An average day turns into something more.
The bell chimed, ending another average day at school. Yumi performed a particularly refreshing stretch before packing her things up, already starting to feel a bit antsy about the impending grade change. "It's club practice today, right?" she asked Suzy and Ami from their nearby seats.
"That's right," Ami replied, closing up her backpack. "The meet's only a week away, so everyone's got to give it their all in practice."
"Do your best," Yumi told them. "It's March 1, so...this is the last one, right?"
"That's right," she said. "Can you come watch the day of?" Suzy asked, all three heading out of the classroom. "That really cool upperclassman I told you about will be there. She's graduating after this."
"I'll try," Yumi said, "but there's a tournament coming up I want to enter, so it's going to be hard to skip out on training."
Suzy nodded. "Yeah, I guess none of us can be slacking off."
"I feel like that's about me," Ami sighed. "It's not like I have to leave early on purpose. It's just-"
"Cosplay, we know," Suzy said. "Are you running laps whenever you do that? I don't get how you keep skipping practice but still beat the rest of us."
"She's just built different," Yumi said, nudging against Ami's arm. As they made their way outside, Yumi began to split off from her friends. "I'm heading out, so I'll see you tomorrow." Saying their goodbyes, Ami and Suzy headed off behind school to where the sports clubs practiced, Yumi leaving the grounds on foot towards the Critical Games building.
Quite the average day indeed. Yumi had returned to traveling to and from school on her own since last week, the paparazzi issues having finally settled down. She wasn't opposed to being driven around like before; in fact, she'd started to enjoy talking with Rio a lot more than she expected. Even so, she just preferred to do things on her own.
If nothing else, walking like this gave her some time to relax. While the hustle and bustle of a busy city wasn't many people's idea of relaxation, there was a kind of comfort to being in the thick of it. She was just another face in the crowd now, and that was a sensation that was becoming unnervingly uncommon these days. The price of fame could be unexpected.
As she continued her absentminded stroll down the sidewalk, Yumi eventually came to a stop. She stood off to the side against the side of some building. For the most part, no one paid any mind to her as she watched them walk by.
Someone was paying attention, though, and that someone managed to sneak up on her and pull the goggles down over her eyes. "What are you standing around here for?" this mysterious stranger (who was neither mysterious nor a stranger) asked.
"Kazuhiko!" Yumi shouted, pedestrians most certainly paying attention to her now as she went to hug her friend.
"Come on, people are staring," he said, patting her on the head.
"But I haven't seen you in so long," she said, refusing to let go.
"We hung out on your birthday last week," he argued, picking her up with one hand.
"It feels longer than that," Yumi said, arms and legs hanging limp as she let herself get carried around. "How'd you find me?"
"I don't know," he said, walking towards a convenience store. "I've got errands to run for my mom, and you were spacing out on the side of the road."
"Oh, right. I'm just heading to training." She paused for a second, adding, "And I was just taking a break on the way. It's fine."
He laughed, still carrying her under his arm. "Just be careful out there. Some weirdo might come along and grab you if you're not paying attention." It was hard to tell if he was trying to make a joke or be sincere.
"I'll be fine," she huffed, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, where are we going?"
"You're supposed to be going to that big building, right?" he said, finally putting her down on her feet. "But I've got to pick up some groceries. Really out of the way store on the other side of the city." He flicked open his comb and ran it through his hair. "Don't know why she said we need a durian, but whatever."
"Those are the ones that are all spiky and smell bad, right?" Yumi asked. "I want to see."
"You've got time for all of that?" He shrugged. "Hideo's going to hunt down a new beetle and said it's a 'solo mission', so I guess I could use the company." Kazuhiko puffed out his chest, adding with a chuckle, "If you can keep up, that is."
"I've been jogging to school every day for a week now," Yumi countered. "I can totally outrun you now."
He scoffed. "I'd prove you wrong, but I don't want to blast into anyone out here."
"Yeah, and I bet you'll say something like that if I challenge you to a duel, too." Feeling the tension in the air at just the suggestion, Yumi shrugged with a mischievous smirk on her face. "I wonder what happened. You used to be ready to take on any challenge. Guess you're not as cool as I thought."
She came to a stop when she heard Kazuhiko stomp his foot. He'd come to a halt a short ways behind her and looked like he was about to lose it.
"Even if it's you…" he said, fists clenched. "I can't accept this!" He picked her up again, tossing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Let's go! We're having a duel right now! You're going to learn to respect your...well, not elder, but...person who's older than you!"
