Back at Paradise City, Zuzu and Yuto were both carrying Yuya as they rushed through the neighborhood streets to get to the Sakaki residence. After what happened so suddenly, he needed to get some help as fast as possible. It didn't help that they were left with some questions that needed to be answered. Who really was this Yugo person and why did he thought his XYZ counterpart was someone else? Was there another lookalike of them, and if so, why did he take those Lulu and Rin girls? Does Yugo and their other lookalike have some kind of connection with Yuya and Yuto? What was that flash of red light and where did it came from? Will it end up breaking that connection?

They weren't sure as of now. Confusion had clouded their minds about this strange turn of events yet they were still strongly focused on bringing Yuya home. They were really hoping this red light didn't affect his appearance, personality, dueling skills, or whatever. They just want him to be okay.

"Who does Yuya live with?" Yuto asked.

"Huh?" Zuzu asked in response, surprised by the sudden question.

"Who does Yuya live with?" Yuto repeated.

"He currently lives with his mom," Zuzu answered. "His dad disappeared a few years ago. Why do you ask?"

"Because a few years ago, a man named Yusho Sakaki showed up in my home dimension," Yuto explained. "But he looks nothing like Yuya, so I had to check if them sharing the same last name was a coincidence."

Yuto knows Yuya's dad? How can that be? Was that why he disappeared three years ago? Because he went to Heartland City? But why would he do that? Whatever the case is, Zuzu knows that Yusho being related to Yuya was no coincidence despite that he clearly didn't get his tomato-like hairstyle through genetics.

"No, that's Yuya's dad," Zuzu clarified. "It's hard to tell at first, but they're related."

A few moments later, the two had already arrived at Yuya's house and Yusho's wife, Yoko, was helping Zuzu and Yuto carry her son up to his bedroom. However, one look at Yoko made Yuto feel uncomfortable, as he kept on glancing away from her.

"Zuzu, who's your new friend?" Yoko asked.

"His name's Yuto," Zuzu answered. "He's from out of town."

However, Yuto was lost in his thoughts. "She's not real…" he muttered. "She can't be here…"

"Who can't be here?" Yoko asked.

Yuto looked back at Yoko, tears forming in his eyes. "You look so much like my mom," he admitted.

Zuzu and Yoko were both surprised by Yuto's declaration. Yuto has a mom? If so, did something happen to her during the Invasion? And what does he mean when he compared Yuya's mom to his own? Do the two counterparts have something in common that would have ended up shrouded in mystery?

"I'm not joking," Yuto said. "You have curly blonde hair and blue eyes. It's not exactly like her hair and eyes, but it's similar."

"What's your last name?" Zuzu asked.

"Osaku," the eggplant-haired teen answered. "My name is Yuto Osaku."

That greatly surprised Yoko. "Your last name is Osaku?" she asked.

"Of course," Yuto replied.

"But…that was my maiden name before I got married," Yoko explained.

Zuzu and Yuto's faces revealed flabbergasted expressions, especially the latter, because they couldn't believe what they heard. Yoko shares the same last name as him and his mom. If that was the case, then does that mean…

"No…" Yuto said. "How can you be my aunt?!"

"I'm not sure," Yoko admitted. "Do you have a picture of your mom?"

By that point, the three had arrived at Yuya's bedroom. So after they set him down on his bed, Yuto took out his Duel Disk and presented a digital picture. "My mom was an amazing person," he said. "She was always so cheerful, constantly smothering me with love and wanting me to be happy. But I was never embarrassed. Because I never knew my dad, she was my only parental figure."

Yoko had her eyes locked onto the photo of Yuto and his mom, and slowly but surely, she was beginning to see what he meant when he saw the parallels between them. Her long, orange, gingery hair mirrored hers, and based on how it appeared, it reminded her of when she was the leader of the Sirens. She even had eyes that were similar to her own, but they looked more feminine and were a bold tint of icy blue.

"What happened to her?" Yoko asked.

Yuto didn't respond right away. "Yuto?" Zuzu asked.

"She…" A small sob escaped the Phantom Knights user's throat. "She died protecting me from Obelisk Force. A Chaos Ancient Gear Giant was about to attack me when she shielded me." A tear escaped from his eye. "I even remember the last words she said to me."

"What were they?" Yoko asked.

