Disclaimer: Yugi-Oh GX does not belong to me nor its characters or rights over the story.
Warn: This story may have heavy and uncomfortable themes/situations like use of drugs, violence, suicide, abuse, sexual harassment, intimate relations, rape, depression, trauma and bad language. If you do not like such, Do not read this.
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Chapter 29: Fissure
Edo stands quietly under the new moon's light. In front of him, Rie is already with the questions noted for her interview, as he promised he would answer.
"First, why did you come here? Were you called?"
"No, I wasn't called here, I was merely informed about it by the principal and decided to come on my own. I postponed many of my appointments to be here."
His gaze distances itself from her as he reminisces about the events that occurred not long ago during the Genex times. In fact, he pondered whether the light of destruction was again behind it and feared the worst, his heart still constricted and anxious for the results of what could possibly make a whole academy and all its students disappear in a minute.
"Do you know what could have caused this?"
He flinches at the question, dragged back to reality by the message on the screen. His gaze rushes to the side, a drop of sweat rolling down, his arms crossing with some disappointment.
"Unfortunately not. Isn't that why some specialists are investigating the matter?"
"Were you close with someone from the academy? Friends, acquaintances?"
"I owe one to a certain person whose name I won't disclose, but that is all. I wouldn't call any of those students my friends." It looked more as if he was trying to convince himself on that last part.
"Do you think they will come back?"
The last question comes after a pause, he gapes for a moment, although she was making an interview, it seemed more than personal to her hearing an answer to that.
"I don't know… But we will try everything we can."
"This is all. Thank you for your time."
Her eyes were trailing off somewhere during that last question, was she that worried about them? Not that he wasn't concerned too, but he'd never admit that out loud.
"Now, it's your turn to answer. How do you know Judai and the others? And how much?"
"I was a third year here when they started their first year. They helped me a lot back then… We're friends."
"Do you know something about the society of light? Do you think it could be connected to those events that are happening now?" He let on more anxiety than he'd like when asking her that.
"I was here for work when that strange cult was running around the school, but I was asked by the principal to not reveal it, though it shouldn't be a problem telling you that since you are one of the main people involved in it..." His brows twitch as those last words. "I don't think the society of light and this event are related, at least, they don't seem to connect besides the fact they were both supernatural… I've heard the strange rumors about a teacher forcing students to duel, though and all the students were apparently fainting, but since the principal was away, nothing was done in time and this happened."
"Forcing students to duel, huh… There is definitely something iffy about it… Regardless, It seems you are informed, but do you know something else other than that?"
She opens her mouth, but closes it shut right after, shaking her head off in dismay, he sighs deeply. As he expected, it's not like a random reporter would know more than what he did. Not less disappointing to confirm his suspicions.
"Quick! Principal said doctor Zweinstein found out how to do it!"
They both are startled to hear the frantic voices of some men darting towards the main camp. The two youngsters exchange a worried and anxious glance before following behind those men, Samejima talks to the aforementioned doctor, they see his stern, concerned and hopeful gaze as he nods firmly to the man.
"Principal, did you find out… Do you know what happened to them and how to bring them back?!"
Edo advances with a reluctant tone on his voice, catching the attention of the other men in the van, the doctor included.
"Yes! The doctor said a huge amount of energy sent them to another world, and the same amount will be necessary to bring them back... Also, there is a very important piece: the Rainbow dragon, an ancient beast whose stone tablet was only found recently by chairman Pegasus and the final card to complete the gem beasts deck. He will come by tomorrow and we will go to the place where the stone is."
"You can't mean… Johan's…?"
"Yes! We need to make a huge amount of energy flow through a duel, on both sides, for that we need an extremely powerful clash of duelists and the Rainbow Dragon. Chairman Pegasus already started going towards the Rainbow Dragon stone, and I already requested the duelist that will confront Johan, someone that yearns for victory more than anything else, with a tremendous power, a fearsome man..."
"Don't tell me..."
