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


"So ... the hell is this?" Yuna asked, eyes narrowing as metal rings were picked up by officers and wrapped around her body. Namely neck and arms, though legs were also included, it seemed.

"Shut up and wait. You'll learn soon enough."

Yuna sighed, rolling her eyes. She didn't doubt they were lying but ... uggh. God, these bastards were more annoying than she immediately thought.

"This isn't good, Mistress."

A weak grin spread over her face.

"About fucking time. You've been quiet over the past four days. Was wondering where you were."

"Well ... you're trying to hide the fact I'm fused with you, right?"

"Okay ... point made. And yeah, I can gather this isn't good but .... got more ideas on how so?"

"Not exactly. Just .... be careful."

Moments after Kiryu walked out, Yuna was pushed out. She shot the guard a glare before catching her balance and walking forward on her own. Her gaze first shifted to the opponent across from her ... and then moved to a very familiar, loud voice. She couldn't help but chuckle, waving towards Hotsuma. "Relax," she replied, giving her full attention back to Kiryu. "You know I've been through worse than these ---- nghh!"

Okay. Even she couldn't deny, that did actually sting. Arcadia had made her endure a bunch of shit. Electricity hadn't been one, though so ... it was a new sensation.

" .... Hold up. Did he just say solitary for a fucking year?"

That made Yuna's heart skip several beats and - unbeknownst to her - Fayth's also.

No! That ... that can't be ... no! She just started helping me! What'll happen if ... ?? Fayth buried her head in Yusei's chest. The duel hadn't even started, and already, she was terrified. And it wouldn't only be for Yuna. Oh yeah; she picked up on the same aura from before. So it didn't go unnoticed that the same presence likely belonged to this Kiryu figure.

Please Yuna ... please win. You have to!

Yuna took a deep breath. There was no point dwelling on what-ifs. Not yet. Panicking would lead to mistakes; she'd seen and done that enough times to know better. Even if this Kiryu truly did have an undefeated streaks, all of those eventually ended. And hell, he began on the defensive. Surely, a good sign, right?

"My turn then. Draw!"

Yuna couldn't help but smirk. This was a great start.

"Don't take this personally, Kiryu. My deck's just never been good at being nice. Like so. I activate Double Summon. Rose, Warrior of Revenge and Getsu Fhuma will come to the field, but not for long! I'll use them both as a Synchro Summon!"

Her smile widened as she watched the two female monsters jump. Circles appeared around them, a bright light shining as they began to vanish and fade away. Slowly, a new form emerged ... one Hotsuma had seen her use time and time again.

"O unholy warrior wielding a blade coated in your opponent's blood! Arise, for your work is far from done! Help me paint my foe and the field all around us a deep hue of crimson! Synchro Summon! Crimson Blader! I'll set my own card. Crimson Blader! Attack the set!"

And when it did, her eyes widened slightly.

... Archfiend Heiress? Jesus, fuck!

If this was anything like Hotsuma's deck, it was not gonna be fun. In fact, it'd be tough. Her teeth latched onto her lower lip before shaking her head again. So what if he could use the effect? There was no need to panic. Besides, that had been why she set her Battleguard Howling down. "Turn end. Your go."
 

Yusei patted Fayth on the shoulder, trying to stay calm for the both of them; still, this was insane. How could the Warden justify inflicting this kind of punishment on others? "Absolute power corrupts..." he whispered; this was the ugly side of seeing someone in charge. Someone so high up that they literally had everyone here under their thumb.

Hotsuma, after a few minutes, was allowed to stand up; god damn it, this was just like back in Arcadia. "Mother...Fucker!" he grunted, stomping on the ground; and here he was. Completely unable to help her. And worse yet, if she lost...No, no, damn it. She wouldn't lose. He didn't know what kind of deck this Kiryu ran, but he had a feeling if he was undefeated here...Then it had to be powerful.

Only to get quite a surprise of his own when the set monster was revealed....No fucking way.

"So...Another user of Demons. How fortuitous. Maybe you were correct in trusting him, worm. Anyone who trusts in the power of my kind is sure to be strong...But let us see if he can use their power effectively." the Emperor mused, Hotsuma replying "Hold up, you had the world's biggest bitch fit when Tokumo used Soldier...Why are you suddenly cool with him using, as you put it, your forces?" At this the Emperor was silent for a moment or two before stating "Because I see now that their influence has already spread; and if people are willing to use their might, I should rejoice, not condemn. Except for Tokumo; I couldn't stand the thought of my subjects serving such an insufferable braggart."

When Yuna made her remark about her deck not playing nice, Kiryu just chuckled, "All good; this is a battle of skill. And if you're with the Fiend, you must be strong." If there was one thing he did learn, it was that playing the part of a jovial duelist helped a lot. Plus, if her allegiances laid parallel with Sosuke's, then being a hater of Sector fell with it. And he was fine with that. Of course, he knew that with Blade destroying his monster, it meant he couldn't Summon anything above level five until after his next turn. "Trick Demon's effect activates! When it's sent to the Graveyard, I can add a Demon monster from my deck to my hand. And I think I'll choose Mist Demon...Appreciate it." he commented, the card popping out from his deck and allowing him to add it to his current hand.

"Well...That Blader's going to be a problem. Thankfully, I don't need to summon anything that powerful just yet. Next, I summon Mad Demon in Attack Mode and activate the Equip Spell, Mist Body! With it, my Mad Demon can't be destroyed by battle!" It seemed suicidal that he intentionally played a weaker monster in attack mode...But having used Fiends, Hotsuma understood the strategy well enough "This guy just created a wall, Yuna...Be careful" Hotsuma mentally thought. "I'll set another card and end it there. Your move, Yuna...Show me what you're made of!"
 

... Odd. Kiryu sounded calm enough when speaking with Yuna. But .... that unnerving feeling. It wasn't going away. And that only served for Fayth to ensure she stayed as close to Yusei as possible. "Who is he?" she whispered. "I ... I'm pretty sure he was staring at us yesterday. Someone definitely was though; that much I could feel."

Yuna smirked, shrugging. "I'd like to think I am, yeah. Our alliance would be pretty pointless otherwise if I wasn't even somewhat competent." Her eyes stared carefully at Kiryu as he took his turn. The effect .. yeah. Yuna knew it all too well. It was what Hotsuma had in his deck, and used quite often. It would be how he went about it that would determine quite a bit. It seemed like he was taking a more tame route still. In act, she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when he voluntarily summoned a far weaker monster in attack mode.

... Any of those back-rows something like Mirror Force?

Maybe. That would make sense as to why Kiryu made such a move. But then ... Yuna's eyes went to Mist Body. Sure, that'd be annoying. But she'd figure something out.

"I set a card. Crimson Blader will attack Mad Archfiend -- "

And when the card immediately shifted to defense, Yuna better saw and understood the wall that Kiryu had created. She clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Ohhh. Well, fuck. Not bad, not bad. Fine. I'll set my own card and end."

