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It was relieving to see that both Luna and Estelle were okay after the loser's bracket, but I still had so many questions. What actually happened during Luna and the Professor's duel? What caused Estelle to suddenly faint during the duel? And how come the girls seemed to already have a close bond, even though they met not that long ago? It didn't make a lot of sense, but I had my suspicions.

I had noticed a glowing Mark on Luna's right arm during the loser bracket's duel which faded shortly after the duel had ended, confirming she was a Signer like me, even though I didn't have a mark on my arm right now. And a few seconds after the duel, the ground beneath their feet was covered in crimson flames before they were extinguished. I briefly wondered if the Crimson Dragon had something to do with it.

Luna, Estelle and I headed to the stands where our friends were waiting after the duel. Tanner told us that Leo fainted during the duel and they took him to the infirmary. Leo couldn't remember what happened, but he was angry that Luna lost the duel.

"How are we supposed to duel now, Luna? It's not fair!" He yelled at his sister who sat down next to him.

"Well, looks who's talking! At least I didn't lose my duel like you did." Luna calmly retorted.

"Well...yeah, but..." Leo trailed off, knowing she was right.

I was wondering if Leo fainting was related to Luna's semi-conscious state during the duel, since they were twins. Did they have a spiritual bond, or was Leo connected to the Crimson Dragon too? I couldn't feel anything different about him though.

"What's wrong, Luna?" Yanagi asked after seeing her put a hand on her right arm where her Mark glowed before. "Did your arm hurt during the duel?"

"Yeah, you kept looking at it like you were expecting to see something." Dexter added.

"My arm's fine! I promise!" Luna replied quickly as she removed her hand from her arm.

"If you say so." I said. "Now, I think it's time to get you home."

"You're staying with the twins?" Estelle asked.

"I want to make sure they're both okay after what happened to them." I explained.

"Have fun babysitting them." Tanner said with a teasing smirk.

Leo certainly liked the idea of me staying over. "Alright! We'll have a all-night dueling sleepover!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, listen up!" The MC called out, making us turn to the giant sphere in the middle of the dome. "The second round has been announced. Check out the competition brackets! Who knows what excitement awaits? Who will win? Who will lose? Four duelists, two rounds, one champion! Who will it be? Things are getting crazy! See ya tomorrow!"

The image in the sphere changed to reveal the semi-final duels tomorrow. It was me vs Greiger and Akiza vs Estelle.

"Looks like you'll be Turbo Duelin'." Tanner told me.

"That bad?" I asked.

"You bet! Because rumors on the circuit say Greiger's got a brand new Duel Runner he's gonna be using." Tanner explained. "It's supposed to be unbeatable."

"But aren't Turbo Duels about how well the duelists play and not how unbeatable the Runners are?" Estelle pointed out.

"There's a lot more to Turbo Duels than cards, Estelle." Tanner replied. "You'll understand once you get your own ride."

"If I ever get one." Estelle muttered.

She had been quiet the whole time, and she did look a bit out of it. Was she still feeling groggy after waking up? No. I think she was hiding something.

"Are you okay, Leo?" Luna asked her twin brother.

I looked at the boy and saw that he was acting weird as he walked past the others in the stands. "Oh yeah! Fine! I just...I left something...somewhere else. Be right back!"

"Where are you going?" Luna asked.

Leo stopped by me and Estelle before he turned to his sister while rubbing the back of his head. "To...um...you know...that place with the...oh, look at the time! Bye-bye!" He turned around and ran down the stairs to leave the dome.

"But Leo!" Luna shouted, but her brother was already gone. "This can't be good."

I didn't like how Leo just acted. I just hoped he didn't do something dangerous.

XXXXXXXXXX - Estelle's POV

Tanner, Yanagi and I took a cab back to Blister's apartment after we parted ways with Yusei and the two kids who went back to the tops. I went straight to bed to have a clear head tomorrow. I was going to need it if I was going to duel Akiza and try to free her from the darkness she had fallen into, or at least try to pull her up a bit from the deep abyss to the surface so Yusei could then pull her out of it.