Once again ignoring the pedestrians looking at them funny, Kazuhiko sprinted down the street, Yumi laughing as he did. He was always so easy to wind up, even when he was trying to act responsible. This really was an average day.
They were too far from the park right now to go there, so an alternate venue would be needed. "Hey, if we go to Rio's building, we could probably duel there," Yumi suggested. "It would be like part of my training, too."
"You think?" he asked, already taking a detour down a suspiciously dark alleyway to get there quicker. Immediately, he stopped in his tracks as he realized what he'd done. "Damn, I just ran down a murder alley without even thinking."
"Really, what are you doing?" Yumi questioned, wriggling her way to the ground. "So much for telling me to be careful."
He blew a raspberry and turned to go back the way they came. "Meh, the crime rate's pretty low here, anyway. It's not like anything would actually-" Fate having successfully been tempted, a white van pulled up to block their escape down one end of the alley.
Kazuhiko moved in front of Yumi, coaxing her to start walking down the other side. "I need to stop talking," he said, hyping himself up in case there was need to fight.
"There's no need for violence," came a voice from behind them. "It's futile, anyway. You shouldn't waste your energy on it."
They both turned to see who it was that was talking, Yumi overcoming a moment of disbelief to say, "It's you."
"Good afternoon, Takano Yumi," he said, dark eyes still seeming to stare right through her. "It's been some time since we last talked."
"Who's the old man?" Kazuhiko asked, refusing to drop his guard and keeping one eye over his shoulder at the van.
"Alramech," Yumi whispered.
"Wait, that's…" It took him a second to remember. "That guy who you saw in an alley?" He looked around them. "Okay, yeah, I guess that makes sense."
"Just stay behind me," Yumi told him, taking off her backpack and digging around inside it.
"Not happening," Kazuhiko said defiantly, cracking his knuckles. "Hey, jackass!" he shouted at Alramech. "You some kind of pervert? Stalking kids in alleys isn't cool."
"We're not interested in you," he replied, not bothering to look away from Yumi as he did. She'd now taken out her duel disk, a fact that seemed to amuse Alramech. "That won't be necessary," he assured her. "The last time we spoke, you wanted answers to some questions you had. We're prepared to do that."
Yumi lowered her arm, but only for a moment. "Then tell me where Yuu is," she demanded, readying herself for a duel. For whatever reason, it felt like that was how this would all be decided.
"If you want to know, you have to come with us. It's stuffy here." The van's door slid open as he said this, confirming that they were connected.
"We're not going anywhere," Kazuhiko told him, only for Yumi to place a hand to his arm to quiet him.
"I'll go," she said to her friend's complete shock. "I want the truth if I do."
"We have no intention of lying to you," he said, though that was obviously a suspect statement. He approached Yumi with a smile, Kazuhiko stepping in front of him. This didn't seem to register with him, however, as he continued forward while shoving the boy to the ground without even touching him. "Shall we go?"
"Don't hurt my friend," she said, knuckles turning white as she clenched her fists. "I'm not going without him."
"No way I'm letting someone grab you and take off in a van," Kazuhiko muttered to himself, shaking off whatever daze overtook him a moment earlier.
Alramech was unfazed by all of this, saying, "Let's go, then. We have a schedule to keep and I don't want to waste time like this."
With some reluctance, both teens took the walk down the alley and into the van, Alramech following close behind and shutting the door. Inside, they found a pair of men outfitted in black tactical gear, faces covered by helmets and firearms in holsters at their hips. Never a good sign.
Next to them on a bench attached to the van's wall was someone who looked to be from the military. He was an older man, gray hair covered by an olive-colored cap to match his suit and tie. Across his chest were various medals and cordons that neither of the civilians could properly interpret, plus a pair of golden stars on each of his shoulder straps.
"Children," he grumbled under his breath, thin lips pursing and twisting into a wrinkled frown.
"She's the best candidate," Alramech said, unfazed by the man's obvious annoyance as he stood in the back of the vehicle.
The van lurched to life, Kazuhiko grunting and tensing up in case he had to make a break for it. What, exactly, he planned to do in such a small space against multiple armed men was anyone's guess, but he was determined enough to do it. In the end, though, he and Yumi took a seat on another bench and settled in for the ride.
"Let's get this over with," the military man said, sitting up in his seat. His eyes narrowed at Yumi as he began what was clearly a rehearsed speech. "I'm General Yamada of the JSDF, and we've called you here today to ask for your help."