The next several turns were so very dull. Necessary, mind you, but ugh. That fucking Mist Body was the worst thing on Kiryu's field right now. While she couldn't take direct credit for it going away, it did all the same as he tributed the Archfiend Heiress to summon a Summoned Skull. As Kiryu went to attack her Marauding Captain, Yuna's head shook.

"Nope! This was exactly what I was hoping and waiting for! Double trap cards open! Battleguard Howling and Spirit Barrier! While I have a monster on the field, you can't touch my life. Furthermore, you lose life equal to the attack of your monster and it gets destroyed!"

Within that single play, Kiryu's life would plummet from 8,000 life to 5,500. Yuna cringed, only able to imagine how bad that had to have hurt. But .... she couldn't just throw this match away either. There was far too much at stake.

"With this, I'll draw and take my turn again!" she declared after Kiryu - probably begrudgingly - ended his own turn. "I summon Tune Warrior! Level three Tune Warrior will combine with my level four Blue Flame Swordsman!" A new vortex with circles appeared as yet another form started coming. With Kiryu having gotten some intimidating cards out - namely Solidarity - she had a thought on what would be the best choice at this moment.

"Synchro Summon, Driven Daredevil! I then end my turn."

Were it not for the fact Kiryu's monsters were barely stronger than her own, she would have done more. As it was, this was the most strategical move to make as far as Yuna was concerned.
 
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It was here that Yusei shook his head, "He's...Someone I used to know. I just never expected to see him here." Of course, there was far more to it than that; but he didn't want to get her involved. It wouldn't be fair to mix her up in their messy history. No, better that she not know as much as possible.

Kiryu nodded as she figured his move out, "Sorry, but I can't let you get at my own Life that easily." he said; the next two turns were uneventful, really just setting up . Two masters trying to figure out their opponent. It was entirely possible her sets could be Mirror Force, or something like a Trap Hole. But he ran this deck for a reason, and it wouldn't do him much good to keep his monsters in hand.

"I release Trick Demon to Advance Summon! Appear, Summoned Demon!" he cried out, the electric thunder devil rising up from an arcane glyph in the floor. "And with Solidarity's effect, he gains 800 ATK! And I use him to attack your Marauding Captain!"

However, as he attacked, her double trap combo definitely hit him hard. A pained yell left him as the shocks of his monster's original ATK drained his Life, and his monster was bounced right back to his hand. "Ok...Felt that one...Ouch..." he hissed, standing back up and letting out a heavy breath; weird, that hurt even worse than usual. Armstrong must have amped the voltage, he thought. Yeah, the psychotic fucker. "My turn! Draw! I release Mad Demon to Advance Summon! Return to the frontlines, Summoned Demon! Attack Crimson Blader!"

Even if Yuna wouldn't take damage because of Spirit Barrier, he could do without her monster sealing his summons. And moments later, Yuna's strongest monster currently was vaporized after being struck with Summoned Demon's Lightning. "Turn end." he then said; Daredevil's effect wouldn't proc unless he attacked it. As it was, it couldn't touch him, so best to leave it alone.

Hotsuma watched on; forget it, this wasn't like Arcadia at all. These fucks were sick! What the hell kind of bullshit was this?! He didn't want to show favor; Kiryu was trying to help him, but at the same time...Yuna was his lover and best friend. His eyes could only glare at Armstrong, who stared right back with a confident smirk. "So help me, Armstrong....Just give me a chance, and I'll break your fat fucking face wide open." he sneered mentally...The ever slightest hint of red entering his eyes before he squeezed them shut and a violent aura flaring briefly, but the soft blue returning not two seconds later and himself able to calm down.
 

"Used to?" Fayth repeated, nodding after mulling it over. "I understand well enough." It just wasn't in her nature to pry. So, unless he offered to elaborate, she wouldn't ask for more. The words 'used to' gave a good enough hint. Whatever they used to be, they likely weren't on good terms. Not anymore .. which made sense. It explained why she felt so uneasy around him. "Would it sound too paranoid if I said I think he's planning something?" But then, if Yuna won, that problem wouldn't matter.

Right?

That was all Fayth could hope for. It was a lot of pressure on poor Yuna ... but for her, there was a very easy choice on who to favor. If she hadn't felt any malice from Kiryu, she'd say neither. As things were? Well .... something told her this would be for the best.

Yuna grimaced, biting on her lower lip. The main saving grace then and there was her life points were fine. But with her losing Crimson Blader ... this was only going to get more annoying if she didn't figure something out quickly.

"Draw! I'll set a card. Drive Daredevil, attack ... "

Oh, you fucking idiot!

... She was panicking. Not much, but clearly enough. The loss of any of her monsters was never a good thing. But for the stronger ones like Crimson Blader, it tended to have an even worse effect on her. Yuna sighed, tilted her head back, and tucked her cards into the slot holder attached to her duel disk. Without a word or warning, she rose her right hand ....

SMACK!

And slapped herself hard across the face.

"You got a freebie," she simply stated, putting her cards back into her hand. "Enjoy it; that's not happening again." The slap hadn't only been to slap sense into her. She'd felt Rose wanting to emerge, to help her out. The pain helped fight the temptation much better. "I'm not done yet! Main phase two ... I'll summon since I didn't do so yet this turn. Fortress Soldier, come to the field!"

Another familiar card for Hotsuma. One that helped her defeat Divine, actually.

"Think of him as a warrior version of Dark Resonator. Needs to be hit twice. Between his effect and Spirit Barrier, I take no damage involving battles against him. Turn end."

Huh?!

Fayth's head quickly turned around. What had that been? It was very brief ... but it was there. Similar yet worse tthan the aura Kiryu was emitting.

These people are crazy! I wanna go back home!

Fayth took her turn to grip on her lower lip, placing her head back on Yusei's chestt. If it weren't for the guards nearby, she'd just ask to go back to her cell. She was feeling too nervous. There was also the fact, however, she did want to know if Yuna would win. Those were the only things keeping Fayth from darting away from the stadium then and there.

How do you do it, Yuna? How do you stay so strong and sane?

"That'll be lesson two. No matter the outcome, I promise. I will teach you that; it'll just be the difference between whether I do so face-to-face or not."

Fayth whimpered, trying to focus more on Yusei's touch than Yuna's words.
 

Needless to say, the guards and Armstrong got a good laugh when Yuna went ahead and decided to suicide her monster against Kiryu's Summoned Demon. Even without her losing Life and adding insult to injury, it was a pretty bone-headed move.

"Haha, what a stupid dyke!"

"It's a girl, dude, you expect them to know how to Duel?"

Those were some of the tamer comments she would hear after her mistake, obviously not being ones to let her live it down. "Takeda, you DO know how to read cards right? Come on, you're supposed to be the bad bitch in this group! You're just being stupid on purpose now!" Armstrong asked her directly, a laughing grin on his face and a lot of the crowd getting fairly jovial at the Warden's cracks.

"Yuna...Whatever you do, don't let that fat shit goad you. He's trying to do everything he can to make you lose your cool. I know you can win this." he thought to her; even if she didn't need it, he felt like he should at the very least give her some reassurance that one person was on her side.