Tanner was kind enough to make breakfast again after I washed myself and joined him and Yanagi by the breakfast table.

"Sleep well, Estelle?" He asked when I sat down.

"Yes." I nodded as I cut the fried bacon into two with a knife.

"I'm still worried about you dueling the Witch." Yanagi said in a concerned tone. "Her psychic powers are nothing to take lightly. She almost killed Randsborg yesterday!"

"But she didn't." I reminded him. "That means she has some control over her powers. And I don't think she wants to hurt others."

"What makes you say that?" Tanner raised a eyebrow.

I munched on the piece of toast that was in my mouth and swallowed it before answering. "Because I used to have the same eyes she does; eyes full of sadness, anger, fear and rejection. She's hiding behind those emotions and uses them as a mask to be known by the world as the Black Rose Witch. She's portraying someone that isn't her true self."

"It sounds like you've experienced a lot of bad things in the past." Yanagi noted.

"Because I have." I replied. "But it's a long story and I don't want to tire myself out with storytelling before my duel."

"Right. You need to focus." Tanner nodded. "And then we'll see if you and Yusei face each other."

XXXXXXXXXX

The three of us took a cab to the Kaiba Dome without any drama. We met up with Yusei, Dexter and the twins in the lobby as Yusei and I registered ourselves for the Fortune Cup. The receptionist informed us that Greiger and Akiza had registered too, so all four competitors were here.

Tanner and the others headed to the stands after wishing me and Yusei good luck in the semi-finals, but Leo stayed behind because he wanted to tell Yusei something. I went to the lounge to prepare my deck for my duel with Akiza, but I wished the young man good luck against Greiger as he and Leo went to the garage where Yusei's Duel Runner was.

I was one of the only people in the lounge. Since Ash wasn't dueling, he chose to keep me company. Two staff members were also present to make sure everything was fine. I sat down on the couch as I watched Yusei and Greiger's Turbo Duel and modified my deck. But since I knew what the outcome would be, I devoted all my energy to modifying my deck.

I didn't bring my satchel with me; only my Duel Disk with my deck and side deck in my jacket pocket. I swapped Breakthrough Skill with United We Stand because this trap card would be useful against Black Rose Dragon and effect monsters in general. With Breakthrough Skill, I could prevent Black Rose Dragon from clearing the field and it's attack reducing effect. Once I was done, I shuffled my deck before inserting it into my Duel Disk and stored the extra deck in the extra deck compartment. I put the side deck in a jacket pocket, so I wouldn't lose it.

My head shot up after I heard a earsplitting noise coming from the television that forced me to cover my ears for a moment. I watched Greiger fly out of the garage to the course on his massive Duel Runner. That Runner was like a bull out for blood, just like how Greiger would snap after the duel when he revealed what happened to his village.

I looked over my shoulder to see if Akiza had entered the lounge, but she was still missing. Was she talking to Sayer, or was she avoiding me because of our conversation before her duel with Randsborg yesterday? Did she think I had a ulterior motive for getting close to her and she was now afraid of me?

I got up and left the lounge to look for her. I could sense the staff members looking at me, probably wondering I was going and if I wasn't going to watch the Turbo Duel. Ash remained in the lounge to watch the Turbo Duel. I walked down the corridors, looking left and right when I came to a fork. The corridors were empty and the only thing I heard was the echo of my footsteps.

I was about to turn a corner before I stopped and quickly moved back. Sayer and Akiza were having a conversation. I took a few steps back to make sure they wouldn't see me, but I was still able to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"You don't need that mask anymore." Sayer told Akiza.

"But I can't duel without it." She replied in a low tone. "I can't face that crowd."

"C'mon, don't listen to them, Akiza. You're not who they think you are. You have special powers; that's why you joined our group. You're a psychic, not a sorceress; you don't need this mask."

I heard Akiza gasp, probably because Sayer took the mask from her.

"It's time we stop living in the shadows, Akiza. It's time the world knew about people like us."

