Yu-gi-oh 5ds my story 23

(Goodwin stands opposite the shattered window of the tower, still holding the spiked missile he caught with his bare hand. He drops it, and steps forward, his face appearing on holoscreens all over the stadium. As he speaks, we can see that he keeps the metallic left hand that caught the projectile neatly hidden behind his back. This gives Jack a good view of it, and he is staring.)
Goodwin: People of New Domino City, it's always a terrible tragedy when a gifted duelist like our very own Greiger suffers a complete nervous and emotional breakdown following such an intense duel. But rest assured-- he'll get all the help he needs.

(Sayer is leaning against a doorway somewhere in the stadium)
Sayer: I can't believe they're eating up all of Goodwin's lies. Here comes that *help*...
(Looks like 'help' is to the tune of a couple Security grunts. They 'help' Greiger to his feet.)

Grunt: Mister Goodwin's gonna make sure you get everything you deserve.
(Greiger turns to Yusei)
Greiger: Yusei, promise me you'll take down Goodwin, once and for all!
(Yusei nods gravely)
Greiger: One more thing Yusei. Tell Cortez that he better watch out for the Black Rose. She'll tar anyone that ever gets in her way, so you be careful, or you'll end up like the other duelist that faced her and got sent to the hospital. Cause unless she gets what she wants, nothing you say will help get through to her.

(Cut to stacks and stacks of books. Commander Koda can just barely be seen among them, typing away on a little laptop)
Koda: Disciplinary issues in school... Destructive behavior... Telekinetic abilities... Interesting, very interesting--
(Lezar shows up)
Lezar: Eh, Commander Koda, your duel's starting soon.
(A crochety scholar interrupted)
Koda: Will you leave me alone?! I'm still compiling data! I've got eighteen-hundred and seventy-two duels to analyze before I can complete my Black Rose profile!
(As he's spoken, he's picked up a deck carefully placed on the table and looked at it)
Lezar: Don't let us down; the Director is counting on you.
Koda: He won't be disappointed, because after I duel the Black Rose, we'll know without a doubt whether she is a Signer or not.

(Back in the tower, Goodwin is pulling on a neat, white left glove identical to the one that was destroyed. He turns to Jack.)
Goodwin: In case you're wondering about my arm, I was in an unfortunate accident several years ago.

(Somewhere in the back hallways, Akiza is holding her mask in both hands.)
Sayer: You don't need that mask anymore.
(Opposite her is Sayer; Akiza looks worried.)
Akiza: But I can't duel without it now. I can't face that crowd.
(Sayer steps forward and grips her shoulders.)
Sayer: Come on, 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. (he takes the mask gently) You're a psychic, not a sorceress. You don't need this mask.
(She looks at him, slightly bereft without it.)
Sayer: It's time we stopped living in the shadows, Akiza. It's time the world knew about people like us.
Akiza: I understand. After all, I came here to find my escaped victim. And I will do what I can to get to him.
Sayer: Good. Now let's get you ready.


(Back in the Kaibadome, the lights are dark and the match is about to begin.)
Announcer: Welcome back to our second Semifinal duel! Now entering the arena-- the dueling detective, Commander Koda!
(Koda is pinned down by a triple-spotlight and enters the arena via elevator platform.)
Announcer: And his opponent-- the magician with the moves, the presti-digitator with the plan, the Black Rose!
(Akiza's entrance is the same. We hear voices from the crowd.)
- Look, the witch is back!
- Uh, I'm going to the bathroom; don't save my seat!
(Sayer and Cortez are watching are watching from their usual doorway)
Announcer: Get ready to duel!
(Dex, Leo, Luna, and Yanagi are leaning forward anxiously in their seats.)
Leo: *Last* time she dueled she almost blew this building down!
Dex: I know, but I'm not scared. In fact, it'd be *great* if that happened; I haven't done one ounce of homework all week long!
Yanagi: Hah! I haven't done a day of homework my whole life! And just look-- *I* turned out perfect!
(Luna isn't listening; her eyes are on the arena)
Luna: Mmm...

