The next day, back at the Sakaki's residence, Yuto was having difficulty figuring out what his new look should be. It was really nice of Leo Corporation to give the XYZ people new clothing, but if there was one thing that people sometimes forgot about getting dressed, it is deciding what goes with what. He looked at some of the brand new clothes to see what he can wear. Heck, he was even pondering about wearing his glasses, something he has never happened before, so you can say there's always a first for everything.
Yuya, Yugo, and Yuri looked at the assortment of the provided clothes with. They were impressed with how nice they all were and wanted to help him out with what to wear. However, someone was getting impatient.
"Will you just pick something already?!" Yuri angrily asked. "I would like to have some of Mrs. Sakaki's pancakes before they get cold!"
"This is a new me," Yuto said, lifting up a black dress shirt. "Once Leo finally separates us, I'm going to work at ObsidianCorp. I need to have a more professional look."
"But who knows how long that's going to take," Yugo pointed out. "No need to get nervous."
"Yeah," Yuya agreed. "And you've known Shay and Lulu for a long time. I'm sure their parents are just as nice."
"You wouldn't know that," Yuto replied. "This is going to be the first time I properly meet Mr. and Mrs. Obsidian. I want them to know how serious I am with their job offer."
"You said they were making wedding preparations, Yoot," Yugo recalled. "Clearly they already see somethin' good in you."
It was true; last night, Shay did mentioned how his parents approve of him. But in all seriousness, Yuto is preparing for his new life and he doesn't know what to expect. Whether the separation plan will get done today, this week, or some time later during the year, he wants to be ready. For a young, teenage boy who grew up in a middle class, entering a higher social status is pretty serious business. The sheer thought of it is putting a lot of pressure on him.
Detecting that Yuto was still pretty nervous, Yuri let out a frustrated sigh. "If it makes you feel any better, I suppose I could give you some…advice."
Yuto did his best to repress a laugh. "I'm serious!" Yuri exclaimed. "Dueling wasn't the only thing Leo taught me in Duel Academy!"
"Like how to dress like a snooty rich boy?" Yuto sarcastically asked.
"Wait, Yuto," Yuya said. "Yuri might be on to something."
Yuto soon realized that Yuya is right. Yuri ended up having to remind him that ever since he met Leo as a kid, he was taught about etiquette and how to behave properly. Seeing that he grew up in a high class environment in Duel Academy, he knows how his XYZ counterpart should dress for his first meeting with Shay and Lulu's parents.
After a quick few minutes, he picked out a semi-casual outfit for Yuto to wear. It consisted of his light gray glasses, a long-sleeved black shirt with a dark grey business jacket, dark blue jeans, black shoes, and a necklace similar to his old one. Yuto was surprised about the clothes he was wearing while Yuri felt quite proud of himself.
Yuto smirked at his reflection in the bedroom mirror. "Not bad, rich boy," Yuto remarked. "I look good."
"That's good to hear," Yuri said. "Now you might need to fix your hair."
"What?" Yuto asked. "But my hair looks alright."
"Do you honestly think Mr. and Mrs. Obsidian would take you seriously with those crazy eggplant locks?" Yuri asked.
The only hairstyle Yuto had other than it being pushed back was when he had his bangs covering his eyes when he a kid. He was honestly unsure if a different hairstyle would look good on him. Yuri suggested getting a trim since it is longer and not appropriate in a high class environment. Yuto was a bit hesitant on that suggestion because he wasn't sure if it will suit him.
"What utter nonsense!" Yuri exclaimed. "Yuya, Yugo, and myself all have shorter hair, and we look alright."
It wasn't Yuto's fault. He's more used to a longer haircut than shorter ones. Besides, he isn't in the same social class as Yuri; for now, he decided that using hair gel would be the best he can do. After the XYZ Duelist managed to smooth out his naturally spiky hair using some gel he found in the bathroom, Yuri reminded him to head downstairs for breakfast, which he did.
Yuto followed the smell of Yoko's pancakes to the kitchen, where he met up with Yoko, Yusho, and Sora. "Well someone looks nice," Yoko commented.
"I was planning on speaking to Mr. and Mrs. Obsidian about the job offer," Yuto explained.
