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


"Maybe she is from the Tops?" Yuna suggested, sighing softly. That wouldn't be reassuring. Nor did it excuse everything Aki had said and done that she could understand Hotsuma being ticked off about. But at least it wouldn't seem as random. "Okay, back up. Because I know that doesn't fucking matter. Just ... rewind for a few moments, okay? Do you remember who met up with us back on day one? Who it all was that literally dragged us here in the first damn place?"

She would allow the silence to linger, knowing Hotsuma knew the answer. Aki hadn't been there. It was all on Jun and Tokumo. They were literally the reasons why they had been taken into Arcadia in the first place.

Yuna realized there was simply a chance that Divine refused to send Aki out, thinking she was too good or something for a seemingly simple task. However, she liked to believe there was more than that falling into place. If Yuna had to bet everything she owned - money and deck wise - Aki wouldn't have accepted anyway.

The fact she sesm to be doing more of her own thing instead of his ... it speaks volumes to me.

Of course, there was also another possibility; one that would have said Yuna may merely be over thinking all of this.

Her head slowly shook as she chuckled softly. "I do otherwise understand. Trust me. Fuck ... how long have we been here now? A week? A bit longer? Too long. That's my answer. I do wanna get back to the others, as much as you probably do. I'm just ... trying not to do or say anything I'll regret, especially against these weirdos. For all we know, there may be someone else besides Tokumo who's a loose cannon, waiting for an excuse to go nuts. And I just ... don't wanna take that risk, ya know?"

True to her word, she dealt with the sheets, tossing them into the hamper tucked away in the corner. Soon after, she got dressed back into the corset and jeans outfit, putting her lingerie on underneath.

... However, when it came time for Yuna to eat ... she didn't. Her hands were beginning to tremble, and not only because it'd been a while since they ate. She didn't want to admit it. Then again, she didn't have to. Hotsuma could feel she was scared.

"Yeah. I did hear. I know I'm not going against that bastard who actually pulled off a one turn kill but ... what knowing even Jun still beat you ... am I really going to do okay?"

No doubt the question probably sounded a bit odd.

Still, the fear was a valid one, more so with knowing she hadn't actually dueled prior till now. "I don't know. I wanna believe you're right. That I'll be fine but ... "

Yuna's head continued to move from side to side. "I don't know anymore if that'll be true or not. I'm not hungry."

The very fact she had lost in one turn was no doubt fueling this sudden mood change on. It made sense why it came out of nowhere. Still, given she had never questioned herself this badly before, it went to show how powerful their initial encounter had been, and just how dire of an impact it'd made - and left - on Yuna's memories. Because never before now had she found herself so full of uncertainty, so dreading the mere possibility of actually losing.
 
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Hotsuma continued to eat, going through the food as if he hadn't eaten in a month; though when he looked up, he saw that Yuna hadn't so much as nibbled on her plate. It was still full, and though she said nothing...It was nothing that needed to be said, if only it was because it was like looking into a mirror.

It was painful, really; not just because she was suffering, but it made him think if this was how he looked when he lost his nerve. Granted, the circumstances were definitely different...

Even still, she was there for him. Now it was his turn to be there for her. To remind her that this wasn't the Yuna he knew, even if he didn't know her as Yuna from the start.

Putting his utensils down, Hotsuma leaned forward and gently took her hands into his own, letting her feel the warmth of his own hands enshroud her own. "Yuna Takeda...Listen to me" he started off, letting those blue hues look right into her eyes as he continued, "I won't lie to you, we got our asses handed to us. But they caught us by surprise; we were expecting Sector, not some robed freaks looking like they just left a costume convention."

He then held her hands more tightly, as if urging her to listen, "Trust me when I say this: You're going to do more than okay. You're going to crush him...Remember when we Dueled those Sector punks on our turf? That's exactly how it's going to go this time; I know you. You'll bury him, plain and simple."

And with that, he then mimicked something she had done when he was down in the dumps: He pushed the mountainous plate of food towards her, even going so far as to force her to hold her utensils. "Besides...I figured with how wiped you were last night, you would be starving. And...If you do want to bury him like the crapsack he is...You're going to need your energy. So...At the very least, keep it near you."

Even with all this, she would see that he hadn't let go. "Besides...You're not alone in this fight. Rose...If you can hear me, you can feel her strength. Her resolve. Help remind that even as Yukio, she's faced worse than this. Show her that we'll fight as one, and we'll all get out of here...And when we do, we can tell this shithole to kindly fuck itself."
 

Yuna weakly smirked as Hotsuma started his pep talk, and reminded her of a few things. It was true. They had been fully expecting to run into some members of Sector. Hell, prior to day one, neither of them had even known about the Arcadia Movement. Nor that their members dressed like really badly rejected circus freaks. In fact, it made her chuckle slightly just realizing how horrible their taste in fashion was. Slowly, Yuna lifted her head, ensuring the eye contact was kept and made. Her mouth opened as she began to reply ...

Only to feel every word get stuck in her throat.

"You make it sound so fucking easy ... "

That was ... true. Partially, anyway. While it was the first thing that came to her mind, she was a bit relieved the courage to dare say such a response had faded. Many times in the past, Yuna had been envious that Hotsuma had earned a reputation. One that even came with a nickname. Even now, she had tried to ask herself ... if he was the Fiend of Satellite, what the fuck was she?

To this day, she had yet to find an answer.

Amazoness wasn't really a correct analogy to use, if only because she lacked the height and bust. Despite now literally able to become Rose ... she wasn't sure if a warrior of revenge was correct. It was on one hand, most certainly. But compared to Hotsuma, who had a vary personal vendetta with Sector, nope. She didn't have that even.

"You don't need an epithet, Mistress," Rose stated in a very direct tone, not bothering to prevent Hotsuma from hearing this talk.

"I thought you were being quiet, asleep, something of the like," Yuna muttered, her face burning slightly as another person intervened and joined in on the pep talk.

"Was. You just said the keyword yourself."

Yuna sighed, glancing up slightly before looking back down to Hotsuma. "Oi. Are all siblings this annoying? May as well be whom I'm talking to, if not myself."

.... Probably a lame joke. But it was an easy way to at least try to lighten the mood. A "Hmph!" resounded between the two and even as Rose went silent, Yuna could almost swear she felt her spirit crossing her arms over her chest. Much like she did when she pouted or got really pissed off.

" ... Well, at least I turned into the right spirit, it seems. Only fits I do so with the one I truly connect with the most."

Another slight breath passed Yuna's lips. Her eyes closed seconds later as she continued the calm breathing, relaxing and trying to focus more on Hotsuma's touch instead of her anxieties. Finally, she gave an affirmative nod, revealing her amber orbs once more. "Okay. Alright. I'll try."

Yuna barely got a few bites in before she heard Hotsuma utter the last sentence.

... Though he had been nearby when Yuna became Yuse, this would be the first time he'd hear the difference. Know when she was technically in her merged form, yet looking the exact same.

"Kindly fuck themselves?"

The voice would have another. An older voice ... one that sounded as if Rose were maybe nineteen to twenty years old, if not a few more years elder. But definitely not past the age of twenty-seven.

"See? You are too generous in your own rights, Fiend."
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Yuna would manage to eat most of her plate. This time around, though, she ceased only when she felt full. Her arms raised over her head as Yuna stretched before pushing herself up to her feet. After taking a moment to look around, she found her deck, set atop the nearby dresser drawers. "I think you left yours back in your old room. Unless ... you snuck it over when I was asleep or something."

As of now, she'd gone back to being Yuna, though he could definitely feel Rose was near. Silent ... but otherwise alert.

Another deep breath resounded as she grabbed her disk and slid it over her left arm, smirking slightly. "Fuck. Feels like forever since I last did that."

While Hotsuma went to grab his things, Yuna exited her room ...

And found Aki and Divine both waiting in the main halls.

"We will lead you both to the area we've chosen to have these exhibition duels in once you're both ready. Your duel will be first, Yuna. I'm assuming Hotsuma filled you in on what's about to happen?"

After seeing an up and down movement of Yuna's head, Aki nodded as well, mentally tucking the reply away. Though Aki didn't say anything out loud, Yuna could hear an array of thoughts racing through the red-head's mind. And, amazingly, they were all ... more positive than even she'd expected. In fact, Aki was rooting for her. Hoping she'd win, which definitely got Yuna's attention.

But ... the thoughts seemed genuine. And that made Yuna smirk, already feeling better that someone else besides Rose and Hotsuma would be wanting her to come out as the victor in this duel.
 
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Hotsuma was definitely glad that his partner seemed in better spirits, even more so when he heard Rose herself chime in. Yeah, those two were the same alright...But he was glad Yuna found such a compatible partner. Unlike himself.

"Don't you dare complain, whelp...How many Duels has my presence helped you win?" he then heard the Emperor say to him, Hotsuma replying "Wasn't going to...But you have to admit, they hit it off a lot better than we do. It's not that I don't trust you completely...It's just that I don't trust you completely" At this point, Hotsuma was just being frank, and it seemed the Emperor sensed this but replied "That's hardly my issue; if we're going to get out of this, as you say, you had better learn quickly to put faith in me".

Hotsuma just let out a small breath, about to reply when Yuna/Rose made her comment. "Suppose I am" he said, giving her a small grin in return. "Now come on...It's time to show these snobs you don't mess with Satellite."



As Yuna would walk, Hotsuma split off to grab his own gear, leaving Yuna to momentarily face Aki and Divine alone. "Miss Takeda, so good to see you. I trust your night went well?" he asked, a bit of teasing in his tone - nothing malicious - as he asked the question. "Where's Hotsuma, I wonder? Did he decide to take a reprie...?" the Arcadia leader started to ask, his question interrupted as the sounds of rapid footfalls echoed from an adjacent hallway, Hotsuma's voice stating "No, just grabbing my stuff for when it's my turn...I got the feeling Yuna's going to trample your little sideshow reject".

Divine looked up to see that the man in question was walking towards them, Duel Disk and deck in had. Divine nodded and said, "Very well...Come along" A short walk would reveal them what looked like a surgery ampitheatre, with loads of other Arcadia residents seated above the Dueling platform. "Fitting, isn't it, Yuna? Just as these theaters teach medical students about the finer points of surgical operation, this arena will be where we can dissect the finer points of Dueling!"

Divine ignored the man's jest, walking up to a platform that seemed to overlook the stage before them, holding up his hands up on that podium and saying calmly, "Alright you two. Now that everyone's here, we can begin." He then turned his head to address Yuna, "Miss Takeda, if you would please call forth Rose, we're going to see if you can Duel effectively while resonating with your Duel Spirit."