Kiryu, meanwhile, just smiled as Yuna summoned Fortress Soldier. Well now, she had her wall cards too, it seemed. "Hmmm...That's going to give me some trouble unless I can pull something out to get rid of it. Now I know how you felt going against my Mad Demon. Draw!" He took a moment to look at his cards, and decided he knew what to do.

"Firstly, let's change the scenery a little, yeah? I activate the Field Magic, Yami!" Kiryu declared, sliding it into the Field Spell slot. "This card's lovely for Fiend decks. Boost their attacks by 200. And with Solidarity on my field too, that means each gets a permanent 1000 ATK to add to their strength. Speaking of which, I summon Demon Soldier in attack mode! And with my Magic Cards, his attack rises to 2900! Not bad for a four-star, eh?" Demon Soldier seemed to flex and roar, throwing its chest out as its strength increased, its physical size growing visibly from the power boost.

"I know this won't do a thing, but why the hell not. Demon Soldier, attack Fortress Warrior!" he shouted, the purple foot-trooper charging forward and slashing through the rocky warrior, its sword clanging loudly against the giant gear it held up, only a small fracture on its edge apparent as it leaped back to his controller's field.

"Hmm...Either doesn't want to activate it, or has nothing" Kiryu pondered, stating simply "And with that I end my turn."
 

Geez. If I got a hundred plus yen for every time I heard the word 'dyke', I'd ... start getting richer. Come on, seriously. So fucking old.

Everyone else was easy to ignore. Armstrong didn't necessarily anger her. However, whereas Yuna could be silent with the others, there was indeed something she had to say. It was the only real way to get back at the fucker, after all.

"Ohhh, go fuck off somewhere else, will ya? Everyone in this place has done something really stupid, in or out of dueling You're not immune to that ruling, Warden. Now shut up. I'm busy, if you don't mind. As for the rest of you .... care to explain why my life points are still full, hmm? Of course women can fucking duel."

A faint smirk crossed her lips as she nodded, hearing and acknowledging Hotsuma's words.

"I know love. He's not getting to me. Just needed to be knocked down a peg or several. And since I can't yet physically, that'll do."

"Indeed," Yuna agreed, shifting her attention to Kiryu. "Definitely not bad for a four star."

Buuut it's not gonna mean a thing if you can't get past that wall.

Point proven when he even tried to attack her Fortress Warrior. "I appreciate the wishful thinking. Despite what these pricks think, I do know what I'm doing. Draw! I summon Getsu Fhuma." It pained Yuna to know her next move was the right one.

Sorry. I promise, this won't be in vain though.

"Getsu will attack your Summoned Skull!" Anyone who didn't know the card would make a mistake. For those who were naive, however, Yuna rose a finger. "Her effect activates; if she goes against a Fiend or Zombie type monster, it dies along with her. Your turn."

Not yet. The time to use her set Magic Cylinders wasn't quite yet. She was purposely waiting for that to come. Given how he'd fallen into her first trap with both Battleguard Howling and Spirit Barrier, she knew that opportunity would present itself. Yuna just needed to keep waiting.
 

Her move was one Kiryu half-expected her to make, but it still didn't make losing his demon any easier. The concept that a monster could do that, especially without her losing life, was something he viewed as a coward's tactic. And she would see a noticeable scowl on his face after Getsu's spirit seemed to erupt from beyond and strike down his Summoned Demon, the 3000+ ATK monster shattered like a glass bottle and now resting in his Graveyard.

"Well...That's new." he said with more than a hint of annoyance, adding "Draw!" As it was, Fortress Soldier wasn't going to make this easy; he did have a card that could get rid of it, but for now...She built quite a sturdy wall. Nothing he could do at the moment, and he didn't want to risk losing another monster yet. But, he could at least try to set something up for the next turn.

"I set a monster face-down. Turn end."

Anyone with any sense could see these two were at a stalemate; and even if she did attack his set, he had something prepared for it.

Yusei watched Kiryu duel; just like his old deck, he thought. Trying to keep his hand full to keep his options open, being very careful about summoning. But this Yuna...She seemed to rely heavily on backrow and effect monsters to swarm her opponents field with powerful Warriors to attack. And if anything, she relied on the benefits of her monsters self-destructing to cripple her opponents as well.
 

.... Oi. Don't give me that, boy.

Yuna fought her muscles, keeping her arms simply at her sides rather than crossing over her own chest. She could definitely feel the hate ... as could Fayth. The latter of which was feeling her courage drain with each passing turn. This was becoming more and more of a trial for her to remain and watch Yuna fight.

Still, that was another thing keeping Fayth from leaving. She was envisioning the duel by listening to the two declare their turns. Warriors versus fiends ... always a tough fight. But this was probably one of the hardest fights with said deck types she'd ever observed before. Although Yuna's life had remained fine thus far, she still knew things could always change in a heart beat.

"Draw! I summon Amazoness Swordswoman!"

She'd never had the exact problem that most of everyone else probably realized yet.

... Either way, no point in attacking now. The effect would be pointless. Plus, she was still waiting, still trying to lure Kiryu and hope he'd eventually drop his guard.

So ...

"Turn end," Yuna calmly declared.
 

She was trying to bait him, that much he knew by now. But with what? It wouldn't have been a Mirror Force; no, she'd have likely used that by now. Had to be something that would probably somehow make him take the damage. Dimension Wall? Yeah, a card like that made the most sense. And even though he was probably going to end up walking into another trap.

"I Flip Summon Mask of Darkness, and use its effect to retrieve Return to the Frontlines from my Graveyard! Next I summon Dark Resonator, then I'll tune it with Mask of Darkness! Synchro Summon! Hell Twin Police!"

At this, Yuna would see a card that was normally reserved for Sector use, one that Hotsuma also ran in his Extra deck. "And with Yami and Solidarity's effect, its ATK rises to 3200!" "And if this goes through, it'll be even higher" he thought to himself. "I switch Demon Soldier to defense position, then attack your Swordswoman with Hell Twin Police!"

"Trap Card, open! Magic Cylinder!"

At this, Kiryu just cursed loudly; he just had to put Trap Stun in his side deck this duel. And it came to bite him in the ass when the barrage of bullets from the guns his Synchro monster struck him hard enough to knock him down, feeling like they had actually pierced his skin...And another pained shriek erupting as the shocks hit him too, his life dropping to 2300. His hands clutched the left shoulder, and when he pulled his hands away...They were clean. He was honestly expecting there to be blood; what the hell was going on? First the heavy damage from Battleguard Howling and now this. Nothing Armstrong could have done would have dealt this kind of pain. He just looked up at Yuna, still in shock...Was this her doing? How?

"Oi, Kyosuke! Quit being a drama queen and get the hell up!" Armstrong shouted, but the man just laid there, trying to catch his breath. "God damn it, you fucking weakling! Those shock aren't that bad! You got five seconds before I shock your ass into next week!" the Warden bellowed; and when Kiryu didn't reply, he brought out the buzzer again and was just about to press it when Kiryu stood. Shaking, definitely, because his body was in extraordinary pain but managing all the same.