Yumi blinked. "My help?"
"Don't interrupt me," he said brusquely. "For whatever reason," he continued, sending a glance to Alramech on the second word, "you're one of a select few who can do it. Our research indicates you're a skilled player in the game of Duel Monsters, and we believe you're compatible with a certain piece of technology we have. If you are, then your country is going to need your help to save the world."
There was a long period of silence save for the rumble of the van's engine, finally punctuated by Kazuhiko bursting into laughter. "Hey, was this just some weird joke?" he said, slapping his knee.
"I do not know why you are here," Yamada said, "but I will throw you out of this car, boy." This quieted him rather quickly.
"I don't care about any of that," Yumi told him. "Where is Yuu? Take me to her. It was you people who took her away, right?"
"Who?" Yamada asked, one of the black-clad men beside him leaning over to whisper in his ear. "Oh, that one. Well, we're headed there now. Cooperate and you can...look at that child, I guess."
"Okay, but what is all this?" Kazuhiko finally asked. Knowing they were headed to wherever Yuu was didn't much help in actually explaining what was going on.
Yamada sighed. "Uninvited guest is the only one asking any real questions," he grumbled. "Officially," he began, "we're normal members of Japanese Armed Forces. Unofficially, we're a branch of the military called the Emergency Extraterrestrial Defense Force."
"Extraterrestrial? Like space?" Yumi questioned with an understandable level of confusion.
"I said not to interrupt me," he scolded again, starting up again without a hitch. "That's what we're meant to protect against. You might not know it, but this world is a lot bigger than you think. There's things out there among the stars that don't come in peace, and we're all that stands between them and the planet."
"And this for sure isn't a joke?" Kazuhiko asked, scratching his head.
"What did I say about-" Yamada sighed loudly. "Whatever. You, do that thing."
He was talking to Alramech. "He's telling you the truth, Takano Yumi," he said, stretching out his arm. Opening his palm, it began to glow a light blue, the aura spreading to the rest of his body. The small triangle shapes near his eyes began to multiply across his skin, his eyes turning completely black as they did.
While this seemed like pretty convincing proof that he was at least not human, Alramech continued. The walls of the van began to shake, particles of energy swirling inside his hand. They slowly began to stack on top of each other, forming up larger and larger until a gleaming crystal of that same pale blue hovered in his hand.
As suddenly as it all happened, it ended. Alramech's appearance reverted to what it had been, his hand clasping around the crystal he'd made. "I hope you can believe us," he said calmly.
Yumi needed a good minute for the shock to wear off, her and Kazuhiko paralyzed with fear as all of this was going on. Slowly, she regained her senses, blurting out, "It's been aliens this whole time!"
Reaching for her deck, she immediately pulled out her blank card. "Did you give me this? What is this card?"
Almost as quickly, Alramech shook his hand in front of his face. "No, that's something completely different."
Reeling like she'd just been slapped, Yumi continued to press the issue. "But you know what this is, right? Is it more aliens?" So much of what she'd been wondering for so long was now right in front of her, and she wasn't going to let him dodge the question.
"Chaos," he said, as if that explained anything. "You weren't aware by now?
"Chaos?" She tilted her head, then looked to the blank card itself. "I don't...what do you mean by that?"
"It's Chaos," he said.
"But what does that mean?" she asked again. "Chaos, okay. But that's just, like, something I say when I use it."
"And why do you say it?" This forced Yumi to stop, unsure of how to answer. Why did she say that when Telos or one of its other forms was Summoned? "It's Chaos, spreading from the card into you."
"But what does that mean?" she repeated, quickly getting fed up with his vagueness.
Alramech frowned. "I would have thought you'd have figure at least something out. But it's no matter." He placed his hands together, saying, "Well, Chaos is an elemental force. Growth and change and all of that. It's part of what governs your universe. And what you have there in your hand…" He tapped the card for emphasis. "...is a way to channel it"
Well, that was certainly less vague. And if she really considered it, it wasn't impossible. This card was definitely not normal, and using it did make her feel more...well, chaotic, maybe. Thinking back, even the process of using it for the first time was strange. She could feel it overtaking her when she dueled with Shigeo, then it protected her from...that man, and then it became Telos when she wanted to save Yuu. Was this all Chaos?
That still left her with one question. Well, many if she were being truthful, but one of particular importance. "So, who gave this to me?"