Edo's eyes open slightly, already having in mind who he's talking about, a voice disrupts their dialogue and a commotion at the entrance of the camp along with the loud noise of a helicopter while people run away to free space to its illegal landing zone.
"You can't land here! The heli-"
The vehicle descends without further warning and lands exactly there on the spot, people look at it in shock as the door of the chopper opens and a figure clad in dark jumps off, Hell Kaiser in person. They can see the pilot behind him, sweating aplenty with a scared expression.
"Y-You can't just land like that!" One of the men braves, putting a hand to the intruder's chest.
"Move out of the way!" He slams away the hand of that man.
Edo and Rie are too astounded to move, Samejima acts quickly and calms down the men to control the exasperation swelling in the air, while explaining it was an urgent matter, Ryo exchange as few words with the master, his gaze is uninterested, but it flashes to the place where the other pro duelist is, a flinch when he sights Rie standing there too.
He averts his eyes to the master again and they talk inaudible words from afar, Samejima points at the structure they have been building for the last past few days and he nods, then a frightened adjutant comes to guide Ryo to a tent they set up for him, he walks past Rie without a word, she follows him with eyes.
"I can't believe this guy..." Edo snorts, crossing his arms "Though, I can't complain if he does the job. But why would he come here? I suppose, even a man like him has memories and people to cherish in the place he studied once, huh…?"
He blinks after a long silence, noticing he might have been spilling his thoughts a bit too out loud, casting a glance to the side curiously at the girl who is still petrified in the same expression, looking at the back of the Kaiser who talks to his master, getting briefed on the situation.
"I should be more careful with my words, weren't those two together?" He scolds himself mentally.
It's way past nightfall, they still couldn't contact the students, nonetheless they keep making efforts. Edo leans his back against the metallic wall of the car, his eyes fixated on the screen the doctor and assistants monitor endlessly.
A heavy sigh, just a peek outside and he can see the tension constructing a wall around the camp, soldiers carrying things from here to there and finishing the building of what looked like a giant holographic contraption.
"Edo, you should have some shut eye too. Don't overdo yourself." He's surprised when Samejima taps his shoulder once.
"You may say that, but did you take a moment to rest yourself, director?"
"I can't stand still while my students are still out there. Though, I will try to get some rest before tomorrow. If anything happens, they will wake me up and tell me."
"I will follow your advice then, but be aware I also want to be informed if anything new happens."
He beckons shortly, a hint of gratitude and concern in his tone as he walks, on his way to the private tent he set up for his own stay, he catches a glimpse of a certain pink-haired girl and Hell Kaiser.
That arrogant posture of crossed arms and an inexpressive gaze, almost almighty in front of the gentle looking reporter made it look as if he was bullying her. The two leave discreetly towards the forest grounds after she shows a message.
A raised brow, is all the secrecy really needed? Not his concern, he shouldn't be nosy. Shrugging off, he continues to his tent.
Ryo stops by the cliff with Rie beside him, they watch the ocean, the waves crashing onto the rocks, breaking their silence. His gaze is lost in the dark shades of blue coloring the horizon, she reluctantly pulls the hem of his sleeve, he uncrosses his arms, a mild surprise written all over his face.
"Do you think they are fine…? Your brother, Asuka, Fubuki-san and everyone, I mean…"
His blank stare remains on her saddened eyes, a second longer than he intended to, the stern traits on his semblance indicating he might be as worried as her inwardly.
"I don't know. I came here to duel a strong opponent, if that will help, I will gladly do it."
"How can you say that? You can't be serious that dueling is all you can think about now!" Her angry typing clacks in the air, inciting a faint, guilty smile on his lips.
"I can't do much other than dueling, Rie. Plus, someone told me I should make up for my mistakes. Like I said, if that will help, I will gladly do it."
She reminisces the talk they had after Genex and how they almost broke apart because of his seemingly urge to hurt people and not care for them. Has he changed a bit since then? Perhaps the fact he's here means more than others interpreted, but she knows him, she believed and trusted him, that his change was for the best too.
