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


When Kazama began declaring he as going tto try to Synchro Summon, Mukuro simply smirked. He stayed quiet all while poor Kazama tried to look for the source of what was wrong. And when he finally pieced together it was his own field card sealing his fate, Mukuro busted out laughing.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Did you seriously think I played that just for the fuck of it?! Holy fucking shit. The look on your face right now is absolutely priceless. Too bad I don't have a camera; always when you want something that you never have it. Whew. Aww, man. I needed the laugh. Thanks, buddy."

Once again, Mukuro went quiet again; less due to mercy and more to regain his composure, as well as oxygen. When he was finally calm enough, he drew, his smug grin further widening.

"Alright. This has been fun, but I'm done fucking around. Final turn!"

Fayth grimaced, now opting to hold onto Yusei's sleeve. Partially for reassurance, but also, in case that declaration wasn't a bluff. It'd mean her turn was next, or about to arrive soon enough.

"I'll activate Skull Flame's effect to special summon Burning Skull Head to the field. Trap Card, Open! Spiritual Fire Art - Kurenai! I'll tribute my Skull Flame to have the trap work."

In doing so, Kazama would be alive. Barely ... by 100, to be exact.

Unfortunately, he didn't get so cocky that Mukuro forgot his own monster's effect.

"And last - but certainly not least - Ultimate Baseball Kid's effect will activate. I'll have him smack the Burning Skull Head outta the park to take away the last of your life points! DUEL OVER!"

" ... Seriously?" Ling replied, feeling a similar emotion everyone else likely was by now; infuriated. How could someone disgusting like him actually win? The worst part, though, was the victory was legit. He hadn't cheated, tampered with Kazama's disk, nor resorted to any such measures.

" ... Lame .... " Judai agreed, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair. "Well, at least we all have one person we're not rooting for." His head turned as he glanced over to Fayth. "You gonna be okay?"

"I .... I don't know." Her own exasperated breath lingered in the air as she held the bottle of green tea closer. As if she were trying to examine it. "Starting to kinda wish I were a tad older. Sake would probably help calm me a bit more."

Judai started to protest ... but stopped, opting to close his mouth instead. Even if it was true alcohol wouldn't help much - maybe not at all, she wouldn't likely want to hear that right now. "You still have time. And I doubt the MC - or anyone here, really - will blame you for not immediately walking up. He wasn't exactly discreet nor quiet with his 'statements', so ... everyone knows well enough who they were all directed at. I'm sure a few minutes to gather your wits won't bother anyone."

"Thanks ... ummm .... you're new also. You are ... ??"

"Ahh, yeah. Oops, sorry. My bad. Yuki Judai. Sorry we couldn't meet in less stressful situations, Celeste."

"Likewise," Fayth softly agreed, taking another deep breath as she closed her eyelids behind the blindfold. He was probably right. The best thing for Fayth to do was take advantage of every bit of time she had before needing to get up and walk to the dueling arena. Because right now, she definitely couldn't duel. Not like this. No matter how much or small, she needed to calm herself; preferably sooner than later.

Although the thought of tossing one last quip over to Celeste and her group was certainly tempting, Mukuro decided against it for now. Instead, he walked smugly away ... though not before sneaking in one last stare towards the blind duelist.

I'll see you later, sweetie~ he thought, chuckling happily at having secured his win into the next round.
 

Jack's eyes seemed even colder than usual; what a disgusting opponent, he thought. If he didn't have to wait for this tournament to end, he would go down and humiliate Mukuro again just because of how he was acting. "Well...Seems like Mukuro has the win." Goodwin commented; not exactly how he was hoping this would turn, but perhaps using one of these brats to antagonize the Signers would be a wise move indeed. At the very least, if there was any backlash, it would be against a peasant and not his own men.

Kazama, meanwhile, was waiting for the end...But would face it pridefully. The first hit came from when Mukuro used his Skull Flane's effect, dropping his Life to 2700. The second came when Spiritual Fire Art had Skull Flame burst into fire and wash over him, dropping him to a dangerous 100 Life. And the final hit, the one which would end it, came when his Baseball Kid used his giant kanabō to slam the flaming skull into him, knocking him on his ass and winning Mukuro the duel.

"And that's over! Mukuro delivers a fiery finisher!" MC announced, the crowd booing Mukuro as he would stalk off smugly. Kazama meanwhile just stood up and made his way off the stage, back to where the other Duelists were. "Aw man, I thought you had him when you got out Garlandorf! That's guy a jerk, Kazama, so don't you pay him no mind!" Lua would say loudly, Takeshi just smiling, "She's right you know...That didn't deserve the win. But you know what man? Kudos on a well-fought battle. You did your best and even shut him up a bit."

Kazama just smiled weakly, "I know...Just a shame I had to get the sore winner type of opponent. Makes me shudder to think what he would have acted like if he'd lost." Yusei said nothing, knowing at least in part the answer to that. He didn't need to explain much else, really; besides, like Judai said, they now at least had a common dislike of one particular individual.

But as the time went, it would soon quickly be Celeste's turn. "Alright, folks! It's time for the next match! The Professor versus Celeste Belrose!" At this, Yusei held out his hand, "Whenever you're ready, Celeste." Once she was prepared both physically and mentally, he would walk out with her, the Professor following close to their side. "My condolences, young lady. For having to endure the remarks of such a crass man as that Mukuro fellow." the Professor would then say, adding to Yusei, "And you, young man. I must admit seeing such chivalry these days gives me hope for the future generations; you're very kind to assist her."

Yusei tensed a little, but realized he must have overheard the conversations they were having. They weren't exactly being loud, but with them seated in the same area it would have been hard not to notice. "Well...As good as her other senses may be, the two of us agreed it would be better for her to have a guide." And once both Duelists were situated, Yusei would say "Best of luck; take solace in the fact that your opponent seems a lot better than Mukuro." And as he left, both would hear the murmurs of interest in Celeste and how her blindness seemed to be real. "I must admit, Miss Belrose, you're incredibly courageous for someone so young with your affliction. You have my sincere congratulations." the Professor would then compliment her, adding "So, let's both Duel happily yes? Give the people a respite from Mukuro's...idiosyncrasies. Yes, that's the word for it."

Goodwin just smirked from above; even if the Professor did lose, he had an idea form in his mind. Though Randsborg wouldn't dare go against anyone else except Akiza, and he didn't want to risk one of his actual agents. Especially since he was still technically undercover for Syd's operation. No, the Professor would do; he had the type of Deck to push a Duelist to their limits. And with that in mind, he would allow this Duel to proceed as usual.

Jack seemed a tad more interested; how would she hold up against this unknown Deck type? "Fayth, let's see how strong you've become." he would state to himself, arms crossed as the Duel went underway.
 

It felt much longer than barely under two minutes. For Fayth - and maybe even everyone else watching her - it'd likely feel like closer to five, possibly ten minutes. But finally, she mustered enough courage to reach out and accepted Yusei's hand. The reprieve had greatly helped her out, as had other factors. From the tea to the much friendlier presences around her, knowing they were all rooting for her. Her legs shook a bit, which caused her hand to slightly tighten. It'd be embarrassing to fall on her face, after all.

"Well .... it's now or never, I suppose," she whispered softly, turning her head to quickly smile at the rest of the group. When Yusei started to move, her gaze shifted to in front of her. Each step was noted, as she took in the vibrations and direction her feet were moving. Even the softest of noises were tucked away. And ... it wasn't overly amazing to detect the numerous whispers. Even those who had seen her during the selection tournament likely had thought she was pretending to be blind.

But now .... everyone knew that wasn't the case.

The murmurs made Fayth gulp nervously. She was equally proud as she was anxious. Sure, she did still owe Jack for earning his spot -- at least to an extent. The rest of the work, however, had been her own doing.

When a foreign voice was registered, her head quickly lifted.

"Ah, umm ... well, it wasn't only me. But I appreciate the thought all the same."

