Finally we are back with Yugi, Yuya, and the rest of the gang! What has been happening with them while all their friends and allies fight their battles? Let's find out now!
Yugioh: The Power of Four
Chapter 28: ARC-V — PART 14
Once all the teams had left, Reiji turned to face the main group. "I strongly suggest we wrap up this meeting now so that we can evacuate. My father can't be far behind the rest of his troops." They all agreed, especially Yugi and the other protectors.
"Right. The sooner we leave, the better." Yugi said. The others all nodded. Then he added: "If anyone here wants to say something to Yuya and Yuzu's counterparts before we end the connection, now's the time." Reiji then decided to go first and speak to the girl he tried to help before.
"Serena, I'm relieved that someone succeeded where I failed three years ago." He then glanced at Judai, who gave him a thumbs up. "I do hope you're happy where you are now."
"Reiji…" Serena said with a smirk. "Thanks. I think I'm going to be just fine." Serena then turned to Yusho. "Yusho Sakaki… I'm glad you're with your family again." Yusho smiled back.
"Thank you. So am I." He replied, looking at his wife and son with loving affection. Yuya and Yoko smiled back.
"Thanks for everything. Do me a favor. When you see Asuka again, tell her I said thanks… for being a friend." Serena requested.
"I most certainly will Serena." Yusho replied.
"Yugo and Rin…" The Jack Atlas of that world said, getting the Synchro pair's attention. They were flabbergasted when they saw him approach. "Before the meeting got started, Yusei mentioned you two and that one of you is a "talented" Riding Duelist. He also asked me to duel that someone when all is said and done. I take it you must be him?" Jack asked Yugo directly, to the shock of the young duo.
"Yusei told you about me?! About us?!" Yugo answered in total surprise as he glanced at Yusei, who smiled at them.
"What did you say to him?" Rin asked in wonder.
"I told him I would." Jack said while smirking. Yugo and Rin gawked at Yusei again before turning back to Jack.
"Holy crap! I get to duel with not one but two versions of Jack Atlas?!" Jack raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean by that?" He asked.
"It's a long story." Rin said, very surprised that their Jack agreed to have to a duel with Yugo. 'Now I'm not sure which Duel I want to see more. Yugo's Duel with our Jack Atlas, or the one from Yusei's world.' It didn't really matter to her though. Either way, Yugo would no doubt enjoy both.
"So… just to be clear, you are the Jack Atlas of our world, right?" Yugo asked nervously.
"I am. Yusei also mentioned you and your girlfriend are fans of mine." Jack said. Both Yugo and Rin blushed furiously.
"Oh, no no no! We are fans, definitely! But the other thing! We are just friends, Jack Atlas, sir!" Yugo explained, looking flustered.
"He's right, sir! Nothing's going on between us!" Rin added, though she wished that wasn't actually true. Jack chuckled before changing the subject.
"Anyway Yugo, I will look forward for you to return so that we can have our Duel. If Yusei thinks highly of you, then I'm sure I won't be disappointed. And I expect you to be by his side the whole time, Rin." Jack said as he walked back to the rest of the group. Yugo and Rin stared at one another, hardly believing it.
"Okay, now I really need to be at the top of my game when I face off with the Jack Atlas of Yusei's world! If I can handle him, I can definitely take on our Jack!" Yugo said, sounding energized.
"Yeah, I will make sure you are ready for both of them!" Rin replied.
While Jack conversed with Yugo and Rin, the Kaito Tenjo of this world came up to the pair he personally knew. "Yuto, Ruri… it's good to see you two. I'm relieved to know that you're both fine." The Xyz couple nodded at their friend and fellow comrade from the Resistance.
"Same here. We missed you, Kaito. Are you alright?" Yuto asked him.
"I'm fine, and so is my family… thanks to Reiji Akaba." He said as he turned to Reiji, who nodded at him.
"That's great. We're both happy that you're alright." Ruri added. "Is my brother also okay?" Kaito hesitated, trying not to give away the pain of losing a comrade to Academia. Yuma and his friends all kept silent, not wanting the couple to know the truth of Shun's fate… yet.
"I have been… very busy on my end. I haven't spoken to Shun for quite a while. I… I wish I could say more." He managed to say. Ruri looked disappointed.
"I see. I was kind of hoping… he would be there with the others." She said softly.
"Me too." Yuto said, also let down his best friend couldn't make it to the meeting. Kaito shook his head.
"I'm sure Shun would be… less worried knowing that his younger sister and best friend are safe and sound." Yuto and Ruri both nodded.
