"DO YOU NEED HELP WITH YOUR HAIR, MISTRESS LULU?" a robot maid asked.

"No thanks," Lulu politely replied, taking out the curlers in her hair. "But I appreciate the offer."

"VERY WELL, MISTRESS LULU," the robot maid said. "WHICH DRESS SHALL YOU BE WEARING THIS EVENING?"

"The light purple one with frills," Lulu answered.

At the Obsidian residence, not long after talking with Celina, Lulu had finished receiving her spa treatment. She already removed her facial mask and cucumbers and was about to style her hair after removing the curlers. She was looking forward to this night because this is going to be the first time she attends a party with her family after the Invasion struck. They even invited Yuto to the Kastles' party since Kameron and Astra approve of him and he never went to a grand event like this one. In other words, it was practically a night of firsts for Lulu and her boyfriend.

The robot maid went to Lulu's closet and got out the dress she requested: the light purple one with frills. She hung it up nicely on the doorknob as her mistress continued tending to her long hair.

"Let's see…" Lulu mused, searching through curly hairstyles on her Duel Disk. "Which style would work best for me?"

The robot maid scanned through the various images of long, curly hair as Lulu gradually scrolled through the page. While she was figuring that out, Yuto was also getting ready for the night. He had recently started living with the Obsidians after the separation because living there could give him the training he needs for living in an elite society, especially since he came from the middle class. He was nervous about this event because he is one of the few people not from a high social class that will taking part in a grand party. What would the others think about him? Even with the outfit he picked out (a dark grey business suit with a white collared shirt, a black tie, and a pair of black shoes), it may not make a difference.

Orbital, a robot butler, entered the room. "YOU SEEM NERVOUS, MASTER Y-YUTO," he said. "SHALL I PREPARE HOT TEA FOR YOU?"

"No thanks," Yuto said, checking his reflection in the full-length mirror.

"BUT YOU ARE NERVOUS," Orbital stated. "IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO TO HELP?"

"I guess," Yuto said as he took off his glasses to clean them with a small cloth.

"YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO BE NERVOUS," Orbital said. "BUT DON'T BE. YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR OBSIDIANCORP FOR A WHILE. SURELY THE OTHER PARTYGOERS WILL ACCEPT YOU AS ONE OF THEIR OWN."

Orbital could be right. Working in a wealthy business may mean a chance of fitting in with everyone in terms of social status. Yuto thanked the robot butler for the advice, with the latter responding that he's always there to help his master. Before leaving, he wished him good luck and to enjoy the party.

"Thanks Orbital," Yuto replied as he put his glasses back on. He gave himself one last look in the mirror, hoping this would be enough to let everyone know he was worthy of living in a high society.

Some time later, he met up with the Obsidians. Shay wore a black tux while Lulu donned an outfit that the robot maid helped her pick out: her selected dress with a black shawl over it, black heels, and her curled hair done in a loose ponytail and draped across her left shoulder. Yuto couldn't help but blush at what his girlfriend was wearing; anything she wears makes her look beautiful.

However, Yuto noticed Lulu's chest seemed a bit…bare. "Uh, Lulu?" he asked. "Where's…?"

"I had to cover my En Birds marking with makeup," Lulu explained. "And the shawl is to hide my scar."

Yuto was alarmed to hear that. "But why?" he asked. "You shouldn't hide your beautiful imperfections."

"The Obsidians have a reputation of being absolutely perfect," Astra explained. "We can't let the other families know what has happened to us."

Yuto understood what Astra means. The Invasion was a devastating time for the XYZ residence, including herself and her family. After she and her husband got carded and their daughter was injured and then abducted, who wouldn't blame them? The return of the Original Dimension revived their business, but they're currently working on recovering their wealth. With a fresh new start, they were determined to preserve their reputation in hopes of no one learning about what they endured.

Shay quickly noticed Yuto's saddened expression. "Don't be like that," he said happily. "You should be happy. Tonight's your big debut as a member of high society."

"I hope your weeks of training have paid off," Kameron said.