Not likely the most graceful nor elegant of replies, but it was at least honest. "I'm assuming you're the Professor then?" When a confirmation was given, her head nodded. The Professor would easily notice Fayth tense up as her condition was brought up. "Well .... I suppose that's one way to look at it, yes. It's ... not really something I like talking about, if you don't mind. Anyway, yes; a pleasant duel sounds great." Before he got too far away, however, she'd look back towards Yusei. "Thanks again for walking me up."

Fayth would reach down, pulling her deck out from its holster and placing it in her disk.

Hopefully they'll still respond ....

With how long it had been since she'd dueled, Fayth was a tad concerned about how this would go. But ... no. No point in fretting about that. It'd only make most of the nervousness she'd managed to get rid of return. She couldn't afford to have such emotions when she truly did want to advance and ride the Wheeler Fuyu and Yusei had put so much money and effort into.

"Heads!" she instinctively declared, managing to hear someone inquiring if she wanted heads or tails. A soft exhale would resound first from Fayth before she stated in a certain voice, "I'll go first! Duel!"

Now everyone who didn't know would see and understand how Fayth could duel. Her fingertips ran across the top of each card. The movement was slow ... and very deliberate. Making damn sure she didn't forget what she was holding in her hands. A smile spread over her face as she mentally pictured her starting hand.

I can work with this! Oh thank god! This may not be as impossible as I thought!

"I discard Zeradias from my hand to activate his effect! By putting him to the graveyard, I can get a Sanctuary in the Sky to my hand! I'll then activate my field card!" A smile crossed her face as the heavenly aura quickly surrounded her, spreading all over the stadium. This may not have been her first deck, but she had become rather fond of it nonetheless. "Next, I activate Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen to special summon Darklord Edeh Arae to the field! I'll set one card and end my turn!"

Ling and Judai were both grinning. Even leaning a bit closer to better watch how Celeste adapted despite her condition.

"Freaking brilliant. I don't think I would have thought of that ever," Judai mused, Ling nodding in agreement.

"I'm sure that memory of hers helps out. I can guess it'd be easy to get overwhelmed and trying to remember what you're having without sight. But that first move ... it indicates she's at least feeling well enough to be out there. Good."

It wouldn't have otherwise been fair for one prick to ruin what was supposed to be her - and everyone else's - moment to try to shine.
 

Frank just nodded as she asked to keep the subject of her condition off the table. "Very well. I had figured you didn't want to, only wished to express proper acknowledgment of your skill." And when the coin toss came up, he would lose, Celeste electing herself to go first. Not that he minded; his hand was decent but it was far from perfect. Even still, the true terror of his deck had yet to be seen. And come next turn, she would get a good taste of what it was.

At least, that was the plan.

"Quite the combination there. But now it's my turn, I draw!" the Professor would then say; granted there was another secret about him, but Celeste was lucky in that regard. His own abilities only worked on people who had a functioning sense of sight, and with her being blinded she would be spared this way.

In any event, this girl who had chosen not to participate...She intrigued him the most. What sort of secret was she hiding, he wondered.

"From my hand, I'll Normal Summon Dark Elf in Attack mode!" was his first declaration, the dark-skinned spellcaster standing completely upright. And with an Attack strength of 2000, it was going to be difficult to overcome. But with its effect, he wouldn't declare an attack just yet. "I'll then set two cards and end my turn!" Frank would declare.

"Eh? Why'd he put it in Attack? Her monster overpowers his significantly." Takeshi asked; he'd never really heard of this Dark Elf before, having only used Undead. "Has to do with his face-downs; might be something to bolster its Attack or negate the battle." Yusei nodded, confirming "It's also risky because Celeste has that face-down. It could be other card that would leave him open and prevent the attack, even if he did have something to that effect."

Takeshi narrowed his eyes, "But then...Those sets he has are probably something to help him right? Why else would he play something like that if he's not going to even attack with it." Yamichi just shrugged, "I have no clue...But at least the guy seems decent enough. Thankfully at least, Mukuro seems to be the odd one out in terms of sour opponents. Here's hoping at the very least, he'll continue to duel respectfully."

Goodwin watched Fayth's moves, seeing that the Professor had set up what was likely his first combo. "Akutsu...Are the sensors still stable?" he asked, the scientist confirming "Yes, Director. All the D-Sensors are functioning normally. All the Professor has to do is attempt to push her a bit."
 

"It's .... definitely appreciated. Thank you."

Hopefully he wasn't simply acting. After listening to someone like Mukuro, Fayth really wanted to avoid being against an opponent like him. So far, however, so good ... that made her body relax slightly.

When he summoned his Dark Elf, Fayth felt all the more relieved she'd been able to successfully summon Darklord Edeh Arae. With its own attack being a few hundred over the Dark Elf's, it kept her own fairy from being immediately wiped out. It'd actually be - hopefully - quite the challenge for even the Professor to overcome.

"Very well. My turn!"

"Trap Card, Open! Evil Deck Destruction Virus!"

"Sorry, but no! Trap Card, Open! Divine Punishment!"

Even though she was wearing a strong front, poor Fayth's heart was pounding quickly in her chest. That would have, indeed, been devastating if it succeeded. Taking another slight breath to calm herself, Fayth proceeded with her next turn. "I'll activate Solidarity!" Now it would definitely be much easier said than done for Frank to beat her monster by sheer power. Worse off, her Divine Punishment only halted the effect from resolving. The Professor, unfortunately, still ended up sacrificing his elf to try to make it work.

Which meant, for the most part, he was wide open.

So now .... Fayth was trying desperately to determine the answer to the golden question rushing through her head.

Is it worth the risk?

Her teeth lightly gripped her lower lip before she gave a firm nod. "Darklord Edeh Arae! Direct attack! Unholy Burst!"

If Fayth thought her heart had been racing before, that was nothing. It felt like her muscle wanted to leap from her chest.

Yes! Oh god, I'm doing it! Oh thank god!

Her smile widened as she briefly checked whether there was anything else to do or not. According to what she felt, not yet. Risky, no doubt, given she hadn't gotten many support traps. She'd have to rely on a bit of luck, now especially that Frank had to deal with a monster well over 3000 attack to get by first in order to actually put a dent in her life.

"Turn end!"

"Darklords?" Ling mused. "It .... I mean, I'm glad they're working for her. But I envisioned her using the more typical angels. Not ones with black wings. I'd honestly think it may be sorta challenging to have a mix of DARK and LIGHT fairies ... but maybe that's just me."

Well ... if that was a real enough concern or not, they'd see soon enough throughout this duel.
 

Yusei himself was a bit confused as well, now that he thought about it after Ling's statement; how did she get those cards? He had seen her purchase back in the Satellite, and she hadn't had a single one of those in her stack. She must have gotten them later; but was it before or after the Facility? Even so, if she found a way to make it work. "She must have gotten them after she built her first deck; I was with her when she purchased the cards. You are right, Ling...She did have the more typical kinds at first. She must have included them to help with summoning speed."

And indeed, the Professor had a good idea that his monster was outclassed, but that was because this little beauty wasn't meant for battle. No, this would be one of the first strikes against her. And when he declared the activation of his Trap Card, she responded with one of her own. One that negated his card's effect and still sent his only manner of defense to the Graveyard. Instead of being upset, at least not outrageously so, the man just gave a small pout, "And here I thought I was in the clear. But...Even so, doesn't change that my card was destroyed. Excellent tactic, Miss Belrose."

Now the answer would come in whether she would attack or not...Something that was quite obvious as her Edeh Arae launched a violent attack against him, sending him skidding back a foot or two as his Life dropped to 4900. "And what a start, folks! Celeste's already cut down her opponent's life by nearly half in one turn!" MC announced.

"My turn, I draw! I activate the Magic Card, Terraforming! I select one Field Magic from my deck and add it to my hand! And in doing so, I'll activate it this turn as well! Field Magic, Altar of the Mind's Eye!" And just like with her radiance, his own side of the field would now be populated by the walls of an old mausoleum, a strange obelisk standing directly behind him. "As long as this card is in effect, all battle damage either of us takes will become 1000 Points. No matter the strength of the monster. And with that, I'll end my turn.

