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


A loud, feral-sounding snarl could be heard as Yuna chastised the Emperor. "You dare command me, wench!? Count yourself fortunate my vessel can't move, else he'd be strangling your scrawny little neck!" Hotsuma's literal inner demon shouted, the host shouting back "Yeah right! Like I'd let you make me lay a hand on her like that!"

"Please you two...There's no need to be..." Divine started to interject but was met with a resounding "STAY OUT OF THIS!" by both Hotsuma and the Emperor, the Arcadia leader looking quite stunned at the force they shut him up with. "Boy, I warned you about mouthing off to those superior to you...Now feel the consequences of your actions!" the Emperor roared; and within moments, Hotsuma felt as if a thousand hot knives were piercing him all over, a strangled yell leaving him as his body weakly writhed. The Emperor's influence making his nerves light up in response to an unseen force and extreme pain coursing through him.

"That...the best you got, pussy? I know Sector twinks that hurt me worse than this!" Hotsuma shouted defiantly; and not two minutes later, the pressure left him as his Duel Spirit suppressed loud grunts of agony, even the Emperor breathing a little more heavily once the moments of torture were done. "Tired already, gramps? Heh...Hehehe, not much bite now, is there? In case you forgot...We share this body, and all the good and bad that comes with it. So by all means: Keep hitting yourself." A low growl echoed throughout the room, the Emperor's reply short-tempered "You're just fortunate you're more valuable alive than dead, whelp. You're not worth any suffering I might incur because of your carelessness." Hotsuma just grinned weakly, not saying anything in return.

Aki could only shake her head; that boy was too stubborn for his own good, and if he had any sense he wouldn't jeopardize himself out of pride. But then, he did challenge her to a Duel, even with his limitations. There was something to be said for his courage...However misplaced and idiotic it might have been.

Her face stayed passive, however, as her opponent demanded to know what was going on as her second Blue Flame Swordsman was instantly ensnared, its strength dropping only 900. "Black Garden halves the ATK of all monsters not summoned by its effect, and the summoner's opponent receives a 'Rose Token' on their field in Attack position." she clarified, watching on and not even flinching as the both the Rose Token and her face down monster were destroyed, her LP at 6200. "To answer your question, however: Yes, the risk goes both ways...Even so, there are ways to utilize the disadvantages to my benefit." she then added on as an afterthought.

She did have a trap...But using it now would only be a waste. "My turn, I draw" the Psychic expressed straightly, placing another card on her field in face-down Defense Position. "I set a monster face-down and that will end my turn" was her final response, waiting for Yuna to take hers next.
 

"No he wouldn't," Yuna shot back in a very confident tone. Because ... well, this was one of the few times she could reply without any second guesses. And if the threat had been uttered at any other time - namely before she became Hotsuma's lover, it would most certainly have sounded more real. More ... legit.

But as things were?

It was exactly as Hotsuma said.

He wasn't weak, both mentally and physically. Even if that would have been true, Yuna was no push over either.

Granted, she'd never actually gone toe-to-toe against Hotsuma in a strictly physical fight. But she was confident enough that she wouldn't have gone down without being able to fight back.

"Both of you," she muttered, trying her best - but horribly failing - to block out the mental fight between Hotsuma and the Emperor. "STOP! THAT'S ENOUGH!"

.. Back to Yuse she went. Just like Divine had seen and heard. This time, however, she changed. Only partly, but it was still enough to make it easy to see - should the voice not make it obvious - Yuna wasn't only herself. The normally black locks changed back to their crimson hue. For the briefest of seconds, even Yuna's irises seemed to glow a blood red color before returning to their normal shade of hazel.

Her head turned, the now half-fused warrior shifting her gaze to the other, natural red-head. Taking several deep breaths first, she looked over to the field and then up once again as she drew once Aki ended her turn.

She was at least staying on the defensive. Granted, it made much more sense now that the Garden was in play, but ... this could help out, actually. After all, if she only intended to stall - or remain on the defensive - it'd give Yuna plenty of chances to work with everything, no matter how painful this card would be to her monsters.

"I'll set a card. I then summon Marauding Captain, who'll bring Rose along as well. I'll use my second Blue Flame Swordsman I summoned plus Rose to Synchro Summon!"

The two monsters jumped up, with her own copy of Rose actually having to help the swordsman a bit to ignore the thorns and agony he was still in from emerging, only to be immediately weakened.

I'm sorry, everyone. I'm going to make this duel count to keep your efforts from being in vain ...

"O unholy warrior wielding a blade coated in your opponent's blood! Arise, for your work is far from done! Help me paint my foe and the field all around us a deep hue of crimson! Synchro Summon! Crimson Blader!"

A visible frown formed on her face as she watched Crimson Blader's attack get reduced. Even the form itself was wrapped in an eerily similar fashion to how Hotsuma was with his ankles.

"Hang in there, Crimson! I'll use Blue Flame Swordsman's effect to -- "

"Trap card activate, Wall of Disruption. For each monster on your side of the field, they lose 800 attack."

... What .. ??

"Yaro!" Yuna spat, beginning to feel the absolute worst parts of her personality taking over. Not quite to the same degrees it'd gone with Jun, but it wasn't much better. And if things kept going this way? Yuna had no honest idea if she could guarantee her sanity would remain, though that may end up being the last of Divine or Aki's concerns too.

"I'm still resuming the effect so he can activate his second one! Rose, revive!"

In place of where the azure-wearing soldier stood was now her spirit form.

"Everyone who is able to, lunge forth and attack! Crimson Blader, you're first!"

A sigh of relief passed her lips. With the attack being successful, albeit barely, Crimson's effect went through.

And now, she can't summon any level five or higher monsters ...

It'd at least restrict Aki, which was a good start.

"Turn end."

"Stop fucking with my comrades, bitch!"
 
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Aki was about to say the same thing; however, it seemed Yuna was more than ready to tell them both to stuff. Of all the creatures to be bonded with, it had to be a demon king, the redhead thought to herself. Making absolutely sure to keep her thoughts private lest she receive her own tongue lashing from the Emperor.

"Appreciated" she added in a muted voice, checking her hand as Yuna would take her turn. As it stood though, all she had was the monster on her field in face-down defense mode. That all changed, however, when she began to summon...Placing Rose Tokens on her side of the board. A fatal error that could very well make her lose the momentum she'd worked so hard to build.

Aki did smirk when Yuna summoned Crimson Blader; of all the Synchro Monsters in her deck, it was one that was the most dangerous. Not just because of its exceptional strength, but its effect too. A technique that would basically shut down decks like Hotsuma's, and any deck that relied on swarming higher level mosnters. Even more so when she attempted to use her monster's effect to boost the attack of her weakened Blader.

"I'm sorry Yuna...Trap Card activate, Wall of Disruption. For each monster on your side of the field, they lose 800 ATK." she replied, not flinching as she insulted her. There were only two attacks this turn, Rose and a Rose Token killing each other and her other Rose Token falling to Blader's lethal strike.

And when Rose went on further to tell her to stop messing with her comrades, Aki sighed, "I've no intention of simply toying with your comrades. My turn, I draw". Taking one card from her hand, she started with "I sacrifice two Rose Tokens to set a monster in face-down Defense Position, then I switch my other face-down into Attack mode. Appear, Botanical Lion!" At this, the monster appeared...And Yuna would soon get a taste of what Hotsuma had gone through, the creature's ATK rising to 2200 from its own effect.

"I attack Rose, Warrior of Revenge with Botanical Lion." Botanical Lion leaped forward and attempted to bite the woman, only to hear Yuna shout

"Trap Card, Spirit Force!"

And with that, her attack's damage would fade to zero. "Excellent move...I set one card face-down and end my turn." Aki stated, waiting for Yuna to make her move.

Divine watched on, seeing these two slowly whittle each other down. "Excellent, excellent...This is turning out to be quite the splendid show." Divine mused, stroking his chin as his eyes would follow the different turns they would. Were it for the fact that Aki was here well before Yuna, he'd have sworn they were separated at birth.

Hotsuma meanwhile, tried to move and felt his body shake from the agony, almost instantly giving up. "Damn it..." he groaned within his own mind, pissed that he couldn't even move. "Yuna...Keep going. You can do this" he then added on; if he couldn't move, at the very least he could show his support...And maybe she might overlook the fact his carelessness did in part land them in this fine mess.
 

