.

"My turn, I draw!" he declared; he had a plan in mind, and at least with Heat gone, even if this didn't work, his Sparkman wouldn't be able to overpower what he was about to do. "I summon Scrap Chimera, then activate its effect! When this card is Summoned, I can Special Summon one 'Scrap' Tuner from my Graveyard! So I'll call out Scrap Beast!" He then smiled a little more, feeling more confident about his next moves.

"I tune my Scrap Chimera and Scrap Searcher with Scrap Beast! Erupt! Demolisher with twin heads of fury! Synchro Summon! Level 9! Scrap Twin Dragon!" And it was here that Judai would see a rather impressive chain go off. "I activate its effect! I destroy a card I control to return two cards you control back to your hand! And I'll target both Vision HERO Adorations! And as you might know, Extra Deck monsters can't be returned to the hand, so they go back into the Extra Deck!"

And once both those monsters were gone, Yamichi would watch as his own Scrap Twin was destroyed before he continued, "And because I destroyed Scrap Twin Dragon, I can activate its effect! I'll Special Summon Scrap Golem from my Graveyard and activate its effect! And to top it off, Searcher returns as well! Come back, Scrap Goblin and Scrap Searcher!" Moments later, three monsters would take the place of the one destroyed one. "Next, you'll see a familiar face! I tune Scrap Goblin with Scrap Golem! Synchro Summon! Level 8! Scrap Dragon!"

He would then point at Judai's Sparkman, declaring "Scrap Dragon, attack Elemental HERO Sparkman! Scrap Blaster!" But his opponent was prepared...And he really should have seen it coming.

"Trap Card, open! Magic Cylinder!"

And just like that, Yamichi was forced to cover himself as his Dragon's own attack was redirected back at him, reducing his Life Points down to a dangerous low of 600. However...Judai would see that Yamichi was not nearly as disheartened as he was before. If anything, Yamichi cleared his field of the two more troublesome monsters. Even if Sparkman was still around and kicking, he would still be able to at least build his own field now.

"Don't worry...Judai...This Duel's not over yet...But my turn is. Your move." Yamichi stated, seeming to brush some dust off his sleeves as he uncrossed his arms from in front of him.
 

Judai sighed softly. The look of despair and borderline hopeless was practically stamped on Yamichi's head. And - at least to certain degrees - Judai couldn't blame him. He wouldn't be overly happy if someone succeeded in using Magic Cylinders and thus being hit with his own monster. But ...

"Nu-uh! Don't give me that look."

His smile remained, though it was a bit weakened. Mainly from seeing Yamichi looking as depressed as he was. He had little doubts Hajime's abduction was doing anything but helping Yamichi out. Still, Judai's head moved from side to side. "It's not over until it's over. In these cases, when someone's life drops to zero. You're low, yeah. No doubts. But 600 isn't 0. Don't forget that!"

Good! he cheered, his grin expanding as Yamichi heeded his and Takeshi's words.

"Alright then! I'll draw!"

..... And as of that moment, Judai began to better understand what Yamichi must be feeling; at least as far as dead draws went. Because he officially had as much as the tech used to. "Well," he dictated in between nervous chuckles, "Even though I don't want to, I have to so .... turn end. I got nothing."
It hadn't only been because Reiji hadn't felt good about that letter, but it had certainly been an incentive to hurry things along. Besides, Fayth had done well on her own the past week before getting that piece of parchment. These were the things the eldest son of Leo Akaba insisted time and time again to twenty-year-old Fuyu Uehara, whom had graduated from LDS several years. With very high marks, for that matter. In fact, she earned a reputation as one of her the strongest Synchro duelists one of her class.

The fame and skills she possessed were what helped Fuyu in easily securing a spot among the Lancers.

And now, despite the ongoing chaos, it was time for her to leave.

"You sure you have enough reinforcements here?" Fuyu inquired, greeted with a confident 'Hmph' from Reiji.

"Of course. If this were a bad time, I wouldn't allow you to leave."

"Fair enough. Alright. I'm ready then."

Nodding at her words, Reiji slid a hand down, pulling a card firmly held within a sleeve. "This should take you right to her place in the Tops. Contact me if anything goes wrong."

"Will do." Carefully removing the card from its sleeve, Fuyu deftly slid it into her disk, reappearing beside the studio moments later. Thankfully, no one had been around, and it was getting late. People were probably in their own homes ... something like that. Not out and about was the point. As her hand gripped the door handle, she scoffed. "Geez, Fayth. What's wrong with you? You're not this reckless usually to leave doors unlocked."

When she didn't hear an immediate reply, her eyebrows narrowed.

God, don't make me contact him right fucking away, she inwardly prayed. Steeling herself for both the best and worst case scenarios, Fuyu turned the knob, finding she could indeed push the door open. Slowly, the Ice Barrier user began walking through the house, checking and every room quickly but very carefully.
 

Yamichi knew this wasn't over yet, and he still had a long ways to go before he could even think of resting. Judai hadn't given up, and neither had Takeshi...Now he had to not give up on himself. Judai was right, 600 wasn't zero. This Duel was still going on, and even the crowd could feel that something had shifted; if they listened carefully, they would wonder why the tech had sacrificed a stronger monster in order to bring back a weaker one.

