The gang are now face to face with the Ryo Marufuji of Arc-V! How is he different from the one Judai knew? This chapter and the one after will answer that. And while we're at it, let's quickly check on all the teams scattered throughout Maiami City!

Yugioh: The Power of Four

Chapter 31: ARC-V — PART 17

"What the hell was THAT?!" Manjome and Asuka turned to see Kenzan and Tèa staring at them, totally dumbstruck.

"Relax guys, it's not what you think." Asuka said with a chuckle.

"She's right. We didn't hook up or anything. Asuka was just…" Manjome was interrupted when all four Duelists were instantly encircled by lots of soldiers composed of the Obelisk Force and Sector Security. They all laughed evilly while arming their Duel Disks.

"Oh crap. Guess the sappy stuff is over." Manjome commented grimly.

"You think?!" Tèa asked with sarcasm. The four then activated their Disks once more and began to stand their ground. The Fusion Team knew they were vastly outnumbered and they had not recovered from their recent Duels. Things didn't look good at all.

Just before any more Duels could commence, another large group showed up out of the blue. Unlike the united Academia army facing them down, these new guys seemed to be protecting the Manjome and the others with him. The Obelisk Force and Sector Security soldiers were speechless by their sudden appearance.

"What the hell?!" Kenzan cried out in surprise. One of the new Duelists, a girl in a blue uniform, turned to him and smiled.

"Relax! We're on your side!" She told him and his teammates, to their utter surprise… especially Asuka.

"Those uniforms! Aren't all of you from… Academia?!" She asked, sounding so confused. A boy in a yellow uniform answered her.

"Not anymore! Commander-In-Chief Edo Phoenix convinced us we've been on the wrong side and now… we're your backup!" Asuka couldn't believe what she heard. 'Other Academia students rebelled against Leo Akaba?! Including Edo Phoenix?! How is this possible?!' It didn't matter how it happened. The fact was that these guys came to help, and she could've feel anymore grateful.

"Well, that is really good to know!" Tèa said, grateful for the backup.

"Same here. The more, the better." Manjome added.

"I don't know how this happened, but I'm sure as hell glad it did!" Kenzan said as he, his teammates, and new allies prepared for battle.


/\/\/\/\/\/\


"I don't even know where here is, much less how I got here. Where are we?" Kiryu asked again, sounding just as confused.

"Yeah well, that's a long story." Ruka said.

"What happened to you guys anyway? We saw you got trapped in some kind of weird energy dome, like us." Crow asked.

"We fought against an old friend." Aki said, still feeling resentment toward Divine for what he tried to do.

"Man, Yusei will definitely be surprised to see you here." Rua said, surprising Kiryu further.

"Yusei is here too?! Just what is…?!" Kiryu didn't finish his question. Suddenly, without warning, dozens upon dozens of Obelisk Force and Sector Security forces appeared and surrounded the group. "What the hell?! Who are you people?! What's happening?!" Kiryu demanded. The enemy Duelists all laughed as they armed their Duel Disks. Crow said what everyone else was thinking.

"We… are so screwed." Just as the group thought they were done for, more people suddenly appeared in front of them. Only, instead of the Synchro Team, the new Duelists in colored uniforms stood facing Academia's forces. "What the?!" Crow exclaimed.

"Now what? Who are they?" Kiryu asked, his confusion growing even more.

"What is the meaning of this?" Asked one of the Obelisk soldiers angrily. A Duelist in red smirked at him.

"We're here to help take you assholes down!" This statement shocked everyone.

"Wait! You all came here… to help us?" Ruka asked. A girl in yellow uniform turned to her and nodded.

"We are your backup, as ordered by Commander-In-Chief Edo Phoenix!" The Signers gasped.

"Huh? I thought that Edo guy was our enemy." Rua asked. The girl shook her head.

"He was… we all were. But things are different now. Now we all fight the same enemy together."

"I can't believe it." Aki said in a stunned voice. Jack grunted before he smiled.

"If that is so, then there is still hope for us! Everyone, fight on!" With the apparent fact that they have new people on their side, the Synchro Team decided to ask questions later and got ready for more battles, along with Kiryu.

"I don't have the faintest idea what's happening, but if this means we are getting out of here alive, that's good enough for me." He said to himself, activating his Duel Disk once more.