Luckily, Spirit Force had done its job. Mostly, anyway. Yuna visibly frowned when her deck forbid her from searching for a tuner. The fuck was going on? Had her disk bee tampered with somehow? When the answer came to her, she groaned and tilted her head.

That's right, dumbass. It works for tuners in the graveyard, not deck. You don't have any. Geez, girl ...

Still, the fact Yuse was nearly forced to watch Rose disappear from the field ... it pained her. Literally, and in a very physical and even emotional level.

She's just who you change into ... isn't she?

So why was it feeling so much worse?

"Oh my god," she muttered, groaning as every thought in the room - be it her own or someone else's - echoed loudly in her mind. "Please quiet it down. Try to, a bit, anyway. Ugh."

Taking a moment to rub her forehead, she shot Hotsuma a smug smirk. "And you. Who in the hell told you I was gonna stop? Don't worry. I have no intention of not continuing this duel."

Of course, she would much rather do so without the garden in place. But ... she knew her deck and every card in it. The unfortunate truth was ... she didn't have anything such as Mystical Space Typhoon that could get rid of the damn thing. Maybe it could be something to look into for her deck? Either way, Yuna and her comrades had to deal with these thorns until the duel ended.

As Yuna drew, a relieved sigh passed her lips. Maybe things could finally turn around now that she'd drawn one of her strongest support cards.

"I activate Solidarity! Everyone will get an 800 point boost in attack!"

Now, even the cards that used to have 0 had something in their attack stat. Not much, no. But it was way better than staying at 0.

"I'll shift Crimson Blader back to attack mode. Rose! Attack one of the remaining tokens!"

As the sword cut through the flower, Aki's health would deplete twice; once from the initial hit, and then again from Rose's effect.

"Turn end."
 
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Hotsuma weakly grinned, noting Yuna's confidence; he knew she wasn't the type to back down. It was one of many ways they were similar, and probably why they connected so well. And...Probably why Divine included the stipulation about them being separated should Yuna lose this Duel.

Of course, he couldn't feel that the vines around his ankles were rising up and starting to dig in more deeply; Yuna hadn't suffered much damage yet, but come Aki's turn, she would definitely get receive a hefty hit to her LP.

Around Aki's legs, the resulting damage made the thorn-covered vines crawl up her legs as well, tears forming in her stockings but no blood starting to leak yet. Likely due to her own prowess and command of her abilities under Divine-sama's watch. Troubled as her mind had become of late about the integrity of his actions, she was still very much grateful and loyal to him for everything he'd done.

"My turn, I draw" Aki stated firmly, adding as she showed a card to Yuna: Thorn of Malice. "I equip Thorn of Malice to Botanical Lion, raising its ATK by 600 points." And as Yuna would see, the plant-beast became enshrouded in deadly-looking thorny armor, its ATK rising to 2500. She then pointed a finger at Crimson Blader, "I'll attack Crimson Blader this turn with Botanical Lion."

And like she'd done with Hotsuma himself, the flower-lion charged and rammed Crimson Blader, 1700 LP being cut from Yuna's own LP...And she would both see and feel something else happen. "The effect of Thorn of Malice activates. Monsters battling a monster equipped with this card are not destroyed by battle, instead their offense and defense are weakened." Blader's ATK fell to a paltry 200, whilst his defense dropped to 2000 as vines came up to enshackle the once mighty swordsman. "And that's not all...Take a look at your limbs." she continued, pointing down at Yuna's feet and body.

If Yuna were to look at her limbs, she would see that the vines now crawled over her forearms as well as covering a good part of her thighs...And they were pressing down quite hard too, enough to tear Rose's outfit at the very least. "This garden we're in, Yuna...It lives, and the lifeforce it takes from us fuels these flowers. These roses of death."

Hotsuma, meanwhile, couldn't hear a thing she was saying; however, he did feel something crawling on his skin. His eyes weakly opened to see those ankle shackles start to rise up and encircle his limbs as well...One going so far as to lay across his neck and start to squeeze, those sharp razor-like points digging into his skin and drawing blood all over, his hands rising up and trying to loosen the binds, his own fingers becoming quickly pricked and cut as a result.

The Emperor growled as he witnessed this, his gravely voice roaring, "Cursed witch! Once I regain my strength, I will thoroughly enjoy ripping you to shreds!"

And Divine could only watch on, the vines making a conscious effort to avoid him. Still...He was a little surprised to see Aki including Hotsuma in this punishment game of hers. Was she actually trying to coax Yuna to defeat her? To forgo any restraint and attack? Stroking his chin in thought, he merely held his thoughts to himself and watched with interest.

Brushing back a lock of stray red hair as she ignored the enraged cry, Aki then simply said, "And now, it's your turn...Best hope you can make it count."
 

It was almost eerie how despite being in two very new duels, both Yuna and Aki were getting a lot of very familiar cards they'd used in prior fights. And so, as Yuse was shown Thorn of Malice, it felt familiar yet foreign all at once; largely due from a subconscious ability trying to manifest. What exactly, even she couldn't determine, which definitely made her a bit more on edge than she already was.

"Fuck," Yuse muttered, digging her shoes deep into the ground to keep herself from stumbling too far backwards and thus avoid the thorns as best as possible.

Although it was the first time being used against her in a duel - a Psychic one at that rate - she knew of the card. It had been one Aki forced to manifest, much like she'd done with Mark of the Rose. Or .. had that been a dream?

Either way, the name of the card implied a lot. Admittedly, although, there were a few things that even Yuse hadn't prepared for, and they all arrived in explanation of the card. Her mouth fell agape, horrified and taken aback. How could cards like these exist? It made her sick ... but at least relieved that this was Aki instead if Tokumo using these cards. Better her than someone who obviously was a pure sadist, right? Mind you, this duel was doing its job in making her question everything she'd learned about Aki. It was easy to think maybe she was similar to Tokumo and, truthfully, had been acting prior till now.

Her head shook frantically. She didn't want to believe that was what she was seeing.

Yuse refused to look down; partly out of defiance and also there really was no need to. The moment the thorns squeezed down, she visualized well enough what was going on with her body.

It wouldn't be until the Emperor cried out that she even took the scenery a bit more seriously.

" ... Oi. The fuck are you doing, huh?" Her head turned as Yuse glared furiously at Aki. "He's not your opponent anymore. I am. SO LEAVE HIM OUT OF THIS!"

Every ounce of self-control Yuna had been desperately hanging onto snapped, a few of the vines following suit as the transformation finished. Yuna was completely gone; now, all that stood across from Aki was a very livid Rose. "Hmph. Don't talk as if this duel is about to end. It's nowhere near that point, if anything. DRAW!"

Her eyes softened slightly as she stared down at Crimson Blader. Strategically, the best move to make would have been to shift him to defense. But now that it was revealed how exactly Thorn of Malice worked, even that wouldn't matter much. This quickly had become a "damned if you do and damned if you don't" sort of situation. "I'll set a card. Rose! Remove the last token! Avenging Blade Strike!"

As the sword cut through the flower, Aki's life depleted two more times.

The loss hadn't been quite as bad as what Yuna -- Rose -- had just gone through last turn. But it was something. More importantly, her deck was not done, even if it may appear as if that were the case. Rose could feel that was definitely true. If anything, it was the opposite; the warriors were all just getting fired up. Sharpening their weapons, preparing to jump out from the darkness and strike this woman down.

All to save their owner ... and even Hotsuma.

"Turn end. If you're so confident you can prove my words wrong, then do it! End the duel in the next turn!"

This was Rose's smug way of following through with the 'tit for tat' policy. Aki had dared her to react in such a powerful way by getting Hotsuma hurt. Now, it was her turn to tempt the other red-head into seeing if she could perform some sort of miracle and earn a win for herself.

Because if not ... well ... it would only get even uglier from then on out.
 
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Aki winced a little as she felt Rose's rage overpower Yuna's control; mostly because she felt a burst of strength that caused the thorns around her to scratch a little more deeply, but also because the sheer anger at having Hotsuma still subjected to the tortures of her shackles made her recoil. It brought a surge of the jealousy she felt earlier, and she grimaced a little as she drew her next card.

And her attack was definitely felt too; a noticeable wince appearing again as her LP took another hit, the vines digging even more deeply and covering more of her. Even so, she seemed quite resolute in continuing, even as a few cuts could be seen along her arms and legs, the crimson liquid staining her garters ever so slightly.

And with the Spirit's outburst, Aki just narrowed her eyes and said nothing before placing a hand on her Duel Disk, contemplating flipping her face-down monster face-up before deciding against it.