(Yusei is carefully tinkering away on his runner backstage in a garage somewhere, when Tanner joins him.)
Tanner: Yusei! The next match is about to start!
Yusei: Sorry. Fixin' my runner comes first.
(Tanner watches a video screen in the corner as he speaks; Akiza stands in the arena, hiding her fear with a frown.)
Tanner: But it's the Black Rose! You think she really is a witch?
Yusei: No, she's more dangerous than that.

Sayer: So, I see you here again. You must be the escaped victim she was mentioning about.
Cortez: So *what?*
Sayer: Well, if so, then the only one I should be worried about is you. She mentioned you have a deck of heroes.
Cortez: And what do you know of the Black Rose?
Sayer: Something that I like to keep to myself.
(Cortez scrunched his eye at Sayer for what he knows of Akiza.)

(Aerial shot of the duel arena and the camera spirals upward dizzily.)
Announcer: Let's get this match started!!
(Akiza activates her duel disk; Koda follows suit. Both start with 4000 lifepoints.)
Both: Let's do this!!


(Another spiraling aerial of the arena.)
Akiza (sweetly, passive-aggressive): I hope you don't mind, but *ladies first*! I summon Violet Witch!
[Violet Witch 1100//]
Akiza: And next up, I'm casting the field spell "Black Garden" that's in my hand!
(Thick vines sprout around her shoes. The vines whip outward aggressively; Akiza's cards seem to have caught her defensive attitude.)
Koda: Well would you look at that. <6:00> It would seem that our *Black Rose* happens to have a *green thumb*, doesn't she?
(Akiza is silent, facing him across the expanse of her field spell.

(Jack and Goodwin watch silently; Goodwin with a sinister smile and Jack with a slight frown. The mass of dark vines is reflected against the windowpane.)
Akiza: I play a facedown. It's your turn!

Announcer: The Black Rose is *growing strong* with her Garden field spell! Will the Commander prune or be pricked!
Koda: Not a bad move-- (draws) ah! But entirely predictable, because I've been studying you, *Black Rose.* I know your every card, your every move. Your past is a crime scene, and I'm just following the clues until I finally bring you down! So for now I'll just play *this* and end my turn.
(He slaps down a facedown, and does nothing more. He's left himself wide-open!)

Announcer: One card?! But he's dueling a witch! He'll *never* win playing like *that*!

Koda: Tell the man with the mic he'd better think again; this girl is no witch, she has the power of telekinesis! Which means she can move objects with her mind. (points at her) But *that* doesn't mean you're above the law! If you think *you* have power, wait 'til you see what justice has in store for you!
(This entire time, Akiza has kept a blank face, emotionless and innocent.)

(Tower)
Goodwin: He's performing well, don't you think?
(Lezar joins them)
Lezar: Did you tell Jack that the Commander is the best profiler the Facility has? Ahmhmhmhmhm. He's famous for uncovering the truth, and now that he's dueling we expect a similar result. Mmhmhmhmhm.

(Duel)
Akiza: It's my turn; I draw!
(Cut-screen of the two duelists' eyes; Akiza chuckles quietly.)
Akiza: Violet Witch, attack the Commander directly!
Koda: Aaaaaagh...!
(The spectators lean forward)
Yanagi, Leo, Luna, Dex: Hah...!
(Back on the field, Koda is surrounded by billowing smoke, and we can barely see him.)
Announcer: The Commander is *down*! Witch or not, the Black Rose's attacks *still* pack a *real* punch!
(Koda is standing crookedly on the field, legs braced to keep his balance. His head is bowed.)
Koda: ... Feels just like it did *last* time, Akiza. (looks at her) During our match at Duel Academy!
Akiza: Huh?!

