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(3rd Person PoV)

They arrived at the hospital and Hideo lead the way where Aki was at.

The twins and Jack were waiting.

As soon as he saw Yusei, Rua's face lit up.

"Yusei!" He said and Ruka turned around to see him.

Yusei gave them a small nod to acknowledge them and entered into the room with everyone behind him.

He approached Aki.

"Izayoi...," he held out his hand before his Signer mark began to glow which made her Signer mark glow as well.

Her eyes fluttered open and she sat up.

"Yusei?" She sounded confused.

"Yes, it's me," Yusei nodded.

Aki looked around, confused.

She was at the Arcadia's building, dueling and now she's here?

And then she spotted her parents and clenched her fists.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, angry.

"I...," Hideo trailed off.

"Izayoi, he asked me for help," Yusei began before Aki shouted, "I don't need your help! I have Divin-."

Her eyes widen as she suddenly remembers what happened to him.

As the building went crumbling down, Divine had fell alongside the rubble.

"No...Divine," Aki shook and held onto her head. "No no, he's gone! I can't believe it!" She cried.

"Izayoi, listen," Yusei started but got interrupted again.

"No, I see how it is. You're here to laugh at me because I lost my home!" Aki then got off the hospital bed, shoved Yusei and grabbed her Duel Disk.

"Oh she's angry. Very much angry!" Joel yelped.

"G, if she ever comes by our place, I think I'll have to book her so many trips to the Jellie reservation," Scar whispered.

"Scar, this isn't the time for jokes," Grian whispered back.

"I wasn't joking."

"Wha-,"

"Izayoi listen. This is complete misunderstanding. We aren't here to laugh at you," Yusei pleaded.

"You lied to me! You said that the Signers were my friends! But now you are my enemy and we will duel that way!" Aki snapped.

"...damn. Guess the only way to get to her heart is by dueling her," Yusei murmured to himself.

They both prepared their duel disks.

"DUEL!"

Yusei - 4000 LPS

V.S

Aki - 4000 LPS

"I'll go first! I summon Evil Thorn (ATK: 100. DF: 300)!" Aki placed her monster down with so much intensity that the force of placement caused the bed to go flying off into the corner.

The wind from it blew fiercely at the spectators direction.

"Ah! What was that!?" Joel yelped.

"That actually was real?" Etho asked.

"So he was telling the truth. I hope that Yusei won't get seriously hurt," Scar huffed.

Grian said nothing but kept his eyes on the duel.

So that's the power of a Psychic Duelist? He thought.

"I then release Evil Thorn to deal you 300 damage!" Aki shouted.

The plant monster exploded and the thorns from it came raining down onto Yusei who held his ground.

All he did was wince in pain.

4000 —> 3700 LPS

"Since its the first turn, Aki can't attack but she can deal damage with her monster's effect," Ruka said.

"Yusei, be careful!" Rua called out.

"I then special summon two Evil Thorns because of this," Aki added on.

"Again?" Rua gasped but Jack shook his head.

"Her monsters' effect are negated this time," he explained which made Rua sigh in relief.

"I now activate the Spell Card, Closed Plant Gate. I can activate it when I have two face up Plant Monsters of the same name. You cannot declare an attack on your next turn!" Aki yelled.

Thorny vines appeared and surrounded her monsters.

"If Yusei can't attack, he can't deal her damage to her life points," Rua gulped.

"I end my turn," Aki concluded.

"That was a lot for first turn," Scar said.

"Agreed," Joel nodded.

Jack glanced at the four of them.

He had not said anything about them arriving with Yusei but he knew that he had to ask who they are sooner than later.

But for now, he turned his attention to the duel.

"Draw...I summon Shield Warrior (ATK: 800. DF: 1600) in defense mode. And then I set two cards down and end my turn," Yusei said in a low voice.

"Since he can't attack due to Closed Plant Gate, Yusei can't do much on his turn," Ruka noted.

"The best he can do is defend. Let's hope he has a plan," Joel agreed.

Ruka glanced at him. There something about him that was oddly familiar but she never met him until now so she just brushed it off.

"It's my turn now," Aki drew a card.