Sayer sure had a way with words. It reminded me that I was once a outsider because of my autism. People easily criticized those who were different and bullied them without getting to know them. They only saw the word "problem" labeled on their forehead. They weren't able to see the person behind the label.

"Um...Sayer. There's something else I want to tell you." Akiza said.

"I'll listen. Tell me."

"It's about that girl."

"That girl? You mean Estelle, your opponent?"

I blinked after hearing my name.

"Yes...before my duel with Sir Randsborg yesterday, she wished me good luck. No one other than you has done that before."

"She might have just wanted to give you some attention because you were the only women competing in the Fortune Cup. Luna doesn't count because she's still a child."

"But I detest her!" Akiza suddenly exclaimed in a harsh tone. "I encountered her in the Daimon Area the other day and she has a Mark like mine!"

Sayer was silent for a few seconds. "Are you sure?"

"Yes! She and that Satellite had a Mark!"

"Satellite...Yusei Fudo. Interesting."

I could tell from Sayer's tone that he was curious about mine and Yusei's Mark. Did he suspect that we were also psychic duelists, or we had a similar power that he wanted to use for his own ends?

"Akiza, I don't know what kind of person Estelle is, but I don't think you should be afraid of her. She almost lost her duel with the Professor, so there's a possibility she simply got lucky and won. You can win without the fear of losing."

I didn't know if I should consider my win in the quarter finals lucky, but I only had 100 life points left. If it wasn't for that combo, I would have certainly lost.

I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard Sayer's hard footsteps heading towards the fork. I quickly jogged away without making a sound and then turned around to walk down the corridor acting like I was running this way just now. Just before I reached the fork, Sayer walked straight ahead, but I noticed his eyes on me from around the corner. I displayed a poker face as I walked by the fork. I watched him walk away before turning to my left, seeing Akiza standing by herself. She looked like she was deep in thought.

"Akiza?" I asked softly.

Her head shot up and she turned to me. She was surprised for a second before she glared at me. "What do you want?"

"I was looking for you." I calmly explained as I approached her.

"Why?" She continued to glare at me.

"I was wondering if you wanted to watch the Turbo Duel with me in the lounge." I replied with a smile.

Akiza's expression changed to one of surprise. She was obviously caught off guard, but she glared at me again. "Why?"

"Because I want to spend time with you." I replied, still smiling.

"Spend time? With me?" She once again had a surprised expression on her face.

I nodded, confirming it. "Yes. With you."

Akiza looked down at the floor to think, but she seemed very conflicted. "You should be scared of me. I'm the Black Rose Witch."

I shook my head softly. "You are Akiza Inzinski, a different girl from the norm. Where I come from we call those people 'freaks'." Akiza's eyes widened slightly. "And I'm one of those 'freaks' too."

Akiza froze as her head slowly turned to me. "You're...a 'freak' too?"

I nodded. "I may not have psychic powers, but I was born with something that makes me a outsider."

Akiza simply stared at me with a look that said she was trying to figure out what made me different like her. I giggled softly before holding my right hand out to her. Her eyes shifted down to the hand before glancing at me.

"Want to go to the lounge together?" I asked softly.

Akiza was stunned to say the least. She stared at my hand before slowly raising her right arm up and moving her hand towards mine. My hand stayed in the air palm up, as I waited for her to place her hand on mine. Just when Akiza was mere fingertips away from me, she moved her fingers back a bit in fear, half-clenching her hand into a fist. She looked at me for a second before glancing down at my hand. She opened her fist and put it on my open palm. I carefully wrapped my fingers around Akiza's hand, squeezing it softly.

Just as we made physical contact, I felt something open up inside me. It was similar to what I felt with Luna after the loser's bracket duel yesterday. I think it was a emotional bond I had with every Signer, or at least with Luna and now Akiza. I could sense Akiza's fear of being rejected in my heart. She was afraid of being used and then thrown aside like garbage or be forgotten like with her parents. She wanted acceptance from people she could trust, but right now the only person she trusted was Sayer who was a bad person deep down.

