*SIGHS LOUDLY*

HI, I'M HERE, GOD I AM TIRED.

Yes, I'm late, I know, but there's reasons for that. See, I've started work! Pretty physical work to boot. On my second day I was hit with a 11 to 8 pm work day(I get extra paid for that dw), I've spent a lot of time carrying a leaf blower on my back blowing away gravel for hours, and fuck me that hurts after a while. My feet have been hurting, muscles aching, I've been tired, and just Not in the mood for writing.
And thus, why this chapter is late. I've also struggled a bit with this, and I'm still not sure how exactly I feel about it, but I'm content enough to publish it. Plus I didn't want to have this hanging over my head any longer or keep you guys waiting, but I hope you all still like it ;~; If you have any nice words to say about this chapter or story, I'd really appreciate it right now.

I feel better now though after the weekend. I'll get used to this with time, but just as a warning, this might happen again at the end of the month. I'm just tired and not about to throw sleep to work on this, my health is more important and all that you know? I hope you all will bear with me on this during this transition period, I'll continue to do my best.


"Wait."

The group of three stop abruptly at the chilling voice cutting through the air. Or was it voices?

They spot one figure first, wearing a white jacket over their shoulders. A choked sound from one in their group makes the other two look back, spotting another figure with a long, dark cloak flowing in the wind.

"I-"

"I-"

Shivers ran through them at the synchronised words, sounding like they were echoing.

"Will not forgive you."

The three quickly regain their composure. "What, some more prey who want to be dealt with?"

Fire and flame throwers are thrown at them, yet they don't even flinch, even after getting thrown to the ground. They only get up like it was nothing, brushing themselves off.

Then, it was their side's turn.

"My turn," their voices echo, yet only the one in a cloak moves. He starts to walk forward, only silently passing his opponent. "I special summon Phantom Knights Cloven Helm and normal summon Phantom Knights Fragile Armour."

The ghostly armours burst onto the field, eerily silent in contrast to their wildly sparking blue flames. They fly around their master as they stop next to the other. Their glowing, piercing eyes pierce into their opponents like ice to the bare skin.

"I overlay Cloven Helm and Fragile Armour." His arm moves calmly through the air, voice steady yet heavy with purpose. "From the pitch black, rise up against the foolish oppression, Fang of Rebellion! Descend now. Xyz Summon. Come forth, Rank 4. Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon."

The dark dragon descends with a cry that pierces the soul. But it doesn't move.

"Turn end."

Before the masked group could even get out more than a sound of disbelief, the voices start again.

"My turn," they say, but only the one in the white jacket moves, "I set the Pendulum scale with scale 3 Xiangke Magician and scale 8 Xiangsheng Magician."

Two pillars of light form next to him, illuminating the red glow in his eyes. "I summon Odd Eyes Pendulum Dragon."

One dragon became two, their roars synchronising over the field, stirring up wind and pulling at their clothes. White and black flutter behind them, figures standing steady.

"I activate Xiangke Magician's Pendulum effect. Once per turn, I can grant an Xyz monster I control a level equal to its rank. I chose Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon."

"Huh- Aren't they on different fields?"

"How can that happen?!"

The Obelisk Force doesn't get an answer, only Dark Rebellion's roar.

"I activate Xiangsheng Magician's Pendulum effect. Once per turn, I can give an Xyz monster I control the same level as another level 5 or higher monster. I give Odd Eye's level seven to Dark Rebellion."

Red eyes glowing like simmering blood narrow. Grey eyes glowing like a harsh winter sky copy the movement.

"I overlay Odd Eyes Pendulum Dragon and Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon."

"Dragon of dual-colored eyes. Unleash the black imperial wrath, and eradicate all opposing enemies! Xyz Summon! Come forth! Rank 7! Dragon with eyes glowing with anger! The Supreme King Black Dragon, Odd-Eyes Rebellion Dragon!"

The giant black dragon, clad in electricity and power, descends on the plaza.

Thundering noise fills the area, despite the sky being clear.


Rin watches as her opponents disappear in particles of light from where they had been knocked to the ground by her final hit. It hadn't been a very tough duel, though the constant barrage of effect damage had made her wince a bit.

"Hey, you-" she turns around to the guy from before, only to see he's nowhere to be seen. "Oh goddamnit-!"