"I...Don't know what the hell you're playing...But I'm not letting you beat me that easily." he growled, starting to get more flustered; Fayth would feel his violent side starting to emerge, and it seemed to provoke a reaction in Hotsuma too. The young man gripping his head with one hand, feeling it swim a bit and muttering "The hell...", his own aura flaring again, this time more prominently. At this the Emperor chuckled, "I see...You and he are kindred spirits indeed. How very interesting." And while Hotsuma's spirit said nothing, it could tell the silver-haired duelist had been touched by the darkness too. And this...Oh, this could prove to be very entertaining.

"Go ahead, summon anything you want...You might have reversed the damage this turn, but once I break your shitty little wall, you'll have nothing! Turn end!" The guards were already starting to laugh at Kiryu, making jokes how a dumb bitch who suicides her own monsters is actually kicking his ass.
 

Not again ...

Fayth latched onto her lower lip, slowly looking around. This time, she tried to better focus on where the second aura was coming from. It was so similar to Kiryu's ... but just a bit different. Stronger ... if that was somehow possible. Would the guards even let her leave? It wouldn't be a complete lie if she said she was ill. She actually kinda was getting there; just not in the more usual of ways. ... No. She had to hang on.

"I'm scared," she whispered to Yusei, "Kiryu's malice ... it's getting worse. And now it's directed at Yuna."

And there it was; the moment she was waiting for. Yuna smirked as Kalin synchro summoned another huge monster. Yami wasn't the scariest thing for Yuna. Nah, it was Solidarity. 800 could actually make quite the difference, hence why she had her own copies of said card in her own deck.

"Trap Card, open! Magic Cylinder!"

It was true that he wouldn't have been able to touch her life. This was simply a way to handle the disadvantage against her. Common sense implied that because of all the buffs, almost anything Kiryu summoned would be stronger than basically anything she had. Basically being the keyword.

When he took a while to get up, Yuna covered her mouth slightly. She studied him ... and although she'd been avoiding doing this beforehand, she had to know. So, against her better judgement, Yuna temporarily tapped into Kiryu's inner thoughts.

"The hell kinda bullshit is this?! This is beyond the normal shit. Bitch may as well have literally shot me."

I .... I've been .... ?? Oh shit ....

It had never crossed her mind. But now that even Yuna realized what was going on, she definitely felt guilty. Did that bastard of a warden know she and Hotsuma had ended up in Arcadia?

... No. This was an unfortunate coincidence. Any actual smart person would put them in solitary for eternity if they knew what she and Hotsuma truly were. Speaking of her lover, she aso felt him reacting. Her gaze remained in front off her ... but Yuna certainly took note of the Emperor trying to emerge; or at least speaking openly with her lover.

"Oi, oi, careful. I'm not shifting into Yuse because this isn't the time. Don't make it too obvious Hotsuma's more than he appears to be."

Of course, Yuna didn't realize it was already too late and Fayth had figured out there was another demonic presence in the room. Maybe not Hotsuma's, but it was enough to help her realize she was feeling more than just Kiryu's anger and hate at that moment.

"Chill, dude. I warned you from turn one my deck isn't nice. Shouldn't have taken those words lightly. Draw! I activate The Warrior Returning Alive to get Getsu back to my hand. Getsu will attack and destroy your Twin Hell Police. Amazoness Swordswoman and Fortress Soldier will both attack your Dark Resonator."

The tuner being destroyed at least made the chances of Kiryu summoning anytime too soon decrease. It was a precaution on Yuna's behalf because ... he was right. The moment he got through the wall, it would be bad for her. And with how she was drawing, that was a very real possibility.

"Turn end!" Yuna declared.
 

"Not me this time, wench; much as I would love to claim credit, I'm afraid it's coming from your opponent" the Emperor replied sinisterly; that much he could tell, but he had no idea what was causing. It felt eerily similar to Beelze, though nowhere near as powerful. Draconic, for sure, and ancient to boot. But not as ancient as the monster Hotsuma now possessed. This was different. The only thing he did know was that it somehow involved this Kiryu character.

How very interesting if these two were to fight...Maybe the Emperor would try to use his influences to make it happen, if only to entertain himself.

"Easy to say for you. I don't know what all's going on, but I'm stopping this shit." Kiryu snarled as she destroyed both of his monsters again, using yet another Getsu Fhuma; thankfully, the Back to the Front Trap he set earlier summoned the Dark Resonator from his Graveyard to prevent her getting another shot at his Life. His eyes flicked over to where Yusei was, his anger starting to rise even higher; damn him, this was all his fault! He wouldn't be in this shit if it wasn't for him! Combined, Hotsuma's and Kiryu's rage would likely be starting to overwhelm Fayth even more.

"My turn, draw!" Kiryu shouted, declaring "I switch Demon Soldier back to Attack mode, and summon a second Dark Resonator to replace my first! And thanks to Solidarity and Yami, Resonator's ATK rises to 2300! Then both will attack and destroy your Fortress Soldier!" Resonator struck first, making her monster vibrate like crazy before Soldier's sword cleaved it two, the stony monster falling over and shattering to dust.

"No more hiding. You want to fight, you better come at me full force! Turn end!"

Hotsuma started to clutch both sides of his head, clenching his jaws to stop himself from crying out; it was like something was gnawing at him inside now, and he wasn't even trying to transform at all! "Yuna, I swear this isn't me!" he cried out to her mentally, eyes squeezed shut; though if they were open, she would see his irises were now fully stained bright crimson.

Yusei could feel Fayth shaking against him; was she really so scared of Kiryu? Granted, when he saw what he was doing while he was part of the Enforcers, he was scared too. But not of the man...But of what he was becoming. Kiryu was going mad with power, and started to go down the path of a tyrant. And even though he didn't know it, something about his former friend felt off. Like an evil was slowly overtaking him or something. "It's alright, Fayth...You believe in her, right? Well, if she's half as strong as you made her sound...I don't think she'll have any trouble winning." he then said; of course, it wasn't like he wanted Kiryu to lose.

The guy had suffered enough, and it honestly infuriated Yusei that he couldn't do anything right now to help his friend not get potentially locked away in isolation for a year.
 

Yuna rolled her eyes at the reply. Well, at least she got a hold of the right person, hinted by the 'wench' insult. However, when she head it wasn't Hotsuma - but actually Kiryu - that made her blink several times. "... How though? I'm feeling it surrounding Hotsuma too. Like .... something's triggering him to try to change. I believe you but ... is he one of us or something? As far as what we can do?"

Well, shit. That definitely wasn't good. Even if it was only partly true, that could lead to real trouble in the future.

Careful as Yuna had been in revealing whom she revealed her Psychic powers to ... she couldn't ignore this. Not especially with Kiryu's attitude getting far more aggressive towards her, but Fayth and Yusei. This was becoming too much, and to make it worse, she was barely fighting her own temptation to transform.