"I might not be able to end this Duel in one turn...But know this, I don't harm him out of malice! Both of your fates are tied to this Duel, that is why the shackles still bind him! If one suffers, so does the other!" she replied heatedly, a little upset that she hadn't made that connection. "So if you wish to free him, then fight with everything you have and win!" the redheaded loyalist added on with even more fervor.

This time, Yuna would know pain...And sadly to say, Hotsuma too would suffer this.

"Botanical Lion, attack Crimson Blader again!" she declared, her monster ramming Yuna's Synchro creature again; this time, the thorn-vines encapsulated Blader completely, his ATK being reduced to zero and his DEF being cut to 1400. And with it came an additional 2300 points of damage, bringing her opponent down to less than half of her total Life Points.

And as before, the vines that covered her moved further along and squeezed, now beginning to draw blood...But that wasn't the only thing she would need to worry about. Her taking damage meant that Hotsuma would take more damage as well, a strangled yell leaving him as the vines began to enclose him just as they'd done to Crimson Blader, nearly two-thirds of his body hidden by the prickly tendrils. The one around his neck tightened even more, the thorns making it even harder for him to breathe as they poked at his neck, creating shallow cuts in the flesh there.

"Yuna...Damn it, don't worry about me. Just kick her ass, I'll be fine..." he tried to say; last thing he needed was this bitch getting a sense of superiority because she felt some inherent need to degrade him further. Only problem was that he was forced to take shallow breaths, lest his throat literally be sliced by the vine constricting it. "Damned harlot! Be thankful this worm is still able to resist, else I would shatter these binds and kill you on the spot for your insolence!" the Emperor shouted, unsurprisingly insulting both her and his vessel.

"Your move, Yuna..." was all Aki said, awaiting for her opponent to take her turn.
 

Rose rolled her eyes, clicking her tongue and simultaneously scoffing. "You don't hurt him out of malice you say? Uh-huh. Whatever. Because that makes complete sense you'd have your vines go right for his fucking throat. STUPID BITCH!" Her left hand clenched tightly into a fist, while her right continued holding the cards in between her fingers. If it weren't for the fact she was holding those, both fists would have mirrored one another ... and very likely done so much worse than that. Like unsheathe her blade.

"You're lucky Mistress went down the path of the warrior and not a fiend, otherwise you'd have more people to look out for. I may have the means in this form, but I have far too much honor."

It wasn't only a threat, though that was partially what it ended up being. It actually was, in her own unorthodox way, her own presentation of giving Aki something to actually be relieved about. Much like how she was obviously noticing the incentive to win.

"Botanical Lion, attack Crimson Blader again!"

Rose gripped tightly onto her lower lip, her nails digging further into her skin. Unfortunately, the trap she'd set wasn't meant to stop damage. Something else, yes. But not that. So, as Hotsuma screamed, she joined in. Tears she'd been trying to keep hidden caved in and fell, fueled on by annoyance. Anger. A bit of panic even and the faintest urges of bloodlust were steadily beginning to mingle in the already deep sea of emotions.

"Draw," Rose choked out, panting in between words. "Heh. Well now, no more of this weakening bullshit. That ends here and now as I activate .... Raigeki!" A lightning bolt from seemingly nowhere struck down on Aki's side of the field. Every monster she had, as well as anything they may have had equipped, vanished within the span of mere seconds. "Thanks to your Garden, I'll gladly use one of the tokens on my side plus Rose and tune them!"

This had to work. Not just for her sake, but Hotsuma's.

Taking a few brief moments to send up some silent pleas, her hands clasped together - no doubt Yuna's action and not Rose's - as she recited a new chant.

"Blessed paladin riding atop your noble mount and wielding dual lances, hear my cry. A new fray has begun, one that needs your presence. Come forth, and lend me your strength in the process so I can ensure we emerge victorious! Synchro Summon, Gaia Knight, the Force of the Earth! I then normal summon another Rose to the field! Both Gaia and Rose will attack two of your tokens! Sanctified Lance Attack and Avenging Blade Strike! GO!"

Rose shook, feeling the thorns move along her skin but not dig further into her wounds. Not yet. But it almost felt like they wanted to. Thankfully, they were obedient to ... whomever. The rules, Aki, probably both, and didn't do so unless it was absolutely necessary. Aki, on the other hand, wasn't so fortunate, as she had her health drop three times. The first from Gaia, the second from Rose, and finally her effect kicking in once more.

"Turn ... end .... "

Her voice still held the same fierceness and determination. But even Hotsuma would note it was starting to become pained. Exhausted. Aki really was pushing Yuse to her physical and mental limits. But everyone in the room would be damned if they dared tried to say poor Yuse wasn't trying to keep her and Hotsuma from bleeding out.
 
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Aki sneered as Rose shot back, a sour expression on her face; she was so worried about him that she was missing the bigger picture. But she supposed that was why love was so confusing...Aggravatingly so.

"You talk of honor, yet it was your Mistress that held you back from destroying Jun in your Duel against! And compared to Tokumo, he's a goddamn saint! You would do well to remember that, Rose!" Aki quipped heatedly, feeling her temper flare; if only she could see the blatant hypocrisy in her words.

Though she was quickly shut up as Raigeki completely decimated her field, wiping out the face-down Chirubime and her Botanical Lion. "You fucking bitch!" she hissed angrily; it was odd to feel her lose her temper...But Rose's tirades were beginning to reach a boiling point within her. She was not her Mistress, just as Yuna was not Rose.

No one understood each other, not fully. It was impossible, for they could not literally live another's life.

Ugh...This was why she preferred overwatching Arcadia, she thought to herself as Yuna took her turn. Only to have Black Garden Summon more Rose Tokens to her field in Attack Mode.

And when she took damage, a short scream left her as both Gaia and Rose cut her LP down even further, the thorns doing quite well to begin cutting into her as well. The dark gloves covering her forearms were all but shredded by this point, as were her garters; both Duelists would be needing some serious bandage work after this.

Panting a little as she tried to use her Psychic abilites to suppress the pain, she realized she had nothing in her hand...Except when she drew her next card. But even then, she didn't allow any sort of elation to cross her face; no, that would be a dead giveaway. She wanted to attack, fine. She'd show her that the same strategy had failed for her lover...And if she wanted to join him, then so be it!

"Humph...Allow me to repeat what you said earlier, Rose. Don't talk as if this duel is about to end. It's nowhere near that point, if anything! I set one card and one monster face-down! Turn end!" she declared, standing tall as she stared down Rose.

Hotsuma, meanwhile, was barely trying to hold on; the thorns were harshly digging into his skin, and try as he might to free himself...It was impossible. Each movement opened up his cuts more, fresh sanguine liquid spilling out. "Boy, if you're going to resist, then at least sit still! If you want to spill blood, focus on spilling that of the witch!" the Emperor shouted at him, adding fiercely "The one you lost to, by the way! OF all the vassals I could have taken, it has to be a weakling! Crushed by a woman, it's unthinkable you would even call yourself a warrior at all!"

"I suggest you hold still like he says, Oboro...Lest you want to die in front of your lover, that is." Aki snarked, Hotsuma growling weakly, "Y-you think these weeds will get rid of me that easily, huh? Fat chance...Even if by some miracle Yuna doesn't thoroughly give you the asswhooping you deserve, we're getting the fuck out of here!" Letting out a low laugh, he then finished with, "Besides...You give Rose shit about herhonor and nearly killing Jun. Well, you beat me and yet you torture me like this...So tell me, what does that say about you?"

Aki's eyes flashed dangerously, a hand moving to undo her restraint; she'd had it with his mouth, and part of her was screaming to just crush him. But part of her held back, her gaze shifting back to Rose as her turn would commence. "You heard him...He can't do anything, so go on. Defeat me if you care so much about honor!" the redhead yelled angrily.
 

"Fuck off! I don't owe anyone in this place shit; not you, not your beloved 'Master', NO ONE, and that extends to my HONOR and MANNERS! The awakening may have come from this shit hole, but it was ME who did the work! ME AND HOTSUMA BOTH! Go burn in hell already like all of you witches do, why don't you?! I'M SICK OF YOUR SHIT!"

The hell with self-restraint. Why keep holding onto it? If anything, it was feeling great to let go.

And when Aki cursed out loud?

