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

Alito::Kiryu Kyosuke​

The bout had been fun, the match was a true test of might and skill...But for every hit Alito managed to hit during their exchange, she seemed to return with a vicious one of her own. Streaks of red soon slicked the mat, some of Alito's previous scars having opened up and having blood running into his eyes, streaks running down his limbs as their brutal back-and-forth continued for a few minutes.

And despite his iron will...This next move would undoubtedly be the last one. After an undoubtedly fatal flawed grapple, she managed to reverse it and lock him behind her back. It looked like a move right out of a staged fight...But here she was pulling it off, and all Alito could do was crane his neck forward to cushion the blow as if he were being suplexed. The impact jarred him, that much was certain...And for a few moments, he didn't move; it was almost like Akane had killed the man.

But...That fear was alleviated when Alito took his next breath, having it robbed from him due to the shock. And try as he might to stand up...It was clear that he was done, evidenced as such when he tried to roll to his front and push himself up, only to slump to the ground once more. "Aaaaand there we have it, everyone! Crimson Blade Akane keeps her sharp edge in this bout!" he shouted through the microphone over the eruption of cheers.

Even Kiryu gave her a slow clap; damn, that was impressive. These two were some regular gladiators...But what was next? There was no way she would go again...right? "And next up is the Freebie Round! Anyone who wants in, we'll have two bystanders from the audience come in and duke it out! Same rules apply!" the MC then shouted, indicating that Akane would get her breather for the day.
 

... Seriously? What an idiot.

Sure, Akane tended to fight almost every day which, in itself, was dumb. But at worst, her muscles were sore as fuck. No one had yet to give her any wounds that would be at risk fro reopening. Odd, now that she took a moment to think on it. This was a no rules arena. It meant anyone else could come in with a knife or gun and try to use it against her, no matter how unfair that would otherwise seem.

While waiting to see if she'd accidentally gone too far or not with Alito, she rubbed her jaw. Fucking hell, that'd seriously hurt much worse than the kick to her gut.

... And there was a good reason for why the pain was so bad, aside from the location.

He must have done something right. Because upon raising her hand to her lip, she found it busted slightly. Enough that blood was falling.

.... Oddly, Akane was fine with this. Not because of the wound, per se. But it gave her an excuse to get out of Kiryu's eyeshot. If he was gonna keep stalking her, fine. In return, however, she was gonna be more prepared.

He is still here. Right?

Correct, Mistress,

Akane fought off the urge to chuckle.

... We're way past formalities. No need for that anymore.

... Correct, Yuna.

.... I'll let that slide just because it is indeed correct. Still, careful. Never know who else has some weird ass ability like me.

Finally, the silence was broken with a struggled gasp from Alito. Glancing down, she waited, almost half-expecting him to succeed in standing up. When he instead stayed down, Akane couldn't help but soft sightly in relief. Fighting him for much longer would have taken one dangerous turn too many. Even for someone such as herself.

Since she knew her limits, she exited ... even before the MC announced the next round was strictly between audience members.

Although she had easily gone for as many as four consecutive fights in one day before, today wouldn't be one of them. If anyone else had been half as competent as Iron Will, she would have been able to only handle one more at most.

Right now, she was ready to just take her blessings and go.

Before that, though, she walked up the stairs ... and turned slightly, entering the women's bathroom.

First and foremost, she needed to clean her face up a bit. But the real reason she was fine with getting hurt bad enough to bleed was Akane's true secondary reason.

While her left hand gently patted her lip, Akane's right moved the gun, shifting it from the back pocket to directly beside her. This way, it was much closer in reach. Granted, the safety was on ... at least for now. But she could deactivate it after withdrawing it from her pocket much faster with here than if she kept it in the back pouch.

Thinking on it ... was he responsible for whatever had occurred to Fayth? Yusei never told her that; just that he got her back safely. All Akane knew was Kiryu had been the last person around Fayth. If he really wanted to follow her, fine. She'd play along .... and corner the fucker when he least expected it.

God help the poor son of a bitch if he was the reason for any pain Fayth may have endured that night.

Hope he's good at being vague, because I'm gonna beat his ass if he confesses to that shit.

... Maybe she should try to visit Fayth? Finding her wouldn't be that hard. And, really, Akane did feel shitty with not being able to keep looking after her.

.... That was a huge maybe. And it wouldn't be right after leaving, if at all.

After making sure she was more presentable, Akane walked up to her boss, hand already open and outstretched.

"Goddamn, Akane. Nearly cost me a lot, ya know?"

When he saw her smirk in reply, he sighed.

"Yeah, yeah. What you said before, right? Almost doesn't count."

"Awww, cute. You're learning so fast. Yep, exactly right."

It wasn't an even 50/50, butt still relatively fair. 60/40, with Akane keeping the barely lower portion. Simply because she got a paycheck to make up for what she didn't get right then and there.

"Thaaaaank you. Have a good evening!"

"Don't go spending it all at once."

Akane snickered, shoving her earnings into her left pocket, "Oh come now. I'm smarter than that."

With those words, she would leave and resume walking, although just a bit slower than when she'd left her home. That had been one of the tougher fights. Between that and the lack of giving her muscles a break, even Akane couldn't deny she was sore.

Home was the smarter option ... but it wasn't the funner one.

... Well ... she'd decide soon enough which way to go.
 

Kiryu would watch as Akane made her way out; yep, he figured as much. Maybe before today she'd have done more fights, but...Iron Will had given her plenty of trouble as it was. And it was seeing this that had him make up his mind.

He would go for her now...While she was hurting. Get some revenge for what she did to him. She wanted to see what it was to stare death in the face, he would gladly show her. Whatever she had when they fought, he wanted to see if she could use to defeat a man once dead.

"So eager to kill, are we?" Kiryu would then hear his Immortal speak to him, Kiryu chuckling, "But of course; and besides, I don't know all of the perks of this little union. I want to see what I can do. And this bitch has something about her, a way to make Dueling damage real. I want to see if you can help me figure out what it is." Ccacc Apu just gave a low rumbling chuckle, "If you think she is a Signer, I will tell you she is not. However...I will agree something is off about her. Even so, I will assist you in this endeavor. I wish to see how worthy of a vessel you proclaim to be."

And when Akane would turn to leave, he decided to take an opposite approach. He would wait for her to leave...Then follow her. Only when she did would he tail behind her; oh yeah, the things he wanted to see he could do. Being bound to an Immortal had to come with seriously badass upsides, right? If Rutger made it seem half as cool as they were, he was all the more eager to try himself out.

And what was the worst that could happen? He'd die again? "Heh...Been there, done that to myself." he grinned, following her as she would take a circuitous route...But it all came to a head when she would make another turn, down an alley way that ended in some trash cans...Ahead of him was a solid wall with a ceiling over it. But she wasn't here.

"Oh great...The fuck, she can vanish into thin air too?" he muttered; he knew that wasn't true, as he could still feel her energy. Even so...He wasn't sure where it was coming from. His eyes moved here and there, trying to figure out where the fuck she'd gone.
 

... Still there?

Yes. But what are you doing? Are you seriously luring him?

I know what I'm doing.

Now isn't the time! You don't have to prove any fucking thing to him!

Akane sighed softly. True as that was ... it wasn't the real reason for why she was doing this.

You should be able to hear why I'm really doing this. Besides, playing dumb with him is stupid.

Don't do this. Just go home. Please.

... Now that was odd. And very concerning. Rose seldom used words like 'please' ... let alone outside of the bedroom. So if she had uttered that now, she must really be very worried about Kiryu. Akane had definitely heard he was supposedly different. But was it so bad her own card spirit was actually this freaked out?

Apparently, that seemed to be the case. The realization made her frown as she hid in a small crevice within the alleyway. She couldn't help but smirk upon hearing Kiryu whine about her disappearing into the very air itself. "Amusing as that would be, not yet, no."