"I know he would be." Ruri said. Kaito was glad the two bought that.
'They are going to be devastated when they learn the truth from Yuma. Ruri… she'll take it the worst. At least I won't be there when they hear…' Kaito thought to himself.
"When you see Allen and Sayaka, tell them we're both fine and we'll come home when it's safe for us." Yuto said.
"I will." Kaito replied firmly. At this point, Serena, Yuto, Ruri, Yugo, and Rin turned to their respective protectors and friends.
"Judai, you and the others better make it back or there will be hell to pay." Serena said to him, making the guy laugh.
"Sure Serena, no prob! We'll definitely be coming back! Tell that to Sho and Asuka!" The younger girl nodded, saying she will.
"Yusei, promise you'll make it back in one piece! You and and everyone else!" Rin insisted.
"Yeah man! You gotta get outta there alive!" Yugo added. Yusei smiled as he nodded.
"We will come back home. All of us." He calmly told them.
"Yuma, please come back safely." Ruri told the youngest protector.
"You and all our friends." Yuto said. Yuma managed to put on a big smile and gave a thumbs up.
"You got it guys! Tell Akari, Kotori, and Haruto that we will all be coming home very soon!" The couple told them they will tell them. The teens then all looked at their Standard counterparts.
"Yuya, Yuzu… good luck in escaping like we did." Yuto told them.
"Thanks Yuto. With Yugi and his friends backing him up, I'm sure we can get past Leo Akaba!" Yuya said confidently.
"Same here! And maybe, after all this craziness is over, we can all somehow meet in person! I would really like that!" Yuzu insisted, also smiling warmly at them all. Their parents felt the same way.
"Now that sounds like fun!" Yugo said, making everyone hope they would. After everyone said their good luck and farewells, the protectors disconnected their Duel Disks with the counterparts' Disks. The holographic projections of the teens disappeared like they were never there. There was a quiet moment after that before Reiji got everyone's attention once more.
"Okay, let's get moving everyone. We will head up to the roof as planned. From there you can Summon your airship to…"
"I'm afraid you can't go up there." The whole group turned around and gasped in shock and alarm. From the elevator everyone used earlier, they saw two individuals no one expected to appear. Some of the group had no idea who they were, but Yugi, his friends, Yuya, Yuzu, Yusho, and Kaito definitely recognized them.
"Edo Phoenix?! Dennis Mackfield?!" Yusho shouted in disbelief, more shocked than the others.
They were definitely the Commander-in-Chief and the spy for Academia. However, while Dennis looked the same when Yuya last saw him, Edo no longer wore the cloak he wore the day he tried to take Yuzu. He instead wore a silver suit with gold trimmings.
"What the HELL are you two doing here?!" Kaito yelled angrily at them. He knew full well who they were, thanks to what he learned from Allen and Sayaka. "I know what you both have done, and you made a serious mistake coming here!" He was about to turn on his Duel Disk when Edo and Dennis held up their hands in the air.
"Woah, woah! Wait a second! Hear us out!" Dennis said, sweating a lot from the look of fury on Kaito's face.
"We did not come to fight you. If you want to keep Yuzu safe from the Professor, then please listen to us. Believe me, you will regret it if you don't." Edo told them, sounding more calm than Dennis. Everyone looked surprised.
"Wait, you're not here to try to take me again?" Yuzu questioned.
"No, definitely not!" Dennis replied while shaking his head.
"Tell us how you got in here, Academia scum!" Kaito demanded.
"We snuck inside just a few minutes ago. It was the best time, with everyone's attention on the battles happening throughout the city." Edo answered.
"We came down here just when we heard you guys planning to head up to the roof of this building. Let me tell you… you don't want to do that." Dennis added.
"Oh yeah? Why shouldn't we?" Tristan asked.
"The Professor himself and some of his toughest Duelists are waiting for you up there as we speak. They plan to trap you, and force you to hand Yuzu over to them." Edo revealed, shocking everyone.
"My father is here?!" Reiji exclaimed.
"And he's set a trap for us?" Sora said, also stunned. The duo nodded.
"He is. We saw him ourselves before coming in to find you." Edo said.
"Hold on. Why should we believe you? I understand that you two are his loyal lackeys. Why stab him in the back now?" Kaiba asked, sounding understandably suspicious. Edo and Dennis looked at one another and nodded.