(Backstage; Yusei and Tanner; Yusei is momentarily distracted by this revelation)
Yusei: Huh?
Tanner: Did he just say *Duel Academy*?

(Sayer and Cortez are struck from Koda's words)
Sayer (think): This won't be good.

(Duel)
Koda: I've never forgotten; I was a third-year Obelisk Blue. I was all set to turn pro. Then this *new girl*, a Slifer Red, walks up and challenges me!

(Flashback; Akiza and her Violet Witch stand across the field from a huge pink explosion. The entire scene is saturated with purple light. From what we can see of Akiza, her red boots or shoes and thigh-high socks have white stripes around the top, like soccer socks. Her skirt, also red with a white stripe around the bottom, comes to just above her knees. The rest of her is blurred to us by the explosion. A younger Koda, his blue blazer turned brown by the light, is thrown backward to the ground; before him stands a small, slim young woman and her monster, wreathed in purple flames. End Flashback.)

Koda: Your psychic powers destroyed my deck, and almost me along with it! I left pro dueling to study the criminal mind. I've tracked down the most dangerous duelists in New Domino City, but I was saving *you* for last!! And thanks to Goodwin, I've got just the card for my vengeance!
(Akiza keeps her face blank)
Akiza (think): But I was just a child then! I couldn't *control* my psychic powers!
Koda: I *know* you; you think you're better than everyone else! (primly) Look at me, I'm Akiza, the telekinetic! Well guess what; it's time for justice! I play my facedown trap card, "Crime and Punishment"! It activated as soon as you attacked me. And now your monster's completely destroyed.
(Violet Witch disappears in a poof of yellow sparkles)
Akiza: You've just activated her special ability-- if Violet Witch is *ever* sent to the graveyard, I get to take a plant-type monster from my deck and add it to my hand. It serves you right for confusing justice with revenge! I select-- Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis!
[Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis 2200/0//fire]
Koda: Akiza, justice *is* revenge! And your punishment's just beginning! Remember my "Crime and Punishment" trap card? Well its *other* effect is to automatically summon a monster from my hand. Like Agent of Hatred! You can think of the two of us as good cop and bad cop.
[Agent of Hatred 0///]
(Agent of Hatred is a huge nasty worm. As soon as it's summoned, Black Garden wraps it in vines.)
Akiza: You wanna play in *my* garden, you gotta pay the price! My field spell cuts your monster's attack points in half!
Koda: Not a bad countereffect! Too bad it doesn't have any attack points for you to take away! I know your deck and how to get around your little tricks.
Akiza: Then you must've seen *this* coming, didn't you! Because you summoned Agent of Hatred, I get to summon my own Rose Token!
[Rose Token 800///]
Akiza: It can't attack, but it can't be destroyed in battle, either! So I guess that leaves us with two monsters that aren't really good for *anything*.
(Koda adjusts his glasses)
Koda: You're wrong again! Hah! I didn't summon my Agent to attack, but to use its special ability. So each round I recover the lifepoints I lost during one of my battles, and that's something your telekinetic powers can't undo! Looks like the Rose has lost her thorns.
(His lifepoints go back up to 4000)

Leo: How can he lose if he keeps getting his lifepoints back?
Yanagi: Uh... maybe he can't.
Luna: Mmm...
Leo: Huh? What's wrong, Luna? Is your arm still bothering you?
(It is indeed; she's quietly holding it with her left hand,)
Luna: No; it's um... It's nothing.