Walking out from her hiding spot, Kiryu would note Akane's hands would be in her pockets ... with the right resting against the pistol. Not yet pulling it out, but having it ready should things turn that dire.

"So ... the fuck are you doing stalking me, hmmm? And what the fuck happened to you? Seems like you got a completely new make-over after leaving the Facility."

It hadn't dawned on her until she went into the bathroom, but Akane understood how he probably picked up on her disguise so easy; the criminal mark. To others, it appeared as if it were an odd tribal tattoo. So it made sense that another ex-inmate knew she ha gotten a more unique brand from that shit hole.

"I'm not gonna play dumb with you. So, if you don't mind, at least return that gesture back. Here's my golden question for ya; when me and Hotsuma kept our word and made the Facility crumble .... was it you that caused Fayth whatever trauma she went through that night? I only heard bits and pieces, but not quite the whole story."
 

Kiryu had ventured further in, not able to see where Yuna had gone in the darkness of the alley...And jumped quite a bit when he heard her speak, a hand coming to rest over his chest. Huh...So he could still get startled and feel his heart race. Interesting; he'd figured he would just be more of a zombie without any pulse or something like that.

"I wouldn't say stalking; clearly you know I was coming." he joked at first, grinning at her before adding, "You know...If this were a more carnal attitude, I'd joke about the roles having been reversed. You know, those scenes where the guy corners the damsel in the alley with less than pure intentions in mind? But no...I don't exactly strike as your type, do I?" Giving a small shrug, he then added, "That's alright, though; you're not exactly mine either. Not enough assets on ya, to be perfectly honest, and not to be rude...But your personality kinda sucks also."

Of course, this would be the very minimal of teasing he would do. "Oh, you dig the new threads?" he would reply, pulling at the hems of his new robe with a confident smirk, adding "Well...I don't know exactly know how it worked, but one minute I was drowning to death. Next thing I know, I'm coughing up a lung on dry air. In a graveyard, no less; how weird is that, right?" Of course, when he turned to face her, she would see the black sclera of his eyes, as well as the vibrant golden irises that screamed something about him being inhuman.

"Fayth...Fayth..." he started off with a sinister grin, tapping his chin in mock thought before looking right her with a fake 'Aha' expression "Oh right, Miss No-Eyes. You and her were really close, yeah? How's she doing by the way? Been a while since we last saw each other." With how sick his smile was, she wouldn't need him to answer to know that he was in fact the one that caused her such distress.

"Hey, speaking of Hotsuma, where is the big lug? I never got to thank him for busting me out of that shithole; only one in that place who got me, really. Last I checked, you and him were pretty damned close, weren'tcha?" he then asked, still wearing that devilish grin as if it were permanently plastered to his face.
 

"Yeah. You should have deduced that much. I did use telepathy a few times with ya. Then again, I'll give you benefit of the doubt. Normally, voices in your head aren't the best of signs."

When he went on about the faux role reversal scenario, Yuna scoffed, then rolled her eyes.

"Hmph. Of course you're every other prick in that regard," she muttered, hearing she was - from what it sounded like - too flat, small, something of the like for his standards. "Well, yeah. You are right. I do like guys to have some sanity. Or at least common sense, intelligence, both perhaps. You severely lack all of those."

... Were it not for her own odd experiences, Yuna wouldn't really believe what he relayed. And to some extents, she still didn't. But even with the distance separating him ... she didn't doubt him as much as she should. This, more than anything, was probably what Rose was trying to hint at. The reason he was different and all. "Hmph. So ... you're undead or some shit? Not something you should go boasting about. Means you're just cheating Death. Sooner or later, that will get fixed. Maybe not by me - and that's just because I've got other things to tend to. But it will happen."

Had he not continued talking, Yuna would have simply turned around and left.

Instead, he did the stupid thing and revealed that yes, he had been the cause of Fayth's pain.

" .... Even if I knew, you're the last person I'd tell."

Wrapping her hand tighter around the pistol, she prepared to pull it out.

"As for Hotsuma?"

Another pause ... before withdrawing her weapon. Her finger quickly flipped over the safety, deactivating it so she could fire at her target.

"He didn't get the second chance you got. He's dead."

She didn't need Rose to tell him giving the truth away would be a horrible idea. So, Yuna opted to lie and assume he died. Hell, it may not even be a lie for all she knew. It'd be even more difficult to believe, particularly since Hotsuma was as stubborn as herself. That had been the point of rushing him to the hospital; to try to give him a chance to live rather than die.

But ... she'd never been able to confirm. There was a fifty-fifty chance she may be telling Kiryu the truth but didn't yet know it.

" ... Farewell, Kiryu."

Without offering anymore warning, she pulled back on the trigger, her own eyes darkening ever-so-slightly as well as narrowing.
 

Kiryu just laughed, "Well, now that's just plain hurtful. All I did was say you didn't have a body type I liked. That's no reason to insult my mental capacity. You make it sound like a crime; heaven forbid we men have preferences! Sheesh...Women." Of course, Kiryu was just having fun at this point. Somehow...He knew he was going to come out of this relatively unhurt. Maybe it was because that Alito guy gave her more of a hurting than she normally got from her opponents.

But...Supposed it didn't really matter. One way or another, he'd make her sing about where Fayth was hiding. He had a feeling she did at least someone else who would know where she went. And even if she didn't know...Well, he had his own reasons for wanting some 'alone time' with her. Maybe not to lay the pipe to her...But he would lay into her alright. Make her pay for being such a bitch in the Facility.

"Man...With how you talk, you and Yusei would be fucking perfect together. Both stuck-up self-righteous assholes. Figures you would know Hotsuma was dead, too; wouldn't be surprised if you were the reason he got offed to begin with. A damn shame; I liked the guy." he grinned, seeing now that she had pulled out her weapon, a slight snicker leaving him as he replied with "A handgun...And me unarmed. You really are a bitch, you know that?"

But when she did fire...Her enhanced vision would see the bullet somehow curve down and away, a tear in the red undershirt he was wearing forming where the projectile had barely grazed him. Pulling at the edge and seeing the laceration through the fabric, he just kept his smile and shook his head, "You know I died to get this, right? No respect for personal property, I swear. You don't see me ripping your clothes; what, did Hotsuma finally have enough and you gunned him down for badmouthing you?"
 

" ... No. I'm no good for anyone. Especially not Yusei. I realized that the moment I took Hotsuma's life. That's why you've found me here. In the Tops, all alone."

And there it was. Confirmation - fake or otherwise - that she had indeed been the one to take the life of the Fiend.

Forgive me, Hotsuma. But hey, if this plays out well enough, you can keep laying low. Apparently, I've already failed in that endeavor now.

"Try telling me something I don't know. I've been a bitch long before meeting you, bastard."

Her eyes narrowed. Oh, she saw. But Yuna hardly believed it, even with her own two eyes watching the bullet seem to change its course. "The fuck?" she murmured. "It's not windy. What bullshit is that?" Yuna shrugged nonchalantly, looking straight at Kiryu as she began to pull back again on the trigger. "What happened between us doesn't matter anymore, now does it? You don't have to believe me, but he was the only person I never intended or wanted to kill. It just ... sorta happened. That much I'll tell you for free."

This time, when Yuna pulled back, nothing happened.

" .... Goddamnit, don't tell me .... "

Sure enough, a quick examination of the chamber revealed the firearm was now empty. And, to make it more frustrating, she'd come out without any spare bullets. "I should have stayed in the ring. At least maybe my luck would be better there. Fucking hell."

Eliciting a frustrated sigh, she put the gun back into her rear pocket. In her hands was the concealed switchblade. A graceful flick of her wrist exposed the small knife.

Gimme a boost.

.... Don't. Seriously, just leave while you can.

You fucking serious? Come the fuck on, Rose. I don't need much; just enough to keep him from following me perfectly.

Nothing. Whatever was going on with Rose, she was being much more stubborn than usual. Her tongue clicked in annoyance as she decided to just run forward anyway. She was fast even without Rose. This would have helped .... but it wasn't necessary, either.