"Well, right after we failed our last mission, we returned to the Xyz Dimension. Once there, we had a chance to think things over and talked about it." Edo said as he started to explain his and Dennis's defection…
Flashback
"Oh, this is not good at all! We are running severely behind schedule! Precious time had been lost, and for some girl that you could not bring to the Professor! We need to pick up the pace if we are to catch up on our work here for the Arc Area Project!" Said a short, skinny man with short bowl cut red hair constantly glancing at a pocket watch.
Edo sighed in annoyance. It had been a day since their botched mission to capture Yuzu Hiragi. After Leo Akaba sent him back to his base in the Xyz Dimension, Edo was bombarded by complaints from the Deputy Commander, Mamoru Noro. Honestly, he just wanted the idiot to shut up. Edo did just that.
"Shut up Noro!" He shouted, silencing his second in command. He sounded so fierce that the man backed up to a wall in fear. "I just want to be alone for a while. Can you at least do that much?!" Noro flinched.
"O-Of course, Commander-in-Chief! I will personally oversee the operation… elsewhere." He feebly replied before scurrying out of Edo's personal quarters. Edo himself sighed while rubbing his forehead. He was barely alone for a moment, sitting on his bed, before he heard another voice.
"That guy's a pain in the ass, isn't he?" Edo turned behind him to see Dennis Mackfield leaning on a wall just outside.
"You have no idea." Edo said with a small smile. "The Professor sent you here too?" He asked.
"Nah, just thought you'd like some company. Mind if I join you?" Dennis asked.
"Be my guest." Edo answered, allowing Dennis inside and take a vacant chair. "So, why are you really here?" He asked. Dennis made a pouty face.
"What, can't a couple of screwups like ourselves have a pleasant chat about what's wrong with their lives?" Edo actually smiled and nearly laughed.
"I suppose there's nothing wrong with that." He said. "What's Yuri's condition?"
Dennis then dropped the act and got serious.
"He's currently in a coma. Whatever that Yuya kid did to him got him good. I still can't believe he actually lost a Duel. That's never happened to him was far as I know." He said, actually sounding worried about the boy.
"I wondered why he failed to show up to take Yuzu. He didn't seem like the type to ignore an order." Edo noted. Dennis shrugged.
"Maybe he was enjoying his Duel too much to drop it on a dime." The spy then sighed. "I've been doing some thinking lately… about everything." Edo nodded.
"So have I. But let's hear what you have to say first." Dennis seemed grateful for that.
"Well, as a kid, before I came to Academia, I loved to entertain people with my tricks while wearing a clown mask. It really made me happy, and everyone who watched me. It was the happiest feeling in the world, seeing the other kids laugh at my antics. I thought I could expand my skills by becoming a Duelist. After arriving, my passion for entertainment got sidelined for my duties to Academia… and the Professor. Overtime, I learned to hide my disappointment by acting carefree and joke a lot. That seemed to work for me for a while… until I was ordered to spy on the people here." Dennis then look sad, knowing what he did after showing up.
"What happened?" Edo asked. Dennis told him about his mission to find Ruri Kurosaki and about Yuma's role in aiding Ruri's escape, as well as her brother's interference.
"Her brother nearly knocked my teeth out from punching me. Still, I actually deserved that. Yuri went after his sister on my intel." Dennis then clinched his fists and scrunched up his face. Edo was stunned to see him close to crying. "I was speechless that Yuma knew about my mission when it was supposed to be top secret within Academia. I still don't know how that little kid could've possibly found out. Still, when she learned what I did, Ruri was… more upset than I can say. I hurt her really bad, even though I never wanted her to be hurt…" He went quiet after that. Edo looked ashamed himself.
"Yuzu wasn't really happy about my actions either. She called me a coward, and the Professor… a monster." He said quietly. The two sat in silence for a long time, thinking over their recent actions. Edo originally believed in Academia's goal for a united utopia of peace and prosperity. He trained hard for this for years, thinking it was truly the right path. Now, after hearing what the Professor plans to do with Yuzu… he didn't feel so certain anymore. Edo also couldn't get out of his head the other things he heard from Yugi Muto and his allies.
"Everything I have told you was the truth. You just need to accept it and see through the wrongness of Leo Akaba's actions." Yugi said.
"Yeah man, Leo's the real villain here. I actually know someone back where I came from that was misled just like you were. He saw how wrong he had been. I know you can open your eyes too." Judai had said.
"It's not too late for you. You can still do the right thing." Yusei persisted.
"Totally! There's nothing wrong with using Duels to make people smile and feel happy! Yusho would've wanted that too. It's what he wanted for the all people he taught, including a certain someone that I met recently." Yuma said.