/\/\/\/\/\/\


"Brother?! Ryoga is your… brother?!" Luna shouted in total disbelief. Rio didn't seem to know what the big deal was.

"Yeah, my older twin brother. I'm his younger sister, Rio. Why are you so surprised by that?" Luna's mind raced from this revelation.

'They're… siblings. I guess that would explain why they seemed to care about each other so much. Something really must've gone wrong when I traveled back. I was shocked enough when Dr. Faker didn't recognize me, but now I'm finding out that Ryoga has a twin sister?! I know for a fact that Ryoga never had any siblings when he grew up in that orphanage! The only explanation I can think of is that…' Luna's thoughts never got to their conclusion when suddenly, lots of soldiers composed of the Obelisk Force and Sector Security showed up. They trapped the Xyz Duelists in a tight circle.

"We have you all now!" One of the Obelisks taunted with an evil chuckle.

"Ryoga, who are they?!" Luna asked in alarm as she and the Xyz Team huddled together. Shark snarled when he gave his answer.

"Not the welcoming committee." The Academia forces laughed and sneered at their prey, caught unprepared and weak. Luna and Ryoga's team knew they would not be able to get out of this one. It seemed there was no escape…

Before anyone could make any moves, more Duelists unexpectedly shown up in showers of blue particles. At first, the Xyz team thought Leo Akaba ordered even more men to ensure their doom. However, their opinion changed when all the newcomers faced the Academia troops instead of them. "Everything is going to be fine! We're helping you guys out!" Said a boy in a blue uniform.

"Say what?!" Kaito exclaimed, thinking he heard wrong.

"It's true. Commander-In-Chief Edo Phoenix ordered us to give all of the Professor's enemies a hand! That includes your whole group!" The boy clarified.

"Well, we are very happy to know that!" Rio replied.

"Hell yeah! I loving this!" Gauche said, sounding excited once more.

"So these new people… are helping us?" Luna asked. Ryoga nodded, his confidence returning.

"Looks like it, and honestly… I'm not saying no to that!" He said as he and his teammates got ready to duel again. Just then, everyone's Duel Disks aside from Luna's received some troubling news.

"Attention, other teams! This is Masumi Kotsu of the LDS Team! We need immediate assistance! Hokuto has been sealed in a card and the rest of us are too injured to continue fighting! We have received some unexpected assistance, but we won't last long in our current state! I repeat, we need help as soon as possible! If anyone is listening to this, please hurry!" The emergency call then ended. The Xyz Duelists looked at one another.

"Well, that's not good. We're all pinned down and I'm betting the other teams will be just as busy." Gauche said.

"We've got to do something! We can't just abandon them!" Rio said strongly. A solution came from an unexpected source.

"I can help them." Luna said to the group.

"How?" Kaito asked. The girl then held her pendent.

"My pendent was given to me by your father… where I'm from at least. It has the ability to teleport me and those around me to another nearby place of my choosing. I can send myself to your friends and get them to a safe spot so they can recover."

"Your pendent can do that?!" Ryoga asked, surprised by this, along with everyone else. Luna nodded.

"Yes. I just need to know their exact location. I can do this. Please trust me. I want to help. It's the least I can do to make up for the trouble I caused, even if it wasn't my fault." The girl's sincere insistence was enough to convince Ryoga.

"Okay." He said as he displayed a map of the city with his Disk. It showed the current locations of each team using blue dots labeled with a team name. "The LDS Team is a few miles North of where we are. They shouldn't be hard to spot if they are also ganged up on by Leo's men." Luna smiled.

"Thank you Ryoga. Be careful... all of you." She then placed her hand over her pendent and disappeared in green light. Ryoga hoped she would be alright as he fought with his sister and friends once again.


/\/\/\/\/\/\/\


As the unexpected reinforcements kept the enemy at bay, Masumi watched over Yaiba and Sawatari. They were huddled in the center, looking very worse for wear. Even though they were being protected, no one could leave because they were surrounded in every direction. There were no escape routes available.

"Man, we are totally boxed in, aren't we?" Yaiba asked.

"Looks that way." Masumi said reluctantly.

"Is it too much to ask for more than one miracle today?" Sawatari groaned, wishing they had a way out.

