Arc 4: Heartland and the Four Bracelets

The Professor watches his prized soldier shudder under the gaze of Dark Rebellion and its master. He notes the strange pair of light that has shrouded Yuto's eyes, internally overjoyed that his predictions are coming true.

Only two more, and then he can fulfill his ultimate goal! Finally, after months of bitter stagnant progress, his vision will come to fruition!

The door to his office opens, and Serena enters the room with a defiant glare.

"Ah, Serena. I've heard about your recent failure. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

The girl lowers her head, clenching her fists in an attempt to calm herself down.

"No, I do not. I have attempted to follow them as they retreated, but they suddenly disappeared, as my men have reported. Forgive me."

Akaba Leo grunts, choosing to accept this as a valid reason. "Those two boys have very powerful weapons on their side. The four dragons...must be united at once. I've already told you how to activate its full power, Serena." His tone demands that she recite the information to him, like a test.

"Only if the four bracelets guarding the four dragon's powers are separated from the dragons will they unleash destruction onto the world."

"Correct. And do you know why we must unlock this devastating force?"

She hesitates, her mouth drained of moisture. What he is aiming for...is utter madness, but as she looks at her captor, she sees his eyes, cold and merciless.

"To...create the utopia that we have dreamed of."

"Good, Serena. Now, go attend to our captive. I'm afraid she has not responded to any of our men after Yuri visited her. Maybe she'll take a liking to you instead."

"Of course, Professor."

Serena turns around and breathes a sigh of relief. It looks like the Professor will not lock her away today.

"Kurosaki Ruri, Rin, Hiragi Yuzu. My counterparts...please have the heart to forgive me for your suffering."

...

Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon continues to charge its attack. Citizens of Heartland cower back into their homes as thunder shakes the city. The dreary atmosphere that is regularly present intensifies tenfold, causing some of the people who are left on the streets to scream in fright.

Yuri grits his teeth and reaches for a card in his pocket. Maybe if he uses that, then…

But before Yuri can make a move, Yugo shouts at the top of his lungs.

"Yuto!"

If Yuri wasn't in a desperate situation, he would have laughed.

Yugo, on the other hand, is distraught. The enemy is behind him, and his possessed comrade in front...the situation is really against him.

Is this what Yuzu was muttering about?

If so, then there's only one thing he can do.

"I have no choice then. I'll have to knock him out!"

His D-pad activates, and Yugo clutches his treasured dragon. Inside of him, he calls to Rin, praying that he will not end up like Yuto.

"Rin, please give me the strength to save my friends!"

"Here I go!" Three circular rings, dyed in the purest shade of green, hang themselves above Yugo. Yuri hears the cry of another dragon, one of determination and resolve. The dragon's roar echoes relentlessly into his ear, and he finally drop to his knees.

"What is this? The Professor didn't say anything about a third dragon in this city. That means... he's one of them?"

"Spread those wondrous and beautiful wings and strike down our enemies at light speed!"

Another pillar of light beats down the tattered streets of Heartland. Two pairs of wings, their color the same as the rings that activated the portal, emerge from the monument. Yugo slams the card onto his D-pad and beckons his partner.

"Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!"

Light disperses, but unlike Dark Rebellion, no signs of malevolent power are present. Opposite of its brethren, Clear Wing shines with the color of virtue. Its body is more battle-hardened, and the arms can easily squeeze the life of its prey. The dragon's eyes are more intimidating than Dark Rebellion's, but Yuri finds a gentler demeanor in this dragon.

With its fierce and unforgiving structure, the creature stands in front of Yuto, shielding its master from the heart wrenching sight of an unexplainable darkness posing as his friend.

"Just you wait, Yuto! I'll be here to save you this time!"

…

Rin stares at her bracelet as it lets out its green pulses. She can feel Yugo's desire and hopes that she has contributed what little power she has to him.

"Yugo, please bring Yuto back safely," she prays.

"R-R-Rin...is that you?"

Yuzu's parched voice draws her counterpart away from her thoughts. "Yuzu! I'm so glad you're okay! How are you feeling?" The pink-haired girl does not answer, instead choosing to focus on the lit bracelet on Rin's wrist.

"Why is your bracelet glowing?"

"This is my bracelet's power. In addition to being able to control where Yugo teleports if I focus hard enough, I can send my bracelet's energy to Yugo when he needs it."

Yuzu blankly nods, still feeling tired over the events of that morning. Suddenly remembering the horrific visions from her dreams, she springs from the sheet to clutch Rin's shoulders.

"Yuto! Where's Yuto?! We have to find him!"