Yamichi cocked his head, "Even with that on the field, it doesn't prevent direct attacks right? What good could that do him?" Now it was Takeshi's turn to explain something, "He probably doesn't have any monsters he can easily summon. He's using this to render the powering of her Dark Lord virtually meaningless. It could have 100 or even 50 Attack Points and still do 1000. But because she has a strong creature out, it's going to buy him a few turns."
 

When Yusei hinted he recognized the changes in Celeste's deck, that made Ling smirk slightly. "Ah! So you two do have a history with one another. I kinda figured, but in case it was super personal, I didn't wanna pry too much. Well .... I doubt she'll mind explaining. Hell, she's probably hearing me right now and wishing I'd shut up." A hand quickly covered her mouth; she'd been refraining from swearing in front of Luca. Well ... there would go some money into her own swear jar when she returned home.

"Oops. My bad. I know you've seen and heard a lot, Luca-kun, but the fact is there were some you really shouldn't have had to witness. Hopefully the rest of this day will stay on a more civil route."

Which, right now, was a very nice change in the last round versus now. At least this Professor seemed far more tame than Mukuro had been.

Yes, yes I do wish you'd shut up. I really don't need a second Fuyu in my life, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease. Ugh!

Her head tilted slightly, also a tad taken aback as Frank played his field card. Wouldn't it restrain him also? Then again, if he was drawing dead, i was likely for the best that he went on and activated it; even more so true as she drew her next card. Everyone would see that, more likely than not, he'd used it to buy some turns. Otherwise, the duel would have ended now --- or at least gotten very close to doing just that.

"I summon Darklord Ukoback! I'll use his effect to send a second copy of himself to the graveyard."

Mainly to ensure if he had anything to tamper with her graveyard, he'd need a very technical card to mess with Solidarity and keep it from working.

"And now, Darklords Ukoback and Edeh Arae will directly attack! Orb of Darkness! Unholy Burst!"

Whereas Edeh Arae's attack had been quicker and more of a ray, Ukoback would gather a large, circular-shaped ball full of dark energy. Only when both fallen angels were ready would the two merge into one single attack, looking and acting like a very unnatural arrow.

Just in case there had been any doubts, those who could do math in their heads decently would see Celeste would have gotten even closer to securing a victory for herself had Frank's field not been played.

Even still, a lead is a lead. You can definitely do this. Just stay this way and don't lose your focus. Don't panic. You can win this!

The thought made her grin expand as she declared happily, "Turn end!"
 

"Eh, it's alright; my brother watches a lot of bad TV, so I'm used to it!" Lua would reply with a silly grin; of course, that was brought about by the number of times Luca had chastised him for watching shows not meant for kids his age. Didn't help that he learned how to get around the content blocker the parents put on the box either. And while it was nothing pornographic, it was shows and movies that contained a lot of violence and explosions. Things that their folks would worry about being too stressful for Luca's frail body.

Frank whistled as she would go on to summon a second monster, Tribal Solidarity buffing its ATK much like it had to Edeh Arae. "Most impressive." he complimented, watching as her monsters would combine their attacks into one. He had to shield himself with an arm and brace a little as the gale-force winds threatened to blow him back. "Whew...Thank goodness I played my Field. I reduced the damage to only 2000." he would smile, his Life dropping to 2900. However, now that she had two monsters on the field, he needed to play his next move carefully.

"My turn, draw!" he would declare; and a satisfied smile crossed his face when he saw what it was. "From my hand, I activate the Magic Card, Cross-Sacrifice! This turn, I can perform an Advance Summon using a monster you control. I release Dark Lord Edeh Arae and Advance Summon the Level Six monster, Summoned Demon!" And as Edeh's image would fade away, a crash of lightning would strike the Professor's field, letting the giant bone-white demon rise up from beyond. And at 2500 ATK, Ukobach was sorely outclassed, at least for the moment.

"Sadly, when I activate Cross-Sacrifice, my Battle Phase is sealed this turn. So for now, I'll end it here." he would then say, the turn shifting back to Celeste's go.

Takeshi scowled, "That's a low move, tributing an opponent's monster like that." Yusei shook his head, "It's one most would make if given the chance. I imagine he's trying to buy as much time as he can, to set up some kind of combination that will grant him an overwhelming advantage. If he's using Virus Cards, he's likely going for deck and hand destruction to reduce her viable options while running his field with overwhelmingly strong creatures."

Goodwin smirked as the Professor used one of her stronger monsters as fodder to summon his own beast; indeed, this was the Professor's style. To use his own opponent's strength against them, and crush from within. "Akutsu...Keep a close on Fayth. Let's see how she handles his next few moves." he would say, the scientist nodding as he would continue to watch the monitor for any changes to her signature.
 

... Why? Why fiends again?

Fayth's heart rate spiked a bit. Granted, this was much more tame than when she'd faced Hotsuma back in the Facility. Still, it wasn't taking her down a pleasant trip via Memory Lane, either.

I get the whole Angels vs. Demons going against one another is a thing, but this is taking it a bit too literally, isn't it?

Her teeth held onto her lower lip as she prepared for the battle phase. Except ... it didn't arrive? Granted, she wouldn't have taken damage anyway, courtesy of Sanctuary in the Sky. Still, what? That had been ... unexpected.

"A draw back, huh? Very well then. My turn!"

... Well, a wall was all well and good. For now, anyway. Hopefully she wouldn't be forced to only resort to defensive tactics though. "I'll shift Ukoback and set a monster. Turn end."
 

The Professor just smiled as he noted the slight tension in her posture; yes, she seemed a bit taken aback. But was it because he used her own card as fodder for a higher-level monster? He couldn't say, but she seemed (if only slightly) more on edge.

"Well then...I suppose it's my turn. I'll draw and set a monster." the Professor stated calmly, pointing a finger at Celeste's face-down. "Summoned Demon, destroy her face-down! Demon Lightning!" And when the monster's massive thunder strike would hit, the face-down monster was revealed...Something that would harm him greatly.

And as its effect activated, the pudgy monster leaping at him the Professor just grinned, "Good thing I set this earlier. Trap Card, Open! Damage Polarizer! With its effect, I can negate an effect that would inflict damage to me, then both of us draw one card!" And as the Trap resolved, a mirror shield-bearer popped up and smacked her monster back to her side of the field. Allowing him to draw another card from his deck.

"Hmmm...Indestructible by battle, is it? That's going to be troublesome. So for now, I'll end my turn. Your move, Miss Belrose."
 

'Slight tense' was an understatement. She was mainly able to keep herself from visibly trembling because Fayth was reminding herself this was not Hotsuma's deck. From having very different cards to lacking the ability to swarm and overwhelm her ... there were tons of things that this deck didn't possess. And that was good. Because she didn't know if she could handle going against that type of Fiend deck again. When he proved she wan't imagining things by failing to summon something else, Fayth sighed softly.

Okay. Okay .... you can deal with this.

"That is the point of Marshamallon for situations like these," Fayth replied calmly, smiling at the Professor. "My turn then! Draw!"

Oh thank god!

Granted, she could have easily maintained her 'wall'. But with the massive lead she had, she didn't want to give too many chances or opportunities to Frank. So for her to draw something o help turn this duel around ... goddamn, she was grateful for that.

"I'll summon Freya, Spirit of Victory! She'll give an extra 400 attack to all of my fairies."

And with Solidarity still on the field, that was an extra 1200 already being given to every monster.

"I then shift Ukoback to attack and equip him with two Cestus of Dalga's, giving him 500 more attack per each card." And with this, Ukoback was stronger than even the skeletal fiend. "Battle! Darklord Ukoback, turn the Summoned Skull back to ashes! Orb of Darkness! Freya! Attack the set card!"

"Monster effect, activate! Grave Squirmer! I'll select your Darklord Ukoback as the monster I wish to destroy."

Another internal sigh resounded in Fayth's mind. The relief, however, didn't last for long.

Shit! I did all that work and now ... I lose my monster and equips?!

