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


Yuna inwardly sighed.

I know, I know. Look. That's exactly why I hid in the Tops and didn't tell anyone, okay? I knew I fucked up. I didn't expect forgiveness from anyone; you, my men, your guys, no one. And because I pulled through all the bullshit and torture? I have to live with my fuck up every damn day. You don't need to remind me nor send me on a guilt trip. I do that enough as it is.

Yuna had been damn close to adding an insult at the end of her snippy comment, but at least managed tto stop herself from going through with that. No sense in doing or saying something else she'd truly regret.

... Though that temptation was quickly getting more and more difficult to keep control of.

.... If you're just gonna keep a fucking grudge or whatnot, then don't come back. I seriously don't need anymore shaming or whatever the fuck. But if you're just gonna go on and on and on about that one day? Then stay the fuck away. Yes, it was a major mistake; I'm not gonna deny that. BUT IT WAS THE ONLY ONE TOO, YOU ASSHOLE! Aside from that, I have NEVER turned my back on your or your men. NEVER! I DON'T NEED THIS SHIT! GO! GET OUT! Do whatever the fuck you're gonna ...

Yuna jerked her shoulder away, helping cut the link off.

Last time you'll get a detailed, honest response about where I go to then. Fuckface. I didn't have to tell you about me going ot warn Fayth - but I did. Out of common courtesy and respect. If you're not gonna return that, fine. I can do that too.

And when she was damn sure he was out of sight, she flipped off her door frame, where he had been last.

... Music wasn't doing shit. Even after ten minutes, that much became painfully clear. Yuna growled, jerking the earbuds out and shutting her device off. Damn well nearly throwing it onto the ground, even. She was frustrated - not just emotionally, either. Sexually. But with Rose sealed .... well .... there weren't really many other options.

Even though it was really tempting to finally cave in and go to Hajime ... she opted against it.

Why? You heard him say it; I'm being far too hopeful. Why would he want me back?

She couldn't give herself an answer on the 'why' part. All Yuna could hear was in case Hotsuma did ever change his mind ... it'd be more rewarding to earnestly say she'd never willingly had sex with anyone. Given her close calls with Tokumo, it was a fair assumption he'd be able to discern the difference between forced situations - if they ever arrived - and consensual ones.

There was also the simple fact trying to go to Hajime would ultimately be no better than her forcing and-slash-or manipulating him. Not to her right-hand man. Yuna wouldn't sink that low with anyone, really, but it'd be much worse to do so to the same person who'd given her the most loyalty. Even held the fort while she'd hidden in the Tops - and all without her, or much of anyone, asking him to do so.

A frustrated sigh passed Yuna's lips as she stood up and went into her bedroom, leaving the Warden's Office in the process. With the options being so low, she resorted to the only one available and that Yuna would be alright resorting to; masturbation. Not before covering herself first, though, in order to make her movements under the sheets less noticeable.

Were they certain his nickname was the Fiend and not Phantom?

Because almost no leads had been found on Hotsuma's whereabouts in .... a while. Since he overtook the Facility, in fact.

"We should have made a move while he was in the hospital," he bitterly murmured, sighing as he sa on his Wheeler, parked in an alley and watching hopefully - borderline expectantly - for any other vehicles to drive by.

For some reason, Rex had been an idiot and simply talked to the Fiend. Briefly, too. Why he didn't take him away in cuffs was behind Renzo's understanding.

In all honesty, he knew he shouldn't be here. And with it getting later in the day, common sense insisted Mihara should just leave and go home.

Not yet. He continued repeating his stubborn mantra over and over.

He couldn't stay hidden ... not forever.

With his lack of presence near the Fortune Cup having been confirmed by visual records earlier, it narrowed down the chances of Hotsuma being in the Tops. Hence why Mihara was frantically waiting in the Satellite, despite not residing here.

.... A few more hours. There. That was a fair enough compromise, he decided. If by two to three more hours there was still no sign of the Fiend, he'd - reluctantly, but still - leave.
 

Hotsuma continued his ascent, slowly but surely making his way to the top of the blackened mound. It stood out like a sore thumb, after all; though why this was so important to the Emperor, he still didn't fully understand. Even so...He and the demon had been talking, and the Emperor himself had acknowledged many times over the course of their bonded state that he knew his intentions all too well.

If there was one that was stopping him from carrying it out...It was the fact that the bridge between the Satellite and the Tops had yet to be completed. It was a massive rusting hulk, two sides reaching towards each other but never touching. And so long as Goodwin was in charge, that was never to be the case. But, maybe with this power, he could get enough force to make it happen. And if he did...

Goodwin would see an all-new definition to the phrase 'fire and brimstone'. He would make them all see, make them all suffer for the fate not just he...But every Satellite man, woman and child had to endure here. Under Sector's unyielding, harsh thumb of law. Imposing their brand of so-called justice among the 'worthless' masses.

And after a short but pain-staking climb (no doubt to the fact that despite having recovered greatly, he was still not quite at full strength), he would reach the lip of the crater. "So...This is it, huh? That's one hell of a fall." Hotsuma muttered, his eyes peering down the seemingly-infinite drop. "Indeed...You can feel it, can you not? The raw energy, the power of the darkness roiling within. All it needs, is a catalyst. Then I promise you; that bridge will be completed. And you will have your ultimate revenge."

Hotsuma shakily held out a hand, his three cards held in his grip. Was he really about to do this? He knew what it very well could mean...But by this point, he was starting to care less and less. "Just remember, Hotsuma...They had their chance to make it right. They turned a blind eye to it all." the former Disciples' boss told himself, in one fluid motion...The cards all fell.

Back and forth, back and forth they floated, going down further and further before finally vanishing. And for a few moments, he saw nothing. "Well...Thanks, Emperor Asshat. Now I'll..." he started to say, but then he felt something dark start to pour out; and when he looked back into the pit he saw a brief but violent flash of green light before a burst of energy knocked him backwards from the pit's edge. A beam of that same green light then shot into the sky, screams of the damned filling his ears like a demented orchestra, unheard to anyone but him before it came back down and struck him like a lightning bolt. Encasing his body in a pillar of radiating energy as he screamed in pain, the force of the aftershock of it ending throwing him away from the edge and down the slope. More and more he fell, tumbling hard on the uneven surface before he would finally land on his back with a loud grunt of pain.

Lifting up his head up to see if anything had been broken/bleeding but finding nothing, he then laid back against the cold hard concrete, his body spread-eagle on the ground...Unknowing that he was about to have company very soon.
 

As a lone Wheeler sped by, Mihara started to reach for his lights. But then ... he decided against it. Sneaking up on this law breaker would likely be smarter. Moreover .... the direction they were going ... why? There were very few things around, less of which were actually relevant in any form or fashion. A combination of curiosity and eagerness fueled him on. Instead, he decided to simply let the mysterious rider have a head start, opting to follow after giving him a few minutes to think he was truly alone.

When his Wheeler got in range, the scanners began working. That could only mean one thing - this rider was one of the many escaped convicts; another embarrassment Rex had admitted to the entire force. Not only had The Fiend and his female assistant - a Miss Takeda, apparently - helped everyone escape, but they now resided in the Facility.

An absolute disgrace, in his honest to gods opinion.

It was feeling more and more like Rex should lose his position in power - and Kenzo knew he wasn't alone in that thought.

Before he could concentrate too long on it, however, the results of who he was tailing arrived, and he simply smirked upon seeing the very name he'd been looking for over the past several years.

OBORO, HOTSUMA​

"There you are," he murmured. Fueled with a new sense of duty and resolved, he kept himself at a decent pace, stopping a bit behind the Fiend and his Wheeler.

From his distance, he saw what Hotsuma had one. Dropped some cards in. But it most definitely did not explain why the simple action had caused him so much agony.

.... No matter. His target was alone ... and now sore as all hell, it looked. This was it. The perfect chance to apprehend him.

At first, Hotsuma would only hear footsteps. No words, no verbal warnings, no nothing.

Naturally, stories of the day the Facility fell went around. This included a literal, actual Fiend forcing the Warden to keep to his word and allowing the inmates some promised freedom - something like that.

Still, Kenzo's main thoughts were n the demon in question. The man in front of him was nicknamed The Fiend, yes.

But .....

Nah. Impossible. He couldn't do that. Surely, the former Warden had been exaggerating. Maybe even made it up as a bullshit excuse.

"So ... we finally meet again, Oboro-san. You're coming with me."

Mihara quickly leaned down and started reaching for an arm, trying to roll Hotsuma onto his back so he could properly cuff him.
 

Hotsuma's head swam as he laid next to his Runner, hearing distorted voices and whispers run through his mind. "The hell..." the young man groaned almost inaudibly, the Emperor replying "You hear it, don't you? The darkness speaks to you; you now experience what I do, that is evidence of how strong our bond is now. To be truthful...I wasn't sure if you would even survive this. I have not lent this much power before, not even to my own subjects."

Hotsuma just snickered; now he was told that, he thought. Well, whatever; to be honest, he was surprised himself he'd survived...Whatever the fuck that was. But hey, whatever didn't kill someone made them stronger, right? Well, if his contract was speaking the truth, then he probably was a lot stronger now. But right as he was about to push himself up, he heard footsteps. Something that made him pause, before long then he heard a voice say to him,

"So ... we finally meet again, Oboro-san. You're coming with me."

And when the unknown person's hand circled about his wrist, Hotsuma's own hand gripped it...Fingers closing in almost a vice-like grip. "Oi now...Who the fuck are you? I ain't going anywhere, especially not with some little fuckboy like you." Hotsuma spoke coldly, traces of the Emperor's tones interlacing with his own as he pushed the hand away and jumped to his feet, turning with rather impressive speed to face this unknown. The normally soft blue irises replaced by those hardened blood-red ones, glaring quite in contrast to the whites of his eyes.