The eggplant-haired teen hoped so too, but he had trouble hiding his worries. Despite getting advice from Orbital, he still felt a little tense about what to expect. The Obsidians reassured him not to let his worries get the best of him and to focus on having an enjoyable night. He nodded in response and exhaled; he was anticipating for tonight to be another memorable one, hopefully as memorable as the LID dance.

Yuto and the Obsidians left their home and walked to the family car. You think that they would at least take a limo there, but they were not risking any careless accidents. As Kameron drove the family (and Yuto) to the Kastle residence, Yuto thought about how dueling was like in a high social class. He guessed they must have the same views as the other lower classes and imagined that they would find an interest in his Phantom Knights; after all, this archetype is what made him a noble person in the first place. Whether duels were meant to be serious or fun, he hoped everyone will respect his deck and skills as a Duelist.

"I hope you brought your best monsters for tonight, Lulu," Shay said.

"I did," Lulu replied. "I even brought my secret weapon."

"Assembled Nightingale?" Yuto asked.

"Not quite," Lulu answered, showing Yuto her true secret weapon.

Her secret weapon was actually Mariamne, The True Dracophoenix. She was a Level 9 WIND Wyrm-Type monster with 2700 ATK and 2100 DEF. Her effect allows Lulu to special summon her from her hand by destroying two monsters from her hand or the field; if both of them were also WIND, then four cards from the top of her opponent's deck were banished. Another effect of hers enables Lulu to add a non-WIND Wyrm-Type from her hand, but she can activate each of Mariamne's effects once per turn.

Lulu explained to Yuto that she likes using Mariamne because she is as beautiful and powerful as her. She mentioned she doesn't use the card very often, but when she does, it is treated as a secret weapon for special parties, such as the one going on tonight.

"I can tell," Yuto said. "She must be a powerful monster."

"She is," Lulu replied. "I only save her for these events."

"How come?" Yuto asked. "Imagine if you showed her off in the next dueling club meeting."

"Sure," Lulu said, hiding her nervousness at that statement. "I'll see what I can do."

She placed Mariamne back in her deck after finishing that sentence. She felt a little doubtful about showing her secret weapon off at the next club meeting. The best thing she can do is present it tonight to see what Yuto thinks of it in action. If only he and our friends can understand how powerful that card really is… she thought to herself.

The car soon drove in front of the Kastle Manor where the party was taking place. Kameron found a good place to park not too far away from the entrance gate. After parking, everyone got out of the car and started walking towards the mansion. It was time for them to start the post-Invasion era of attending grand parties. Upon entering through the mansion's doors, Yuto was amazed at how elegant the party was. So many people were invited to this event; it is rather hard to believe there were a lot of XYZ citizens from just the high social class.

"Presenting the Obsidians and…some random boy," the guest announcer said.

The last part of the statement stunned Yuto a little. Did the guest announcer not receive the name of the person the Obsidians invited to tag along with them? Regardless, several girls noticed him and were attracted to him. Ever since his personality changed while he was growing up, it made him incredibly handsome, which ended up making him a girl magnet. However, there was another reason why Lulu chose this specific attire: she knew something like this would happen and had to visually remind them that he's taken by her and they don't take advantage of him. The girls don't approach him, fortunately, but they snuck in a couple glances of admiration. In Yuto's case, it's not always easy being so attractive.

"Uh… Lulu?" Yuto asked. "Why are these rich girls looking at me like that?"

"Never mind them," Lulu said, placing her arm across Yuto's shoulders and pulling herself close to him. "They're after you for your looks. Luckily I dressed accordingly in case something like this happened."

"But you-" Yuto started to say, but then he realized Lulu wore an outfit that matched his hair colors, so he held her hip and held her close.

Aside from that, the night generally started off well for Yuto and the Obsidians. Kameron, Astra, and Shay spotted their friends and met up with them; it's also worth noting that Shay has a friendly rivalry with one of them.

"Hello Shay Obsidian," a long-haired young man said. "It has been a long time since we saw each other."

Shay chuckled a bit. "Christopher Arclight," he said. "Are you still rusty with your dueling?"

"Do you really think an Invasion would stop me from practicing?" Christopher asked in response.

"Depends on how I see your skills," Shay playfully replied.