"I doubt we would be that lucky." Just as Masumi said this, a bright green light appeared within the tight circle and drew everyone's attention. When the light faded, they all saw a long pink haired girl standing with them.

"Who the heck are you?" Yaiba asked in surprise. The girl smiled.

"My name is Luna. I'm with Ryoga Kamishiro and his team. I was with them when you sent your distress call. I came to help you get away from here." She told them. Masumi eyed her suspiciously, while Sawatari voiced what he was thinking.

"Hold on. I don't remember you being part of that team before we left. Or any team for that matter! Where did you come from? And what was with that green light show?"

"There will be time for answers later. Right now, we need to go." Luna said insistently. Masumi agreed with her reasoning.

"She's right. We can't do anymore here in our sorry state." She then turned to Luna. "Luna, how do we get past all those enemy Duelists?" Luna smiled.

"The same way I arrived. You and your friends stay close to me." They did as Luna instructed. Masumi then got the attention of one of the defected Academia Duelists.

"Thank you for your help. Please, don't let any of those bastards get near the Leo Corporation building at the center of the city!" She urged them. They nodded.

"Got it! Leave it to us!" One of them confirmed confidently. Masumi thanked them.

"Don't let them escape!" One of the Sector Security goons shouted, but it was too late. Masumi and her remaining teammates vanished with Luna in another flash of green light.


/\/\/\/\/\/\


"So Roget, what is the status of our forces? Have they succeeded in carding everyone yet?" Leo asked, sounding confident that nothing could go wrong at this point. He was about to proven otherwise yet again.

"Not really Professor." Roget said, sounding nervous. In reality, he didn't care what was going on with Leo Akaba's men… as long as he could get his hands on Yusei Fudo. He couldn't let that get out of course.

"What do you mean? What's happening?" Leo demanded as he moved to Roget's side. What he saw on the monitors shocked him. He couldn't believe what he was seeing! Dozens upon dozens of what appeared to be Academia Duelists were defending Reiji's teams from his forces! "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?! ROGET, WHAT IS GOING ON?!" He shouted, his face now contorted with anger. Roget actually cowered under his former superior's gaze.

"I-I don't know Professor! One minute our troops were set to dispose of all our opposition. The next, these guys all showed up to block them!" He explained.

"It would appear Sora, Edo, and Dennis weren't the only ones to betray Academia." Sanders said, sounding very disappointed as well as angry (though not to the extent as Leo). Battle Beast was curious about the situation. Grace seemed very surprised that so many of their own would turn on them. Gloria, on the other hand, gave a small smile without anyone looking her way. The Professor clinched his fists and snarled.

"Dammit! The Kaiser better not fail! He has to keep them all from escaping!" Leo shouted. His son and Yugi, and those with them, cannot be allowed to leave with Yuzu Hiragi! Now Ryo needed to prevent them from departing until his troops could get past their new obstacle and contain them. He, Leo Akaba, the leader of Academia, would make sure Ryo would do so…


/\/\/\/\/\/\/\


"R-Ryo?!" Judai gasped in complete shock. He never imagined he and his friends would bump into an alternate version of one of his greatest rivals. His Fusion Dimension intel from Ray didn't include this!

"Wait, you know him?!" Edo said as he, Dennis, and Sora looked at him in surprise. Judai slowly shook his head.

"Well, not this Ryo… but yeah." He replied.

"Sora, who is that?" Yuzu asked. Sora turned to her, now looking seriously worried.

"That guy is Ryo Marufuji, a Legendary Duelist from Academia. Nicknamed "The Kaiser", he was the best we've ever seen, even stronger than Yuri. But one day, he just left and never returned. No one knows why."

"He vanished years ago, before even the Xyz Dimension Invasion took place. Rumor has it that he took off due to a falling out with the Professor, but that was never proven." Dennis said.

"There is one thing we know for sure. If that is Ryo, and if he's here to stop us, we are in very serious trouble." Edo said, fear now filling him up.

Ryo himself also seemed surprised that someone he never met recognized him. Before he could ask him anything, he noticed the Doktor laying on the ground before him. The look he gave the old man showed nothing but pure hatred. "You." He said in an unmistakably enraged tone. The Doktor quickly pushed a button on his Duel Disk, alerting the Professor of his arrival before he finally regained his voice.