Akiza: I'm summoning Phoenixian Seed to my field in defense mode! Your last move gave me the idea to play *this*! (Phoenixian Seed gets wrapped in vines) See, *it* doesn't have any attack points to cut in half, *either*! But a Rose Token is still summoned, and because *I* summoned the monster, it's going to appear on *your* side of the field! Now I activate my "Rose Flame" trap card!
Computer: The trap card "Rose Flame" deals five hundred points of damage to your opponent whenever a plant-type monster is summoned onto their field.
Akiza: Now let's see your good-cop-bad-cop routine try and handcuff *this* sweet-smelling maneuver of mine!
(He is hit with a swirling jet of flaming rose petals from the card.)
Koda: Rrrrgh-aaaaagh!
(Flaming rose petals flutter around Akiza as Koda sinks to one knee.
Koda: Hah. Not bad. I read about that combo the first time you used it, when you were five years old.
Akiza: Hm?!

(Sayer stops smiling instantly; this isn't good. Cortez had no expression, but he knew it won't be easy for Akiza.)

(Koda stands up. He has the upper hand again)
Koda: It was your very first duel, when you learned about your *curse.*
(Akiza glares back at him...)

(Flashback. Purple flames once again turn the whole scene a violent fuchsia. A man in a sweater-vest is slammed back-first against a wall, hard enough to crack it. He stays there, unnaturally suspended. A young woman watches from the sidelines in horror, staring at the tiny pink-haired girl in a light pink tank top and lavender skirt with ruffles as she holds her duel disk limply at her side, her eyes wide with bemused fear. A glowing Sign is visible on her right arm, and rose petals drift through the air.)
Koda (VO): Your power was uncontrollable; you couldn't stop. You were a danger to yourself and to others.
(End Flashback)

Koda: Then your parents sent you away for help-- yet you refused to give up the power that you had inside you!
Akiza (defensive): I'm learning to control it! I want to use it so that I can help people!!

(Flashback. A red-blazered, dark-haired girl with an activated duel disk on her arm cowers in fear as the ground erupts around her; Across from her the students near Akiza, the other duelist, react in terror. The teenage Akiza was completely alone.)
Koda (VO): *Help* people? You've caused nothing but destruction and pain, including my own! You don't care who your power hurts!
(End Flashback)

Akiza (looks at her empty hand): It's not my fault!
Koda: Incompetence, like ignorance, is no excuse, Akiza!
Akiza: But I'm not looking for excuses...
Koda: Once this duel is over, I know that you'll thank me for this. My job is to make sure society is safe, and I don't plan on letting society down. I'm going to send you to a special facility to cure you of your afflictions whether you like it or not!
(Akiza is looking down, face hidden, dejected.)


(Akiza remains silent)
Koda: And now-- (draws) to cure you! I activate "Mind Monster"! Just think of it as a guessing game. I choose any monster I want, and if you happen to have it, then you lose half its attack points! And if all my research is right, you've got Black Rose Dragon!
Akiza: Huh?!
(her duel disk opens up and spits out Black Rose Dragon)
Koda: And I hope you've learned by now that my research is *always* right. Now why don't we give you a taste of your own medicine, Akiza-- Black Rose Dragon has twenty-four-hundred attack points, which means you take twelve-hundred points in damage. If ya play with fire, you're gonna get burned!
(A facsimile miniature Black Rose Dragon appears on Koda's field and blasts Akiza)
Announcer: And the Commander responds with his first attack against the Black Rose!!
(The Mind Monster shifts back into its formless jelly state and disappears)
Koda: How about that! Twelve-hundred points of damage, and I didn't even need to use any psychic powers! <13:00> Unlike your *spells*, I don't need to cheat! Now I switch Rose Token to defense mode and end my turn.
Akiza (draws): You'll wish you never *called* me a cheat!
(She's drawn a trap; she stares at it, then thinks)
Akiza (thinks): No one understands... I just want a normal life! But I can't have one.

(Flashback. A big plume of dust is kicked up somewhere in a backalley or vacant lot. A crowd of onlookers is horrified, and so is the person on the opposite side of the dueling field from the Black Rose, then in a long, shapeless maroon dress under her cloak, and her hair runs down her back. The mask was the same.)
Akiza (VO): Destruction always followed me, and the more I ran, the more people I hurt. My only choice was to keep dueling, and hope that I'd find someone who could help me. And I did!
(Flashback continued. Akiza, now alone, took off her mask forlornly, and suddenly someone held out a hand to her. It's Sayer.)
Sayer: I'm Sayer, and I head the Arcadia Movement. We are a group of duelists, with powers like yours, and we can help you.
(End flashback.)