That was beautiful. As incredible as the sight of the warrior bleeding probably came off to the other red-head. She snickered, listening to the usually patient woman give in to the darker portion of her personality. While neither Yuna nor Rose were experts in Psychology, it was common knowledge that everyone had a 'good' side and everyone had a more 'evil' one. Seeing Aki finally begin revealing more of her actual true colors was absolutely amazing.

"Hah! I knew you were buried there somewhere. There ya go. That suits you much better. And you ... "

Rose's eyes narrowed as she glared down seeing to peek past Hotsuma and attempting to look right at the Fiend, despite the Emperor not being in control. "I will make you pay for those words. Women are not weak; Mistress' deck proves that perfectly. From me to Getsu Fhuma ... hmph. There are tons of competent females. And Getsu, for a perfect example, could go toe-to-toe with you and win. So you watch your own fucking tongue."

Turning back around, Rose rolled her eyes again.

"Hate to break it to ya witch, but neither of us are dying. Heh. Draw! I activate the A. Forces! For each warrior on my field, they gain a certain amount of attack, further strengthening the purpose of Solidarity!"

Rose paused ... not as if to think, but rather, all but hurling Yuna against the back of her mental cage. Every time she felt her Mistress struggle to regain control of herself, she shoved her back.

"STAY BACK! THIS BITCH IS MINE! I'M DEALING WITH HER, LIKE IT OR NOT!"

Not this way ... it doesn't have to be this way ....

"You mean it shouldn't have to, yes," Rose bitterly murmured, unable to deny that much was correct. "Really though, don't act like the sight didn't piss you off. You weren't much better yourself. You were gonna lose it even if I didn't take over. I'm just doing you a favor. Now then .... I summon Tune Warrior to the field. I then shift Crimson Blader's position. Let's start getting rid of some pesky weeds, shall we?"

Finally, the moment Rose had been waiting for arrived.

"Trap card open, Wall of Thorns!"

"Hate to burst your bubble, but I was ready for something like that. Trap Card open, Trap Jammer! Fuck you! You'e not getting rid of my monsters. It'll take a shit ton more than something like that to do me in. Now .... keep moving forth! EMPTY HER FIELD!"

The assault continued until, sure enough, every monster and rose token were gone.

Rose shot Aki a confident grin, smirking in a manner even Hotsuma had never seen. One mirroring the look of a mad man .... woman in this case. One fueled on by killing intent, ready to stop toying with their prey and deliver the final blow at any given second.

"Turn end. I do hope you haven't given up just yet. I'm finally starting to actually have fun with this duel.~"
 
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"Arrogant wench! Fhuma may hold power, but only by the grace of your world's rules would she hold any power to defeat me!" the Emperor shouted back, Hotsuma retorting "God, would you just shut up already? I don't need you turning an ally, my LOVER as well, you arrogant dick...against us because you can't keep you fucking pride in check!"

Aki's brow noticeably twitched when Rose activated her counter-trap, turning what would have been a shattering comeback into a wide open window of opportunity. And now that her current play was out of commission, she could only wait for the damage...And damage did she receive. Rose's attack cut her Copy Plant to shreds, her effect dealing damage. Then Crimson Blader

"Hah! You're one to talk! Even now your Mistress cries to you, and yet you're so self-centered you would ignore her pleas to sate your own bloodlust!" Aki shouted right back; true, the last attack had dealt massive damage. Damage she hadn't taken in a long time, or ever if memory served.

Regardless...It definitely loosened one of the restraints in her, and both Yuna and Hotsuma would feel something different about her. Something...Dark. Malicious even. Kind of like when Beelze showed up, but not as strong either. Even so, Divine knew exactly what was happening. "Aki...Remember, this is meant to be a test..." he warned her, the woman shooting him a glare..And he could see, her eyes a little blanker than usual.

The Black Rose Witch was seeping through, the restraint in her hair weakening ever so slightly under her ire.

"Yuna...Be careful, please." Hotsuma pleaded mentally, feeling the shift; he didn't care so much about what happened to him at this point. He'd lost...But if something happened to Yuna, he'd never forgive himself.

"I'm well aware, Divine-sama...But even so, Rose has gotten full of herself. She needs to be reminded of her place...I draw!" she declared, a sinister smirk crossing her lips. It might not be perfect, but now was a time for her to attack. Sure, Solidarity and 'The A. Forces' were keeping her monsters decently powered. But even that much wouldn't save her or her lover from harm this time around.

"I Summon Bird of Roses in Attack Position!" was the redhead's declaration, the macaw-like creature flying form the card and hovering before her, her Field Spell weakening the monster. "Allow me to reacquaint you with the meaning of pain, Rose. I equip a second Thorn of Malice to my monster, allowing it weaken your own and boost its strength!" The same armor of vines that covered Lion now enshrouded her creature, its ATK rising to 1500 once more after Black Garden's effect halved its original ATK.

"Bird of Roses, strike down Crimson Blader! Aerial Bloom Bombardment!" was her next cry, the bird giving a loud squawking sound before it flew high into the sky, then diving rapidly and slamming into Blader...Those vines, once partially shattered after Yuna powered him up with her spells, quickly overtook him again, the slight attack boost it had not enough to withstand its assault. The damage may have been paltry in comparison...But she wasn't concerned about that, so much as what it would mean for her boyfriend...And as a bonus, the warrior's risen attack fell once again, more of those vines cutting into his armor.

"Whether I am the victor or you are, just remember that actions have consequences, Rose...And you had best be ready to bear them!" Aki shouted gleefully, this time raising a hand with her palm facing outward...Then curling her fingers inward, small drops of blood leaking down her arms and across her fingertips. But instead of Yuna feeling more restricted, Hotsuma would cry out in pain even more, the vine around his neck quickly cutting off the sound before even more of his body disappeared beneath the pile, his body becoming even more lacerated.

"You talk of vengeance, and yet you continue to let me damage you! Remember, your fates are tied to this Duel! You and I, we can withstand this...But what of him? How far will you take your vengeance to defeat me?! Will you even sacrifice the life of your Mistress' lover to accomplish it!? Then tell me, where does that leave you!? If I'm to burn in hell for my loyalty to my beliefs, for those I want to protect, then we're even more similar than I thought!" Aki asked heatedly, a sadistic smile matching Rose's own soon appearing on her face.
 

Luckily, Rose was perfectly fine simply waving her hand through the air as the fiend hissed angrily at her. Granted, he probably wouldn't be overly content with the response. But compared to anything she could have said or done, it was ... better. Merciful.

"Self-centered? No, not quite. You, though, have stepped over one line too many. You're not worthy of mercy. Not anymore. I am doing what I know Mistress would refuse to do; give you the amount of sheer agony and pain you deserve. Nothing more ... but certainly nothing less."

When Aki's power seemed to further increase - something that neither Rose nor Yuna would have thought possible - Rose's eyes narrowed.

Jesus. She really is a witch, isn't she? she mused, gripping her lower lip in an - admittedly - nervous grip. As relieved as the spirit was that Divine had been primarily quiet thus far, Rose couldn't help but feel a bit - okay, very - annoyed when he had to speak up again. She would have said something to the Arcadia leader ... but ended up rapidly being distracted by Aki's response to Divine instead.

"Hah! My place, you say? And where do you imagine that would be, hm? Humor me."

Another low scoff and roll of the eyes would be Aki's immediate response from Rose as she drew once her turn ended. Save ore blood flowing own her body, she didn't scream from the pain. It was like her body was shut off ... or was it merely reacting inappropriately? Either way, this was a very different Rose compared to what she'd seen and spoken to a few turns ago. "You really haven't paid attention to anything either of us have said, have you? Including Hotsuma? Fine. Allow me to repeat, but only this once. We both came from the streets, stupid bitch. So when he says these vines won't kill him, he's being deathly serious. And even if Mistress somehow lost ... the even simpler truth is this. You won't be able to keep them held here forever. Not even with that lame vow that was made. This place - this 'sanctuary' - has been safe for years. But eventually, every haven is discovered. And when it is ... "

Rose flashed another smug smirk as she drew.

"Well ... you know what they say, don't you? The bigger are person or thing is, the harder it falls. And oh will this place fucking collapse when that day arrives. I guaran-fucking-tee it. Yes, I do realize all these actions will have consequences. I know of domino effects ad all that jazz. I'm not ignorant; neither of us are! Now, if you're done trying to lecture us, kindly shut the hell up. You're not scaring anyone; certainly not me or Mistress. Nor are your cards, the damage, nothing. Without much more ado, I'll use my other Rose and yet another token to Synchro once more! Round two, begin! Jump up and merge for us once more! Blessed paladin riding atop your noble mount and wielding dual lances, hear my cry. A new fray has begun, one that needs your presence. Come forth, and lend me your strength in the process so I can ensure we emerge victorious! Synchro Summon, Gaia Knight, the Force of the Earth!"