Go back! Run! Get home and hide!

Yuna gritted her teeth, blocking the internal plea out as she stabbed forward, aiming right towards Kiryu's chest.
 

"You're right, it's not windy. Your aim's just garbage." he teased her; of course, he had no real clue what just happened. But hey, he would take it.

And when she found out that she had no other bullets to use, he just chuckled some more, "Usually it's a smarter idea to have a fully loaded firearm, genius. Especially if you expect to have to use it. And you say I have no intelligence? Tsk, tsk."

But when she brought out the knife, he just sighed, "Again with a weapon? Come on, you can't even pretend to have some balls and use your fists? Good grief." However, when she rushed him, he went on the defensive. At first, her speed was intimidating and he honestly thought he was going to have to take a hit.

But...When he looked closer, he actually saw her...slowing down? Was that even possible? He'd heard of moments where adrenaline made it seem like things were moving in slow motion, but...This didn't feel like it. And...Even with her current fatigue from the fight, she seemed to get just a little more tired.

"Consider it a gift. from me to you, Kiryu." he then heard Apu say within his own mind, loud and clear enough for Rose to understand completely. Not to say he hadn't heard her spirit...And now he understood. Evidenced as such when he grabbed her wrist and drove a hard knee into her abdomen where Alito had done so earlier before throwing her with her own momentum into the trash cans at the end of the alley. "So...That's how you made it feel like I got shot during the Duel. You cheating little shit...You should have listened to your little gal-pal and gone home."

Motioning to her again, a 'come hither' with his hand held upward and fingers flexing to himself, he said "Come on, Flattop. I know you still got some juice. Come at me again...See if you can actually hit me this time."
 

Seriously, GO! GET THE FUCK OUT!

If Rose hadn't grabbed her attention yet, now she definitely had Yuna. This wasn't the Rose she knew. Even when Hotsuma had been in his Emperor form, there had never been a sense of urgency. Not like there was then and there.

What the fuck is up with you?

All of Kiryu's quips would be ignored. Up until his own knee found her midsection, making her shake and cry out in pain. Her empty hand held her gut as she glared up. Even while Kiryu openly admitted he heard Rose, there was much more rage than fear, though there was certainly a healthy dose of the latter. "Why ... why can you hear Rose? Oi! It's not ... like I wanted this fucking ability! You can blame Arcadia for that bullshit!"

Yuna! He has his own! Get out! This one's worse than Hotsuma's Emperor!

... Worse? Yuna wasn't sure whether to grimace at that thought or chuckle.

"You .... are why Hotsuma's dead. You could have made me leave back then. Why is now different?"

.... Because back then, I was in control. You had an easy chance to win, more so since he never changed. Yuna, do you not get it?! He doesn't need to change! This power ... it's constantly fueling him on, no matter what form he takes!

That definitely made Yuna pause and think. If all of that was true .... then Yuna couldn't really argue with Rose. She had some of her Psychic powers available on hand. But a good chunk of them couldn't be used unless she changed to Rose. So if Kiryu had easy access to ... whatever he could do, her spirit was right. She had made the detour only a block or so away from her studio; running wasn't completely impossible.

The pain surging through her body, however, hinted it also wouldn't be as easy as usual to accomplish.

"Flattop?" Yuna repeated, wincing while simultaneously snickering. "Come at me with an insult I care about. Or just shut up completely. Both work, really."

... Oi. You want me to be smart? Then give me some! I'm gonna need a bit to even move.

Finally, her request was heeded. Yuna got up, though not without shaking and feeling sore all over. But at least her body was functioning, even if it wanted to stop. She'd gone to work far too often ... and that was simply her fault. Now, she was getting bitten in the ass. Not yet literally, but it felt as bad as if that were the case.

Shaking her head and tossing any stray bangs out of the way, Yuna darted forth, stabbing this time for Kiryu's left shoulder. His right was probably his dominant, so her hope was he wouldn't expect her to go for the weaker half of his body.
 

"Your little friend's right again, Yuna; this isn't something I can exactly turn off. But with how it's seeming to level the playing field, I certainly don't want it to." Kiryu laughed. He would just listen, hearing Yuna and Rose confirm that she had been behind Hotsuma's death. "Well, ain't that convenient; you just let your little spirit take over to kill him? Or did a part of you want him dead and you're just too chickenshit to admit it?" he teased, smiling as she stood up again.

"I would...But seeing your face just makes me want to talk. If only to keep myself from throwing up just from looking at you." was his next joke; whether or not she really cared about her appearance ultimately mattered little to him.

Because now...This was going to get fun.

And he found it even more so when she tried to stab him again...And just like before, she would get slower as she got closer, and her moves seemed even more sluggish than before. He managed to side-step the knife...And bring an elbow down hard on the back of her head. Making her crash to the ground, and in one fluid motion, his boot would crush on the side of her head. Digging the exposed skin into the hard and merciless concrete.

"Well now...Where's your tough talk this time, you mouthy bitch?" he said, pressing down even harder on the side of her head; a dark energy would be felt rolling off of him.

"Rose....Warrior of Revenge. Hehehe...Yes, legends speak volumes of your comrades and how the Great Demon Emperor turned your village to ash. Too long your kind has persecuted mine. I was wrong, Kiryu; this will be much more enjoyable, especially since now we know she is allied with a Signer. You will break her as you see fit, get her to reveal the location of her comrade." Yuna would then hear Ccacc Apu again, its deep voice powerful and sonorous. Ancient, even...Just as much as the Emperor's.

"Strong you might be, Rose...But you are powerless before an Immortal. Feel the Giant's weight upon you, robbing you of every last breath, every last drop of your essence." it would then add, the negative and potent field getting even more powerful.

"Oh trust me, Gigantor...I'm going to enjoy this. And even if she doesn't know...It'll be a great way to get her to come to us." Kiryu sneered, raising his foot and stomping on Yuna's head again. "Haha! How's it feel, Yuna?! This something you enjoy? You certainly didn't seem to mind it when Alito shoved his foot in your face! How do mine compare, eh?! Ahahahahahahaaaaa!" he would laugh, bringing his foot down on her head again and again and again.
 

I'm not this slow! I know I'm not! This ... is this what he can do?!

It had to be. Sure, she was a bit sore. But now that Yuna had received some aid from Rose, it was even more clear something truly was off about Kiryu. If the appearance hadn't been enough of a giveaway, this unnatural ability of his was the alarm screaming in her ears to run.

Have I said yet how much I hate it when you're right?

Shut up and get out!

... Why was Rose sounding weak? She understood herself, particularly as her head slammed against the concrete. Another pained whimper passed her lips as she felt a small trail of blood begin to fall down her forehead. "Who says my tough talk is gone?!" Yuna snarled, panting and breathing heavily.

Of all the things he had and hadn't done, officially disarming her was one that fell under the latter. Was he just that cocky?

"Hate ... to break it to you and whoever the fuck is with you, but I was dead serious. I don't know where Fayth is, but you sure as shit aren't getting that from me. NGH! Cut that ooouu -- ahhh!"

During one of the times Kiryu rose his foot, Yuna quickly placed her hand atop her head, giving some reprieve to her wounded temple.

You little shit! I'm gonna make you pay!

Turning her head while keeping it protected with her left hand, she made sure to get a good enough view of Kiryu's leg. When she felt certain she got his pace and rhythm down, Yuna began jabbing forth. It was much like how he had done against Fuyu before allowing himself to drown; wild and desperate swings. But surely, at least one would connect. It had to! Yuna's aim was mainly around the femur, but honestly anything getting hit would suffice. Something to make him cease, give her a chance to get distance from this fucker and get away. Any and all openings ... Yuna was taking those. Screw wanting them. Right now she needed it, and badly.
 