"I do not believe my eyes. The Kaiser of Academia… has returned!" The Doktor grew afraid when Ryo lifted his Duel Disk and was about to push a certain button. "Wait! No! What are you doing?! Is this about him?! It was his own fault! Please! Don't!" His pleas went unheeded as a dark purple light from his Duel Disk engulfed the screaming man. Next thing everyone saw was a card falling to the ground that hadn't been there a second ago. On that card was a picture of the cruel mad scientist himself.

Everyone was shocked. No one (aside from Yusho, Kaito, and the trio of Academia traitors) had witnessed the carding process first hand. Yugi and the protectors only saw images of the horrible act from Ray. They never saw it in person. However, what happened next was even more shocking. Ryo picked up the Doktor's card… and viciously ripped it apart!

"Damn!" Sora shouted. Yuya was speechless while his mom and Yuzu once again covered their mouths. The expression Ryo had while ripping the card was one of intense rage. As the numerous pieces fell to the floor, he breathed hard. He knew he had just committed murder, but he felt it was justified.

'That was for you… my friend.' Ryo ignored their stunned reactions and eventually seemed to calm down. He at last focused his attention on Judai. "You, in the red jacket. You know who I am?" He asked Judai.

"Well, uh… sorta. It's complicated." He said nervously. Ryo was intrigued, but had other thoughts on his mind. He scanned the group briefly until he focused on the only teenage girl in the group.

"You must be Yuzu Hiragi. I have been ordered to not let you, or anyone else, leave this place." Yuzu and the others feared as much.

"But why? I just heard you had left Academia. Why have you come back now?" Yuzu asked.

"How did my father persuade you to return?" Reiji questioned. Ryo turned to him and appeared to be angry again.

"It does not concern you. Now silence!" He snapped. It was apparent that he had no intention of telling anyone his reasons. "So then, which of you…?" He started to ask when…

"I believe it concerns me very much, my old pupil." Ryo and everyone else looked behind him to see Barrett standing at the door leading outside.

"Sensei?" Ryo exclaimed, appearing surprised for the first time. Barrett walked in and around Ryo, now standing between him and Reiji's group. He then turned his head to Judai.

"Judai Yuki. Is Serena okay?" He asked. Judai smiled at him.

"She's alright. Safe and sound." Barrett smiled back and nodded.

"Thank you. That was all I needed to know." The man then faced his former student. "Ryo Marufuji… it has been a long time."

"It has." Ryo said calmly. "I was not told that you had turn your back on Academia as well." Barrett smirked.

"That would be because the Professor didn't know… but I imagine he does now, knowing how he operates." He said, glancing up and out through the opening.

At the same time, a small drone hovered just outside the building and observed what was happening. As he watched, Leo was shocked and pissed off even more that yet another trailer had revealed himself. "I don't believe it! Barrett has also turned on me?! Barrett of all people?!" The others with him were also stunned… at least, most of them. "Ryo, don't waste any time! Take Barrett down now! That is an order! You know the consequences of failing this mission, so don't fail me!" Leo shouted into the speaker. Using the drone, he made a link with Ryo's Duel Disk to relay his commands.

On his end, Ryo had just gotten the Professor's orders. He grunted, hating this whole situation. He had no choice; he had to obey. "I'm sorry it has come to this, Sensei." Ryo said with regret as he activated his Duel Disk. Barrett appeared resolute.

"So am I." He replied, turning on his own Duel Disk.

"Can Barrett beat him?" Yuma asked Edo. The former Academia Elite didn't seem so sure.

"He knew Ryo better than anyone he ever trained. But it has been a while. We can only hope he can." With that thought in mind, everyone else just stood back and watch teacher and student go head to head.

"DUEL!"

(Barrett: 4000) (Ryo: 4000)

"As your former teacher, I shall go first. My turn! I activate Beastborg Fusioner! Once per turn, I can Fusion Summon one "Beastborg" Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck using Monsters in my hand or on my Field! I Fuse the Panther Warrior and Dark Sentinel in my hand! O ferocious black panther, merge together with the watchman of the holy darkness, and raise a new war cry! Fusion Summon! Come forth and appear! Beastborg Panther Predator!" (DARK; Level 6; ATK: 1600; DEF: 2000) A humanoid panther that seemed half machine holding sword now stood ready for battle.