While lost in that maze of thoughts, he encloses her in an embrace, his arms revolving around her figure in a warm and caring touch as he caresses her hair in an attempt of comforting her feelings, she closes her eyes, letting those feelings sift through her skin.
"I didn't expect I'd see you so soon, but I'm also happy we happened to meet. Doesn't this place bring you some memories?"
His eyes drift to the ocean again, hers too, the nostalgic scenes of the times they have been here and how they naively talked back then, to think they'd come back so long later after developing their relationship so much too.
She rests her forehead on his chest, snuggling it there to feel his warmth, her hands creases his coat, her lips shutting sealed, her bangs cover her eyes, he can't see how much they waver. One of her hands takes her device, hovering her fingers over the keys, unwilling to type a message, until she musters the courage to.
"After this is over. I have something to tell you."
"Can't you just tell me now?"
His voice is vague, trying not to admit it awakened his curiosity, his hand slides from the top of her head to her cheek, caressing it gently. She denies it, taking the chance to rub off her cheeks on his lukewarm chest, his grip around her increases as a response to the gesture.
"What will you do about moving to my apartment?" Instead of answering, she keeps her silence, her hands slithering on his back softly. "I suppose it's not the best time to be asking that either. Fine, we can discuss it once this whole mess is over." He plants a peck on her head, startling her, her eyes immediately rising to meet his. "Where will you stay? I don't think you have your own lodge…"
"I came with a team, so we have our team's sleeping tent…" She replies shyly, her brows furrowing up. "I have been doing nothing but running around to question people about what happened and this is the first night…"
"You should take a break. But are you fine with that? Not having a personal tent, I mean?"
"I'm here for work, it's not time to worry about those matters, everyone is on their edge, I can't be demanding privileges now. What happened is years in the past, you don't need to worry about me, worry about yourself first."
The last sentence came accompanied of a grim, gloomy shade on her expression, her head lowering slightly, he interrupts her depression, his steps crackle some rocks as he walks:
"Let's go back to the camp, it's late. You must be tired."
Nodding faintly she follows behind him, they stop by the single person tent mounted to accommodate him, a bit large for just one person, but given his situation, he was not only a celebrity but one of the most important pieces to make everything work.
"This is where we part ways." He blurts out, crossing his arms. "You should go in, I'll find somewhere else to sleep."
She gasps denying it with her head, he huffs as an answer, almost in a scolding tone, retorting to her.
"It's not a problem, not like people will complain to me that I'm letting you take it and I don't see other girls around the camp. Besides, I'm not sleeping in there with you, you know? Even though I'd love to." A flirtatious grin plays on his lips, she blushes at his unnecessary comment.
They both turn around, slightly startled after hearing the gradually louder crackling sounds of grains under someone's feet. Principal Samejima greets them with a smile.
"Rie-kun, Ryo, you both should get some sleep too, it was a long day."
"Right. We were talking just about that. Rie will be staying in this tent from now on." He declares before she has time to protest, she still gestures frantically denying.
"Hm, well, if he doesn't mind, why not? I'm sure you'll feel more comfortable to have your personal space, Rie-kun. He can sleep with the others in the main tent, there are still vacant beds there."
He taps her shoulder ensuring it is a good idea with a smile, she sighs heavily looking at Ryo that just casts a side glance at her, his lips shut in a line making it hard to find out what he's thinking about.
She bows, giving her good nights. They make their way to the main lodging slowly, Samejima casts a side glance, a curious and somewhat appreciative smile.
"I'm surprised you would willingly forsake your private space for others. I thought the Hell Kaiser only knows how to take, but not how to give."
"Why? Weren't you here to do the same and propose to her to give a tent so she can feel more comfortable?" His tone gives off an inexpressive vibe.
"Oh." His smile enlarges. "So you knew that? Even so you still gave up your place? And here I thought fame had gone up your head, but no man would forget about a girl whose life they saved, right?"