Looking quickly at her field as well as Aki's the warrior nodded after observing how everything looked and determining the best course of action to take.

"I'll set a card. One Gaia will attack your bird while the other will get rid of another token. Main phase two! I will shift Crimson Blader back to attack mode once more. Turn end!"

Please let me back out! I wasn't half-assign the duel or anything!

" ... Be that as it may, things have changed. Let me finish what I started."

... Promise me this is only a temporary thing then.

Rose visibly grimaced, quickly moving her head up and down.

"Of course. I wouldn't do anything to endanger you. That's a good reason I took over anyway; to keep you from directly taking any of these hits. I get you won't be able to stay away from them forever, but ... at least for now, this is the right thing to do."

Or so that was what she wanted to believe to be the case.

Her head shook again as she waited, seeing what the other red-head would do now.
 
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"I still can't believe you actually feel the gall to lecture me!" the witch shot back, growing even more agitated at Rose's insolence. Her place was learning respect to those superior to her; even if she was losig this Duel, the very fact that she was ignoring her Mistress's pleas was proof that she forgot who she was. Or maybe Yuna was just too weak to resist.

Either way, she was looking to finish this...One way or another.

Aki snarled as she was attacked again, the vines doing quite well to ensnare her even more and deepen her injuries; her once pristine outfit quickly being reduced to ribbons, exposing her pale skin. Which would have been an alluring sight for anyone in the room that had cared about that sort of thing, same went for Rose.

However, when her Bird was destroyed, Aki flung a hand out, "Thanks to its effect upon destruction, I can Summon two Tuners from my Deck! I call forth two Angel Trumpeteers!" The twin bell-shaped flowers were quickly summoned to Aki's field, filling Yuna's empty spaces once more with Rose Tokens. Unfortunately...Her hand was quite exactly the opposite of the best to work with.

"I place one monster face-down...And I end my turn." Aki declared; truth be told, this was starting to look bad for her. But she wouldn't back down; if she was to lose this Duel, she would stand with her head held high.

Divine, meanwhile, was struggling to subtly influence Aki to calm down; if anything, she would be the reason the building fell down if Rose pushed her any harder, and perhaps at this point, even vice-versa. Their energies were clashing int he most dangerous of ways; and truth be told, he was about ready to let them go now. That and, unless Rose simply stopped caring to pay attention, Hotsuma was now complete;y unreachable and still bleeding heavily from Aki's torturous methods.

"Aki...Rose...And, dear, please at least hear me out." Divine then asked; he knew Yuna/Rose and even Hotsuma had long since stopped caring about what he had to say. "If this Duel doesn't end soon...I'm not sure we'll able to close Hotsuma's wounds. He might not die from exsanguination...But there's the concept of infection, yes?" he then asked, trying to appeal to Rose's host's better senses.

At this, Aki seemed to calm down a little...Before realizing what it was she was doing, and seemed a little horrified. Hotsuma's body was completely hidden, only his limbs - the extermities lacerated and unmoving - visible from beneath the pile. With a wave of her hand, the vines untangled themselves from Hotsuma...Revealing an extremely unpleasant sight. The bruises from earlier seemed to worsen, the cuts on his body even deeper and the vines covered in what could only be described as heavy runs of blood. Worse yet, he seemed to stop moving...Only to relieve the worry as he let out a weak cough, stirring even more sluggishly as his eyes fluttered open.

"H..eh, worried, huh...I told...you, this won't kill me...Try harder...B..bitch" he whispered, before finally passing out again.
 

"I could just as easily say the same back. You may be a fighter in your own rights. But how far have you been able to go, hmm? Could you truly say - with no hesitation - you would be alright taking a life?"

The question stayed hanging in the air for a few minutes for Rose spoke up.

"Long before you made Mistress connect with me, I did on a very constant basis. It was typically for survival, but I can't lie; there were some moments the act was done out of cold blood. If you can say yes that you'd be fine doing these exact same acts ... very well. I will acknowledge we're on the same page. However, I view myself in a very different location than what you probably perceive me as, hence the 'learning my place' bullshit."

Granted, that didn't change several things. One of which was the fact that Rose's swift nature, in truth, had ... weakened. Not completely disappeared; however, she wouldn't resort to taking a life nearly as quickly as she would have beforehand.

It was mainly for Yuna's sake .... but that was it. She'd otherwise make her do it, but only if it felt absolutely necessary.

"You just never shut up, do you?" she muttered as Divine talked once more. "Hmph. Infection? Not unless those vines are filled with poison, no. He'd be much more likely to perish from blood loss over infection. Get your damn ears cleaned; neither of us are dying from her Psychic stunts! Now please just stop!"

As quickly as the red had appeared, it was replaced yet again with black hair.

A very taken aback-looking and heavily panting Yuna now stood across from Aki. Her tongue slid over her lips several times, moistening the dry surface, before finding her voice and murmuring in a weak but still audible voice. "I ... can't really begin to apologize for anything she said or did. And yet ... I wouldn't do that anyway. She was ... just ... justified ... in her fit. You really did go too far. Just .... leave him ... please .... "

Regardless of whether it had been Divine's pleas or hers, something made Aki comply. Yuna's head weakly bowed as shs shakily drew her next card.

"One Gaia, charge after the set monster! The other, remove the Angel Trumpeter! Turn ... turn end .... "

Tired. Exhausted. That was exactly how Yuna felt, as well as any other appropriate terms and synonyms that could be used. But she was standing, refusing to slump over and pass out.

Why? I never .. used to be ... this worn out ...

Yuna's eyes began going through rapid REM sessions, shooting wide open the moment she felt positive the lat of her energy would leave. She was so close! She just had to hang in there for a bit longer. When this was over - preferably with her as the victor - then Yuna would allow her consciousness to slip. But not before then.
 
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Divine's eyes narrowed a little; it wasn't a matter of not shutting up, but then again...Both of them seemed to have pushed each other's buttons quite hard. The tension finally starting to die down though, Divine's posture relaxed a little more; if this had gotten any worse, he would have had to intervene. At the very least, Aki snapped out of it...And Yuna seemed to be able to rip control of her own body back.

At this he could only let out a sigh of relief, before sending a telepathic relay to have the medical team move down here with three gurneys. He didn't think Aki would pass out, for the extent of her injuries was to a lesser degree than that of Yuna or Hotsuma. Even so, better to err ont he side of caution, especially when it came to the woman that had helped make Arcadia the beacon for all Psychics it was today.

"I will, Yuna...I'll not raise another hand against him." was Aki's only response; she felt mortified that she'd nearly gone so far as to bring death to Yuna's lover. This was supposed to be a test; was this the power Duel Spirits had? To influence the emotions of others when bonded with a Psychic? No...It went deeper. The Duel Spirits Yuna and Hotsuma possessed were capable of completely taking over their host, quite literally allowing them to manifest on the physical plane. But to think she'd gone so far...Even with her own family, strained as their relationship was, she was never this cruel.

It was a frightening but incredibly interesting topic for both Divine and Aki...Albeit for two different reasons. Divine wondered just how much stronger his right-hand woman would be if she managed to forge such a pact.

And as Aki drew, she could see that she had no other plays. Giving a small and somewhat tired smile, the redhead just said "Well...Congratulations, Yuna. You have won, there are no other plays I can make." Though she wouldn't go so far as to surrender; even if she were to lose, she would take this loss with pride. For she had been bested, and this was by far one of her most trying Duels to date.

Standing up straighter, she then looked her tired opponent straight and said those last words which would seal her defeat.

"Turn end..."
 

"See? Remember ... I told you ... you didn't need our powers, Aki? I hope .... this has helped you see that for yourself. Ngh .... "

Yuna bit hard on her lower lip, barely catching herself before she completely fell and landed against any of the nearby thorns. Her body was running on a weak but still lingering adrenaline rush, and thus more or less acting as if it were on auto-pilot. Her right hand rose, drew her next card as Aki ended, and was able to note there was nothing new Yuna could do. Well ... that wasn't completely true. There probably was; but at this point, there would be no reason to draw this out. Aki acknowledged she was about to lose, and that alone made Yuna unable to help but smirk.

Soon, they would get the Beelze cards --- probably after healing up.