"Heh. I don't know what you're going on about. The only thing that's 'going on' is you're losing and have yet to get past my wall."

"Seriously, shut the fuck up and calm your own goddamn self down. You're ... losing whatever is controlling you. That's the other thing 'going on'. Wanna know the full details on how I'm doing this? Beat me, and I'll confess. Just know I can talk this way also."

Her attention then shifted to Hotsuma as she nodded softly, "I ... I know it's not. I'm ... feeling it too. This boy's beyond fucked up, holy shit. I haven't wanted to change this bad in so long. It's no longer just Rose pissed off; Getsu is too. All of them are .... "

"DRAW!"

It hadn't clicked until she re-looked at Kiryu's field. He'd said ... Demon Soldier? Did he not mean Archfiend? Where had that come from?

"I do. But .... " Fayth's head shook, the rest of her body trembling violently. "Something's so wrong. I can't explain it, but I can definitely feel it."

"Well ... you did ask. Prepare to receive! I'll summon another Rose -- "

"NOOOOOOOOOO! DON'T! I'M FINE!" Yuna screamed at herself, almost immediately feeling herself try to shift. For a few milliseconds, her hair went from black to red ... but if anyone blinked, that would be missed. "Holy shit, please. Rose, I --- "

"I have to! LET ME, MISTRESS!"

.... She had to? That was a new line. Even during her stay at Arcadia, she'd never felt this obligated to come out.

"Not here. Look, if things get dire ... maybe, and that's a huge one. But for now, please just stay back. This is literally the worst place to make me change forms."

She heard an irked "Tch" resound in her head, but the internal fighting stopped. For the time being, anyway. Yuna panted, looking a bit worn out despite not having take any dueling damage. "Anyway, Rose won't be here for long! I'll use her and Amazoness Swordswoman to Synchro Summon!"

Initially, Yuna had thought about bringing another Crimson Blader out. No. She had a better idea, one that caused her to smirk.

"O titan, buried under multiple layers of the Earth! It's time for you to awaken! Rise up from your slumber - and crush all of those whom dare try to interrupt your revival! Synchro Summon! Colossal Fighter!"

Oh and how colossal it was indeed, especially in terms of attack.

"Remember," she taunted, feeling a bit of a vengeful Rose at least taking over her verbal replies, "This is what you wanted. You have no one to blame but yourself, boy. Colossal Fighter's effect activates. For every warrior in my grave, it gains 100 more attack. Considering all the back and forth destruction, it does add up at a time like this."

Sure enough, her Synchro Monster wasn't only 2800 like it should have been, but a whopping 3900.

"Gigantech Fighter! Smash that Demon Soldier! Iron Fist attack!" Another 1000 life would be lost, shooting Kiryu down to a very low and dangerous 1300.

Poor Fayth was almost beside herself. Now ... Yuna too? What in the hell was going on? Granted, she was glad she was winning. But it was quickly becoming obvious that tonight would have more than just physical lessons. She wanted to know why even her own cellmate was emanating such a powerful aura.

"Turn end. I think that should be my line; come at me with all you've got. If that's it .... then you'll be dealt with soon enough."
 

Boy.

How many times had he been called boy? Especially in that kind of condescending tone? Far too many to count, that was for sure. And mostly they didn't bother him...But her. She was making his blood boil. He at least tried to attack, tried to make moves; all she did was cower behind trap cards. Even when she talked to him telepathically, he just shook his head and made a 'Tch' sound. He figured the repeated damage was just making him a bit loopy for a while; tended to be the case when the sick fucker Warden decided to turn his prisoners into living torture dolls.

Of course, part of that was his own fault for not investing more in back-row removal; still, didn't help she acted so smug about it. If anything, it was just pissing him off more. And making Hotsuma's own spirit start to dominate; if this duel wasn't finished soon, who knew what could happen. And when she finally did go on the offensive with the intent of dealing damage, he withheld his screams as she cut his Life down by 1000. Thankfully, with the two traps - Damage Gate and Damage Condenser - he was able to summon more monsters to his field for defense, namely Trick Demon and Hell Security. And on his next turn, all he could do was set another monster.

Her next turn consisted of her near-4000 ATK Gigantech Fighter smashing his Trick Demon, allowing him to add Lancer Demon to his hand. But at least with this...He knew he could make a turn-around. "From my hand, I summon Hellway Patrol! Then I Flip Summon Dark Resonator, and tune it with Hellway Patrol! The beating pulse of the new ruler, emerge from within the chaos! Synchro Summon! Roar with pride, Demon Chaos King!"

And with his monster's successful summon, he would see the attack differential, though if one paid enough attentio he wasn't as fazed this time around. Still not strong enough to destroy it...At least, not yet.

What came next would be considered by many to be a suicide move, "Demon Chaos King, attack and destroy Gigantech Fighter!" And as the flaming demon charged forward, Kiryu declared, "Chaos King's effect activates! When it attacks, my opponent has their monster's ATK and DEF switched! Hell Inversion!" And with that, Gigantech Fighter would soon have an ATK of merely 1000, the demonic overlord slicing right through it but Yuna still avoiding any damage thanks to Spirit Barrier.

However, her next move certainly made him raise an eyebrow; really? That's who she chose to return? Still a bit angry, a hint of a smirk tweaked the corners of his lips as he started, "Well then, I suppose that's it for me. Turn end...Your move."
 

... Was he ignoring her or thinking he was going insane?

Both were definitely possibilities. And, admittedly, it wasn't like he could reply to her. Not mentally, and doing so aloud truly would strengthen he illusion he was sounding and looking crazier than he already was. Ah well. His loss.

Her eyebrows furrowed as Kiryu activated his own traps. It'd be easy enough to assume what was about to happen. Sure enough, there it was ... a Synchro Summon. Yuna latched onto her lower lip. All of these close calls were causing quite the adrenaline rush to flow through her body. The main thing truly keeping her safe was - at this point - Spirit Barrier. Otherwise, she'd be at least with half or less of her life.

Indeed, when he had his own monster rush forward, Yuna braced herself. There was very likely a catch as to why he was doing that. There was ... but not what she would have ever assumed or guessed.

"Chaos King's effect activates! When it attacks, my opponent has their monster's ATK and DEF switched! Hell Inversion!"

" ... Hmph. Do't get cocky, kid. You have yet to earn that right."

Yuna almost forgot, up until her graveyard glowed she'd almost forgotten a very specific something. An effect, to be more accurrate. "I activate Gigantech Fighter's effect. When he dies, I can special summon a monster back to the field. I choose my Amazoness Swordswoman."

There was a reason ... a slightly foolish one, but one nonetheless. Yuna didn't realize yet her own trap was about to make Kiryu's next turn very painful for her. Otherwise, she definitely would have selected something more ... smarter.

"Draw!"

.... Well, fuck. To say Yuna had drawn anything helpful would be an understatement. She had literally nothing. And although attacking was an option ... no. Not yet. She was counting on him to do what Yuna was certain to be the hasty move and come at her warrior. "I suppose that's my turn for now. Your go."
 