There is a slight teasing and insinuation on the principal's tone, his reply to that is a short sneer and a curve forms on his lips as he casts a brief glance to the man, averting his eyes to the way in front.
"You've had each other's back ever since school times. You two almost got expelled back, but she helped you... Then, during Genex mysterious files appear out of nowhere in my office, regarding the case of a certain someone… Plus, the ex-students accused in those files were badly hurt with uncommon methods, they didn't even want to hear about dueling after that, of course, they were expelled… I suppose that was your doing too..."
He casts a glance at the indifferent disciple, Ryo simply curves his lips up a bit sourly, unwilling to answer the question with honesty, the reminder of those duels he forced on those boys is something he'd rather bury in the past.
"Does it matter who did it? Her case was fully solved. Isn't that good?"
"True. I thought you'd be fully renewed by your new philosophy, but I guess some things don't change… huh? It seems you didn't fully forget how to protect what you care for and the ones you love..." He looks up to the sky filled with nostalgia. "I'm surprised you came here after I called, I thought you'd not be interested in this old duel academy."
"If there is a strong opponent, I'd go anywhere, even to hell, it's that simple." He scoffs.
"I see..." He chuckles, relieved to see his disciple seems to be different from the last time they met. "I'm glad you came… Also it's good to see you're back, Ryo."
"It's good to see you too, master Samejima."
He gestures nonchalantly with a hand, informal even, walking into the main tent set up for all the personnel working there. Samejima's eyes narrow slightly, a feeling of peace growing inside his heart. He doesn't know what has happened ever since they met, but he's happy to see part of the old Ryo there.
His smile disappears when he reminds of the reason they reunited there, a look at the hold in the middle of the island to know how dire the situation is, he prays for the safety of the students.
That night, all of them have conflicted and torn thoughts: Edo drinks a bottle of oolong tea, meditating on unknown matters, sitting in front of his tent, unable to sleep; Samejima watches over the display of the computer doctor Zweinstein uses to monitor their progress and latest developments; the Hell Kaiser stands outside, looking up at the sky in a standoff posture, his gaze lost in the stars; Rie checks her messages, her lips curving down at the display, more of her stepmother's insensible texts:
"It's not too late to come back to your family yet, we will find a way to reach an agreement with you and whatever you wish if you are willing to cooperate with us, as long as you forget all about your night adventures and your little feud with your father."
The night wears them out, not giving its rest, not allowing their hearts to settle, that pressure accumulating. As soon as morning comes, a beep alerts everyone around, Samejima's sleeping bubble bursts, his eyes opening in a flinch.
The screen displays a failed image, like a TV with bad signal, the buzzing suddenly gives place to a voice:
"Doctor Zweinstein, is that you?"
Misawa's face is so close, they can only see his mouth, he backs off a bit, showing half of his face while Judai, Johan and some others appear on the side. They can see Edo, Samejima, Doctor Zweinstein faces watching them anxiously.
"We finally managed to contact you! Doctor! I believe we are in another dimension! Your theory was right! You were right! But we have problems, this place is dangerous, the duel monsters here are real! And some students have been acting strange, as if they are being manipulated, they only think about dueling! We need help!"
"Misawa-kun, we are already making all the preparations, but for that we will need Johan Andersen's help."
"Me?" He points at himself, showing his face a bit more on the screen, a confused expression.
"Yes! Your gem beasts are the key to open the portal that will bring you all back! We need an insane amount of energy to flow from both sides, and we calculated the only way to make it happen is if you summon the rainbow dragon!"
"But… That card was not made yet… I don't have it!"
"Don't worry!" Samejima interferes, coming closer "Chairman Pegasus found it, he will make the card and send it to you, all you need to do is go to the main building of the school and start the holographic system installed there, once you use your gem beasts, the duel will create enough energy to open the gate!"
"Right! We will go there immediately, then! Can you guide us from where you are?"
"We will! Just proceed to the tennis court, where the advanced holographic system was installed and get it started!"