Without even acknowledging her further he then turned to address the crowd, "My fellow disciples, this marks a new age for us here at Arcadia. As you're aware, Miss Takeda is but one of two that have shed new light on our abilities. She can turn into a Duel Monster itself...This Duel, therefore, is not only a display of skill...But a potential demonstration of that power we all possess within. Now...Let us see how our dear friend holds up against Jun's machinations. To determine who goes first..." The man paused as he fished a coin from his pocket, "We'll let a coin toss decide. Jun, if you would please call your selection?" The pale-faced man grinned, "Divine-sama, isn't that a bit rude? A lady should always go first...Besides, I want to see what she can do! You know my style..."

Divine seemed a bit taken aback but just smiled and returned the coin to his pocket, "Of course, of course...Well then, Miss Takeda. The first move is yours. Whenever you're ready." Jun's Duel Disk clicked into place, held up in such a way that the Life Point counter now showing a new value instead of the normal 4000.

Something Hotsuma noticed almost immediately, "The hell..." with Divine adding "Oh right, I forgot to mention. To better test your capabilities, the Life Point limits have been doubled. You'll both start with 8000, but all other rules remain the same. So, best of luck to both of you...Now, let this Psychic Duel commence!"

Well...This was new, but Hotsuma shook it off, "Don't worry, Yuna! That just means he'll have to get his ass kicked for a few more turns! You got this!"
 

"Actually, yes. My night went very well. Fucking amazing, in fact."

Normally, Yuna didn't even bother boasting of ... well ... anything. But especially not any sexual topics. However ... she felt bold, more so than usual. Not only because Rose was conscious and literally inside her though ... that very likely played a part. She could feel - as could anyone else who paid enough attention - the warrior inside Yuna absolutely loathed this place. Unlike Hotsuma's Emperor, however, she wasn't blinded by her emotions to not see that everyone here was out to get her Mistress. Still, she was on edge. Enough to be weary of most individuals. Even though Divine wasn't at the top if this list, he was still very much included.

Truthfully, even Yuna wasn't quite sure what to expect whilst walking down the halls.

Clearly, though, an ampitheater-like structure wasn't it. Nor was the crowd. Especially that last part. That really seemed unnecessary. The glare she gave Divine pretty much spelled her thoughts out.

... Really? I mean ... why does it matter for them? Goddamnit ...

A defeated sigh echoed past Yuna's lips as she looked back down towards the sea of mostly robed figures. Well ... they were already here. So unless Divine ordered them to leave - which most certainly didn't seem likely - she'd have to deal with an audience.

... Better with a duel than other things, she decided, moving her head firmly from side to side as she walked to one side of the stage. "No," she immediately barked to Divine, refusing to comply with his orders. "I will not bring her out. Not for your sake, anyway. I will do so if and when I choose to call for her, but definitely not before then. I give no shits what you think of me or his exhibition duel. The facts remain, and one of them is we are not in a zoo or any such location that allows me to be gawked at and studied in such a manner."

Slowly, Yuna tilted her head back before moving it along her back and shoulders. A few loud popping sounds echoed throughout the stadium ... probably interrupting Divine every now and again.

Ah well. That was more than okay with Yuna. She really didn't care much for the man, either. There was only one thing she would give Divine credit for, and it was that he was trying to stay neutral instead of immediately siding with his ... fucked up assistants. There was no nice nickname to use for Tokumo or Jun, plain and simple. Or ... he'd seemed that way. Her eyes widened then narrowed as Divine originally stated the dueling order would be determined by a goddamn coin toss?!

Her mouth opened, wanting to protest but ...

Jun ... didn't want that either?

... Interesting ...

Although he wasn't perverted - at least not nearly as openly as Takumo was - he still was an opponent nonetheless. At most, he earned a slight bow of her head for speaking against the coin flip, but nothing that was deemed to be an amazing sign of faith from Yuna. "Hmph," she huffed, "I'm not one to believe in the whole 'ladies first' bullshit. However, my deck does usually do better first so ... I'll accept simply because of that."

As Yuna activated her duel disk and began to draw, her head tilted.

" ... Eight thousand? The fuck? Was my disk tampered with or some shit?"

Her head lifted, blinking a few times as Divine hinted the adjustment to life points wasn't accidental, but intentional. A low half-growl and half-scoff resounded as she hinted she was not pleased with the mere thought of her property being touched, even more so by someone she didn't fully trust. "Whatever," she muttered, "As long as you didn't break it or anything. Duel!"

... Hmm ...

She'd definitely had better starting hands. Still, she could work with what she got. Nodding to herself, she looked once more through her hand before grabbing three. "I'll set two spell or traps face down then summon Amazoness Swordswoman. Your turn."

While it was by no means her strongest card, it was an easy way to deal extra damage to her opponent. Anyone with basic knowledge of the card game, let alone the effect of Amazoness Swordswoman, would understand why.
 
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"Ohohoh...I can see why Hotsuma likes you. Feisty!" Jun remarked, Divine's face passive as she vehemently refused his order. Not that he expected anything less; there were some shouts of disapproval from the audience, but Divine raising his right hand silenced them immediately. "Now, now...I expect you all to behave better than this. There are many things we don't yet know about Duel Spirits, as they're allegedly called. So if Miss Takeda doesn't want to bring her out of my accord, then there is honestly nothing I can do about it."

He also didn't reply to her remark about his tampering with their Duel Disks; what neither Yuna or Hotsuma knew was that this was a soon to be implemented change across the entire Dueling Network. A move decided on by the higher ups of game management to draw the Duels out longer and hopefully add more time ot just for the Duelists to make changes to strategy, but also add excitement and enjoyment for prospective audiences that might be witnessing said Duel.

Jun''s grin never faltered either, as the Duel commenced, Yuna summoning the tall Amazoness as she brandished her sword. He knew its effect all too well...But that wouldn't deter him in the slightest, Her playing that card in Attack mode was the obvious choice, but a foolish one to make. "Very well then...If you won't bring her out, I'll more than happily force her out of her you! I draw!" Jun declared, also taking three cards from his current hand of six.

"First I summon Gold Gadget in Attack Mode..." said the robed creep, Hotsuma possessing a sense of dread upon seeing it when; was he going to call out Barrel Dragon on the first turn again? Granted, he'd been able to deal with it when *he* fought...

"No, don't doubt Yuna! She's got this!"

Granted he wasn't doubting her, not in the literal sense; even still, that card could spell trouble if he got it onto the field. But it would not come to pass, as Jun said "Well...Seems my deck wants to take it easy on you for now." He then showed a Spell Card before sliding it into his disk, stating "I activate Double Summon, and choose the first of my mechanical emperors to take the field. Come forth, Machine King Prototype!"

The card definitely didn't look like much, especially since it seemed to be hooked onto a throne-like chair by wires and circuits. "Don't let its simplistic design fool you, young lady, for he's merely the first generation of the King of Machines. Even so, for every other Machine-type monster on the field, he gains 100 ATK." The display would show the machine's ATK change from 1600 to 1700, surges of electricity flowing from Gold Gadget to the contraption. Both monsters now able to easily overpower Swordswoman.

"Now then, it's time to erode your defense! Gold Gadget, attack Amazoness Swordswoman!" The tiny machine curled up into a ball and literally hurled itself at Yuna's monster, the tall burlesque female blocking with her sword before her image shattered and Jun's Life Points dropping to 7800 from the difference, the man hardly flinching from the slight to his own Life Points.

"I activate my Trap, Desperate Tag!"

At this, Yuna's rightmost face-down would appear...Except she wouldn't be able to do anything, something that Jun knew and would chuckle about. "Oh dear...Someone might need a refresher in activating card effects. Traps like Desperate Tag only work when YOU take Battle Damage." he then teased, Hotsuma clenching his hands; great, as if he didn't try to convince her or anything that he was no big deal.

"Regardless, my attack continues! Machine King Prototype, give her a taste of your true wrath! Crushing Pulse!" The crippled-looking machine raised a hand, an orb of red light gathering in its palm before a beam shot forward and struck Yuna square in the chest hard, sending the young woman back a meter or two as her own LP dropped to 6300. "Yuna!" Hotsuma called out, immediately going in to try and help her...Only to feel something blocking his path.

"I'm afraid there's no interfering in this match, Hotsuma. This is a test of her capabilities...Don't worry, Jun's holding back, isn't that right?" then said Divine, the robed man snickering 'But of course; this wouldn't be any fun if I knocked her out cold on the first of my turns. Speaking of which, I call my turn ended. It's your move, Miss Takeda."

All eyes were back on Yuna, curious to see what she would do. "Rose...Whatever you do, don't let her get shaken. It's still early in the game. She can beat him, she WILL beat him!" Hotsuma pleaded mentally, hoping those two would hear him.
 

Yuna proudly smirked as even Divine admitted among all - or at least a large majority - of Arcadia that even he didn't have the power or capability to force her to become Yuse. There was something so very satisfying about hearing that come from Divine. Probably ... hearing the confession. Knowing it came from the same man who was supposed to run this group. Whereas he couldn't succeed in doing something, Yuna could with many things, including the very task he had hoped for her to obey with.

Hehe. Sucks to be yoooooooou~

Tempting as it was to try to stick her tongue out at Divine, she decided against it. Instead, her eyes remained glancing forward at Jun, narrowing slightly as she watched him summon two monsters in the same go. Unfortunately, since Tokumo had knocked her out in the first turn, she couldn't say she saw this coming. Literally, at that rate.

... Machines, huh?

A very technical deck. But - as proven by the Prototype emerging - a group that could get strong if anyone was careless enough. Okay, that wasn't fair. Any elemental or sub-type could achieve that, more so in the hands of a skilled enough duelist.

... Still, this isn't something you've dealt with before ..

Which was only odd because one would assume these sorts of cards would maybe be something Sector would possess.

As Gold Gadget began rolling forward, Yuna pushed down on her disk. "I activate my trap, Desperate Tag!"

... It wouldn't be until after her declaration that she realized her error.

.. Oh shit!

Her eyes closed as she tried to prepare for the next impact, knowing she was wide open.

"Ugh ... !!!"

Holding back my ass ...

Yuna's hands shakily held her midsection. She'd experienced pain from another Psychic user. But, in his own regards, Tokumo had been merciful with the fact he pulled off the one-turn victory. It was so intense that Yuna didn't have to worry about suffering for very long. And now, the increased life points really seemed more like a curse than a blessing like one may have originally assumed. After all, more health, more chances, right?

Wrong. At least in this case, it was.

If ... if this keeps going ... am I really going to be able to do this?!

Waiting to regain her composure and breath, Yuna slowly pushed herself back up to her feet. "Draw!" Looking back to the cards in her hand, she took another deep breath. It wasn't yet too late ... something she saw from both what she just drew and what she still held in her hands.

"I summon Marauding Captain. His effect will call Rose, so she can join him in this fray. Before I bring forth my third monster, though, I'll activate Copy Knight."

... Yeah. Everyone heard right. That wasn't her third monster. Not in its own technical sense. It was little more than a doppelganger. A faux one, but an effective one nonetheless.

"I combine my level three Marauding Captain with my level four Rose!"