"Aww… So you're just going to leave us?" Sora sadly asked.
"I'll still remember to visit once Leo separates us," Yuto explained.
"I must say, Leo separating you and the other counterparts must be a lot of hard work," Yusho remarked. "Skip said Zuzu seems alright with it as well."
"I hope so too," Yuto agreed.
Meanwhile, at the Boyle residence, the Bracelet Girls were also getting ready for the day. Lulu, in particular, was taking a long time brushing her long, dark purple hair. She was already wearing her new look: a white sundress and silver sandals. The other girls wondered how long it will take for her to finish brushing her hair. Much like Yuto, she has a longer hairstyle than her Pendulum, Synchro, and Fusion counterparts.
"Come on, Lulu!" Rin exclaimed. "Wouldn't it be easier to have shorter hair?"
"I spent my whole life wanting to have long hair," Lulu explained. "So I have learned how to properly maintain it."
"How did you even manage to survive the Invasion?" Celina asked. "There had to be some instances when your hair caused a disadvantage for you."
"There weren't," Lulu recalled. "I know that could be a problem, but I'm an Obsidian. All the women from my family have learned to stay beautiful even under unfortunate events."
"I thought so," Celina remarked. "You look pretty okay for someone who dealt with a huge battle."
"That's not true," Lulu sadly admitted, setting her brush down on Zuzu's vanity.
The XYZ Duelist moved her long hair over her shoulder so that she could unzip the back of her dress. Zuzu, Rin, and Celina all gasped as they say what was on her back: a huge, deep scar. Lulu explained that she received it from one of the Ancient Gear Hunting Hounds during the Invasion; it has already healed, but the damage was still there. The other three girls felt awful that something like this happened to their XYZ counterpart. It was no wonder why she decided to keep her hair long.
"So you insist on having long hair to hide your scar?" Zuzu asked.
"Correct," Lulu answered, zipping up her dress. "The attack happened near the initial strike on Heartland. The damage was so bad that I had to get metal plates into my spine. It was why I had to sit out during most of the battles."
Zuzu comforted Lulu; battle scars are always hard to bear on one's body, so she reassured her it was completely okay of her to have long hair. She even said she's always available to talk to if there is anything troublesome. A soft smile formed in Lulu's face.
"Thanks," Lulu said, tying her hair up in a ponytail.
"You're welcome," Zuzu replied. "Besides, if you feel comfortable having long hair, you should keep it."
Lulu happily nodded her head. Initially, Shay, Yuto, and the Resistance were the only ones who knew about her injury. It was nice to know her counterparts were also there to help her out in coping with her scar. She even liked having long hair, so hearing Zuzu say that made her feel more at ease.
Speaking of Shay, he was in the middle of talking to Kameron and Astra, his and Lulu's parents, in Heartland. Ever since the Invasion, the two were thinking about pulling their son out of high school so that he can prepare himself for when he ends up taking control of the company.
"What?" Shay asked, sounding alarmed. "But I need the education."
"We understand that, son," Kameron said. "But that Invasion made us realize any unfortunate tragedy could leave us dead. It's a miracle we survived that horrible attack."
"What about my friends?" Shay asked. "I even have a dueling club at school."
"And we respect that," Astra said. "But your father is right. What if we were to die during another unexpected event? You need to prepare to take over ObsidianCorp at a given moment."
They do have a point. The Invasion resulted in so many people getting carded, including Kameron and Astra, and only one known fatality: Yuto's mother. Even though education was important to Shay, he also didn't want to take over the company unprepared. Knowing there is no point in arguing, he decided to accept his parents' request to get pulled out of school.
"Alright," Shay said. "I respect your decision."
"You'll thank us, Shay," Kameron said, patting his son on the shoulder. "ObsidianCorp is going to be all yours someday. You need to know how the company works."
The phone on the desk buzzed; the company's secretary told Kameron that someone is expecting to meet him and Astra. He told her to send them up to their office. A few minutes later, the doors opened and Yuto walked in, feeling a bit tense. This is finally the opportunity to introduce himself to Mr. and Mrs. Obsidian and to explain about how he is looking forward to their job offer.