The kids on the other end nod firmly and stop the communications briefly, rushing to the main building, avoiding the zombie duelists as much as possible. Meanwhile, Pegasus' helicopter arrives, he only stops for a brief interval, Samejima enters the vehicle and flies away with him to the ancient tablet containing the Rainbow Dragon.
Edo crosses his arms, tapping his finger nervously, awaiting for more news. Rie clench her hands together, her brows furrowing, they are alive, but even through the screen she could tell how worn out they looked, for how long will they still be there?
When Pegasus arrives at the site, both him and Samejima are surprised with the presence of an unknown woman: Echo. She threatens to explode the tablet in order to make sure everyone transported to the other world will never come back, including her beloved Amon, dreaming he will be able to become an influential king there.
With efforts, they manage to subdue her before she has the chance to activate the bombs she planted, with her taken into custody, the creator of Duel Monsters resumes his plans and starts drafting the Rainbow dragon, will he complete it in time?
The tension compresses their hearts to the maximum as they fight to survive and work towards a brighter outcome in which everyone can get back home safely.
Next morning,
Eri Marufuji hums a catchy and cheerful TV commercial song while going towards the entrance of the traditional styled Japanese house along with her husband. He stops by the car opening the door to start the engines and drive to work. The woman beckons quickly and opens the mailbox to check on the latest mails, taking a curiously thick envelope and entering the house.
Analyzing it from all angles to see who it was sent to, a tilt on her head, there is no sender name or any sort of information. Who put it there? Shrugging her shoulders, she opens it with a small knife. As soon as she raises the envelope, a bunch of pictures drop to the ground, face down.
Her brows arch in worry, the oddest feeling of airiness clinging to her bosom, when she flips the picture face up, a panicked scream is let out, it pierces through her lungs and the reaches the ears of the husband outside, without a single moment of delay, he drops his briefcase and everything else and darts into the house, a concerned expression as he sees the scared wife.
"Ryuu..." She whines, handing the picture to him.
His eyes blink unwittingly after taking a look, it's a picture of Ryo, his very son, an aloof gaze to the side inconspicuously while he was pictured. His eyebrows come together, the wife walks with him to the package she threw on the table, they exchange a tense glance before he takes it aggressively, shaking its contents out, pictures spreading it all over the surface.
"Who sent this?"
"I don't know, but it has Ryo's picture! Why would someone…? I mean, he's on TV and all, but… You think it's a threat?"
His hands rashly separates the pictures, his eyes opening in shock, his wife also takes a look at all that: Ryo smiling faintly, his hand caressing the face of a pink-haired girl that seemed about his age, she's smiling back at him; Ryo walking out of a building with that same girl beside him as they look at each other warmly; Another picture of them walking together while he holds her hand; and a picture of them both kissing in plain daylight.
The mother gulps, in all of the pictures the girl was using different clothes too, for how long has he been meeting with her? Why did he never say anything? Why did someone send pictures who obviously were taken without their consent and what are their intentions? Her thoughts run wild, her face sweating uncontrollably and her heart racing, what is happening in her son's life now?
"I can't believe it! Ryo has a girlfriend?! And she is such a pretty girl too… Hm… Why do I have the impression I've seen her somewhere before…? Why do you think he didn't tell us anything?" She's struck with awe for a moment, staring at Rie's pictures and inspecting it.
"It doesn't matter now, those pictures were taken without their authorization, this doesn't bode well." He cuts off his wife's tendencies to be lost in her own world and neglect all the rest.
The last pictures they bother to check, a bundle of them together: A picture of Rie sitting over Ryo's lap, her legs around his waist, while dressing only set of blue lingerie dress, basically straddling on his lap, and their half-dressed bare-chested son kissing lustfully that girl in a more than improper posture, one of his hands boldly grabbing her butt in a very erotic way while her arms wrap around his neck; the next picture is like a continuation of that scene with him kissing her neck; the following is the pink-haired biting his neck this time, his head thrown back in enjoyment.