"Here we go." Dennis said softly.

"I activate Panther Predator's Monster Effect! Once per turn, I can inflict damage to you equal to half my Monster's Attack Points! In other words, you take 800 points of damage!" Panther Predator fired a laser that struck Ryo, making him flinch a bit.

(Ryo: 4000 - 800 = 3200)

"Woah. That's one heck of an upgrade for Panther Warrior." Joey said, sounding impressed.

"I then Set 2 cards facedown and end my turn." Barrett then stared at Ryo, feeling nothing but pity. 'Ryo… I never thought we would come to blows like this. I remember when we first met, when I first saw your potential… to be great.'

Flashback

Barrett, Captain of Academia's dueling Elite, stood before his group of new trainees. Most of them seemed either very nervous or intimidated, as was to be expected. They were right to be, for the man never went easy on anyone. One boy, however, didn't appear either way. On the contrary, he appeared to want to be challenged. The captain noticed this and approached the dark blue haired boy. "You! What is your name?" He demanded.

"Ryo Marufuji, sir!" Said the boy, sounding not even the least bit afraid.

"Tell me, Ryo Marufuji. Do you believe you have what it takes to be one of the best at this institution?" He questioned.

"I have every intention of succeeding, sir." Ryo answered. Barrett narrowed his eyes at him.

"You should know that Leo Akaba, the Professor of Academia, only accepts those that truly are elite. It takes more than a cocky attitude and a little luck to get to where you want to be. He is not a man that is easily impressed. To impress him, you have to impress me. I'll tell you now, boy… it takes a lot to impress me. Still think you have what it takes to reach the top of our world?" Ryo still didn't show the slightest hint of being afraid.

"Sir… I will prove to everyone that I can be the best!" Barrett snorted as he turned his back to him, smiling to himself.

"We shall see." He then walked back to the front of the group, and his smile faded. "Now then, show me what you've all got!" Barrett observed his new pupils dueling each other to assess their skills and stamina. After the first round of Duels, he changed opponents to see them handle enemies with different strategies. Some did better than others, but to his surprise, Ryo defeated all his opponents without much effort. No matter who he faced or how they fought, the boy always found a way to make them topple over in defeat.

And then there was one other boy that seemed to be doing just as good. He had long, curly green hair and didn't seem like the social type. This one Barrett didn't speak to at all, for he thought he was one of those that didn't want to confront the captain himself. Still, he dueled rather well. Interested, Barrett had set Ryo and the other boy against each other for the final training match. That match was more intense than all the others, and the trainees couldn't decide who to cheer for. The two were almost evenly matched. In the end, it was Ryo that came out on top. After the duel, Barrett walked over to them.

"Well well, you two show some real promise. I believe you both will reach far here in Academia… you particularly, Ryo Marufuji." He said to Ryo, who nodded. Barrett then turned to the other boy. "What is your name, young man?" The green haired boy cleared his throat before he introduced himself.

"M-My name is Yusuke. Yusuke Fujiwara, sir!" Yusuke said, perhaps a little too loudly. Barrett didn't seem to mind.

"I can see a bright future for you here as well, Yusuke Fujiwara." Yusuke smiled, along with Ryo. After that, Barrett keep watch over their training.

Flashback End

The Veteran Duelist observed them with growing pride. Ryo and Yusuke had become best friends, hardly ever seeing them apart. They did nearly everything together. They were both poised to become the finest Elite Duelists their school had ever known. Barrett really thought those two would go far… until "that" day.

On the day Ryo had left, Barrett found a note in his room. It explained that he had left Academia and had no intention of ever coming back. The note did not give Ryo's reasons for taking off without a word. Barrett sighed in disappointment. Returning to the present, he had to ask the question that had been on his mind for years. "Tell me Ryo… Why did you leave?" Ryo had a flash of anger appeared in his eyes.

"I have no intention of explaining myself to anyone who wouldn't understand." He answered in a really harsh voice. Barrett appeared unfazed, but on the inside he was hurt by Ryo's words. Nevertheless, he couldn't afford to go soft now.

"What did he mean by that?" Yuya wondered. Judai did as well.

"If you intend on going through with this, then do not hold back." Barrett challenged.