The two jumped upward, soon becoming engulfed in a bright light, seeming to disappear into the very aura itself.

"Holy paladin, blessed by the skies! Come forth and help me vanquish these foes! Synchro Summon; Lightning Warrior!"

Though 2400 was an incredibly common attack, the effect was definitely unique.

"Lightning Warrior, attack Gold Gadget!"

... She almost immediately heard in her mind a confused Rose inquiring why the Prototype hadn't been targeted instead. Yuna bit her lower lip, knowing it was too late. The Gold Gadget had been cut down, replaced with a Silver one.

"You still took his life down, Mistress. It's okay. What Hotsuma-kun said is true; you're not alone. Don't panic."

Her head nodded as she took another breath to help calm herself. Not only had he taken battle damage, but some effect as well. Something he would quickly learn, if he didn't know what Lightning Warrior had done before now. Getting rid of monsters with high attacks honestly wasn't easy. Not unless someone purposely made a deck to ---

No! Don't jinx yourself!

"Turn end!"
 
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It was no surprise to Jun that Yuna was able to get back to her feet; he hadn't hit her that hard, all things considered. Plus, this was but only one of the three stages in the evolution of Machine King. Still, she seemed undeterred as she would stand up, however shakily holding her midsection. "Oh good, the Warrior rises again. And here I thought you might be down for the count." Jun teased, awaiting Yuna's turn.

Hotsuma let out a sigh of relief seeing his friend alright; she seemed shaky, but her resolve quickly steeled again. 'Good, keep fighting! You'll break his defense at some point! He's just trying to stall!' Hotsuma cried out in his head; she would beat him down, there was no way she would lose!

Jun just watched patiently as she called Marauding Captain, its effect summoning her new namesake monster. "Well, I don't think that's what Divine-sama quite meant when he asked for you to call Rose out...But it's a good first step!" he remarked, still grinning that sadistic grin. A Monster and a Tuner were currently on her field though, though...Was she going to do it?

When the two went skyward, those green rings appearing around them and the blaze of light, the answer was quite clear: And what a majestic creature. "Oooh, very nice Miss Takeda! I'll admit I've never seen this monster before! What can it do, I wonder?" he pondered to her playfully; he would quickly find out soon enough, though as the Warrior's monster cut down his Gold Gadget...

Only to be struck by a stray bolt of lightning that made his already sparse hair stand on end, much like he'd just touched a Van de Graaf sphere as his LP dropped to 6800 from the attack and effect. "Well, that suits me just fine." he said calmly as he rubbed the sides of his head, those cones of hair now back in perfect shape.

"Thanks to you destroying Gold Gadget, I can summon another 'Gadget' monster from my Deck...And now it's Silver Gadget's turn to share in the spotlight. Thank you for keeping my good King unharmed" Jun commented, the silver-plated device-beast appearing in a flash of light before turning into a sphere from it being summoned in Defense mode. "My draw!" he then said, pulling another card from his deck.

His eyes spoke volumes of the disappointment in his current hand, "Ah well...Seems my cards don't want this to end just yet. Guess that means you and I will have to play a little longer." He then placed a card in the Spell/Trap slot, the back of it showing as it appeared on the field. "I switch my Machine King Prototype to Defense mode and place one card face-down. And with that, I call my turn ended. Your move...Rose." he then taunted, as if to say 'You want to finish me, you best call her out before things get ugly.'

Hotsuma's eyes narrowed; why was this guy playing like this? Granted, he had done the same thing to him back in that alley. Was he trying to set up that situation from before? "Yuna, be careful! That guy's got a Trap in his deck that doubles dealt effect damage back to you!" he then called out, Jun grinning even more now, "Now, Hotsuma, why would you go and spoil the fun like that? She still has 6300 Life points and she even managed to put a dent in my own. Don't worry, I'm playing nice with her right now."

Jun then calmly put a hand and made a 'come hither' motion with his fingers, "Now then, Miss Takeda...I believe it's your move. I doubt this is all you have. Go on, summon another...Show me how strong you are!"
 

Yuna felt her heart racing, fueled on by a much more positive adrenaline rush. Despite the duel not going the way she would have preferred, it was indeed a start. One very highly in her favor, at that rate. The look of annoyance in Jun's eyes hadn't escaped her own amber ones, which made a very cocky smirk spread over her face. In the end, all he could do was set a monster and one spell or trap.

Fuck yes! Perfect!

Her eyes rolled as she drew her card. "Dude, seriously. Shut the fuck up! I'm not going to bring her out just because you're making shitty ass attempts to make me listen to you. Rose ... deserves better than you assholes, anyway."

"So does Mistress," she heard quickly quip, making Yuna's smirk change slightly into a more sincere smile.

Yeah well ... until then, I'm willing to tolerate this crap a bit longer ...

"I summon Command Knight, who'll give a morale boost to everyone on my field and raise their attack by four hundred, including her own." There was an extra bit of information, one that though Yuna didn't state out loud would be known to anyone who knew of the card. Since Yuna had another warrior on the field, they couldn't go after Command Knight, which thus implied Lightning Warrior would need to be targeted first. And with that now at 2800 attack, it was borderline suicidal. Especially if Jun's hand was as crappy as his eyes were hinting.

"Command Knight, go attack the face down!"

She hadn't forgotten about the face-down that was put on Jun's side. Still, if she didn't go on the offensive now, it would allow him too many opportunities to turn this duel around. And that was something Yuna literally couldn't afford risking. A soft sigh passed her lips as she watched the card get sliced down.

Either that card was a fluke or ....

"Lightning Warrior, your turn! Take down the Prototype!"

"Trap card open! Draining Shield!"

... It at least wasn't something like Mirror Force, which would have been worse. But at the same time, it was just as devastating. Now the lead in who had higher HPs was gone, as was a good chunk of Yuna's pride.

What the fuck am I doing wrong?!

"Nothing, Mistress. He would have had that used on you one way or another. Even if not this turn, he ---"

So why?! Why is everything working against me?!

"Mistress, please. Not everything. It's a temporary fix. You've used that same card, you know this!"

I've also used it when I can back up the use! And if he's anywhere half as smart, it won't be better with this fucker!

An inward sigh resounded loudly. One that wasn't bothered to be hidden. Yuna glowed - literally - all over her body. When the light vanished, the black hair was replaced with red once more.

"Alright, you son of a bitch. Let's get a few things straight. I highly advise you to never forget my full name. I am not simply Rose. My card title hints what I really am. You will get your dose of this experience first hand. Guaran-fucking-teed. Next, we agreed on a name, and it's Yuse. Y-U-S-E. If you're gonna purposely fuck it up like I'm half-expecting, fine. But best to remember it anyway. Second, it's your turn to give me your absolute worst. Because I swear --- if you can't so much as get through her wall, you are fucked. And by no means in the best of ways. The moment I begin the next turn, you'll see for yourself. And I will make damn sure you will pay for making Mistress this unnecessarily upset."

Her arms crossed over her chest, her fists clenching in order to fight the urge to withdraw her blade and simply decapitate Jun herself.

"Be glad this is a card duel and not one with weapons. You'd definitely lose, no questions asked. Turn end."
 
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Jun snickered as she retorted about not bringing out Rose; yes, yes he just needed to push a little bit harder. And with the monsters he had on the field - along with his own set card - he was safe for now. But unless he got something soon...He wasn't going to be for very long.

And she seemed to pick up on this, all too quickly for his liking; even though his face didn't show it, she would see that he wasn't feeling too comfortable with his current field. And it was true; most other opponents also wouldn't be too comfortable with the current set-up.

Even worse when she summoned Command Knight, a morale booster that raised the ATK of all Warrior-type monsters on her field. 400 points might not seem like much, but given that both monsters that mattered now had over 2000 ATK, this could become quite troublesome

As Yuna had surmised, she needed to attack...However, she would also find that he had cards in his Deck that would allow him to - at the very least - let him survive. And an inexperienced opponent might think that when she destroyed the Cyber Commander that his sole set backrow card was a dummy, a ploy to ward off attacks as he chose not to activate it.

However, right as Lightning Warrior's own strike would demolish his Prototype, he declared, "Thank you so much for that, Miss Takeda! Trap Card open, Draining Shield!" The energy-saturated strike of Lightning Warrior would immediately contact a semi-transparent barrier, the lightning laying over the top of the weapons of Yuna's monster being sapped into the plate at the front as Jun's own figure was encased in green light, his LP rising from 6800 to an overleveled 9600 as his chin lifted upward in apparent ecstasy, lips slightly parted in pleasure.

"Whoo....That feels fantastic! And who says getting an electric shock is only painful? I feel so full of life right now!" he cheered, his gaze coming back to settle on Yuna. Who understandably felt and looked distraught that her attacks had done nothing to him except take one monster off his field. And there Prototype Machine King stood, still atop that circuit-lain throne.

"Well, Divine-sama *did* tell you to bring Rose out...It's really your fault for not heeding his instructions." Jun teased, grinning that sadistic smirk as he continued to toy with the young woman. Who wouldn't stay that way for much longer.

Divine's gaze glinted with suppressed glee as he felt that familiar energy wash over Yuna...Before long, Rose the Warrior of Revenge standing before them. "So she appears...I can see Jun's hand, however. There are no viable plays he can make; I warned him of the dangers of toying with his adversaries. Ah well...He is who he is, and he's done marvelously to provoke Yuna into letting Rose take more direct control." the leader mused mentally. Even now, he could hear the excited whispers of his underlings. Rushed expressions of surprise and delight could be heard before Divine raised a hand once more, wordlessly silencing them as Yuna would address her opponent.

Jun himself felt excited shivers run down his spine; yes, this was what he was looking for! Even if he did wind up losing...He wanted someone strong, someone willing to go full throttle. And if a monster like Rose looked this dangerous...He was about in heaven what dueling a demon king would be like. "Say what you like my dear, but it doesn't change the fact that you were called out. Even so...I love that look in your eye, Yuse. Yes, you're not called the Warrior of Revenge for no reason. I can see it: The pain of your past, the desire to kill and destroy those that hurt those closest to you. You and Yuna must share quite the inner agony to have such vengeance brewing in your souls."

Placing a hand on top of his Deck, he then declared, "I draw!" But upon looking at the card, his face turned passive. "Ah well...I suppose it doesn't matter at this point. I've accomplished what I needed to for myself. I play the Permanent Spell card, Prohibition! This card allows me to restrict one card I declare from being played so long as this one remains face-up on the field! And I declare that troublesome Synchro Monster, Goyo Guardian! Let it be sealed! Hahahaha!"

His hand then went to his own Duel Disk, "I switch Machine King Prototype to Attack mode and strike down your Copy Knight! Crushing Pulse!" That same red light would hit the Defense-position Copy Knight, its image shattering as the card was destroyed and removed from the field; at least with this though, her LP wouldn't be touched any further.