Her heart sank slightly, her pulse quickening yet again. Granted, there was a plus side to all of this. Freya couldn't be immediately targeted, as per her secondary effect. Since Marshmallon couldn't be destroyed, she did still have her wall. Still though ... the loss was a painful one in its own rights. Latching again briefly onto her lower lip, she calmed herself enough to resume speaking. "Before they completely disappear, the effects from both Cestuses will activate. I gain life equal to the damage dealt."

Which, somewhat unfortunately, was restricted compared to what it should have been. Nonetheless, having 10,000 life points was nothing to sneeze at either, even less so with possessing a damn well nearly unbreakable wall.

"Turn end!"

Judai whistled, grinning as he watched Celeste take each turn in this duel. "She definitely handles herself really well. Very impressive. And she has her deck balanced pretty well. It's true; the LIGHT and DARK mixture usually isn't good, especially with fairies. But she's making it work really well."

"She really is," Ling agreed, "Not that I'd doubt her abilities ... although I've never met a blind duelist. I'm pretty sure she's the first I've ever seen. And ... for the reason I'm pretty sure of; most would give up on wanting to duel at all. It's inspiring to see her not giving up and giving it her all."
 

The Professor just watched on respectfully as she summon another monster that could not be destroyed; as it stood, his best chance was to draw another Cross-Sacrifice and try to release it for one of the more powerful beasts in his hand. But for the moment...He really didn't have any moves to make, if only because his deck seemed to have been poorly shuffled.

And when she did attack with her eliminating his Demon and her other monster destroying his set, that was when he could finally gain some form of control. ""Monster effect, activate! Grave Squirmer! This card allows me to target one card you control when it's destroyed by battle! I'll select your Darklord Ukobach as the monster I wish to destroy." And with that, the bandaged-covered fiend would erupt from the ground beneath, grabbing at her monster's heels and dragging it below the surface.

And with that, her turn would come to an end. "My turn! Draw!" he declared, adding "I activate the Magic Card, Soul Charge. I Special Summon monsters from my Graveyard at the cost of 1000 Life each, but I cannot attack the turn this effect is activated. Be reborn, Summoned Demon!" And with his monster's resurrection and his Life down to a measly 900, he too would have his own wall for the moment. "I set two cards face-down, and with that I end my turn." he would then say; he had a sort of plan in mind.

One that could at least turn things more in his favor. 10000 Life was impressive indeed.

"Not just that, but she's also a female...And I think everyone can agree that most women are looked down on in Dueling." Takeshi commented, Yamichi nodding "Ah, yeah...Just like when she went against that Johnny character. That was probably the most satisfying beatdown I've ever seen."

But after she would seal his summons and attacks further by summoning Consecrated Light, he would only have the one move to make. "Trap Card, Open! Gift Card! You gain 3000 Life!" he would then say; MC announcing, "What's this!? He's giving his opponent a free boost?! What could he be thinking!?" And it was here that he would unveil his next move after she would Summon Counselor Lily, "Trap Card, Open! Life Changer! When the difference in Life is more than 8000, both of our Life values become 3000!"

And with the effect resolved, the Professor's Life would rise to 3000, while Celeste's would crash from a whopping 13,000 down to the same number as his. "Sadly, that's the only move I can really make right now. I apologize, Miss Belrose, that I can't be more of a challenging opponent for you." the Professor would then say calmly; and he knew it was true, she was whooping him rather easily. Maybe going forward, he would need a deck change...Especially if he was to try and convince the Director to allow him to go after Luca.

"So...That was his strategy. Now with a level playing field, I wonder what he'll do next." Goodwin muttered, Jack nodding "It seems that Fayth's tactics and his general bad luck will be his downfall this match. But at least he's being gracious thus far; last thing we need is a second Mukuro upsetting her." At this Rex couldn't help but smile, "Oh? Feeling protective, Jack? That's unlike you." Giving a slight 'Hmph', the King would reply, "No...But no duelist should have to endure that sort of taunting. Aside from it being generally disgusting, he brings shame to Duelists everywhere with his behavior."
 

The next three turns progressively became more and more stressful. Being able to summon Consecrated Light was definitely a start to halt the Professor from making too much progress. Of course, with this, she now wouldn't be able to use any of her own Darklords should she draw any. For the time being, though, this was fine. After that, she set Lumenize down. It wasn't a bluff card; however, it only worked when her opponent attacked a LIGHT monster she possessed. It was on the third turn that her pulse was racing once again.

Nothing ... she could literally do nothing but end her turn.

Was her deck giving in?

Goddamnit! I'm so close!

Even with the use of the Life Changer trap, victory wasn't as far away as it could have been. Granted, it also wasn't as close compared to when Frank's life had been down to a mere 900 before. Still, it was doable. Simultaneously, it was annoying that she was forced to lose so much life due to a mere whim. Yet, it was this exact fact that keep her relatively calm; she hadn't lost 10,000 life due to battle damage, at least. Her head bowed as Fayth shut her eyelids behind the blindfold.

Step one ... calm down. He hasn't been doing too well himself.

All things considered, his field was relatively empty. Especially when she could only guess the numerous monsters he probably had tucked away in his own deck.

"Oh no, no. That's not true. I can usually be a lot quicker with this deck. You've made me stop and think. You've definitely been much more ... generous than others I've been against, and for that, I'm very grateful."

Her head gently bowed before she drew her next card.

"I summon Counselor Lily! I'll use her, Consecrated Light, Marshmallon, and Freya to Synchro Summon!" Clasping her hands together, the familiar green and silver set of orbs would appear. Her smile widened as Fayth briefly paused ... only to utter what felt like the most natural response. "Blessed paladin who guides and watches the angels above, I seek your aid out! Fly down to this battlefield and give me your strength to help secure our victory! Synchro Summon! Avenging Knight Parshath!"

"Heh, yeah. We definitely aren't given benefit of the doubt enough times," Ling agreed, grinning as she watched Fayth successfully perform a Synchro Summon.

Poor Fayth temporarily forgot about Frank's field card; enough to proceed with something that hadn't ended up being necessary. "I'll use Counselor Lily's effect to further boost Avenging Knight Parshath's attack. Avenging Knight Parshath, direct attack! Brilliant Slash attack!"

Her cheeks flushed. Even without being able to see the digits, she heard the beeps. And ... it didn't go as low as it should have were the Professor's field card absent.

Ooops. Oh well.

"Turn end!"

Even with the accidental use of her own life, she still had a lead. Not much, no. But with how slow to react Frank's deck had been, she didn't expect him to easily conjure anything that could beat her own monster.
 

"Well I'm glad; I didn't want to come across as a twin of that other lad or something." the Professor would reply, seemingly content with the increasing likelihood of his loss. She had well and truly outplayed him after all; he would still make it a point to discuss his findings about her deck with the Director. And how if any of the other assassins got through, to best weaponize her weakness should they come to have to face her.

Her use of Consecrated Light and the Dark Lord cards were indeed an odd combination, but they worked well together despite the inherent clashing of Attributes. And when she would go on to perform a Synchro Summon of her own, the crowd seemed quite delighted, hollers of approval roaring through the stands. And with its current ATK even as it was, he would do something that would confuse most people.

"Trap Card, Open! Deck Destruction Virus of Darkness! I release Summoned Demon from my field and elect to destroy all your Magic cards! Go forth, my pandemic creatures!" As the card shined, a veritable cloud erupted from the face, swarming and attacking the Magic Cards on Celeste's field with their numbers. The cards would turn blacker and blacker, before long even the shining light of her Field being snuffed out as they ate and ate until the heavens broke. "But that's not all; until the third turn after this card's activation, all Magic cards you control, that are in your hand and that you draw are automatically destroyed and sent to the Graveyard!"

"What's this?! He released his only means of offense to destroy most of Celeste's field!" MC announced, watching as she would then go on to activate Counselor Lily's effect in the Graveyard, boosting (unnecessarily) the power of his monster. With Altar still present, he would only take 1000 Life Points of damage each time she would attack. And in Parshath's case, he would have at most three turns to turn this around.