"I don't plan on holding back at all, Sensei. My turn! Draw!" Ryo himself felt inner turmoil. 'Sensei, I can never explain what happened. The pain and the betrayal… it is just too much for me to express.' He decided to end this Duel quickly, and he had a way to do so. "I will win the Duel this turn, Sensei. And here is how! I activate Double Fusion! By paying 500 Life Points, I can Fusion Summon twice this turn!

(Ryo: 3200 – 500 = 2700)

"For my first Fusion, I Fuse Cyber Dragon and Proto-Cyber Dragon in my hand! Dragons made of metal, become one and unleash your fury! Fusion Summon! Appear! Level 5! Chimeratech Rampage Dragon!" (DARK; Level 5; ATK: 2100; DEF: 1600) A silver plated dragon with three long heads now stood poised to attack. The head seemed be attached to a black block with dark red markings on it.

"That… doesn't look friendly." Judai said, knowing the Ryo of his world didn't have such a Monster.

Barrett gritted his teeth. He feared Ryo would Summon that particular Monster. 'Damn. He really isn't holding back.' He thought to himself.

"Chimeratech Rampage Dragon's Monster Effect activates! When it is Fusion Summoned, I can target Magic or Trap cards on the Field equal to the number of it's Fusion Materials and destroy them! Since two Monsters were used for it's Fusion Summon, I can destroy both of your facedown cards!" Two laser blasts from Rampage Dragon then obliterated Barrett's two Traps. The Duelist Captain had hoped he could hold onto at least one of his cards, but it seemed that was too much hope for against someone of Ryo's caliber.

"Things are not looking good for the big guy already." Dennis said, now worried for the battle hardened man.

Barrett himself felt somewhat relieved. He knew that Ryo didn't have any Monsters with higher ATK than Gatling Dragon. Even if he took massive damage, he should be able to survive until his next turn. Still, Ryo's earlier declaration to win on his first turn unsettled him. Could he have something? His question was about to be answered.

"Now for my second Fusion Summon! I Fuse another Cyber Dragon, Cyber Kirin, and Cyber Phoenix in my hand! Great mechanical dragon, whose life is eternal, rise now and show your everlasting power! Let no end come to you! Fusion Summon! Appear! Level 10! Cyber Eternity Dragon!" (LIGHT; Level 10; ATK: 2800; DEF: 4000) Barrett gasped, along with everyone else, at the huge behemoth before them. A giant robotic serpentine dragon with gold markings running along the length of it's body towered over both other Fusion Monsters and gave a metallic roar.

"Cyber Eternity Dragon?! I've never seen that before!" Barrett said aloud. Ryo looked solemn at his old mentor.

"This is my new Ace, Sensei. I've acquired it after leaving Academia, as well as making other improvements to my Deck. Now you will have the honor of being struck down by it. But before that, I activate Chimeratech Rampage Dragon's other Effect! Once per turn, I can send up to two LIGHT Machine Monsters from my Deck to my Graveyard! For each Monster sent this way, Rampage Dragon gains an additional attack this turn! I send my third Cyber Dragon and Cyber Dragon Drei from my Deck to my Graveyard to give Rampage Dragon two more attacks!" Rampage Dragon as it's ability to attack multiple times increased.

"This is bad! That means Ryo can attack four times this turn! Three attacks from one Monster, and the last one from the other!" Sora commented.

"Which means Ryo will definitely make good on winning this turn." Edo said.

"Barrett…" Judai muttered softly. He didn't see any way their new alley would survive this since his facedown cards were destroyed and he had no other cards left in his hand. Barrett then lowered his head and sighed, knowing what was about to happen.

"You truly have grown since your days in Academia. Regardless how it came to this, I am very proud of how strong you've become." He looked back at his old student. "Do what you must." He ordered. Ryo nodded, knowing what he had to do.

"I am truly sorry about this, Sensei." He hesitated for only a second before he hardened himself to finish what he started. "Battle! Chimeratech Rampage Dragon's first attack! I attack Beastborg Panther Predator! Relentless Barrage!" One of Rampage Dragon's heads fried an energy blast that vaporized Barrett's Fusion Monster.