"I summon Twilight Rose Knight(ATK: 1000. DF: 1000)! I now activate his effect which lets me special summon a level 4 or lower monster. Reveal yourself, Dark Verger(ATK: 0. DF: 1000)!" She shouted.

"She now has four monsters on her field," Scar noted.

"And worst of all, Twilight Rose Knight is a tuner monster," Ruka added on.

"So she's preparing for a Synchro Summon?" Etho asked.

"Wait so that would mean...one, two three," Rua started to count off the levels of Aki's monsters.

"It means she's going to summon a level 7 monster," Jack finished.

"Black Rose Dragon?" Joel asked.

Their suspicions turned out to be true.

"I tune level 3 Twilight Rose Knight with two level 1 Evil Thorn, and level 2 Dark Verger! The cold flame envelops the entire world. Black Flower, bloom! Synchro Summon! Appear, Black Rose Dragon(ATK: 2400. DF: 1800)!" Aki yelled.

Her Ace monster appeared and roared with such intensity.

Hideo's eyes widen at this and he gritted his teeth.

That dragon...he thought.

"Papa...your eyes are the same as before. It's like they are looking at a monster," Aki said.

He didn't say anything.

...Izayoi, Yusei thought.

"I now activate Black Rose Dragon's effect! By removing a Plant monster from my graveyard out of play, I can target a monster in defense mode, switch it to attack mode and have the attack points drop all the way to zero! I banish Evil Thorn. Black Rose Gate!" Aki shouted.

A hologram of Evil Thorn appeared and Black Rose Dragon seemed to eat it.

Thorny vines appeared and grabbed Yusei's monster.

800 —> 0 ATK

"I then activate Thorn of Malice which by equipping it to Black Rose Dragon, she'll gain 600 attack points!" Aki yelled.

2400 —> 3000 ATK

"Battle! Black Rose Dragon, attack Shield Warrior! Hate Rose Whip!" She added on.

A thorny vine was about to whip and destroy Shield Warrior but just then, Yusei shouted, "Trap card, Realize Defense! I target a monster that I control in attack mode and switch it to defense! I then draw a card!"

Shield Warrior got freed of the vines and switched back to defense mode.

"Due to Thorn of Malice's effect, your monster isn't destroyed but you take piercing damage," Aki explained.

"What?" Yusei asked.

Shield Warrior's shield broke and the pieces hit Yusei, causing him real pain and damage to his Life points. A small cut slashed on his cheek.

3700 —> 2300 LPS

"And when a monster that is equipped with Thorn of Malice attacks an opponent's monster, your monster loses 600 attack and defense points," Aki added on.

800 —> 200 ATK

1600 —> 1000 DF

This is bad. Yusei hasn't made a dent in her life points. If this keeps up..., Grian thought.

"Yusei, you claim that you came to help me but you can't! You can't save anyone nonetheless me!" Aki shouted.

"I...," Yusei trailed off.

She's right but...I have to try! For her sake at least.

"Aki...," Hideo was looking at his daughter.

"Divine was the one who gave me a home. Now that he's dead, this world has become a cruel one. No matter how hard life could be, there was a home that I could return to!" Aki shouted.

She glanced at her arm where the dragon mark was.

"This...is a detestable mark. I don't care about the Signers! All I care about is that he gave me a home and no one else! Now that I don't have one, I'll destroy all the homes in the world!" She shouted.

"But Izayoi! You had a home from the very beginning!" Yusei tried to reason with her.

"No I don't! Not with Papa and Mama. I told you before that you can't save me. And I'll prove it by defeating you in a duel!" Aki grabbed her hair ornament that held up the front of her hair, threw it letting the front of her hair fall to her face, strands of her hair dangling over her face and Yusei could feel her anger. Her hatred.

I need to win this duel and open her heart! He thought.

"I end my turn!" Aki shouted.

"My turn then," Yusei drew a card. While it was a good card, he couldn't use it right away. He didn't have the right requirements.

For now...

"I activate my Trap, Reinforce Truth! By not battling this turn, I get to summon a level 2 or lower Warrior monster from my deck! Show yourself, Speed Warrior (ATK: 900. DF: 400)!" Yusei shouted.

A grey monster with a mask and roller skates appeared on his side.

"I then summon Junk Synchron (ATK: 1300. DF: 500)!" He added on.