"Heh...Seems the insect was going to try and arrest you. But he doesn't seem like he would survive as a Sector officer..." the Emperor spoke to his vessel, Hotsuma's eyes flicking down to see a pair of cuffs. Already speaking a paraphrased version of those words, "Ten seconds, dickhead..." He then punched his own open right hand with his left fist, adding "Or I'm going to beat you black and blue, just like I do all the other Sector pigs."
 

Mihara's eyes widened slightly, first noticing the grip. Holy fuck, what strength! Not that he expected Hotsuma to be weak; nah. The last beating he got proved the Fiend could definitely throw some very competent punches. But this? It felt ... unnatural. Almost inhuman, in fact. He quickly dismissed the thought, eliciting a low 'Hmph' as he jerked his arm away. "There's more than one way to skin animals for a reason. You're no exception. Really? You forgot, did you?"

It wasn't overly amazing to hear that. It had been a while. Still, even Kenzo couldn't deny he was a tad disappointed.

"Fine. I can give you a refresher, I suppose. I'm Kenzo Mihara. You unnecessarily beat me up some time ago. To get revenge at you, I joined Sector. And now .... here we are. Alone and uninterrupted. Now ... get up on your feet."

He'd mentally do his own countdown. Regardless of whether Hotsuma complied or not, Mihara activated his duel disk .... and then pushed a concealed button directly underneath the third spell/trap slot.

What could best be described as a grappling hook shot out. But this wasn't just any device; it seemed to be homing, as it gripped perfectly onto Hotsuma's own disk, despite him not having activated it yet. And when - if, rather - he would try to remove the hook, Hotsuma would feel a jolt of electricity run through him, stopping only when he let go.

"I don't think I need to explain much what'll happen if you continue trying. The shocks won't cease until a duel has ended. Nor will the grappling hook come off until the same time. One way or another, Oboro, you are coming with me. It's just a matter of how and when. Now then, you have one of two choices. You can willingly activate your duel disk ... or I'll force his duel to begin by coercing your disk to start up. It's your choice .... Fiend. But I recommend being smart and understanding the mess you're in."
 

"This worm is with Sector, then? Could have fooled me." the Emperor chimed in, reflecting Hotsuma's own doubts about this guy's claim...At least until when the name 'Mihara Renzo' finally clicked.

"No way you won! You fucking cheated!"

"Satellite trash!"

"Fuck this! Jump the bastard!"

Hotsuma's gleaming red eyes seemed to widen a little in realization as he said, "Renzo Mihara? Son of Renzo Isamu?" He remembered the address the assemblyman gave after it was revealed the Fiend had beaten his son and his friends to a mess. And at first, it would seem like Hotsuma actually was showing fear of facing down a Sector officer that was a politician's son...But instead a wicked grin crossed his face, his teeth possessing a sinister shine as he then replied, "You're still upset after all this time about how you and your cronies tried to jump me after I whooped your ass in a Duel? Or are you really back so I can break your other arm?"

However, when the device latched onto his Duel Disk, he did in fact try to pull it off; his body seized as a strong current ran through it. But Mihara would also see that the man didn't even so much as whimper, only letting out a hiss of mild discomfort. He then looked up as Mihara explained what would happen.

And when he finished, Hotsuma was wearing quite the sour look; however, the Emperor chuckled...Then proceeded to burst out in rambunctious laughter. Quite uncharacteristic, really, something that made Hotsuma's eyebrows raise as his eyes seemed to peer off to the left in thought. "The hell man, did you snort something? What's so funny?" he asked, the Emperor's grin all too prevalent as he replied, "Do you not see the irony in this? I was about to have us go find them and put our new strength to the test...And one of the rats comes to us instead! How perfect this is! Accept his challenge, boy...Let us show him the gravity of his error in judgment."

And with the internal dialogue finished, that wicked smirk returned, Hotsuma replying as he brought up his own Duel Disk and activated it. "Heh...Well, you've got guts coming after me, I'll give you that much. And into the B.A.D. no less...But you're even stupider for doing it alone. Since you gave me a good laugh, tell you what I'll do: You have first turn."

Hotsuma then raised his right index finger and motioned it in a 'come at me' way, stating finally "Better make it count though, bitch-boy. Because you're going to lose a lot more than this Duel if you fuck up."
 

Damn. Sure, it'd been a while since he last saw and spoke with the Fiend. But he seemed to get even more of a colorful mouth on him. Whatever. No matter. This duel would be over soon. And come hell or high water, he would ensure he'd get what he wanted; not what this prick seemed to believe he deserved.

"Fine then. Since you insist, my turn! Draw! I'll activate Pandemonium! I summon Terrorking Archfiend and set two cards. Your turn."

One Hate Buster and a Negate Attack to be precise. As far as he was concerned, he had his bases pretty well covered. And, quite honestly? Mihara was feeling pretty content. This was already much smoother than against that Hajime bastard.
____________________________________________________​
As quickly as night had arrived, it would soon be replacd with the morning sun once more. To make up for not seeing the change, the sensation of some rays landing lightly upon Fayth's shoulder helped her stir, groaning weakly.

"Is it time already?"

Oh crap, she's not even awake, is she?

"It is. Morning, Celeste."

"Morning. Sorry if I was kinda rude last night."

Ling quickly shook her head, an eyebrow raised at the seemingly out-of-place comment. "What makes you think such a silly thing?"

"Because the first thing I said when you returned was 'You're finally back' instead of 'How'd your date go?'."

Ling softly chuckled, waving her hand through the air. "Don't stress over it. Is it fair to guess being alone is nerve-wracking for you?"

"Sometimes, yes. Just ... between Mukuro and some more bad news I got yesterday, I really didn't wanna be alone."

" ... Wanna talk about it?"

"Hmmm. Maybe later. I'm still barely believing it myself, and I certainly wouldn't doubt you for thinking me insane if I relayed it to you."

Ling nodded. Curious as she was, this was another example of when she needed to respect a person's reply. "Alright. Come on. Hopefully the guys are awake and ready."

Everyone would meet downstairs for a needed breakfast, then arrive at the stadium for the Fortune Cup.

In the stands, Luca was sitting beside Lua. Admittedly, he was right. Already, she was unable to help but feel a bit excited - and this was before the matches were starting, let alone announced.

"Thanks for convincing me," she whispered, flashing Lua a small smile. A tad tired, but that was more from her weak immune system than lack of rest.

"WELCOME LADIES AND GENTLEMEN TO DAY TWO OF THE FORTUNE CUP! WHO'S READY TO SEE SOME MORE AMAZING DUELS?!"

The audience loudly cheered. Just the sheer volume alone would be enough to help anyone who may not be completely conscious wake fully up.

"ALRIGHT! WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, TURN YOUR ATTENTION TO THE SCREEN! THE NEXT SET OF MATCHES WILL NOW BE RANDOMIZED!"

The eight names would appear, then begin to rapidly flicker. Slowly but surely, they all stopped.

Finally, a list would appear, and read as follows.

Mukuro Enjo vs. Celeste Belrose
Ling vs. Bommer
Yusei Fudo vs. Shimoda Naizen
Yamichi Hizumara vs. Takeshi Yamaguchi​

Ling felt her heart sink - not so much at where her name was placed beside. But poor Fayth. She'd already hinted having a rough day or two.

Suffice to say, it wasn't going to be easier.

She looked quietly between the others, half-questioning and half-pleading that someone else relay the news to her.

But then, someone would do just that for her.

"ANNNNND THERE YOU HAVE IT, FOLKS! OUR FIRST MATCH WILL BE .... MUKURO ENJO VERSUS CELESTE BELROSE!"

" ..... H-Huh?!"

Fayth's eyes blinked rapidly under the blindfold, her head practically jerking from side to side.

"Oi ... someone tell me the MC just decided to have a warped sense of humor, please? That's ... he's not serious, is he?"

.... She'd been so excited to partake in a riding duel. Now, that joy had quickly turned into dread and fear.
 
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Hotsuma just grinned as Mihara took his turn. "Genocide-King Demon, eh? You're playing with those wimps? You forget, I don't need effects to wipe those fuckboys off the field. Not anymore." His red-tinted eyes flashed a dangerous crimson, brief but noticeable even to the untrained eye.

"But...Fine. You'll find out what I mean regardless. And if that's honestly your best, I'm not going to enjoy myself for very long." he would then say, declaring "Draw!" before going into his own turn...The two of them engaged in a Duel that would surely scar Mihara for the rest of his days.


Yamichi woke up first, yawning loudly. Damn...Was it really morning already. "Yamichi? Damn bro, you were out like a light! Did you drink?" he then heard Takeshi ask, looking up to see the brunette slipping on his racing boots. Today was Turbo Duels, after all; which meant both of them would need to be on their game. Dueling already took a lot of concentration; add in trying to maneuver close enough to have your monster land an attack and it became an almost-game of chicken.

Yamichi chuckled and shook his head, "No...Just water. But man, I think that sushi sat harder in me than I expected. Not used to eating that sort of thing, you know? A lot heartier...and expensive...than what we get normally, you know?" Takeshi just walked over and clapped his friend on the shoulder, "Yeah...But it was worth it right? Anyway, get dressed dude! Next round's about to start! And get your helmet ready, because now it's time to kick this into high gear!"

But then, just like a kid after too much sugar, Takeshi was out telling everyone to hurry up or they were going to be late. The only enthused was naturally Judai, allowed to stay but much to the bane of the others, only served to amp up Takeshi's already ridiculous energy levels. It was alright though; someone needed to be, after all.

And a quick breakfast later, the guys would join the girls at the stadium. And as if to add to the energy, MC was already working up the crowd. "THAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT'S RIGHT FOLKS! WE HAVE DATENSHI CELESTE BELROSE VERSUS OUR SURPRISE CONTESTANT, MUKURO ENJO! AND THAT'S NOT ALL! TODAY WE HAVE A SPECIAL TREAT! THIS ROUND IS GOING TO BE A 'WHEEL' DOOZY, BECAUSE NOW WE LEAVE THE STATIC GROUND...AND TAKE THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD! YOU HEARD ME , YOU WONDERFUL PEOPLE! IT'S TIME TO TURBO-DUEL!"

Lua, meanwhile, just grinned upon seeing his sister smile. "See? And listen to MC! He's got the crowd eating out of his hand! Plus, Turbo DUELS! This is going to be awesome!" His energy was certainly not diminished in the slightest, even with Mukuro being one of the first to go.

Yusei would be standing right next to Fayth as the pairings were announced, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Sadly...He's not joking. But...Don't worry too much about that. Just focus on where the Runner's leading, like we practiced...And play smart. You know how he fights...And you can use that against him."

"Awww, don't tell me you're counting me out just yet?" then came another familiar voice, all of them turning to see Mukuro standing behind them. "You forget I was World Champion for a time...And cute as you are, my little angel of darkness, don't think I'll go easy on you. Besides...We'll be so much closer after this Duel. Then I'll show you what a real ride feels like."

Looks of disgust crossed their faces before they would be ushered aside, Fayth and Mukuro's Runners placed at the starting line. Yusei himself was there to help place Fayth in her seat, reminding her by placing his hands on top of hers, "Pull the yokes back to slow down, forward to speed up. Lean into your turns and watch the second and fourth banks; they're steeper than the other two. And remember...The Duel's up here." He would say that last bit after poking her helmeted forehead lightly, a small smile on his face before he would take his leave. Of course, he knew she was an able rider; even so, he just wanted to give her as much of an edge as possible.

Once he was gone though, Mukuro just grinned, "Well now, my heavensent precious...Let's rumble, yeah?" And he would ignite his engine, the noise loud and boisterous much like. "Ah yeah, listen to my baby purr! Probably nothing compared to what I could make you do though, eh? Hahahaha!"

However...The screens around the arena would then light up, showing a countdown that would also appear on the HUD of their own Runners. "ALRIGHT FOLKS, COUNT IT DOWN WITH ME! 5! 4! 3! 2! 1!"

"RIDING DUEL, ACCELERATION!"

And just like that...Both would rocket off the starting line, Mukuro going right for the hard corner. "Sorry, cutie....But only winners go first!"
 

A worried expression quickly crossed Luca's face as she glanced over at her brother. "Isn't that going to be dangerous? Especially if she really is blind?" Her heart sank as a rather dire concern entered the preteen's mind. "She won't crash, will she?"

Her arms clasped together as she sent up some silent prayers for Celeste, not realizing just how ironic sending prayers to a woman actually named Fayth was.

Kami-sama ... no matter the result, please let her be fine.

It'd likely be too much to have God help her win. And who knew, maybe she wouldn't need aid with that. But safety, at the very least, seemed fair enough in Luca's mind.

Ling was also worried. But it was less about Fayth's handicap, and much more on her opponent. She didn't expect Mukuro to play fair, especially not on his Wheeler. If he tried to ram into her ... would she be able to hear him quick enough? She'd offer the other woman a quick "Good luck" before Yusei guided her too far away, her eyes narrowing as she heard Mukuro's perverse nature hadn't disappeared since yesterday. If anything, it only strengthened.

"Disgusting," she muttered, subconsciously scooting closer to Yamichi. "Hopefully she has something to deal with effect damage or some sort of strategy in her head."

She knew Celeste did, luckily, know Mukuro's deck. She technically knew everyone's, really. It was going to come down to if she could make herself focus well enough or not.

"Come on," she murmured softly, "Don't let him get to you. You definitely deserve to move onward .... "

Poor Fayth was all but following Yusei's lead as he escorted her to the riding area. Everything before that, be it getting her Wheeler to putting her visor on, seemed to be accomplished thanks to both Yusei and her own auto-pilot function it seemed. Fayth could, at first, only seem to manage a nod in response to Yusei's reassurances at first. Her heart was pounding rapidly in her chest.

Goddamnit. Why me?!

Suddenly, she was wishing to go against Yamichi or Takeshi. At least there wouldn't be any ... unwanted implications.

"Shut up!" she snapped upon hearing the 'real ride' comment. Degrading as it was, it at least did its job of snapping Fayth away from her thoughts and returning to the here and now. Where she was needed. Her head moved slowly up and down as she repeated Yusei's words before eliciting a soft sigh. "Alright. I think I got it. Thanks, Yusei."

As Fayth revved her own engine up, a satisfied grin spreading over her face. It sounded even better than she remembered. Good. Then it should be as quick as the noises implied. She'd need the speed.

Next came the countdown. And ... if poor Fayth's heart hadn't been racing fast enough yet, now it was really kicking into high gear. And when the 1 became 0? She officially had one hell of an adrenaline rush. Fortunately, the Wheeler had its auto-pilot function strengthened, per se. Improved upon to ensure it wouldn't break as easily as it would under normal conditions. Still, she kept her hands in place, wanting first to concentrate on determining who would go first. Which, going off the rules of Turbo Duels, would mean turning the first corner.

"Then I guess I'm a winner!" she declared, flashing a coy smirk as she heard his Wheeler still behind her upon beating him to the turn. "I haven't counted you out of this duel, Mukuro. That being said, you should heed your own advice. And also know - no matter the outcome - you're not touching or getting near me. Fuck and no. Now then, I'll go first! Draw!"

Fayth would keep one hand atop a handlebar, using her right to feel what she'd drawn. Another sigh passed her lips - this was something she could work with! With this she, hopefully, could give herself a decent start to avoid suffering too much damage from Mukuro's deck.

"I'll activate Zeradias' effect. By discarding him, I'll get Sanctuary of the Sky to my hand. I then activate my Sanctuary! Next, I activate Solidarity and summon Consecrated Light!"

Even though he had an all FIRE deck, it was still a card that helped make sure she didn't take battle damage. And, for now, it was her best choice. She didn't have a Valhalla ... not yet. Otherwise, things would have gone differently.

"For now, I'm done. Your turn."
 

"Nah, I bet she'll run him right off the road! If anyone has to crash, it should be that fart-head Mukuro! And that's what I'm calling him now, sis! Fart-head" Lua declared excitedly, blowing a rather loud and obnoxious raspberry after the statement. Thankfully, the cheering from the crowd was enough to keep his own volume down to where it wouldn't bother Luca too much...But it would only get louder after the crowd finished the countdown, the pair leaving the start line.

"If it's anything like how she dueled against that Professor guy...I've little doubt she'll be able to stop any burn chains he can come up with." Yamichi would reassure Ling; Fairies - while not having the same level of support as say, Warrior or Dragon-types - could certainly hold their own. And save for a strong monster or two, Mukuro's deck relied on chaining effect damage on top of itself to rapidly deplete his opponent's Life. Anyone with stronger creatures, which he knew Celeste had in spades, could shatter his defenses with ease.

"AND BELROSE TAKES THE FIRST TURN! THE DUEL IS UNDERWAY, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! LET'S SEE IF MUKURO CAN ANSWER HER TAKING THE LEAD!" MC announced, Mukuro laughing, "You bet I can! Sweetie, you could have just handed me your monster from the start, and made this a whole lot easier on both of us! But that's alright...Because trust me, this won't be the only thing I'll get from ya! My turn, draw!"

His face crossed into a wicked grin, "I activate the Magic Card, Resurrection of the Dead! Zeradias, let's see how she handles her own monster being used against her! Appear!" And just like that, the monster which had allowed her an early start to her deck's core strategy was on Mukuro's side, flying gracefully much like the other monsters in her deck would. And at 2100 ATK, it was nothing to sneeze at. "But don't worry, he won't be by his lonesome for long! I summon Molten Zombie in Attack Position!" A ball of fire And with Consecrated Light only sealing the Summons and attacks of DARK monsters, she would find herself on the receiving end of a brutal attack.

"Molten Zombie, smash her glowstick! Burning Thrash!" And as he rode alongside the blind woman, his Pyro-monsters raised an immolated hand and smacked it down, its image shattering but the damage reduced to zero because of her field. "Heh, that one was a freebie, dollface! And much like I'll be doing later...Zeradias, penetrate!" At his command, the winged divinity swooped upperward before coming crashing down once more, slashing her life by a significant margin with a brutal direct attack.

"AND LIKE THAT, MUKURO ENJO TAKES THE LEAD! THEY'RE GOING INTO THE SECOND BEND!" MC announced, the fiery-headed duelist speeding up and almost going over the edge of the wall...Something that he revealed to be on purpose, as he would then cut hard across Fayth's path. The proximity detectors blaring as her Runner auto-decelerated to avoid a collision, his Runner crossing in front of hers by a matter of inches. "Whoops! Sorry, Belrose! Forgot how steep that second bend was, hahaha!" Mukuro laughed.

"Oi...Where's the foul?! He damn near side-swiped her!" Takeshi roared, the crowd booing at the blatant (and very much criminal) disregard for Riding Duel rules...But they would have a hard time proving it, as it could easily be argued he had indeed taken the turn too wide to try and get around her. "AND AFTER WHAT WAS NEARLY AN ACCIDENT, MUKURO PULLS BACK AHEAD! AND IT IS NOW CELESTE'S TURN! CAN SHE ANSWER HIS DIRECT ATTACK WITH ONE OF HER OWN!?" MC continued announcing, keeping up his near-famous visage of neutrality.

Jack, meanwhile, watched on with a rather hard scowl on his face. To think this man - no, boy, he was acting like a brat - would sink so low in this tournament. Bad enough if it was someone who wasn't blind, but to do such to a woman with no sight? That was beyond distasteful. "Well now...Seems Mukuro is all too eager to literally run over anyone who tries to get between him and another shot at you, Jack." The Director quipped, Atlas giving a 'Hmph' and replying "So long as I can help, his shameful conduct will never be before me again. His desperation will lead to his downfall."
 

Luca smiled softly, even manged to chuckle at her brother's nickname for Mukuro. If crashing worked like Karma and using people's behaviors then ... yes. He definitely did - and would for sure - crash. But that wasn't how Turbo Duels worked. Despite not having watched many, she did know the rules. They had both heard bits and pieces in school. Today, however, was the most in-depth 'lesson' they were getting on Turbo Duels. Well ... Luca had done all she could. The best things to do were watch the duel and hope that maybe - just maybe - her prayers would be answered.

Fayth frowned, not overly content Mukuro happened to have Resurrection of the Dead ready and able to be used on his first turn. Almost anyone else, she could have maybe tolerated using such a tactic. But that was what made it all the more infuriating; that it was Mukuro who pulled such a move off. Worse off, with him using said Spell card, it made her Solidarity useless. Granted, she knew what to do to fix it.

But she'd need --

A shocked gasp elicited as her Wheeler jerked from the abrupt braking. Her eyes narrowed as she glared furiously towards Mukuro. "Don't try to bullshit me. You're even worse than me at it. Draw!"

And as she pulled her top card off, a proud smirk couldn't help but cross her face.

"I'm going to make you pay for stealing my angel. That's not just what I'm saying, but my deck is too. I activate Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen! Goddess of wisdom and war, armed with your holy lance and shield! Descend from the Heavens, and help me do away with these unholy foes! Special Summon! Athena!"

Ling smiled, not realizing she'd held her breath until a soft sigh passed her lips. Not that she doubted Fayth, per se. But having one's own monster stolen on turn one was hard to deal with, particularly when it had over 2000 attack.

Now, however, things were quickly turning in her favor. Something everyone would see soon enough.

"I'm not done! I activate my second Solidarity!"

And for those who didn't think they stacked, they would be proven wrong quickly as Athena's attack shot up, surpassing well over 4000 attack.

"It's like you said, Mukuro - you're a former champion. You're much more fallen than me, though. And being so out of grace will help cost you this fight. Athena! Pierce through his Molten Zombie!"

Her heart temporarily stopped as he activated a trap; luckily, compared to what he could have used, it was merciful. Very much so, in fact.

"Trap Card, Open! Negate Attack!"

"You're not going to keep stopping me with tricks like that. For now, though, turn end!"
 

"Oooooh, I'm so scared!" Mukuro jeered right back, that sick grin on his face; man, she was a mouthy one. He could think of a much better use for that instead of talking, and by this point he knew he didn't have to say anything. But he also couldn't really help himself. "Maybe if you actually tried to play instead of just talk, you wouldn't have taken an attack from your own monster eh?" he would joke...Unaware of the play she was about to make.

And when she did make it, the crowd erupted at her recovery. "WOW! AND IN ONE TURN, SHE GETS OUT A MONSTER WITH OVER 4000 ATTACK POINTS! DON'T LET THIS ANGEL FOOL YOU, FOLKS! THIS LITTLE LADY'S GOT HORNS, AND SHE'S CLEARLY NOT AFRAID TO USE THEM!"

But when she declared an attack, Mukuro was more than thankful to have set one card on his previous turn. "Sorry, babe! Ain't gonna make it that easy on ya! Trap Card, Open! Negate Attack! Your turn's as good as over!" he would shout, a barrier forming up and deflecting Athena's otherwise brutal lance strike. "Too bad, so sad! Maybe next time!" Mukuro jeered, declaring "Draw!"

Of course...Athena being that strong was a problem, but with what he just drew? That wouldn't be an issue for very long, and would render her own field useless for its protection effect. "Alright, here I go! I hope you like a good horror flick, because I'm bringing back the B-move classic! Field Magic, activate! Undead World!" And like that, the once-pristine beauty of Athena was marred as her flesh became withered and rotted, open sores appearing and her clothes becoming ragged and ratty as her ATK fell back to 2600. "Ew...Man, I kind of wish I didn't have eyes now. Your angel fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down!" Mukuro joked; but all humor aside he didn't have much to go on right.

"But...I suppose I'll switch Zeradias and Molten Zombie to Defense, then set another monster! Your go!" he would say; he couldn't do anything yet, but that didn't mean he was out of this duel yet.

"Hah! See, sis!? Celeste's doing just fine, even if Fart-head tried to cheat! He's on the ropes now!" Lua shouted excitedly, the announcer continuing on in the background.

Yamichi would look up to see Takeshi with quite a sour look, making the tech raise a brow. "Oi, Takeshi...You good?" Yamichi asked, Takeshi shaking his head, "This guy...is the biggest prick I've seen in a duel. Doesn't help that he's using Undeads too; I just hope it doesn't look poorly on me when my turn comes."
 

Honestly? I've been in a horror flick since appearing in this universe; some days more than others.

And with the recent news she got from Yuna yesterday? Yeah. That feeling had definitely returned.

But compared to how she felt when he played Mukuro played his own field card and effectively negated her own? It was worse than the fear from yesterday.

No! Not yet!

Her left arm quickly left the handlebar, squeezing tightly down on her shoulder. Her teeth followed suit with latching onto her lower lip as she inwardly begged and pleaded with her body not to have her Sign act up; let alone in such a public place. Bommer had already hinted during his talk with the Professor there was a significance regarding her and the others. But if she could help it? Fayth definitely wanted to avoid another trip to see or speak with Goodwin.

Still, now the Solidarity cards were permanently ruined. She didn't have Fairies anymore.

Fayth shook her head frantically.

It's not over yet! she tried to insist. It wasn't the best, evidenced by the faintest burning sensation that still traveled through her flesh. Nothing overly dire, particularly compared to when it first activated. However, all of the other Signers plus Rex and his doctor would get a confirmation courtesy of the scanners.

"One field card isn't going to secure this duel for you!" Fayth finally managed to state through gritted teeth. She would otherwise keep silent until she'd calmed herself down well enough. "You only changed the fact she's no longer a Fairy. There are other elements that you haven't altered with her and can thus still work for me. Draw!"

Her eyelids closed behind the blindfold as she tried to recall - did he even have any other sets?

Few, if any. Even still, giving him too many turns wouldn't be wise. It was obvious he was already working on building up a defense. If he got too many more monsters out, it could allow him to get his Skull Flame out. She had to take a chance.

"I summon Darklord Ukoback. Athena will attack Zeradias and Ukoback will destroy your Molten Zombie."

... Nothing. Good. Then his field likely was as sparse as she'd correctly guessed.

"Turn end. Your go, Enjo."

"Nope. You definitely won't." The reassurance came from Judai, who flashed Takeshi a reassuring grin. "He doesn't have a pure Undead deck, if we wanna be technical. It's FIRE-slash-Pyro. He just forces them to become that way. Disregarding that? You're nothing close to him. You've already shown that to everyone here. The only way you can make yourself look horrible is by starting to pick up on his mannerisms. You'll be fine."
 

Goodwin smiled as he saw the display light up; good, good! More like this and perhaps he could get the Crimson Dragon to appear. He just needed to push them a little harder; evidenced as such when even Jack would clutch his arm, his own Mark starting to glow and resonate with Fayth's. "Goodwin...Are you sure this will work?" Jack asked as the burning faded away, the Director nodding "I'm positive; while I apologize for any discomfort, just know that this will be the catalyst for something far greater."

Aki too, was even starting to feel her mark activate, a hand coming up to hide at as she was out and about. While she was content to squander herself away to avoid the prying eyes, even she would like to enjoy some sunshine every now and again. "This damned thing...." she muttered bitterly; what the hell was going on? Despite all her abilities to gather intel, she still was in the dark about this brand on her arm. This cursed mark that forever labeled her an outcast...A monster, a freak. Taking a steadying breath, she calmed herself and resumed walking about the Tops.

Even Yusei felt his mark burn, a gloved hand trying to keep it from being seen; he tried to avoid grimacing, but was thankful that the others were too focused on the current Duel to notice. And when it subsided, he let out a sigh of relief. "Fayth, just stay calm. You have the lead on him right now. Keep your cool and don't let his words fluster you." he spoke within his mind.

"Maybe not, but now at least you won't be able to use your effects so easily! Your Field and your booster cards are worthless! Ha!" Mukuro jested, even as two of his own monsters were destroyed. Leaving him with only one remaining, which happened to be the one he wanted her to destroy. But whatever, she would basically have to on her next turn. At the moment, he could only defend...Something that certainly aggravated him, but not enough to throw off his focus yet.

Takeshi nodded upon hearing his friends and fellow duelists reassure him that he wouldn't be judged for how Mukuro was acting; and technically Judai was right. His deck wasn't really Undead; he used certain effects to make them what Takeshi. "Yeah, yeah...You're right." Takeshi replied, Yamichi smiling, "There we go...And besides, we know your deck would destroy his in an instant." Of course, Yamichi was the only one who know what monster laid inside his friend's Extra Deck. One that he couldn't use, but still had all the same.

"EVEN WITH THE CHANGE IN SCENERY, BELROSE HOLDS THE HIGH GROUND, KEEPING HERSELF AHEAD OF MUKURO ENJO AS THEY ROUND THE FINAL BEND IN THE FIRST LAP!" MC announced, Mukuro trying to pull ahead of Celeste but finding himself unable. A fact that made his teeth grit, try as he might to get around her. "You won't ride in front of me forever, Belrose! You just wait! My turn, draw!" he would declare, stating, "I'll set one card face down, as well as another monster! Turn end!"

Honestly? The fact that he was being so locked out was also not helping him in the slightest.



Elsewhere, in a relatively cozy suite, two familiar figures were relaxing in front of a large television. A silver-haired male sittinng with a bowl of popcorn. "Man, Misty...I still can't believe you have this place. Sounds like your modeling gigs let you live quite the life, eh? How'd you keep the lease on this place anyway?" he would ask, popping a few more kernels in his mouth. Truthfully, he knew he would be instantly picked out by Fayth; and despite his not really caring, he also didn't want to risk pissing off Rutger. He had no real idea what this guy could do, not fully anyway.

Besides...This was better. And the fact that he was in Misty's place? Well...Usually one thing happened when a beautiful woman invited someone to their house. But this was just for reconnaissance, to keep an eye on their lovely Signer woman, as well as get a good judge of how her deck work. And it was anticipation of seeing what Yusei was capable of, seeing what kinds of holes he could punch in his Deck...And if he could help it, his face.

"So...What do you think? Fayth's gotten better...But think she can take me? Or you for that matter?" he would then ask, a grin on his face.
 

... Interesting. He was staying on the defensive, huh? It was becoming very tempting to snicker or rub his lack of turning the duel around in his face. Hmm ... maybe when it was over. Right now? She was mainly behaving not out of fear, but rather to prove she was by far the better duelist when itt came down to personality. Boasting wasn't typically something Fayth enjoyed doing. Buuuut ... exceptions could always be made. And if Mukuro wasn't a decent one, she didn't know who would count as the perfect target for breaking her own rule.

"Very well then. Draw!"

While Yusei's inner thoughts were right that Fayth did have the lead for now, her draws weren't overly amazing. It was irking her as much as it was Mukuro she couldn't seem to do much more than her own opponent.

"Athena and Darklord Ukoback will attack both your set monsters!"

Nothing once more. Another sigh resounded, this time managing to stay inside her own mind.

Now getting anything overly huge won't be so simple for him, she noted, nodding upon determining this was indeed true. Her fingertips ran over her cards once more. For the time being, it seemed to be fine. But another thing worrying Fayth slightly was the lack of any further spells or traps appearing. With any luck, Mukuro would have just as horrible fortune in his own draws. Otherwise, this could easily turn very ugly.

"Turn end!"
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Kiryu's ... actions and, often, word choices had not gone unnoticed. Even back when he'd captured Yuna, Misty hadn't been ignorant. She just opted to quietly reject his advances. Even now, she was here for one reason only; recon. Somewhat unfortunately, what Rutger had pointed out was true. Misty was one of the few people who could decently handle being around Kiryu. It was because of this they had been - albeit unofficial - designated partners.

Never anything more than a professional set though; that would be something Kiryu would always be reminded of.

"Hmm ... " Misty mused, glad Kiryu's inquiry was a valid one that didn't hold any hidden agendas or innuendo. She leaned forward, moving closer to the screen to try to get a better look.

"In all honesty? It'd be much simpler to determine if I saw her up close. The visor, in particular, makes it really hard to get an accurate read. Going simply off what I'm seeing from this deck and knowing what yours is? Depends. Her deck would have to react as quickly as it is now in order for her to have even a decent chance. But ... "

Her eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"I may very well be mistaken. Even from here, though .... "

Misty paused, trying to contemplate how to finish her thoughts.

"Even though the Fey do indeed suit her ... it doesn't feel like that's her only deck. But that would also need a confirmation via meeting and finding her."
 
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Mukuro grit his teeth as Fayth destroyed even more of his monsters, leaving him with an empty field for now. Even with UFO Turtle again helping to summon something...She was locking him out. And what really pissed him off was the fact that his deck was usually more solid than this.

Turn after turn would show him digging himself deeper and deeper, MC announcing about how he was being pushed further and further back. And worse of all, is that he was dead on; he was drawing more dead than most of the monsters in his deck. And when she would set a monster, he was determined to at least destroy something!

"My turn! Draw! I summon Molten Zombie once more and attack your face-down! Burning Thrash!" he would declare, his immolated monster striking at her face-down....Revealing a small and pudgy thing that contracted itself before launching right at Mukuro. A near-girly scream leaving him as the jiggly monster bit his arm and damn near made him lose control. "OOOH, UNLUCKY! AN OLD-TIME STALL WALL, MARSHMALLON, JUST TOOK A BITE OUT OF MUKURO'S LIFE! AND WITH HIM DOWN TO LESS THAN HALF THE STARTING AMOUNT, IT'S NOT LOOKING GOOD!"

Mukuro cursed under his breath; all he had was the huge hit at the beginning, and now she was about wipe the floor with him. "I set a card! Turn end!"

Lua just laughed, "Hah! Fart-head's not so hot anymore! Celeste's making him look like an idiot! Not that he needed any help with that! HAH! SERVES YOU RIGHT!" And the crowd especially seemed to be cheering Celeste on, spurring her farther and farther onward to victory. Which seemed to be but in the palm of her hand as they would round the third bend, now on the final stretch for both the track and the Duel.

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Kiryu knew that he couldn't keep hammering her; maybe one day she would give him a chance. Even so, he could at least be civil (and not a shameless flirt) while he was in her house. Besides, this was a great way to see what they would be facing against when they would have their reunion.

However, Misty's observation about this not being her 'only deck' made him raise a brow. "And? Lot of duelists have spare decks and other decks they use." Then again...She did make an observation that Fayth wasn't exactly 'from here'. His attention away from the Duel as Fayth would consistently hammer away at Mukuro's defenses and Life.

"Hold on though...What exactly does make you say that? You think it has something to do with her? If that's the case, we're probably not going to see it here." he would then ask, sitting back and crossing his arms. Man....This was a pain. Honestly, he couldn't really care less about Fayth herself; she was just a tool he would use to get to Yusei. But...If Misty was right, then they could very easily kill two birds with one stone.
 
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Oh god. This ... is real? Am I ... seriously about to win?

Turn after turn continued to pass, with Mukuro doing the very bare minimum. Hers weren't perfect by any stretch of imagination. However, between finally getting a support trap - Magic Cylinders to be precise - and Marshmallon, it was clear who was having far more fortune in drawing.

Although it wasn't her usual go-to strategy, Fayth had been normally summoning Honest, taking advantage she could use its effect during the second Main Phase to return the angel to her hand. Despite Mukuro altering her fairies and forcing them to become Undead, nothing about their LIGHT element had been touched. It was, in fact, the same hint Fayth had dropped.

Whether Enjo had realized it or not was anyone's guess.

And with Fayth continuing to keep Honest in her hand, she officially gave herself a back-up plan should he succeed in summoning anything huge.

"I summon Honest once more. Honest and Athene! Direct attack!"

He'd used a second Negate Attack in the last few turns. This time , however, nothing kept her monsters from succeeding in their assaults. Fayth's heart stopped for the briefest of seconds, resuming at an even faster pace as the tell-tale beep indicated she had indeed done.

"AND THERE WE HAVE IT, FOLKS! DATENSHI CELESTE HAS DEFEATED MUKURO ENJO!"

In case she'd had any doubts, the MC confirmed it all. Her hands shook as she felt herself make the final turn and stop in front of the finish line. As she pulled her visor slowly off, the audience erupted in a loud cheer.

I ... I did it! And in a turbo duel no less!

Her helmet would stay tucked underneath her left hand. Her right, meanwhile, rose, clenched happily as she allowed herself to indulge in the well-earned victory. Besides, she had to wait for Yusei so he could help guide her Wheeler away properly ... why not?

"HELL YEAH! WAY TO GO, CELESTE!" Ling cheered, standing up happily as the last of Mukuro's life was successfully depleted. "Whew. His own field really pushed her," she hastily explained, flushing as she sat back down beside Yamichi. "Just ... well ..... dead draws. They can happen. It was nice to see it didn't with her."

Luca, meanwhile, gave her own excited reply - but with a more lady-like vocabulary. "Yay, Celeste!" Her head tilted slightly, "But why Datenshi? I mean, sure, she had a few Darklords. Is that the only reason though? Just normal Tenshi feels more appropriate if we use her mannerisms and everything ... "
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It wouldn't be until the duel ended that Misty finally gave Kiryu an answer, though not before nodding.

"I do. Remember how I told everyone at our first major gathering her grave felt .... off? Let's assume the theory we agreed upon of her being from elsewhere is correct. Well ... then what if, in another dimension, there are other archetypes and maybe even summoning types that exist? The simple fact, Kiryu, is she's already defying Death by being here. Something is already unnatural about the girl. Then, despite being deceased, she is given the role of a Signer?"

Misty's head shook.

"It very well could be a mere coincidence. But there's already far too many of those to deem it as any mere 'accident'. There's more to her than what meets the eyes - even from here, I feel confident about declaring that much."

Misty shrugged lightly.

"Alas, I can't confirm everything I'm saying until we get a hold of her. And for all I know? I may be way off in my guess. So don't yet take my word for it. Those are simply my thoughts; nothing more, but certainly nothing less."
 

And when she would deliver the last blow, reducing Mukuro's Life to zero in one fell strike, the crowd erupted in cheers. "Yeah! Fart-head lost! Way to go, Celeste!" Lua cried out from the stands, unlikely to be heard over the thunderous roars of approval.

Jack and Goodwin, meanwhile, just stood there. "Well then...Seems she'll be in the Final Four tomorrow; should be an eventful day." Rex said; however, Jack then felt a strange tug...Like his gut was telling him that something was wrong, and it was pointing him towards Fayth herself. "Excuse me...." he then said, turning on his heel and making his way down to the arena floor.

Mukuro, meanwhile, was certainly not in the highest spirits. It was bad enough that Atlas had humiliated him all that time ago, and now here he was again. And worse, she had acted so smug to him. Didn't respect that he used to be a big shot, and that he was essentially dethroned because that fuckboy Atlas got lucky. Well, he wasn't going to have her acting all uppity to him! No fucking way!

And with more than a little anger, he would slam his helmet down on the handlebars. "Well, good job! You fucking won a card game! But I'll teach you to mouth off to me, you blind little shit!" Yusei tried to rush forward, but got cold-cocked by the fiery-haired male and fell down clutching his jaw. A hand would then reach out and grab her arm, "You might have your little grease-monkies to customize your ride and fix it...But I bet you won't find someone as good to fix your face after I'm done with it!"

And he would pull a hand back to strike her...But then felt someone grab his wrist, someone fairly strong. "Mukuro...You've sunk even lower than when we last fought. Striking a woman is bad enough, but to do so to one that can't see? You're nothing more than a worthless braggart...One not worthy to call himself a man or a Duelist!" would speak the voice of Jack Atlas, Enjo struggling to pull himself free but not able to.

Yamichi, Ling and Takeshi would all rush them as well, helping Fayth to get away while also helping Yusei to his . "Atlas...You little fuck, always getting in my way!" Mukuro yelled, using his free hand to try and punch Jack...Soon finding himself with his arms crossed in front of him. "Mukuro, the only one standing in your way is yourself. You had a chance...But lost it, and in the most disgraceful way imaginable." Atlas warned, declaring loudly, "GUARDS! TAKE HIM AND GET THIS FILTH OUT OF MY STADIUM!" And when Sector guards would come over and arrest Mukuro for assault, much to the cheers of the crowd as he was led away in cuffs.

"Man, what a tool....Glad that got taken care of quickly." Yamichi said, Takeshi checking on Yusei, "Dude, you alright? That rabbit-punching asshole....What's his deal? It's just a duel at the end of the day, damn." Yusei nodded, rubbing his jaw "I'm fine...Nothing rest won't fix."

And it was also here that Jack would come over to check on Fayth, "Celeste...My apologies, I hadn't expected Mukuro would act that way, else I would have objected more strongly to his being allowed in the tournament. Are you alright?"

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"Eh...You seem to have good instincts. Besides, I'll admit that I'm curious about her now too; I got the feeling something was off, but I could never place my finger on what. And when I saw her grave, that's when I knew for sure." Kiryu would say; even so, that still presented the problem of how to get her there in the first place.

"Question still remains...How the fuck are we going to get her alone? Even with Yuna out of the way, she's still got Yusei and the others watching over her." Kiryu mused; shaking his head, he would then say, "Ah, forget it; we have some time to figure that out. Won't be doing it anytime soon anyway; still haven't heard from the boss, have we? When are we going to move, anyway?" A dangerous glint passed over his eyes, his mind echoing "Yusei, don't get too comfortable now; I want to see the fear in your eyes when we fight again. And you won't be walking away, not like last time."

"Ah well..." he would then say, turning his attention back to the screen. "Yusei's up next, right? Let's see how he does. Which reminds me, Fayth's little girlfriend needs to pay too, for interrupting my fun with him...I'll be paying her a visit soon too." He then patted the spot next to him, grinning slyly "So come on, don't stand so much. Plenty of room on this cozy sofa of yours."
 

... From behind?

That ... wasn't right. Yusei would be coming from in front. Wouldn't he? Her head quickly turned, heart almost immediately fluttering as she heard there was a reason it felt as wrong as it had sounded. The footfalls were from Mukuro.

... It shouldn't surprise her too much, she supposed. He did seem like the sore loser type, as well as winner. But there was a difference in making verbal threats like he'd done earlier today and yesterday .... and then making a scene in public.

"Me? Mouthing off?" Fayth incredulously repeated. "With the topics you were insinuating, what'd you expect?! Me to just accept it?! I'm many things, Enjo; blind, not nearly as brave as my other friends, but I am in some regards. I'm not, however, someone who can't stand up for themselves?" Her head quickly shook. "Sorry, but not .... ahhh!"

For Fayth, the grip on her arm registered first. Seconds later, however, the hit against Yusei's jaw and him landing nearby registered. "YUSEI! Oi ... Mukuro ... you're .... about to make a really bad mistake, you know?"

Oh god, he doesn't care!

Luca whimpered, quickly turning her own head and burying it into Lua's shoulder. "That's not fair! I can't watch!"

Before what would have otherwise been a very painful punch against her skin landed, she felt a slight breeze first. And then felt her eyes widen as Fayth recognized Jack's voice.

"Jack ... ??"

Before Fayth could get a confirmation, however, a new voice resounded in her ears.

"It's just us," she'd then hear Ling reassure her, lightly tapping her sleeve. "Come on ... while he's buying us time. Let's get you and your Wheeler away from this prick."

Poor Fayth managed little more than a nod. Once again, other people had to intervene on her behalf. Even with securing a spot in the Final Four, that suddenly started to feel insignificant. She was being a burden again. Her fists clenched as they grabbed onto her jeans. Damnit all. If only she'd gotten more lessons in with Yuna. That'd help - even if only a little. It'd be better. It would have kept what just happened from doing so.

Wouldn't it?

She didn't know, and that made her tremors strengthen. When she heard Jack actually speak to her - implying he was away from Mukuro - her head lifted. For a good twenty seconds, Fayth couldn't come up with the courage to speak. And then when a response entered her head, it was in a fast, frantic voice.

"I ... I'm sorry, Jack. I've made you correct a lot of things for me in this tournament. From the Mr. E incident to this and ... "

"Celeste, none of that was your fault."

"I should have been able to hear him! I .... I should have .... " Tears began quickly streaming from under her blindfold as her breaths came out in rapid gasps. Barely avoiding full-fledged hyperventilation.

Ling frowned, shooting an irked glare. If Mukuro hadn't been dragged out and arrested already, she'd gladly go and get her own free punch in. Concern crossed her face as her gaze looked back over to Fayth. "Celeste? Celeste?!"

When she couldn't muster a verbal reply, Ling gripped her lower lip. "Does there happen to be an infirmary on sight, Jack? It's probably just a panic attack. I've had my share of them in the past. But .... considering who caused it .... she may need a professional touch. I'm next ... otherwise I'd keep trying to help her out."

There was also the simpler fact she wasn't medically licensed, and was more likely to make Fayth worse before better.
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"After the Fortune Cup, more likely than not. But ... agreed. Exact details can be worked out later. Rutger will probably have an idea he can propose to us when we relay our findings to him."

.... Sometimes, Kiryu really could be so goddamed tunnel-visioned. Hinted when he assumed Yusei was next.

"I don't believe so," Misty calmly replied.

And then, as if she had been heard, the MC would speak up yet again.

"Sorry about that display ladies and gentlemen! With the situation basically defused, however, we will prepare for the second match of the tournament! WHO WILL FARE BETWEEN THE MISTRESS OF DRAGONS, LING OR BOMMER? TUNE IN TO FIND OUT!"

"I think, however, he will be next. Plus, if it helps, I temporarily thought you were correct for a few seconds."
 

And with the tense situation defused indeed, the crowd would settle down; why someone would do something like that after losing a Duel was beyond shameful. And murmurs of approval could be heard in regards to Jack having the man arrested and taken out of the Duel Stadium. "Sis? It's over...Fart-head's gone. Sector took him away." Lua said, having hugged her close; man, if he ever saw that jerk he'd give him a good hard kick between his legs for upsetting Luca!

"She's right, Fayth; it's not your fault in the slightest. Least I can do is try to make it right for allowing these undesirables to enter the tournament." Jack would reply; he knew Rex's goal, but at the same time he was starting to disapprove of the methods he was using. And when Ling asked if there was an infirmary, the blonde nodded, "Yeah, there's a medical tent nearby. Don't worry...I'll take her there myself. You just worry about fighting against Bommer."

And when Fayth was ready he would gently take her hand and lead her over, a nod and a mouthed 'Thanks' from Yusei where a medical professional was on standby. A short young man in his twenties would help her along with Jack to let her lie down on the mattress so that he could look her over, along with an ample supply of cool water for her if she needed. And when it was done, he would excuse himself to put together an incident report.

"Congratulations on winning by the way. You deserved that win...And you saved me the headache of potentially having to Duel him again." Jack said, a joking tone at that last part as he would sit next to her. He wasn't sure to comment on whether he knew her Sign activated, even if she did know about him being a Signer as well. It could lead to a whole lot of other unwanted questions, and some he probably wouldn't be able to answer.


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Kiryu just shrugged his shoulders as she kept her distance from him; well, couldn't blame a guy for trying at least. "Whoops...Sorry, just looking forward to our rematch...A lot. Letting that bitch Fuyu fight his battle was a dick move, and I intend to make him pay for it."