Moreover, she had made sure that when they were both given the green light, they could finally leave. At long last, they would be able to go back home. She could return back to Hajime... to Yomi. And Hotsuma could respectively find his own group again.

No doubt that blue-haired right-hand man of mine's been freaking out ... hehe ....

To be fair though, Yuna couldn't blame him. Before now, the longest she'd been gone was three days. This was way more than seventy-two hours.

"One Gaia ... get rid of the other Trumpeter. And then .... direct attack!"

As Aki's last bit of health dropped, Yuna snuck a glance down. 3600; that was what her disk read.

Jesus .... so close ....

Those were her last thoughts going through her head before she slumped forward, her body finally done waiting. Not really caring if the field had vanished dor not, or seeming to worry about much of aything. She was eager, almost too much so, to have the rest she'd rightfully earned.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________​

By the time Yuna's eyes opened next, it was night. The window beside her hinted that much. The scenery implied she was definitely in the infirmary.

... And that was all she cared to recall.

Well, almost all.

"Please let him be okay ... " she muttered, passing back out. Apparently, even with all the time that had likely gone by, exhaustion was far from done controlling her body. She wanted rest ... and it seemed she was going to get exactly what she wanted, no matter how long or unnatural it may seem.
 
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And once that final attack went through, Aki felt those sharp vines get one last dig, shredding her outfit and slicing her skin even more. Grunting her pain as her Life Points dropped to zero.

And like that, both women would slump down...Though the redhead would remain awake, enough to see the teams of doctors arrive to care for the two opponents that dared to fight for their freedom. It was the least Divine could do; as much as he was torn in keeping them and letting them go...He needed to be a man of his word. And thus, after Hotsuma was removed, Divine took his leave; he needed to get things ready for when the two of them would leave this place.

Hotsuma struggled as some of the medics tried to lift him up, the field of thorns quickly dissipating. "Easy, Mr. Oboro...We're just here to help" one of the medics calmly stated, helping to ease the young man on the stretcher before carting him away. The others doing the same to both Aki and Yuna, leaving the blood for other juniors to clean up as they would be tended to for their injuries.


The next few days came and went; Hotsuma was still dead asleep, his body like that of a mummy. Very little visible skin could be seen, his chest and torso wrapped to help the fractures heal. He did need a small transfusion, as Aki's torture had drained a quite bit away from him. IVs were hooked to his right arm, his left eye covered by the bandages that crossed his face.

He wasn't quite ready to leave yet...But his mind would not let his body stay laying there for too much longer. Groaning, his only uncovered eye slowly fluttered open, his vision still blurry. "Fuck..." he whispered hoarsely; he probably shouldn't be trying to move around...But like Yuna said all those days ago, he was a stubborn ass.

Grabbing the crutch next to his bed, he swung a leg over his bed...Only to let out a loud grunt as he tried to put weight on his right ankle; seemed Aki's little playdate fucked him up worse than he thought. But still...He needed to see if Yuna was alright. It was killing him not to know, and he'd be damned if these little scratches were going to stop him from checking in on her.

"You shouldn't be moving; all you're going to do is make your injuries worse, worm." he then heard the Emperor chastise him, Hotsuma snickering as he continued to work his muscles...Quickly failing as he almost instantly fell on his face, trying to suppress a groan.

"I warned you, whelp...Rest until morning, at the very least. Your comrade can wait until then, and you'll be of no use to either of us if you don't let your body heal. Only I am allowed to break you when the time comes...Do well to remember that." his Duel Spirit growled; Hotsuma just smirked, hoisting himself back into bed.

And when morning came, he would still be in that same spot. Awake, but still more incapacitated; even so, the nurse on duty had helped put his clothes. Awaiting for the all-clear to be discharged, but still looking none too happy with the situation.
 

Over the next two and a half days, there were numerous displays. Depending on who you were, it was either surprising or something one was simply expecting to see.

On of the first things that happened was, between the three, Aki recovered and was dismissed first. It made sense. The injuries had been from her cards, much more than Yuna's. Even if that hadn't been the case, Aki tended to be a fast healer. After getting her own green light approval to leave, she went not immediately to Divine, but instead, Yuna's bed side. She fairly assumed Hotsuma would bitch her out if he knew or detected her presence.

But that was fine. Let him do what he wanted. She truly didn't care.

In fact, as Aki sat down, she tried to pinpoint what exactly drew her to this room. Shouldn't things like guilt have driven her away? Or had that been exactly what pulled her over? Perhaps it been a bit of both? Regardless, there was one thing she could clearly understand.

"I know you're still sleeping," she whispered gently, "And this thus kinda makes my words a tad pointless. But .... thank you. I guess ... you were right. I don't need your abilities. They are still very impressive, make no mistake. But ... "

Aki sighed, glancing down at Yuna's still body. "They aren't needed to make me strong. I suppose you're correct about that much."

Everything that began to happen after those words were uttered would very likely be some of the more 'unexpected' events. What had started as a more calm set of beeping noises started increasing in their volumes. Louder and louder they got, causing Aki's eyes to narrow.

Is that ... ??

A quick lift of her head revealed, yes, her guess was right. It had been Yuna's heart monitor. Apparently, her pulse was going in a dangerous area. So much had been happening over the past week that Aki hadn't really gotten many chances to look through Yuna's blood test results. Now, it seemed, would be one of the best times to do just that.

However, first thing was first.

Leaning forward, she pushed down on the "Call Nurse" button. "Haul your ass over here. Now. It looks like Miss Takeda's vitals are trying to fail."

"Yes ma'am, right away!"

Only after the medic entered did Aki walk away. "W-Wait, Miss Aki? You're not remaining here?"

The red-head moved her head from side to side. "Not now. I'm gonna see if there's a reason for this that we never got to relay to her. I don't want the blame to land on me if I can help it." That being said, if she may already be too late, she would be ready to accept Hotsuma's wrath. It was just as she said though; there was still a chance for her to look into this. It thus wasn't too late, and while that fact remained, she wouldn't waste her time by gawking and sending up silent pleas that were more likely to be ignored than heard.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________​

This would be the pattern of the next two days. At least two to three times a day, Yuna's heart rose to a dangerously swift pace, but calmed down through a combination of medical devices plus the faintest uses of Psychic energy.

The condition wouldn't be half as nerve-wracking except... Yuna had yet to wake up. Not once had her eyes opened over the past few days. It seemed like she was comatose, or at least partially. And that made everything happening to her ten times more dangerous.

Hotsuma would be greeted with a nurse entering. Her mouth started to open as she began to give him the words he'd eagerly been waiting to hear. That he was indeed discharged and able to walk around, although caution should be used.

... But when she heard the tell-tale footsteps running across the way into Yuna's room, her head quickly moved from side to side. Under both Aki and Divine's orders, they had recommended not telling Hotsuma what had been going on with Yuna. For very good reasons. Unfortunately ... complying with those orders would now be a bit more easier said than done to obey.

"Not ... not yet. Maybe a few more hours. But umm ... no, sir. I don't think you're ready quite yet ... "
 
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"This would go so much faster if you had just won. Once we leave this cursed place with the Beelze cards in tow, you're going to improve your deck by firstly eliminating any trace of those traitors from your deck." he heard the Emperor growl at him what felt like the umpteenth time. "Yeah, I get it...Don't worry, Your Highness." he then muttered back mentally; seriously, his deck wasn't that bad. But...Having a chance to look it over, he could see how it would benefit him by removing some of the Dark World cards he'd used previously.

While they did provide good elements of field control...Having two more copies of Emperor would solve that issue, and if he rid himself of the more Dark World-specific cards, he would be able to put in more defensive traps. Things to counter the opponent's backrow that would otherwise decimate his own field. "Tell me though...Why such hate? You mentioned when Yuna was Dueling Jun that Brron tried to take your throne or some shit...Was that it?"

The Emperor chuckled, "Not quite; my hatred of those weaklings extends much further back that. His foolish attempt to usurp me was what you humans would call the final nail in the coffin. It gave me the best excuse to wipe him and his pathetic brethren from existence. Those that surrendered do serve me in...other ways, however. I'm not foolish enough to waste what talent I can salvage."

Before their conversation could continue, however, they were interrupted as the nurse came in to check on him. "So...Am I clear to leave? I'd rather get this done sooner rather than later." he then asked her directly, waiting for her to say that glorious yes. However...That wasn't what he heard. At all.