"Calm down, Yuzu. Yugo is out trying to bring him back. Is he in danger?" Rin asks, recalling the way she gasps for his name, sweating and twitching furiously like someone fighting a huge fever.

"I saw...I saw him calling for help. He...looked trapped, bounded to a wall. It hurts to look at him while he's like that."

Rin cannot say anything to soothe the girl as she breaks down again. She is about to grab a towel from her drawer when a series of rhythmic knocks taps their door.

"May I come in, Rin?" calls the voice of Akaba Reiji.

"What does he want now?"

Not one to refuse her benefactor, she opens the door after signaling to Yuzu to hide her distress. The last thing that Yuzu needs is the Resistance's leader's cold, calculating gaze pushing her into an isolated shell.

"Reiji, is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes, I detected a strong burst of energy from your room. May I confirm something with Yuzu?"

Even after living here for a month, Rin still does not trust Akaba Reiji. The Professor's son...the person who is causing this city unnecessary grief and suffering is his father. For all she knows, he could be relaying the Resistance's movements to Academia, hindering the group from within. As for his strange prophetic observations...she shudders to think what would happen if they came true.

"I-It's okay, Rin. There's nothing to worry about," Yuzu attempts to wipe the guarded look on Rin's face. It's no good to distrust comrades, right?

"Yuzu, do you know why your bracelet glowed?"

"My bracelet? No, I do not. Do you know?"

"I believe that the bracelet activates only when you're experiencing extreme danger or fear. In other words...a defense mechanism."

"Defense? But I wasn't…" Yuzu cuts off when she feels a tinge of the paranoia that descended onto her this morning. Yuto has an abnormal amount of anger towards her, despite the fact that he is the one to involve her in his life. The thought sparks something in the amnesiac, a feeling she has not felt for a long time.

Pure, unadulterated fury.

Reiji senses the girl's increasingly bitter mood, for he places a hand on her shoulder. "Hiragi Yuzu, I know what you might be thinking. I want to advise you that Yuto does not mean any harm. He's merely...an unfortunate child." Even Reiji struggles to name exactly what Yuto's problem is.

"Unfortunate?! I don't care if he's unfortunate! It's clear that he doesn't want anything to do with me! If he feels that way, then I don't want to be near him too! I could be out there, gathering information about my past! I could be looking for Yuya right now instead of being trapped here with people I don't know!" Yuzu screams, grabbing her head as the fire inside of her continues to consume her.

Reiji releases her, watching her drop her head down. "Yuzu, may I ask you for a favor?" He suddenly changes the subject.

"What is it?"

"In exchange for helping you find Yuya, can you please look after Yuto?"

"What? Why me?"

"Because I know that inside of you, you have a kind heart that cares deeply for other people. That kindness just might save him…"

Yuzu stares in disbelief at Reiji's request. This man...knows more than he lets on, and Yuzu can't stand people who keep answers away from her.

"How do you know that?" she dares to ask. "Who are you? Just what do you know about me?"

Reiji's frown deepens at her sudden confusion, turning to head out the door. "Yuzu, I hope you are prepared to handle any truths that come your way. Your memory loss can be the biggest boon in your situation. But, if you insist on restoring your past, then I will not stop you." Before he steps out of the room, he tosses something over his shoulder to Rin.

"Rin, take Yuzu to Yuto." It is a simple command, but Rin feels the underlying urgency in his voice. She can't argue with him right now.

"Of course, Reiji."

Gaining her approval, the Resistance's leader briskly walks out of their bedroom. Yuzu climbs out of her covers, finally slipping the school uniform onto her tired body.

"What did he give you?" Yuzu asks after a short silence.

"The keys to my motorcycle," Rin replies, her body frozen in disbelief.

She grips her keys almost desperately, determined to keep her newfound privilege. After dressing into the clothes Rin loaned her, Yuzu is then dragged by Rin to the garage, where her green-haired counterpart proudly presses the unlock button to her bike.

"Grab a helmet, Yuzu. Let me see where Yugo is."

Pressing a few keys on her vehicle, Rin is astonished over the installation of a D-pad replacing her normal tracking device. "I see...is that why he kept me away from my motorcycle this whole time…?" she ponders quietly. After registering herself as the owner of the D-pad, she brings up the map of Heartland, gasping as she pinpoints Yugo's location at the far northeast corner of the city.

"Yugo's deep in Academia's territory. Let's hurry, Yuzu."

"R-right."

Feeling the sensation of the wind blowing in her face for the first time in so long, Rin can't help but release an euphoric shout of glee. With the acceleration at full throttle, her motorbike escorts a laughing Rin and a screaming Yuzu.

"Rin, can't we slow down a bit?!"

"You know we can't do that! Yugo's in trouble." Despite the desperate situation, Rin still has a goofy smile on her face.

"Still, it's too dangerous!" She once again expresses her discomfort when Rin pulls off a rather risky turn.

"Hang in there, Yuzu. You'll be off and on solid ground before you know it. But...it's nice to look around Heartland after staying inside for so long. I didn't really get the chance to explore when I first got here."

Yuzu takes a meaningful glance at the city. The buildings are slightly run down, with some having broken windows or crumbling walls. The streets are relatively clean, but in the alleyways lie a multitude of shivering people bundled together as they fought to stay in the shadows.

"Rin...why are there people out on the streets like this?"

"Ah...that's because Academia is kicking out the citizens of Heartland so that their members are bestowed free housing. If the citizens pledge allegiance to Academia instead, then they can keep their house. However, the people here have a sense of pride that prevents them from switching so easily. Ever since Academia invaded Heartland, it's been an uphill battle for Heartland to take back control. That's why the people who have sworn against Academia either end up in the Resistance or on the streets, like what you just saw."

"It's so cruel," Yuzu thinks. Seeing suffering in such a form tugs at her heart.

"Rin, can you tell me more of Heartland? How it was before Academia?"

"I'll try my best, but like you, I'm not very familiar with the city. Ask Yuto later after we get him and Yugo," Rin suggests, to which Yuzu nods to.

"From where I'm from, Heartland is described as the source of unique entertainment and miracles. True to its motto, it is truly an utopia, capable of uplifting the spirits of both its residents and its visitors. They say that you have achieved the highest rank of entertainment if you managed to do a show here. I remember Yugo and I wanted to come here for the longest time, and so we saved up all of our money just so we can stay a week. But, before we left, an unknown group known as Academia set its sight on tarnishing that image. When they were first announced to the world, they were simply a company that moved its headquarters to Heartland. The first time they released Solid Vision, the entire city rejoiced. They thought they were entering a new era of entertainment. For half a month, Heartland was in a golden age, so to speak. That is until Academia began using Solid Vision to turn people into cards…"

"How does Solid Vision work, anyway?"

"Right now, it's a work in progress, but essentially, it's a way to project objects into physical reality. The end goal to have your mind think of an image, and then Solid Vision would capture that and convert it into physical matter. Academia, though, apparently figured out that a conduit is needed to establish that connection. They decided that cards were the best way, but that opened up a new problem, not for Academia, but for Heartland. With the ability to summon anything as long as it is depicted in cards, Academia decided to reveal its true intentions of taking over Heartland once they announced the Friendship Games. Yugo and I remembered the first time we went to the event...the sight of people's terrified faces etched into cards, which were then cast away into the bonfire like trash...Yugo and Yuto were in such a hopeless state. The Friendship Games was what solidified Yuto's resolve and what convinced Yugo and me to stay here in Heartland. We all believed that Heartland did not deserve to have its citizens disposed in such a way."

"That's...horrible. I don't know what to say…" Yuzu feebly responds.

"That's fine. Having your support is enough," Rin tries to dissuade her counterpart's helplessness. "Anyway, since cards are used to activate Solid Vision, the soldiers of Academia use them to summon fearsome monsters to do their bidding, though they are most fond of an archetype called Ancient Gear, a category of mechanical killing machines that mercilessly eliminate any target. And so, for nearly a month, Academia has terrorized Heartland to submission, turning people into cards in order to establish power."

"And our bracelets?"

"That I do not have the answer to. We'll have to trust Akaba Reiji for that matter."

A sudden burst of light that renders the surrounding buildings to fade into darkness interrupts their conversation. The two girls hear the sound of two dragons roaring defiantly; the cry of a desperate Yugo calling out to Yuto urges Rin to drive faster.

"Yugo, hang in there. We're almost there!"

…

"Clear Wing, I'm sorry to ask you of this," Yugo apologizes to his partner, to which the dragon lets out another cry. Yugo smiles, as if he understands what his dragon is saying.

"If that's the case, then attack Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon! Free Yuto from whatever it is that's possessing him."

Yugo's impressive dragon engages in another song of cries with Dark Rebellion, sending more of that hot-blooded pain into Yugo's body. Yuto does not move an inch, still mumbling the same mantra he started since he summoned his dragon. The wind gathers around Clear Wing, creating a rigid force field as the dragon ascends into the darkened sky.