The Arclights were close friends with the Obsidians. Based on what Christopher said, he, his brothers Thomas and Michael, and their father Byron all survived the Invasion. It would also make sense for him to practice his dueling skills while Heartland was recovering. He was looking forward to testing them out against Shay; on the other hand, the latter believed he may have an advantage because he has built up all the skills he needed after engaging in duels during his time with the Resistance and the Lancers. It would soon be a matter of time for the two to decide who improved the most.

Several minutes have passed and one of the hosts—or hostesses—showed up. It was the Kastles' daughter Rio; she wore a sleeveless, floor-length, light blue and white dress with a light blue strap that split on her left. Underneath the dress, she also had aquamarine-encrusted heels on her feet. She has been saving this dress for tonight because it suits her ICE-themed deck. It was evident that she was one of the girls who has fallen for Yuto because she becomes lovestruck whenever she looks at him.

Yuto quickly noticed Rio's gaze. "Who's the ice girl?" he asked Lulu.

Lulu simply glared at the blue-haired girl. "Rio Kastle," she said. "Don't bother with her. She's not worthy of your time."

But Rio soon approached the couple. "Hello Lulu Obsidian," she said. "Who is this gentleman accompanying you?"

"None of your business," Lulu responded.

"But Lulu, I want to know if this is the man who stole your heart," Rio said, caressing Yuto's face. "He is rather handsome."

Yuto tried his hardest to not blush whereas Lulu knew why Rio wanted to talk to them. She knew the ICE user was pretending to flirt with her boyfriend, especially regarding what happened before the Heartland Duel School dance. She was previously engaged to Reginald, Rio's twin brother, when she met Yuto. Basically, Rio was angry that someone like Lulu would turn down her brother's engagement.

"I appreciate the compliment…" Yuto said, gently pushing Rio's hand away from him. "But I'm already taken."

"Just as I thought," Rio said. "You're that Yuto Osaku person!"

"Come again?" Yuto asked.

"You might not know this, but Lulu Obsidian was originally set to marry my brother, Reginald Kastle," Rio angrily explained. "But after she transferred schools, the Obsidians informed my mother and father that the arranged marriage was canceled because of someone named Yuto Osaku!"

Hearing this news left Yuto heartbroken. He had no idea Lulu used to be engaged to a wealthier boy at her old school; it was one thing to transfer schools, but getting a new boyfriend was a completely different story, one that made Rio livid to this night. He started wondering why she even chose him in the first place.

"So how could Lulu have fallen for you?" Rio asked Yuto. "You might look wealthy, but I want to see your dueling skills. Only your cards will tell me what you're really like beneath the perfectly-coiffed hair and sharply-dressed posture."

"You want to duel me?" Yuto asked.

"Certainly," Rio replied. "And if you are from a wealthy family, clearly you will know how these duels work."

Yuto thought about Rio's offer to duel her. Little does he know is that Elite Duels are different from regular duels; what she just said was a clear indicator of what Elite Duels are like. This concerned Lulu because her boyfriend has never dueled in an elite class before. A fear crept up her that said everyone will know he isn't born wealthy, but works in a wealthy business. She wanted to help him out without getting in the way of his and Rio's duel and accidentally exposing him of a middle class resident, but what can she do?

"Very well," Yuto said, activating his Duel Disk. "I accept your challenge."

"Good," Rio said, activating her Duel Disk as well. "You seem to know what you're doing, so you also know what Elite Duels are."

The two engaged in their first Elite Duel: ICE vs. Phantom Knights. Ice Beast Zerofyne vs. Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon. A duel to decide how Yuto became Lulu's boyfriend and what he's really like. The Obsidians, the Arclights, and the other attendees watched them unleashing their skills, with Yuto behaving like a true knight as always. Unbeknownst to him, most of the partygoers were analyzing the cards he used and determining what he truly is. A worried Lulu noticed this, followed by a loyally protective Shay and a reassuring Kameron and Astra. It doesn't matter who wins; people are being judged on their social classes by the very cards they draw.

"Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon shall finish this duel!" Yuto declared. "Mauling Mandible Charge!"