"I don't know," Alramech said quickly. "We've only been watching you since you first used it. We wouldn't have any information on whatever you're talking about."
"Oh." Yumi put the card back with the rest, turning all of this over in her head. If he wasn't connected to this – to Chaos, or whatever – then who was that man from all that time ago? Actually, if Alramech wasn't connected to Chaos, then what was he?
Kazuhiko seemed to be thinking something similar, being the one to ask, "So, what's the rock about?" He was pointing to Alramech's hand, still clutching that crystal he'd created.
For the first time, Alramech looked at him. "Observant," he said, opening his hand again to reveal the pale crystal. "This is a mineral known as reda. It doesn't naturally exist in your universe, so you wouldn't have heard of it before."
He handed it to Yumi, Kazuhiko looking with her. It felt almost smooth against her skin, though rolling it around revealed it was subtly faceted with more sides than could be counted. "It's exceptionally good at absorbing energy," Alramech continued. "That makes it an effective deterrent against people like me."
"Like you?" Yumi asked, looking up from the crystal.
"That's why we're asking for your help," he explained. "There are others like me coming to your universe. More accurately, they're here already. Soon, they'll make their move and begin devouring your reality. To stop that from happening, you and others will need to use that mineral. Unlike carbon-based life, we exist as energy in our natural state, which is why reda is so harmful to us."
"Wait, and you're asking some kids to help you take care of all this?" Kazuhiko piped up.
"That's what I've been saying," Yamada grumbled.
Alramech clarified for him, explaining, "Not exactly. The truth is that reda is inert unless it can resonate with a carbon-based life form. Only certain creatures are able to do that, though. It's uncommon for humans to be capable of this, so we can't afford to be picky if we see one who might meet the criteria."
"You think I can use it," Yumi concluded, rolling the cool mineral between her fingers.
"Well, you passed the first test," he said, pointing to the crystal. "You haven't died yet, so that's a good sign."
She dropped it against the van floor with a yelp, recoiling away.
"Don't screw with us!" Kazuhiko shouted, getting ready to stand up.
"That was a joke," Alramech said, entirely straight faced. "To lighten the mood." The mood decidedly unlightened, he continued to explain. "Most of the time, humans won't be able to do more than touch it. Even if they wanted to, they wouldn't be able to activate it against someone like me."
"What decides if someone can use it?" Yumi asked, still upset about his alleged joke.
"We're unsure," Alramech admitted. "So far, we've found that people with a high aptitude for your little card game are a good match. Some of them even find it improves how they play. For you, it's because of your association with Chaos."
There it was. "If you were wondering," Alramech added, "Chaos is equally hard to use. Currently, we lack anyone else who might be able to use that card." At least that ruled out the possibility they were planning to rob her.
Kazuhiko crossed his arms. "Okay, but forget all of that right now. Why do you need Duel Monsters to fight aliens? Can't you just blast them?" He turned to Yamada. "You guys have the United States' phone number, right? Ask to borrow some missiles and be done with it."
"You think playing games with them was our first option?" he asked. This was clearly something he'd had to explain more times than he could count by now. "There's not a bomb in the entire world that can scratch them."
"To put it simply, none of you can harm us," Alramech said. "If we wanted, we could erase everything in your universe in an instant. The truth is, though, we've become bored. Destroying things like you isn't for entertainment; it's for us to feed, to sustain ourselves."
"We're just food to you?" Kazuhiko spat.
"Yes," Alramech replied immediately. "But after so long, we grew bored. Existing to eat isn't a way to live, and we've exhausted most of what could be entertainment at this point. That's why, long ago, we decided to find representatives from universes before we consume them. Give them a chance to fight back on even footing."
He smiled. "And that's why Duel Monsters is involved. It's always been one of the more fun options people have used to resist. I was excited when I saw that your society had developed it, and even more when I saw how powerful some of you were. I'd like to believe you really have a chance this time."
"Which means that no one else has ever won," Yumi said, realizing immediately what he meant by all of that.
"Correct," Alramech told her. "Don't be too discouraged, though. Other creatures have won on the smaller scale before. Including myself, there's only seven of us left." He paused for a moment. "Then again, I don't want to give you the wrong idea. Some of them did defeat a few of my kind, but most of the others died of...hmm, starvation would be the best equivalent."
"Good to know," Kazuhiko sighed. "So we're in this whether we want to be or not."
"The girl is," Yamada said. "I still don't know why you're here."