"D…Don't you dare let that beautiful smile leave your face…" And with that, Yuto lost his composure as he sobbed heavily.

Zuzu and Yoko fixated their attention onto Yuto, leaving them heartbroken as a result. The Melodious user instantly knew Yuya went through a similar experience when Yusho disappeared and had to miss out on his duel against the Sledgehammer. He couldn't bear the thought of having his father gone and was bullied because of it. Learning about how Yuto was now an orphan because his mother sacrificed her life at the hands of Duel Academy was extremely upsetting to hear, especially since it occurred during the Invasion. Yoko walked over to Yuto and embraced him in a hug as a way to comfort him, which only made him cry harder. Her embrace reminded him of how Lono used to comfort him.

"Yuto…" Zuzu said, sounding a bit sad.

"I'll take care of things from here, Zuzu," Yoko said. "You still have the Arc League Championship tomorrow."

"But what about Yuya?" Zuzu asked. "He's also taking part in the tournament."

"We'll figure something out," Yoko said. "I just hope he recovers."

The trio weren't sure if recovering was the case because throughout the next two days, Yuya was still unconscious on his bed. At the same time, Yuto was given the opportunity to readjust back into a normal lifestyle while he stayed at the Sakaki residence. Naturally, Yoko was the one who let him stay over the past few nights and wear some of her son's clothes and pajamas during that time. Yuto never thought he would be back in a house with delicious food, sufficient plumbing with drinkable water, provided clothes, comfortable beds, and an adult…or in this case, a possible long-lost relative. It felt weird living with his potential aunt because there was so much about her that reminded him of his mother Lono, but he was starting to adapt to bonding with her a little.

After two days have passed, Yuto, Yoko, and Zuzu sat in front of Yuya's bed, where the latter still laid and hasn't spoken a single word at all. Yuto was concerned about his possible cousin since he wasn't even responding; it would be nice to see how he was doing and tell him about his normal lifestyle he was adapting back into. Even though the Invasion was recent, he hasn't felt clean in a while and even got brand new clothes to replace his war-torn attire: a white, long sleeved casual jacket with the sleeves rolled up a little, a black t-shirt, dark jeans, and a new pair of black sneakers. He was also hoping that the two would get to know each other more and what their families were like while growing up while also try to work together to defeat Duel Academy and put a stop to the Interdimensional War.

"So how's Yuya?" Zuzu asked.

"He's still not recovering," Yoko explained. "But I haven't seen signs of him getting worse."

"I hope he recovers soon," Yuto said, taking Yuya's deck out of his Duel Disk. "I don't know how much longer I can keep pretending to be him."

With Yuya unconscious, Yuto had no choice but to fill in for him during the Arc League Championship since the two have the same facial features. Throughout the second round of the tournament, people have been jumping to the conclusion that he was Yuya wearing an eggplant-like wig, but he was more worried about how they will react when they find out it's not really Yuya.

"It's okay, Yuto," Zuzu said. She was still looking at Yuya and she was reaching forward to touch Yuya's cheek. "I know Yuya will feel better soon-"

"Don't you dare touch him!"

Zuzu, Yuto, and Yoko turned around to where the voice came from, and before anyone knew it, a young, teenage girl came jumping out of the window and towards them, causing all three of them to panic. A few seconds later, Zuzu recognized the girl as Aura Sentia of Fortune Prep School, a Duelist who specializes in Divination Duels where counters her opponent's moves through a prophetic witchcraft style through her flip and Ritual monsters. If anything, she was not the biggest fan of her because she has been harboring feelings for Yuya ever since their duel against each other. And she had a really good feeling on why she unexpectedly showed up.

"If you're here to see Yuya, he's not well," Zuzu said with disdain in her voice.

"My visit has nothing to do with my duelmate!" Aura said, looking incredibly worried. "I came here because the entire world might be in danger, and it's all because of him!" She pointed at Yuto.

"Me?" Yuto asked.

"I had a feeling that hair looks too realistic to be a wig," Aura continued. "But that's not all. Lately I noticed there has been a drastic shift between darkness and light. A great evil is manifesting and the source is coming from Yuya Sakaki!"

"What does Yuya have to do with it?" Yoko asked.