Kameron let out a small chuckle. "Well if it isn't Yuto Osaku," he said. "It's good to finally meet you."
Suddenly, Yuto knelt before the co-bosses of ObsidianCorp. "It's an honor to finally meet you," he said. "I have come for the job offer you have promised me."
The poor guy can't help the fact that he's nervous. Shay reminded his eggplant-haired friend that there's nothing to be nervous about; his parents are really nice and they have been looking forward to meeting him. Yuto got up and apologized for how anxious he is about today. The two replied that it's completely fine—everyone gets nervous about preparing for their first jobs. He sat down in one of the two chairs in front of the desk and asked about this job offer.
"So what's the job offer?" Yuto asked, feeling more relaxed.
"We're glad you asked," Astra replied as she and Kameron sat behind their co-shared desk. "As you're aware of, an Invasion from the Fusion Dimension hit the city a few months ago. Since then, we have struggled to restore ObsidianCorp back into its original glory."
"And a while ago, my wife and I decided to prepare our company for any other attacks," Kameron continued. "So we need someone to run the company's new dueling branch to prep the other employees in case such an emergency struck again."
This job offer amazed Yuto. When he was but a shy, lonesome kid, he became one of the dueling club's members, and now he is given a chance to prepare the employees for other unexpected emergencies by making sure they hone their dueling skills. Most companies have duels for brain exercises and as hobbies, but this is the first time an actual company implemented a dueling branch, so no doubt this was some astonishing news.
Yuto accepted their job offer, but he was curious about when his first day will be. Astra asked if there was something else going on; the young teen's answer was "Yes…" for the most part. He and Shay both explained about how Leo is currently working on a way to separate Yuto and Lulu from their counterparts; it was still in its early stages, so he plans on starting once he and Shay's sister get their own bodies back without any mental consequences.
"Of course, Mr. Osaku," Astra said. "Lulu hasn't been able to come home ever since she vanished months ago. Shay explained everything to us, but we greatly miss her."
"In the meantime, we wish to see your dueling skills in action," Kameron informed.
"How come?" Yuto asked.
"So we can see if you're a good Duelist like Shay and Lulu said you are," Kameron explained. "If you really are the best, this shouldn't be a problem."
"Of course not," Yuto replied, even though he was freaking out on the inside.
In the shared mind, Yuya has been freaking out as well, but it was for a different reason. He couldn't believe he heard Yuto being addressed by his full name: Yuto Osaku. Sure, he thought Lulu mentioned his surname during the dance, but he was distracted by Zuzu at that point. Yugo and Yuri were also shocked about this revelation, but definitely not as shocked as Yuya.
The two tried to help their Pendulum counterpart relax, but he has so many questions. What was his life like with his mother outside of school? What did Ms. Osaku look like? Did the tomato-haired teen have any other relatives? Yuri eventually had to snap him out of his state and remind him of what their emotions can do to their decks. Yuya quickly realized this and checked his deck, only to find his Performapals have been switched with Yuto's Phantom Knights. He had been caught up in the heat of the moment that he didn't notice until after he was calmer. Since Yuto hasn't noticed about the second deck swap happening, the three agreed to remain silent.
Later on, Yuto was getting ready to duel against ObsidianCorp's simulation. He may be screaming internally over the thought of wanting to prove he's a good Duelist to Kameron and Astra, but at the same time, he was also determined for the very same reason. Just when he took out his deck to put it in his Duel Disk, he got a quick glance to see they were not his cards. Those were Yuya's! When did this even happen?! The rest of the Yu-Salad, especially Yuya, may have an explanation about this.
"I'm so sorry, Yuto!" Yuya exclaimed. "But I can't stop thinking about how your last name is the exact same as my mom's maiden name!"
Now THAT was shocking to hear! Yuto's jaw dropped with eyes opened large, dropping Yuya's deck and his Duel Disk on the floor. So that means not only both their mothers are sisters, he and Yuya are cousins? Yugo and Yuri grew more surprised than they were earlier; they now know Yuya had a valid reason to freak out, but it didn't help ease their confusion. It was clear that there was more to Yoko and Ms. Osaku than meets the eye.
"Are you alright?" Kameron asked.