"Good, good! Keep it up! Make me want to kill you!" he laughed, barely seeing her pull the knife out in time. Kiryu continued to pound on her, marks from his boot-treads starting to imprint themselves on her face and then her fingers as she tried to defend herself, Ccacc Apu's overwhelming power slowly draining Rose of her own with each vital but agonizing second. Kiryu managed to dodge the first few swings of the small blade, switching it up to kicking at her from the side...But then one landed right across his left calf area; thankfully it wasn't deep but it was definitely enough to make him yowl in agony.

"You fucking bitch!" he shouted, grabbing at the back ; before she could try to get away though, her hair would be roughly grabbed before she would feel herself slammed again into the wall head-first and then thrown down roughly. Another wild swing of hers would slice him across the chest as she might go down, making him hiss in pain before he would stomp on her wrist and deliver a swift kick across the jaw, wrenching the knife away from her after she was good and dazed.

And...With her sufficiently disarmed, his boot would once again press down...This time on her throat, and with how hard it would very much seem like he was going to try and choke her out this way. "You got a lot of fucking nerve; not such hot shit without your girlfriend and your weapons, huh? I should kill you, really I should..." he growled at her, pressing down harder and harder...But finally he would let go, giving her a much-needed ability to breathe again.

"But...You wouldn't be much use to me dead. Besides...Once we do find Fayth, we're going to want to learn how she became a Signer. So that means, Misty and I get to have some fun with you! Learn how to make a scared little girl scream in pain! Ahaha! I'd call that a date, if I do so say myself!" Getting down on a knee next to her, he would then say, "Now then...Do I have to break you some more? Or are you going to come quietly?"
 

.... Rose ... ??

It hadn't bothered her right away that she'd gotten quiet. But now? She'd been silent for far too long. Panic was starting to settle in.

ROSE?! Quit fucking joking!

Still nothing. Despite how badly her head was throbbing and aching, she could register something was very wrong; more so than it'd been now. Her mind started to link with Hajime but ... decided not to. If only because she had to keep some things secret from Kiryu. And since he could seem to hear Rose - had been, anyway - it was a precaution.

Yusei ... ??

It'd be more expected. And, at least for now, it'd keep her from being bombarded with even more questions she didn't wanna answer.

Either way, nothing. Yuna didn't get an answer from her spirit or other comrade.

"WHAT'D YOU DO TO ME?! Nothing ... why?! WHAT THE FUCK?!"

Adrenaline was desperately trying to kick in and help her in place of Rose's absence. And, at least to some extents, it worked. That was, as far as she was concerned, how the knife finally landed on Kiryu's exposed flesh several times.

A few tears fell down her face as Yuna's jaw got kicked hard for the second time that day. A pained yelp would follow as her wrist was pressed down on. Yuna stared up, knowing she wanted to glare daggers.

But before that, she was tired. So very exhausted. She was closer to falling asleep than much else.

"Yeah," she choked out, coughing and gasping as Kiryu's boot found her throat. "Y-You ... really ... should just kill me."

At this rate, i'd be a favor. More of a blessing. No need to worry about hiding from Sector. She'd never have to worry about disappointing anyone else ever again. There would be no reason to worry about what Hotsuma or his men would think if they found her. All of those concerns and more would be gone.

... Whether she was more shocked or relieved when he let go and allowed her to breathe ... even Yuna wasn't sure. But the conflicted emotions were very easy to to see within her faux crimson eyes.

Misty? Fuck. There's more of you bastards?

"Hmph. Me? Scared? Nowhere close. Nor am I gonna be. Not ... not for your sake .... but .... "

Her eyes finally fell shut, fatigue wrapping around Yuna as she passed out from the pain she'd endured, lack of breaks from her work, and overall exhaustion. The rising and falling of her chest would indicate Kiryu - even with having an Immortal help power him up - hadn't gone too far on accident. She was alive ... sore, tired as all fuck, but alive just like he wanted.
 

When Kiryu saw her pass out, he just snickered, "Well then...That was fun." And with some effort, he would hoist her up over his shoulders in a fireman's carry. "Now...Where should we go? Need somewhere secluded. Area around Bootleg's supposed to be fairly abandoned, we'll try there first." And after making sure the coast was clear, he was off.

Time to find out what she knew, if anything. And if she didn't...Well, that didn't mean she was completely useless.


A few days had passed again, up to the day they were supposed to check out, and Takeshi was reading over the note that had been delivered to his room. Today the tournament would resume, with him and Ling in the final match-up. "Well...Shivini, Eikichi, I guess this is it, eh? Hopefully, with any luck, we'll be able to finish this match with both of us still conscious." he tried to joke; though if he were being honest, he was still pretty freaking scared.

But...At the same time, he was also kind of excited. Ling was a strong opponent, and regardless of whether he won or lost he was getting into the Fortune Cup. Taking a deep breath, he then said, "Man, this is intense. I honestly never thought we'd be able to do this." His hand ran over the bandaged wound under his new shirt; with his old one all but destroyed, he was given pure white one as a parting gift from the hospital. It didn't really fit him per se; he wasn't as pale as Yamichi was, but it still was kind of a stark contrast between his skin hue and the color of the fabric.

"Let's get this going though; in all honesty, I want to get back to Yomi and just chill for a few days. Man, who'd have thought a Dueling Tournament would give us such excitement?" the brown-haired Disciple said; once they were downstairs and checked out of their room, they would take another taxi back to the stadium. The drive was uneventful, and thankfully with them having snuck out of the hospital through the ambulance bay, there was no media to try and hound either himself or Shivini upon arrival.

But...That soon changed as they entered the arena itself. At least, there was a HELL of a lot more people this time around. There wasn't as nearly this many people during the first time they were. The news of what happened must have driven a lot more people to see what was going on. "Guess we're a couple of celebrities, eh Shivini?" Takeshi teased...But if she would see his face and hear the inflection in his voice, he was unnerved by the increased presence.

Even worse was the fact that his name and face, alongside Ling's, were plastered on the screens around the arena. Man, they really did it hard in the Tops; must be nice to not have to worry about finding a next meal or a good doctor, he thought.

"Welcome back, folks! We've got an exciting match up today! We've got the Underworld Lord, Takeshi Yamaguchi rising up and facing the Dragon Empress Ling! They're both going to the Fortune Cup, but who's going home as the champion!" This earned a loud series of cheers from the spectators, but a muted groan from Takeshi. "Underworld Lord? Really? That's gotta be one of the...well, okay, it's not the worst I've heard, but still! What's with the nickname? Can't I just be Takeshi?"

But...It would be best to get this going, and with some help from his comrades, he would stand before Ling. "Hey....Long time no see." Takeshi said to his opponent with a smile, putting his Duel Disk before him and having it shuffle his Deck. "So...You ready to do this?"
 

... Yuna?

It was definitely her. He could literally see her. But .... holy fuck, it had been borderline impossible to recognize her at first. So many bruises, cuts and other wounds of various types. None were overly lethal - not yet.

But worse than how she looked was the expression in her eyes.

They were almost dead. Wearing hopelessness .... that wasn't right! That wasn't the Yuna he knew.

What the fuck was he looking at?

Yuna? YUNA?!

Hajime woke up with a quick start, decorated in quite the cold sweat.

Although the past days had given everyone in the base some sense of relief with hearing a confirmation Hotsuma was indeed alive and being hospitalized, Hajime had felt on edge. He hadn't understood why.

And normally, he didn't believe in visions or anything like that.

But then again, he hadn't given the idea of being a literal Psychic any thought before. And now ... he was one. Not a very good one, but he was a Psychic nonetheless.

Taking a moment to quickly change into a cleaner tank top, he hurried out of the Warden's office and navigated his way through the Facility once more. When he arrived near Yamichi's own 'office', he knocked, wearing a very pleading expression. One that begged the tech to make time should he have been busy right then and there.
Takeshi's joke would get an immediate smack to the back of his head from Shivini.

"Don't joke about that! We don't need Eikichi being a baka again and giving us transfusions. Or only you, for that matter."