Eri gasps in shock, dropping the images immediately, covering her mouth with both hands, she'd seen enough and doesn't need to check the continuation. Even the usually cold father gapes at the sight, his brows rising, stupefied, that was not even the last picture of that genre mixed in the bunch. Who was that woman and why was their son having such an intimate exchange with her?
"Who is this girl and why are she and Ryo…? I-I don't even want to think about it." She shakes her head off. "I know he's almost twenty, but… I can't believe it! He wasn't even interested in any girls in the slightest school when I asked in the graduation ceremony! He was all 'dueling this and that'... I was even worried about his future! But this is… This is someone's daughter! How can Ryo just… I didn't teach him to be like this!"
"Yes, and this 'someone's daughter' seems more than happy to be with him. They're young adults, what did you expect, Eri?!"
A very deep and angered huff comes out of Ryuu's lips in consonance with the wife's agitation. He takes the envelope looking at it impatiently, scowling at it, then spreads more pictures, they are all similarly incriminating, some with Ryo alone coming out of Kaiba dome; from another angle, Ryo coming out of a complex of apartments; Other pictures feature only Rie coming out of some sort of office building in formal wear; and Rie coming out of a hospital. They're never looking at the lenses of the camera.
It's obvious their son was going out with her for a while, but what's the point of showing them that? It's not like knowing their son is having a hedonistic approach to life will change anything for them besides the disappointment in his carelessness of engaging into such indiscretions with someone he isn't married to and that his parents never heard about which earns him a big scolding and a long discussion about responsibility at most.
His hand slides and touches a different type of paper, a note, he takes it, looking on both sides but only the verse has something printed on it:
"Hello dear Mr. and Ms. Marufuji, I'd like to reveal a secret about your dear son and warn you of what has been happening under your noses. As you might have seen from the pictures I sent, your kid has been quite busy.
If I were you, I'd tell the so-called Hell Kaiser he should mind his own business and stop seeing the only heir and daughter of the Kinomoto company owner, it will be better for both their futures. Her father won't be very pleased if you disagree. If your son doesn't heed my warning, something bad might happen.
Rie Kinomoto is a viper who is just using your son for her own benefit, she's using your family to rebel against hers, out of spite for her family because she knows you are their enemies. She's spitting in their faces what she can do to ruin her family's reputation and yours, I'd beware her, she will discard your son as soon as she's done with her agenda.
Do you love your son? Do you care for his well-being? You should persuade him to discontinue this relationship before it's too late. Nothing will come from their vain affair. It is imperative that both families take measures, and that you teach your son well to stay away from the Kinomoto family or he might not have a career as a duelist or a life for that matter."
Who does the sender think they are using those semi-sympathetic words to convince them they mind whatever happens in their family? The shock comes with the mention of the Kinomoto family heir. So that girl was...
"Eri, where did you find it?!" He demands an answer, she'd not seen the husband this upset in a long while.
"I-It was just standing there in our mailbox… But who…? Who would send this? Why?"
"I don't know. Our company has many enemies… But Ryo and the daughter of Kinomoto… What is he thinking?!" He puts a hand to his overheated forehead, closing his eyes, exhaling soundly in exasperation. "As if the rumors about his dueling weren't bad enough already. And all the letters sent to the company to defame him as a threat."
"Rumors? Which rumors? And which letters?" Her eyes twinkle in consternation.
"Bad. Underground dueling, hurting people for fun, trouncing on them for the sake of it, getting involved with shady and dubious people, the illegal side of duels. The letters are not important now, just forget it, Eri. Now he is… The daughter of that old fox Kinomoto, really?"
"Aren't the Kinomoto like your sworn enemies? Weren't they those cocky people who pestered you to sell the whole company to them once? And after you refused they kept harassing our workers and pulling all sorts of dirty tricks!" She blurts out irritated, but those emotions melt into worry again "Do you think they did it? But why? Because of their daughter? Are they angry at us because Ryo is...? Because he's…? I don't even want to say it."
Her eyes flicker fiercely, tears forming on them, she swiftly grabs her phone and tries to make a call. The man waits for the results, supporting his arms on the table with a disapproving shake of his head looking at those pictures.