And in truth, Yamichi still wondered if it was the right move to make. But now, this was what he had, and he would make the most of it. "Judai...Thank you. Sorry if I've been a bit of a downer, but that's over now. I swear. I draw." Yamichi then said to his opponent; and while he wouldn't play a monster this turn, he could at the very least go on the offensive and score another hit. He was wondering why Judai hadn't switched his Sparkman into defensive position, but with no real backrow he was confident - this time - that he would indeed score a true hit.

"Battle! Scrap Dragon attacks Sparkman!" Yamichi declared, his monster sending an annihilating shot of energy that vaporized the electrifying HERO, bringing it down as well as Judai's LP to 9700. The crowd erupted in cheers, the height of Duel energy starting to pick up as it seemed Yamichi would be able to start making a comeback.

"I'll set another card face-down and end my turn."



Reiji, meanwhile, was busy poring over data from the various readings he had been getting. It was clear as day that whatever Academia was doing was getting closer and closer to being completed; each of the dimensions were starting to line up with each other, becoming more and more like the others with each passing day.

And he could only curse internally at the Professor; what he hoped to gain out of this mad plan was only up for speculation. And there was still the issue of his favorite agent, the one named Yuri. Direct subordinate to Academia's leader, and a bit of a sadist from what he'd seen and heard. Loved carding people, so much so that the man seemed to turn it into an obsession; anyone - be they loyal Academia soldiers or innocent bystanders - who stood in the Professor's way and he would be there to get rid of them. And so far, the deranged psycho was still at large; if there was anything worse than a crazy person, it was a smart crazy person and Yuri fit that description frighteningly well.

And recent reports also showed that Sora Shiun'in and the tag team Dueling assassins known as the 'Grace Sisters' were becoming more active as well; as such, he unfortunately had to send Gongenzaka, Yuto and Masumi after them. With any luck, they could try to stop them from taking any more innocent people for whatever project they were kidnapping people for.

Pushing up his glasses, the grey-haired male tried to think about the next moves. Even with the support they'd garnered, especially with Yuya and now Jack supporting their cause, storming the Academy was not their best move. Plus, especially with the Synchro Dimension, there were odd events happening. Things he couldn't really explain...No, more information was still needed.

All he could do for the moment was just hope that Fuyu's investigation into the situation in the Synchro Dimension would turn up something useful...And welcome, like Fayth being alright and just having a malfunction in the processor in her Disk.
 

When Yamichi apologized, Judai simply acknowledged it with a nod. The barrier being down for thi duel was .. understandable. A the same time, it sorta limited on what he could say. His true thoughts would have come off as really strange. So those could wait. Judai just needed o live in the here and now, something he was relieved to see Yamichi finally doing. Although ... with how things were beginning to look, it was seeming as if - one way or another - the duel would come to its end sooner as opposed to later.

The main reason he'd yet to shift Sparkman - or anyone - to defense was for a few reasons. The brunette was being just a bit hopeful he could draw something useful. Alternatively, there was the hope that Yamichi would go back to having mediocre draws. Finally ... Skyscraper wouldn't do anything to boost the defense of his Elemental HEROes. It was ... slightly redundant.

"Draw!"

... Well, damn ...

Judai chuckled softly, already beginning to see his earlier thoughts had been right. This was indeed going to turn around very quickly; but not for him. That was fine though. He hadn't done this for any financial incentive, anyway.

"I set my own card as well. Your turn."

This was a much better - safer for sure - route to take than if he had used Torrential Tribute. All Judai now needed was to wait and hope he could have one last shot at getting the last hit in.
God-fucking-damnit! Shit, shit, shit!

Fuyu hadn't been in the Synchro Dimension for even a full ten minues. Yet half the rooms had been checked, all leading to the same search result. Nothing. Fayth wasn't here. Each failed attempt to find her led Fuyu to feeling a tad panicked.

Her, Masumi, and Fayth had all created a bond. As the eldest of the three, Fuyu took up the role of being their unofficial imouto.

Sooo continuing to fail in finding one of her closest friends? Oh yeah. That was not any favors for her mood. "OI!" she called out, "On the off-chance this is a shitty joke or game of Hide-And-Seek, you can stop now! Seriously, I need to talk to you." The last door separated Fuyu from determining if this place truly was empty or not; what was meant to be her bedroom. A hard shove was enough to push it open. "FUCK!" Fuyu angrily shouted through gritted teeth, smacking her boots against the wall.

A frustrated sigh passed her lips as she sat down on top of Fayth's bed.

He's not gonna be happy about this ...

Her head moved from side to ide. Adjusting her left arm, Fuyu activated the phone on her disk, connecting with Reiji. Should the irked expression not be enough for him to make a correct assumption, the next sentence he'd hear from Fuyu would confirm it. "She's not here," the Ice Barrier relayed in a very annoyed, flat voice, "She can be ... hasty, yes. But please tell me you have an idea or lead to prove she wasn't foolish this time around? Otherwise .... "

Fuyu shrugged. "I'm not gonna be able to find her as easily as either of us want."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom