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


Ling blushed furiously, giggling softly at Takeshi's praise.

"No fair trying to use flattery like that. But umm .... I'm not sure if that is why Yamichi actually likes me. Thanks all the same though."

Her legs moved into a defensive stance as Takeshi began his turn, immediately doing far too many summons than Ling would have preferred. In fact, if he'd been keeping track, he would know she almost had five dragons in her grave. What only the Dragon user knew, however, was one of the cards in her hand would allow this duel to turn around in her favor. Dragon's Mirror, which could enable her to thus summon Five-God Dragon.

When her Strong Wind Dragon was destroyed, Ling had to stifle a frustrated sigh from passing her lips. Instead, she declared, "I'll hen activate my Keeper of the Shrine's effect and special summon him in face-up defense mode!"

Oh come the fuck on ....

Normally, she wasn't a sore winner or loser. But now, this really was feeling ridiculously one-sided. And when it got to this sort of degree? Duels were more annoying than fun. Either way, she was not pleased with her Cylinders getting destroyed. Then again, no one would be happy with that.

You at least got a hit off him, I suppose ... she mused. It was the one thought helping her smile remain rather than outright vanish.

"Well, congrats I suppose. I set a monster. Turn end."

So close. So goddamn close to being able to call her Five-God Dragon out. That would bother her for a while. She'd get over it, sure. But right then and there? Ling was silently seething. What about? Even she wasn't sure. Her mind kept switching if it was this duel ending too fast, not enough draws to prevent herself from being eliminated so fast, some combination of all the above and more or .... what.

Likely all of the above, if she had to honestly guess. It sounded right to her.

Fayth was just as nervous. That had been .... what? Five? Six turns? Maybe a few more? Either way, he was all but about to win? Just like that?

If Ling was defeated so fast, what chance am I supposed to have?!

It didn't even feel like one percent. And that applied even if she could use her Sylvan deck. That ... really felt pretty unfair. Being tough was one thing, but this felt much worse than that. His deck was borderline unnatural - not because of the theme, but how perfect it functioned. He obviously hadn't cheated - that problem would have been solved, much like the Mr. E incident. Still, this was not sitting well with Fayth. Not one bit.

Well .... start trying to prepare, I suppose, she internally added, beginning to steel herself for an inevitable beatdown, if not that plus combined defeat.
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Yuna merely smirked.

Hotsuma? I don't think there's really any part of the Satellite that's 'decent'. Alright though. Noted and all, but ... I mean ... I'm pretty confident if we jotted down all of our backgrounds ad stuff, none of us would have an even somewhat happy childhood, let alone adolescence. Even Judai - despite not being from here - hasn't had a perfect life, I doubt.

And then it clicked. Judai had told Eikichi and the others he'd been from a different dimension also. Did ... that mean he knew Fayth? They hadn't really seemed to speak to one another, so ... odd.

Maybe he could at least shine more light on the topic when this tournament was over.

I know it isn't malice. Trust me, I do know that much - and I'm grateful. Hence why I'm bringing this up calmly. Otherwise, I'd be more upset.

Hajime blinked, looking over at Hotsuma incredulously.

Dude, you fucking kidding me? I don't know all of these terms. The more appropriate response is I hardly know any. Hell, I'm as much of a forced Psychic as you two were. But umm ... are you trying to say 'premonitions'? All the visions I had with Yuna while she was being held? Because otherwise? I'm lost on what you're trying to say.

Yuna rose an eyebrow, now looking over at her lieutenant. And since the shared link was still on, he could hear the thoughts, nodding almost immediately.

Oh yeah. I had more than my share of those. It's actually kinda how we realized you weren't voluntarily hiding in the Tops and were .... in an even worse situation. But certain parts got cut out - as if Kiryu heard them and blocked them out. Mainly when you tried to say his name.

Yuna just shook her head.

I shouldn't be surprised anymore. We've seen and had so much crazy shit happen to all of us. But somehow ... that feels more surreal than it should. Well .... I know I already said it, but .... thanks.

Both Yuna and Hajime would cringe as Takeshi retaliated with his own attack - a far stronger one, at that rate.

Fine. I'll admit I'm having an easier time watching his because the VR system is fine. And the lack of malice - all of these things help. Still ... fuck.
 
"It ain't flattery if it's the truth, Ling. I swear, you and Yamichi never know how to take a compliment. You guys are seriously two peas in a pod, you know that?" Takeshi would joke, pulling a card from his Deck to begin his turn. He'd figured Ling didn't like having her backrow disabled, but...If there was one thing that could stop his deck, it was Magic and Trap cards. "I summon another Shiranui Chief Priest and use its effect to Special Summon Shiranui Blessed Sword!" And once more, everyone could see where he was going. But...What would he summon this time?

"I'm tuning Blessed Sword with Blade God! Legendary blade, rise once more and lead your clan to battle and glory! Synchro Summon! War God - Shiranui!" And once the lights faded away, there would stand his second strongest Shiranui Synchro monster. Now if Ling had any other worries, they could very well be amplified a thousand fold now that his monster was out on the field. "War God's effect! I banish Samurai from the Graveyard to raise its ATK, then use Samurai's effect to shuffle Blade God back into my Extra Deck!" Doing so, Ling would see that his War God's ATK rose to a whopping 4800.

"Battle! Ha Death, attack her face-down!" Takeshi would declare, the zombified demon king destroying her card...Only to Keeper be resurrected after her dragon was demolished. "Not quite! Reverse card, open! Shiranui Style - Swallow's Slash! I release Spiritmaster and destroy Keeper along with my face-down! Now, War God! Attack directly! Revenge of the Fallen!" And after his Synchro monster attacked, a loud 'beep' would signify Ling's Life reaching zero.

"AND THERE IT IS FOLKS! WE HAVE OUR FINALISTS! IT'S THE LIGHT BRIGADE VERSUS THE LEGION OF NIGHTMARES!" MC announced, the crowd cheering as Takeshi scratched the back of his head; this kind of attention wasn't something he was used. And...His name being shoved everywhere wasn't exactly sporting, he thought. Wouldn't a simple 'Good duel' just suffice? "Uhm....Ling? Just want to say, that was a hell of a match. I had a lot of fun...And...Yeah." he would say; he wasn't sure how she was feeling right now, so...He was trying to stay relatively neutral as he possibly could.

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"Well shit, don't expect me to know it! I'm not a total dumbass, but vocabulary ain't one of my strong suits. It's why I asked you after all!" Man, where was Yamichi when he needed him? The little egghead would know exactly what term he was talking about.

And even when Hajime did give an answer, Hotsuma felt like it didn't sound quite right...But that was beside the point. He'd seen first hand that Hajime was largely responsible for giving them the motivation to find her before it was too late. "He's right you know; that was the only way I knew about you being over in the Tops at all. Well...That and Yamichi being able to read the marks on our faces." Both of which were true, but it was a combination of the two that let them find Yuna at all.

And thinking back? Yeah...There'd be a problem if he ever saw Kiryu again. He and Yuna might not be on the best terms, but she was still Yomi. And Yomi was his family now; he'd suffered too much loss to even tolerate someone trying to threaten his family.

But when Takeshi would then go on to win the match, Hotsuma just grinned, "Hah, see?! And it wasn't that one-sided either! Ling got a strong hit of her own in! She should be proud to have knocked some Life off one of Satellite's finest!" Probably kind of insulting, but he didn't really care. Takeshi was going to the Finals! Oh, he couldn't wait to see the shock on their faces if their precious golden boy got knocked off his high horse!

Unaware that past events would come to haunt them...In a way no one would have ever suspected.
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Goodwin watched the Duel with vested interest; Takeshi seemed to handle himself quite well against almost everyone he went against. All the more reason for him to join their ranks...Little did he know, however, that another surprise was waiting for him just around the corner.

"Sir! Sir!"

Through the doors burst none other than Yeager, clutching a sheaf of papers stuffed hastily into a manila folder. "Yeager...What is it?" Goodwin asked coldly, the stunted man breathing heavily as he said, "That Takeshi boy...Sir, one of the surviving men that tried to raid Yomi finally came to! He saw Takeshi's face...And identified him as one of Takeda's accomplices!" Goodwin's eyes narrowed, "Are you sure....What exactly is your proof of this?"

At this Yeager would then produce a small portable disk, sliding it into a port of Goodwin's personal computer. "This is body camera footage...In case we needed to identify visually anyone else who might have been with her." And with that the video would begin to play, the first footage that of a small squad of Sector officers in pursuit.

"Freeze!" one of the many officers shouted, another shouting into a radio, "Targets spotted heading west into the Old Industrial Area! I repeat, heading west into the Old Industrial Area!"

They knew exactly where they were going, and once they were sure they had the right area, both made a hard turn right down a narrow alley. Too narrow for the large group to fit through all at once, the officer in charge shouting "Flank around, you idiots! Control, the escaped are now heading south! Still in pursuit!" Some of the officers following the command and going around to the left to head them off.

The scene then cut to two of the officers chasing down where the escaped convicts had been running...Before long the camera focusing on them pounding on metal doors of what appeared to be an old storage facility.

"Hey, let us in! Sector's on our ass!"

"Oh is that right? Well now...What is this, some kind of hideout? Thanks for leading us here, boys!"

"Hey...Wait a sec, I'm reading another mark here...It's Yuna Takeda! Dude, we've found it! This has to be it! Yomi!"

"Huh, well no shit! Taking back the Facility AND finding Yomi in less than a day? Goodwin'll be happy to hear that after Armstrong fucked us! All units, lock on our location! And get the transports ready; we're going to have a big haul for sure!"

However, the joy of their find would be cut short as the doors flew open...

BANG!

"YOU! BACK! BACK! RIGHT FUCKING NOW! YOU TWO! IN! HURRY, HURRY, HURRY!"

"This is Officer Sato! We have an officer down, I repeat, officer down! Shots fired, requesting immediate back-up!"

The feed would then cut, the only thing before then a loud roar as the camera fritzed before dying completely. "I'm afraid that was all we could obtain; the rest of the footage somehow got corrupted beyond repair." But he would then rewind the time, going back to a still....And after magnifying the image, they would all see a very familiar face helping one of the convicts get inside. "And...Here's a still photo of that very same shot, Director."

Goodwin took it, and after looking at it several times, saw that this was undeniable proof. One of Takeda's people was here, disgracing his tournament. No wonder he had going so ferociously after his opponents; the man was a mad dog, like her.

Jack watched also, in complete disbelief; how had he avoided capture? How did Sector not know who this man was? "Director....What should we do?" Akutsu would ask, Rex replying, "He's had his fun....Arrest him, and disqualify him on grounds of being an illegal entrant into the Fortune Cup." He then radioed his officers, "Detain Mr. Yamaguchi. Right now. I'll be right down."

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Takeshi by this point had gone over to give Ling a handshake...Only to hear his name called out. Looking back, the ring was surrounded by about six Sector officers. "Takeshi Yamaguchi...You're going to need to come with us." one of them said, Takeshi replying "But....I still have another match." It was here that Goodwin himself would appear among his officers.

MC's voice then came over, "Uhm...Director, could we get some kind of explanation?" It was here that Goodwin's voice came on through the built-in microphones, "Apologies, Mr. Yamaguchi....But I'm afraid circumstances and information that have come to light have forced me to disqualify you. I render your victory, impressive as it was, null and void. Miss Ling will advance to the Finals in your stead against Miss Belrose. So....Ma'am, feel free to remain on the stage; no need to sit back down unless you would like a short breather."

Yamichi stood up, "Oi...The hell is going on?" Jin even seemed annoyed, "That damn Director...Hey, that kid won fair and square! Ain't nothing he did that was illegal!" Even the crowd seemed to get into a stir, more than a little outraged that he was being taken away without seemingly good reason. At this however, the picture that Yeager had given to Rex was then broadcasted to the screens around the arena. "I'm afraid he did do something...He entered the Tops illegally, and is an accomplice of both Yuna Takeda and the Fiend. That picture there is undeniable proof of your allegiance to her! I'll credit you for your skill in evading detection...But rest assured, your days in this city are over!"

No one spoke...It was deathly silent as the officers would advance on Takehsi's position, Yamichi then shouting, "And so what if he is? He's not hurting anyone!" Goodwin's eyes traveled over to Yamichi, his voice calm as he replied, "Perhaps...But I'll not have their troops within my city. The danger they pose is too great a risk, especially with recent events as they were." The crowd murmured in agreement; and with both Bommer and Mukuro having made a Satelliter's reputation worse - even if the former wasn't explicitly mentioned to be from there - there was nothing he could do.

"Yamichi..." Yusei tried to warn, seeing the piling anger within but the tech wouldn't have it...Evidenced as Jin then stood up and placed a hand on his shoulder. He knew who the two of them were and just wanted to let him not get himself in trouble. "Trust me kid...It's not worth it. You can work on a way to get him out later...But right now, it ain't th best time". And much as Yusei knew how Yamichi must be feeling, Jin was right.

At this Takeshi grimaced, "So...This is the stunt you pull, huh Director? Try to use my past to keep me from a shot at your King? No wonder the Fiend's not afraid of you...No wonder Yuna berates you on a daily basis. You're nothing more than a coward...A bully and a deceiver. You can hide the truth with your pretty little lies...But know this. Nothing stays hidden forever, you damn snake." Goodwin's face contorted into a snarl, but moments later relaxed, "Awful big talk; you might be brave and strong...But you're done. Take him to the holding cells downtown; I'll be by later to have a little chat with him about how he got into the city."

Jack watched also, his face in a heavy scowl; what could he say though? He wasn't responsible, not like with Fayth. He had no leverage, and wrong as it probably was to deny a Duelist a chance to display their strength...If it was true, then punishment was inevitable. All the same...He was actually looking forward to dueling him.

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To say Hotsuma was stunned was an understatement...But one look at his face would tell anyone of the undercurrents of rage. His aura began to spike, his teeth bared as he shouted, "YOU FUCKER! YOU'RE JUST.....NNNNN, DAMN IT ALL!" And without much other warning, he picked up an end table and chucked at the screen. Very much luckily, his hate threw off his aim, the wooden furniture shattering against the wall beside it.

"Unbelievable...How the fuck did Goodwin get that picture?!" Hotsuma bellowed, his body visibly shaking; damn it all to hell, that was why he'd kept both him and Yamichi out of the spotlight. To give them a chance to be normal! And yet...SOMEHOW, the Director got a shot of him with Yuna!
 
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Read marks? What the fuck? Wow. I guess there's a lot of new shit I need to learn about, huh? So what's he going on about, Hajime?

Hmm .... it really is a technical issue. Yamichi would have a much simpler time explaining it. But in layman's terms, your criminal marks can be traced, even shown on monitors.

.... Jesus. That's ridiculous.

But that was nothing compared to what the three soon saw actually happening. Live, at that matter. The image made Yuna's heart sink, a hand quickly covering her mouth.

What in the actual fuck? They didn't have cameras on them ... I .... no.

There was at least one saving grace. Shaken as Yuna was then and there, she wasn't yet into a full-fledged rage or panic attack.

Hotsuma ... stop for a second. Please listen to me. I'm not gonna be dumb and say don't be mad or anything. But just calm down enough to hear me out. Only Takeshi had his identity found out. Yamichi and Judai - they're still safe. Maybe they can beat Rex to the holding cell. I don't need Rose right now to know and understand you wanna go over there yourself. But that'd be an even more foolish idea now that our ... infamy has gone up. Just ... try getting a hold of someone after the tournament ends. But hell, like I said, you may not need to. They'll likely take initiative themselves, but ... just in case.

Her head bowed as the biggest regret taunting her echoed throughout Yuna's mind.

...I knew I should have been more adamant on him following Shivini and the others. He wouldn't be going through his shit otherwise. Fuck ...
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Ling had began to walk away, but stopped as the officers walked over. "Ummm .... yes? This is about ... ??"

And when the explanation arrived, her jaw fell open.

"W-Wait a second! There has to be a --- "

But then the picture arrived. And although it took a few seconds, she did register both Yuna and the Fiend as recognizable names. Their act of overthrowing the Facility had been broadcast almost immediately after the coup was successful. In all honesty, that wasn't what bothered her. She'd heard tons of horror stories about the damn place. It sounded horrible. Even the worst criminals didn't deserve to go to such an inhumane jail.

No. It was the fact Yamichi had hid that sort of information from her.

"Y-Yeah .... I do want a break before moving on. Excuse me .... "

And when she got back near the group, she looked sternly at Yamichi. "I don't care where, but lest you wanna do this talk here and now, let's go privately for five or so minutes. This can't wait. I've already done enough of that. You owe me. Now. So either follow ... or be ready for everything that'll happen in the next few seconds."

Tthe harsh tone from Ling caused Fayth to snap out of her own daze. It was no secret Yuna was anti-Sector. She rather proudly announced that in her mock trial. But the mere thought of her having what sounded like a gang? That was --- wait a minute. Had that been what she meant about keeping names that weren't Signers secret from Kiryu?

Noble, no doubt.

Granted, this didn't make her regret meeting or befriending Yuna. Truthfully, Fayth had no idea how to feel. She was very shoked, having fully expected and prepared to go against Takeshi. And now? She supposed if she was anything, it was a bit nervous. Not because of her opponent, but how this may be perceived by others. She doubted everyone agreed with Goodwin's verdict, after all.

In fact, that was largely why she kept quiet. He had far too much to use against her, also.

Damn that son of a bitch .... she hought, jumping slighly as Ling quickly tossed a new question over.

"Excuse me, Celeste; I almost forgot my manners. Mind if I try to have this talk with Yamichi first?"

"N-No. Of course not. Do what you need to."

"Good. Thank you." Now it was all down to whether Yamichi would get up or not.
 
The crowd was still silent, the occasional murmurs among themselves the only thing that broke the stillness. However, the contestants would both see and hear that very few actually seemed to disagree with the Director's verdict. For whatever reason, almost everyone seemed to support yet another Satellite dreg being taken away from their home. Put into a cage where he belonged, albeit a more humane one. Jails in the Tops were still bad, but not nearly as horrific as the Facility was.

"U-uhm....Right. Folks, we're going to be taking a short intermission. Just a few minutes..." MC would finally announce, his spirit to be cheerful temporarily deflated; in truth, he himself was so upset with the Director. Did it matter that the kid was from the Satellite, or that he ran with a rough crowd? He wasn't showing any maliciousness here! He was just here to duel, to have fun and show off his skill! And he'd shown a same level of caliber as even the King!

Yamichi, however, stopped his shaking to see none other than Ling standing in front of him. Wearing a rather displeased expression...And immediately he assumed the worst as she gave her ultimatum. He maintained eye contact for all of two seconds before he could only look away. Red flushes of shame colored his cheeks; but what could he expect when she pieced together who he was really with? Who'd want him then?

"This won't be long...Excuse me."

Moments later, the two of them would find themselves alone. People were thankfully still mostly glued to their seats, the odd duo ignored by the few people that took the intermission to grab refreshments or use the bathroom. And even now, the little tech couldn't even look at her.

"Ling...Before you say anything, just let me say I was going to tell you. Eventually." he would start off, hands coming together to clutch each other in front of him. "And...I understand if this is it for us. I just want you to know....That before we go our separate ways...I...I"

His speech faltered as his hands unclasped to clench at his sides, teeth grit as tears slowly pricked and streamed from the corners of his eyes. "That I love you, Ling...Like I never loved anyone else!"
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"Infamy...Who gives a FUCK ABOUT INFAMY!? THE HELL DOES THAT MATTER, YOU FUCKING DESERTER!?"

That would be the one thing Hotsuma shouted before he would rip off his sunglasses, letting Yuna see those brillant, blood-red irises that had since transformed from the soft blue she had known him to possess. Whether they'd been like that for a while or just because he was feeling particularly pissed off was a matter of debate; but from how he was practically shaking, he was more than eager to bloody a few skulls. "You're one to lecture me....You shot a Sector chief right between the eyes. You stabbed me right through the chest and co-opted a raid on Tops turf! Then ran off with your tail between your legs!" he would shout, pointing a finger right at her.

"My guy is about to rot in a cell just because some asshole decided he didn't have the right to advance! Well fuck that...I'm gonna raze that jail, then burn down their stadium with everyone in it as a show of force! No one fucks with my people and gets away with it! Not anymore!"

However....Two people that seemed unlikely to intervene then stepped in: Two Demon Soldiers grabbed him. "The fuck, let go of me!" Hotsuma shouted, struggling against their strength, And then the Emperor of all things spoke to him. And unlike most of their previous talks, she would be able to hear this one.

"Whelp...Much as I would normally love to see you destroy what that false king holds dear, I'm afraid that this is one time where she and I must agree on something. To act rashly right now would be imprudent at best, and deathly idiotic at worst."
​
If there was one thing that would make Hotsuma stop, it was hearing that...From a demon who prided itself on showing no fear. "You gotta be fucking kidding me, you too?! If you're worried about me getting hurt or some stupid shit like that, don't! You know very well what I can do, especially with what we accomplished last night!" "Feh...I know you're physically capable, worm. But if you're looking to make Goodwin suffer for his crimes, then doing so now would be the worst way of going about it. Besides...Those peons that adore him as their protector aren't worth the effort. They're but sheep following a shepherd."

When Yuna would then mention someone following Shivini and the others, that too would break Hotsuma from his temporary state of extreme aggression. "Eh? Who should have followed Shivini and the others?"
 

As the two arrived behind one of the nearest sets of bleachers, Ling would remain standing in front of Yamichi, arms remaining over her chest. She was ready to pry ... but apparently, it wasn't needed. Well .... that was an easy way to get her question answered. In fact, if Ling didn't know better, she'd swear Yamichi had read her mind.

"When were you going to tell me then? Was it ever going to be before it was too late? Tell me something about ... this Fiend. Is he that much of one? Is he so bad that I would have needed to worry about my safety? Would he have killed me on sight because I'm just some 'Tops bitch' in his eyes? Because if any of these answers are yes .... well .... then that's all more the reason to tell me! Not keep that sorta information hidden!"

Finally, she uncrossed her arms, raising them and rubbing a her eyes, where Ling felt herself not too far away from crying. And she probably would have - if she didn't have a match. Even if it's one some could try to accuse her of not deserving.

"Yamichi ... if I gave even half a shit about who you were associated with, I would have dumped you the moment I learned you were from the Satellite. Do you really think I'm that shallow-minded or something?"

Now her voice had softened, losing some of its harsher edges. The thought of her rhetorical question easily revealed she was upset at thinking the answer may actually be a 'yes'. A trembling hand rose .... and rather than going with her initial instincts of slapping the tech, she wrapped both arms around Yamichi's neck.

"You idiot! Even now I don't wanna break up with you. If he really is that cruel of a man, so be it. But you're not The Fiend, and that is what I care about. Just please .... no more secrets. Please, Yamichi."
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Fuck off!

Although the words easily could have - and normally would - been uttered by Yuna, the normally calm Hajime actually spoke up first. Even placed himself in front of Yuna, arms crossed over his chest as he stared angrily at Hotsuma.

You're seriously still on about that shit? She's trying to make up for that error, okay? Back way the fuck off and drop the matter. It was deemed - even if not out loud - a forgivable enough act the moment you accompanied me, Takeshi, and Yamichi to find her. So don't even start with your hypocrisy crap. Besides, you're no saint yourself --

Oi, oi! Hajime! That's more than enough! Holy shit, it's okay!

By now, Yuna had gotten up to her feet, placing her hands firmly but gently atop Hajime's shoulders in an effort to calm him down.

No it's not. I don't care if he's co-leader. He doesn't get the right to pass judgement on you. Yes, you made one error. A huge one, no doubt. Disregarding that? You've done too fucking much good for all of us! Far more than he can try to chastise you for!

Yuna bit on her lower lip. There it was again. That annoying 'c' word - 'co-leader'. No he fucking wasn't!

And as easy as it would have been for Yuna to point that out .... no. If only because there as a much more dire matter at hand.

Hotsuma, seriously! Shut the fuck up! Did you hear anything I said about working on getting him out?! Hell, I'll go and help the others if needed! But chill a bit, okay? I have no intentions on letting our comrade spend too much time in a goddamn cell.

So maybe Yuna wouldn't outright reveal Hotsuma had given his position up - but she certainly had no qualms dropping hints about it. Her eyes rolled as she quickly added the response to his last inquiry. Duh, Takeshi should have. Who the fuck do you think I meant?! Like I said - something you'd pick up on if you calmed down long enough to comprehend any of this - I tried to tell him to let me handle the gun fight on my own. For this exact reason - to keep his identity and everything safe! And that's exactly why I'd be fine risking sneaking into the Tops again, to prove I can and will make up for it.

Yuna then gestured to the demons keeping him held.

You know me and Emperor don't often see eye-to-eye, so take the fact we're both on the same page as a bright, flashing neon sign. One practically screaming to get a hold of yourself and ... if not trust me, at least have enough faith I will ensure Takeshi gets helped.
 
What could Yamichi say? What possible rationale could he provide to counter every point she was making?

Nothing that he could think wouldn't make the situation worse, because she was right on every point. He should have at least told her about him, even if he didn't say he was directly associated with him. But...He also didn't want to lose her because of who he was with. Of who he worked for.

"Ling...I...."

He started to say, thinking very much that above all she was going to just up and leave...But his eyes opened as he felt her press against him, arms about his neck in a tender hug. His eyes opened as she held him close, telling him the exact opposite of what he was expecting to hear.

"Ling..."

That was all he said before his own arms rose and embraced her in kind, tears still streaming down his face. "Ling...That was the only one...I swear. And...And..." His grip tightened on her, not painfully but more to make sure she was actually here. Actually saying she wouldn't leave him because of that. "You have...no idea...*hrf*....how much that means..." His voice faltered as he tried to stop himself from crying, a muted whimper leaving him as he held her.

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"You bet your ass I'm still on about that shit! She left this place without a leader...She abandoned her friends. Abandoned the people she swore to protect, all because she got caught up in nearly killing me! I'll tell you right now, if it were me I'd have come right back here! Even if it meant signing my own death warrant! They would at least have deserved to know what happened! Not weeks after the fact!" Hotsuma shouted right back; very clearly he was in a combative mood. No doubt that Takeshi being arrested had done nothing to help, even now this was....Different.

The bluenette had some balls, standing right between him and Yuna like that, Hotsuma could say that much...And by the second, he was getting more and more of a desire to crack him across the jaw.

"And for the record...I didn't come with solely as an act of kindness." Hotsuma would then add, shaking himself free of the demons holding him and turning to face the two of them. "I did it because I'm not planning on being a head honcho of this organization for much longer. With everything that's happened, it's become more than abundantly clear that I can't keep doing this. Maybe I never could and was just deluding myself, who knows. I'm a walking disaster zone...Every one I care about getting swallowed up in the gales around me and ripped to shreds. Well...There's only one way to remedy that."

Hotsuma then grinned a little sadistically, "In fact...What did you call me? A co-leader? Yeah, haven't been that for a while now. And in case you don't believe me, ask your beloved Yuna. She knows all about what I'm talking about."

He then held up a finger to Hajime and said, "And before you say a damn word, fuckboy...I ain't running away, so anything you might say about hypocrisy you can just shove back down your throat. I'm just not going to be a leader any more...Nope. Just a standard, disposable soldier."
 


It's been several weeks since then. Close to a goddamn month. Back the fuck off already. We get enough hate just for residing in the Satellite. She doesn't need your shit all because you can't forget about one of the most physically painful days of your life.

When Hotsuma went on to say he didn't come to help rescue Yuna out of kindness, Hajime chuckled, shaking his head.

Well, yeah. No shit, Sherlock. Even Takeshi picked up on that. Remember? It's why he helped me guard Yuna from you at first. The moment we realized you were still sore about what she did. Jesus. You think we're stupid, don't you? Hate to break it to you, but that's the last thing any of us are. Your malice was practically coating you that goddamn night. And everyone realized it.

As Yuna began to step forward, Hajime stretched his arm out. A weak smirk crossed Yuna's lips as she shook her head.

It's fine. At this rate, him actually doing anything wouldn't lead to jack shit. And he knows that much.

Moving his arm gently aside, Yuna would stand barely a full pace ahead of Hajime, meeting Hotsuma's eyes instead of her lieutenant doing so.

Shut up with the 'woe is me' crap. Hotsuma, we all have suffered somehow. It ain't just you.

Well ... that was one way to finally get the secret unveiled. Yuna let out a low 'Hmph', nodding in approval.

About damn time. Seriously, hiding that sorta verdict was pointless. Was that really so hard to say? That being said .... since you've made it official by revealing your new status, finally, you'll listen to this, if nothing else. You can leave, if you want, and try to get Takeshi out now. But the moment you step foot out of those doors .... don't bother returning.

Her head turned as she sighed.

I know that was originally part of the deal; for you to stay - even if only for Yamichi and Takeshi's sakes. But honestly? This attitude, this mindset that no doubt the Emperor has helped build over the months? It's going to help us lose everything we've worked so hard to gain. And I'm not going to take that chance. I really do hate Divine for that, by the way. Making our cards fucking answer to us like that. And I lament that it had to be him who fucking heeded you. Any other card would have been much more tolerable. But no. Had to be the most corrupt, power hungry fucker in your deck.

An irritated scoff echoed in Hotsuma's head as Yuna sat back down.

So ... do whatever. Leave without a word if that makes you happy. Just remember what I said. Otherwise, go to your room, go watch somewhere else, do anything but be a whiny little bitch. I care not what you select. Just make your choice - and do so very, very wisely. I'm still not happy with your late night brawl, something Emperor hinted earlier. I didn't have to tell you I was gonna go warn Fayth about Kiryu. But I did because I thought we at least had enough trust between us to do basic gestures like that. If that's fully gone? Well .... then I guess there isn't much more to say, is there?

Hajime didn't react. Almost as if the news on Hotsuma relinquishing his title as the leader didn't surprise him too much. And in a way? It didn't. He seemed to have his own agenda nowadays. And though they had never taunted him for a while, those odd visions he got when allowing Hotsuma to see the dreams including Yuna while she was tortured ... those were feeling as if they were their own realities. Or at least something Hotsuma wished to make come to life.

Even though Hajime didn't owe anyone or anything in the Tops a positive reaction ... he also didn't hold malice. Not for all of the Tops, at least.

Maybe just Arcadia and Divine. But a small section wasn't enough to warrant such mass destruction.

He'd bring it up to Yuna. Later though ... for very obvious reasons. For the time being, he sat beside Yuna, resuming watching the Fortune Cup. The argument seemed to end at the almost perfect time, as Ling and Fayth were now walking out, heading to the stadium.
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"I'm holding you to that promise," Ling softly replied. Her head rested atop Yamichi's nearest shoulder as she sighed softly, her eyes lightly closing. For a brief but relaxing eternity, she lightly swayed with Yamichi, hoping to help calm him down, even if only a bit.

She very, very reluctantly pulled away, looking back down into her lover's eyes.

"Much as I'd love to remain here, I need to go and do a match, okay? Not gonna lie, I don't feel good about it .... especially knowing Takeshi should be doing this, not me. But .... I'll help you get him out when this ends. I promise. My dad is a lawyer, actually, so I know his company and co-workers pretty well. Even with his .... origins and what Goodwin revealed, I'm sure some sorta loophole could be found, okay? Just take some time to get a hold of yourself and know when this is over, we'll fix this. One way or another."

Ling took a slight breath before finally walking out and briefly moving toward the group.

But only long enough to gently take a hold of Fayth's arm and lead her out to the fighting stadium. "It's me," she'd reassure, having felt Fayth tense up slightly.

"O-Oh. Okay. Sorry, just ... warn me next time, please?"

"Sure. I just ... ugh. I'm having a lot of mixed feelings, both from the talk and even omitting that. I don't really like feeling as if I cheated my way to go against you but ... here we are, I suppose."

When the coin toss arrived, Fayth called out "Tails!" .... and was astounded she got it right.

"I'll go first. Draw! "

Thank god. Finally a decent starting hand. She had been worried with how the past duels had gone her deck was losing steam, per se. "I discard Hecatrice to get - and then activate - Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen! I use it to special summon Dark Lord Edeh Arae! I'll then normal summon Dunames Dark Witch! I then set a card and end my turn!"
 
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As Ling would come out, Shimoda would ask, "Bro...Everything cool?" Yamichi wiped his eyes, "Yeah...Much better actually. Just something she and I had to clear up was all." And in truth, he was feeling a lot more relieved. The worst secret he had to keep within, and he managed to confide it in the woman who would stay with him regardless. He still remembered about asking if she could join his group.

Yeah...Wasn't likely to happen now. But so long as he could keep seeing her, that was all that mattered. A thought that made him grin happily.

"Must have been something huge, kid; shouldering a burden like that ain't healthy. Take it from an expert." Jin would say, Yamichi nodding "Yeah...Well, thankfully I don't need to anymore. I feel like I can take on the world now." At this he would cup his hands around his mouth and shout, "GO LING! SHOW YOU WHY YOU'RE QUEEN OF THE DRAGONS!"

Ling flushed as she heard her lover's declaration, giving Yamichi a tiny wave. She might not have liked how she got here...But until such time that would be corrected, all she could do was duel to her best ability.

And when Fayth would take her turn, Ling nodded, "Here I come, Celeste! I draw!"

Well....This was not a hand worth invest confidence in. This would be a longer Duel if she kept getting cards like that. "I'll set four cards face-down! Turn end!"

Lua just stood up and question, "Eh? Four face-downs?! Celeste wouldn't attack like that, would she?" Yamichi shrugged, "Don't know really....What do you think Yusei?" The male just said, "Not sure either; I'm not familiar enough with either of their decks to make an assumption. I would think one at the most is specifically for defense, the others might be setups for combos further on in the Duel. One thing I can say is that neither of them are going down easily."

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Hotsuma's brow twitched, clearly getting more and more enraged; so, they were already brushing him off? Supposed he shouldn't be surprised...But in a way, it kind of stung they were all too ready to discard him.

"Feh...Just like you, to blame it all on something else. Well let me tell you something. That malice you noticed? That's always been a part of me...Ain't nothing new about that. The Emperor's presence only helped me realize this is who I am. This is what I am."

Taking a moment to still his quaking form, he then added "And since we're deciding to be so open, know that I fully intend to bring Goodwin's little utopia crashing down around his head before I tear him limb from limb! How many lives have those fucking sheep allowed their precious Director to ruin, just so they can sleep so comfortably in their ivory towers? While WE SCROUNGE AND SCAVENGE FOR THE TINIEST MORSELS?! You're going to sit there and tell me there's a problem with getting payback!? When YOU tried to kill Aki after she helped get Hajime home?! After she did what you wanted and turned against Divine?! And you talk to me like I'M A HYPOCRITE?!"

And when she would dismiss him with 'There's nothing much more to say' in that oh-so-smug tone of hers, that seemed to be the last straw; his aura flared, a dark fog enveloping him and causing the screen to crackle and start to fritz. "Maybe not...But I'm not going to let an uppity bitch like you just brush me off! I'll not be cast aside by the likes of you!" And with that, he would rush her, a fist held high before he would swing it down.

*CRACK*

However...The intended recipient would still be left in her seat, the bluenette on the ground. "You say we've all suffered...But I get the feeling you didn't witness your parents being murdered. You didn't feel your sibling die and grow cold in your arms...You didn't have to dig a grave and bury him in this hellhole..."

At this, tears surged forth, his jaw clenched as the painful memory washed over him; his heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vise. His hand coming to touch where his brother's pendant once dangled...Memory flashing back to when he left it with Miyamoto. Breathing became harder and harder as he looked at Hajime, "And you have someone...Who would fight for you, even if the odds were stacked so hard against them....And I have no one...Not anymore."

Standing up, he felt his momentary bloodlust wane; this wasn't worth it. "Fuck this....I can take a hint when I'm not needed, nor wanted. The only good duelist left got disqualified because of bullshit anyway." And without another word, Hotsuma would turn to leave the room....And Yuna to tend to her fallen right-hand man.
 


There is when you let it go as far as mass murders, yes. If you want revenge, just stick with the main source. So, in this case, Goodwin. So you hate the Tops that bad indeed, huh? Like how you showed me?

Hajime crossed his arms over his chest, nodding owards the screen.

Then would you even kill her? he asked, looking right at Ling. Is she just another lousy citizen from the Tops who's gonna get what she deserves or some shit? Even though she's dating your own second-in-command?! She's making him happy. But you ... you would really go that far to perform not even just mass murder. It'd be a genocide, or really fucking close to it. That's not what Yomi nor Disciples was founded for; to commit such crimes.

Yuna sighed, flashing Hajime an irked glare before looking regrettably up to Hotsuma.

He is right about that much. We didn't find Yomi or the Disciples to wipe out the existence of everyone in the Tops. And in fact ... if you're going to walk down the same path Kiryu tried to ... all more the reason to leave. I'm definitely not letting that sorta history repeat. Fuck and no. We're better than Kiryu. I think - hope - you can agree with that much.

Yuna couldn't help but chuckle at the 'uppity bitch' portion.

That ain't new, either. You knew I was always one, even as Yukio. Baka.

She wouldn't agree nor be happy with the hit. But she was fully prepared to accept it.

Except .... it didn't find her.

FUCK YOU! NU-UH!

And even at the expense of landing on his ass, Hajme stood up, once again blocking Yuna and taking the punch for her. He glared furiously up at Hotsuma. He hadn't forgotten he could become a literal fiend. It was more like, right then and there, he didn't care.

Uppity bitch or not, she's still our boss. You're not fucking doing that shit. Not to her. Not to Shivini, Ling, Fayth, or any other woman aligned with us, directly or otherwise. So if you need to get that out of your system, fine. But you're not doing it on Yuna. Fuck and no.

Disrespectful as the hit to Hajime had been, that wasn't what made Yuna get up to her feet.

THIS ISN'T ALL ABOUT YOU AND YOUR GODDAMN WOES!

Staring angrily into his now red eyes, Yuna pulled her hand back, landing it hard against Hotsuma's face.

NO, I HAVEN'T HAD TO BURY MY FAMILY! BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?! THEY MAY AS WELL BE DEAD! AT LEAST YOU HAD A FAMILY THAT LOVED YOU! DO YOU KNOW WHAT I'D GIVE TO HAVE HAD EVEN A FEW SECONDS OF THAT SORT OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE?!

Yuna would be mirroring Hotsuma, her own tears having formed and fallen down her face.

This, she said, gesturing to the interior of the Facility, And everyone here is all I have. You think I'm about that? Not overly, no! I don't want to force everyone to be soldiers, least of all for someone like me. But you are right - we're cursed with struggling to live. To survive. And for things like that ... yes. We can - and will - act. But to openly declare war on all of the Tops?! Fuck no. I forbid it. Christ Hotsuma ... you're probably one of the few people between all of us who even had a loving family. YOU'RE LUCKIER THAN MOST OF US, YOU SELFISH -- !!

But if only to keep it from getting more heated than it was, Yuna stopped, leaving the unfinished insult up to Hotsuma's imagination.

Just stop. I get it, okay? I fucked up. I don't know what you want me to do, but I ain't doing seppuku or some shit like that. Hajime was right - I am trying to make up. SO JUST SHUT UP! I REALLY DON'T NEED YOUR REMINDERS I ROYALLY SCREWED UP, OKAY?!

And while it wasn't succeeding, both guys could feel her aura trying to flare up. Trying to break whatever curse Kiryu had put on her.

Finally - thankfully, too - Hotsuma left. Yuna shakily turned around, offering a hand to Hajime and pulling him up to his feet.

Fucking idiot. I do know what loss feels like. Maybe not in the exact same way, but ---

Hajime shook his head quickly. Should the message not be obvious, he even placed a finger lightly against her lips.

You don't need to prove your arguments, least of all to me. I .... well, I don't know what exactly you mean nor how you feel. But I can understand well enough.

Y-Your lip. Let me ...

Hajime smirked, moving his head from side to side.

That can wait. It doesn't even sting nearly as bad as I expected. Here ....

Without uttering anymore words, Hajime helped Yuna sit back down, guiding her head against his chest. The screen may have been cracked, but it wasn't past the point of being useless. So for now, the two would stay here and keep watching the match in the makeshift living room.
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Hmm .... all sets.

Well, damn.

Even as Fayth drew, she had an idea on what at least two of them might be. Unfortunately ... not acting would only make it worse. Besides, if one of hose sets was what she was thinkig ... then wouldn't it be better to make Ling use that now?

Yes. Especially since she had her own back-up plan. In the form of her own set.

"I'll activate Solidarity. Dunames! Fly forth! Direct attack!"

Annnnd there it was.

"Trap Card, Open! Holy Barrier - Mirror Force!"

"Hehe. Well, hell. I should have listened more to my gut instincts. Okay then. Since that was a thing, your turn, Ling."
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Misty, meanwhile, had finally made her move. She needed to make damn sure of a few things. First and foremost, that Takeshi arrived in the holding cell before she reached the destination. Two - and just as importantly - no one suspected her of following the arrested young man. She had to make her appearance look professional, yet casual. It was one of the few reasons she bothered to get dolled up, let alone take the time to get help in creating a fake ID and everything.

It would literally be one of the few ways her plan could truly work.

Upon walking inside, she was subjected to something she expected; a search. They would find in the suitcase she'd brought legal papers - a lot of them - to help with her being a guise as a lawyer ... or at least someone who was supposed to work in a law office. Ten minutes and a quick sign-in later, she was escorted to Takeshi's cell.

"Takeshi Yamaguchi?" she greeted after the guards walked away. "I saw the .... incident from my work. And I must say that despite living here, I'm one of the people who still objects to Goodwin's verdict. I can - and, if you'll let me - will help you out of here. But before any of that moves forward, I need to know if you'll accept my aid or not. Let's start extending the olive branch with an easy step, shall we? My name is Maiyume Akiyama. You may have already guessed, but I work in one of the law firms around here."
 

Ling just watched as Fayth would try to power up her monsters with Solidarity, Hecatrice helping Edeh Arae and Dunames grow even stronger. Much as it sucked to have to use this so soon, the fact was Ling wasn't playing around by having two monsters near 3000 Attack Points.

"Not this time! Trap Card, open! Holy Barrier - Mirror Force!"

A slight grin crossed her face as her monsters vanished...But in truth she was shaking a little. That was way too close, she thought; had she not had that card already set, her monsters would have brought her down to nearly 2000 Life in one turn. "Fayth...However this turns out, just know that no one will ever look down on you."

Taking a steadying breath, she declared, "I draw!"

And when she saw her next card, she smiled brightly. "Alright! I activate the Magic Card, Fusion!" And right above her, the holograms would show her monsters disappearing into that swirling vortex. "I fuse the Level 8 Rabidragon and the Level 4 Luster Dragon in my hand! From the forge of creation, spread your wings and take flight! Brilliant forefather of the skies, roar! Fusion Summon! Wyarm, the Progenitor Dragon!"


With that done, Fayth would now be looking at a 2700 ATK monster with more than its own fair set of protections. "Battle! Wyarm attacks you directly!"

"Trap Card, open! Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!"

Ling just smiled as the tiny statuette bounced her dragon off its front, the card resetting itself. "Hmmm...That's a trap Yamichi's deck uses...And Yusei's too, if I recall. I might have to see about acquiring one of those. In any event, I end my turn."
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Takeshi sat in his cell, alone; thanks to the fact that crime was low in the Tops, these stations rarely went used. And even if they did, it was mostly for relatively minor crimes like public intoxication and disorderly conduct. Overnight stays at most, really; though Takeshi knew all too well that the big cheese himself was likely going to have a word with him.

Well...If he expected Takeshi to just up and spill the beans on how he got over, where his friends were or how to get to them? That would be a major letdown and waste of time, wouldn't it? He could provide that in spades.

"Yamaguchi, right?"

Takeshi looked up to see none other than Mukuro Enjo sitting one cell down. His glasses still on but it was clear the man was looking right at him. "Kinda bullshit, right? Just because we're from the Satellite, we're suddenly second-class citizens. Disqualified for knowing a crime boss? Bullshit, really. Still gotta hand it you; if you're really one of the Fiend's guys, no wonder you bulldozed everyone you faced." Takeshi let out a 'Tch' and looked away from the guy, "You kidding me? You deserved to get locked up, especially after what you tried to do to Celeste; were I in Atlas' shoes, you'd be eating asphalt. Besides, I don't need sympathy or compliments from a lowlife who would strike a woman...And a blind one at that."

Mukuro stood up and gripped the bars of cell door, shouting "Eh?! You getting mouthy with me, little bitch?" A third voice then spoke up, "He's asking you to be silent. Something I would appreciate as well, if it's not too much trouble." Both men knew it was Bommer, even with the walls blocking them from view.

However...All conversation stopped as soon as the lawyer walked in. Bommer said nothing...But he did get a suspicious feeling about the woman, even more so when she stopped in front of Takeshi's cell.

Takeshi looked up as the woman started talking, his eyes roaming over her...But unlike her accomplice, she would find no lewd connotation in his gaze. An appreciation of her beauty, sure...But otherwise she would find herself with a rather disinterested prospective 'client'. "Uh-huh...Right. A Tops lawyer is going to represent me...You realize most of us live in grinding poverty right? I might not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I'm not an idiot either. You know damn well I could never afford you, not even in my wildest dreams...So while I appreciate the gesture, just go. You've got other richer people to have throw money at you, I'm sure."

At this Mukuro stood up even straighter, running a hand over his head to smooth out his wild hair (or try to, at least), "Hey babe....If you're looking for one of the subjugated underdogs to represent, then I'm your man."
 
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Any of Fayth's other traps - her own Mirror Force or Magic Cylinders, for example - would easily have been a bit more preferred. Ah well. This would work just as well. A permanent version of Negate Attack was always nice to own.

"My turn to deny you, now. Trap Card, Open! Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!"

Fayth nodded, smiling softly.

"Mhm. It's one of the best non-staple traps." Her head lightly tilted as she pondered over her words before adding, "Well ... if it is a staple, then maybe it is for certain decks, such as Yamichi's. All in all though? Not one I've heard of. At any rate .... draw!"

Her own soft breath passed her lips. Good. She drew something to make up for temporarily having an empty field. Now, she could protect herself better.

"I activate Valhalla once more to special summon Splendid Venus!"

Now an eyebrow rose. She didn't hear the tell-tale beep indicating the attack points to the opposing dragon had dropped. "I'm going to assume my disk is working and your dragon has some sort of protection I'm not immediately remembering?"

As the explanation was given, Fayth cringed.

"Damn. That's .... annoying. Heh. What a challenge ahead of me. Even still, Venus is stronger, thanks to Solidarity! It may not be able to die, but with this, I'll draw first blood! Splendid Venus! Attack Wyarm!"

The very noise she'd been hoping to hear at first echoed in her ears, causing Fayth to smile. Good. Then the other sets Ling still had were likely for the dragons more than something else similar to Mirror Force or Cylinders. And even though it didn't die, at least her life points were safe - a blessing in its own rights.

"For now, that's all I've got. Your turn!"
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Luckily, Misty had planned for such a pessimistic reaction. She covered her mouth, sifling a set of chuckles, before clearing her throat.

"Sorry, sorry. It's nott you I'm laughing at. Just your choice of words. Sweetie .... I understand your hesitation. Truly, I do. But come now. Didn't the reaction from the audience hit to you that not everyone is fine with Goodwin and his traditions? That being said, not all lawyers are out for money." Her face became more serious - yet still held the same, gentle smile on her face. "Some of us, like whom I work for, truly do want justice. And while, admittedly, we do have a charge and some fees, it isn't nearly as large as other companies. Our real payment is ensuring any client we help gets what they truly deserve. I'm no idiot either, Takeshi-kun."

Oh god. Ewwww. She actually got spoken to by Mukuro. And he wasn't much better than Kiryu.

Her eyes rolled as she turned and looked at him in annoyance, quickly shaking her head.

"I've been watching the whole tournament. You definitely deserve to be here. I refuse to represent someone who tried to assault an innocent person, blind or not. And worse off? You included threats of rape. Any chance you may have had is far, far gone. Definitely not helping you. Sorry, yet not sorry."

Misty turned her head back around as she gave Takeshi her attention once more.

"So, how about it? I have all the papers and credentials with me should you wanna look at them. But I think we can both agree on one thing - you don't wanna be stuck here. Alternatively, maybe you have someone in the legal field. Fair enough. But if you don't .... I can guarantee you few other people, if anyone, are gonna stop by, let alone for good intentions. I've lived in the Tops my whole life. You're right to worry about corruption. I solemnly swear though - I'm not one of those sources."
 

Ling had a good idea that Fayth had something else set up; else she would have triggered something to prevent her monsters from being destroyed this early on. And she was equally thankful that she had gotten rid of her Dunames...One of the few types of monsters that could combat Wyarm on a level playing field.

Something that Fayth herself would find out when she tried to summon Splendid Venus and use its effect to weaken Wyarm.

"Sorry, Celeste...But the only monsters that can deal with Wyarm are Normal monsters; this dragon can't be destroyed by Effect monsters and is also unaffected by any effect they might possess." Ling would say, even as her Magic card boosted Venus' ATK to almost 4000.

All the same, it didn't prevent battle damage from Effect monsters, the Chinese duelist grimacing as Wyarm howled in agony, her Life dropping to 7100. She would need to switch it to Defense before she ended her turn.

She did have a plan for dealing with Venus though, and with the card she had in her hand she would put it to use. "Draw! I then activate a face-down Magic card! Gospel of Revival! I Special Summon Rabidragon from my Graveyard!" Upon resolution, two dragons would be on Ling's field. "I then release Rabidragon to Advance Summon Strong Wind Dragon!" As her fluffball dragon shattered, it was then replaced by a gale-force wind that would precede the arrival of the massive draconid. "Strong Wind's effect! When I use a Dragon-type to Advance Summon it, this monster gains half the original Attack Points of the monster used!"

The meter would then show its ATK rise to 3875....But then it would drop to 3375, making Ling momentarily confused. Until she remembered Venus' effect, making her slap her forehead. That was right; Wyarm was only not affected because monster effects couldn't touch it. Strong Wind didn't have that same fortune, and thus she would leave herself open again.

"Well...Guess that's my boneheaded move for this match, eh-he." Ling smiled weakly, cheeks flushing at such an obvious oversight. "Turn end!" Ling then said...But then realized she forgot to do the most obvious thing and switch Wyarm to defense. "Crap....Well, at least I'll still have Wyram...Unless my luck gets worse and she happens to draw Raigeki or something" Ling thought to herself.
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Takeshi just raised a brow as she gave her explanation; none of this was making sense....At all. As such, Misty would see he was quite on guard now...Even if her charisma and charm would normally disable other men.

"If you mean by not everyone, you mean the less than dozen or so people among the thousands in attendance that actually voiced their displeasure? Yeah...Such an overwhelming show of support. You don't need to butter me up with lies...I know the reality of the discrimination against Commoners better than you. Sorry." Takeshi would say, his gaze hardening as she then promised that their payment was about giving people what they deserved.

"Tch...I thought grinding poverty would be pretty damn clear." Takeshi then said, standing up and turning out the insides of his pockets to see that he had nothing. Not even a fluff of pocket lint to call his own. "So unless you're willing to do this case pro bono or whatever they call it, even your discount prices are too much for me."

Mukuro seemed quite put-off, and not just with her words thrown back at him...But her demeanor. She was just like that bitch Akiza...Cold, despite the smile. "Tch, yeah, yeah whatever...Boy scout there reminded me of just that. Bunch of Tops pricks...." Mukuro muttered, going to lay down on the hard slab that was his bed.

Giving her a weak smile back, he would then say, "I do appreciate the effort...But Ithink you're just going to be wasting your firm's time and resources on a case it has no hope of winning." All the same, he wasn't telling her to get lost. And in a way, he was actually kind of praying she was legit about this...Would be a nice way to get back at Goodwin. Have him legally sprung by a firm that gave a crap? Yeah, that'd be some seriously sweet payback.
 

Fayth giggled, even flashing Ling a knowing grin. One confirmed by her smacking her forehead that, yep, she had indeed messed up. "This stage is really intimidating, huh? I think that's one reason I've made certain mistakes I never would have otherwise. Nice try, but .... heh. Yeah, he's not immune to Venus, I'm afraid. So ... draw!"

Fayth also briefly wondered about her comrade forgetting to turn Wyarm to defense.

Poor girl. She's as nervous as I am ....

Though, who wouldn't be? This was the fight to determine who would face Jack. Did Ling even expect to become one of the two? Granted, Fayth hadn't either. But now that she was here and so close, she wanted to win. Even if she probably could have that sort of chance back at the mansion, that was .... different. This would be in he public, and an earned privilege.

And so far? Her hand was ... mediocre at best. Definitely not nearly as stressful as the past few duels, butt nothing overly amazing, monster wise. There was, however, something else that could greatly help her out now.

"I activate Sanctuary in the Sky! Venus will proceed to attack Strong Wind Dragon!"

While Ling would have lost more life with Wyarm, there was a loophole Fayth didn't want to test out. If she could tribute that same Strong Wind Dragon for another, and the current attack would have been used. Confident as she was the answer would be no, it would be too risky of a chance to take.

Thankfully, it wouldn't be needed, as the dragon was successfully slain. "Turn end!"
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.... Ugh. At this rate, she was going to have to skip the trust patt and just take him. Time was running short - even for Misty. This place knew she was here - even if under a guise. Every second she spent in this area put her more and more at risk.

Maybe we should have had Demack agree to cut the lights after I got inside, she pondered, smiling as Takeshi's voice got calm enough to become more friendly again. There. It wasn't perfect, but it was close enough. The sooner she could act, the better for herself and the other Dark Signers.

"Well .... that's what the old saying's for, you know? Never know until you try."

She would give the most subtle of signals; a nod, knowing she could be seen and sensed by the others. Seconds after she placed her hands on the briefcase, the lights would be out. All Misty needed to do from that point on was open the case enough for the spiders to crawl - and jump - out at Takeshi and his other cell mates. Worse off? They wouldn't easily, if at all, be seen. And by the time they were detected, it'd be too late.

Her own genuine-looking grin was replaced by a knowing smirk as she waited to hear Takeshi's own personal hint he'd gotten bitten.

Okay, now hurry up if you don't mind, Rutger-sama.
 

Ling braced herself as Venus' radiant burst annihilated her monster, her voice low as she muttered "Sorry, Strong Wind..." while her Life dropped even lower. Taking her chance to draw, she would take a moment to look at her cards. She had two sets that would help her...And with the card she just drew, it could turn things around.

Only thing was, even Wyarm still wouldn't be able to touch Venus. And if this was going to work....She'd lose some cards of her own, but if there was one thing about Fayth's deck that she came to realize: It was that the monsters were heavily supplemented by her backrow. If an opponent got rid of those, they'd still have a fight but it would a little easier.

Even so, she couldn't take too long; it would leave her open to getting a Dunames again, one of the few monsters in her deck that could kill her dragon by battle. Thankfully, the Magic card resting in her Graveyard would provide one layer of protection against destruction, but she needed to be smart in when it was used.

"I summon Decoy Dragon! Turn end!" Ling would then shout, the tiny unassuming nature of the beast making it a very big target to inflict heavy damage. Something Ling was counting on Fayth realizing. If it could just survive this turn, then her plan would still have a chance.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________​

Takeshi would reply, "Sure...So, you know what...Screw it, I'll take the chance!"

However, his attention then shifted elsewhere as the lights and cameras suddenly went black. "Oi, the fuck?!" Mukuro would shout, Takeshi standing more at attention; something suddenly felt very off. None of them noticing that through the small crack Misty had made, a small army of miniature Uru duplicates were crawling out of her briefcase.

"Hey, madam! Leave now, we lost all pow--Gah!" the first officer to respond was cut off, his flashlight clattering on the ground after yelling in pain.

That would be the first sign, his partner coming to his aid "Aibo! Cent....Arggh!" the other grumbied as something too rendered him unconscious and immobile. "AGH! YOU ARE A WITCH! I KNEW YOU WERE...ARGH!" Bommer then hollered, seeming to direct his comment at Misty, his head banging against the cell bars before sliding down and resting on the floor.

And as if in response, Mukuro shouted, "Hey, the fuck's going on?! I can't...AGH! SPIDERS! SPIDERS! GET 'EM OFF! GET 'EM....." And before the spider could even reach the neck point to immobilize, he would be out cold...But only because he fainted from fright. "Spiders? The hell is that dude talking...Nrgh!" Takeshi tried to hold in his shout of pain, feeling something prick his neck. And before long, his body began to slow...His muscles losing their energy and his vision getting more and more blurred. "The hell is going on..." he murmured falling to his knees as he tried to fight it. Shielding his eyes as an emergency exit opened, hearing another voice.

"Misty...Is he still not unconscious..."

And that was all he heard before Takeshi would mutter, "Who...ar..." before he finally slumped. Demak huffed, "Finally...Now come; Rutger has arranged for transportation. I'll carry the boy, since you'll need to use your abilities to make sure we leave here unseen. Worry not; all the external surveillance has been disabled. I was quite thorough."

Outside, a smaller but larger version of Rutger's Immortal waited for them. Its form hidden in a side alley before the plenitude of copies indoors would flood out and merge back with it, the sizable arachnid laying down to let them climb on. "Now then...If you would be so kind..." Demak said, jumping with relative ease onto its back.
 

Why doesn't Valhalla work with this one again? Fayth mused, lightly moving her fingers over the text belonging to a very specific card; Darklord Morningstar. Her eyelids shut behind her blindfold as she read the very first sentence.

Ugh, really? Can't be special summoned? Hmm ....

And whose fault is that, girl?

Her eyelids rapidly blinked. She'd heard things, right? That couldn't have happened. Her head shook as she tried to dismiss what she almost swore Fayth had heard as a really, really good trick. One caused by exhaustion from this tournament.

Don't ignore me, or else. You hold yourself back; a price you'll pay throughout your life if you keep making that same error.

To say Fayth was stunned would be an understatement. She almost didn't even hear Ling for a good minute or so, even after she'd ended her turn. "So-Sorry. My turn. Draw!"

Why? Why are you speaking to me now? I've had this deck for a month now. Maybe even longer. So why are you choosing right here and now to finally start talking?

Simple. Your ambitions, your desires. They haven't been nearly as strong as they are now. And I can help. But not now. Fate has already been set in motion. Afterwards will be a different story. Step one, however, will involve you not blocking me out again. It's all up to you. For now, finish your fight. Just know I'll always be watching you.

"I .... Decoy Dragon?" Fayth repeated, trying to concentrate more on what Ling had done for her last turn. Her teeth latched onto her lower lip as her hands began to tremble. Son of a bitch; if he'd intended to distract her, it actually did sort of work. It was bad enough she knew she'd been going into these fights with a secondary deck, and not her main one.

It's not like I want to hold myself back! she internally cried out, barely fighting the urge to utter the words out loud.

"I summon Darklord Ukoback. I'll use his effect to send a second version of himself to the grave. Turn end." Her smile weakly expanded, as she hoped to temporarily draw Ling away from th awkward pauses Fayth ended up creating. "I think I know where you're trying to go with Decoy Dragon. Even with Venus out, I'm not risking that."
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________​
Misty casually shrugged as Demak arrived and double checked whether Takshi was actually still awake or not.

"He is one of Yuna's. We shouldn't be too surprised. In fact --- "

That would be all Takeshi would hear. The rest of the talk something along these lines, "In fact, I really haven't been feeling right on Rutger's verdict to leave her for dead. I feel like that alone is going to bite us harder than these spiders ever could. I want to speak with Rutger about that personally. Mute or not, she's strong and smart. It just .... anyway."

Misty took her own deep breath, standing up and closing the case. Only after the spiders returned, of course.

A slight grimace couldn't help but appear over her face. Using the arachnid as a weapon was one thing. Riding on it? Even Misty didn't look overly happy. Still, she closed her eyes, nodded, and used the energy from her own demon to give the spider a coat of camouflage. Now, one would have to look really hard to notice it.

"Alright. Let's get him back. I'll keep my concentration, you keep your hold on him."
 

It was both good and bad that Fayth hadn't gone after Decoy; good because she could still go forward with her plan. Bad because she would lose a valuable tool now, having to basically use it as a sacrifice.

All the same...If she was going to break this deadlock, she needed to make sure that she dealt with Fayth's Magic and Trap cards. Aside from boosting her monster's respective stats, they also provided powerful protection against most effects and even other backrow card effects. As such...Getting those off the field, even if she might lose one or two herself, was the only option she had at that point.

However, seeing Fayth falter made her worried; however, the woman answered with her own reply before she could ask what was wrong. She'd seen some strange things at this tournament...But now she was certain that whatever was going on here wasn't normal. Not by a longshot.

But for now, she would just focus on the Duel...She could get answers later.

"My turn! Draw!"

Ugh....What a hand. She had her face down, sure...But should she use it yet? No, even as things were, it was too early.

"Sorry Wyarm...Just one more turn." She would say to her flying comrade, declaring "I switch Decoy and Wyarm to defense position and end my turn!"

Yamichi watched on as Ling only went on the defensive; she must be having trouble. Not surprising; Fayth's deck was very powerful and quite consistent. One had to be very choosy in the moves they made, else she would take them apart. "Ling...Just use your head..."

Jin laughed, "So...You and her, huh? Must be a fine woman for you to be so worked up." Yamichi flushed, "Oi...How'd you..." The muscular male just laughed, "It's in your body language, kid. You're a terrible liar, even without speaking a word...But I get the feeling that's part of why she likes you too. You know what you want, and you don't like keeping secrets. Commendable traits for anyone to have."

Yamichi's expression softened a little, "Jin-san...Thank you."
 

Oi, Judai. Surely you felt that for a few seconds, did you not?

Oh? You too, huh, Yubel?

Mhm. Seems the girl's been covering up a lot. Does that not make you curious nor suspicious?

Judai internally sighed, crossing his arms over his chest.

I doubt she was intentionally keeping it away from anyone. Besides, remember what she said this morning?

Yes. Rather perfect and convenient timing that she happens to need someone's help to hide away from whomever is seeking her.

Yubel ... not everyone is as bad as you keep fearing. Sure, she's a mystery. But that's the worst extent I can sense from her. There's otherwise no malice, nothing like that. Whatever was around her ... hmmm ... it's hard to explain. They weren't pure evil, but they were definitely not a completely good spirit either.

That should be enough for you, boy.

His eyes rolled slightly.

Even if any of this is true, we don't have any proof. I'm not gonna initiate some witch hunt or whatnot. I'll trust her to relay everything to us when she has the right chance to do so.

Hmph. You trust too many people, Judai; least of all those who don't deserve such a gesture.

Thankfully, Yubel left it a that - for now. Although ... it did leave Judai with a lot more questions than answers. That much he couldn't deny. A smile crept over his face as he heard Jin piece together Yamichi was indeed with Ling. It had been a guess when the 'Dragon Mistress' went against Un. Hearing the confirmation, however, made the reveal all the more interesting. "Nice, nice. Congrats, man."

With any luck, Fayth - and anyone else, really - could find someone. But right now, out of all of them? It was seeming more and more like Fayth definitely needed a break. Especially from whatever exactly was making her shoulder act up. He hadn't voiced his opinion out loud - but Ling was right. It was bullshit she had to risk that activating during every duel.

Fayth, meanwhile, waited patiently. Ling had gone quiet - was she simply thinking? That seemed to be part of the case. Soon, she simply ended, apparently not having much of a move to make.

And after the third time of moving her fingertips over her cards .... Fayth would chuckle nervously.

"I guess that makes two of us. I can't do much more, and even with attacking Decoy Dragon being an option ... "

Fayth moved her head from side to side. "I don't view that as the wisest of moves, so ..... turn end."

Granted, what she did very well may be as foolish and come to haunt her. But she'd see, Fayth supposed.
 

Ling raised a brow as Fayth refused to attack Decoy...It would work out for her either way, but she was also kind of glad that she didn't. Because then it would have led her to use her card resting in the Graveyard. She was honestly on edge...Maybe it was because this was the Finals? Even if she wasn't a drooling fangirl like most of the women following the King...She had to admit the chance to face him in a Title Match had her giddy and excited.

And to be honest? It was going to be worth whatever punishment her parents decided to dole out to her. Well...Almost anything. Getting her Runner taken away would suck, especially since she had secretly scrimped and saved to afford it. Contrary to what most Commoners believed, not every Tops kid had unlimited funding; while it was true their style of living was far less severe, they still had to work and manage what they had. Nothing everything was given to everyone here.

People suffered and worked for their fair share...Something she was thinking her boyfriend's 'leader' had tried to instill in his head. She hoped he was more sensible than that; thankfully, past experiences showed him to be not be closed-minded to the degree a lot of Commoners and Topsiders were.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed those thoughts from her mind and took her turn. "Draw!"

And there it was, the chance to even the playing field...In more ways than one.

"I activate the Trap Card, Reincarnation of Dragon! I banish the Decoy on my side of the field, then Special Summon Strong Wind from my Graveyard!" And like before, she would summon a mighty beast but Venus powering it down with relative ease to 1900 Attack Points. "I then activate the Magic Card, A Wingbeat of Giant Dragon! I return the Level Six Strong Wind to my hand and destroy all Magic and Trap Cards on the field!"

And with a few flaps of Strong Wind's mighty wings, Ling had to shield herself as hurricane-force winds rocked the dueling field, shattering cards on both player's sides with the ferocious gale. "Really glad the VR system didn't do what it did with Takeshi and Shivini...That would have blown us both away." Ling mused to herself, lowering her arm as the display finally ended, virtual smoke wisping from the field.

"Then I switch Wyarm to Attack Mode! Destroy Fallen Angel Ukoback! Genesis Blast!" Ling would shout, her dragon opening its maw, tilting its head back and firing a cannon-like shot that obliterated the tiny angel, dealing a solid 2000 point hit to Fayth's Life in the process. Something the MC was more than happy to announce, "And finally after a fierce stalemate, Ling breaks through with massive damage! Both players are nearly even with each other! The real duel starts now folks!"

Ling couldn't help smiling, "And with that I end my turn!"
 

Hmm? Why bring Strong Wind back?

When the answer was revealed, Fayth's mouth fell agape.

Fuck!

Her teeth tightly latched onto her lower lip. Fayth's arms rose, mimicking Ling as she shielded herself from the massive whirlwind caused by the dragon's large wings. Tears stung the corners of her eyes as the mark began to burn.

So it can be when you lose more than just life, huh? Fayth mused, noting this was a similar reaction when she dueled Mukuro. Her Sign especially acted up when Undead World negated her Sanctuary in the Sky. But this? This was worse. Now that and Valhalla - plus her other sets or activated cards were gone.

Don't, don't, don't! It's not yet too late!

Unfortunately, this had been so consistent that by now, her body was practically trained to react the moment the pain began. Her hand shook as she pressed own, covering the mark.

GODDAMN THIS THING! MAKE IT STOP!

Her head quickly lifted as Ling declared an attack. With her Scrap-Iron Scarecrow being one of the cards that was blown away ... she had no way to stop it.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!"

Her left arm squeezed down hard on her right shoulder, damn well nearly threatening to either bend her cards or rip her shoulder off. Granted, the latter wouldn't actually happen, but it was rested in a way that it could appear as if it were a possibility. While still keeping her mark covered, she used her shoulder to wipe the few tears trying to slide from under the blindfold away, her head shaking as she almost swore she heard footsteps running over.

"I'm ... I'm fine. I did this once. Quite a few times, actually. I'll do it again. I'll keep ... ngh! .... dueling!"

Her head tilted as she took a few labored breaths, adjusting her gaze so it rested back on Ling across from her.

"D-Draw .... "

Unfortunately, she had to pull her hand off her Sign - which thus finally gave Ling and everyone else - including the audience via the screens - a better view on what was plaguing her. Of course, it'd also be new if they didn't see from when Luca's started up.

FUCK! she cursed, praying that if anyone else's had already began, it wasn't as painful as what she was feeling.

"I ... I discard Zeradias to get Sanctuary to the Sky to my hand. I'll then re-activate it!"

A weak smirk crossed her face as she finished her move. "Sorry, Ling - I'm not letting you keep my support cards gone for long. Not if I can help it. Splendid Venus, attack Wyarm!"

I'm sorry everyone ..... I can't keep this under control. You shouldn't have to fucking suffer with me just because I'm weak ... oi! Morningstar! You really meant your earlier words about helping me?

Of course. I may be a fallen, but I do have some honor.

I'm ... holding you to that. I can't .... this isn't fair! No one else should have to .... I can't keep being a burden like this ....

Very well. Just know it's going to take a lot of patience, time, and - unfortunately - more agony to overcome that. If you truly want it, though, we can work on it when you go back home.

The words made Fayth weakly nod. Soft sniffles could barely, but still, be held. Her inner thoughts and exchange had made the tears resume falling, now streaming faster than a few seconds ago. "Turn .... turn end. Don't worry about me for now, Ling-san. Keeping coming at me, like I intend to with you, okay? I'll live .... " Her voice lowered as she added, "I just am finding myself wishing I wasn't 'a chosen one'. I don't feel worthy ... "
 

"Fayth!?"

Thankfully the blind woman's scream almost fully muted her accidentally saying Fayth's real name, as she would run over to check on her. And then she would see what was causing her so much pain...The mark on her shoulder. It was glowing? And rather brightly.

"So this is why she was always clutching it. Does stress make it flare up or something?"

Granted the woman had no real idea what the mark still signified, and likely never would unless it was fully explained to her. Still, she'd nearly missed Fayth attacking with Venus as her turn would come about, even activating another Sanctuary to keep her from taking battle damage.

"Luca? Ahh, not again! Water, right! I'll be back, and with enough for everyone!" Lua shouted before taking off, both Crow and Yusei now clutching at their marks as well. "Is...this what was happening during your Duel with Shimoda? This hurts...." Crow said through gritted teeth; it honestly felt like someone was putting a red-hot brand to his skin. "Yeah...And it doesn't just have to be mine. Yanagi-san...You said these Signs mark us as protectors. Why do they burn like this?"

The elderly male just replied, "I'm going to be honest with you, sonny; I have no idea. I can only guess it's because the Crimson Dragon has yet to be fully awakened, and this is its way of trying to let it know the time is near. The tales I do know never described such pain, however." Jin scowled, "Sounds like this thing is just giving them a raw deal; how many times has it activated now and it still hasn't shown up?"

Jack, up above, grimaced as his own Sign burned; he was used to it by now, but...It seemed Fayth wasn't. "Oh dear...She looks like she's hurting." Goodwin would say; not surprising, considering she'd been all but opened up to attacks now that most of her support was wiped away. "How much more, Goodwin...None of us should have to endure this for this long. I thought you said it would show up by now!" Jack barked, Rex sighing "I don't know why it isn't; I was sure to have arranged this properly."

Ling, meanwhile, almost didn't want to continue. Not if she was going to put Fayth in any more pain...Except when she then said to have no fear, and keep going at her. Her fist clenched; she didn't want to hurt Fayth, but she also was given this chance. Fayth was right; this was now or never. "My turn! Draw!" she declared, going into her turn however limited it might be.

"I summon another Decoy Dragon! Turn end!" she would then state; knowing Fayth, she wouldn't go after Decoy. Which meant she had to keep Wyarm in Attack Mode. "Apologies again, Wyarm...I'll make sure your pain isn't put to waste."
 

Luca nodded quickly when her brother offered to get water. Honestly, part of her was ready to beg to go home. This wasn't worth it. But then, even if they did that, would the distance help her?

No. After thinking back over it, she recalled times they had been home and it suddenly did this. She'd suffered in silence to keep Lua from worrying. Now, however, the cat was out of the bag and he knew just as well as Luca there didn't really seem to be a way to avoid the agony. It just had to end ... and even that was questionable on when it'd be.

Why me? I'm not even from here. How ... why was I given this ... ??

It had haunted her since the very first time Fayth learned she was a Signer. This didn't feel right. Granted, hopping through dimensions wasn't normal for other people, either, but ....

Wait ... is this an odd consequence of defying something that should be impossible?

Maybe. But even if that was true, it didn't explain why this hurt like a motherfucking bitch.

"Draw .... " she murmured weakly, shaking as new thoughts rushed through her head. At this rate ... would winning be worth it? Could she even fight Jack properly? She was barely staying standing on her feet. She'd crash - no questions asked - if she dared get on her Wheeler.

But .... damnit! That wasn't fair! She did want to try to win! She promised she'd get to him!

Frustration made her tears fall faster. Fuck her pride. She swallowed it, not really caring that so many people saw her in such a lousy state. It was justified - and if anyone else could feel it, they would be bitching with her. And yet? Fayth wouldn't wish for anyone to share this fate. It was becoming less and less 'right' as a guardian role of any kind.

"I ... I set a card. Splendid Venus will then attack ... Wyarm."

Tired. She was so fucking exhausted. It'd definitely be a faster way to make this all end. Pass out then and there.

No. If Ling was gonna keep going, she would too. Her head shook as she bit hard on her lower lip, enough to draw some blood, forcing her consciousness to remain rather than vanish.

"Turn ... turn end .... " she declared through gritted teeth.
 

Not too much later, Lua would return hastily...Carrying what seemed like an armful of water bottles! And the poor kid was rushing so much that he actually tripped and landed on his front, the massive plastic pile cushioning his fall "Lua! Kid, no one's going to die of dehydration here!" Jin shouted, shocked that he bought so much. "Sis is hurting! Plus, there's still the Title Match!" Lua said right back, Jin shouting "If it's that bad, she needs a doctor, not the swimming pool you brought!"

Yanagi just laughed and patted Jin's muscular arm, "Now, now; can you blame him for being a concerned older brother? You are older, yes?" Lua nodded as he started handing out bottles. "H-how much did that cost you?" Crow asked, Lua grinning "It might be uncool, but the lady at the stand gave me a discount for buying so much...Because I was in tears." Crow seemed rather stunned; well, at least the kid was devoted to making sure she was safe. "Besides, now there's plenty for everyone! So drink up, it might get hotter, you never know!"

Crow held up his bottle and said, "Thanks...Much appreciated. Oh and Fayth's going back on the offensive, since you weren't here." The Sign seemed to have calmed down for now at least...Maybe the match was coming to an end? Did it somehow know what was going to happen?

Ling recoiled as Venus blasted Wyarm, dropping her Life by another 100 Points. "Folks, I don't quite know what I'm seeing here, but I do know that both of these ladies are putting up one spectacular show! Despite her field being cleared, Celeste continues to hold a strong offensive!" The crowd seemed to cheer her on as well, encouraging her to keep up the pressure.

"Oi, Celeste...Don't go to sleep on me yet! You said to come at you as you would me, so I'm going to tell you the same thing! I don't what all is happening, true...But you're stronger than this! So stand up straight! Draw!"

Of course, she still didn't quite have all the pieces...Just one more card, and she would be able to call out her strongest Dragon.

"I'll set a monster face-down, and switch Wyarm to defense position! Turn end!" Ling would then say confidently; honestly? Her heart was racing, especially since as it was they were still kind of deadlocked with each other. She could just tell, this Duel would be decided by the next one or two draws.
 

Even Luca couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing he pool line from Jin.

"It's ... it's fine. He can be annoying at times. But his heart's always in the right place, if nothing else. Thanks, Lua."

Reaching out, Lua accepted the bottle and looked up witth a pensive look.

"The thing about a doctor, Jin-san, is what would I tell them? There's no way they would believe me if I relayed the truth to them. Almost none, anyway. Right now ... " Her gaze lowered, resting on Fayth. "This rests on her more than anything a professional medic could ever hope to help me with. But I do appreciate the concern, so thanks."

"Heh .... I .... feel anything but strong right now. Thanks though .... oh goddamn."

Her whole body was shaking and aching, head spinning. The tremors in her legs were only getting worse, not better. She wanted to give in and collapse on her knees. Her breath was coming out in labored breaths. All in all, it looked painfully obvious the last thing Fayth should do was be standing here and dueling at all.

And when poor Fayth tried to heed Ling's request to stand up straighter?

She wobbled, almost falling down to a knee like her body so badly wanted to.

.... Huh?

Goodness. You're worse off than I realized. I'm here ... but not.

An invisible Morningstar had manifested, purposely concentrating on hiding his presence. Before Fayth had hit the ground, however, he appeared beside his owner and wrapped his arms around her waist, helping her stand up straight.

I can remain here long enough for this duel to end. After that? Your body can listen to all the urges it wants to heed now.

Thank you ...

"Draw!" she finally declared out loud, at least feeling better she wouldn't look foolish by tripping on her own feet of all things. "I .... I summon Zeradias." Fayth closed her eyes - partly due to fatigue, and the other simply to think. "Turn end."

She felt herself almost collapse again, only to be supported by Morningstar again.

Girl, wake the hell up! Why didn't you attack?!

I ....

Unfortunately, she didn't have a good answer. Her head bowed as she sighed. "I'm sorry, Ling. I'm trying ... even if it doesn't look like it. I promise .... "
 

"I...guess that's true..." Jin said, taking a sip of his own water. "Won't lie, that did hit the spot. Appreciate it, Lua." The young man just smiled widely, "Sure thing! Can't have everyone passing out now!" He then cupped his hands and shouted, "Don't give up, Celeste! Hang in there!"

Crow leaned in and whispered to Yusei, "Jin is kind of right though....Maybe not in regards to Luca, but look at Fayth. She's not doing so hot." And Yusei would know that Crow wasn't referring to her Dueling; she looked about ready to faint. It was clear that the woman was on her last legs...But so long as she stayed conscious, the medics weren't going to intervene. "I can't help but wonder if this has anything to do with what Fuyu showed us." Yusei would whisper back, Crow looking back at Fayth and adding "You mean about where she's from? Would that cause it, you think?" Yusei shrugged, "I don't know enough about any of this to make that call...But it's something that's been bothering me."

"Director?" Akutsu would ask in the booth above everyone else. Rex would then turn to the scientist, asking "What is it?" The man continued to type away, "Two things...One, another Sign has appeared. The Tail, I just finished analyzing the data. But there's something else...And it's coming from Miss Milner. Anomalous data." Rex would then make his way over and look at the display. "Can you tell what it is?" Goodwin inquired, Akutsu letting out a sigh, "Afraid not; it's clear there's something, but I have no idea what it could be."

Rex sighed, "Well...Keep an eye on it. If it gets any stronger, we'll figure what to do."

Ling could see that Fayth was getting worse...But she still didn't have everything she needed. Wyarm's effect was powerful, but that didn't matter since Venus still overpowered it with raw strength. Any attacks would obviously only result in her losing life.

"Draw!"

Still nothing. Another Reincarnation; while a useful card, it wasn't something she could use or even wanted to at the moment. Fayth looked indeed about to pass out.

Fayth...Hang in there.

"Turn end!" Ling would then declare, Lua blinking "What? Why didn't she attack Zeradias?" Yusei would reply, "Wouldn't do her much good; Sanctuary reduces all battle damage to zero if a Fairy-type is attacked, and it would only leave Ling open to attack by doing so. If she had nothing else in her hand, then ending her turn was the best move she could make."
 

Judai rose an eyebrow. There it was again. But the aura didn't immediately leave. In fact ... it was still in the stadium. Right behind Fayth, to be completely precise.

Fine. So you got that part right. Whoever, or whatever, is helping the girl isn't completely good, but also not completely evil either.

Judai merely smirked in a very knowing fashion.

Come now, I've been fused with you long enough. I hope I can still figure things out when it comes down to duel spirits. But on a serious side note .... she's not familiar.

Familiar?

She was never in the school from what I remember.

Hmm, true.

But .... she's not as different from me as I thought at first. And now, with the knowledge she seems to have her own spirit .... I'm definitely more curious about who she really is.

Fayth, meanwhile, slowly pulled the top card off. Her head lulled forward slightly while her fingers moved over the text of the card. No, no. Her eyelids closed again, lightly opening as glanced at the direction where Ling and her field were. Unfortunately, even if the idea of attacking Decoy Dragon still wasn't a great thought, it was becoming one of those necessary evils that just needed to be done.

Nodding slowly to herself, Fayth managed to dictate her turn after taking a few moments to weigh her options.

"Zeradias will attack Decoy Dragon!"

"From its effect, I'll special summon Rabidragon in face up defense!"

Well ... that was good. It was not only something that would have been weakened due to Venus' effect, but also wouldn't result in damage -- if Sanctuary weren't already there. "And now Splendid Venus will attack Decoy Dragon."

And thus, for the time being, the special summons all came to a halt. The exact reason Fayth took the risk. It would have gotten worse before better if she simply left the damn thing alone.

"Last, but not least, I'll make this move! Trap Card, Open! Solar Ray!"

Normally, she would have reserved such a move for when there were more LIGHT monsters. Unfortunately, with Valhalla gone an her hand lacking the requirements, this would likely be the best time to use her trap. Either way, with this move becoming official, Fayth was ahead in life. Not by much, no - but enough to hint she wasn't going to stop dueling even if part of her wanted to hand Ling the win.

"Turn ... end ... "
 
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