"I'm fine," Yuto replied, carefully picking up the deck and his Duel Disk.
"Your moms can't be sisters!" Yugo insisted. "They grew up in different dimensions!"
"Mom never even mentioned having a sister," Yuya recalled. Then he had an idea. "Hey Yuto, can you let me see your memories so I can see what your mom looked like?"
Yuto gave permission Yuya to do so under one condition: he has to remain deep within their shared mind so that it doesn't interfere with the duel against the simulation. Yuya nodded his head, but before he could do that, he gave the Phantom Knights back to Yuto, with the former receiving his Perfomapals. He wish his XYZ companion good luck before disappearing into the mind, with Yugo and Yuri following suit. Yuto placed his real deck into his Duel Disk; it was time for him to prove his worth to the Obsidian family company.
Elsewhere, the rest of the Yu-Salad traveled deep into their shared mind to look for Yuto's memories. Yuri questioned why Yugo was leading the way when they all know the way to the mind's depths. The latter responded that he remembers exactly where Yuto was watching his memories of his mother, resulting in Yuri rolling his eyes. Surprisingly, they found the very spot Yugo was looking for; the memories involving Ms. Osaku were still there, but instead of them being played on a loop, they were paused. Yuya ran to take a glimpse at Yuto's memories and settle this confusion. He noticed that she does look his mother, expect she had dark blonde hair and her eyes were wider and more feminine.
"No…" Yuya said, alarmed with seeing the resemblance. "This can't be!"
"Maybe she got caught up in the crossfire during the initial separation," Yugo guessed.
"What a wonderful idea," Yuri responded. "Except there's one problem."
"What's that?" Yugo asked.
"Neither of us had any mothers!" Yuri answered (referring to himself and the Synchro Duelist) as he slapped Yugo on the back of his head.
"Yuri's right," Yuya said, searching through the memories. "Besides, Yuto's mom looks slightly younger than mine."
Several minutes have passed and aside from her appearance, they hardly got any new information about Ms. Osaku. Now what? Yuto is probably still dueling against the simulation, so the best thing they can do for now is to wait for him to finish and tell him what they have managed to gather.
Meanwhile, with Yuto, his duel was progressing well. Right now, he just XYZ Summoned Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon and activated his effect. He detached one of his dragon's Overlay Units to have him half the simulation's monster's 1000 ATK and have him gained that lost ATK. Now with an increased ATK of 3000, he declared his attack.
"I will now attack Deskbot Jet with Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon to conclude this duel," Yuto stated, deliberately controlling his dueling excitement to look more professional.
Dark Rebellion knew that he was in a professional environment and he had to get used to it by toning down his signature move, much to his annoyance. He calmly walked up to Deskbot Jet and mashed his head against the monster, reducing the simulation's LP to 0.
Kameron and Astra were impressed with how Yuto dueled while Shay smiled at his friend; he could tell this duel earned his the job offer.
"I'm impressed, Mr. Osaku," Kameron said. "My wife and have certainly made the right choice to hire you."
"Thank you, Mr. Obsidian," Yuto said. "I won't let you down."
"I should have known you were perfect by looking at the type of cards you were using," Astra added. "Only a noble person like you could wield the Phantom Knights. Lulu has a great choice in men."
Yuto did his best to hide his blush, but what Astra said was true. The Phantom Knights helped make him into the noble and chivalrous person he is, and Lulu's preferences in men led to the two dating; Astra and Kameron sure do approve of their relationship.
Later that day, after saying goodbye to the Obsidians, Yuya, Yugo, and Yuri asked how the duel went. Yuto answered that it went well, leading him to getting the job. The Yu-Salad were proud of their XYZ companion until they remembered that they have to let him know what information they got after checking his memories. Yuya told Yuto that Ms. Osaku looks like a younger, feminine version of his mother Yoko. Yuto asked if that was all they could gather and Yugo replied that they may have an idea on what her name is; they all said her name was Lono. Based on what was given, all four boys decided to ask Yoko if she knows anything about Lono.
"Who?" Yoko asked.
"Lono Osaku," Yuya repeated. "She looks so much like you, and I want to know if you have a sister."