Regardless, he would shift his attention back to the match at hand, where the two next duelists were getting set up. Damn....That dude's Runner was huge! "Hey Misty, think he's compensating for something riding a machine that big?" Kiryu would joke, chuckling a little at the prospect of that being true.
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On the starting line after MC's announcement, Bommer would be waiting for Ling to emerge, his Runner having been towed out to the starting line. And when he fired the engine...It made Mukuro's runner seem like a little wind chime in comparison. It would certainly make it difficult to concentrate during the Duel, unless someone happened to have earplugs on hand. "LISTEN TO THAT BEAST! HOW MUCH POWER DOES THAT THING HAVE?!" MC shouted, even his own voice barely audible over the noise. Bommer was more than a little irked to not be facing another Signer...But he had his own agenda, and he would run down anyone who tried to stand between him and Goodwin.

However...The screens around the arena would then light up once more, showing a countdown that would also appear on the HUD of their own Runners. And with that, it would be time to start again. "Best of luck, young lady. We'll both need it."

"ALRIGHT FOLKS, HERE WE GO! THE SECOND TURBO DUEL OF THE DAY! COUNT IT DOWN WITH ME! 5! 4! 3! 2! 1!"

"RIDING DUEL, ACCELERATION!"

Bommer's enormous war machine practically shot off the line like a comet, its massive engine putting out a ridiculous amount of horsepower as he would go through the first bend with ease. "AND BOMMER TAKES THE LEAD! THE FIRST TURN BELONGS TO HIM!"

"My turn! Draw!" the dark-skinned man would declare. "Now then, let us see how loyal your Dragons truly are! Such beasts only respect true strength! I'll set one card face-down, as well as a monster! Turn end!" She would him stoic sure, likely even offputtingly so, but nothing lewd or crude like Mukuro had been. And at the very least, he would come at her with everything he had at his disposal.
 
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Fayth wouldn't reach out for a few good minutes, and that was primarily to make damn sure it was Jack's hand she ended up taking a hold of rather than someone else's. For the briefest of seconds, she almost considered asking Yusei to come along. Not that she didn't trust Jack. It was more like Goodwin ... in case he knew where Jack had gone.

It wouldn't be overly amazing.

Yet, it was for that exact reason that Faytth allowed herself to be led away from Yusei. If Goodwin did know, then it wouldn't be fair to drag Yusei into what could easily become a messy situation.

Her empty hand shakily moved down, sliding along the mattress and using the soft feeling along her fingers to reassure herself she had been taken where Jack promised to lead her. The knowledge helped her properly lie down - along with Jack and what Fayth could only assume to be a doctor.

She'd offer an affirmative nod upon hearing the word 'water', and eagerly accepted a bottle when it was given over.

Another few minutes would linger, now with Fayth wondering if she was even alone or not. She'd definitely heard at least one person leave. But had Jack also .. ??

When she heard the 'Congratulations', it helped confirm she wasn't in complete solitude. Good. She didn't really want to be. A selfish desire to be sure ... but considering what almost happened? Hopefully at least understandable.

"Thanks. Heh ... yeah. I can see why no one would wanna go against him again. Or once, even. I ... "

Fayth took a deep breath, followed by another sip of the water.

Much like how Jack had his own topics he didn't really want to bring up, the same applied to Fayth. But he at least deserved to hear about Kiryu. Simultaneously, even if it would help explain why she freaked out so badly mere moments ago ... maybe it was best to keep it to herself?

Maybe.

Fayth had barely gotten him to believe her origin story. She wouldn't blame him for accusing her of lying once again.

"Do you ever feel like you can't get a break? I'm wondering if that comes with us being Signers, or if my luck's just that bad. Both could be viable options."

It was only partially a jest, but enough for Jack to hear she was at least attempting to go out of her comfort zone on fortes and what to talk about.
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"Whew man ... " Ling muttered, taking a deep breath of her own. Relieved as she was that Celeste had been helped ... now came her turn.

"Well, Yamichi ... guys .... wish me luck. Celeste isn't the only one who's having her first ride. My uhh ... my parents have never approved. Thought it was too dangerous, but hey - carpe diem and all that, yeah?"

Plus, she was about to go against Bommer. And given how easily he made defeating Aki look, it was obvious he was definitely not a pushover.

"Well ... here goes everything and nothing, I guess ... "

Offering the group a wave - and her tech lover an anxious smile - she walked out, coming back onto the field with her own Wheeler. It had been her own relatively recent purchase, mainly for this very specific event.

... Let's just not think about the explanation you're gonna have to give, please? Thanks.

Yeah. She was definitely not looking forward to telling her parents why there was suddenly a motorcycle for playing a card game in the garage.

Holy cow! How much power does that have indeed?! the dragon user thought, staring in awe at Bommer's ride.

.... Perhaps for a bit too long, as she ended up following behind her opponent a few seconds too late.

Oi! Don't be like that!

Her eyes temporarily narrowed ... but stopped. No. She wasn't going to be that duelist. The one that bitched or whined. The whole stadium had already endured a sore loser - she wan't gonna take Mukuro's spot. Granted, he was partially correct - but Ling still wouldn't have questioned her own deck, nor Bommer's.

Instead, she opted to be more witty.

"Well, I did get this far, yes? I'd say they give me more than enough loyalty. I'm no pushover, much like yourself."

... He only set? After all that talk?

Ah the irony. Her own hand wasn't necessarily perfect - mostly monsters. Zero spells or traps. Then again .. maybe that was for the best?

Okay, okay, stop. Step one .... calm yourself.

Her eyes closed behind her visor. And, of course, her deck did indeed seem to hear the internal questioning of having an all monster hand. Lo and behold, her sixth card was a support trap.

"Draw! I'll set my own card and summon Luster Dragon! Luster Dragon! Attack the set!"

A grin spread over her face. Perfect! She could use Divine Wrath next turn and have a clear shot. Plain and simple.

"Turn end!"
 
Jack would just sit with Fayth as she began to recover from her ordeal; it still boiled his blood that Mukuro would try to hit someone who couldn't see. All because she had decided not to take his talk anymore, and had managed to beat him. It was beyond cowardly, really; he would go so far as to call it humiliating and pathetic. Even more so because it was a (more physically competent) against who wasn't as such.

Still....At least Mukuro would now be effectively barred from participating in future tournaments. That kind of behavior was unacceptable, and unbecoming of anyone who wished to call themselves Duelists.

Regardless, he would take a moment to answer Fayth's question. She had a valid point...But in all fairness, she had endured a good deal more than him. "To be perfectly honest...I can't speak much for myself. I don't wish to come across as a braggart, but I've been quite fortunate thus far. I know for you, that things must have been very rough. But...I do think us being Signers will always attract some kind of challenge our way. And no matter what, we have to be ready to face it, even if it may seem impossible."

Giving her a small smile, he would then "But...If you, with all of your current 'handicaps', can accomplish a feat like advancing to the Fortune Cup finals, I say you have a good deal to be proud of for yourself." And in a way, she reminded him a lot of Yusei: That fierceness in holding onto her beliefs, the resolve to keep trying to improve himself. Looking back, he'd been handed a number of commodities on a silver platter...But he would resolve to get better too. To always push his limits, and strive for his ultimate self.

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"True...Your dragons have shown you the path to victory more than once. But let us see if they can give one last push forward for you!" Bommer would answer; good, she seemed a very competent opponent. Even if her first move was exactly what he was counting on.

And when her Dragon attacked, she would see his monster be revealed before flying towards her dragon. Its metallic limbs clasping about the beast's torso. "Sphere Bomb's effect! When it's attacked while face-down, it can equip itself to the monster that attacked it! And come your next Standby Phase, it's destroyed and you take damage equal to its attack!"

Rounding the second bend, still holding a lead on her with his powerful engine blaring loudly, he would then declare, "My turn! Draw!" His next turn would be quite simple, similar to the first. He would have an answer to her potentially summoning another creature, in the name of a variant of a common Trap card. "I end my turn!" Bommer declared, keeping a hearty pace surprisingly well for how large his Runner was. And sure enough, when it came to her turn, her dragon blew up, Luster Dragon's 1900 Attack Points being depleted from her life.

"OUCH! IT LOOKS LIKE LING'S DRAGON DIDN'T AGREE WITH ITS NEW ACCESSORY! SO MUCH SO THAT IT PULLED A WICKED WITCH AND VANISHED!" MC announced, keeping the commentary going.
 

"Nah. I actually believe that. Apparently, luck seems to have quite the habit of following you around, regardless of where you are. Granted, I've yet to meet the other you ... but I have a reliable contact who's spoken with the Pendulum Jack quite a few times. It's ... really uncanny how similar you both are."

Instinctively, Fayth's voice had lowered while talking of such a sensitive topic. Unfortunately, it felt like the most natural response to offer Jack, so she'd simply uttered the words without really thinking much of them.

" ... Sorry if that's still kinda weird and all. Habit. I may act like I belong here, but I've never forgotten that's not true."

The faintest of smirks spread over her face as she added, "However, if I had to be residing in another place for a while ... this dimension is steadily getting a lot better than when I first arrived. If push came to shove, I guess I could keep adapting well enough."

It was true, too. As much as she missed Reiji, Masumi, and the others - the Synchro Dimension truly was becoming more and more like a second home. Even with all the flaws that were included in it.

Her face flushed slightly as Jack did something much more significant than simply speak to her. He went so far as to compliment her.