Using its signature move, Dark Rebellion destroyed Zerofyne, taking out the rest of Rio's LP. Yuto may have won the duel, but this was an Elite Duel and almost everyone had a thing or two to say about his social status.

"Just as I thought," Rio said. "You're nothing more than a peasant!"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Yuto asked, confused. "I won."

Lulu looked embarrassed. "Elite Duels aren't like regular duels," she explained. "They're about judging your opponent by the type of cards they use."

Yuto caught on to what she described and looked around to see so many people agreeing with Rio's remark. They began viewing and calling him a peasant all because of him using his Phantom Knights. He doesn't understand why he would be called such a low class name just because he retained his beliefs and how his deck made him so noble. He quickly grew ashamed and upset by all this; even after taking Orbital's advice, it still didn't change the fact that he was a middle class resident dating a high class girl. Just then, Shay took a step forward, getting ready to defend his best friend from the crowd, but especially from Rio.

"That's enough!" Shay demanded. "Just because the Phantom Knights are often used by Duelists who can't afford more expensive cards, it doesn't make Yuto a peasant! In fact, I was the one who encouraged him to use those cards!"

"Why are you defending that peasant?" Rio bitterly asked.

"Because he's my friend," Shay responded. "If it wasn't for the Phantom Knights, Yuto would have still been a timid boy. I encouraged him to envision himself as being brave like those knights, and because of that encouragement, Yuto Osaku is just as chivalrous as any other gentleman!"

"Precisely!" Lulu agreed. "You might think the Phantom Knights are for peasants, but for Yuto, they reflect how noble he is!"

"But he still doesn't belong here," Rio pointed out. "Why do you even love him?"

Yuto wondered about that question as well. Why did she even choose him and why does she love him? Lulu's response to this soon became clear for the Phantom Knight user.

"Because he was the first one who didn't love me for my background," Lulu answered. "When we first met, I could tell from the look in his eyes that he didn't care about my family history. As we spent more time together, it became clear that he loves me for who I am. He is a true gentleman because of his kind heart, and that should be enough proof for why I love him."

Yuto's sadness transformed into contentedness because it was true. When he first met her, he loved her for her natural beauty, but over time, he has also grown to admire her sweet, loyal, and strong personality. In both cases, her family history and social status didn't matter to him. She and Shay were right; over the years, he has become a true knight and a real gentleman who will protect and care for those he values most, even his girlfriend. It became remarkably evident that their love for each other was unbreakable.

Rio scoffed. "So what?" she asked. "You must have gone soft on those commoners!"

"Oh really?" Lulu asked. "Well I beg to differ." She proceeded to take out her Mariamne card for all to see.

Everyone gasped at the sight of Mariamne, including Yuto. He began to understand why Lulu only uses that card for formal parties: it is to show everyone that she will always be a graceful yet tough girl whether or not her soon-to-be husband is a commoner. Since Yuto loves her for who she is, it helps strengthen the parallels between her and her now-revealed secret weapon. That was how genuinely powerful Mariamne, The True Dracophoenix really is, and it made his contentedness turn to how proud he is of Lulu.

"You see?" Lulu asked, placing her Dracophoenix back in her deck. "Even though Yuto is a commoner, this doesn't change who I am."

Rio was still shocked. "But-"

"Rio, what do you think you're doing?"

The ICE user turned around to see Reginald, who wore a dark blue suit, walking towards her. He had noticed her Elite Duel with Yuto and overheard the little "episode" going on with her, Shay, and Lulu. Lulu also heard his voice and was surprised to see her ex-fiancé again. She pondered on why he abruptly showed up in the midst of defending Yuto.

"Reginald," Lulu said. "It's been a while."

"Indeed it has," Reginald agreed. "But I never thought you would have fallen for a commoner."

"Yuto is a noble gentleman," Lulu repeated. "I love him for who he is."

"I see," Reginald remarked. "But I want to know if your dueling style has changed."

"Oh, really?" Lulu asked, already activating her Duel Disk.

"Indeed," Reginald replied as he also activated his Duel Disk. "Ever since the Invasion struck Heartland, your family has gone missing. Mother and father had sent out your invitation in hopes of your return, so it was a surprise to see you here."