Edo had struggled with these thoughts since he retreated. He was still unsure of what to do from here. He then decided to ask Dennis a question he needed answered. "Dennis… do you really not know why the Professor wanted that Ruri girl?" Dennis smirked.
"Actually, I did a little digging around before I came here." He answered.
"What did you find? And did anyone see you?" Edo asked cautiously. Dennis chuckled.
"Nah, I was careful. When I heard Yugi Muto say that Yuzu was to be some sort of sacrificial lamb for whoever the Professor plans to bring back from the afterlife, I had to learn if Ruri was also part of it. I hacked into Academia's secure files and…" Dennis hesitated.
"Go on. What have you discovered?" Edo persisted. Dennis took a deep breath before he continued.
"Most of the files were encrypted, but I was able to learn this much: It turns out the Professor had a daughter and that she somehow died some time ago. He labeled it as "Project Revival Zero." He hopes to use ARC-V to bring her back, by using the life force of certain bracelet girls…"
"Which would result in their deaths." Edo concluded to his horror. Dennis nodded.
"There's more. I looked deeper in the Arc Area Project, and I nearly puked at what I found." Dennis said, looking very reluctant to continue.
"Found out what?" Edo prompted. Dennis looked disgusted as he answered.
"The people that are carded, that will be carded… they won't be restored after ARC-V unites the four dimensions. Instead, they'll all…" He couldn't finish. Edo knew what he was getting at.
"They will all die… along with those girls." He said softly.
"They'll all vanish from existence, and the merging will also use their life force to create a new race of humans. Humans that, according to the data, will have no memory of the four dimensions at all." Dennis concluded.
Edo gritted his teeth, now feeling he too was about to be sick. "This goes against what we've been told about achieving Academia's mission." He believed that no one was actually supposed to "die" when the four dimensions were united. All the people that got carded would be later restored in their new "United World". That's what he and everyone else was told. 'So then… it was all a lie. Everything we all thought we knew was just one huge, sick, twisted lie!' He thought, outraged at this awful truth.
"So that is why he needs Serena so badly." Edo and Dennis looked up in surprise. The Duelist Captain, Barrett, stood outside Edo's quarters now.
"Barrett?! Why are you here?" Edo asked, not expecting the veteran to show up.
"The Professor transferred me here to assist you, Commander-In-Chief." He said as he walked in.
"So now it's three, huh? How much have you heard?" Dennis asked. Barrett frowned and growled a little.
"Everything. This confirms what Judai Yuki told me." He replied. Edo the narrowed his eyes.
"Judai Yuki?" Barrett nodded.
"Affirmative. Judai told me himself the night he escaped with Serena and those other students. He said he snuck into Academia to save Serena's life. I knew he wasn't lying, I felt it. I didn't tell the Professor any of this, just that they all fled into the night." Edo and Dennis looked at one another.
"Serena, Ruri Kurosaki, and Yuzu Hiragi… three girls the Professor needs more than anything else. And they are each from a different dimension." Edo said to himself.
"I should probably mention that they all share the same face and wear a unique bracelet." Dennis pointed out. This new fact surprised Edo and Barrett, proving they didn't know before now. They wondered what this all meant.
"I wonder… could there be a girl in the Synchro Dimension that shares those characteristics with the other girls as well?" Edo thought aloud.
"Oh, there was." Dennis said, making the other two turn to him. "The spy network I set up there proved it. Her name was Rin. I saw her myself. She definitely resembled the others."
"What happened with her?" Edo asked.
"One of Yugi's friends rescued her before Yuri could take to her to Academia. I think it was that Yusei Fudo guy. He was the only one of the girl's protectors to not be previously identified. Not one of Yuri's finest moments, getting a sneak attack from behind by him." The trio then thought more to themselves over this before Barrett broke the silence.
"Ever since Serena first came to Academia, I was assigned to be her bodyguard by the Professor." The muscled man smiled to himself as he talked. "She was a handful. She kept trying to sneak away, seek out others to prove her skills, and more often than not getting into all sorts of trouble. Still, the Professor never punished her except for some severe scolding. In spite of all that, Serena never changed throughout the years." He chuckled, remembering the good old days.
"Sounds like you're really fond of her." Dennis said warmly.
"I am." Barrett said softly. He hoped Judai was keeping Serena safe like he said he would.
"How come you never tried to keep her out of trouble? You said yourself you were ordered to keep watch over her." Edo wanted to know.