Jack counted the number of levels that Yusei had.

The total number is 8. That's means...,his eyes widen in realization. It's coming.

He wasn't the only one who realized this.

"Etho, the total number of levels is 8. Guess which monster that Yusei has is level 8?" Joel asked.

"Wait, you're not talking about-?" Etho asked but Grian interrupted him.

"His Ace is coming," he said, slowly.

"I tune level 3 Junk Synchron with level 2 Speed Warrior and level 3 Shield Warrior! The wishes come together to form a new shining star. Become the path that lights the way! Syncro Summon! Soar, Stardust Dragon(ATK: 2500. DF: 2000)!" Yusei shouted.

The blue and white dragon with bright wings appeared and roared.

Now two dragons were facing each other.

Stardust Dragon moved his wing to shield the spectators.

Is Stardust protecting us? Ruka thought.

"I end my turn," Yusei said.

"Hmm, draw!" Aki drew a card.

"Battle! Black Rose Dragon, attack Stardust! Hate Rose Whip!" She shouted.

Thorny vines whipped Stardust, injuries on the dragon.

"Due to Thorn of Malice's effect, your monster isn't destroyed but Stardust will feel pain on its flesh and bones for all of eternity!" Aki explained.

One singular thorny vine lashed out and hit Yusei to signify the piercing damage.

2300 —> 1800 LPS

"Yusei!" The twins cried out.

"Stardust loses 600 attack and defense points and then I end my turn," Aki finished.

2500 —> 1900 ATK

Yusei got up and drew a card.

He had to think of a strategy and fast!

"From my hand, I activate the Quick Spell, Half Shut! I target a face up monster and its attack points get halved. And that monster that I choose...is Black Rose Dragon!" Yusei shouted.

3000 —> 1500 ATK

"Now Black Rose has less attack points than Stardust," Joel noted.

"Go Yusei!" Lua cheered.

Is he going to attack? Jack wondered.

"Battle! Stardust, attack Black Rose Dragon! Shooting Sonic!" Yusei shouted.

A beam of light shot out from Stardust Dragon's mouth and hit Black Rose Dragon.

"Due to Half Shut's effect, your monster doesn't get destroyed but you take damage," Yusei explained.

4000 —> 3600 LPS

"I set two cards down and end my turn," Yusei finished.

"Black Rose Dragon's attack points go back to normal then," Aki said after drawing a card.

1500 —> 3000 ATK

"Battle! Black Rose, attack Stardust! Hate Rose Whip!" She shouted.

The same action repeated which made Stardust lose attack and defense points and Yusei losing life points.

1900 —> 1300 ATK

1800 —> 700 LPS

Oh god! If this keeps up, Yusei will lose and lose more than just his life points. It's not a life of death situation but..., Grian's thoughts trailed off.

It was now Yusei's turn and he looked at his hand.

I just don't get it. I have the right card here but I don't have the necessary card for it. I just need to keep holding on, he thought.

"I set one card down and end my turn," Yusei said.

"So you ran out of things to do. I knew it," Aki said.

"I know...I know that I can't save anyone but if I don't at least make an effort to save a suffering friend, then what kind of person am I?" Yusei asked.

This took Aki by surprise as he said this.

A...friend? She thought.

Yusei's words made Hideo think.

An effort? ..., he thought.

"We're not...," Aki seemed to hesitate before shaking her head before drawing a card.

"I set a card down and incite battle again! Black Rose, attack Stardust! Hate Rose Whip!" She shouted.

Stardust stood his ground as the thorny vines attacked him.

Just as Yusei was about to lose Life points again, Hideo ran in front of him and held his arms out.

"Stop it, Aki!" He shouted.

"No, get out of the way! You're going to get hurt," Yusei told him.

"No. I decided that no matter how much Aki hurts me, that I'm going to hear her out. I'll hear her pain," Hideo explained.

"Papa...no I won't believe that! I can't believe that!" Aki cried.

"It's not you that has to believe. It's me," Hideo told her.

Aki began to shake. How can this be?

"Don't stop your attack, Black Rose!" She shouted.

Everyone froze. What's going to happen now?

To be continued!

A/N: good news, we're currently #2 in the tag 5DS.

I don't think I have any bad news rn

Cya in the next one -Flare

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