First person she runs into that isn't an enemy and he runs off the moment she takes her eyes off him! Fucking typical!

...Well, not fully.

Rin warily eyes the cards on the ground. She'd seen it from a distance, the way those masked guys had just… pressed a button on their duel disk, and turned the other kids into cards. It sent a chill down her spine, the echoes of their last screams still bouncing a little in her skull. The whole situation suddenly felt very real, and very dangerous.

Hesitantly, she goes to pick them up, avoiding looking at the images printed on the front too much as she pockets them. She couldn't just leave them here, could she? If she ran into someone in charge who knew what was going on, she'd hand them over.

She was about to pocket her duel disk too, before deciding against it, keeping it strapped to her arm. It made her feel a little safer.

Were they those Academia guys? They had to be. So then… were the others okay?

The stadium was far away by now, yet she hadn't run into anyone but those masked fucks. Rin never wished she had the D-Wheel as badly as she did right now, traversing the uneven ground in this giant action field. She'd cover a lot more ground much faster with it. But it was back in City, in the garage where she and Yugo had built it.

At least, she hoped it was. Something resembling fear gripped her stomach at the idea of something having happened to it. She wouldn't put it past the facility owner if she had sold it off by now, when neither her or Yugo were there anymore. That place always needed money, and a nice D-Wheel like theirs was sure to be worth much…

Rin shook her head to rid her mind of those thoughts. She could think about that stuff later! Right now, locating the others were more important. She'd headed to the lava field since that was the last place she had seen Yuzu enter, but she had yet to see a glimpse of her.

The scenery gradually changed from rocky lava to a frozen wasteland. Rin walked over the frosty ground, careful not to slip on the icy patches that gradually increased in number and size. She followed the shift between the icy cold and burning heat for a while, wondering if she should continue searching the lava area, or go look in another place. Yuzu could have moved while Rin had been getting here, and she still hadn't seen Yuya or Gongenzaka…

"Rin?"

The voice makes her startle, turning to the source of the familiar voice. Yuzu stood on a frosted over hill, pink hair flapping in the wind and a surprised look on her face over seeing her out here.

"Hey," Rin says, stepping closer, some of the tension seeping out of her at the sight of her double. "Been looking for you."

"Huh? Why? Did something happen in the stadium?" Yuzu asks, now looking concerned. She carefully stepped down from the hill and jogged up to her. "I haven't heard anything about a problem…"

"There's no problem inside, but outside on the other hand…"

"What do you-" Yuzu stops, eyes widening in realisation. "Do you mean those people Yuya and Yuto talked about? They're here?"

Rin nods, frow burrowed. "The screens in the stadium started getting cut. I had a bad feeling, so I went out. Didn't take long before I ran into some of them."

"What? Are you okay? You didn't get hurt, right?" Yuzu asks, looking over her in search of injuries with worried eyes.

Rin rolls her eyes, a smile twitching at the corner of her mouth. "I'm fine. Only thing that's gotten a sting is my hand after I knocked out some guards."

Yuzu looks at her, horrified. "You what-"

"Anyway, we should find the others, stick together and all that." Rin turns on her heel to continue on. "Think I saw Yuya in the ancient ruins area last, let's go there."

"Wai- Rin!" Yuzu shouts after her as she starts to walk off, stomping after her. "Did you actually fight with the security?! You could get in serious trouble for that!"

Rin glances over her shoulder, unimpressed. "As if you wouldn't do the same were you in my shoes."

"Urk-" Yuzu stops, turning flustered. "That, that has nothing to do with it!"

"Of course it does, it means you can't pester me about it." Rin waves a hand over her shoulder. "Hurry up so you don't get left behind."

Yuzu grumbles indignantly, but eventually jogs up next to Rin. She avoids looking in the other's direction. "Just don't make a habit of it."

'If I was back home I'd be thrown in prison for even looking like I was considering it.'

Rin huffs, almost smiling. "No promises."

Yugo was basically being held captive by security back home, protected by the Duel King or not, after all. Rin had long since accepted the police violence she would unleash once it was time to rescue him.

It wasn't very hard to do.


The air is quiet. So different from just a minute ago, filled with roars, lightning, and screams.