Evidenced as such when she launched a successful direct attack and lowered his Life to 2000. And when his next turn came, he found himself looking at a monster too high of a level to Summon. Allowing the young woman to attack once more, bringing him down to 1000 Life.

Clapping his hands together three hands, he would then say, "Well, Celeste...It appears you've bested me. An excellent duel; you should be proud of what you've accomplished." And when she would finish the match with her Synchro monster, bringing his Life to zero, he kept his sincere smile even as MC announced the winner of the match and her advance to the quarterfinals.

Making his way over to her, he would then extend a hand, "Apologies...I know that you said you didn't want to talk about your condition. But I would feel awful leaving you up here, as good as your other senses may be. Might I trouble you for your permission to escort you back to the others?"
 

Fayth smiled when the crowd went wild upon seeing her Synchro Summon. No one knew this, of course, but Avenging Knight Parshath was the only fairy in her extra deck. Because of this fact, she was a bit relieved to have been able to special summon that ... if only to avoid anymore odd looks she may possibly be getting.

When all of her magic cards vanished, however, her heart rate rose once more.

NO!

Her body visibly tensed as she had to get a mental grip on herself. Sure, the move had been annoying. But ....

He still doesn't really have anything to help back it up.

Which was the primary incentive helping Fayth calm down and better accept the loss of her field and Valhalla card. Her head tilted back slightly as she would take a long breath before resuming with her turn.

By the end of Fayth's third turn after summoning Avenging Knight Parshath, the duel had officially come to an end. And in her favor! Her heart was still racing ... but now fueled on by anticipation. She'd be able to ride her Wheeler tomorrow! The thought made her smile widen.

"T-Thank you, Professor. You weren't bad yourself."

When she heard him extend his offer, Fayth chuckled nervously. "I should have been more clear; I don't like speaking of how I got this way. It ... wasn't natural. I'll say that much for free. But ... please. That'd be appreciated." Fayth slowly extended her own hand forward, eventually finding and intertwining it with Frank's.

Guess he really is a professor, she mused, noting his skin was far more smoother than someone who was often working or tinkering such as Yusei.

"Not bad, not bad!" Judai greeted, with Ling nodding in agreement.

"You definitely handled yourself well. Were you not nervous?"

"Oh no. I was. I'm just used to hiding that type of anxiety."

"It shows."

While Fayth sat back beside Yusei, Aki calmly stood up. Whereas Fayth had actively hidden her emotions, Aki's couldn't really be felt. Not quite as if she were emotionless; but more like as if she didn't know how to feel, even in a major duel such as this.

For the time being, she was simply keeping everything in check. Not just her emotions, bu her Psychic powers. Otherwise, she would have gladly snuck in a quick telepathic 'congrats' to Fayth.

Something told her, however, she wouldn't have liked the sudden voice echoing in her head.

Aki patiently waited, glancing up at the screen to see who her opponent was. Bommer, huh? Interesting name. Hopefully his deck would prove to be as unique.
 

"What they said. Great job, Celeste." Takeshi chimed in; that was one heck of a duel, and he was glad to have been there to watch. And he would give the Professor a silent nod of approval as if to say, "Much appreciated." to which Frank would just give a polite wave and resume his seat next to the others. Smiling at Fayth, Yusei would take his turn and add, "That was a well fought Duel. Guess that means we'll get to see you in action tomorrow, right?"

Yamichi seemed to get a bit surprised, wondering what he was referring to before it clicked, "Oh, that's right! Tomorrow's when they have the first round of Turbo Duels! That should be a lot of fun!" But then something else clicked, "But wait...If Celeste really can't see, then how..." And it was here that Yusei chimed in, "Let's just say...We took advantage of the auto-pilot functionality of the Runners. All she'll need to do is focus on Dueling and the Runner will handle the rest."

"So...You're up next, eh, Bommer?" Frank then whispered to a dark-skinned man while the others chatted amongst themselves, his body dressed in what seemed like an armored vest, cargo pants, and combat boots. Twin golden armbands glinted from his arms in the overhead light as he would reply, "Would seem the case." Of course, Bommer couldn't really care less; he had his own reasons for accepting this goal. And if he had to demolish some young outsider to accomplish...Well, then she should have just stayed home.

And Akiza would get her answer to her unspoken question as he would walk right past her, not even giving her a second glance. "AND WE'RE PAST THE HALFWAY POINT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WHAT A FIRST ROUND OF DUELS WE'VE SEEN! AND NEXT, WE HAVE AKIZA IZAYOI VERSUS BOMMER!" MC would announce, Bommer now standing before his opponent. His eyes didn't reflect boredom of the sort, but rather a cold calculating analysis of this red-headed Duelist before him. Like he was probing her stance, her body language for weakness.

Saying nothing, he went about readying his Duel Disk and letting the Wrist Dealer automatically shuffle his Deck. "AND COIN TOSS!" MC would declare once more, Bommer calmly saying 'Heads'. And when it did as such land on tails, he would just say, "Very well...So which will it be, Akiza?"
 

Fine by me. I don't need the attention on myself, anyway, Aki thought, feeling more relieved than irritated at Bommer seeming to ignore her presence. She'd already received quite the greeting from the other large group. Apparently, however, either one of several things was happening. Goodwin didn't know about her incident from the selection tournament -- or at least didn't have definite proof it had been her that abducted Hajime. Option B was Goodwin knew but simply refused to risk causing a scene, and was thus waiting to make a move. An then, unlikely as it was, there was C - that somehow, Divine had spoken with Rex and cleared her name.

Unlikely didn't mean impossible and it was due to this logic she kept C in mind.

"Hmmm. I'll go first."

Aki's first few turns would make it look like she'd have the upper hand. She easily Synchro Summoned Black Rose Dragon on her second turn. However, it didn't last for long. And ... all because of the weirdest of traps ever.

"Trap Card, Open! Fake Trap!"

Not only did it mess with her dragon, but all of her sets. From that point on, the duel was the slowest train-wreck anyone had ever seen. Proverbial, of course, but the image was more than strong enough for anyone to imagine.

Fayth frowned, mentally noting Bommer's deck was effectively a sealing plus effect damage deck. Would he be wrose or Mukuro? Deck wise, probably Bommer was gonna be tougher. But attitude? That easily went to Mukuro.

Even if for different reasons, some of the crowd was reacting in a similar manner as Fayth. Some people were actually booing Bommer. Saying his deck made the duel boring which - to some extents - was true. Despite being a valid tactic, the fact of the matter was it prevented much of anything from happening. Action especially.

Aki's head tilted; well, that was an interesting reaction. Certainly not expected.

In the end, Aki lost. Before then, though, a few things would be noted. The sensors would confirm she was indeed a Signer. Secondly, Bommer had gotten relatively low - even if primarily due to his own effects - and ended the duel with only 3900 life left.

You already succeeded earlier, she reminded herself, pivoting on her feet and leaving. She didn't say anything; nothing good, bad, nor otherwise neutral words. this applied to everyone, Bommer or the group.

Should anyone try to follow her, they'd find she'd disappeared, literally teleporting herself away the moment she walked past the gate leading into the Fortune Cup's stadium.

"Wow. What ... an awkward duelist .... " Ling muttered, not sure if she was glad no crude words had been uttered or more irked that nothing had been said.

"ALRIGHT!"

Poor Judai damn well nearly jumped up, grinning like an almost literal madman at Takeshi. "Round two. Sure you're ready? Well, hope so because it's our go!" Without thinking much, he reached over and grabbed one of Takeshi's sleeves, all but dragging them both to the arena at exactly the same time.
 

The duel was indeed slow, even giving the one between Lua and Yusei a run for their money in terms of how much of a crawl it was going at. From the get-go, it seemed Bommer held the advantage. His monsters able to destroy her supporting cards through their own effects, as well as cards to inflict damage and destroy her own monsters. And the boos got louder, but Bommer seemed to ignore them; he just hoped that Goodwin got what he needed.