Aura held up her crystal apple near Yuya's head. "I initially detected darkness within his soul during our duel," she explained. "But now I sense a greater darkness within him, one that is slowly consuming him." As she said that, a small cloud of black and dark red smoke appeared inside the crystal apple. "Worse, this darkness is spreading throughout the world, corrupting innocent people into joining its army."

"What?!" Zuzu asked. "Are you serious?!"

"You don't believe me?" Aura asked in response. "Then check his pulse."

Zuzu reached over and placed her index and middle fingers onto Yuya's neck to feel his pulse. Nothing. No breathing. No movements. No pulse. The only thing that filled the room was silence. No… It can't be… There's no way that's possible! Her mind flooded with thoughts that an inevitable fate had fallen upon her childhood friend. The only question left was whether this darkness that is lurking all over the world was responsible for ending his life prematurely.

Zuzu's shocked expression was all that Aura needed. "Luckily I came here just in time," she said as she started decorating Yuya's room with various spiritual healing supplies. "With my expertise, I'll be able to cleanse Yuya's soul and put it back into his body."

Within moments, Zuzu, Yuto, and Yoko all sat aside as Aura carried out with her spiritually recovery ritual. The decorations all around the room was meant to repel any malevolent spirits while the enchanted regeneration crystals on the bed were made to draw positive energy to the body. Aura hoped that these would help weaken the darkness long enough for Yuya to recover and overcome it for good. Just as she was almost done placing the crystals on the bed, she noticed something was amiss and threw off the blanket to reveal the gray sweat clothes Yuya was currently wearing.

"My goodness!" Aura exclaimed. "Why is Yuya wearing such bleak colors? It will only draw in more negative energy! Tell me, does he have any green or white clothing?"

"I think so," Yoko answered. "Why do you ask?"

"Green is the color of life and growth, while white radiates healing purity," Aura clarified. "Yuya must be dressed in those colors so his soul can properly return to his body."

"Are you sure?" Yuto asked, sounding a bit suspicious.

"Of course I am sure!" Aura exclaimed. "Now we must find green and white clothing right away, or Yuya might never recover."

Momentarily, Yuya's gray sweats have changed into white pajamas with a green plaid pattern, satisfying Aura. Hopefully, it will help Yuya regain consciousness. Zuzu was hoping that whatever Aura did will help make his heart beat and have him breathing once again.

But as Aura waved incense sticks near Yuya's face, Zuzu suddenly remembered something. "Isn't your Arc League Championship duel coming up in an hour?"

"Never mind that," Aura said. "I'm more concerned with the fate of the world. I have to restore the balance of darkness and light!"

Zuzu was about to say something, but Yuto beat her to it. "Look, I understand how much you're worried about Yuya," he said. "But you sitting here isn't going to help. If you really want to help, get back to the tournament and warn everyone. There might be a chance that not everyone would believe you, but it doesn't hurt to try."

Aura looked up at Yuto. "Really?" she asked.

Yuto simply nodded in response. "Very well," Aura said, blushing slightly. "But now that I think about it, you do have better hair that Yuya-"

"I have a girlfriend," Yuto stated.

"Oh," Aura said. "Well then… I better head back to the tournament."

Aura headed towards the bedroom door and opened it as she dashed out of the room and the house, leaving behind Yuto, Yoko, and Zuzu to continue checking in on Yuya and the Ritual user's charms so that they can work their magic. After the few moments that had just happened, Zuzu was beginning to feel like she may not mind Aura after all; the fate of the world was more important than her romantic affections and she really does seem to demonstrate that anything that is essential must come first.

But that got Zuzu thinking about Yuto. He told Aura that he has a girlfriend, but was that true? So while Yoko gave the two teens some privacy, she decided to question it.

"Yuto, do you really have a girlfriend?" Zuzu asked.

"Of course," Yuto answered. "It's Lulu."

"Lulu?" Zuzu repeated. "The same Lulu you and Shay are looking for?"

"Who else?" Yuto asked in response. He looked at Zuzu. "Come to think of it, I should have known you're not her. Lulu is too stubborn to drastically change her hair, even during a war."

"What does her hair have to do with it?" Zuzu asked.

"Everything," Yuto answered. He pulled up a digital picture on his Duel Disk. "Shay told me Lulu spent years learning how to maintain long hair. Even when Duel Academy attacked, she refused to cut her hair despite it being a hazard."