"Hell Dive Whirlwind Slasher!"

A cyclone has completely engulfed Yugo's dragon, rocking the dilapidated buildings that Yuri, Yugo, and Yuto are on. Clear Wing lets out one final roar of determination before spiraling into Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon, encasing the city with a blinding flash. The attack lands, and the three counterparts are swept off their feet, each of them landing clumsily on their feet.

Once the light disappears and Yugo can feel the ground, he sees Dark Rebellion towering over Yuto, but this time, instead of emitting an aggressive aura, the dragon of darkness looks as if it is about to collapse. The beast stumbles twice before failing to keep its balance, and it starts to descend onto Yuto's unmoving form.

"Yuto!" Yugo screams.

Another smaller flash of light forces Yugo to look away. The sound of a vehicle going at high speeds crashes the scene, soaring into the sky onto the building Yuto is on. Yugo can't see who it is due to the bright headlights, but he does see two people riding off to their doom.

"What are you doing?! It's too dangerous! Please stop!" the driver's passenger screeches. The driver chooses to ignore her, speeding her motorcycle up to the collapsing dragon. A sudden bright light, one of a pink color, surrounds the vehicle, and Yuri lets out a surprised cry as he feels his body disappear.

"What the...what's happening to me?"

A moment later, he's blown away by the wind.

Rin sticks her arm out and grabs Yuto, tossing him onto Yuzu's lap with extraordinary strength. His D-pad turns off, causing Dark Rebellion to retreat into his card, which then flies into the passed-out duelist's pocket. Yuzu lets out another high-pitched wail as the boy's body hits her lap. Rin performs a rough stop, sliding up to the edge of the rooftop.

"Well, that was exciting, don't you think, Yuzu?"

Her counterpart, of course, does not respond to Rin poking fun at her, glowing bright red as she readjusts Yuto to sit with his head leaning against her.

"Rin, is that you?! And Yuzu?! What are you two doing out of headquarters?!" He rubs his eyes twice, blinking to see if he's hallucinating. That's...Rin's bike, right? The same bike that he and Rin completed together? The driver takes off her helmet, relishing in the soft breeze blowing through her hair.

"We came here on Reiji's orders. You were taking too long to retrieve Yuto. Speaking of which, what happened to him?"

Yugo grabs Clear Wing's card, which causes the dragon to disappear. "When I got here, he summoned his dragon in order to attack someone. I didn't see who, since I was too busy over the fact that he didn't look the same."

Yuzu hates feeling fear, for it, once again, threatens to grip her throat and choke her. She somehow finds the courage to speak. "I-I saw Yuto bounded up in chains. He was hanging in a dark place, and his eyes were blank, like he lost all reason to keep fighting. Did he look like that?"

"Ah, not really. More like an unknown darkness is controlling him, making him savage. I also felt the desire inside me when I first summoned Clear Wing Synchro Dragon, but Rin's bracelet prevented me from succumbing to it."

"An unknown darkness?"

"Yeah, it's super powerful, the allure of it. Poor Yuto is an easy victim, since he endured so much suffering and anger ever since Academia invaded."

Yuzu jumps slightly when she sees Yuto's grimace. He opens his eyes, reverted back to the gray orbs that he's infamous for, and takes in the sight of Yuzu cradling him.

"Y-Yuzu...what are you…?"

"Are you okay? You're not hurt or anything like that?"

"N-no. My head hurts like hell, but I'm fine." He attempts to move from her embrace, but instantly regrets it as his body lurches forward. Every muscle burns, and his headache increases tenfold.

"Yuto, don't move! I did sort of hit you with everything I had," Yugo rubs his head bashfully, which prompts Rin to start scolding him. Yugo, annoyed that another lecture is going to be drilled into his head, covers both of his ears and starts running around the motorcycle.

"T-that guy...where did he go?" Yuto asks Yuzu.

"I think my bracelet sent him away. Here, rest against me."

He does, slumping against her with a lethargy that shocks her. She then notices the pair of goggles on his head, reminding her of the star-covered goggles that Yuya always had. She gently slides the headgear onto Yuto's eyes.

"What are you…?"

"Yuya always had a pair of goggles that he hides behind."

Her recollection draws a small grin from Yuto, who then enters the world of dreams. Readjusting him until she was comfortable enough, Yuzu calls to Rin to bring them back to the Resistance's headquarter in order to fully check on Yuto's wounds.

"Hey, Rin?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think...we'll be able to win against Academia?"

Rin smiles, catching the underlying message of her question.

"I believe we will. With you on our side, Yuzu."