Because if he had his way, he was going to be sure this was the last victory that rotten bastard ever got to enjoy fully.

"Man...I'd hate to go against him. He'd wreck me." Takeshi muttered; and it was true, those Reactor monsters would be the death of him if he managed to get them out. One might not think it, but his deck was heavily reliant on key Magic and Trap cards. If Bommer had those things out before he could play them, he was toast. Well, maybe not toast but it would definitely screw up the fluidity of his deck. But...That of course relied on him actually getting through and having to face the guy.

And just like that, the Duel was over. MC tried to announce, but both contestants said nothing to each other and just walked off. The former disappearing down a side hallway after she had been defeated, and the other coming back to watch the rest with the other victors and competitors. "Hey uhm...Bommer, right? Good duel!" Lua tried to say, the large man staring at him for a second before giving a small smile, "I would say so, yes." Even with his stoic nature, he despised those that would harm or dampen the spirits of children...Something he would be sure to remind Goodwin of in the near future.

"Bommer...You should be happier. You just defeated a Signer." Frank would say to him lowly, Bommer just replying as Lua would watch both Judai and Takeshi hype each other up, "Be silent. We must keep this as close as possible. Besides, you lost".

Right as Judai would jump up, Takeshi would do the same, "Haha, yeah! But like I said, I'm gonna win this time! Race you to the stage!" And like that, he would indeed race up. Yusei couldn't help but laugh, "Well then...These two are eager to get started. Something tells me that no matter the outcome, this is going to be a fast-paced match."

"And would you look at that, folks! Those two are practically out on the field before I could even draw a breath!" MC would announce, drawing collective chuckles from the audience. And indeed they would be treated to a match. "We have the HERO of the day, Judai Yuki going up against Underworld Lord, Takeshi Yamaguchi! Will Judai's noble warriors be able to overcome Takeshi's undead legions?! Or will the army of fallen overwhelm our saviours!? Let's find out, folks! COIN TOSS!"

But at this, Takeshi actually raised a hand, "Uhm...MC, sir!? If it's alright, I'd like to settle who goes first a different way? Is that okay?" MC seemed a bit stunned, but otherwise said, "Sure! But what did you have in mind?"

And when he asked, Takeshi would turn to face Judai...His opponent able to see a clenched fist, but not held in a confrontational way. Something that MC also recognized and couldn't help laughing himself, "Well now, there's a way we haven't seen in ages! The ol' Ro-Sham-bo!" Takeshi just chuckled, "Well, Judai...You ready?"

And as if to help the audience get involved, MC would announce, "ALRIGHT, LADIES AND GENTLEMAN! LET'S GIVE THESE TWO SOME HELP! YOU ALL KNOW THE RULES OF THIS! SO SAY IT WITH ME NOW!"

And as Takeshi and Judai's hands would come up before coming back down, everyone would shout, "RO!"

Repeating the motion, another collective shout of "SHAM!"

And then came the moment of truth, the audience practically roaring as their hands would come down for the final time, "BO!!!!!!"



Elsewhere...Aki would be back at her place. A place of relative quiet, somewhere she could hide herself away...But not from everyone. Her powers were impressive, near god-like even by most standards. Most Psychic duelists could only make one card materialize; as of now, Aki's ability to bring cards to life was seemingly limitless. Not to mention her own psionic abilities by themselves were incredibly potent.

Which made her betrayal that much harder on Divine; of all the people he expected to stab him in the back, Aki had been at the very dead bottom.

But...It wouldn't be for revenge or retribution that he would do what he was about to do. No...One could almost think it checking up on an old friend.

And as such, when he would appear through a luminous portal, he happened to find Aki here as well. "Akiza...It's been a while." he would say to her, a calm collected smile on his face as he made not a single move. "Shame about your recent match with that Bommer fellow; best you didn't associate with him, however. His plans wouldn't have done you much good, in any situation."

Taking a seat in a nearby chair, he then sat up straight and asked, "But do tell me...How have you been?"
 

"I think he may do that with any of us, really," Ling concurred, grimacing as the duel between Bommer and Aki went on. It was easy to guess she otherwise could have turned this duel around. But with her being unable to get rid of all of the respective monsters, it had become an impossible to win fight. More so given his monsters didn't backlash against himself like how Jinzo could without the Amplifier equip card. Kinda made the duel feel all the more unfair ... though that was likely why the audience was booing.

"Bommer...You should be happier. You just defeated a Signer."

... Huh? Aki was a Signer?

But that wasn't what really bothered Fayth. Why did it matter? Why had the Professor seemed to make it a point to Bommer he'd eliminated a Signer? Her head was only gazing forward to avoid looking out of place should she turn towards the voices. And despite her strong front, she was suddenly feeling nervous once again. The 'uneasy' feeling she'd had from near the beginning with Goodwin being involved seemed to intensify. Hopefully, one of two things would happen when all of today's duels would end; either Yusei could accompany her back or ... even Jack would maybe work.

Given his refusal to leave Goodwin, it made him more of a wild card. But at least - as hinted per their last conversation - he'd hear her out, if nothing else. And that was really all Fayth needed.

"Hehe," Judai chuckled, rubbing the back of his nickname as he heard his designated nickname. Damn, did that hit home, particularly from when he'd been in the Fusion dimension. That was indeed what he tended to be; something that was a blessing, more often than not. Some days, though, it could be as annoying as it was a relief.

"Ohh? Ro-Sham-Bo, eh? Been a while, but yeah! I'm ready!"

He'd turn to face Takeshi, clenching his own right fist and lightly landing it on top of his fist. When the "BO!" was cried out from the audience, they'd see Judai had won. "Still cursed I see," he teased, smiling slyly. "I'll start us off! DUEL!"

... Hell yeah! A pretty good start, actually! And hopefully one he could use to keep Takeshi at bay for a few turns. "I activate Polymerization! I'll use the Elemental HEROes Avian and Prisma! Fusion Summon! Vision HERO Admiration! I'll then set a card and end."
Aki sighed as she reappeared in the very same place she'd rented out rather quickly after escaping from Yu -- no, no. Rose. She had legitimately become Rose that evening. Hotsuma had felt it, as had she. Her head turned as a grimace spread over her face. What had become of them, anyway?

... Why did she care? That was the better question.

"She tried to kill you, after all. Isn't it better with her gone and out of your life?"

Her head quickly turned as she followed the only voice that could have caught up with her, let alone so easily. A bit of color drained from her face as the identity was confirmed with a quick glance at the owner of the voice.

" ... Divine ... "

With the last thing she'd done against him, the '-sama' honorific was probably redundant and pointless to try to use. Aki gulped slightly, unable to help but feel her pulse quicken as she found herself staring at her ex-leader standing in her own efficiency.

" .... If this is to finish what we started a while ago, let's at least resume outside, if you don't mind."

Thus hearing him ask a simple question such as how she was doing made her eyebrow raise. Even he'd said it himself; he was a man of second chances when he felt like applying them to people. He refused to give her one when she'd been imprisoned. Aki hadn't tried to seek him out. So why? Why did she deserve mercy from him? This world was confusing her more and more.

" .... Well enough, I suppose. Honestly, I only went to the Fortune Cup because I earned a spot there. All of the others I sat nearby - they're wanting to progress. To advance. It wasn't overly fair I took a spot that could have belonged to any of their comrades .... "

Hajime, in particular, was the first one that came to her mind.

Granted, he had lost his match. But if she could rewind time? She'd change the match-ups and make it so he hadn't had to go against Yamichi, and thus have an opportunity to be here also. Then again .... he probably wouldn't want that.

"What of you? If you're not here for more violent intentions, then why are you really here?"
 

Takeshi just laughed as Judai teased him, "Oi, oi, it's just turn order! I promise you, I'm bringing my all this game!" And then he would go on to take his turn, already going into a Fusion Summon right away. "Damn Judai, take it easy, it's still the first turn!" Takeshi laughed; but he couldn't be happier, because he was feeling pumped!