Akiza (think): Sayer gave me strength!
Koda: Akiza, what're you trying to do, contact your psychic friends? Well they can't help you-- you are all mine!
Akiza: Huh!?

(Sayer is still frowning)
Cortez: Something on your mind, Sayer?
Sayer: Allot of things.
Cortez: Well Akiza is not out of the duel yet.
Sayer (smirks): Coming from someone that's about to see powers up close and personal.

(Tower)
Lezar: If what the Commander said is true and Akiza has gifted friends, she may be even more useful than we thought. There's rumors of a psychic society. If Akiza's in it, she could lead us to even greater power!
(Jack, once again, is listening-- and looks a bit startled by what he's hearing.)

Akiza: You may know about my friends and my deck, but you don't know what's really inside me-- you cannot profile someone's heart! And while that's sinkin' in, I'm activating *this*! Phoenixian Seed's special ability! By sending this card straight to my graveyard, I can now summon my other Phoenixian monster directly from my hand! Cluster Amaryllis!
[Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis ///]
(It appears and vines wrap around a few of its slender stalks)
Announcer: The Black Rose's new monster sprouts to the field-- but it won't escape her Black Garden field spell! Amaryllis loses half its power, and the Commander gets a new Rose Token! And you know what that means-- the "Rose Flame" trap instantly activates; is it me, or is it gettin' hot in here!
Koda: Aaagh!
Akiza: Commander! I don't need psychic powers to tell me what to do next! Amaryllis, attack his Rose Token!
Koda: Uuuugh!
(The Commander's lifepoints stand at 2700; by now his trim gray suit is covered with rips, smudges, and scorch marks. Amaryllis goes up in flames.)
Akiza: Amaryllis is automatically destroyed; but its special ability activates! I'm sure you know what happens now; the card goes to the graveyard, and you take eight hundred points of damage. Now surely your research should've told you that *this* was coming!
Koda: It'll take a lot more than wilting flowers to beat me!
(Nevertheless, he falls down and lies on the ground, 1900 lifepoints remaining.)
Announcer: Don't forget, due to the Commander's Agent of Hatred, he gets back the points he lost this round!
(The Commander's lifepoints increase back to 2200; he gets to his feet again.)
Koda: You will not defeat me, Akiza! No matter how many times you attack... I won't rest until I make sure that you never hurt anyone again... and once I win, you're going to that special facility... and once you're there they will dispatch you of your power!
Akiza: Well I *don't* plan on losing today! Now I play a facedown! But don't draw just yet, because I can re-summon Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis from my graveyard in defense mode!
(It gets wrapped in vines)
Announcer: Black Rose gets her monster back, but the field spell gives the Commander another Rose Token!
Akiza: Which means my trap activates again!
(More flaming rose petals.)
Announcer: Ouch! It's another fiery finish from the Black Rose!
(The Commander is still standing, now thoroughly mussed, scratched, and scorched at 1700 lifepoints left.)
Koda: You're asking for it, Akiza! And now you're about to get it! I knew you'd fill my field with Rose Tokens; it's what I wanted! Now I can sacrifice them to summon my own monster-- the Mad Profiler!
[Mad Profiler 2600/1600/8stars/]
Koda: I'm sure you noticed the professional resemblance, since we're both in the same business of making sure *you* never hold a dueling deck again.
Announcer: What a move! But that doesn't mean the Mad Profiler escapes Black Rose's field spell! But this time the Token's on *Akiza's* side of the field!
Koda (think): You're doing everything I knew you would, Akiza! I got a little singed in the process, but vengeance is mine! (aloud) Now I'll tap into my Mad Profiler's special ability! So by sending a spell card to the graveyard, I can remove any other spell card from the game. I've got just the one in mind...
(The spell he discards is "Reload". Black Garden suddenly glows green and vanishes. Akiza looks around, startled and offbalanced.)