"There's no answer..." She gulps, looking at the partner, lost in what to do. "It says he's out of range or that his phone is turned off..."
"Have you been talking to him recently? Did he tell you anything?" He doesn't dare to look at the wife, taking a deep breath to remain calm, adjusting his glasses.
"I talked to him just yesterday… Now that I think about it, he did say he had something to tell us…"
"Something? What?"
"I don't know, he just said he'd tell us soon and he wanted to talk to both of us, so it's important, but he didn't say anything else! He told me I'd be happy, so I guess, maybe it was related to this… Girlfriend of his, if I can say they're just that. He could've said more…"
"Have him explain himself better next time."
"Ugh! He's so gonna listen when I get him!" She snaps for a second before continuing: "He hasn't answered the other times I called, I was even surprised he picked it up yesterday, he really hasn't answered his phone much when I called ever since he became famous. He ignored my calls during his birthday… We just had small talk, but everything seemed fine… I thought he was just busy, I don't know! He was never the most talkative of our kids! You think he was ignoring me because of this girlfriend of his? You think she wants him to ignore his family or something? For some reason not even Shou is answering for those past days… These two are just…"
Her eyes squint, teardrops accumulating on the corners as her shoulders shrink, she covers her face, a faint crying coming out. Ryuu comes close, casting a pitied glance at the wife, landing a hand on her shoulder and stroking it to comfort her, she looks at him expectantly.
"What is happening to our sons?"
"I don't know. You try to contact Ryo and Shou again later, I will find out who exactly is trying to play around with our family."
Letting go of the hand on her shoulder, his frown accentuates as he takes his own phone out of his pocket and makes a hurried call.
"Yes. It's me. I want you to cancel all my appointments today, an urgent matter came up and I need to tend to it first." He presses his temples with two fingers, raising a bit his glasses in the process. "No! I don't care if it's an important partner! Tell them they will need to wait if they want this contract! I can't afford to be stuck at work now."
The person on the other side of the line stops the complaints upon hearing the unusual furious tone of the boss. After he finishes that call, he proceeds to make another one, to different number:
"Yes, it's me again, I need your services. We should talk in person… It's related to the case with the letters, I believe… Yes, meet me at..."
Eri watches bemusedly while the husband makes calls to other people, the tension in the house growing thicker, it is hard to relax or breathe there. He wraps up his calls and turns around to look at the wife:
"I will have someone investigate this and they will get to the bottom of it, maybe you should contact other people that knew Ryo too, just in case. I'm taking those pictures to the detective..." He grabs them promptly, thrusting them all back into the envelope. "Stay inside and don't open the door to anyone, check if any other suspicious person will approach. Call me if anything else arrives in the mail or if some suspicious person comes by."
She nods, lacking confidence to affirm everything will be fine, watching as he leaves the house in a hurry to meet with the said detective, what in the world is happening to their family?
Back to the island,
The group of students arrive at the tennis court as ordered by their contacts, some zombies threaten the peace at the entrance, O'Brien and Jim try to fend them off, while Misawa sets up the machine with the help of Rei and Napoleon.
When the holographic system is started, the ceiling opens slightly, they can see the outside sky, a projection is propelled by the energy flowing through the device, forming an unstable giant screen.
They can see part of the hole left by the vanishing of the academy facility, a metallic bridge erected on the edge of the hole and some sort of military camp.
"We're linked up!" Misawa announces through a microphone, the image switches to Doctor Zweinstein. "We have Johan in our end. I assume you have Edo in yours?" He makes a guess based on the fact he'd seen the pro duelist on the side when they communicated earlier.
The doctor simply makes a gesture with his head and walks to the side, giving space for Edo himself to come, the boy has a serious frown.
"I wouldn't mind doing it, but to bring out the amount of energy almost instantly, we will need more than just fighting spirit." His voice is calm, but he seems bothered while explaining the next part: "We need an insatiable desire for victory that can overwhelm any opponent. A fitting duelist was arranged on our end."