It wasn't this was the first time Kiryu had seen Gigantech Fighter; he knew its effect all too well, and had actually prepared to be on the receiving end of its attack again. But when she went ahead and summoned Amazoness Swordswoman instead.

"And here I thought being allied with the Fiend, you would have been more productive with your monster's effect."

That was all he said to her before drawing a card from his deck and going right into his next move. "I banish Hellway Patrol from the graveyard to activate its effect! When I remove it from the game, I can Special Summon a Level Four or lower DARK monster from my hand. And I'll choose Mask of Darkness this time...But don't worry, it won't be staying for long. Because I release it to Advance Summon Mist Demon in Attack mode! And thanks to Solidarity and Yami, he gets 1000 extra attack points!" And true to the nature, 2400 ATK soon became 3400.

Giving a malicious grin, he then replied, "You just signed your own death warrant not summoning Gigantech back. Chaos King, destroy Swordswoman!" One down, the young man thought, as his Demon cut through the burly female with ease. "Might want to check your card effects before making a move...Just a hint." he sneered, gladly taking this chance to gloat and talk down to her as she'd been doing to him this whole Duel.

"Next, Mist Demon attacks you directly! Black Miasma!"

This attack involved her being surrounded in a pitch-black cloud as Mist's form disintegrated, before long a crushing pressure and searing heat surrounding every inch of her body and dropping her Life to 4600. "And lastly, Hell Security! Direct attack!"

This attack could certainly be interpreted as an insult, since all it would do was fly up to Yuna and smack her twice in the face. Once with its bullhorn, and the next with the baton in its other hand, dropping her life even lower to 3500. "Feh...You call me boy, or child, all you like. A woman gets one chance in the spotlight and it all goes to her fat head. Doesn't change the fact that I just took over half your life in one turn. Not so fun when you're the one on the receiving end of an asskicking, is it, bitch? Turn end." he snarled.

Yusei couldn't believe what he was seeing; even when he was the leader of the Enforcers, he was never this brutal or cruel. Yuna may have goaded him a little by insulting him, but he did start it by reacting badly to her efficient use of monster effects and backrow cards. Of course, Yusei also didn't know that Yuna had been unintentionally worsening the damage he felt, nor that someone else was reacting badly to Kiryu's negative energies.

Hotsuma did finally seem to leverage control, his breathing becoming more even and his eyes started to shift back to their natural blue color; unfortunately, he was so focused on trying not to let the Emperor overwhelm him that he hadn't been paying attention to the Duel for the past few turns.

At this the Warden laughed, "Oh, finally able to do something, Kiryu? And here I thought you were going to let this dumb bitch just beat on you like a hapless puppet! About time your pathetic ass made a move worth making! Bah!" It wasn't that Kiryu was a favorite; in fact, the Warden felt it pathetic that this guy wasn't even able to touch Yuna's Life Points for so long. "Just remember, Kyosuke...A year in isolation if you fuck up. You really wanna be remembered being stomped by some no-name little tramp?" the fat man then added on jovially; truth be told, it didn't matter to him who won. Just that someone would get their chance to rot in solitary for a nice, long time. One less burden for him to worry about, after all.
 

"Tch. Speak for yourself. Considering your deck isn't too different from Sosuke's, you haven't done much with your own monster's effects. Fucking brat, don't chastise me."

The moment Amazoness went down - and didn't reduce Kiryu's life in the process - it immediately dawned on Yuna what had just happened and why it failed to activate. Her head lowered as she stared a the still active Spirit Barrier.

... Fuck my life some days .... well ....

This was gonna hurt. Really bad. Yuna tightly shut her eyes, trying to steel herself for what she knew was coming.

... It helped. But only to certain degrees. With electricity still being a foreign element to her, this huge of an attack was worse than most of the shit she had to deal with in Arcadia. So the 5500 loss in one blow made her scream, even with Yuna's attempts to muffle herself.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Fayth whimpered, covering her ears tightly. The cry alone hinted what'd happened, confirmed by hearing Kiryu declare his attacks but not hearing Yuna activate anything to stop them. Her head shook quickly; this wasn't a sign Kiryu was going to turn this duel around, was he?

By the time the last surge subsided, Yuna had fallen to one knee and was panting heavily. Her muscles were twitching, making her shudder and grimace. Her teeth gripped tightly onto her lower lip, shoving Rose away as she tried to take over once again.

"Mistress, you promised!"

"Wrong. I said maybe. The problem is .... I'm still not in a good place for you to reveal yourself. Not here. Besides ...

Shakily, Yuna got up to her feet, continuing to breathe heavily.

You of all people should know duels aren't over until someone's life reaches 0. Is 3500 the same as 0?

When she heard no reply, she muttered softly, "Exactly. Just wait ... " Her head lifted as she stared sternly at Kiryu. "We're not done yet! You got a damn good hit, but that doesn't mean you've won. And I sure as shit am not giving up. DRAW!"

Yuna weakly chuckled.

"Like so. Magic card activate .... Raigeki!"

If Yuna had a monster to summon, this turn would be more perfect. Clearing the field was great, mind you, but it was always more effective when there was something else to add.

"Turn ... turn end."

Don't waste this chance. I'm only ending because I have to, not because I want to. So make it count .... or I'll end you soon.
 

Kiryu's eyes narrowed as she fell to a knee; what, no snarky comeback? No 'mightier-than-thou' retort? She would hear all these thoughts going through his head, especially about how she had been so confident and condescending this whole match because she just hid behind her traps.

"Rose...Don't push Yuna too much. She's got this." Hotsuma breathed in response to her spirit's insistence to take over; while he wasn't exactly fond of Kiryu for talking to her like he had been, if what the Emperor was saying was true, then maybe it wasn't entirely his fault.

Kiryu wouldn't have to wait long, his opponent standing up shakily; she definitely looked worse for wear. And honestly, seeing her so beaten looking was reward enough of its own. At the very least now, she would understandable that despite her advantages early on, she wasn't untouchable. Not by a long shot. "Good, good! We're giving everyone such a good show, let's keep it going! It'd be a shame for you to keel over!" he declared, only to receive quite the reply to his taunt.

Namely with the luckiest draw he'd ever seen.

Kiryu's scowl returned; well, if that wasn't the biggest 'fuck you' he'd ever gotten. "I swear..." Kiryu fumed; of all the shit luck he'd gotten, he just had to get one last dose. A literal one-in-thirty chance of her drawing it and she happened to get it now.

And as much as he would LOVE to press the advantage, he just couldn't help wondering if her sets - if any of her last turns were any indication - would just bounce any attacks right back at him. She certainly seemed to have enough Trap Cards and shit to do it.

Fine, she wanted to use those, he could too.

"I'll set a card face-down...Your move."

Needless to say, it wasn't the move he wanted to make. Oh, it could have been so easy to summon Lancer Demon and hit her once again to make her see how bad of an idea it was to piss him off. Unfortunately...Too much risk for a potentially futile reward.
 