When was the last time it was quiet? When their blood wasn't rushing in their ears, every nerve pulled taut and blocking out all the cries around them. Were they pained or joyful cries? They don't know. It felt so long ago, yet like it was just yesterday. But their body does not ache,

The simmering intensity is still there, bubbling under the surface and waiting to blow up. But there was nothing. They have to move.

Yet, they stand still. There's no wind today(it is missed), the sun is shining softly(not too bright so it hurts the eye).

It's peaceful. When did they last feel peace?

Still, something inside longs for destruction. For retribution. To unleash all the fear and carnage they were capable of. Just like they want-

No.

Not that.

Not anymore.

Something protests in them. Something that had, after what felt like an eternity, finally had a chance to rest. The chance to feel that warm feeling that spread in your chest and filled you. Softer than rage, gentler than fury, but still holding a strength like no other.

Happiness. Safety.

The burning fury lifted. The intensity cooled off.

The two stumbles, managing only half a step before the ground disappears under their feet, expressions dazed and eyes foggy as they slide closed.

Then they collapsed, arms outstretched towards the other, fingertips just barely brushing where they laid on the ground.


"Hey, Yuzu."

Yuzu pauses as she sees that Rin has stopped at the edge of a cliff. As Yuzu walks up, she points at two figures in the distance as she looks at her. "Recognise them?"

Yuzu looks where Rin is pointing. She sees two girls, one with long, dark hair and the other with a ponytail and wearing what looked like a red uniform. The latter she didn't know, the other, she did. "Ruri."

Rin nods. She frowns. "Seems like something pretty intense is going on."

Yuzu looks more closely. Then, she spots the way Ruri's body is pulled taut, hand clenched at her side. How the other girl is tense, stance ready and aggressive, voice carrying over the distance, though they were unable to make out any words.

"Let's head over," Yuzu says. Rin nods, and they start making their way there.

The closer they get, the more of the unknown girl Yuzu can make out. And it's with a jerk that she realises her face is eerily familiar.

"Ruri!" Yuzu shouts.

The dark-haired girl jumps, head snapping over to their direction. She seems… different from the girl Yuzu has met up til now. Something harder brought out from the soft smile and gentle demeanour.

"Yuzu, Rin…" Ruri trails off, eyes jumping between them and the other girl. Yuzu looked her over, taking in her high ponytail of blue hair held in a yellow ribbon, her steadfast stance, the hard frown on her face and the rock-like emerald of her eyes. And the bracelet around her wrist, a thin circle with a big, round stone with a blue jewel.

"So you must be the fusion duplicate," Rin says, her casual yet rough tone matched with the deceptive ease of her posture, betrayed if you looked hard enough. She was on guard.

The girl's green eyes narrow, looking angry. "My name is Serena! I am no one's duplicate!"

Rin merely raises a brow while Yuzu wonders what to do. The thought had been there, that if there were four people who had Yuya's face in the other worlds, and Yuzu knew of three who shared her face, then surely…

"Serena," she ends up repeating. The girl doesn't look away from glaring daggers at Rin, who looks completely unthreatened. "I'm Yuzu, she's Rin, and…"

"I am Kurosaki Ruri," Ruri finishes for her, still looking tense. "I'm from the Xyz dimension."

That makes Serena look away from Rin, face slacking slightly as they turn to Ruri, who stares back evenly.

"You came here for me, right? To hunt me down." Ruri's voice is even, yet has a chilling quality to it that made a shiver creep up Yuzu's spine. Her once gentle eyes are hard like flint.

Serena recovers from her surprise. And scoffs, a smile on her face. Yuzu starts to feel uneasy. "That's right."

"Huh?" Yuzu says while Rin tenses. Ruri only narrows her eyes. "Why would you do something like that?"

Serena doesn't answer or pay her any mind, her attention now fully focused on Ruri. She's holding her duel disk in front of her chest. "Now, duel me! I'll take you down!"

"...Before that, there's something I want to ask you." Serena pauses, frowning. Ruri's hands clench into fists. "What is Academia's goal? Why did you attack my home? Why… why are you carding people? Laughing like it's a game, and not like you're doing something terrible."

Ruri's voice is even as she talks, but rises in pitch and turns shaky at the end, eyes looking at Serena.

It's silent, the air tense and heavy. Yuzu watches with bated breath while Rin is still next to her.

Then, Serena speaks.