"Wow, and just like that, Judai gets a powerful Fusion out first turn! This match is going to be slugfest folks, I can just feel it in my bones!" MC announced, Takeshi just grinning as Judai's wispy HERO stared at him. "Damn right it is....Just you wait." Takeshi muttered mentally, placing a hand on the top of his Deck. "My turn, draw!" he declared, taking a second to check his hands. "Haha, what a hand! Get ready, Judai, because now I'm coming for ya! I summon Uni-Zombie in Attack Mode!"

And as the duo would appear on his field, Takeshi would then declare, "This is one of my favorites, and you're about to see why. First, I target your Vision HERO and raise its level by one! And doing so, I can send an Undead from my Deck to my Graveyard! Mezuki goes to the Graveyard!" The animation would play as Judai's monsters being raised from level eight to nine. "Next, I activate Uni-zombie's other effect! I discard Goblin Zombie to raise Uni-Zombie's level to four!"

Grinning, Takeshi would continue, "Then I banish Mezuki and Special Summon the Goblin Zombie I just got rid of! Rise again!" And just like, Takeshi would have a Tuner and a non-Tuner...Which could mean only one thing. "Folks, I think we're about to see a battle between Fusions and Synchros!" MC announced, Takeshi going on, "I'm tuning Uni-Zombie with Goblin Zombie! Legendary blade, rise once more and lead your clan to battle and glory! Synchro Summon! War God - Shiranui!"

And once more, one of Takeshi's ace monsters would reappear; Ling was right, when he thought about. Him and Blade God had always been around, helping to make his deck fluid and useful. "I activate War God's effect! I banish Goblin Zombie and chain its effect! When it's sent to the Graveyard from the field, I can a monster with 1200 or less Attack Points to my hand from my deck! So, here comes Spectralsword! And because I banished Goblin, War God's power rises to 4000!" And with this, his monster would take a more offensive stance. Even with that face-down, Takeshi would show no fear.

"Amazing, amazing! It's a fight of the ages!" MC announced, Takeshi declaring "Battle! War God attacks your Vision HERO!" And when his monster would charge forward, cutting through Judai's monster twice before leaping back, Takeshi would see one last move from his opponent. Something he should have expected.

"Well...Just like you to always come prepared, Judai. And with the end of my turn, War God's Attack Points fall back to 3000. Your go, my friend." he then said, switching control to his opponent for his turn.

"Well...These two definitely want to go at each other with everything. To think they would be able to utilize their Extra Deck so early." Yamichi mused; they really did seem to bring out the best in each other. Lua just grinned and added with a smile, "It's just like the announcer guy said! It's the battle of Good and Evil! You know, because zombies are bad things!" Well...That wasn't what was quite said, but unless someone was feeling like a jerk no one would correct the young woman.

"Even so...Judai looks to be a tight spot; unless he's able to pull out another Polymerization and Fusion Summon something to deal with War God, he's going to be in a for a tough fight." Yusei would comment; honestly? Him or Yamichi would be incredibly tough opponents to have to go against; maybe before tomorrow, he would go through his deck and see if he could make any improvements.



Divine kept a peaceful smile, showing no intent of hostility as he said, "Now Aki...If I truly wanted to hurt you, I would have done so already."

And when she would go on to explain the past while and her involvement in the Fortune Cup, Divine just said, "Yes...But you did earn that position. You fought well; you were just unfortunate enough to run into someone that could counter your plays." And he would say nothing at first, while the thoughts of Yuna and Hotsuma - more notably, the former - ran through her mind's eye.

"As for me? I know you betrayed me and all...But I figured I would just stop in, see how you were holding up." Looking about her living space, he then said, "You picked a nice little place for yourself. Secluded but roomy. Nothing quite like your quarters back in Arcadia, but ah well, right? You always were resourceful, Akiza; it was one reason above most others that I picked you as my second-in-command. Truly a shame how things turned out."

Pausing to let those words sink in, he then continued and would address, "Though I do hope you're not beating yourself up too much for what happened between Yuna and Hotsuma. The boy, stupid as he was for not using his power, made his own choice as did Yuna. Even so, I never would have thought he would go against his lover for someone he despised, let alone nearly die for. I wonder what made him have the change of heart. Funnier still considering his former partner was more of someone you fancied, and yet it was him that used his body as a shield. If that's not irony, I don't know what is."

Of course, Divine knew far more than he was letting on. Hotsuma was a scared brat, afraid of letting Yuna turn into what he had become. It was pitiful, really; all the potential, wasted because he had been too afraid to grasp his fullest power. And it nearly cost him his life in the process.
 

"Why? Not like you were gonna take it easy."

Judai grinned. Whatever had happened to him existing in the Spirit World, he was very relieved that at last his deck was still answering him as easily as it did on the island. It was almost like he never left. Of course, he wasn't that delusional. He knew this wasn't his original dimension. But at least to make up for it, he'd found a hell of a group with many awesome duelists to associate with. Even Yuna - who had seemed a bit hardened from her recent incident - had her heart in the right spot. She cared about everyone in Yomi and the Disciples, and had taken her newly appointed role with little hesitations.

When Takeshi took his turn, Judai chuckled softly.

"And you tell me to go easy? Hah! Hypocrite!"

All of the verbal quips were jests, obviously though ... hmmmm. This did put him in quite the bind. His arm rose to block some of the incoming dust from the attack. When he lowered it again, he'd push down on his duel disk. "Trap Card, Open! Hero Signal! Since you destroyed an Elemental HERO of mine, I can special summon one from my deck. I'll choose Bubbleman!"

.... Oops ....

He heard an internal groan from Yubel, his own awkward laughs echoing in his head.

I get it now. Trust me. I realize the mistake I made.

Bubbleman only allowed him to draw if he was special summoned from the hand, not deck. Ah well. He at least had some defense now.

Fayth and Ling both whistled .... almost simultaneously. "Is it just me, or has Takeshi gotten faster than I remember?" Ling rhetorically mused.

" ... He's always been that way?" Fayth asked.

"Oh ... true. You didn't hear him duel before. Yep, definitely. Him and Yamichi have insanely swift decks. It'll be a miracle if anyone beats either of them, honestly. I'm not sure who's worse between those two." Turning her head, she grinned softly at her lover. "Personally? I know we agreed to wanting a rematch, but it'd likely be more fun outside of this tournament. Buuuuut should we get paired up, I'll make sure to give you all I've got."

Well ... it seemed no matter what, tomorrow would be brutal. Then again, it meant everyone truly did work hard to earn their spots. This was the Fortune Cup, after all. It wasn't likely meant to be overly easy to handle any opponent.

"Draw! I'll set a monster and end for now. Your go."

It wasn't that he didn't expect Takeshi to not Synchro Summon; it was more like he didn't think it'd happen on his first turn.
"Indeed. Whoever has to go against him ... I hope they figure a way to counter his deck. Someone really fast will likely be the best bet. Like Yamichi or Takeshi."

Aki nodded, lightly shrugging as Divine commented on her residence. "Basically, yeah. I don't need much to get by. Definitely not like Arcadia, but ... it's enough."

It wasn't likely intentional. But honestly, Aki was steadily beginning to feel awkward. Yet not to the point she couldn't reply to Divine. Her head quickly moved from side to side as she easily gave her response. "No, certainly not. It was definitely a shock to see them fight, but .... no. I don't blame myself for that. I can honestly say that was one of the few things I never saw coming .... "

Her head tilted as a thought came to her head.

" .... Hold up. Lest I'm mistaken, didn't you leave before they fought each other? I may not have seen what happened before the. But I didn't sense you in the building for most of their fray either."

Granted, it had been a while. But somehow, something felt ... off about that very sentence.

" ... Anyway, I appreciate the check-up. Thank you."
 

Takeshi just grinned as Judai summoned his Bubbleman, going into building a wall. Made sense, all things considered; he just hoped that he didn't do too much. But against an opponent like Judai, who wouldn't fight with everything they had and go all out from the start? The guy had so much energy, and Takeshi couldn't help himself but to reciprocate it.