"I'm sorry, but I never had any siblings," Yoko admitted.
This was bizarre; the boys are convinced that Lono is Yoko's sister, but how can she not know her? Either she was an only child or she doesn't remember her at all. Yuya asks if Declan is still at LID, and Yoko responded that he was. He has a feeling that Leo Corporation's CEO may help her out in figuring out this familial mystery. The tomato-haired teen told her that he was heading downtown to meet up with him, and a puzzled Yoko ended up following her son.
At LID, Declan was in his office when Henrietta noticed Yuya heading towards the duel school alongside his mother. The gray-haired teen saw them too; whatever the situation was, it must have been important or mysteriously intriguing. He paged Claude to let him know they can go up to his office once they enter the building. The doors soon opened, revealing Yuya and Yoko.
"Hello Yuya," Declan said. "It has been a long time since we spoke. What brings you here?"
"I demand some answers," Yuya insisted. "Who's Lono Osaku?"
"Why do you ask?" Declan asked.
"Because that was the name of Yuto's mother," Yuya answered. "You did research on Heartland before the Invasion. Who is she?"
Declan pulled out a couple of holographic pictures from his computer. "Lono Osaku was a woman living in Heartland. Not much is known about her prior to the dimensional split, but she raised Yuto as a single mother. While her parenting skills could be described as 'smothering' due to her kind heart, I do believe she raised Yuto properly."
Yoko looked at the displayed pictures; something about her seems familiar. Declan noticed her scanning the pictures and asked her if she was okay. She answered that she feels like she is starting to remember something.
"What happened to her?" Yuya asked. "According to Yugo, Yuto was in tears when he was remembering her."
"The Invasion happened," Declan exclaimed. "While I do not have any pictures of the event, I can tell you that Lono was killed by Obelisk Force."
"Then she should still be alright," Yuya said.
"I said killed, not carded," Declan emphasized. "She died shielding Yuto from getting killed by a Chaos Ancient Gear Giant. While it's true that everyone who was carded was brought back to life, there is no way to bring back Lono Osaku."
So that's why Yuto was upset, Yuya thought. She did a fantastic job raising him and was willing to sacrifice herself just to keep her only child safe. The poor guy really missed his mother.
Speaking of, he turned his head to see his own mother in tears. The added information must have helped her remember more; as a result, she ended up crying. Declan asked Yoko again if she was alright, only for her to respond that everything prior to the dimensional split is coming back to her. She then started mourning Lono's death and mentioned how she never got a chance to reunite with her Imōto ("younger sister" in Japanese). Yuya comforted his mother and helped her calm down.
"Lono was never interested in dueling," Yoko recalled once she calmed down. "She enjoyed watching duels, but she always thought I was the better Duelist. She was always there for support, even helping me out when I married Yusho." She laughed a little. "She was both the maid of honor and the wedding planner."
Yuto overheard this bit of information. He never knew his mother's past life because his timid nature prevented him from asking as a kid, as well as Lono focusing on taking care of her son up until the Invasion occurred. He felt a little guilty about not asking her in the first place; if he did, then there would be a chance of this mystery getting solved way earlier. Then again, Lono most likely ended up with amnesia when the dimensional split struck, so it wouldn't make a difference.
Yuya felt Yuto's presence nearby and asked his now revealed cousin if anything was on his mind. Sure enough, there was. He explained about how this mystery was his fault because he never learned about what other relatives he had besides his mother. Yuya was about to mention if he knew his father, but was cut off with a "Never knew him." He went on to say that it wasn't his fault; everyone learns about their family's history whether they're young or old. Besides, it was kind of amazing to know that he had been fighting alongside his cousin throughout the Interdimensional War and didn't realize they were related until now. After Yuya's reassurance, Yuto admitted that this revelation was rather interesting.
"I know we were part of Zarc, but I still like to think this new information makes us cousins," Yuto said.
"No kidding," Yuya agreed. "Funny how he made you the son of my aunt."
The two got a chuckle out of Yuya's remark. They knew Zarc's incarnations had individual lives, but they never thought it could make them related in a family. Their lives weren't the same ever since this discovery, but from the looks of this, they may have begun getting used to it.