Eikichi nervously chuckled, rubbing the nape of his neck. "Not gonna let that one go, are you?"

"Not anytime soon. But seriously, Takeshi .... good luck. No matter what, you have an awesome opponent. It's more of a win-win regardless in my eyes."

Ling had only gotten annoyed - rightfully so - during her match against Sasaki. Otherwise, she did seem like quite the worthy opponent. She definitely had a better attitude and mindset for competitive dueling; that was something Shivini felt pretty confident about.

"Agreed," both Eikichi and Shivini concurred when he brought up trying to chill for a few days. There was only one other person that even needed to be handled ... but everyone knew that finding Yuna would take time. They could afford to wait a few days before seriously looking for her.

"O-Oh .... oh wow .... "

Shivini felt her face burn as the audience was much larger than before. "I think you're more of the celeb than me, Mr. Undead deck."

When even the MC seemed to agree Takeshi would have a close nough nickname, Shivini couldn't help but laugh. "Well, go on! You heard the MC! Go! Get!"

Ling was also a bit nervous ... but it was less about dueling Takeshi and more regarding hurting him.

However, a certain call from a few days ago had made her feel very pleased. Her spirits were much higher than when she witnessed that weird-ass malfunction in the Solid Vision system.

"Four days is lone for you?" Ling teased, playfully smiling. "No, though. To be kinda fair, it does feel longer than that. I understand." She took a slight breath before bowing her head. "It's good to see you again though. Sasaki was right about one thing; you do have quite the intimidating deck. I'm just gonna have to be a bit faster, I suppose. So .... here we go, huh? Good luck either way!"

Much like Shivini, this was a win-win for her. She all but secured her spot in the Fortune Cup, after all. It was more to see who'd win more money than anything.

"Tails!" Ling declared, grinning as the coin came up with the side she called. "Alright! I'll get this started then. Duel and draw!"

... Well, now. This was by far her best starting hand in a while. Nodding contently to herself, she was quick and confident in her move. "I'll summon Alexandrite Dragon and set a card. Turn end!"
 

Over the past four days, Yamichi had been busy; he had a date with Ling soon, and as such had actually been working to try and make himself more presentable. Not to mention that doing so would also help him avoid any sort of lashing out from Hotsuma about neglecting his personal health. The guy always looked out for him...But most times Yamichi wished he would do the same for himself; and while he was still holding on doubts that Hotsuma had survived his encounter with Yuna...The talk he and Hajime had actually stoked the flames of hope.

And besides, now he had quite the little surprise waiting for both leaders: He had requested that there be a sign put up, in big bold letters; Sector already knew they had taken this building, but he felt...Well, more forward than usual and had some demons reclaim some scrap. Outside above the redone entryway into the base was a big bold 'YOMI' sign. If there ever was a way to give that asshole Goodwin the middle finger like Yuna had done...He figured this would be it.

And as such, he did look a fair bit better; still too pale and still had a bit of sinking in his eyes, but he didn't have nearly the same ghastly appearance that he had before. Even so, he was busy cataloging the weapons inventory when he heard a series of frantic knocks at his door.

Turning in his chair, he definitely saw the panicked expression on Hajime's face...No, it more looked like the guy had just seen Death itself. He could take a break for now; it was mostly just doing an inventory check and making sure the repairs to the exterior walls were finished. Which they were; now this place was virtually impregnable. Still...They would need to do a food run. And now that they had the boat, they could go over to the Tops and use the winnings to really stock up on supplies.

"Oi, oi, Hajime...Everything alright, man? You don't look so good. What's the matter?" he then asked the bluenette; honestly? Seeing someone like Hajime with such a desperate expression on his face was unsettling. And if he needed anything, he just hoped Hajime knew that all he had to do was ask.



"Well...It's been a long four days..." he tried to joke back, grunting a bit in pain and closing an eye. But...He did notice she did seem more chipper than usual, something that made him feel better as well. "Can I just say again how happy I am you won? I don't know if I'd be having nearly as much fun against Sasaki." he would then say to her, unaware that a certain tech had made her day while he was laid up in the hospital on recovery.

However, when the time came for turn order, he tried to call 'Heads!' but got greeted by a nice heaping pile of 'No'. "Duel!" he would declare alongside her, both LP meters at 8000 and his cards drawn.

"And Ling starts off strong, a 2000 ATK Level Four! She's living up to her name, folks! Let's see if Takeshi can answer with one of his own!"

Okay...Maybe he was annoyed with the guy at first, but even Takeshi had to admit, he knew how to work up a crowd. "Well then...Setting the bar high, eh? Now I see why Yamichi enjoyed himself...Let's have fun, yeah? My turn! Draw!" he would go, and when he saw what he draw, he couldn't help smiling. Maybe his fortune was turning around?

"I activate the Field Magic, Shiranui Style - Reincarnation Formation!"

And just like his match against Shivini, the duo would encircled by that giant ritualistic diagram; unlike his other Field card Undead World, most would regard this as...oddly peaceful. Namely because of the lack of moving corpses, all that remained was a warm light from the circle itself and threads of energy that would wisp about and encircle the players. And it was here that he would make his next move.

"Next, I summon Uni-Zombie in Attack Mode! I activate its effect to send my Shiranui Samurai to the Graveyard and raise its Level by one!" would be Takeshi's next move, both zombies still trying their hardest to sing in harmony as he would pick out the monster from his Deck and slide it into the Graveyard slot, the display reflecting his monster's upped Level. Of course...Right now, there was really nothing he could do.

"I'll set one card face-down and end my turn with that." he said, a backrow card appearing on the field. He was going to take some damage this next turn...But that was alright, because if this went like he'd hoped, then this would be the perfect set-up.

"What's this? A weaker monster in Attack Mode? What is he thinking?" MC shouted, murmurs of confusion going through the crowd; unless that card was something to stop an attack or reflect it back at Ling, then making such a move would be suicidal. But if the expression on Takeshi's face was any indication, he knew what he was doing.
 

How the hell did he even start? In a small way, it was only good that Yamichi had come with him and Eikichi to try to get him out of Arcadia. Simply because he wouldn't immediately dismiss the words and think he was going more crazy than he already had been. He could have an easier time believing all he was about to relay. Then again, even those who hadn't endured anything like Arcadia were typically tolerable, so ... maybe this wasn't as hopeless as he thought.

Walking inside once he saw his cue to step in, Hajime still paused. Not yet certain how to begin or what to immediately say.

Only after he slowly plopped himself against the wall did he begin, his internal reply and body beginning to tremble.

Yuna ... we ..... I can't explain it. And it may not mean anything, I'll admit it. But my gut ... it's saying otherwise. I just saw her in my sleep. A vision or something, I guess. She didn't look good.

... Well, so much for succeeding in that. His arm quickly covered his face as tears began slowly streamed down his face.

I can't just sand around not doing anything, but I don't have any of your skills or anything that'd help with finding her. Not now ... I'm not gonna be selfish to ask you do something now. I know what you're preparing for and everything. But ... soon? I know she fucked up by wounding Hotsuma, but please. If everything I just saw is an accurate indication ... then whoever the fuck is torturing her is actually doing a real number on her. And ... fuck, man. She doesn't crack easily. But ...

His arm moved across his face, trying to remove some of the tears ... only for more to fall down.

I know you were annoyed with her before. But please help me - and the others - get her back.
"You can. And trust me, I'm very glad I did too." The last half was whispered ... just as a precaution. She didn't want to sound too cocky, but she did wish to be honest with Takeshi.

Ling would simply smile and casually shrug when her opponent commented on setting the bar. "Someone's gotta." Seconds after he activated his field, she pushed down to reveal her own set, "Trap Card, Open! Dragon's Binding! The effect will apply while Alexandrite Dragon is still on the field."

Although she was slightly confused, it wasn't enough tot ask what he was doing. Ling had little doubts about that par.t. However, she couldn't help but agree with the MC this was an interesting way to see him start off. Ah well. All in good time, she decided.