And when Judai ended his turn, Takeshi would draw his next card. And allow him to summon a monster that had helped defeat Ling. "I summon Shiranui Samurai in Attack Mode! Battle!" MC would announce, "And Takeshi builds an early lead, going right for the next attack!" And as he said this, Judai's monsters were annihilated in quick succession. Leaving his Life untouched for the time being, but with a field that was wide open.

"And with that I end my turn! Let's bring it, Judai!" Takeshi would cheer him on, wanting to elevate this Duel to the next level; after the slow crawl that was Akiza and Bommer, the crowd was far more excited for this Duel, as it was two people who didn't hesitate to make plays that would go after the opponent.

"Was he really this quick? I didn't know tjhis kind of support for Undead even existed!" Lua would ask excitedly; this was a Duel! Now he was kind of jealous, wishing that he could build a deck like Takeshi or Yusei's...But he was still learning! Yamichi just smiled, "Yeah...I'm surprised more people don't know about the Shiranui; and to be honest, I didn't either." And when Ling would address him, his cheeks just tinged a little as he replied, "Definitely, and if we do go against each other, I promise I'll bring everything I've got too."

Goodwin watched the Duel from above; indeed, from what he'd seen so far Takeshi had the fastest deck, followed closely by this Yamichi fellow. They were both exceptional Duelists; how come he'd never heard of them before? He would need to do some more investigating. Taking out a cell phone, he then dialed a contact in the Special Investigations Division, stating "Director Goodwin here. Please run a background check on Yamichi Hizumara and Takeshi Yamaguchi...I want to learn everything I can about them." And when he hung up the phone, he saw Jack looking at him. "You think they're involved with the other Signers?" he would ask, Goodwin shaking his head, "I don't really know what to think...But I do know they're strong, and would like to see just who they are exactly."



"I was outside the old building, you are correct...But don't take that to mean as I didn't have my own means of seeing how the battle went. Honestly? I'm just glad you made it out alive, Akiza. You did not deserve to die, and still don't as far as I'm concerned. Even if you did take everything I've helped you through and thrown in back in my face." he would reply, keeping that gentle smile all the same.

"You should stop by Arcadia at some point, Akiza. See how we've managed to rebuild; despite your betrayal, you are always welcome to visit so long as you don't cause trouble." he would pause and pull out a very familiar card from his breast pocket, Teleportation. "You left this in your room. That was rather careless." he then mildly teased, leaving the card itself on her nightstand.

"Well, I best get back. Things to do and all that. See you around, Akiza." Divine would say, a flash of light enveloping him before he would vanish from sight. Leaving the red-head to her own devices once more; and if things went well, he might very well see her again. But that would remain to be seen, of course.
 

As Judai drew his next card, he internally sighed. This time in mild disappointment. Not because he was going to lose, but because he duel would end too fast. How had they been so equal before? Or at least shown a much longer and far more entertaining duel? It felt like a really fast blur, which made him unable to remember at the moment.

"Well, Takeshi ... hope you remember that agreement we made earlier. Because you're gonna need to keep it. Eventually, we're gonna need to have a tie breaker. Before that or you officially winning, however, I'm taking some of your health with me. I activate Skyscraper! I then summon Burstinatrix to the field! Burstinatrix will attack your Shiarnui Samurai!"

Which, thanks to Skyscaper, made her attack jump from 1200 to 2200, therefore making it possible to defeat the undead warrior.

Hmm? He didn't activate anything?

Odd. But perhaps it was for the best. This way he could keep his promise, as 400 of Takeshi's life disappeared.

"Turn end!"

Even with the very high chance of the duel ending sooner than Judai would have preferred in plain sight, his smile never faltered. He merely waited, curious to see which monsters would be at Takeshi's proverbial finishing line this time around.
" ... I'll think about it."

It was the only fair answer Aki could even begin to offer Divine as she heard his offer of returning to Arcadia. Turning her head, Aki quietly studied the teleportation card. Her gaze remained there ... up until Divine finally left.

A mingled huff and sigh passed her lips as she plopped on the couch. Maybe it was intentional .... maybe not. But that visit had felt like a guilt trip as well as 'checking up on' her.

... Was he trying to manipulate her once more?

No wonder Yuna had been so adamant on Divine not being good for her. He was definitely a confusing man. No questions about that.

... Maybe she could agree ... if only because his surface thoughts didn't have any suicidal ideas. Namely in the form of trying to repeat history by seeking out Yuna or Hotsuma's men once again. If she had to be completely honest with herself, this efficiency was all well and good.

But it had never truly fel like her new home.

That had - and would always - belong to Arcadia.

Maybe ... there was a reason for that.

Her hand rose as Aki rubbed hr forehead. Yeah. Time ... she'd need it to contemplate this offer. It was one of those things not to be taken lightly, and for damn good reasons.
 

Takeshi raised a brow as he saw Judai's expression change...Was he disappointed? "Oi, Judai! What's the matter, man?" Takeshi asked, soon getting the very answer to that question. Thankfully, at least, the guy didn't seem intent on giving up. But it bothered Takeshi that he potentially wasn't enjoying this duel; however, that concern was partially alleviated when the brunette cracked that famous smile once more.

"Oh, we will, Judai! You can count on that!" Takeshi replied back excitedly; so far indeed, their records against each other were tied. And even if this would end up in his defeat, he would still challenge Judai again. Because so far, aside from the duels he'd had against other Yomi members, he had been the most enjoyable opponent. And he would finish this strong, to honor the spirit of Dueling itself.

And when Burst Lady got a massive power boost, he strongly considered activating Samurai's effect...But chose not to. He didn't want this Duel to end too quickly, even if the next couple of turns would prove to be that very circumstance. "My turn! Draw! I Normal Summon Mezuki in Attack Mode!" he then declared, pointing at Judai's female monster, "Battle! War God, destroy Elemental HERO Burst Lady!" And with that, she would quickly be struck down by War God's power, her form shattering as 1800 damage was dealt to Judai's Life. "Mezuki! Direct Attack!" he then declared, the equine Undead charging and slashing its axe through his opponent, reducing Judai's Life further by 1700.

"And with that, I end my turn!" he then said.

Akutsu just laughed as he watched the Duel, "Well, Goodwin...Seems those associates of yours might not even be needed. You've recruited enough powerful Duelists here to push the Signers to their very limits. Why, I dare say even Jack here might have trouble against either Yamichi or Takeshi. Their decks are incredibly fluid, and they play them so well." Goodwin just chuckled, "Well...Let's hold judgment on that until we actually get to that round, yes? Up next is...Who? Ling and Un, yes? Let us see if the Dragon Empress is ready to face the forces of fate."

Jack just watched on with interest; indeed, this tournament has gathered many strong opponents. Plenty of which were worthy to test his mettle; like the others of course, if there was one he wished to see defeated - if only so that he did not have to waste his time again - it would be Mukuro Enjo. The fact that Goodwin allowed the brash man to brutalize his way to entering this tournament slightly irked him....But then again, seeing someone like him defeated - especially now that he'd made it into the semi-finals - would bring much more audience attention this way.
 

"Just a tad sorry this was way shorter than our last performance. It's fine though. I'll live~"

Surely, Takeshi could agree with that much. It wasn't meant to sound like a complaint. The unfortunate truth was ... well ... it was exactly that. A harsh, slightly unfair reality. And it only got confirmed as he drew ... and chuckled softly.

"I got nothing. Kudos. You definitely earned this victory. Turn end!"

Ling whistled, taking a slight breath. "Goodness. Do all of you have such fast decks, Yamichi? I don't think I've seen so many brutal archetypes before."

It wasn't likely the best strong front, but it was keeping her from having a dire anxiety attack. Her head lifted as she gazed at the monitor .... Un, huh?

Wonder what kind of deck they'll have ... Ling pondered.

Judai stayed in place, knowing his turn was about to end. He smirked slightly, seeing Ling all but ready to tag in, so to speak. "Hope you have much better luck than me, Ling."

"Thanks, Judai. It's ... definitely appreciated."
 
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