"But sadly...I have nothing else to play, so that ends my turn" Jun then stated, giving Yuse a rather intrigued stare, those dark eyes glowing with sadistic glee. "Now then, Yuse...Show me your power! Show us all your strength!"
 

"Wrong."

Her arm dove down to her hip, finally unsheathing the sword. As tempting as it was to jump over, she didn't. Instead, Yuse simply held it up, allowing Jun and everyone else, including Divine and Hotsuma - to see the katana she was holding up. "Though it appears clear now, the appearance is a lie. A guise. The reason Mistress didn't want to bring me out is simple; I've proven myself time and time again. And against worse monsters than people like you. Fiends - actual ones. Undead. So many of those creatures and more ... have all perished by my blade. In or out of a duel, I do not need to prove my worth. However ... "

Yuse gracefully slid the katana back into its sheath, shooting an irked glare towards Jun.

"Since you have so adamantly called and begged fro me, fine. I'll simply teach you why it's unwise to ask for people such as myself or Bloody Mary. There are reasons you don't cry our names out, let alone consecutively. Yet, you've gone past your point of return so ... ask and you will definitely receive."

... Admittedly, there were a few pleasant surprises Yuse was hearing. One of which included her name being correct.

"Hmph. Damn straight you don't fuck that up," she mumbled, tilting her head as Prohibition was activated. For a few seconds, her heart froze ....

"And I declare that troublesome Synchro Monster, Goyo Guardian!"

" ... Goyo Guardian?"

Yuse paused, going silent and staying quiet for at least three minutes. Damn close to it anyway. She silently drew when Jun ended his turn, her muscles doing so out of instinct.

Finally ... she took her turn to bust out laughing.

"HAHAHA! Goyo Guardian, he says?! Haha ... oh wow ... whoooo."

Yuse shook her head, almost mimicking the very appearance Jun had; cocky and far more sadistic than the Yuna Hotsuma knew would ever dare to wear.

"Don't get me wrong. Mistress does have that card in her deck. But that is what you're afraid of? Oh no. I'll show you her true source of power. I activate Reinforcement of the Army to look through Mistress's deck and get a second Rose into my hand. She'll then arrive on the field. We'll synchro our level four Command Knight and Rose together!"

Both the emphasis on the word 'we'll' plus hearing two jumbled voices would reveal Yuna was still there. Just not in as much control as she had been about five minutes ago.

Once more, the rings surrounded the two monsters as they went up, beginning to fade away.

"Oh unholy avenger who wields the most blood-thirsty set of blades. Come, for we have found a new source for you to soak your weapons deep within and paint to your heart's content! Synchro Summon! Crimson Blader!"

It would be a hell of a bonus if Jun was becoming legitimately terrified at this point. But really, Yuse had one goal and only one at the moment; to win this duel and make him suffer. Or ... enjoy, should he truly be as masochistic as he was trying to suggest. Whatever. It was a win-win as far as she could sense.

In truth, this was one of those duels where the attack order did matter. Very much so. However ... Rose could literally feel everything around her, especially Jun's thoughts. After all, it took one to know one, yes? Well, as she was the primary source of Yuna's power, it was only fitting she could read Jun laughably easily. He was but a children's book at the moment ... one she would absolutely love to rip apart. And, in her own ways, she would. Not at all in her preferred methods, but it would suffice nonetheless.

"Lightning Warrior will strike first. This time, there is no way to save your Prototype. For Mistress, third time truly will be charm."

And so it was.

Any hushed whispers about the duel possibly being rigged by now were ignored. She knew everyone else - including Divine - could sense that as powerful as Yuse was, she wasn't sinking to those types of moves. No, she was a warrior, damnit. She had a huge sense of honor that was as powerful as her wrath. Forcing the duel to work in her favor would be too shameful for her.

... Okay, maybe not shameful, but certainly not as significant of a victory.

"And now, Crimson Blader will come for your blood! Double-Edged Attack!"

Whereas Jun had hurt Yuna and even made her stumble back, Jun wouldn't quite get the same treatment, though he may wish for it. As Crimson Blader lunged forward and made his swords move towards Jun's chest, his midsection would almost literally feel as if he were being stabbed with both sowrds at the very same time. If he had ever been against Aki, he would know the sensation all too well. Every ounce of Psychic power surging through Yuse would be felt in that single attack.

Yuse wasn't holding back, nor making an effort to.

It would be a miracle if by the end of this battle, Jun was still even able to breathe normally.

"Turn end. Pity the ten turn rule for surrendering exists, I'm sure. You have nothing; no escape, no hope, no nothing. I told you I would make you pay. I hope you're content with calling me out ... because it may very well be the last thing you do, depending on how strong you truly are and how much you'll cling onto your pathetic life when this duel ends."

Yuna was gone from this speech which could possibly be a bit reassuring. For Hotsuma, anyway. It meant, should he have any doubts on whether the same Yuna he knew was gone or not, that wasn't quite the case.

... And yet, it may be as much of a curse as it was a blessing, because now he was seeing how she could be. In a technical sense, but in a form and fashion nonetheless.
 
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Jun was still grinning for now, listening as she went on about why he shouldn't have called her out. "Please, do you honestly equate yourself to a child's horror story? I figured you would at least have more self-respect than that." he teased her, watching as she drew her card and held it up. His smile, however, quickly turned into a more serious expression when Yuse started laughing of all people.

Like she was mocking him!

"What the devil's so funny?" he demanded, Divine intervening "Your love of surprises won't help you here, Jun. I'm afraid when it comes to Miss Takeda's deck, Goyo Guardian is the least of your worries." The robed male's eyes widened a little; if Divine-sama was commenting on the power of her deck...Was there something he didn't know that existed within?

He soon got his answer, Yuse performing yet another Synchro Summon...This time summoning a much more lethal looking warrior than her first. "What in the devil is that?!" he asked, terror and excitement in his voice to extreme degrees; he didn't know she had that monster! What could it do?

...Or rather, what would it do to him?

Hotsuma watched on as it seemed Rose was taking more direct influence; his fists weren't clenched in anger this time. She was turning this around...Big time. Jun, that creepy fuck, was about to seriously regret pushing her this far. "Hell yeah! Kick his fucking ass, Yuna!" Hotsuma shouted in approval; even if it wasn't 'manly' to cheer from the sidelines, for him at least...She would see that he had her back even now as she turned the battle farther and farther in her favor.

Jun recoiled as his precious prototype was turned into scrap, the initial burst of 700 damage not doing much to faze him; though he did let out a bit of a shriek as Lightning Warrior's ability struck him, his LP falling to 8600. And that was before Crimson Blader would take a stab at him...Literally.

There wasn't much in the way of actual pain as the 'blades' pierced his torso...But it certainly didn't feel very good, almost like he was having a heart attack as his LP dropped further to 5800. His hands came up to grip at his chest before one would come up to cover his mouth; he pulled it away, expecting to see blood, but there was nothing there. His eyes were wide, dilated...This was the first actual near-death feeling he'd felt in a long while; a few times he'd challenged Aki, knowing full well he would lose but using the experience to toughen his body against other Psychics.

Granted, he wasn't as perverse as his partner Tokumo, which meant she'd held back a little bit more on him...But not by much. Though a little change for Aki was a relatively large one overall...But after the fit of fear subsided, Jun was silent, looking down at the floor...Then a low laugh came from him, his shoulders moving up and down before he threw his head back and cackled like a banshee. Those loud laughing jeers echoing through the silent auditorium, making many of the underlings of Arcadia possess quite worried expressions; Jun had a reputation as being an extreme sadomasochist, but this display had them wondering exactly what was wrong with him.

"OOOOH YES!"

His head then shot forward, his wide with fear no longer...But unfiltered excitement and boring holes through Yuse herself. "HAHAHA! THIS IS IT....THIS IS A DUEL! DIVINE-SAMA, YOU WERE RIGHT! SHE HAS THE POTENTIAL...SHE COULD BE THE STRONGEST AMONG US!" His gaze nearly manic as he continued to shout, "VERY GOOD, YUSE! SHOW ME MORE! SHOW ME SO THE ENTIRE WORLD CAN HEAR YOUR FALL!" He then drew his card and shouted without even looking at it, "I SET ONE MONSTER FACE-DOWN! TURN END! EVEN IF BOTH YOUR MONSTERS ATTACK ME NOW, I'LL STILL HAVE PLENTY OF LIFE POINTS! CONSIDER THIS THE ULTIMATE DEATH GAME!"

Hotsuma too had to step one pace back for a second; within his mind he heard the Emperor state "This feels like the time Brron tried to take my throne; the mad fool did not know when to surrender, but reveled in the pain I dealt...This one is not right in the head." Hotsuma nodded to no one outside, replying "Understatement of the century...I don't get it, Yuna's got him strung up like a catch of fish...And he's *enjoying" it" Yeah, they needed to get out of here as soon as possible. He wasn't at all concerned about Yuna's well-being; she was in top control of this match, and unless there was a REALLY big shift in the game - such as Jun drawing a card like Dark Hole or Raigeki - Yuna had this in the bag.

"Keep it going, Yuna! He's just trying to throw you off! One more good hit and he's done!" Hotsuma shouted encouragingly at his friend, if only to help remind her that he was still here for her and definitely wanting her to win.
 

"Hmph. You're shitty at hurling insults over to me, boy. Anyway, you can't say it's nothing. The Spirit World is much worse than anything this dimension has ever experienced. Even Sector combined with this shit hole can't start amounting to a quarter of what one has to endure just to survive in the Spirit World. And all of you - despite wielding such unorthodox powers - still would perish within minutes. Lest, of course, you got a decent guide. Someone who would be willing to help you survive and not die insanely quickly. But those spirits are few and far in between."

Her arms crossed as Yuse waited for Jun to complete his turn, doing so by setting a monster and that was it.

A low, slightly irked scoff passed Yuse's lips. Not because of all the nonsense Jun was saying, though that definitely didn't help. No. It was the card she'd drawn.

... Now why in the living fuck weren't you around in the first turn?

.. Ah well. She had it now, as well as a back-up plan. In the end, she supposed that was what mattered. While she didn't verbally reply to Hotsuma, he would see her grin in response, bowing her head politely to acknowledge his words.

"Hmph. Me? Fall? That's rich, coming from the man who is looking at a massive lose-lose field. It's as I said. You have no way to avoid losing, and it's still too soon to surrender. All you can do is stall. That will not help you out. Certainly not forever."

Yuse snickered, seeming to have heard something - probably from Yuna - in her head. "I agree, Mistress," she mused softly, setting the spell or trap she'd gotten down. "The lady says you should be glad this isn't a winner-takes-all match. And I'd have to agree with her. You'd lose far more than any pride you may have possessed -- if there was any to start with, given how pathetic your dueling skills have been. Given how your first encounter with Mistress and Hotsuma went, however, as well as my abilities ... "

Her smirk widened as she continued after allowing her sentence to trail off slightly.