"A few more hours? The hell, I'm fine..." he started to say, but shut as he heard something that he hadn't picked up before. Alarms...And then he heard someone say Miss Takeda, and their tone was none too calm. In fact, if he felt it right - and he was beginning to trust his gut more on these things - then something was wrong.

"The hell are they doing with Yuna, huh?" he said, feeling his energy spike as he went for his crutch; his legs nearly buckled as he tried to stand up, but he wouldn't be deterred. "Sir, please...Divine-sama won't be..." the nurse started to explain, but Hotsuma just snapped, "Shut it; I couldn't give too fucks what that shit-head thinks. If something's wrong with Yuna, I'm not sitting idly by."

There was indeed a limp in his step, but he soldiered onward...Ripping the electrodes off himself, as well as his own IV, and grunting as he moved as fast as he possibly could to the room a few doors down. There he saw a team of medics around Yuna, the vital monitors going off as they tried to help stabilize her...And it was here that he felt a sense of dread.

"The fuck is happening?!" he all but shouted, the doctors turning around to see the young man standing there. "You shouldn't be up, sir!" the nurse that had attended to him finally caught up, another doctor shouting "Get him back to his room, nurse!" When she tried to lead him away, he just pushed her aside and demanded, "No, fuck and no, I'm not leaving until I know what exactly is going o..."

Of course, here his strength gave out and he fell hard on the floor, the sole crutch he had clattering on the ground as he tried to push himself up. Grabbing at the doorjam and leaning against it, "Just tell me...Is she going to be alright?" And when he didn't get an answer, the visible portion of his face contorted into an expression of visible anger, "WELL?! IS SHE?! TELL ME, DAMN IT!"
 

"Has she had any issues with her heart that we know of?"

"Negative, or so that's what came back according to the blood tests Divine-sama had done on her a while back."

"Well then, what are we even dealing with?! She hasn't woken, but her brain waves are in the alpha stages. It's like a --- "

That was as far as the poor doctors got, ceasing their discussion the moment Hotsuma stormed inside. A good number of them paled, looking as if they were staring at Death itself. And in a way, that wasn't exactly an unfair thought. He'd already proven over the past weeks he was a force to be reckoned with. Now that something was legitimately wrong with Yuna ... he'd be even scarier to deal with. "You ... your own IVs and everything ... you can't just rip them out like that! They need to be re-inserted and everything."

The nurse that had tried to keep him from leaving visibly cringed as she saw him collapse to the floor.

"See? It's things like that which I'm specifically talking about. Now please, take my hand and ... "

"Just tell me...Is she going to be alright? WELL?! IS SHE?! TELL ME, DAMN IT!"

There were certain questions or phrase in the medical field that were always the hardest to answer. And things along those very lines were it, more so when even the doctors and nurses had no clue what was going on.

"No one's answering because even we don't know, Mr. Oboro. I ... we're all sorry we can't say anything definite. I'd love to say yes but this isn't exactly the first time this has happened. This has been going on with her the past few days and ... pretty consistently at that matter, so ... "

A good number of the doctors looked at the main one horrified, silently asking why she revealed that fact to Hotsuma. The answer was pretty easy. Regardless of how, he would have found out. There was no point in keeping it hidden any longer. Besides, it'd be worse for him to hear from Yuna instead of the medical team. At least this way, he'd hopefully see they truly had been trying to help out. Her head bowed as she moved her head from side to side.

"It really is difficult to say."

Of course, he had to walk in at the worst time of this session ... she thought, grimacing as the deadlier portion of the display started playing out. What had started as heart beats that were too fast abruptly shifted ... and now steadily became too few. The line representing Yuna's pulse reappeared, but definitely not as easily as it should, let alone for someone her age, who was otherwise relatively healthy all in all.

"Please leave," the nurse pleaded, looking between Hotsuma and Yuna before moving back beside the still - for now - unconscious teenager. At this point, whether he listened or not didn't matter. As long as he let her and everyone else, that would be one of the primary factors to help see if this adolescent would pull through.
 
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Much as anyone would suspect, they would find him extremely noncompliant with their request at him leaving the room"I'm not going anywhere!" he shouted back; like hell he was leaving his lover...Even if he couldn't help her as she was now, he wasn't the type to abandon her.

After all, she hadn't given up when his own psyche threatened to destroy him...And if it was truly something even these doctors couldn't figure out, he wasn't going to give up on her while her body threatened to destroy her.

Needless to say, Hotsuma was not at all pleased with that response. If anything, he was more determined to stay, if only to have her not be alone while she went through this ordeal. She'd done so much when he was down for the count...He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he didn't try something. Anything...She couldn't die! Not when they were so close to finally getting out!

"This is my fault...If I hadn't lost..." Hotsuma bowed his head, trying his damnedest not to cry as his legs threatened to buckle once more. Hands gripping the doorframe as the nurse from before tried to move him. "Stop sniveling, brat. It's unbecoming." the Emperor chastised; Hotsuma, however, just ignored him.

"Yuna...God damn it, fight it! YUNA TAKEDA! LISTEN TO MY VOICE, DAMN IT! DON'T YOU FUCKING DIE ON ME WHEN WE'RE THIS CLOSE! Just tell me what you need!" he pleaded mentally; if he felt useless before, that was no comparison to what he was feeling now.

He was certainly taking this hard...But that was to be expected, especially since she was the first one he was to truly care for.

"Just please...Don't let her die...I don't care if I have to give an organ, or blood, or bone! Just save her!" was his declaration, sinking to his knees in the nurse's grasp. He honestly had no idea what to do, and that was what was killing him most of all.
 

"Do we really not know what's wrong with her?!"

"Yes!"

"Damnit!" one of the nurses hissed through gritted teeth. "Some get Aki or Divine-sama! We need to be completely sure about this. Otherwise ... "

As long as one figured the unfinished sentence was anything along the lines of 'she'll die if we can't figure a way to help her out', they would be right. And given how slowly her heart line was reappearing, the words did seem to hold some truth in them.

"No need. I'm here."

Sure enough, not but about three paces behind Hotsuma was Aki, standing with a confused and frustrated look on her face. "I went to the lab after calling you all in. I didn't find anything; however, now that I'm closer, it's making me wonder more and more if her blood was tampered with somehow. Because I can feel something is very off. It's ... weird. Hard to explain, and maybe that's why it didn't show up; because it's not really a condition that otherwise exists normally. Still ... "

Her head shook from side to side.

"I can't pinpoint what this is. It's like .... it's centered everywhere and nowhere all at once."

If the room hadn't been tense enough, the atmosphere seemed to get even stronger in the emotions held within it. All the doctors stared at the red-head, then looked almost sorrowfully down at Yuna. Obviously looking and feeling even more hopeless than they had mere moments ago.

"I see," one stated, bowing their head politely to Aki. "Well ... we'll try, Hotsuma. But that's all we can promise."

The next twenty minutes would be agonizingly slow, her pulse seeming to mimic how the time was ticking away. Often times, it would be at least two to three minutes before her line appeared once more on her heart monitor machine.

.... And then, as quickly as everything had started, it all abruptly stopped. Including Yuna's heart beat.

"Fuck!"

Rather than grabbing a set of defibrillators like Hotsuma may have expected, at least three to four of the doctors plus Aki began pouring their psychic energy into Yuna. Yet, as anyone would have expected or assumed, no change was seen even by the time they finished. Aki trembled, staying leaned over Yuna. She didn't need to be a mind-reader to know why Hotsuma was no doubt pissed. But why was this getting to her? "Damnit," she growled, her voice betraying the fact she was going through her own set of shakes and tremors. "I guess I'll have to ... "

What she would end up doing seemed to cease.

From seemingly nowhere, the machine seemed to resume picking up a pulse. The beeps started off slow, then rapidly changed to a more usual pace. Yuna's eyes hastily shot open as she gasped and panted. She looked, acted, and even felt as if she had almost drowned.

Suffice to say, every doctor was confused. She had been dead for almost a minute, at least according to the machine. So how was this happening?

"Don't crowd her like that! Give her room!"

The order came from Aki again, making her words come to life as she literally began dragging anyone who didn't heed her words - regardless of why - and pulling them back.
 
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Hotsuma looked up when he heard a familiar voice; watching as the redhead moved to approach the doctors...And his unresponsive partner. Would she really try to save her, despite being beaten as she had been? If past events were any indication, that answer was a resounding 'Yes'. And really, at this point...That was all he needed.