Another Elite Duel was about to begin, but it was between Reginald and Lulu: WATER vs. Lyrilusc. Shark Drake vs. Assembled Nightingale. A duel to determine who improved their skills the most based on the changes they made. As it progressed, it increased in tension, with Yuto and the Obsidians rooting for Lulu and Rio supporting her brother. Reginald utilizing a burn strategy with his WATER monsters gave him an advantage, but it didn't stop his ex from swarming the field with Lyrilusc monsters. Once she had summoned over twp of them, it was time for her to bring out her ace.

"I overlay Lyriluscs Turquoise Warbler, Colbalt Sparrows, and Sapphire Swallows!" Lulu declared. "Birds with beautiful wings, gather on the battlefield and take brilliant flight in the bright sky! I XYZ Summon Lyrilusc - Assembled Nightingale!"

Suddenly, as Assembled Nightingale appeared on the field, Lulu's En Birds marking started glowing from her chest without having a clue about it. However, this managed to catch everyone else off guard. What made this baffling for Yuto, Kameron, Astra, and Shay is the marking was covered up with makeup. How was it still able to penetrate through it with its glow?

As everyone was focused on her glowing marking, Lulu activated her summoned XYZ monster's updated effects. First off, Assembled Nightingale receives a 1000 ATK boost since it gains 200 ATK for every attached XYZ Material. Secondly, having five attached XYZ Materials, it is allowed to attack five times during the Battle Phase. With everything prepared, she was ready to whip out a OHKO to Reginald's life points.

"I will finish you off with Assembled Nightingale!" Lulu said. "Graceful Winds!"

Assembled Nightingale directly attacked Reginald five times, bringing down his LP to 0. With the Elite Duel over, Lulu's marking stopped glowing, leaving everyone at the party speechless. Upon piecing together why there was no reactions from anyone, she kept looking at their faces. Did she do anything wrong? Or did something else struck that grabbed their attention?

"My god…" one of the partygoers said. "Why was she glowing?!"

Questions and possibilities flooded her mind. Glowing? Glowing from where? It couldn't be from the eyes because that only happened when Zarc and the Yu-Salad Awakened. But where else on her body could this glow come from? She eventually realized what may have caused this: her marking. It must have reacted when she performed an XYZ Summon; apparently, it was bright enough to glow through the makeup, which seemed rather improbable. How can something as simple as makeup not be enough to prevent a little light from appearing? Pretty soon, the only emotions that she felt were disbelief, stupefaction, and fear.

Her boyfriend and family saw how distraught she was and headed over to see if she was okay. They have never seen anything like that happen before, but when the partygoers were thunderstruck by something abnormal, it was bound to be serious.

"What happened to the Obsidians during their disappearance?"

"It must be connected to the unexpected Invasion from those masked soldiers!"

"What else is this family hiding?"

Suspicions arose from those that watched the second Elite Duel. Kameron and Astra were busy relaxing their only daughter, but the overlapping gossip was becoming stressful for them. Shay also did whatever he could help, but all Lulu did was hug her parents and brother, slowly on the brink of crying. She knew tonight wasn't their night. First Yuto gets called out for being a commoner, then Rio questioned her reasoning behind her current relationship, and now the Obsidian family name may be on the line. The poor girl just wanted to attend a simple grand party without any trouble happening, but now she didn't want this night to exist at all.

During the familial reassurance, Yuto noticed the tears streaming down Lulu's face. She trembled with despair and distress, believing she may the cause of this night. If she hadn't transferred schools, this wouldn't have happened; at the same time, she would have never met her true boyfriend. She buried her face in her father's clothes, losing control of not trying to cry. Yuto exhaled through his nose and stood up. She and Shay protected him from Rio earlier, and now it was his turn to protect them. It was his time to be a true knight outside of a duel once again.

"Lulu, take off your shawl," Yuto said.

Lulu turned to face her boyfriend, still crying. "Wh-What?"

"Trust me," Yuto said, speaking in a gentle tone.

Although still upset with what's going on, Lulu nodded her head. She has trusted him in the past, so no doubt she'll trust him again. She got up and wiped away her heavy-flowing tears, then proceeded to remove her black shawl to reveal the scar she got back during the Invasion.