"I can say I know for a fact your deck is betraying you. You have misused your cards for far too long. Finally, they're retaliating against you. Don't believe me? You'll see come your next draw and the outcome of this deck. Who knows, maybe you'll even hear them hurling insults at you? After all, you bastards want this power, don't you?! This ability?! Well ... "

Yuse turned her head, looking among all of the Arcadia members with a knowing look on her face.

"Then you will have to accept everything that comes with these abilities. And that ... is something none of you without any will power will be able to handle."

Turning her head back to the here and now, Yuse chuckled darkly as she looked at the mostly helpless Jun.

"True. For now, you do have a lot of life. But that's it. That's the only blessing you have! Crimson Blader, go forth! Double-Edged Attack against his set!"

It probably seemed backwards. But .. she was fine with enlightening him just how dire the situation was, in case he hadn't realized it.

"Crimson Blader's effect now activates. Since he destroyed a monster of yours and sent it to the grave, you can't summon level five or higher monsters. Any ability to swarm the field and try to overpower Mistress is gone. And soon, so will your life points ... and maybe your actual, literal life. Lightning Warrior! Direct attack!"

The paladin-like figure ran forward, clenching a fist tightly.

... And giving Jun's midsection a strong, electric punch.

It almost seemed like - at least Rose - was truly intent on trying to murder Jun! And in front of this entire audience, no less! She was holding back less and less, something that would be felt as Jun took all of the impact from this next attack.

"Turn end, you poor, ignorant bastard. Come at me ... if you can."
 
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If there ever was a comeback to behold, it would be this. And for all his taunting, all his playing around...It would seem Jun's time was running short. Even still, his grin never faltered, the glee of fighting such a strong adversary almost orgasmic. And if Yuse was this strong, how strong would the Emperor be?

The rest of the crowd, save for Divine and his more direct subordinates, flinched a little as she addressed all of them; they were just curious about this power! Hardly anyone would think of trying to cross her now with this display; if she was this dangerous in a Duel, who knew how she would act outside of it? If it was anything like Aki...They'd keep far away.

Hotsuma took note of the reactions and just smiled, "Serves you fuckers right. You better be scared." The Emperor chuckled within his mind, "I will give her this much credit: She certainly can command a presence when she wants to. Are you sure this is the same Yuna you know?" to which Hotsuma said "Rose might be going after Jun hard right now, but she doesn't strike me as the type to do anything Yuna wouldn't want to. She's asserting her current superiority...Besides, with how much Jun wanted Rose out, this is exactly what he gets."

The Emperor finished in a slightly menacing tone "What Rose said was correct though...The Spirit World, as your realm calls it, is not hospitable to normal humans. These fools like Jun are playing with forces they have yet to even begin to understand."

Jun's reaction was the same as she destroyed his monster...But he fell over coughing hard as his LP dropped to 3100 from the attack and effect, his body coursing with visible electricity. He would spend a few minutes huddled over, hands pushing against the ground as he would try to push himself back to his feet. He wasn't looking too hot now, scuff marks all over his robe and what appeared to be a burn mark on his front from the lightning-coated fist of Lightning Warrior, exposing a thin chest and some definition of his ribcage through the taut flesh.

Jun just laughed at her tirade, "Even if you should win, that's fine by me! You speak of cards as if they're living breathing beings. Well, let's just put that to the test!" And with that he placed a hand into the left front pocket of his robe and pulled out the card that landed them here in the first place: Beelze, Host-form of the Diabolic Dragons. "I believe that by your logic, I should be able to hear the scream if something should happen, yes? Well...Let's see how it likes this!" And in one fluid motion...He ripped the card in two! A stunned silence fell over the room as the halves of the powerful Synchro card drifted to the floor. Jun placed a hand to his ear, turning his head this way and that as if trying to find a sound.

Hotsuma heard a strange howling after Jun ripped the card, his back straightening as the sound died down. It was fairly quiet...But even he felt a cold spike shoot down his spine. "Did...did that card just..." he started to ask, the Emperor interrupting, "That was not a wise move on his part. Beelze is a legendary beast of rage...It will not take kindly to a mortal shredding a physical manifestation of its power. I have little doubt we'll be seeing the creature very soon."

"Hmm...I don't hear anything, do you? Maybe I tore the vocal chords by mistake, hehehahaha!"

After Jun's little display, hearing the pained roar of Beelze in the back of his mind, Yuse would hear in her head from Divine, "Yuse...Pardon the intrusion, please. But if I could ask you not to kill my subordinate in front of the others. I realize he's pushed his luck far too much as of late, but my intent was not for him to push Miss Takeda this far. As for that little stunt he just pulled, I did not know he had a copy of Beelze on his person. I can tell you this much: He has nothing, he cannot even place a monster on the field. I'm not telling you to throw the match, far from it you deserve the win and more...Just pull the punch a little, as the saying goes."

Jun just smiled weakly, drawing a card from his deck; he looked about ready to keel over, but somehow managed to hold his ground against this onslaught. "Well...As much fun as this has been...It seems this duel is over. I have nothing...Not even a monster to play." It would seem that the exchange between Divine and Yuse was indeed kept private, evidenced by Jun admitting his lack of plays left. He then held his arms wide open, saying "Turn end...Go ahead, give me your best shot....Rose, Warrior of Revenge."
 

"Wrong," Hotsuma and the Emperor would hear, solely in Rose's voice. The words, however, were directed at the more confident Hotsuma. The following confession was probably something the Emperor not only knew, but may or may not have been close to telling Hotsuma himself. "I'm sorry. But enough is enough. At the very least, I can get rid of the ones who have caused her the most angst. And that's exactly what I intend to do. So yes, I am literally going to kill him."

The voice would be full of resolve. There was no turning back, nor any way to convince her otherwise. She had calculated every thought, every move. And now, it all led up to this very moment. The one where Jun was helpless. Powerless. Literally unable to do anything ... except accept defeat.

"I draw and equip Crimson Blader with Fusion Sword Murasame, giving him an eight-hundred attack boost."

For those who really loved magic, they would absolutely enjoy what they were seeing next. Yuse walked off her platform and slowly began stalking towards Jun. She was literally walking in midair! Her hand stayed rested near her katana, very ready, eager, and willing to withdraw her weapon out.

"SHUT UP!"

When Divine tried to speak with her, Yuse narrowed her eyes and shot a concentrated, Psychic blast at the leader.

"You most definitely have not been helping Mistress out! You're as bad as those two! However .... if only because you at least can keep your sexual and sadistic urges under control, I can say without a doubt you will be left alone and spared. So long as you don't try to stupidly come out and stop me, anyway; then that will be a different story. Now stay out of my way!"

Her eyes rolled as she turned in time to see Jun rip Beelze's card apart. The half-fused body scoffed arrogantly, moving its head from side to side. "Idiot," she growled, "Of course it cried out. But someone as weak as you will never have the chance to hear it. Only those like my Mistress, Hotsuma, Aki, and Divine; they will know and have heard what I speak of. You? Hmph. I don't even begin to see how you got in this mere organization, let alone it's 'inner circle' of sorts."

W-Wait, Rose?! You're serious?!

"Of course I am! Why shouldn't I be?! You've killed too!"

In self-defense though! W-Wait, Rose! Hold on!

"WHY?! THESE ... THESE MEN ARE MORE MONSTERS THAN WE ARE!"

But the moment you kill him, what will that make you?

The right hand shook violently, fighting between withdrawing the blade or not. Just as rapidly, the locks of hair began to change color, shifting quicker than Aurora's dress did in Sleeping Beauty. Red ... black. Then red again ... black again.

Over and over the colors continued to change until finally ...

A heavily panting Yuna remained standing in front of Jun, the sword gone with her being in her own body and effectively in control of everything that was about to happen.

"R-Rose ... was right! You ... are pathetic. Weak. Sick! But ... " Her head moved from side to side. "Not worth our time, energy, or strength to kill. And so, Crimson Blader will do that in the most literal and metaphorical way possible."

Only her own will power and concentration was keeping her in the air; otherwise, it easy to see she would have fallen a considerable distance.

"Crimson Blader! Double-Edged Attack one last time!"

... If he died, it would simply be because he couldn't handle it, and really was as frail as it had been taunted. But otherwise, the strength concentrated in this attack was much less compared to the last several times. While his life points dropped to zero, Yuna stayed in front of Jun, ensuring her eyes weren't deceiving her. At least, it appeared that way. Instead, she revealed there was one last thing she had to say.

" ... You and Tokumo no longer have any right to look down on me. Assuming you pull through from everything Rose inflicted and Beelze doesn't somehow come for you, it should be shame alone that kills you. It's fitting for a horrible man like yourself... or someone that used to be a man, anyway."

Leaving her quip at that, she panted heavily, turned around, and began to walk shakily back. Any hushed whispers that may be echoing around her were ignored. She wanted to watch Hotsuma's duel then lie down for a bit. That .. had worn her out quite a bit. No doubt because of having to force Rose to disappear. Even now, she couldn't help but wonder ... should she have let Rose do whatever?

... If there was a next time in which it seemed the answer was yes, fine. she'd allow her warrior half to go nuts. But not before then. It would have otherwise been outright murder, and that was something even Yuna couldn't condone.
 
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Needless to say, Hotsuma froze momentarily as Rose addressed him, making the Emperor laugh "Guess you were wrong there, human. Not that I expected anything less; even so, you were right in one respect: Rose clearly cares about her host, more so than seeing her as just a vessel." Hotsuma grinned, "You mean the exact opposite of how you view me?" to which the Emperor simply stated "Exactly...Don't take my desire to preserve your body as a sign of compassion."

The swords of Crimson Blader seemed to gleam a wicked glow, the effects of the Muramasa Equipment Magic giving their edges quite the lethal gleam. Jun just waited, seeing the utter desire to destroy him; he knew he wouldn't be awake to witness Hotsuma's duel...But he could only imagine the power that would be felt.

However, his attention soon refocused on Yuna, who was...He actually had to rub his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. "The fuck...How is she doing that?!" the man exclaimed; how was this even possible?

Divine hardly felt the blast, powerful as it was, and replied "I'll have you know that I gave Aki the green light to remove Tokumo from the equation. I apologize that your Mistress had to endure so much...But understand, like she's told you, we're only here to help nurture your capabilities." Of course, he didn't expect her to believe. Not that it mattered, for Jun had allowed his disciples to witness but one of the two strange yet very successful test subjects.

Hotsuma, meanwhile, was a bit slow to realize what Rose was actually planning to do...Though he didn't mind seeing Yuna taking charge, he was a bit conflicted; the Yuna he knew would sure love inflicting damage. But now, she might actually let her Spirit kill this man; even as Yukio, he didn't recall one time the leader had killed someone in cold blood. Himself on the other hand...Wasn't so innocent, not that she needed to know that.