"I was just ordered to watch her and make sure she didn't leave the school. Other than that, Serena was free to do as she pleased." Barrett then sighed. "I sure miss her." Dennis laughed.
"While I was spying here in the Xyz Dimension, I actually got to know Ruri and dueled her. She's really kind, polite, and she thought I was really good at making others smile… like her. Using my entertainment tactics was the perfect cover, and it was the first time since joining Academia that I felt I could be my true self again. A part of me hoped I'd never find Ruri." Dennis sighed sadly. "Alas, I knew I couldn't ignore my assignment after finding her. And we all know what came afterward…" Edo and Barrett both nodded, remembering the first Invasion into this very dimension.
"Now you wish you could go back and undo everything." Edo said. Dennis nodded again.
"I sure do now. Especially after what Ruri said to me when she learned the truth about me. But I can't… none of us can." He replied, his voice full of deep regret. Edo had his own thoughts regarding that.
"When I first led the Invasion, I met a man named Yusho Sakaki. He and I dueled and…"
"Did you say Yusho Sakaki?! I knew him!" Dennis interrupted. Edo stared at the spy, stunned by this.
"You knew Yusho Sakaki?!" He demanded to know.
"I did. I was actually a former student of his during my undercover assignment. He never suspected anything of course, but I sure enjoyed my time with him. He helped me improve my dueling tricks and made others smile. I hadn't seen him since just before the Invasion started." Dennis explained. "But how did you know him, Edo?"
Edo then told the two about his encounter with Yusho and his disappearance. He told them how frustrated he was about Yusho's teachings being in the wrong and he wanted to find him again to prove it. "Of course, I never found him. It was not too long after that I was ordered by the Professor to assist in the mission to capture Yuzu." Edo finished. Dennis then followed that with another revelation.
"Since we're on the subject of Yusho… you should know that he has a son. It's the boy I mentioned before… Yuya." Edo gasped loudly.
"Wait! The same Yuya that defeated Yuri?! He's the son of Yusho Sakaki?!" Edo could hardly believe it. He and Yuri were both considered top Duelists of Academia, and both were defeated by two members of the same family! Was it fate that Yusho and Yuya decided to fight against Academia and it's beliefs? Edo was starting to think so.
"So, what are your thoughts about this Yuzu?" Barrett asked. Edo sighed.
"She has a strong spirit, and seemed to be a believer of Yusho Sakaki's teachings. I have a feeling the other girl, Rin, may also have a similar personality." He said.
"So… about your beliefs. Do you still feel… conflicted about them?" Dennis asked after a moment. Edo didn't answer right away. He thought over what Yusho told him, what he learned from Yugi and his friends, and what he just heard from Dennis. He also recalled a certain moment when Yusho defeated him. He remembered… smiling. He smiled because he actually enjoyed his Duel with the Entertainer. He recalled starting to get a warm feeling in his chest, a feeling of… happiness. However, his commitment to the Professor and Academia's mission blinded him to it. Now though, after all these recent events and revelations…
"Perhaps… not so much anymore." Edo finally said, smiling as he recalled those warm feelings and thoughts from before.
"Good for you, Edo. I feel the same way." Dennis said, smiling back. The two of them then turned to Barrett. "What about you, big guy?" Barrett looked down at his own hands.
"I am a soldier who is supposed to follow the orders of his superior officer without question. That's what I've been for a long time. However…" He then gave the pair his own smile. "If that soldier sees a problem with a given order, or question the very nature of his mission… he needs to do what he feels is right and oppose his superior. Right now… I feel particularly rebellious. Perhaps Judai rubbed off on me a bit after all." Barrett then laughed.
Edo and Dennis laughed with him for moment. The three then went quiet once more, thinking about the girls Leo Akaba was after.
At first, capturing them for the Professor seemed like no big deal. Now, after learning why the Professor needs them so badly, they knew it was a much bigger deal than they imaged. Even though they all failed to brings those girls to Leo Akaba as he ordered, the three were actually very glad they had escaped.
"Well, I think we can say that those girls are all safe wherever they are…" Edo said.
"Not all of them. Yuzu hasn't left the Standard Dimension yet. Yuya was also out cold from dueling Yuri. I think it's safe to say Yuzu's going nowhere until Yuya is back on his feet." Dennis said. Edo and Barrett became more alert.
"Then the Professor will try to take her again before long." Edo said. Dennis nodded.
"I have no doubt he will." Barrett said. "What are we going to do about it… sir?" He asked, looking Edo straight in the eye. Edo hardened his face as he stood up.