"I was greatly injured during the Invasion," Lulu explained, still crying. "An Ancient Gear Hunting Hound slashed my back, damaging my spine in the process. I had to get spinal implants or I would have lost the ability to use my legs."

Shay took a deep breath. "She's not the only one who got hurt," he said, lifting up the left side of his dress pants to reveal a robotic leg that was designed to look normal. "I was attacked by a Chaos Ancient Gear Giant at one point, who crushed my left leg. The damage was so bad that it had to be amputated and replaced by a robotic prosthetic."

"My wife and I weren't so lucky," Kameron said.

"Indeed," Astra agreed. "Our souls were sealed into cards and sacrificed into a large machine that nearly killed our daughter. If it wasn't for a Duelist named Yuya Sakaki, we wouldn't have been able to recover."

Everyone was alarmed at Lulu, Shay, Kameron, and Astra's revelations. They initially thought the Obsidians plainly disappeared when Duel Academy invaded, but spinal plates and a robotic leg? They also knew about a huge number of people in Heartland getting carded; however, they never knew about the Fusion Dimension's main intentions. Learning one of them was almost paralyzed from the waist-down while the other lost his left leg and their parents were among the victims that were nearly sacrificed to a dimensional-fusing machine was quite the eye-opener.

"Do you see how much this family went through?" Yuto asked, showing no fear in his eyes. "They wanted to relax after all of the hardships and for you to treat them as if the Invasion never occurred. But then you had the nerve to criticize them and question their status in this society! They are still trying to recover from the financial losses, so the least you could do is offer them support!"

Just then, a voice called out from within the crowd. It sounded rather cat-like. Lulu recognized that familiar voice; it belonged to none other than Cathy Katherine, her best friend who was also invited to the party with her family. From the sounds of things, she was deeply concerned about what happened to the Obsidians after the Invasion and wants to say something in regards to them.

"I support them!" Cathy had cried out. "Lulu Obsidian has been my best friend since childhood, and I don't care if she was reduced to a ragged servant girl! I will give my support to the family!"

"As do I," Byron Arclight agreed. "Kameron and Astra have always been strong business partners and my sons are good friends with their children. We will offer full support until they recover."

Murmurs broke the silence, discussing the given situation at hand. Sure enough, it soon became gradually escalating voices of support, with friends, couples, and families reaching out for any assistance, even if it's just donating money. They remembered how ObsidianCorp did a fantastic job at keeping the city parks clean every day; although the Original Dimension's return restored the corporation building, their wealth still remained the same. After being blinded by judgmental Elite Duels at this party, they want to make it up to the Obsidians for the way they acted, as well as show their gratitude for making Heartland City the beautiful and colorful city it was known for.

"What?!" Rio exclaimed. "Why are you-"

Reginald placed his hand on Rio's shoulder. "Let it go, sister," he said, glaring at Thomas. "There's no use arguing with the ones who wield three of the most powerful XYZ cards in the world."

Rio reluctantly sighed, knowing that the Arclights are helping out a family that turned down her brother's engagement. At the same time, Yuto was accepting being a part of Lulu and Shay's circle of upper class friends. He may not be born in a high class, but that didn't stop him from working his way up to feeling welcome by wealthy yet caring people. He had a thought about his mom, but it was different than the last time. In this case, he knew that somewhere up in the heavens, Lono must be so proud of how much her son has grown and matured.

"Aww… There's that smile I love!" Lulu said, giving her boyfriend a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I can see why you fell for him, Lulu," Cathy remarked. "He's so gorgeous, especially with his cute hair."

Yuto was flattered by that comment, but this type of flattery Cathy displayed was more of a playful tease. He could tell she was the only girl at the party that approached the eggplant-haired teen, maintained a genial personality, and knows he is a keeper. These were a few signs that indicated Cathy as Lulu's true friend. Lulu giggled, knowing the gray-haired feline girl already accepted Yuto as her best friend's boyfriend, and lightheartedly reminded her the real reason why she fell for him as the grand party continued on for the rest of the night.