However...Things would come to a head as Rose paused in mid-air, the mental struggle soon heard throughout the room as they vied for control. But it wasn't too long before Yuna emerged the victor, hand still in the position as if to slide the blade from its sheath and run Jun through. "Yuna..." Hotsuma muttered, watching on as she regained control and had Crimson Blader attack.

Jun's head was thrown back, the unpleasant sensations of the monster's blades piercing his torso again much more tolerable this time...Though more than enough for him to fall forward and impact the ground right as his LP hit zero. There was a stunned silence for a moment, but Divine held up his left hand and stated quite clearly, "Well then...The victory goes to Miss Takeda. A most excellent display dear. Well done, very well done indeed."

Hotsuma rushed over once the Duel was done and the barrier lowered, holding Yuna by the shoulders before pulling her into a hug, "Holy shit, that was incredible! You ripped him a new one, for damn sure!" After a few minutes of the embrace, he then pulled back, "Though I think you might have scared some of the newer faces too...But that's alright, you showed them what Satellite's all about. What we're all about. You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us, right?"

It was here that Divine then spoke again, "Could I please ask for two volunteers to take Jun to the infirmary? Mr. Oboro, it's your turn now. So if you would be so kind...Your opponent will obviously be Jun's comrade. I wonder how you'll fare...You'll find HIS deck quite similar to yours. A duel of darkness...I'm so very intrigued as to the outcome!" He then added to Aki, "Aki, be a dear and help Miss Takeda get more comfortable. It seems her Duel took a fair toll on her."

Letting go of his friend as two underlings carried the unconscious man off the field to let his accomplice take his place, he just said "Don't worry...I'll try to make this quick." Stopping for a second, he then turned his attention to Aki, "Hey...If you mean what you said about keeping Yuna safe...Just, make sure she's alright, okay? Don't let her pass out and hit her head."

"Do you normally show such disgusting emotion?" the Emperor declared, Hotsuma replying heatedly as he walked away, "You're damn straight; unlike you, I care about my comrades. They're people I fight for, not have fight for me." That shut the Emperor up, Hotsuma adding "And speaking of fighting for...There's a certain someone I want to tear to shreds for the crap he pulled."

And without even waiting, Hotsuma's Duel Disk activated, the 'arms' slamming forward and the LP reading showing that new 8000 value as his cards were automatically shuffled. And before Divine could say anything else, the Disciples' boss all but shouted "Let that rapist fuck have the first turn! I'm going to show him there's no wall I can't shatter! Alike or not, he'll know how I earned my name!" Divine's eyes widened; twice now, he couldn't use an impartial method to determining Duel order. But even still, he just smiled and turned his attention to his fourth in command, "Very well...Tokumo, it seems the first move is yours. Do your best now."

"Eager, are we? Hope you don't mind if I spectate...I can feel it, the anger brewing within. If only Yuna knew how deep your rage truly ran...Would make withholding her identity seem a trivial matter." the Emperor commented, Hotsuma snapping back "Spectate all you want...But interfere and we're going to have a serious fucking problem."
 

"The fuck...How is she doing that?!"

That was but one of the few reasons Yuna was walking away, wearing the proudest smirk she'd mustered in ... a while. The past week or so.

I already said why. Well, Rose did, but still. The answer's easy. We're not weak. You are. You lack any strength in any form or fashion, but especially in the will-power department.

Whilst walking down, Yuna raised her hand and gave a mock salute to the other Arcadia members. "See ya bitches later. Would not wan to be any of ya though. Hehe~"

If they thought she was scary now, what asight they would ever get if they saw on her a wheeler. Somehow, that was worse ... usualy, anyway.

Regardless, Yuna almost felt as if she were still focusing. Still walking in the air as opposed to on the ground. The main thing hinting she finally finished descending down her platform and felt her feet plopping onto the new surface was a slight thud against her soles. Her head lowered and Yuna was briefly able to confirm a few things. One, she was indeed down and now officially on a flat surface. But two, and by far the more important thought racing through her head ... she'd won!

"Hotsuma!"

Her arms raised, wrapping eagerly around her new lover's neck as she held on. The tremors strengthened as she realized there was bad news mingling in with the good. Unfortunately, with her victory, it now meant it was Hotsuma's turn to duel. Her mouth opened as she originally started to tell him to be careful.

... But decided against it.

Yuna had Rose. He had his Emperor.

So instead, she offered not advice, but more akin to a favor.

"Give him hell for me, will ya? Feel free to make it as literal as you can and wanna."

Around now, when Divine was talking, Aki had already seen the signs. Although her face showed no immediate hint, she had heard a dragon's cry. And ... it was fair to deduce it very likely had been Beelze himself, which - admittedly - made even Aki shiver a few times. The Spirit World had been but a myth. Now .. after all she had just felt and sensed? Maybe there was some truth behind these myths? There was supposed to be anyway. But now, however, she was starting to become more of a believer.

"Hm? Oh!"

Aki nodded, quickly catching Yuna before she fell against the floor. Her eyes were fluttering; not quite going into a full REM cycle, but fighting between whether they wanted to reach that stage or not. "Alright. Come on, Yuna. I think you overdid it a bit. Should be all."

"Ngh ... I still wanna watch ... " Yuna managed to groan out.

"Stubborn one," Aki mused, chuckling softly. "Hmm. Alright. Come with me. There are a few places I can escort you to that'll give you a decent view while allowing you to observe and simultaneously relax. Just trust me and follow my lead, okay?" After ensuring Yuna gave an affirmative nod, no matter how weak, she began leading Yuna away, always keeping one arm draped firmly over a shoulder. We aren't going far, she reassured Hotsuma, Just to one of the nearby lounges. You'll easily be able to feel us if we're not back soon enough.

Tokumo, meanwhile, was snickering.

"You fucking idiot, Jun," he scolded, shaking his head from side to side. The duel had been ... interesting. He had no qualms defeating Yuna in one turn. However, he couldn't help but admit even to himself he had wondered what her deck was like. If he couldn't see for himself ... well ... this was a good substitute. The sight of Jun officially seeming to lose him mind and rip up one of the Beelze cards was the main thing that made him chortle, sighing as he regained his composure.

"Ah well," he decided, "As long as it was his copy and not mine, I care not."

Seconds after he took over and stood where Jun had been mere moments ago, he heard Hotsuma's declaration and clicked his tongue. "Now, now," he said, waving a finger at the younger duelist. "Intent is one thing. Alas, I have never done that. Wanting to is one thing. Actually doing it? Alas, that's enough of a difference. You can't call me a rapist, therefore, if I'm not guilty of said crime."

Not yet, anyway, he added, shrugging as he heard and accepted the offer. "But ... if you truly want me to go first, fine. I can indulge you."

Taking his turn, Tokumo slid his own deck into his disk and drew his starting hand.

... He'd definitely had much better. But this could work.

"Well then, I'll set two cards and summon Witch of the Black Rose. Turn end. Show me what you can do ... brat."
 
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At the very least, Aki seemed true on her intent to help his partner and lover...And part of him felt a great deal of relief. Even if she was with Divine, she seemed...Better in his eyes now that she was proving to be worthy of some trust.

"Thank you"

That was the probably the first nice thing he'd said to her the whole time she'd been here. He was a hard-head and he knew it. But so long as she had someone on the inside that actually cared about her well-being, that would make his life easier.

And as for his lover's request? He would make sure Tokumo would wish he'd never set foot in the arena with him.

"You mean you haven't done it that no one's heard of? I bet a snake like you's very good at covering their tracks!" Hotsuma shot back, holding the standard five cards in his hand as he watched Tokumo take his turn. He looked over his cards as the creep played a Tuner in ATK mode and two set backrow cards.

1700 wasn't a bad ATK stat for a level four...But Hotsuma's instincts felt like something was up...Even so, he wasn't going to back down. His deck was all about offense, beefing up weaker monsters and summoning high-level beaters to flatten any opponent with some elements of field control sprinkled in for good measure. And two set cards weren't going to deter him.

"That's the best you got? I'm gonna enjoy wiping that smug grin off your ugly ass face! I draw!" Hotsuma shouted fiercely, adding "I summon Trance Archfiend in Attack Mode!" The tiny shriveled looking creature appeared, letting out a rather pathetic roar...And with 1500 ATK, it certainly didn't look like much. Already, he could hear the rumblings above, about how summoning a weaker monster was a suicide move, about how there was no way he was going to win if he played like this.

Well, actions spoke louder than any words.

"You might laugh now, but I activate Trance's ability! I discard one card from my hand so that its ATK rises by 500!" Hotsuma declared, even going so far as to show the card he was discarding: Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World. "And how fortutitous, because now I'm going to eliminate one of your backrow! When Grapha gets discarded to my Graveyard, I can destroy one card on the opponent's field!"

And right as Grapha's card would slide into the Graveyard slot, his mirror image would suddenly appear from a portal. "Grapha, destroy the card on the left!" the Disciples' boss hollered, the monstrous demon forming a ball of black fire at the mouth before hurtling it at the card, its image shattering before Grapha disappeared once more. "And because of Grapha's sacrifice, Trance's ATK rises to 2000!"

The once frail fiend seemed to instantly put on mass rapidly, its non-existent muscles quickly bulging and its wings turning from nearly vestigial limbs into massive furls of leathery flesh and sinew, the roar it emitted now much more powerful as its height went from just under the witch's nose to towering at six feet tall.

"Trance Archfiend, stomp that little runt!"

But right as the massive demon lifted its massive foot to literally carry out its master's instructions, a declaration was heard.


'I activate my Trap Card, Spirit Barrier!'


And when the attack was carried out, the tiny witch blew apart from the force of Trance's stomp...But Hotsuma would see that Tokumo's LP were untouched. "Fucking A..." the young man muttered mentally...But this wasn't over. No, this was just the start!

"From my hand, I Special Summon Archfiend Commander!" was the next move, another massive titan appearing on the field now that he was in Main Phase Two, having placed the card on the field. "But its summoning comes at a cost this way. Trance Archfiend will be the sacrifice!" And just like that, Trance soundlessly shattered before a soul would remain, flowing into Commander's body and letting its surface come alight with currents of electricity, arms crossed over its massive chest as it stared Tokumo down.

"Well...This one seems quite knowledgable. Both are versed in the use of Traps to defend themselves." Hotsuma heard the Emperor muse, to which he replied "Yeah, well, he shouldn't get too comfortable...I just gotta keep hammering, and his wall will crumble."

"I set one card face down and end my turn. Your move." Hotsuma then finalized, a card appearing behind Commander as he awaited his opponent's turn.
 

And indeed, Aki did keep her vow. She didn't take any other detours. At worst, she considered if it would be smarter to take Yuna up to Divine's office. She would have thought more on the idea ... except that required too much security clearance. Naturally, Aki had the ability to bypass pretty much any door within Arcadia so, for her, it wouldn't be a big deal. Yuna would definitely be safe ... but even that wasn't a guarantee. In the end, the smarter move to make was indeed the shorter walk.