"What will we do? Here is what we will do…" He then removed and tossed the green grey cloak he had been giving by Leo Akaba himself to the floor. "We will fight the Professor… and ensure he does not take Yuzu Hiragi! Are the two of you with me on this?" Dennis and Barrett seemed very pleased by Edo's choice of words.
"Oh yeah! I'm definitely in!" Dennis said proudly as he made a bow.
"I too stand with you, Commander-In-Chief! No matter what happens, I will follow you until the end!" Barrett added as stood straight and saluted. Edo nodded, glad they were in.
"Good. Then let's get started…"
Flashback End
"It was right after that that we began our plan to aid you in protecting Yuzu. Dennis did some more "discreet" recon and learned of the Professor's plan of attack. We then prepared things accordingly on our end." Edo said as he finished. He and Dennis decided to leave out the part about Yuri's coma. They didn't think they needed to know that since he didn't look like he'll wake up any time soon and cause more trouble.
The whole group stood in total surprise. "So it's not just the two of you, but Barrett too?" Judai asked, stunned. Edo and Dennis nodded.
"Yep. He's currently waiting in the outskirts of the city with an army of our own. That way, the Professor won't suspect a thing until it's way too late." Dennis said.
"An army?" Yusei asked in surprise.
"Indeed. I've had a long discussion with all the Academia Duelists stationed in the Xyz Dimension and told them the truth about the Arc Area Project. They were just as horrified as we were… and showed just as much remorse. After a day of thinking it over, they all decided to help us stop the Professor. Barrett will order his troops to move in when the Professor sends his own to attack your groups." Edo told them.
"How will he know when to attack my father's army?" Reiji asked. Dennis smirked while snickering.
"As it turns out… we got someone on the inside. That someone will secretly alert Barrett so that he can send in the calvary." This really stunned the group.
"You have an inside man?! Who?" Yuma wanted to know, as did everyone else. Dennis sighed.
"Sorry Yuma, can't tell ya. The deal was that as long as we keep our friend's identity a secret, they'll do whatever they can to help. Believe me, we wish would could tell you, but a deal's a deal." Kaiba snorted.
"Why should we believe any of this? It all just sounds too good to be true to me." He said, clearly not convinced.
"I believe them." Yugi said, surprising him and some others.
"Yugi?" Yuya asked.
"Are you sure?" Yuzu questioned. Their protector and friend nodded.
"I'm sure. Edo and Dennis truly wish to help us, and I think we should give them a chance." Joey and Tristan saw how serious their friend was, and knew he meant every word.
"I trust Yugi. So I'm willing ta do the same." Joey said.
"That makes three of us." Tristan added.
"I'm also with Yugi. These guys were never really bad to begin with.. at least, I didn't think so." Judai added.
"If they want to redeem themselves, they should have the opportunity to do so." Yusei said.
"Everyone makes mistakes, and these guys want to make things right! I'd say let them!" Yuma also said.
Yusho looked over them both and smiled. "Dennis, when I learned that you were with Academia, I was hurt by your deception and betrayal." Dennis looked away, clearly ashamed of his past actions. "But now, hearing you want to make amends… I am very glad." His former pupil returned Yusho's smile with his own. The older man then turned to Edo. "Edo, when we last saw each other you were clearly being torn in different directions. You didn't know what to believe or who to follow. It seems now… you have your answer. I'm happy to know you've made the right choice."
"Yeah, so am I… Yusho Sakaki." Edo replied with a smile of his own. Yuya then stood next to his dad.
"If Yugi and my dad are willing to forgive you, then I do too." He said.
"Me too." Yuzu added. "I'm sorry for calling you a coward. You're braver than I thought if you're willing to betray the man you worked for to help us." Edo shook his head.
"No, I definitely deserved the name calling. But I promise, we won't let you down… any of you." He told the whole group.
"You better not or I'll kick both your asses!" Sora warned. Edo and Dennis nodded while smiling back.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right? Guess that makes you two our friends too." Gongenzaka added.
"We can never have too many friends." Yoko said.
"The more the merrier!" Shuzo said.
"I accept your alliance." Jack told the two.
Kaito hesitated before sighing. "If things had happened differently, I would NEVER agree to help the likes of Academia. But if everyone here is willing to give you two a second chance… then fine. Just don't make me regret it."
"Got it." Edo and Dennis told him. Everyone then stared at Kaiba. Other than Reiji, he was the one only one to not have accepted. He groaned.