Zuzu looked surprised when she saw the image he digitally pulled out. He wasn't kidding when he said it was long; in fact, it went past her lower back and was tied into a bow-shaped style, complete with side tails similar to Zuzu's but longer. It was even worth mentioning that the dark purple with lilac made her look beautiful.

"It looks like her hair is knee-length," Zuzu commented. "But she still looks beautiful."

Yuto let out a small, loving sigh as he smiled softly. "Of course she's beautiful," he said. "It was her natural beauty that made me fall for her."

"How did you two meet?" Zuzu asked.

"She was taking part in a school dueling tournament," Yuto recalled. "I saw her from the crowd and I was blown away by how amazing she was. Her sweet smile, her Rapunzel-like hair, her elegant Lyrilusc cards… I knew right away how perfect she is. I met up with her after the tournament and we have been inseparable ever since."

Zuzu was amazed at how Yuto described Lulu and how much their relationship with each other has blossomed. And all of that happened before the Invasion? The two must be really lucky to have each other then and they will be luckier once she gets rescued. Zuzu took another glance at the picture and noticed something about the clothes Yuto, Shay, and Lulu wore. They were all casual yet tidy, especially the clothes the Obsidian siblings were wearing.

"Those outfits Shay and Lulu are wearing look a bit expensive," Zuzu commented.

"That's no surprise," Yuto said. "The Obsidians were an incredibly wealthy family."

Zuzu was surprised to hear that. "How wealthy?" she asked.

"Wealthier than everyone else from the rich and elite community," Yuto explained. "They had countless robo-maids to help with basic necessities while they were busy with their individual schedules. It was also why Shay and Lulu have the most powerful cards in all of Heartland."

"I could tell," Zuzu said, recalling how powerful Shay's Raidraptors are.

"But that's why Shay is so upset," Yuto continued. "When Duel Academy attacked, his and Lulu's parents were among the ones who were carded and their house was reduced to rubble. They lost everything because of that school, so I had to follow Shay to this dimension in case he might do something reckless."

Zuzu did remember what Shay was about to do to Julia before Yuto stepped in; heck, now that she thought about it, she was surprised on how Yuto was able to punch and carry his friend with no effort at all. Just how strong was he? His body looked similar to Yuya's, but could he be slightly more muscular?

"My eyes are up here," Yuto suddenly said.

The statement stunned Zuzu a little because she was lost in thought about Yuto's strength. She must have been distracted by this thought that her eyes were glued onto his chest. Has he been working out? It was unlikely, but a book's cover shouldn't be judged; in other words, did he have a slightly buffer figure than Yuya and maybe this Yugo person? That was a possibility because he and the Resistance were fighting for survival while battling against Duel Academy, so he was bound to get in shape.

Not long after Aura left to warn the audience and any uninfected Duelists, Zuzu, Yuto, and Yoko all noticed some good signs coming from Yuya. His shut eyes made some movements and the sounds of sleepy moans escaped from his closed mouth. He was finally waking up!

"Zuzu?" Yuya muttered, his eyes opening slightly. "Mom?"

"Yuya!" Zuzu happily exclaimed. "You're alright!"

"Uh, yeah," Yuya answered, sitting up. He quickly realized there was a familiar face in the room. "Yuto? Are you wearing my clothes?"

"Your mom gave them to me," Yuto answered.

"What happened?" Yuya asked. He glanced at Zuzu's wrist. "And why aren't you wearing your bracelet, Zuzu?"

"What are you talking about?" Zuzu asked. "I've always-"

Right as she lifted her right arm up, she noticed that her wrist was completely bare. How was that even possible? She knew she had it with her throughout her entire life and wore it two days ago. Did she accidentally leave it behind and forgot about it or did it somehow magically disappear?

"I hate to tell you this, but you have been d- asleep for two whole days," Yuto said.

"What?!" Yuya asked.

"I'm afraid he's right," Yoko said. "All of that nonstop dueling these past few days must have tired you out."

"But do you feel alright?" Zuzu asked.

"Yeah," Yuya said. He suddenly realized what sleeping for two days meant. "But I must have missed part of the tournament."

"You didn't," Yuto said, giving Yuya back his deck. "While you were dozing off in dreamland, I had to take your place. It's a good thing you're now awake. My throat was starting to get sore from copying your voice."