"Here we are," she murmured softly. The natural red head used her right foot to close the door behind them. A quick look around the room showed there weren't many comfortable surfaces to set Yuna down on.

So ... she walked towards the best; an empty, unoccupied table.

After laying Yuna atop the metal surface, she sat beside her, gazing out of the glass window. She didn't remain sitting for very long. Something was bothering her ... and even in her semi-conscious state, Yuna could kind of see it. But before she could inquire, Aki turned, wearing one of the most serious expressions on her face, before speaking.

" ... Yuna?"

"Hmm?"

"Now that you are more awakened with your abilities ... do you ... ??"

As Aki's question trailed off, Yuna tilted her head. Very carefully, she pushed herself up to a sitting position and looked over at Aki, intrigue easy to see reflecting in her yellow eyes.

"Do you sense if I could ... change like that?"

Yuna blinked, clearly not having expected the inquiry.

" ... No. And I'm not saying that simply because I'm exhausted. I .... no. Are you a bit jealous?"

When Yuna realized her attempt at joking was actually a very accurate and true rhetorical musing, she covered her mouth. "Oh shit," she muttered, "I .. I'm sorry. But I mean ... ahem. Think for a few minutes. You almost saw me kill someone. Granted, a person that would have deserved it but ... still. Would you really want an ability if it came with that side effect?"

"Yes!" Aki hissed, clenching her fists slightly. "If that could enhance my own powers, then yes! Yuna ... even though you weren't born with those ... you may very well surpass me. And that ... honestly irks me. Yet ... we as a group gave you and Hotsuma these powers. The only people to blame ... are ourselves." Her head bowed slightly as Aki elicited a defeated sigh. "You helped me realize ... that even though my source was a natural one, I'm still not as strong as I could be. I need to remedy that."

"Well ... can't you just put yourself in the tank? Do the same shit that was done to us?"

"That's the thing ... I've undergone those procedures already. Those were some of the first things Divine-sama made me do. But ... nothing! Nothing came from it ... nothing like what you have and ... "

Yuna nodded, already able to complete the rest of Aki's thoughts.

"That doesn't make you weak. Despite not having dueled you, I can feel your energy. It's ... not at all frail. Far from it. Truthfully, you're pretty close to passing Divine."

"Really?" Aki asked, her voice barely able to be heard.

"Yeah. I wouldn't just say that for the hell of it. But ... I don't sense you being able to shift your own form. However ... you do have ... something else." Yuna's head tilted as she looked right at Aki. "Hmm. It's hard to explain, more so because you have no visible mark like I do. I just now I'm feeling ... something. I guess ... maybe it's dormant? At least, for now, it seems to be. But you do have something different from me. I can say that without any doubts."

"Is it a bad thing?"

Yuna weakly shrugged. "I have no honest to gods idea. I just know what my senses are picking up on. But ... how long have you said you've been here again?"

"Why?"

"Because ... " Yuna paused, knowing her reply was a bit of a risky one, but a valid thought all the same. "I'm honestly a bit surprised Divine never brought this up to you. With you being his right-hand woman, it seems like a very essential topic."

Sure enough, Aki narrowed her eyes. "Are you trying to imply Divine-sama has known of ... whatever this is?!"

"Maybe," Yuna calmly answered. "I don't know for certain, given I wasn't here when you first arrived. It's a possibility. Nothing more, but certainly nothing less. And, in the end, just something to think of. His actions don't match his words though. That in itself is worrying. I mean ... even when I was in arm's reach of Jun, he didn't lower the barrier. He was going to let us kill Jun. And for what? Some 'greater good' bullshit? Aki ... I don't get what you see in that man. And I don't think Hotsuma does, hence why he's been reluctant to trust you prior till now. I just really do think you should take advantage of your break - during and after this duel - and think over your loyalties. It's your call in the end, but ... "

Yuna slowly moved her head from side to side.

"I'd never dare allow Divine to be the man I trust my life with. Fuck and no. You're one of the only people in Arcadia I can say deserves so much better than what you have. And as a potential, future friend, I'm just trying to help you out."

It was a bold confession. Brutally honest, too.

One that normally would result in said person getting slapped or otherwise attacked.

But ... Aki couldn't. Not this time.

Maybe ... those words had some truth? Much like what she'd heard Yuse say regarding the Spirit World? Merely replying with a huff, both women turned and watched the ongoing duel. "I don't normally take sides," Aki admitted slyly, "But I'll gladly do so this time around. He may not want it ... and that's fine. But I hope Hotsuma knows I'm definitely praying he'll emerge victorious."

Meanwhile, Tokumo clicked his tongue as he watched Hotsuma take his turn. It started out like most other duels did; easily enough. But as quickly as things began, it just as swiftly escalated. His tongue clicked again as he watched his set Shrink card get destroyed.

It would have been very highly preferred for that to have remained on the field.

... Ah well. He still had another trick or two up his sleeve.

"I activate my Trap Card, Spirit Barrier! No damage this time around."

Of course, it didn't solve the other problems. A mostly empty field, for one. Especially in terms of monsters. But ... he'd get that altered soon enough, or so he figured.

"My turn, then. Draw! I'll set another card and summon Shadowpriestess of Ohm! Luckily for you, it'd do me nothing to use her effect yet. So that will end my turn."
 
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Hotsuma could feel Yuna and Aki still, meaning she'd kept her end of the deal. Whether or not she was rooting for him wasn't much of a dealbreaker either way; far as he was concerned, she was still an unknown. An enemy to be wary of. But at the very least, he might be able to at least not want to rip her throat out.

Even so, that Spirit Barrier card was going to become a nuisance unless he had some other way of circumventing it. Not to mention there was the other face down. Likely another back-up in case his Spirit Barrier was destroyed; he wondered if it was a card that negated all battle damage, as he'd never heard of it before.

"No, you fool. Look more closely; the energy's essence is tied to that Shadowpriestess. Her presence fuels its power, destroy her and you get direct access to the coward." the young man then heard the Emperor state; Hotsuma's eyes narrowed, seeing a few tendrils of energy going into the card which then made a shield around Tokumo. "So, I guess this is a benefit of the whole contract thing?" Hotsuma asked, the Emperor stating "Apparently so. Shame too; she was once a loyal servant to my empire, but did not quite agree with my apparent 'idleness'. And to this day, I still have no idea who this 'Ohm' truly is...But if I do ever find out, I'll tear the tongue from his throat and reclaim the Shadowpriestess' services for my own."

Hotsuma didn't say a word, but instead declared 'Draw!' and drew his next card, smirking as he saw what it was. "Now...I believe you questioned my ability? Summon me, and use it to destroy his defenses." he heard the Emperor command; however, the boy would take a different route.

"I Normal Summon Archfiend Emperor, First Lord of Horror!"

A deafening wail resonated throughout the room as Hotsuma slammed the card on his monster zone, the air seeming to shake with fright itself as a mighty shadow seemed to crawl from the ground, rising higher and higher until it towered even over the auditorium itself by nearly a story's height. The colossal darkness was massive, the only distinguishing feature being the blood-red eyes at the very top.

It held an imposing presence, something that nearly all of the other juniors noticed; some of those poor kids looked about ready to wet themselves, and even Divine's eyebrows arched as he felt the reviling energy wash over him. "Interesting, very interesting...He could have used Ceruli to get Grapha back, but instead he summons his ace. Just what will you do, Oboro?" Divine wondered, watching with earnest as Hotsuma would make his next move.

"Even though he's a Level Eight, I can halve his attack and defense to summon Emperor at no Tribute. Now, Emperor, absorb the soul of the fallen Trance Archfiend and destroy his set card! Imperial Decree!" Hotsuma shouted; the shadow's right arm lifting before Trance's soul went screaming into it from the Graveyard; at that moment, a storm of black tendrils erupted from the near-formless limb, striking Tokumo's face-down and blowing it away, but not before he saw what it was.

"Magic Cylinder, huh? Figures you'd have a card like that in your deck...You might be able to eat one attack, but you won't get through two!" was his next statement; at 1500, he couldn't kill the Shadowpriestess...But Commander could.

"Commander, strike that witch down! Abyssal Crash!" was Hotsuma's command; the demon's body became alight with electricity, charging forward and smashing a fist across the woman's jaw, her image dissipating with Tokumo's field wide open again as Spirit Barrier would eat the damage.

"Now, Emperor! Attack him directly! Show him the true might of the darkness! Omega Final!"

The colossal figure's eyes glowed even brighter red, before long twin beams of annihilating energy erupting from them and striking Tokumo without mercy or hesitation. Hotsuma's fist clenched in rage, "After all that shit you said to Yuna, this is how you're going to fight me? With cheap tricks and transparent strategy? By the time I'm done with you, all that will be left is ash! Turn end! And with it, Emperor goes to the graveyard!" Hotsuma roared, feeling a dark anger surge from within; but he didn't care, even as the shadow would descend out of sight and into Hotsuma's Duel Disk Graveyard slot.

Unless Tokumo could somehow turn this around, this was not going to look very good. "I'm going to assume you had a reason for using my power that way...Be careful in the future before using a persona of myself so carelessly boy." he then heard the Emperor comment coldly, Hotsuma replying just as much so "Instinct told me it was a trap...Better to get rid of that than have my own monster's attack redirected at me."
 

Yuna felt her heart freeze as the Shadowpriestess came back into view. Only when no more cards were played did Yuna let out a long, deep sigh of relief. A soft chuckle helped her remember she wasn't alone, and turned to see Aki beside her.

"I take it he used that when you fought him last?"

"Y-Yeah. Used it in a one-turn knock out against me," she mumbled, not bothering to hide her bitterness lingering in her voice.

"Ouch," Aki grimaced, nodding in understanding, "Well ... you aren't the first I've seen him do it two. Her plus two Fires of Doomsday cards, yes?" After seeing her nod, Aki followed suit. "Yeah. He's pulled that exact move on several unfortunate bitches and bastards. You're just the first I sincerely regret hearing him do that on."

"I see. Fair enough. I probably did seem too ... spoiled for you to care about beforehand, huh?"

"Dunno if I'd say spoiled," Aki quipped, "But .. definitely something, yes."

When Hotsuma went on to summon a level eight monster as if it were merely a four star one, he raised an eyebrow. It took him a minute or so before he understood how it was possible to achieve.

Oh? One of those cards, huh?

There weren't many that Tokumo had heard of. Still, the concept of level five or higher monsters being able to enter the field without using an actual tribute wasn't unheard of. It just meant - more likely than not - it would die at the end of turn. Or some other form payment would need to be made. Which was fine. Tokumo would deal with that much.

Of course, it would make knowing his priestess was about to disappear that much more annoying, simply because Magical Cylinders could stop only one attack, not two.