(2100 - 1600 = 500)

(Barrett: 4000 - 500 = 3500)

Barrett stood his ground and used the last move he had. "I activate Panther Predator's last Effect! If all of it's Fusion Materials are in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon them in Attack Mode! I revive Panther Warrior (EARTH; Level 4; ATK: 2000; DEF: 1600) and Dark Sentinel (DARK; Level 4; ATK: 1500; DEF: 1800)!" In Panther Predator's place was a green floating drone and a more organic version of Barrett's Fusion Monster.

"Fighting right up to the end. I will always admire you for that, Sensei. Rampage Dragon's second attack! I attack Panther Warrior!" Barrett still didn't budge as his second Monster was destroyed.

(2100 - 2000 = 100)

(Barrett: 3500 - 100 = 3400)

"Now for my Monster's third and final attack! I attack Dark Sentinel!"

(2100 - 1500 = 600)

(Barrett: 3400 - 600 = 2800)

Barrett knew what was coming now. Ryo calculated that Barrett's Life Points would drop to this amount after Rampage Dragon destroyed his other Monsters. His new weapon had just enough Attack Power to finish him off. He braced himself, while Ryo hid the pain of what he was about to do.

"This is the end! Cyber Eternity Dragon… DIRECT ATTACK!" Barrett screamed when the Monster's dark blue energy beam struck him down to the ground.

(Barrett: 0)

"Barrett!" Judai yelled. The Duelist Captain lay there in defeat, groaning from the last attack. Yugi, Yuya, and everyone else was amazed at Ryo's power and skill. They could tell how he came to be called "Kaiser".

"Ryo, card him now." Leo ordered coldly through the Kaiser's Duel Disk. Ryo scowled before he walked over to his fallen teacher. He raised his Disk, poised to do the deed.

"Any last words, Sensei?" Ryo asked. Barrett smiled up at him, which surprised him.

"Just this. My only regret… is not being there for you... when you needed me." He said in resignation. Ryo came close to tears. Every fiber of his being was screaming at him to not do it, but he knew he couldn't disobey the Professor. Not with the life of Gloria's sister, Grace, on the line.

"Please forgive me." Ryo then pushed the button, but looked away. He refused to watch the process done to someone he cared about. Once the dark purple like faded, he opened his eyes at the card containing Barrett's life force. He reached for the card, but it vanished on the spot. He knew Barrett's card had just been transported to Academia… to Arc-V.

The group was silent, most too sad to say anything. It was clear that Ryo was being blackmailed into serving Leo Akaba, and he hated every bit of it. Reiji in particular found his father's latest act despicable. 'Father… What did you do? How are you forcing him to do this?'

Ryo let a moment pass before he returned his attention to Reiji's gang. His expression had hardened and clinched his fists for a moment. Finally, he spoke again. "Now, before I was interrupted, I tried to ask a question. I'll ask it again. Which of you… is Yugi Muto?" Yugi gasped, as did everyone else.

"I'm Yugi." The boy said, revealing himself. Ryo looked him over for a bit before speaking again.

"I was told to eliminate you first when I arrived here. My old Sensei's appearance was unexpected, but it has changed nothing. You will be the next to fall before the Kaiser! I challenge you to…!"

"Hold it right there!" Kaiba interrupted as he stepped in. Now he stood between Yugi and Ryo. "Let me make this as simple as possible. No one is going to have the chance to defeat Yugi Muto except me!" He shouted as he activated his Duel Disk, surprising everyone else. "Before you can even think about dueling him, you will have to take me down first... something you have no prayer of accomplishing!"

"And who are you?" Ryo asked. The young man smiled confidently.

"Seto Kaiba, a Duelist that is more than your match! What's wrong? Afraid to take me on… Kaiser?"

"I fear no one! If you insist on getting in my way, then so be it!" A provoked Ryo declared as he activated his Duel Disk again.

"Oh boy. This ain't gonna be pretty." Joey said nervously.

"Why? Does Kaiba not stand a chance against Ryo?" Yuzu asked. Yugi provided the answer, knowing what Joey was thinking.

"Actually, it's Ryo that we're more worried about." Yuya and Yuzu were confused by that. It didn't matter. They were about to see Kaiba in action for themselves. With all eyes watching, the two legends from different worlds stood firm and began their epic battle.

"DUEL!"

To be continued.