Yuya looked through his deck, only to realize there was a new card he didn't recognize. "Queen Dragun Djinn?" he asked. "What's this card doing in my deck?"

"I bought it for you as an extra power boost," Yuto explained. "It prevents your other dragon monsters from getting destroyed by battle."

"Wow…" Yuya said, surprised by Yuto's kind gesture. "Thanks."

Yuya analyzed Queen Dragun Djinn's stats to see how effective she would be in his deck. She is a Rank 4 DARK Dragon-Type XYZ monster with 2200 ATK and 1100 DEF. Yuto was right about her main effect: all Dragon-Types except this one can't be destroyed by battle. Additionally, once per turn, by detaching one Overlay Unit, a Level 5 or higher Dragon-Type monster can be targeted and special summoned onto the field from the Graveyard with its effects negated and is prohibited to attack on the turn it was revived. While it won't work for Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon due to him now going to the Extra Deck, maybe he could use this card to revive Rune-Eyes and Beast-Eyes Pendulum Dragons…

At that moment, Yuya realized how his room was currently arranged. "What's with all this stuff?" he asked.

"Aura stopped by," Zuzu explained. "She was concerned about your health, so she used her supernatural stuff to try and help you-" She stopped herself from speaking.

"Help me what?" Yuya asked.

"Uh… Never mind with that now," Zuzu said, almost as if she was trying to change topics. She took out her Duel Disk. "But speaking of Aura, I think she's currently dueling in the tournament right now." She opened up one of the applications that was broadcasting the Arc League Championship to show Aura's duel, but she was given a rather unexpected surprise instead.

"And that concludes a recap of Ms. Sentia's quickest loss ever!" Nico announced. "For those of you who missed it, she was tragically defeated by Moon Shadow on the very first turn!"

Zuzu, Yuya, and Yuto couldn't believe what they just heard as they watched a recap of what happened. During the first turn, it looked like Moon Shadow activated some kind of effect or effects that drained Aura of all of her Life Points. Yuto was more concerned about whether she was able to warn the public about the gradual but dangerous growing darkness.

"Furthermore, Ms. Sentia also informed Moon Shadow about a virus that will kill anyone who gets it," Nico continued. "I'm not sure if she's telling the truth, but I hope she isn't."

"Virus?" Yuya asked. "What virus?"

"You have nothing to worry about," Yoko said. "You're alright and that's all that matters."

"You sure?" Yuya asked. "'Cause it looks like you all just saw a gh-"

He then realized why Yoko had a rather worried expression: did this virus went out to try and get him? All he remembered two days ago was him about to get hurt by Clear Wing Synchro Dragon's attack when a flash of red light appeared; everything went black afterwards. What exactly was this virus Aura was referring to? Why was it suddenly causing an outbreak during the Arc League Championship? That was when everything clicked into place.

"Was I dead?!" Yuya asked, suddenly sounding worried.

"What?" Zuzu asked in response. She let out a nervous laugh. "You couldn't have died two days ago. I only noticed your lack of a pulse today."

That didn't help Yuya calm down. "I actually died…" he realized. "My god, I actually died! Do I look alright?! Did my body start decomposing?! Am I skinnier than before?!"

"Calm down, Yuya," Yuto said. "You don't look any different."

"You sure?" Yuya asked. He placed his hand on his heart. "'Cause my heartbeat feels a lot slower."

Slow heartbeat? Did that mean Yuya is now suffering from bradycardia? It doesn't look like it since he seems to be talking and moving just fine; if anything, he should have been feeling weak, dizzy, sweaty, weary, or pass out if it was at a much lower rate, which were all symptoms of this condition. Then again, that only applies if his heart was less than 50 beats per minute and one of the causes of it is prolonged bed rest, so does that mean his heart rate is now between 50 and 60 to 100 beats per minute? Regardless, it did feel a bit unusual that his heart is slower, but as long as he regained consciousness, that's all that matters. If he was experiencing any signs of fatigue, it would mean he needs oxygen, but since he isn't feeling faint, it must mean it is stable, so he should at least try to take it easy just to be safe.

Before Yuto could forget, he wanted to tell Yuya who his opponent is going to be so that he could spend the rest of the second round relaxing without any risk of his heart rate decreasing any lower.