"Alright, fine. But if something goes wrong and it's your fault, I'm planning to do more than just say "I told you so." Got that?" Kaiba warned. The pair agreed, though they felt slightly intimidated by the man.
"Then it's settled. You two are with us now." Reiji said, cementing their cooperation with Edo and Dennis.
Dennis then stepped forward and took out something from his pocket. It appeared to be a card. "Yuma… is Ruri okay where she is?" He asked tentatively.
"She's fine." Yuma told him with a smile, making Dennis breathe a sigh of relief.
"That's really good to know. In that case, could you please… give her this?" He then tossed the card to Yuma, who grabbed it. The boy gasped in shock as he looked at it.
"What the?! Is this… what I think it is?!" He asked in a shocked voice. The others looked at the card he was given and no one gasped more than Kaito and Yusho.
"Wait! That's..!" Yusho couldn't get the words out. Kaito was just speechless.
The card Yuma was holding was the one that held the captured soul of Ruri's brother...
"Shun!" Kaito then turned back at the two Academia traitors. "Where did you get this?!" He demanded loudly. Dennis grimaced from the look Kaito gave him. Still, tried to remain calm.
"Yuri handed that to me shortly before his failed mission in the Synchro Dimension. He wanted me to have it as a souvenir, to let me know Ruri's brother wouldn't cause us trouble again." He explained.
"What a sick joke that was." Yuri told Yuya in his mind.
'Yuri, you were a different person back then.' Yuya told him, but his Fusion counterpart shook his head.
"Doesn't excuse what I did." Yuya felt the guilt and sadness Yuri felt from sealing Ruri's brother.
'Yuri…' Yuya then turned to the duo. "Isn't there a way to restore all the people sealed into cards? Can't they be brought back?" He asked, hoping there was a way. Edo turned to Dennis, who nodded and looked right at Yuya.
"From what I managed to scrounge up, the only way to revive everyone is for someone to enter the ARC-V control room and recalibrate the energy conversion. If that is done, ARC-V will expel the energy and all the carded people would be restored to their original selves."
This gave everyone hope. "Then that is what has to be done." Yusei said.
"Agreed." Reiji then turned to Yugi and then others. "Yugi, after your group escapes, I will lead a team into Academia to revive all the carded people." He and the others accept that plan, but Yuma had a question.
"Hold up. If all that can be done, then why give Shun's card to me? Can't you revive him like you plan to bring back the others?" Yuma asked.
"It's a precaution incase things go sideways. We don't want anything happening to Shun's card in the process." Edo said.
"Also, I feel that if anyone should look after him until his revival… it should be his sister." Dennis added solemnly.
"He is right, Yuma. Shun is much safer with us until he can be restored." Astral told his partner. Yuma seemed to accepted it.
"Okay, back to the main problem." Shuzo said, wanting to hurry and get his daughter and Yuya to safety. "If we can't get to the roof, then where do we go to use the airship?" Reiji answered immediately.
"Fortunately, I have a backup plan. With any luck, it will work." He began to tell the group his strategy to outsmart his father and get Yugi's group away…
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"With pleasure. Activating "The Gauntlet" program now." Roget said before pressing a button on a control pad he held. At once, spheres of dark yellow light appeared around where Reiji Akaba's teams were at that moment. "This should be most interesting." He said to himself as he and the others observed the new battles taking place… or rather, that's what they were expecting to see. As soon as the "Gauntlet Barriers" were up, all the monitors had instantly shut down.
"What?! This wasn't supposed to happen!" Roget shouted in panic.
"What's wrong, Roget?" Leo Akaba asked.
"I've lost all video and audio feed for the Gauntlet program! We can't see or hear what is happening inside the barriers!" Leo wasn't happy about that, as were the others with him.
"Were there some system bugs you somehow overlooked?" Gloria asked. Roget snapped his face at her.
"No, of course not! It was perfected before we left! I can't understand what the problem is!"
"Get the monitors back online! We need to know what is going on down there!" Leo ordered.
"Yes, Professor!" Roget said while trying to figure out the error in his program. 'This doesn't make sense! This shouldn't have happened! What could've possibly have gone wrong?!' As he typed furiously to get the problem fixed, Roget somehow had the nagging feeling that he was missing something. Something very important he couldn't quite put his finger on…
While Roget worked on his technical glitch, Leo had received an alert on his personal communicator in his own Duel Disk. He recognized the signal; it came from his two Guardian Duelists. He instructed them to inform him of any developments in their vicinity. "Yes?" He asked when he opened a channel.