But that's fine, you got --

His eyes widened, and a much more frustrated growl passed Tokumo's lips as his Magic Cylinders got destroyed. "You little shit!" he spat, wincing as the first bit of actual damage connected to his life points. "Hmph. She's the last of your worries at the moment, Hotsuma-kun."

But I swear, I'll teach little Yuna her own place in time, he promised himself, drawing his new card upon hearing Hotsuma end his turn.

... Hmm ...

To say he was happy about his hand would be the biggest understatement of his life. In fact, now it was horrible. Really bad. He was almost drawing dead, if he wanted to be completely honest with himself.

Still, 'almost' isn't the same as you doing just that, he reminded himself, nodding as Tokumo decided the next move to play. "Don't get too cocky yet. Duels can turn around in a heartbeat. I'm sure you have seen your fair share of those exact instances. I'll set another monster and end my turn."

Normally, he would have gone on and activated his field card. But against another Fiend user ... that was suicidal. It would have done much more good for Hotsuma than himself. So .. he had no other choice but to stare in annoyance at his Mystic Plasma Zone, lamenting he couldn't use it. Mind you, he still would have set his monster. But at least it would have allowed for a better offensive set-up instead of being forced to go on the defense.
 
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It was true; Hotsuma did have his fair share of Duels that turned around in a heartbeat. And as it was, he was still stuck in his current situation with Spirit Barrier; but at the very least he knew that having Magic Cylinder gone was a huge boon in his favor. How much longer he couldn't say, but he wasn't about to let Tokumo gain an upper hand.

"So...what's the next move?" the Emperor asked after Tokumo placed on monster face down; Hotsuma eyed through his hand, seeing some plays he could make but he didn't want to risk his monsters succumbing to some flip effect. That could very well turn the tide against him.

"Draw!"

And when he saw the card he just drew, it was a huge one that would give his monsters a better chance for survival. But for now, Commander would have to hold the front line by himself. Not that it seemed to be much of an issue, since Tokumo was obviously being forced on the defensive. "I set one card face in the backrow and attack your Set monster with Archfiend Commander! Abyssal Crash!"

And much like before the titanic demon rushed forward and punched downward, the monster appearing for a brief moment before shattering into the ether. The destroyed monster was one that Hotsuma had seen before, for it too laid in his deck: Dark Sprocketer. That confirmed it, this guy was running a Fiend deck...Or at the very least a deck of Dark monsters like himself.

"You have a means to summon more powerful monsters...Why not use them?" he then heard the Emperor state condescendingly, Hotsuma growling "Because you of all people should know the weakness in this deck. Each strike has to be carefully accounted for. One fuck up and I lose my momentum, and give that shithead a chance to turn it around. As much as he's playing careful, I have to assume he's trying to stall...And as it stands I can't damage his Life Points with Spirit Barrier in the way right now...All I need is one card and I can crack his defense wide open. So that means I too need to play carefully...Besides, this is the guy that one-shotted Yuna."

He wasn't trying to call his friend weak or anything, but state what happened; he could only assume that he was trying to go for that combo again. Which meant trying to both keep the pressure on and clear his field of monsters, as well as pick and choose where to strike.

In a way, it was like he was fighting Sector again...Which was an oddly uplifting sensation.

"I call my turn ended here!" Hotsuma declared confidently; he still had Commander on the field with a solid 2500 ATK, and Tokumo only had the Spirit Barrier, which currently sat inactive due to no monsters in play on his side. He then pointed as a last dig at Tokumo, shouting angrily "And by the way, call me Hotsuma-kun again and you'll get worse than your clown-faced friend!"
 

Tokumo eyed all of the traps Hotsuma had placed down. Well ... some could be spells. However, given the lack of them being used, it was more fair to assume at least two things were probably correct. One, they were indeed traps. Two, they were ones that likely were meant to keep his monsters alive and in tact, as opposed to things like 'Barrel of Destruction' which reflected effect damage back. The next smartest types of cards would be ones that negated effects from happening to his cards - which, in Hotsuma's case - meant Fiends and probably Dark cards.

Nodding to himself, feeling confident he'd read the field well enough, Tokumo drew.

... Now where in the hell were you several turns ago?

Under normal circumstances, Giant Orc was a damn good card to put in attack mode. But now ... with that punk having something already stronger than it naturally, it was pointless. And another example of why trying to use Mystic Plasma Zone was all the more useless of a move to do.

Tokumo gripped his lower lip briefly, smirking as he heard Hotsuma object to being addressed with the 'kun' suffix.

... Well, at least there was one way to have fun during this fight, especially since he seemed to still be on the losing end.

"Hmph. I say and do what I want. And right at this moment, you can't do shit to make me change my mind. I'll set another monster face down and end my turn ... and call your bluff. The only thing worse than what Jun got would be actual death. And you, Hotsuma-kun, don't have it in you to do that much. Brats like you are the ones that are tossed away in the Facility, never to be seen again. There are very few street punks who are still out and about, let alone ones with blood on their hands. Literally or otherwise."

Tokumo chuckled, his grin widening further.

"Of course," he added with a non-caring shrug, "If you really think you're such hot shit, come at me. Prove me wrong. Make my day ... if you can."
 
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Hotsuma's brow twitched a little as Tokumo continued his banter, using that damn 'kun' suffix again. His fists clenched even harder, almost hard enough to where he'd be drawing blood. Even from where Yuna and Aki were, they'd be able to feel the murderous intent.

"You realize he's bluffing you, yes? He's trying to throw you off, so if you want to make him pay, focus on destroying him. Ignore his blather and revel in the fact that he has nothing to back up his claims." the Emperor told his vessel; he knew that what Tokumo was saying was inherently false. There was much he didn't know about Hotsuma...things the Emperor became privy to once the impromptu contract was forged.

"You don't know what I'm capable of, shit-head...I've done things that would make you piss and shit yourself in fear! And if you won't stop being an annoying asshat, I'll gladly shut you up!" Hotsuma bellowed, shouting afterwards "Draw!"

Now Tokumo had gone and pissed him off...Something he would learn sooner rather than later was not a very wise thing to do with someone that was bonded to a demon lord. Archfiend Commander, strong as it was, wasn't going to cut it; he needed a change of plans.

Which meant having to sacrifice another of his monsters. "Sorry, Commander...You served well" he muttered, before holding a new monster in his hands up to the sky.

"I tribute Archfiend Commander to Advance Summon Red-Eyes Lightning Lord, the Evil Archfiend! Rise from the depths of Hell and make the atmosphere quake with your power!"

And with this, an enormous bolt of lightning crashed harshly into the stage before them, atomizing Archfiend Commander before the stage became ablaze with blinding crackling light. And from this luminous pillar came an even more massive beast, its wings easily over ten feet wide and its form covered in corded musculature that coursed with powerful currents of electricity. Even more so than the Commander that was used to summon it; it was as if this demon was unholy thunder given form, arcs jumping and cracking off its body as it let out an ear-shattering scream before its ruby hues focused intently on Tokumo, the air around it humming from the sheer magnitude of electricity emitting from its unholy figure.

"Ah, I see...So this was your plan." the Emperor commented thougtfully, Hotsuma replying "Not my plan...But it definitely worked out well. Because if things go south, I need a back up...Granted, so long as he keep putting monsters in face-down defensive position, Red-Eyes' effect won't do me any good." Still though, Hotsuma knew it would be fortuitous to have this in reserve; there were plenty of monsters, after all, that could be splashed into

But he was also banking on Tokumo being unfamiliar with the higher level Archfiends...Because if he wasn't, then there was a higher chance his plan could backfire.

"Even still, this plan will work...But for now, you seem to keep stalling him from making any more plays. Even if you can't damage, all you're doing is helping yourself and reinforcing your field. It seems your time in Satellite has served you well, both you and your comrade." the Emperor replied calmly, being no stranger to military strategy.

"Careful, Your Highness...That almost sounded like a compliment." Hotsuma replied mentally, then shouting "Red-Eyes, destroy his face-down card! Abyssal Super Storm!" That same high pitched scream emitted from the monster again, the air shattering as a barrage of bolts seemed to fire into the sky; before long a demon's face appearing above them; and within moments, the monster was struck down by another massive thunderbolt that completely annihilated it.

"Like I said, Tokumo....You can keep throwing out monsters all you like, but before the true Demons...All they are and all they will be is fodder for them to destroy! Turn end!" he declared; even so, he was starting to get noticeably frustrated. If only because he hadn't made any more hits to this bastard's Life Points. Yuna had Jun down to one strike by this point, and Tokumo was still sitting pretty at 6500...Needless to say, he was a bit upset with himself for not having his counter down further than that.
 

"Ah, the times I don't have a camera. It's always when I wish I had one that, of course, it's not within my grasp. Such a shame. That look on your face is absolutely priceless. It suits you very well, quite frankly. Hehe."

If he had heard Hotsuma insist he was scary, Tokumo wasn't buying it. At least he didn't say anything more on the subjects. Still, he was definitely not taking Hotsuma nearly as seriously as he probably should.

Why not?

Because it seems his draws are as shitty as mine. His offense is weak compared to what it could very well be.

Tokumo would quickly see, however, he must have gotten something. Enough to change the pace slightly, which definitely irked him quite a bit. Of course, he had been hoping to be the first between them to turn this duel around. But ... his move was still fine. Hotsuma only got his monster out because he sacrificed the previous monster in the first place. So, in the end, it was still him constantly setting things while Hotsuma only had one card to attack with.

It was definitely an annoying back and forth exchange ....

But compared to his idiotic 'companion', Tokumo liked to believe - nay, know - he was already doing much better than Jun had. Maybe not with hit points or winning. But at least he hadn't been dumb enough to taunt Hotsuma and try to force him to change into his own form.

... Interesting. Is he too scared? Does he not trust his own spirit?

To some extents, Tokumo couldn't blame Hotsuma. Demons were pretty damn tricky, some much more than usual.

"I'm not buying it," Tokumo finally said, "I mean ... if you're really tough and whatnot, like I said earlier, prove it. Let your own inner Fiend come out. I would but ... well ... I don't quite have that ability. So, you do it. Alternatively, I'll do so the moment I obtain the capability. After all, you and Yuna got such talents. I'm sure any of us who actually attempt to try to earn such a gift can - and will - end up getting it. Maybe not overnight ... but in time."

... Jun may not have taken the concept seriously. But the more Tokumo thought about it, the more was finding it very appealing. It would be so easy ... to rip this fucker apart and just simply indulge in any and everything he wanted. It was a no-brainer as to whom his form would be.

... Yes. I think I will see about that ...

Smirking at the thought, Jun drew and felt his spirits rise. Finally! It wasn't perfect, but this was definitely a start. A way to slowly start shifting the odds towards him as opposed to against him.

"I'll set a monster and end. Your go~"

Unlike all of the previous sets, however, this one had a trick that came along with it. Hotsuma would find out ... once he tried to attack, that was.
 
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