(Stands)
Leo: He got rid of the Black Garden field spell!
Dex: And now all the monsters will get back their attack points from that were cut in half!

Koda: My Profiler can work with more cards than just *spells*. I can send a monster card to the graveyard to destroy any one of your monsters.
(He does so, discarding Mind on Air, and Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis vanishes.)
Koda: Agh! That evens things up! (he's starting to get crazy at this point) Now whaddayou say we battle-- Mad Profiler, attack! Take out her Rose Token with Mad Dash Destruction!
(Mad Profiler runs forward; clearly the crazy eyes are explained by large amounts of caffeine, as he's running like crazy. He throws the book at Akiza's Rose Token, and she shields her face against the ensuing blast of wind. She has 1000 lp left.)
Koda: Now that that token is out of the way, I think it's time for me to end this duel, and put you away for good!!


(Tower)
Lezar: The Black Rose can't keep this up for long. It's just a matter of time before the Commander pushes this girl to her limits and activates her Signer power.

Koda: Next up I play my equip spell, and it goes by the name "Destruction insurance".
Mad Profiler: Heeheeheeheeheeheehee...

(Garage)
Tanner: I heard about that new card. Once you equip it to a monster, if your opponent destroys it, they lose half its attack points! Looks like the Commander got the prototype. (looks at Yusei, who's watching the duel) And with Black Rose down to her last few attack points (sic), if she takes out Mad Profiler, she takes herself out as well! Magic or not, that girl is *gone*.

(Duel)
Koda: Now I activate a second equip spell, "Light Law Protection"!
(He pronounces 'law' as 'low'.)
Mad Profiler: Heeheeheeheeheeheehee...

(Garage)
Tanner: Whoa, another protection spell. His card's totally safe. Now, if she changes its attack points, like with the special ability of one of her other cards, then that card is destroyed. Not even her Black Rose Dragon can save her now, Yusei.
(Yusei opens the front hood of the runner and it expels steam. Yusei looks back at him, dead serious)
Yusei: Don't be so sure, Tanner...

(Duel)
Akiza: And now it's *my* turn! And I summon Night Rose Knight!
(Cute little guy, officially known as Twilight Rose Knight.)
[Twilight Rose Knight 1000///]
Akiza: My combo won't be a surprise. After all, aren't you the profiler who spent the last few years studying me? Instead of offering to help, you treat me like a monster. So all I can do is answer with a monster of my own-- I combine my Knight with two Rose Tokens to synchro-summon Black Rose Dragon!!

(Yusei's mark instantly starts glowing. He grips his arm, fighting to stay quiet. Back in the stadium, black rose petals blow with the powerful wind. Black Rose Dragon appears on the field, towering above Koda and his heavily-protected Profiler.)

(Cortez and Sayer watches as Black Rose Dragon makes it to the field. But Cortez here gets a certain signal as he checks on his pocket and notice the golden card inside it)
Cortez: Huh?
(Sayer notice something from Cortez as he picked up the golden card. Cortez then turned back to the duel.)
Sayer (think): What is he holding? Does he have more power than I imagine?