"Professor, we have a problem." Apollo started. Leo sighed, obviously not pleased something else had gone wrong.
"Tell me." He ordered.
"Diana and I have been keeping watch in the lower levels of the building, as per your orders. Via the surveillance cameras we hacked, we have just learned Reiji's whole group is heading down here right now… towards us." Leo swore. He was sure his son would try to lead Yuzu and Yugi's team outside the building before his men could cut off their escape and force them to the roof. Not only did they not wait for the right time, but they are not even leaving the building on the surface.
"Reiji is smarter than I thought." He said to himself.
"Sir, there is more. When we saw them on our feeds, we also discovered that they were joined by two others. It would seem Sora Shiunin was not the only one to betray us…" Diana started. Leo slightly widened his eyes.
"Who else is there?" Leo demanded, not wanting to believe he had more people turning against him. Diana hesitated before she gave her very shocking answer.
"They are… Commander-In-Chief Edo Phoenix and the spy, Dennis Mackfield." Leo widened his eyes even more an stiffened. He had to have misheard her… he just had to.
"That's not possible! I ordered Edo back to the Xyz Dimension for the Arc Area Project! And I told Dennis to stay put in Academia until further notice! They can't be here aiding our enemies!"
"We are sorry sir, but there are no glitches with our video feeds. They are here and are now against us." Apollo reported, sounding very disappointed in delivering this crushing news. While Roget was still busy with his program, Gloria, Grace, and Sanders also appeared shocked. Battle Beast seemed neutral.
Leo was seriously pissed now. 'First Roget's technical difficulties on his new program, now this! Why the hell would Edo and Dennis betray us?! Betray me?!' The bald man wanted to scream from his frustrations, but he knew he mustn't. He couldn't afford to lose control in front of his subordinates. "Apollo, Diana, listen to me! DO NOT allow anyone to get past you! NO ONE must leave the building, especially Yuzu Hiragi! Do I make myself clear?!"
"Yes Professor! None shall pass us!" Apollo and Diana told him before breaking the connection. Leo had to calm himself and think. Things were not going as planned so far. He needed to keep Reiji, Yugi, Yuzu, and all the others from getting away until his army can surround the building. He had to have a fail safe incase Apollo and Diana couldn't keep them contained. Leo needed additional assistance. That was when he made up his mind and turned to Gloria Tyler.
"Gloria. I have a special request I must ask of you." Gloria stood alert and ready.
"Yes Professor?" She asked. His request caught her off guard.
"I need you… to contact him." Gloria gasped, and slightly blushed.
"R-Really sir? It has been a long time since I've… heard from him." Grace instantly knew who they were talking about. She also knew the Professor must be serious if he needs his power.
"I understand how personal this is for you, but you are the only one he will talk to since he left us. Only you can convince him to help us in our time of need. Not even I can get through to him." Leo told her.
Gloria felt her heart beat a little faster at the thought of speaking to him again. 'It really has been so long since he and I have spoken. I know why he left, and he was adamant about not returning. But will he listen to me now if I told him the situation?' The woman had her doubts. "Professor, when I last saw him, he made it clear he would never return to Academia no matter what. How can I make him change his mind?" She asked.
Leo approached her and whispered something in her ear, and Grace saw her sister's eyes widened and gasp. He then backed away. "If you tell him that, I'm sure he will come to our aid." He told her. A now visibly shaken Gloria slowly nodded.
"I… I understand, Professor. I will do it." Leo smiled as he nodded.
"Good. Now go." After taking a breathe, Gloria pressed a button on her Duel Disk and disappeared in a rush of blue particles.
"Professor… What did you just tell my sister?" Grace asked, worried for Gloria. Leo turned his back to her, and a more confident grin appeared on his face.
"I merely gave her a message. A message that will hopefully bring back… the Kaiser."
/\/\/\/\/\/\
Deep within Academia, a lone figure walked into a vast chamber that appeared to be a lab. At the far end was a huge device that was recently repaired after a devastating attack on it days ago. The purple haired teen walked over to the control panel and pressed a button. The Primary Dimensional Transporter came online, a golden light shining from the center. He was pleased that the thing was operational again.
"Perfect. It's working, just like I was told. If my new source was right… I'll finally have my revenge. Not only that… but I will have more power than I ever dreamed of. Soon, everyone will witness the fury and destructive power… of Zarc!" Zarc, now in control of Yuri's body, laughed to himself as he stepped into the light and vanished on the spot…
To be continued.