"Your next opponent is someone named Iggy Arlo," Yuto said. "He's a student from Bandit Warrior Academy. But I must warn you that he won't go easy on you."

"Bandit Warrior Academy?" Yuya repeated.

"I did some research on the school," Yuto said. "The students are given harsh training on a constant basis, almost like a military school. Worse, they're not allowed to see their families and friends until they become professional Duelists. Because of that, I don't think Iggy will go easy on you."

"How bad could it be?" Yuya asked.

"Kit Blade from the Leo Institute dueled him yesterday," Yuto explained. "Not only did he lose, but he was severely injured, resulting in him ending up hospitalized."

Yuya sharply inhaled as he heard what Iggy did to Kit. It is obvious that he must really miss his family and friends, but combine that with the harsh militaristic training from Bandit Warrior Academy and you get a brutal Action Duelist. What they don't understand is how someone like him is even participating in a tournament when he clearly put another Duelist in the hospital. Did he get some kind of warning about the incident? They doubt he would listen to those in charge of the Arc League Championship and would continue dueling violently, putting Yuya at risk of injury himself, especially in his current condition.

"You sure you can't fill in for me again?" Yuya asked, sounding a bit worried.

"I can't," Yuto answered. He used his Duel Disk to look up duel play-by-plays on TooYube. "If I continue dueling in your spot, other people might get suspicious."

Yuya glanced over Yuto to see coverage from the duels two days ago and noticed how his XYZ counterpart was fumbling in the different Action Fields. It probably meant he was inexperienced with Action Duels, but he did remember how he was having a similar problem when he went up against Yugo in a regular duel. Could he be having vision problems?

"Aw, don't look so glum," 'Yuya' said in one of the videos. "Who cares if you win or lose? You just have to keep on being all smiley and happy!"

Yuya was a bit offended by Yuto's surprisingly accurate impersonation of his voice. "I don't talk like that!"

"That's not the point," Yuto said. "What I'm trying to say is that when there's a lot of movement in duels, I usually have a hard time seeing what's going on."

"Do you need glasses?" Yoko asked.

"No," Yuto bluntly answered. "I tried glasses before. I look weird in them."

"But it looks like you squint a lot," Zuzu realized.

"What?" Yuto asked, looking surprised. "I don't squint. I'm trying to look intimidating for when I encounter Duel Academy students."

Trying to look intimidating? They never would have expected that it also involved fumbling around…almost as if he does need new glasses. In fact, he was squinting right now and there weren't any Duel Academy students right now.

"That does it," Yoko said. "I'll have to schedule an eye checkup for you this afternoon."

Yuto turned crimson out of embarrassment. "But I really don't need glasses," he insisted.

"Don't be silly," Yoko said. "I bet you would look a lot better if you didn't squint all the time."

The crimson blush faded away from Yuto's face and he smirked at what Yoko said. It would be nice to have his vision improved since he was near-sighted, he also began to wonder if not constantly squinting would actually make him look nice in glasses. The thought filled him with intrigue and a bit of satisfaction; naturally, his ego had been fed and he quite enjoys it whenever that happens.

Zuzu was amazed. The last time she saw Yuto smile was before the Arc League Championship. Not only did his smile make him resemble Yuya, but it made him look rather cute. A dust of pink scattered across her face, but no one noticed it.

"What about my duel?" Yuya asked.

"Don't worry about it," Yoko said. "I'm sure you'll win. You just have to keep being your usual positive self."

"But if you're planning on winning him over, don't bother," Yuto said. "If his bio is any indication, your Dueltaining isn't going to magically turn him into your best friend."

Yuya looked deeply offended at that statement. "Can't I at least try?" Yuya asked.

"If you must," Yuto said.

Yuya always carried his belief about bringing smiles to everyone with his duels. It has been a belief that he learned from Yusho and has cherished it ever since he was six. If he was going to start Dueltaining again, he can attempt to break through to Iggy. He can find some way to express his loneliness due to him being away from his loved ones for so long; the violent attitude of his must be a coping mechanism so that he can put up with his training. Although it would be nice to win him over, trying to make him feel better emotionally felt like a better deed. After all, when someone is feeling down, they can find a way to turn their frown around and push forward towards the light, something similar to the movement of a pendulum. Surely, his advice will be of great use to his opponent.

…Right?