I ... think Rose gets it now. Reluctantly, but enough to where I haven't felt her argue with me. Thanks though, hun.

Hearing Hotsuma speak made her smile. In case she'd had any doubts, Yuna now knew exactly what she wanted if she won this duel. Now all she had to do was ensure she came out victorious.

.... Fine. So Yuna had gone overboard. She realized and better accepted that. It was exactly why there would be no smart-ass quip from her. However, when she heard his surface thoughts about her comprehending she wasn't untouchable, her eyes rolled. "Baka," she muttered, "I've known that for a while. No one is invincible. Not even the best of duelists. Goddamn. You done yet, huh? We got a duel to finish?" A grin spread over her face as she lightly 'Hmph'ed' at his words. "Me? Keel over? Hardly. Not even from that. It'll take a shit to more for me to completely cave in."

She'd tone her responses down and be at least a bit less bitchy. However, Yuna would correct Kiryu when it felt right to do so.

Seriously? Oh sweet gods. I may yet have a chance.

Whereas Yuna had been incredibly lucky in getting her Raigeki, Kiryu seemed to have the exact opposite. Good. It allowed her time. A chance to get something out on the field. Feeling hopeful despite having such an empty field, she gripped her top card and pulled it off. "Draw!"

Oh come on ...

Yuna was tired. Sore. Her fists clenched a she panted a few more times, forcing herself to remain standing rather than leaning against the wall behind her. She wouldn't give anyone the satisfaction fo appearing weak. The usual bullshit about women being weak and frail was already being royally used. She would prove them wrong. Not right now ... but in time.

"I'll set my own card and end."
 

And there it was again; was this bitch reading his mind? No....The shocks and shit were fucking with his head, they had to be. And unfortunately, he really wasn't feeling too hot either; though he couldn't really tell what it was, it wasn't the shocks doing it this time. Namely because he hadn't lost any Life after Gigantech Fighter had destroyed his Demon Soldier.

It was more like a...haze. As if something or someone was clouding his mind, even if ever so slightly.

"The card....Use it."

Now he was sure he was hearing shit, shaking his head again. "My turn, draw!" he declared; well, shit, now he really had nothing his hand. And with even more sets, he was sure she had something to protect her. Any attack he made now would just put him at an overwhelming disadvantage...Still, he wouldn't let her attack him directly, not with his own set card. All he could do was stare at the Lancer Demon in his hand in lament; but nothing else he could protect it. And he'd be without any form of defense.

"Fucking traps...I know you got something, and I'll be damned if I let you redirect my attack back at me." he growled, stating as he closed his eyes, "Turn end." Not playing a monster, even in defense, seemed like a fool's move...But he had a backup, one that could at least buy him one extra turn.

The Emperor, meanwhile, let out a 'Hmph', "Your partner is quite fortunate to have drawn a field-clearing card such as that; she's all but sealed his plays. Seems like finding your brother just got a lot more difficult, hm? What will you do now?" Hotsuma grimaced; yeah, he didn't want Kiryu to lose...But not just because the guy promised to help. He sensed the guy's desire to avenge whatever wrong had been done to him...And his own philosophy of 'blood for blood' drove him to want to at the very least give him the chance to exact it.

Even so, he had a pretty good feeling this was over. "I...I'll find another way. Fucking Warden, making people do this shit. First person I'm going to snap in two is him, so help me."
 

... Well, at least one thing was confirmed. Kiryu had indeed thought option B was happening; he was going mad. Both surface thoughts and the way he shook his face after she replied to him spelled that much out. What an idiot. Him and Jack both, or so Fayth had told her. Even when presented with something literally in front of them, they just couldn't believe it. Granted, this particular 'thing' was, in itself, hard to comprehend under normal circumstances. Still though, when presented with such hints even supernatural powers were very real ... i twas just stupid of people to dismiss them.

A ghost of a smirk crossed her face --- not out of arrogance, but hearing the Emperor within Hotsuma.

Holy crap, mark the calendars. Was that a genuine compliment I heard from you?

"Maybe I do have a trap, maybe I don't. Buuuuuut .... you already ended so ... my go. Draw!"

Mere seconds after grabbing he new card, however, Yuna damn well nearly dropped it. Wait. Seriously? This shit-head she was dueling knew about Hotsuma's brother? And .... was gonna help?

.... Well .... tough shit. Because at this rate, as far as Yuna was concerned, Kiryu had pushed himself into a corner. So unless he could make a turnaround, it would be his own fault h was so close to losing. Fuck, hun. I ... am sorry ahead of time. Unless he's got something .... this won't end in his favor.

"I summon Amazoness Swordswoman! No mistakes with her this time though, as I equip her with Magnum Shield! It'll add her defense to her attack, boosting her to 3100! Amazoness Swordswoman will attack you directly!"

.... It wasn't that Kiryu made the stupidest move. But at the same time, he kinda did, depending on one's point of view. His trap card allowed him to pay 1000 life to stop one attack. But therein laid the problem; it was literally only one he could prevent. With him down to a very low 300, he would have to summon something next turn ... otherwise it truly was going to be his final one.

"Turn end then."
 

And Kiryu seemed to lose even more of his fight as she summoned yet another Swordswoman, this time equipping her with a shield that boosted her ATK to make anything he had virtually useless. And when she went to attack him, he raised a hand, "Trap Card! Protective Seal - Spiritual Swords of Light! I pay 1000 Life Points to negate your Swordswoman's attack!" Shocks ran through as he dropped to 300.

He knew if he didn't draw anything this turn, he was done for. There was no other plays he could make, and he was definitely hurting. And what pissed him off most of all, was that he was going to get beaten up just because she got a lucky draw. That sucked most of all.

"This...It's fine, Yuna. I'll figure out something. It's not your fault or his; it's the Warden for doing this shit in the first place." Hotsuma replied, the Emperor chiming in "I do believe I called you fortunate; fortune does not equate to talent or ability. I believe you humans call it 'getting lucky'. Had you not drawn that card, it could very well have gone the other way." Why she and his vessel insist on misinterpreting everything he says, the Emperor has no understanding.

"Come on...Just one more draw..." he pleaded, declaring "My turn! Draw!"

And when he looked at his card...His heart sank. His lips curled up into a snarl, but visibly relaxed though still tense after he realized that it was pointless to get worked up. Definitely too late, but...Well, this was what it was. She wasn't his target, and this was just a duel he wasn't meant to win, clearly. "Well...Guess you win. But you get the honors of ending my streak, so congratulations. I summon Lancer Demon in Attack Mode. And with my Magic Cards, he gets an extra 1000 ATK." The demon took more of a dramatic stance, its paltry 1600 rising to an impressive 2600. Still not enough to kill her monster, but enough to where she would need to go through it to get to him.

Letting out a sigh, he then just muttered with slumped shoulders, "Turn end."