"I'm here so no creeps do anything to her in a van," he snapped.
Yumi looked up at him. "It's fine," she said, then looked to Alramech. "So you need me to fight the people like you?" she asked.
"That's correct," he nodded. "To give your world the best chance of survival, it would be wise to go along with this. Only so many of you can use reda, and if my suspicions are true, you're one of them."
"Then I'll do it," Yumi said bluntly. "But you need to agree to something first."
"We're not here to negotiate," Yamada said. "You either answer the call or you don't."
Yumi narrowed her eyes at him, responding in a way that surprised even herself. "The way I see it, you need me more than you want to say." All attention in the van turned to her. "Right?" she said, hands clasping around the hem of her skirt to keep from trembling. "You're asking a kid in middle school to help you go to war. You wouldn't do that unless you're desperate."
"You think you have any leverage here?" Yamada said, nostrils flaring. "We don't need some little brat to save the world."
"Then use your soldiers," she said, shrugging off Kazuhiko's attempt at calming her down. "You've got tons of people who can use those crystals now, right? Use them and leave us alone." She really was shaking now, though less from fear and more from anger.
Yamada tried to counter this, saying "You listen-"
"If you don't need us, then let us leave!" she shouted, the general falling silent at the outburst. Taking a deep breath, Yumi wrung her hands together to try and calm herself. "Let Yuu go," she said, lowering her tone. "Let her go. I'll join in her place."
Kazuhiko put a hand on her shoulder. "Miss Yumi, you can't-"
"This is what you were going to use her for, right," she continued. "I beat her once, so that means I'm stronger. She isn't meant to fight like this, so let her go and take me. If you do, I'll join."
Another tense silence, Yamada seething in his seat. Alramech, on the other hand, seemed delighted by this. "Well, that was fun," he said. "I think that's agreeable."
"You can't just go making decisions for me!" Yamada barked, though he quickly recanted when Alramech actually turned to look at him. With a grunt, he reluctantly reversed his decision. "Fine, if that's what it takes. We didn't need the failed project, anyway."
Before Yumi had the chance to tell him off for referring to Yuu like that, Alramech took a step forward. His face looked to be one of genuine concern, which didn't really seem possible up until now. "He's here," was all he said, the van coming to a screeching halt a moment later.
All but the alien lurched forward during the stop. "What the hell is your problem?" Yamada hollered, banging on a dividing wall between the back of the van and the driver's cab. No sooner had he said that did all the doors on the van fly open.
"No one invited me to the party," a voice said, Yumi's blood running cold at just the sound. "Alramech, you know you're not supposed to poach my choice. That's not very sporting."
"Find out what that is," Yamada ordered his men, both standing and drawing their weapons.
"Ignore that," Alramech told them. "You can't do anything. Not to him." He looked to Yumi as he said the last bit, the girl already understanding what she'd need to do.
"Do you take orders from him, or me?" Yamada asked them, the two foolishly deciding to obey his commands and head outside. In seconds, the van's occupants heard the two of them scream, then silence.
Alramech stepped out of the vehicle, walking out of view of those inside. "And you should know you're not allowed to harm any of them until the game starts."
"I can if it's in self-defense," the voice argued, putting on a show of being upset. "They were drawing their guns on me. It was a terrifying experience."
"Who is that?" Kazuhiko asked Yumi, sensing that she might have an idea.
"It's him," was all she said, voice quivering. In spite of her fear, she got to her feet and headed out, all the while knowing what was about to go down. Duel disk at the ready, she walked up behind Alramech, trying her hardest to appear strong.
He was no longer inside her head. Now he was real, standing there in the street in front of her. As soon as she came into view, a wide smiled spread across his face.
Tilting his head back, Izar spread his arms wide like he was gesturing for a hug. "Hello again, Takano Yumi. It's been a while."
I've been waiting for this one for a while. One of the reasons I started on this story was because I had some funny justifications for why a bunch of children who play card games are always the ones who have to go kill God, so here we go.
A whole lot of exposition in this one. Hopefully it's given some answers to a lot of questions you cared about. If not, this was probably a slog to get through. Next one has a pretty fun duel, though, so you can look forward to that.
With this, we're officially at the point of no return. By my count, we're about 30 or so chapters to the end, and only a few away from the start of the final arc. It's been a long road.
That's about all I have for now. Thanks for reading. Share if you're enjoying. Always remember to clean the lint out of your dryer after each use.