Suspect Diwein oneself?
Thinking back, Qiu's mind indeed had moments of doubt.
A child had just sought refuge in the Arcadia Movement, Diwein said that child left because of differing ideologies, yet later when Qiu tried to inquire, she couldn't find any trace of the child.
Sometimes, some members would suddenly disappear without a trace.
And she has been in the Arcadia Movement for so long, some things even if Diwein wouldn't say to her face, she occasionally caught fragments of information. In her memory, there were times when Diwein spoke earnestly to others, but when others signaled him that Qiu arrived, Diwein would immediately fall silent and instead offer a gentle gaze to her.
What was it that she couldn't know? Could it be that Diwein didn't truly trust her?
These doubts had crossed her mind but were quickly dismissed.
Perhaps Diwein did something to her mind. Diwein was a master of mental hypnosis and manipulation, if he wanted you to ignore doubts, naturally, you would.
Or perhaps...
… just like "Godwin" said, people only believe what they want to believe. It's not that she never doubted, she just never thought about it.
Yes, this place was already her only haven. She didn't want to believe Diwein was hiding things from her, nor did she want to think about it any further. As for thinking, Diwein could think for her...
No, it couldn't be like that. Diwein didn't lie to her, it was this guy... Yes, it was all because of this white-haired bastard in front of her. It wasn't enough for him to kill Diwein, he wanted to tarnish him, and now he was even trying to invade her mind.
Unforgivable!
"Activate my cover card! Trap Card 'Damage Vaccine ΩMAX'!" Qiu declared, "When I take battle or effect damage, My Life Points are restored by the amount of that damage!"
[Qiu, LP200 → LP4000]
"Oh? You've countered the self-destruction of Great Saturn." Yugen praised, "Well, even though you restored Life Points with the card effect, the body and mind bearing such damage shows remarkable willpower. Not bad, not bad."
He then revealed another card from his hand.
"Activate Magic Card 'Treasure Hammer'. Shuffle any number of cards from the hand back into the deck, including this card, then draw the same number of cards." (Original effect)
Yugen slipped his hand cards back into the deck, shuffled automatically, and drew again.
"Magic Card 'Burial Spell Treasure Scroll'. Remove 'Adversity's Treasure Scroll', 'Prototype Replacement', and 'Forced Activation' from play, draw two cards."
Yugen drew cards, then immediately sent a card from his hand to the graveyard.
"I send the Level 8 Mechanical Race 'Mecha Team - Giant Transformation' from my hand to the graveyard, activating the effect of 'Mecha Team - Fortress' in the graveyard.
Fortress can be special summoned from the graveyard by sending Mechanical Race cards from the hand totaling eight or more levels.
Defense Position Special Summon 'Mecha Team - Fortress'!"
The effect of Fortress does not have a once-per-turn limit, as long as there are enough star level Mechanical Race cards in the hand as a sacrifice, it can continually revive.
After a dull metallic sound, Fortress rumbled up from underground, standing tall on the field. But this time, it restrained its long-range weapons, adopting a defensive stance.
[Mecha Team - Fortress, Defense Power 1600]
"I won't lose, and I can't lose. I will avenge Diwein, and I must... because if not..."
Qiu bit her lip, her voice tinged with tears.
"If not... then what else can I do? What will I do in the future?"
Clearly, she was already beginning to waver.
"What will you do?" Yugen laughed, "What? Are you living just for Diwein, without him, are you not a Duelist?"
Qiu: "I..."
"Even before meeting Diwein, you didn't give up dueling." Yugen said, "Even knowing that dueling could hurt someone again, even detesting your power, so vexed with the life of being called a 'witch'.
If that's truly the case, wouldn't giving up dueling be simple? As long as you don't duel, never touch cards in your life, you can easily live as an ordinary girl, an ordinary life.
Yet you didn't do that, why?
Because you enjoy hurting others? Because you're a witch who finds delight in misery?"
Qiu staggered back two steps: "I... no, I'm not, I'm not..."
She instinctively lowered her head, in her mind flashed Yusei Fudo's resolute gaze from the previous duel.
"You must think for yourself, learn to love yourself!"
Yusei Fudo had said to her.
"You negate the happiness found in causing pain, with such a heart, you certainly can achieve it!"
Qiu: "..."
"A duel is the collision of a duelist's minds. Yusei connected heart to heart through the duel, so he understood. I felt your duel, therefore I understand too."
Yugen chuckled softly, continuing his gentle persuasion.
"Tell me, why don't you give up, why even so you insist on dueling?"
"I... I..."
Qiu lowered her gaze to her toe.
Though from her perspective, she probably couldn't see it.
Memory flashed through her mind again. These were the bygones, before her powers awakened.
Back then, she still had a warm harmonious family, not yet estranged from her parents. Little Qiu nestled in her mother's arms, watching legendary duelists' battle on TV, her eyes shimmering.
"Mommy, Mommy!"
Little Qiu tugged at her mother's sleeve.
"Can I become such an amazing duelist?"
"Of course you can."
Her mother cuddled her fondly.
"If Qiu wants, you'll surely become the best duelist in the world."
"..."
Indeed.
She couldn't give up. No matter how she turned out, no matter her circumstances, she just couldn't betray dueling.
From childhood memory, a king with colorful starfish hairstyle stood atop the world, surrounded by countless cheering spectators.
Rumor had it he wasn't just the strongest in the dueling realm but also a hero who saved the world. The dueling realm... no, people all over the world admired him, even if his image disappeared long ago, his fame endured.
The scene where masses cheered for a king, for a hero, deeply etched in little Qiu's mind.
Yes, she didn't want to be a witch, didn't want to be shunned, didn't want happiness from hurting others.
The reason she couldn't give up dueling was because deep down, what she truly wanted was...
"I am... a duelist."
Qiu raised her tear-stained face, amber eyes glistening with newfound light beyond vengeance.
"Then prove it to me."
Yugen nodded, speaking.
"A true duelist's life is never defined by others. Even if the path seems closed, through these hands, new avenues can be formed.
If you can do it, then prove it, Akiza Izinski!"
Yugen said, drawing the last two cards from his hand.
"Continuous Magic 'Nightmare Mirage Tower', at the opponent's standby phase, drawing cards until the hand reaches four."
"I set one card face down, end my turn!"