Hotsuma just watched, seeing the look of defeat; it was kind of heart-breaking, in a weird way. "Kiryu...I know you can't hear this, but just know that when I find my brother...I'll get you out too. Whoever fucked you over and landed you in here, you deserve a chance at some payback, and I'm not letting anyone rot in this hell ever again."
 

Actually, it can help strengthen - or at the very fucking least - benefit talents. I'm not in the mood to be technical, Emperor, so please. Shove it.

In fact, there were very few things Yuna could even think of herself to be in any mood for. Suddenly, the duel was seeming less rewarding. Reality was setting in, and it was doing so really hard. She was about to put someone away. In fucking solitary. And on the off-chance something did go horribly wrong, he would be put away for the entire year. Something about that felt very fucked up. It was't much better than if she outright killed him. Her body began to tremble. Part of her didn't want to do this. Even though the win had been rightfully earned ... she was feeling very crappy all of a sudden.

"Kiryu .... "

Her voice shook as she stared right into her opponent's eyes, barely holding back the urge to cry. "I really fucking am sorry. I went overboard a few times. It may not mean much now ... but I really didn't intend to make this personal. So ... don't hold his against me, please."

Yuna didn't even look at her card as she drew. Whatever it was, it didn't matter. Everything he needed to win was already in place; no sense in making it an overkill.

Taking a deep breath, Yuna waited for the words to not feel as if they'd simply get caught in her throat before speaking. "Amazoness Swordswoman! Vanquish Lancer Demon!"

And as the attack connected, Yuna officially felt torn. Relieved she wouldn't be separated from Fayth .... but still feeling rather disgusted with herself. Allowing her deck to be reshuffled, she hid her face for a few seconds, working on regaining her composure. When her hands moved, all hints of her nearly crying were gone. Instead, all she wore as a very stern glare ... one that went right at the Warden. "Okay. Lucky for you, this 'tramp' - as you keep eloquently calling me - knows exactly what she wants. Uninterrupted visitation time with the Fiend. If you feel so compelled to include a 'safety stipulation', fine. No complaints. You can keep my wrists cuffed for all I give a shit. But no one - not you, Goodwin, or any of the guards - will interrupt us for the duration. And I'll let you set that as well; how long this lasts. That's fair, is it not?"

Whatever was about to happen to Kiryu ... she tried her damnedest not to watch, nor listen to it as much as possible. Her focus stayed on the Warden, her determination never wavering from her eyes.

You better fucking say yes to this too, because I'm not easily changing my mind.

Fayth let out a very long - but muffled - sigh of relief as Yuna won. And yet, she couldn't help but feel a bit torn also. Yuna had sounded so certain she wanted to win. Now ... she was almost regretting it. Were those matches really that bad?

That would be the easiest way to understand, she supposed.

Still, if Yuna could have felt the malice, would her mind be changed?

Of course, she didn't realize the irony; that yes, Yuna had sensed it, and that was exactly why she went overboard quite a bit. But there was a morale issue, one making Yuna go against her own compass.

When Fayth heard her declaraton, she already knew her own question for Yusei. But ... it would depend if the Warden would keep his promise and even grant Yuna such a thing or not.
 

Needless to say, when Yuna's attack connected, the final shock was certainly the worst. Kiryu screamed bloody murder as the current ran through him like he'd stabbed an outlet with a metal fork. It was only a few seconds, but to the young man it felt like an eternity; all the while, Hotsuma felt the evil start to diminish from within. It was still kind of present, but greatly weakened. Only when the final surges passed did he slump to all fours, his body shaking from the sheer magnitude of the voltage.

Damn her...Damn them all. He'd get out, even if Hotsuma didn't decide to help him...Then everyone who wronged him would pay. But he was largely silent as the guards came over and unhooked him and Yuna, the metal clasps clanging loudly to the floor.

"Hmph. You were the one that incorrectly assumed the intent of my statement; so I say to you: Shove it." the Emperor snarked, making Hotsuma groan mentally, "Oh for crying out loud, I just got done trying to resist whatever the fuck was going on. Please don't start bitching, you two." And in truth, Hotsuma was tired; perhaps not visibly so, but more than enough to not want the Emperor to make Yuna have to shut him up. "Feh." was all the Emperor said after that; well, that was better at least.

And when he looked up, he was just in time to see Yuna make her request. One that brought a smile to his face; though knowing the Warden, he'd make it some stupidly short visit. If he gave either of them more than an hour together, he would be very surprised.

Yusei took this time to pat Fayth on the shoulder, "Well...Guess your friend is stronger than most people expected. I honestly thought Kiryu was going to turn it around after Gigantech was destroyed." He'd seen the man do it before, and from even larger deficits than that. Still...He'd felt her shaking almost the entire time; was she that sensitive to people's energies? That had to be both a blessing and curse.

The Warden said nothing at first, letting Kiryu be escorted to his cell; well, he did say he would approve of a request. Within reason, and as much as he wanted to screw over the Fiend in every way possible...He was a man of his word.

"Alright, alright...But YOU, you demanding little shit, are going to be hand-cuffed the entire time. No physical contact whatsoever. You two will get ONE, and I'll say it again, ONE hour. You will be monitored, so no funny business from either of you." was his reply to her, adding "And you better like it, because that's more generous than I am to a lot of the cons here. And if you try to break that no-touch rule, your little boytoy gets thrown in isolation for a month!"

Putting his hands on his waist, he then asked her pointedly, "So...Sound fair enough to you?" Of course, with this, he wasn't giving her much choice to accept or deny it.
 

Yuna didn't even reply to the Emperor.

Ugh. Of all the monster cards in his deck, why couldn't he have become one more fucking reasonable? Goddamn.

Those were kept tucked into her own mind, blocked out from her lover for ... obvious reasons. It wasn't something she loved doing, but it really was necessary. Especially since she, too, had endured he same struggle on barely fighting off her own temptations to change. Instead of speaking, she opted to lean against the wall behind her. After the clasps were removed, that was.

Fayth was finally beginning to calm down. Her tremors were steadily vanishing ... but that was the keyword. Slowly, pain-achingly so. That truly was too close. The worst part, though, truly was constantly feeling Kiryu's ill intentions. But now ... it was fine. He was going to solitary. He couldn't hurt her, nor Yuna, or anyone for that matter. "Yeah," she replied softly, "I'm not too surprised. She's always been physically tough. I know that doesn't mean anything with duels, but it sometimes can. Yuna feels like one of those who's strong in fights and duels."

.... Tch.

It shouldn't have amazed Yuna they were give only one hour. Bu hey, she could hope. Still, here was too much she needed to inform him about to reject this offer. "Understood. That's more than fair enough. I'll accept your terms." Pushing herself off from against the wall, Yuna placed her wrists behind her back, allowing herself to be cuffed when an officer got close to her.

" ... Yusei? Since Yuna's gonna be away for a bit .... mind staying nearby?"

Luckily, the next hour were things like chores. And often times, requests for assistants or partners could be made. It seemed like an easy enough arrangement to make. As happy as Fayth was for her cell mate, she still didn't want to be alone. Better safe than sorry and all that jazz.
 
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