"Hmm. My turn! Draw! I summon Bright Star Dragon! Bright Star will attack Uni-Dragon. Alexandrite will attack directly!"

Her eyes subconsciously shut, half-expecting tot hear Takeshi cry out in pain.

One second. Five. Ten. Twenty. Thirty, then finally a full minute ticked away. When still nothing had been heard save the beeping of his duel disk, her eyes opened. She let out a long, deep sigh of relief. "Good. They kept insisting it was fixed, but .... well, seeing is believing, ya know? Turn end!"
 

"You...saw her in a dream?" Yamichi tried to understand; he knew that he was Psychic now - whatever the hell that meant - but he honestly had no idea what kind of power that entailed. This was so new to him, that he still didn't really know how to process it.

But when he started to cry, Yamichi knew that he wasn't kidding; Hajime wasn't normally an emotional man, but if this was true...Then it was very possible Yuna was in danger. Even so...He was still trying to recover himself from the deep sting of betrayal. She'd tried to kill Hotsuma; and though he'd heard as well that he had pulled through....He was finding it awful hard to even want her back.

"Hajime...You're seriously underestimating how I feel about her." Yamichi started off, holding up his hand, "And you know very well why, having just said so yourself. Annoyed is the very kindest word to describe my resentment. She did fuck up by wounding him, you're right....But worse yet? She didn't even come back. Didn't even try to reach out and explain herself; the Yuna-slash-Yukio I knew would always give a reason for something. Even if no one liked it, she would have had the guts to explain herself."

His fists clenched, "For all I know, she's in that fucked up spot because she got in over her head. I know she means a lot to you, Hajime...But Hotsuma meant a lot to me, too. If it wasn't for him...I won't lie, I probably wouldn't even be here today. And the fact that she did that and ran off? I'm finding it hard to want to even help her..."



"True enough" he would reply to her comment, raising as a brow as she activated her Trap Card. So...He was sealed from Special Summoning anything with lower ATK than Alexandrite Dragon? Well, that was a problem; nothing in his Main Deck exceeded that level of power and it was heavily reliant on Special Summoning. He would have to get rid of that first, if he was going to get anything going in his plays.

However, when she would declare an attack, he did seem nervous....Rightfully so, but still nervous. "Moment of truth..." he muttered as Bright Star destroyed his Undead...And he covered himself, preparing for the worst as Alexandrite would hit him with an energy wave. He felt the wind and the heat...But it was...Normal? And like her, he was cautious to lower his guard; however, when he felt nothing...He lowered his arms fully, seeing that aside from some ruffled hair and sleeves he was no worse for wear.

"Well...Thank goodness for that, right? I don't really want to go back to the hospital...Ever again." he joked, placing a hand on his deck and declaring, "My turn! Draw!"

He definitely took some serious damage though...And if he was going to be able to do anything, he would need to get rid of Alexandrite Dragon first. "I summon Shiranui Samurai in Attack Mode!" he declared; not only was this weaker than Alexandrite Dragon, but it even had lower ATK than Bright Star. "Another low level monster!? What is Takeshi doing?" MC would announce, before long the brunette declaring, "I activate Samurai's effect, and banish the other Samurai in my Graveyard. Until the end of this turn, it gains 600 Attack Points and any monster it battles is banished!"

The grizzled veteran fluidly unsheathed his katana, its surface becoming alight in crimson flame as its ATK rose to 2400. "Battle! Shiranui Samurai, destroy Alexandrite Dragon!" Takeshi yelled; and in less than a second, his monster had disappeared, her brilliant dragon soon surrounded in flashes of light before Samurai appeared behind it, sliding its sword smoothly back into its sheath before the dragon's image shattered and lowered her Life to 7600.

And when Samurai would jump back to Takeshi's field, he continued, "I end my turn. At this time, Samurai's power returns to normal." seeing his monster's ATK revert back to 1800.
 

... He had to be kidding. This had to be a fucked up joke. There were few members within the Disciples that Hajime viewed as the type who couldn't follow the 'forgive and forget' policy. If this were Hotsuma ... even Hajime would expect that reply. He wouldn't like it, but it wouldn't amaze him.

So hearing this from Yamichi was painful.

So ... just because of one major fuck up, we forget her?! Is that seriously what you're implying?!

His hand shook several times before slamming down hard on the table.

I FORBID IT! DO YOU FORGET WE - DISCIPLES AND YOMI - ARE A GODDAMN ALLIANCE?! ARE YOU TRYING TO SCREW IT OVER ON PURPOSE?!

In particular, anger was very difficult to push Hajime towards. But lo and behold, Yamichi had done it.

Given we got confirmation that some part of the demon general's report was true - that Hotsuma is in the hospital - just back up a few goddamn steps. You told us the night after we returned from Arcadia that Yuna seemed off, right? Even I remember vaguely seeing her .... different. It was weird, but it definitely wasn't Yuna. It was like she changed personas. If that was who she was when she attacked Hotsuma... then that wasn't even Yuna. Which helps explain why she didn't give a reason for why she did anything she did.

And if that wasn't good enough, he had something else. It'd likely sting, but he was beyond caring. If it would help sway Yamichi, yes, Hajiime would sure as fuck bring this up.

How about the fact you weren't yourself for a time? You know, when Divine fucked with you and your mind? Yet even still, both Hotsuma and Yuna came. BOTH OF THEM! Are you going to just ignore the fact Yuna arrived? Even though she didn't have to. If she was the same heartless bitch who tried to kill Hotsuma, that's exactly what she'd have done; left us behind, and all but coerced Hotsuma to come alone. Even if that may have led to his demise. Psychic versus Psychic and all.

His arms crossed over his chest, no longer caring if Yamichi saw him still crying.

Are you still going to be this stubborn? I'd highly prefer you said no, but you know what? If needed, you bet I'll just start doing shit on my own. In fact, you can expect to take over my spot. I may leave soon enough. That way, you can hold the fort and I'll deal with finding Yuna.

No, it wouldn't be smart. Nowhere near.

But he was that desperate to risk doing something so reckless. And it was reflecting in his normally lively eyes.

So, what's it gonna be?
"Y-Yeah. No kidding."

Poor Ling's heart was beating wildly in her chest, even though she looked otherwise fine. The attack had scared her - maybe even the audience - more than she let on. "Good, great. I feel a lot better about this then."

Taking a moment to wipe some beads of sweat that had subconsciously formed on her forehead, she watched and smiled slightly as Takeshi repeated a very familiar move. One he used against Shivini, if she wasn't much mistaken.

"Very well. Draw!"

Thankfully, this had been a good reason why she saved a specific card in her hand rather than playing it earlier on.

"I summon Delta Flyer! I then activate his effect and raise Bright Star Dragon's level to five! Delta Flyer and Bright Star Dragon will then tune!"

For the first time in this tournament, Takeshi would see the familiar orbs and circles appear across from him rather than in front of him.

"Almighty crimson dragon! Crawl out from under the abyss and come forth! Your time to incinerate our foes is now! Synchro Summon! Red Daemon's Dragon!"

A smile - fueled with pride - spread over her face. This had been the very first time, at least during a tournament, she got what was usually Jack's trademark card out.

"I'm not done! I activate Solidarity, giving it 800 more attack! Red Daemon's Dragon, attack Shiranui Samurai!"

.... Well, crap. She missed thet part about ther own monster going o the banished pile. Ah well. She was wide open, but only for one turn. She still had something to help out.

... That was one thing which if Ling could voluntarily change, she'd do so. Somehow, she'd make her deck get shuffled more evenly. Now would be a great time to have any traps to help out. Ah well.

"Turn end!" Ling declared, watching Takeshi's life decrease, stopping at exactly 4000.
 

"No! I don't want to forget anyone!" he shouted right back; maybe he was being a bit of a jerk, but it wasn't HIS boss that nearly died at his hands. Would he feel the same way if it was Hotsuma that killed Yuna? In fact, maybe he should ask that question.