However...They would find the shit hitting the fan when the monitor flatlined. "Yuna...?" Hotsuma whispered harshly, his visible eye wetting noticeably before he shouted more strongly, "YUNA!" The doctors began their work, and he tried to rush over...But his body was still too weak, and after feeling something snap he promptly fell hard again.

"Someone save her, damn it!" the young man shouted, trying to push himself up but his body shaking just from the mere effort. "Nurse! Hold him back!" one of the doctors exclaimed as they tried to literally force her heart to restart, the young woman trying to console him throughout the process. But once was it done...Everything was silent, including the machines. And all Hotsuma could do was stare at the floor, teeth bared in a pained grimace. Not from his body...But his own heart; he'd let her down. Let her die.

And it was here that an anguished cry left him, the sole word he spoke being his lover's name as tears wet the ground beneath him. A bandaged fist thumping weakly against the cold hard floor. "I won't bother saying I told you so...But it is your fault she no longer lives among you." he then heard the Emperor mutter, the truth of his words making it even harder for him to bear, his chest seizing as he drew in ragged breaths.

And in truth...It was yet another time he was reminded of losing his brother, the same despair he felt that day surging freshly to the forefront.

However, that single solitary 'Boop' from the heart monitor made everyone's attention focus right back on her, including Hotsuma. Eyes frozen open as he lifted his head up, only to see Yuna gasp for air as if she hadn't taken a breath in hours.

And Aki's actions of pulling them back would serve another purpose...One the redhead very well could have suspected.

"Yuna!" Hotsuma cried weakly, the bandages on his face soaked from his tears as he felt new energy flood his limbs; though his movements were still sluggish, he managed to walk-slash-crawl towards her. Hands gripping the railing of her hospital bed before his body slumped on top of hers, lips pressing against her cheek before embracing her wholeheartedly. His head on her chest as he heard it: Her heart thumping in his ear...It was the most glorious sound he'd heard in his life.

"Oh thank god...Thank god...I thought..." he murmured, his legs shaking from the effort to himself up; he wasn't letting go any time soon, and even as a doctor might move to pull him off per Aki's orders, the same nurse placed a hand on his shoulder as if to say 'Let him'.

"Yuna...I thought I'd lost you...I'm sorry...It's my fault you got in this mess." Hotsuma would whisper again as a hand came up to stroke her cheek, not even paying attention to the fact that his rushed movements had reopened his own injuries, the back of his right leg and left arm spotting red through the bandages ever so slightly. He was just grateful she was alive, and the doctors knew he wouldn't leave just yet; if he had survived Aki's punishment, then this would hardly even affect him.
 

"Welcome back, Yuna," Aki greeted, smiling softly as she watched Hotssuma move forward as hastily as he could despite hsi own wounded state. Despite that, though, it seemed like that wasn't quite enough to stop him. That was one of the many traits that, even if he didn't believe it, Aki actually admired and respected about the male leader. There were times when being stubborn could lead to irritating results. This, however, was an exception. An example of when it was best to show such a determined mindset instead of a weak-willed one. The same thing applied to Yuna in its own degrees.

"Welcome ... back? Did ... did I really almost ... ??"

Between noting how pale the doctors looked, noticing even Aki appearing a tad shocked, and feeling Hotsuma's tears, her own eyes widened.

"Oh my fuck," she muttered, whimpering slightly as she rested a hand atop Hotsuma's head.

"You've ... " Aki stopped, realizing now may actually be the worst time to relay the facts. That not only had she been deceased for almost a minute, but this was the first time she'd woken up. So, instead, the red-head changed her original response, and wet with something more tame, for the time being. "Given us all quite the scare. Neither me nor Divine have forgotten you two have earned your freedom. However, given ... what we just saw, I want you to consider staying overnight for at least this evening. If only to try to pinpoint whatever just happened and keep it from happening again. But ... I'll understand if you decline. You've been more than patient enough."

Taking a slight breath, the red-haired duelist pivoted on her feet, walked a few steps away, then briefly stopped.

"I would recommend, Hotsuma, going back to your room at least soon. Not now ... but before too long. It won't do your body any good to lose even more of your blood. Alternatively, if you really want to remain here, then let someone patch you back up. But definitely allow for yourself to ensure you don't have your own close call."

Knowing she had siad and done everything for now, Aki resumed striding away rom the room, eventually leaving it completely.

To help comply with her suggestion, about half the doctors left. Some wnt down towards Hotsuma's room, no doubt going ot clean up whatever mess may still be inside there. The others, however, remained in with the couple. They just ... allowed the two to have their intimate moment; yet all recalled the suggestion Aki gave Hotsuma.

In case he would be too stubborn and refuse to take care of his own body, they would be ready to enforce that would be heeded, not ignored.

"Miss Takeda?" one finally - and very hesitantly - asked. "Do umm ... do you recall anything odd happening by chance before your eyes opened?"

If this had been a more 'normal' day, Yuna would have scoffed. She had a good hunch on what the words were trying to imply. Had anything 'magical' or at least 'supernatural' occurred, more or less.

But ... actually ....

"Sorta. I heard ... something. A voice, but not one I've heard before. It was ... muffled. Almost like someone was screaming at me from above water, while I was drowning. I can't really remember what was said. But ... it made me determined, whatever it was. I felt ... like I had to wake up."

... It explained why she sounded and reacted as i she'd almost been swept underneath the deepest ocean. Because, apparently, that had been almost what it seemed like was happening. But it didn't otherwise assist with determining what had actually saved her.

"Aki ... is not alone in hoping you will at least remain here overnight. As medical doctors and scientists, it would be to your benefit to allow us to try to find out what we just saw. But ... the verdict will be yours and yours alone."

The nurse then turned their head, looking right at Hotsuma.

"As for you, Mr. Oboro, you should consider either moving back to your own room or allowing us to assist so you can stay here. Whatever you choose, those bandages need to be tended to much sooner as opposed to later."
 
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Hotsuma was all too content to lay there, just glad beyond belief that Yuna was alright for now, feeling her hand soothingly lay on the side of his head. That she was back...And there was no way in hell he was leaving her. Not when this happened; if anything, even if they tried to drag him away, he would probably risk hurting himself just to stay with her.

"Damn right about that..." Hotsuma murmured; on that, Aki was all too right. Yuna's apparent death had scared the hell out of him, and he wasn't too keen on being away from her in case things went south. He didn't really mind whatever had made her wake up...But if she did hear something, then he'd do whatever he could as a means to thank this unknown savior.

When the nurse imposed her query to them both, Hotsuma looked up at his lover, his eye still a little puffy from crying so much. But at this point, he didn't care if he looked weak; this was someone he cared about, and he would give anyone who chastised him a well-deserved asskicking. "Yuna...I know what we talked about...But maybe we should listen to them. I'll follow your lead...But if not for your sake, then for mine...Let them help us. If we're going to get back to Satellite, we need to be as healed as possible."

Giving a slight grin, he then said, "Of course...Maybe us being as beat up as we are will give Sector the edge they need. Let's face it, we've kicked their ass for the past how many years now?" It was an admittedly lame attempt to lighten the mood, but he would just push himself up, his arms shaking as he held the rail of her bed.

"If it's not too much trouble...Could I stay in here? I...I'd really appreciate it." he then asked, the nurse nodding in the affirmative and stating "Of course...We'll need to have a bed made up and moved over here. But you'll also need to have your IVs re-done, and we'll need to redo some of your stitches." Turning on her heel once Yuna would give her reply, she then said "Give us half an hour, then we'll have your things in place.

And once she left, Hotsuma turned his attention back to Yuna. "I know I said this already...But I'm really glad you're back. You scared the crap out of me...And I can only imagine what went through your head when...well, you know." He was trying to not provoke too many bad feelings, so he decided that maybe now would be the best time to just shut up and enjoy the fact that she wasn't going anywhere yet.
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Moments later, Hotsuma and Yuna would be moved to a shared room to help accommodate both their beds. It didn't take too long for his stitches to be re-done thankfully, and his IV line and electrodes reattached, the monitors beeping with the beautiful signs of life. His bandages were also replaced, a sensible move as the old ones were stained with blood and tears.

"And just remember you two...If you need anything, hit the red buttons on the sides of your respective cots." said one of the doctors, Hotsuma nodding his thanks before the two of them would be left alone.

Reaching across the short gap, Hotsuma would take Yuna's hand gently in his own. "I'm sorry that we have to stay here longer...But I think this will work out for the best for us." he said to her, a small smile on his face before he added, "And whatever happens, I'm right here, alright?"
 
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