Koda (hysterical): There is nothing you can do that will surprise me!! I know your each and every move! Just face it, Black Rose-- you can't win!!
(The metal curler that is rolled into the top of her hair unravels and falls to the ground, hitting the arena floor with a tinny, echoing clink. Akiza is glowing with reddish energy, her long bangs are floating around her face; her voice echoes.)
Akiza: It's about more than winning. It's about finding your place in the world. And *I know* where I belong.
(She looks at him, furious and defiant.)
Akiza: I'm through hiding behind a mask!! I'm going to show *everyone* in this arena my true powers and win this duel!
Koda: Good luck! Because as long as I've got my equip spells and lineup of monsters, I'm untouchable!
Announcer: The Commander's right-- Psychic? Witch? It doesn't matter-- the Black Rose can't get to 'im! What will she do!
Akiza: I activate Black Rose Dragon's special ability! If I take a plant-type monster from my graveyard and remove it from play, (Phoenixian Seed) then your monster's attack points go to zero!!
(Black Rose Dragon's violet-glowing vines wrap around the Mad Profiler, strangling him)
Koda: Hagh! *That's* what I was waiting for! Now my equip spell activates!! And because you used Black Rose Dragon's special ability, my "Light Law Protection" automatically destroys it!!
(A bolt of light races up one of the strangling vines and pierces Black Rose Dragon through the throat; it rears and explodes, lighting up the entire stadium. Below, Akiza shields her face, a sorrowful survivor. One of the arms she's holding up begins to glow with a claw-shaped Sign.

(Yusei's friends in the stands lean forward, stunned.)

(Yusei is still gripping his arm, looking up at the duel. Jack has a hand to his arm also.)
Jack: She's a Signer!
(Cortez was next as he took a few notice and got called from that same voice.)
Celestial Being (o.c and double voice): She is a signer. But she will continue her act until she has hold of you. With you here, she'll change fate for the next duel. You must use this number card!
(Cortez then turns back to the duel again)

(At the Ener-D Reactor, even Zigzix is getting a reading)
Zigzix: We've captured her Ener-D! I can pay my student loans!!!

(Tower)
Lezar: Excellent, three down and only two more to go.

(Duel. Akiza's side of the field is a wasteland of flame. Akiza is barely visible within this holocaust, emerging from the fire.)
Akiza: A nice spell, but I still have my trap card Rose Curse!!
(Officially known as "Curse of Rose". Another jet of rose petals, these ones deep crimson red.)
Akiza: You spent so much time studying my past that you never even stopped to look at the person I've become!
(The rose petals begin to encircle Koda; he looks around, starting to panic.)
Akiza: And because of that, your lifepoints are now going to suffer for your narrowmindedness!
(The petals are swirling faster and faster, and the Commander is really starting to get scared now)
Akiza: My Rose Curse is a new card, one you could *never* profile!
(The Commander begins to scream)
Akiza: I'm sorry-- but you brought this upon yourself!!
(The rose petals begin to rip chunks out of the arena floor, whipping through the air around him and out into the audience as well; everyone ducks and cowers. By now the wind has drowned out the Commander's screams of terror. The Commander is now obscured by a towering tornado of red. Then it stops, and the petals fall gently downward, disappearing as they do. They're still floating through the air over what remains of Commander Koda, who is embedded in a Koda-shaped crater in the arena floor, facedown, his suit torn and ripped.)
Announcer: It's over! The Black Rose is our winner!
Koda: I didn't see that coming...
Announcer: She'll move on to the finals to take on Yusei Fudo!!
(Akiza's Sign fades from her arm)

(Up in the stands, Sayer is smiling)
Sayer (think): Another fine victory. You *have* grown. You're learning to control your powers, and I hope you can do the same against Yusei. I have a feeling that he will be the biggest test that you have ever faced. If you can defect him, (keeps an eye on Cortez) then you can have as much fun with your prey. You are the predator, and the predator never leaves his prey alive.

(Garage. Tanner watches Akiza through the monitor)
Tanner: I can't say that I envy you, Yusei. That Black Rose is a one-woman wrecking machine! Huh!
(Yusei is still gripping his right arm)
Yusei: You're tellin' *me*. Tonight's match might be my most dangerous duel yet. If I lose this, then Cortez could possibly be next.
(Cortez walks into the backstage for a back seat.)
Yusei (o.c) Then Cortez could be in for the duel of his life.