I tried to transfer some warm feelings through the bond to assure Akiza that I meant no harm and I wanted to be with her for who she was and not for what she was. I wanted her to trust me and realize there were other people who wanted to be friends with her and they were not scared of her psychic powers.

Akiza's eyes widened as she let out a gasp, which got my attention.

"Akiza? Are you okay?" I questioned gently.

Before I knew it, Akiza ripped her hand out of mine and held it close to her chest like she had been burned before glaring at me with the expression of a wild animal. "What did you do to me?!"

"Pardon?" I blinked in confusion, not understanding what she meant.

Akiza's hair moved a bit as if she was ready to use her psychic powers, but she didn't do anything. Instead, she ran past me with tears flying through the air behind her.

"Akiza!" I called out as I turned around, watching her disappear down the corridor.

I was surprised. What just happened? Did Akiza sense the warm feelings I transferred to her and was scared? Was that approach a mistake? I hoped I didn't scare her away from me for good.

XXXXXXXXXX - Akiza's POV

I ran as fast as I could to leave the Kaiba Dome and head to the Arcadia Movement van where I knew I could find Sayer. I needed him right now.

That girl...Estelle Malmstrom. She triggered something inside me and my Mark. I was showered by a warm sensation that almost made me cry, but it hurt at the same time. At first, I wanted to hurt her with my psychic powers, but something prevented that from happening.

Her eyes.

They were full of understanding, compassion and warmth that gave me the urge to run into her arms and bury my face into her bust to cry. I had never felt this way towards someone except Sayer. Why was she different?

I dashed into the Arcadia Movement van and entered Sayer's private office. He was sitting at a desk and looking over some paperwork when he looked up and spotted me. My mask was next to the paperwork, to my relief.

"Akiza?" He said, surprised before standing up. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

I placed a hand on my cheek and felt that it was wet. I didn't even notice I was crying.

Sayer walked up to me and warmly embraced me as I held onto his coat. "What happened, Akiza?"

"I...I don't know." I confessed. "I feel so confused."

Sayer let me go and lifted my chin with his hand. "Tell me. What is causing you to be confused?"

I wiped the tears away before taking a deep breath to calm down. "Estelle."

"What about her?"

"I...she asked me if I wanted to come watch the Turbo Duel with her in the lounge." I began. "I asked her why and she said that she wanted to spend time with me. Then she held her hand out to me. I hesitated at first, but ultimately gave in and placed my hand on hers." I took a break to gather my thoughts. "I don't know what she did, but I suddenly felt a warm sensation in my body and it scared me. But at the same time, I wanted to be with her." I placed my right hand above my heart. "I've never felt like this before. I...I can't face her without my mask."

Sayer took my words in before he nodded. He turned around and walked back to the desk to pick my mask up. He returned to me and held it out for me to take.

"Then take it, Akiza. Estelle is trying to reach you and it's probably not for good reasons." Sayer said. "You cannot trust people you don't know. If you feel the need to hide behind your alter ego, do so."

I nodded and grabbed my mask without hesitation. Now, I would feel safer dueling Estelle if she tried to do something to me again. With the mask, I could conceal my feelings and become a emotionless witch.

XXXXXXXXXX - Sayer's POV

I might have underestimated Akiza's opponent. Estelle could be more than a duelist that won through sheer luck. If she was trying to approach Akiza, this could prove to be troublesome for me and my Arcadia Movement.

Akiza was one of the best duelists in my organization. I couldn't afford to lose her to a outsider, especially one with a similar Mark as hers. I had researched the Crimson Dragon and the legend of it's Signers and the Marks they are blessed with. I knew for certain that Akiza was a Signer, but if Estelle and Yusei were also Signers, then they would surely take Akiza away from me and have her join the "good" guys. I wasn't going to let that happen. She was mine and mine alone; my little witch and main soldier to allow psychic duelists to conquer the world.

As soon as she left the room, a sadistic smirk formed on my face.

Rip your opponents apart, Akiza. Show them no mercy.