"How would you feel if it was Yuna that nearly got killed by Hotsuma?! Huh?! I guarantee you wouldn't give him a chance either! And I'll tell you right now, if the roles were reversed, I'd still say not even bother with him either!" he continued, his voice still high and angry. "AND I'M NOT THE ONE WHO SCREWED IT! IF YUNA HAD ANY SORT OF HONOR, SHE WOULD HAVE COME BACK BY NOW! IT'S HER FUCKING FAULT, YOU KNOW THAT RIGHT?! WHY WOULDN'T SHE AT LEAST TELL US SHE WAS FINE!?"

And when he brought that up...Oh yeah, that was a sensitive subject. So much so that he actually punched Hajime in the face and grabbed his shirt, "You even think that's close to the same?! You're fucking kidding right?! Nothing stopped Yuna from even trying to push back! Even...When I had to shock you...Again...And again....I...I fought...Even when...My nerves felt like they were on fire..." At the end, his voice started to crack; he didn't want to relive that, not at all. Where he was forced to put his friend through torture, forced to be a shield for Divine so that prick could make his getaway. So close to dying, only saved by their leaders getting them out.

Hotsuma nearly giving his life to save them from Yuna's possessed berserk state.

His eyes teared up, and regardless of whether Hajime retaliated or not, he would wipe his eyes. His breath heavy as he tried to compose himself; now wasn't the time to . "But...If Hotsuma did teach me anything...It's we don't leave friends behind...So...Fine...I'll help find her. But...Hajime..." Now it was his turn to have a pleading look in his eyes, "Just remember...We have to be careful if we do bring her back. We don't know how all this shit affected her..."


Takeshi, needless to say, was more than a little surprised that Ling had summoned that card. He knew there were other copies of it floating around - hell, with Atlas' popularity anyone who wanted to emulate him could put one in a deck - but he was more than a bit surprised to see it come out. And...This was the first Synchro Summon since he started that someone had pulled against him in this tournament.

Suffice to say, this only proved Ling was worthy to compete. Even more so when she destroyed his Samurai - and with its effect, having banished Uni-Zombie from his Graveyard and thus in turn having banished Red Daemon's Dragon - and dropped his Life to 4000. Two turns he was down to half his starting Life...She was pretty dang good, he thought.

"And just like that, the Dragon Empress lives up to her name! Even if it isn't around, she managed to summon a powerful beast and drop Takeshi's Life to half!" MC announced, Takeshi chucklingStill...At least now he could answer with one of his own plays. "My turn! Draw!" he declared, going right into his next move. "I activate the first effect of my Reincarnation Style! I discard one of the Spiritmasters in my hand and Special Summon Shiranui Samurai from the Graveyard!" And when the animation played out, she would see the noble ronin standing before her, a confident smirk on its face. "Next I summon the Tuner monster, Shiranui Spectralsword!" With that, the ghostly wandering blademaster came forth, its haunted blade wavering in front of it.

"And I'll tune Spectralsword with Samurai!" was his next declaration, Samurai jumping forward into four orbs of light while Spectralsword disappeared into two rings, "Noble warrior, bear of the torch of your ancestors and rise from beyond to strike against darkness! Synchro Summon! Blade God - Shiranui!" And with the animation completed, she would see one of his staple monsters right before her...The field completely void of any resistance, his monster readying the katana in front of him.

"Blade God! Direct Attack! Path of the Forgotten!" Takeshi shouted happily; and with one swing of his blade, a spectral warrior charged from the strike and hit Ling, dropping her life to 5100. "Wow! What a hit! Takeshi answers Ling's destruction earlier with a counter of his own! This is a close match, folks! I'm on the edge of my seat!" MC continued, the crowd cheering loudly by this point as these two put on an awesome show.

Takeshi just laughed, "He is right Ling; you're putting up one hell of a challenge. I'm having a freaking blast right now! But I'll end my turn!"
 

Tch. Don't guarantee things you can't prove to be true. Because actually, you're wrong. At worst, I'd be cautious. Very much so. But I wouldn't outright refuse to help out.

Was he purposely being this stubborn? Even the next question seemed easy for Hajime to comprehend; then again, he was closest to Yuna, much like the tech had noticed four days ago. Fine. Somewhat fair point .... but this was why he eagerly helped Yamichi understand what he felt damn sure to be the right response.

Remember how you were when you came out of your trance? Shaken up. Upset. Taken aback. Do you think Yuna was any different? She probably had her own healthy dose of shame. She knew you all would be understandably upset, so she hid because - at the time - it seemed like the best choice. That's .... probably changed though.

... The punch was only somewhat unexpected. But not enough for Hajime to try to dodge. He knew and understood he deserved it. In fact, he accepted the hit, bringing the phrase of 'taking it like a man' to a whole new and literal meaning.

... It isn't that different. If she was forced to change her usual mindset and mannerisms like you ... it is the same. Maybe not with certain technicalities, like the fact she activated her own change. But aside from those bits and pieces? Yes, Yamichi. You two were the same for the most part.

While Yamichi wiped his own tears away, Hajime did the same. The part of his face that got punched, however, was left alone. It seemed he was fine enough with accepting whatever bruise or mark as a reminder of sorts.

Thank you. I really am sorry I had to go that far, but thank you for agreeing. Cautions are fine. If ... if it'd help put you at ease .... she can stay in one of the cells that actually are still cells for a bit. Something like that. But I'll help come up with something to ensure we can get her back with no to minimal risks of history repeating.

Leaning again with his back against the wall, Hajime closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. A weak smile crossed his face as he looked back towards Yamichi.

You been working out in secret or something? That punch actually hurt more than I expected. Anyway .... I'll let you finish up. Maybe I can get a telepathic hold of her. I haven't tried out of fear of being blocked out or something, but ... fuck it. May as well give it a shot or two. Thanks again. Really ... I do appreciate it.

A light wave would be the last thing Yamichi would see before the blue-haired lieutenant walked away, going back to his own private quarters. It was always easier to do this when he was in a more quiet area. Sometimes, too many people would go by the warden's office and ruin any silence that otherwise lingered in the halls, so his room seemed like the better option.
Rather than ignoring the Samurai's smirk like most others probably would have, Ling returned the gesture with her own. Her own grin, however, was less of a cocky one and more of an acknowledging smile. She kinda had a good enough guess on what was coming. Her field was wide open, after all. With how good these Shiranui were with swarming and whatnot, it was easy to assume some sort of Synchro Summon would be coming soon enough.

And there it is ... she thought, smiling as his Blade God emerged from his own vortexes.

" .... That card especially seems to respond to you the best. Him and War God, from what I've noticed."

As the card charged forward, Ling instinctively got in a defensive stance. A martial arts one, granted, but one to help lessen the blow. Even with the damage being normal, there would still be a bit of a stinging sensation. Both hair and dress were blown quite a bit as he life dropped a considerable amount from her own single assault Ling just endured. When the dust moved away, she brushed herself off, nodding in agreement with Takeshi's last statement.

"I am having fun too. Hmm. Getting past him's going to be a chore. Draw!"

Annnnd again, no support for spells or traps. She would have gone about her last turn much smarter if she took a moment or two to think more carefully. With her dire lack of luck, it was pretty simple to see that unless a major miracle showed up, she wouldn't be winning first place.

.... Then again, the money was honestly a bonus. As someone already residing in the Tops, that didn't matter or her. This was simply to meet Yamichi again in the Fortune Cup. And now with him taking up the offer to go out on a date, before then even.

"I'll set a monster and end."

This had worked well enough against Sasaki. So maybe she could just bring it back and keep her life points safe enough to earn another turn? That was her goal, anyway. For now, it was - unfortunately - all Ling truly could do.
 