"Ridiculous."

Yuzu's eyes widen. "Wha?"

"Laughing like it was a game? The proud warriors of Academia wouldn't do such a thing."

"Proud…?" Ruri gets out, starting to shake. From what, Yuzu didn't know.

"You want to know Academia's goal? Fine, I'll tell you." Serena raises a hand, holding up one finger. "It is to unite these worlds into one."

Rin frowns. "Unite?"

"That's why we invaded Xyz. Eventually, we'll absorb this Standard dimension and the Synchro dimension, and make this world into one. That is what all of Academia's duelists have been trained for. These honourable warriors wouldn't do those kinds of things you speak about."

"Then, is that why you're here?" Yuzu asks, dread starting to form in her stomach. "To invade Maiami?"

"I am not here on anyone's orders!" Serena snaps, looking angry. "I came here on my own free will, in order to defeat the Xyz refugees. The guys here now are likely sent to capture me. But I won't be caught, I'll prove my strength, and show that the Professor was wrong to not send me to the frontlines!"

Ruri grit her teeth. "So you came here, knowing you'd be pursued, and put all these innocent people in danger, for your own selfish desire?" Serena falters but doesn't get a chance to speak as Ruri continues, eyes shadowed by her hair. "I don't care if your goal is noble or not, or even what it means. I just wanted to at least hope that all the suffering you've caused had some reason behind it."

Ruri lifts her head, fuschia eyes almost burning from anger. Yuzu has to keep herself from stepping back at the intensity.

"Are you saying hunting us down, hurting us and turning innocent people who had nothing to do with whatever your goals are justified? Is it okay to cause us so much suffering, so much sadness, just for something you've decided yourself?"

"Why should they have reason to feel sad? Xyz duelists should have pride too. If they fought with all they have and lost their lives in battle, they should just accept the result and be happy-"

"WE DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE!"

Ruri's furious words echo across the frozen wasteland and make everyone freeze. Her hands are shaking with restrained anger. "No one in Heartland wanted to fight in your war! You just stomped all over their happiness, our dreams and lives, and you dare call that honourable?! You dare say we should just accept it?!"

Serena looks taken aback, like she's not sure how to handle the words being thrown in her face, or the eyes of a wartorn and hurt girl piercing into her.

Ruri lifts her arm and activates her duel disk. "If you're going to insist on keeping your rosy, noble view of all this misery, I'll face you! Just like you want!"

Serena jumps, then seem to slot back into a comfortable posture, shaking away anything that wasn't determination and anger from her face. She activates her own duel disk. "Good, come at me!"

"Wai-! You two! Stop it!" Yuzu is about to jump forward, step between them, get them to stop, when a hand grabs ahold hard of her shoulder, holding her back.

"Leave them be," Rin says, voice firm.

Yuzu looks at her in disbelief. "What are you saying, Rin?! Are you saying we should just let them fight? We're not enemies!"

"Really?"

Yuzu pauses at the simple, one-word question. "Huh?"

"Because to me, those two doesn't have the look of people who don't have some baggage."

Yuzu looks over. She takes in the hard grit in Ruri's face, the fury in her eyes and tenseness in her whole body, and the hardness in Serena's posture, her loud voice demanding to be heard and taken seriously, the headstrong and angry look in her eyes.

"No matter how much we hear about or see, we can't know what they've been through," Rin continues, hand slipping off Yuzu's shoulder back to her side now that she wasn't intent on interrupting. "We'll never understand. What right do we have to get between them? We can't put our foot down and say what we think is right here."

Yuzu bites her lip, still conflicted. She kinda understood Rin's words. This wasn't their lane, their place to butt in. But… fighting it out like this felt wrong. It went against everything Yuzu stood for. Dueling wasn't meant to be for things like this.

Rin seems to sense her struggle. "If they go too far, we'll step in. But for now… let's let them battle out their frustrations. We still don't know if Serena can really be our ally or not, but if anyone can make her realise what Academia is doing is wrong… it's Ruri."

Yuzu swallows, but reluctantly nods her head. She wrings her hands and settles to watch the duel.

Rin carefully bumps her shoulder with her own in a silent attempt at comfort. Yuzu takes it wholeheartedly, feeling just a little bit better knowing the other girl cared.


Our eternally linked routes clear our field of vision