"That um ... that really means a lot. Particularly coming from you ... "

"And the fact we had a hell of a rough start ... "

But ... they'd gotten past that. Hence why her thoughts stayed that way. Regardless, her memory wasn't about to let her forget, hinted by the fact she heard her words echo in her head at all.

As her hand moved up, Fayth could feel that by now, the tears had mostly stopped. There were a few traces of moisture still around. Mainly under the blindfold, though there were a few that had slipped past the cloth also. Which brought a serious thought to Fayth's mind, causing her to latch slightly on her lower lip. After enough courage was mustered, she looked over towards Jack.

"I ... I'm about to ask something that I've never done to anyone. Not even those closest to me. If ... if I took my blindfold off, will you promise not to freak? That ... area doesn't really get to breathe much. Just ... be honest like you were when you heard me out. That's all I'll ask."
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Another set?

Oh well. This just gave her more chances and opportunities to work with. Not to say she was discarding anything Bommer was doing. However, if he stayed on the defensive, Ling could easily make this work.

When her Standby arrived, she pushed down.

"Trap -- huh?"

She frowned, pushing down again.

Why?! Why isn't it working?!

What started as one press atop the button hiding her card turned into multiple, frustrated ones. It wasn't the timing being wrong. That wasn't the issue. An irritated sigh passed her lips as her Luster Dragon got blown up - far more irked at whatever malfunction had just happened more than her opponent.

"Okay, guess not. Since a dragon was destroyed, I'll activate Keeper of the Shrine's effect to special summon it to the field. Furthermore, I'll get Luster Dragon back to my hand, since it' a normal-type Dragon. I then summon Delta Flyer and use it's ability to increase Keeper of the Shrine's level by one! I then tune my level five Keeper with my level three Delta Flyer! Synchro Summon! Red Daemon's Dragon!"

Feeling very satisfied - particularly as the audience popped and cheered in approval - Ling then looked up to Bommer's field.

It wasn't that she didn't expect a trap.

But, much like how Fayth had felt in her own match, giving Bommer too much time wouldn't be wise. So, even if it was against her better judgement ...

"Red Daemon's Dragon, attack!"

"Trap Card, Open! Blazing Mirror Force!"

Well, fuck ...

She'd recalled that card being in his deck. Ling just hoped he wouldn't draw it this soon. A hiss of pain elicited as both of their life would drop from the trap. That was honestly maybe the main saving grace with that damn card - it hurt Bommer also. But goddamn. That was easily one of the worst versions of Mirror Force that existed.

"Well ... turn end for now."

She couldn't help but somewhat bitterly quip that loyalty wasn't the issue with her deck. It was his own using such stealthy traps. Low, some could argue if they really wanted to.

All the same, this duel still wasn't yet over. It definitely wasn't looking good for Ling, no. But she'd come too far to simply give up.
 
"I'm more than sure that if you talked to anyone that wasn't familiar with you like your friends were, they would just think you're a tourist. Many of the people here are actually welcoming of foreigners. So long as they don't come from the Satellite, that is." he muttered that last part; he still hadn't forgotten that Fayth held that little tidbit for herself.

But so far, she seemed to hold no will to divulge that little tidbit. Something he was eternally grateful for; guess he had made an impression after all.

When she then went on to thank him for the compliment, Jack would just reply, "I know I might not seem the type, but I can recognize talent. And you have that in spades, Celeste. Just a shame you've had so few chances to show it here."

And when she then asked him to promise not to freak out when she removed her blindfold, he did raise a brow and noticeably hesitate. Admittedly, he was kind of nervous...But why should he be? IF she was blind, he'd just see the milky-white irises and pupils characteristic of it. "The best I can say is, Fayth...I'll try. Besides, I'm more than certain this wasn't something you asked to have happen to you. If you're worried about me judging you because of it, your fears are misplaced. So, if it needs to breathe, then be my guest." he would then say in response to her, deciding to heed her advice and be honest.

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Bommer had expected her to be frustrated; aside from dedicated backrow removal or releasing it, a monster equipped with Sphere Bomb was essentially a wasted Summon. Evidenced as such when she had clearly attempted to activate a card in response to it; he was honestly expecting something like God's Declaration. But when it didn't happen, he surmised that whatever she had wouldn't work against Sphere Bomb's destruction effect.

He wouldn't chastise her for it, watching as she then used her Shrine Keeper's effect to give her a wall...But when she then when on to Summon Delta Flyer, a Tuner monster, he knew what was coming next. Making him even more thankfully that he had set the card he did.

"AMAZING! JUST LIKE THE KING, RED DAEMON'S DRAGON MAKES AN APPEARANCE! WHAT A SPECTACULAR PLAY!" MC cheered jubilantly. Except Bommer let himself possess a ghost of a satisfied smile when she would then make the obvious choice with it.

"I'm impressed, Ling, truly...But this attack is something I cannot allow! Trap Card, Open! Karma Flame Barrier - Fire Force -! When this card is activated, all your Attack Position monsters are destroyed and we both take damage equal to half the combined Attack Points of them!" And he had to fight for control a little when the fiery wave of destruction washed over him, reducing his life to 6500.

"AND THERE IT GOES! BOMMER CREATES AN UPSET! BUT IT SEEMS LIKE HIS MONSTER POOL IS FAIRLY THIN! CAN HE MANAGE TO SUMMON ANYTHING AGAINST THE DRAGON EMPRESS' ONSLAUGHT!?" MC announced, Bommer just declaring "My turn, draw!" Looking at the card he just drew, his eyes seemed to shine a little; if she wanted to summon so badly, she could go right ahead.

"I'll set another card face-down! Turn end!"

"Man, what's with this guy? At least against Aki, he had three monsters out. Where are those Reactor things he used?" Takeshi asked, Yamichi stating "More than likely he just doesn't have any in hand. A deck like his, he has to play carefully. If Ling could just draw Wingbeat of Giant Dragon, she'd deadlock him."
 

"Actually, with having your ... rank of sorts, I do believe you can recognize talent."

It was almost anything else he'd done thus far that was a bit more difficult to believe. Like when he treated herself and Fuyu for their coffee. Given the initial encounter each of them had, being able to do something so gentleman-like didn't seem doable. At least not to herself, nor her friend. Almost anyone else, maybe.

Even now, just sitting here and conversing was another thing she hadn't expected. Surely, he was supposed to be elsewhere.

Small as this was, it held a certain importance to him simply being able to remain nearby.

Why?

Hell if she knew. All Fayth could comprehend was she truly was glad for his presence.

And even after hearing the go-ahead, poor Fayth found herself now being the hesitant one. Partly because 'I'll try' didn't equal a definite reassurance. The act itself was ... a feat in its own rights. She hadn't said it aloud, though it was probably obvious to Jack. He seemed to have a good head attached tot his shoulders.

The truth was, the only real time she could do this and not feel afraid was when bathing.

But she was always alone, and never had to worry about uneasy comments, stares, or anything.

"Well ... I've met my fair share of people who don't really like things they could deem 'unnatural'. And given how this happened? This easily falls into that exact same category. But ... "

Fayth's eyelids shut behind the cloth. Memories rapidly flooded her mind, the first being when it was forcefully removed in the Facility. It was better this way, wasn't it? To take it off on her own will?

And honestly, there likely would be a time she couldn't rely on hiding her handicap forever. Eventually, she probably would need to get used to not having a safe guard such as a blindfold around, let alone on her.

Her head turned as she managed to reach over and find Jack's closest wrist in range. First thing was first - and the main factor that'd help her decide whether to go through with this or not. It was the same thing she'd done with others; including Yusei, if her memory served her right. When his pulse seemed genuine - albeit a tad quick due to anxiety - Fayth nodded.

Anxiety was fine. Interesting, though; why was he feeling that way? Still, better than if she'd felt any indication which would otherwise imply he had been lying.

"Alright .... "

Steeling herself for what she was sure to be an inevitable reaction, Fayth rose both hands up behind her head, carefully - though slightly shakily - removing the cloth. All the while, she tried to recall - hadn't she warned him about what Sora had done? She almost swore she had.

Ah well. He seemed fine with staying near her. If he wanted to have a different Q&A session with her ... she could do that. Fayth had already had that discussion with Crow and Yusei so ... why not?

As the blindfold fell beside her, she didn't look over. At the same time, she didn't try to close to her eyelids to hide the truth. It'd be up to Jack to confirm for himself that he wouldn't see simply white in place of what should be blue irises. The more brutal truth was ... literally nothing was there. Not even any lingering nerves. As much of a bastard as Sora had been, he had been insanely efficient in his work.
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Still nothing?

Obviously, he wasn't holding back. But Ling couldn't lie - she was a tad disappointed at the lack of summoning from Bommer. Then again ... he was likely in a worse mood regarding that topic.

Taking a slight breath, Ling placed her fingers over the top card.

"DRAW!"

Well ... at least she had another card to help. But she couldn't honestly say she was the most content with her hand. Worse off, she was one dragon short of being able to fuse and create a Five God Dragon. Maybe if she was holding a Dragon's Mirror instead of normal Polymerization, this would be different.

"Time to improvise, I guess," she muttered, nodding again after re-looking over her hand. "I'll set my own card and summon Luster Dragon to the field. Luster Dragon! Direct attack!"

"Trap Card, Open! Fake Explosion!"

That was ... a slightly odd choice. Mainly for one specific reason.

"The damage still goes through!"

Still, it did give him what he needed - one of his monsters to finally arrive on the field. But that was fine. Without fail, she had traps to keep her safe. And Ling would use them. She was so goddamn close. And it wasn't like Bommer had perfect health. She could - and intended - to make a comeback in this duel.

"Turn end!"
 
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