"Heh...Well, to be fair, I didn't get the other Synchros until a lot later. They were my only two for a long time; figured I would have to work out how to use them as best as I could. I got the others as gifts." he lied; granted they were given as gifts, but they were in no way purchased legally. Hotsuma had stolen Flame God and Deathkaiser out of a warehouse in the Satellite. Called it his birthday, even....And then he actually got him another Synchro, one that he thought would never work in this deck. But it saved his butt a few times.

"Hotsuma...Even if you can't be here, this is for you, dude. You better work up soon though." Takeshi thought to himself as he saw Ling place another monster face-down. "Yeah...That's the bad thing about Undead. They always seem to come back, hehe." he joked, going for his next turn. "I activate Spectralsword's effect in the Graveyard! I banish Spectralsword and Shiranui Spiritmaster from my Graveyard to perform a Synchro Summon!" And as if on cue, Spectralsword and Spiritmaster would appear in spirit form, performing the same animation as a normal Synchro Summon.

"What's this!? He's Synchro Summoning from the Graveyard! What a move, folks!" Takeshi would hear, having paused on purpose in anticipation of the MC making that announcement, "Overlord of the blight, rise and take vengeance against those that wronged you! Synchro Summon! Revived Demon King, Ha Death!" And the monster that fell from the lights was certainly not an attractive one; half its face was missing, and several open sores could be seen all over his body.

"And because Spiritmaster was banished, I can destroy one face-up card you control! Solidarity is decimated!" he declared, her Permanent Magic shattering before her eyes. "Next, I Normal Summon another Spiritmaster and activate its effect! I Special Summon Shiranui Samurai from the Graveyard!" And after Spiritmaster materialized some ofuda and made a prayer circle that resulted in a small cyclone fire, the noble ronin that had been used to summon its more powerful counterpart reappeared from within it right to the caller of the afterlife.

"Now, Ha Death! Destroy her face-down! Reincarnation of Dark Ruler!" he declared, the zombified overlord shooting a ball of energy at her face-down at decimating. And with this Takeshi knew this was over...But he had honestly enjoyed this Duel. "Hey, Ling? That was a hell of a match...If we ever meet outside here, I definitely want to challenge you again. You're an awesome opponent...Just, do me one favor, yeah? Don't make little Yamichi too embarrassed if you see him again, alright? Haha." he joked, not really knowing that Ling and him had a date already set up.

"Now, Shiranui...Attack!" he would then say, his other three monsters striking at her own simultaneously. Bringing her life down to zero in one fell strike...And making Takeshi the third member of Yomi to win cash and the second to enter the Fortune Cup.

"AAAAND THERE YOU HAVE IT FOLKS! DRAGON EMPRESS LING AND UNDERWORLD LORD TAKESHI ADVANCE TO THE FORTUNE CUP! GIVE IT UP FOLKS! WILL THE FINAL FOUR PLEASE COME UP TO THE STAGE FOR THE PRESENTATION OF THE PRIZES!"

...It was here that Takeshi remembered who placed alongside Shivini. "Oh crap...I forgot..." he muttered mentally; well, best not to dwell on it. Besides...Maybe she improved? Even if it's just a little? But...Soon enough all four of them would be present on the stage. Shivini and Sasaki standing side by side and receiving their identical checks for 125000 yen. "Shivini...Right?" Sasaki would then ask her, adding "Have...your wounds healed? I've never seen the Solid Vision system do something as horrendous as that. I hope you're alright after that experience."

And Takeshi couldn't believe his ears; did she really just ask if his friend was okay? "Well...Holy shit, Hell froze over." he quipped mentally in his head, being presented alongside Ling with the buttons that would grant them entry. "Hey...Ling, seriously. Good match. I look forward to seeing you in the Fortune Cup, alright?" he then said to his former opponent.
 

"... It's not bad. Well, not for you, anyway. I think you mean bad for me. Then I'll believe you more."

Thankfully, she had something that acted in the same way his deck did.

However, the more he acted in his turn, the clearer it became to Ling there wouldn't be a next turn for her. Well ... it wasn't a complete surprise. She had assumed the easiest way to defeat Takeshi would be to get - more or less - the 'perfect hand'. Suffice to say, she got anything but that. In fact, it had only been last turn she obtained one of her Polymerization's. And with some of her cards ending up in teh banished pile, it would have been borderline impossible to pull off.

Hopefully come the Fortune Cup, I can fight you directly and show you how much I've grown.

Her head bowed as she walked up the platform with Takeshi, standing beside him. Although she didn't verbally reply to Takeshi's joke about seeing Yamichi soon, a ghost of a smirk appeared on her face. It was the best he'd get for an answer, but nothing more.

... Oh shit ... Shivini lamented, not having even known about this part. She'd figured this would be done separately. In private or something. A hand lightly patted her shoulder; even without having to glance back, she knew it was Eikichi.

"Go on. You earned it."

"That's not my problem," she whispered back, taking a slight breath as she stood next to Ling. She tried to focus on anything, really; the crowd, Takeshi - though it was a tad difficult to look at her friend without risking appearing to be gawking at Ling's chest - any literal thing or person aside from the one next to her. Shivini felt her heart pound as Sasaki called out to her. "Correct, yes. That would be me."

If only because Takeshi and Eikichi were so close, she'd try to be civil. But god help her, if she was aboutt to say her deck was too slow or some shit, she'd --

"Have...your wounds healed? I've never seen the Solid Vision system do something as horrendous as that. I hope you're alright after that experience."

... Excuse me?

Was this really the same woman? Shivini even turned, now actually looking and confirming. Apparently, yes.

.... Huh. Well ....

"They have, yeah. But I'm gonna have a scar for quite a while. That's fine though. Maybe there are some guys who dig scars?" It wasn't as obvious, given her choice of attire was significantly very different from the leather outfit she had against Takeshi. She gently lifted the hem of her top, allowing her to sneak a quick peek before letting her shirt fall back down. Regardless of anything Sasaki may or may not say in response, Shivini casually shrugged. "It helps me embody my Amazoness side a bit more."

Holy hell, mark the calendars! Not only had Shivini given her a polite answer, but managed to include somewhat of a jest with it. "But umm ... seriously, thanks for the concern. I do appreciate it."
 

Well...God damn, maybe people could change. He wasn't expecting Sasaki to act civil in any degree...But it was nice to see, and a much needed sign that things could finally be looking up.

And as if to up it even more, Sasaki then approached Ling and Takeshi, a genuine smile on her face, "Congratulations...To the both of you. I wish you the best of luck in the Fortune Cup." That was all she said though, before turning away. "Uhm...Thank you?" Takeshi replied; it was true, the girl didn't seem to have much knowledge in the way of social interaction. Because that was awkward as hell.

But...At the very least, he could appreciate the effort. And looking over his pin, he just looked up to the sky afterward and said, "Arigato...Kami-sama..."



However...Somewhere else, a crimson-haired woman was tied down, her limbs completely restrained. The weapons she had carried with her, both the pistol and the switchblade as well as any money she had on person, lay on a table in the opposite corner of a dark room. The only source of light being a lamp that had its entire focus on her....A pair of headphones over her head, blasting away death metal through a music player at the fullest volume possible. This had been going on almost forty-eight hours now, just one of the many unkindness she had suffered.

"Now...Let's see how she is, Misty. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that sleep deprivation makes people...well, kinda loopy. Saw a lot of that in the Facility; was one of their favorite methods of getting someone to talk. They'd do anything after that just to get even a few hours of sleep, hehe." a familiar voice would say, Akane - aka Yuna Takeda - hearing the noise die away as the headphones were lifted off of her. The light showing two shadows with glowing sets of eyes before her, one coming across to reveal a very familiar face.

"Oh dear, she doesn't look so good..." Kiryu then added, his voice a mockingly sweet one as he would appear before her eyes. Smacking her cheek lightly, he then called out "Yuuuuna....Yuuunnaaa...Come on, wake up, hahaha." Turning his head to his compatriot, he would then say, "Go on, Misty...Ask her anything you like...Do anything you want. It's one reason I captured her, you know. Give you some intel, hopefully, and some practice."
 
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