Their eyes narrow in suspicion, before they can question more, Edo presses a button and switches the vision of their screen again, to the dueling platform outside the camp, the person waiting there is none other than the Hell Kaiser.
"Ryo!" Asuka gasps.
At the camp, Edo walks outside the van he had just been to talk to the students, looking at the man in black standing at the dueling platform. Rie also watches that back as he prepares to duel, an afflicted gaze.
"Synchronize the system!"
The metallic pillars around the Kaiser shine with the electricity while it synchronizes that device with the one on the other world, on the far end of the bridge where he stands, there's a spherical screen displaying an unstable image of Johan, a grin playing on his lips, followed by a scoff.
Inside the van the preparations are finally complete, Zweinstein and his assistants give the final touches. After a long moment of a dense silence in a staring contest, both Johan and Ryo activate their duel disks, initiating the duel.
Edo watches carefully, they have a score of 1-1 for win and loss, but how strong is Johan? Can he beat Ryo?
A smile plays on Rie's lips, she places a hand to her chest, the way he was dueling now was so different from what she had seen before, as the cold Hell Kaiser. His dueling was unbridled, but strong, it had a purpose and it was beyond his obsession with victory.
On the other dimension, as the monsters are summoned, the students can see the sky covered in dark clouds. The equipment almost has a critical failure with the burst of energy shot from Kaiser's monsters. They look at it with dread, an ominous air swirling the dark clouds.
Johan proceeds by filling his field with gem beasts, as for Ryo, it's the turn for his Cyber End to arise: as soon as the monster starts materializing, the lamps blink and fail on the trailer, the equipment is in disarray on the other side too, visible electric currents coming out of it as if it's going to explode.
The Hell Kaiser's field is also full of powerful monsters, standing behind him threateningly, but for some reason, the sight looks enthralling, none of the spectators can take their eyes off that duel.
Rie's eyes flicker at the sight of the magnificent Cyber End, boosting its ATK to 5600. Ever since he became Hell Kaiser she thought he abandoned that monster, that he forgot about it because he simply used it as sacrifice and as a fodder to his Cyberdark in most duels she watched.
Her heart fluttered a bit upon the sight of Ryo's back, his dueling was still as aggressive as before, but somehow his proud back had a bit more of the old Ryo she used to know. A serene curve on her lips, everyone else must have been watching the duel, but she was watching only him.
Even without seeing his expression, she can tell that he's having fun, unlike the delight in seeing others or himself suffering, something more pure and genuine that he had before and she thought he had lost. Her eyes tear up with the prospect he might be finding a better balance for himself.
Edo hears her almost imperceptible sniff as she wipes her tears away, while watching the duel. His brows raise in bemusement. Was she crying because she found the duel beautiful or… His eyes stop at the dark back of the Kaiser Ryo.
"This is some love, allright." He sneers mentally, shaking his head off.
A smirk of excitement crawls to Ryo's face, he's enjoying the duel, a dry chuckle, this is just what he had been looking for, for a long time, a duel with a worthy opponent.
"Bear it all! Eternal Evolution Burst!"
He declares, throwing his hand into the air, it's been some time since he had a decent opponent. Johan braces himself, showing how own powers:
"Trap card! Amber formation! With this, the attack of my Amber Mammoth on the field becomes equal to all the gems in my field!"
With the trap, his Amber Mammoth had the same 5600 ATK of the Cyber End, the beam of light crosses dimensions and lights up the whole area around both duelists, engulfing them as they shield their faces with an arm. The amount of energy released is so big, the portal finally opens.
The jet prepared in advance drops the Rainbow Dragon finished card inside the opening, hoping it will reach Johan safely in the other world. The equipment on Johan's side breaks apart, unable to withstand the amount of power, but the card was sent successfully and with this, the mission accomplished.
All the transmissions cease due to the critical failure in all sorts of communicative devices they had and shortly after, the gate also diminishes and closes. When light ceases, the tense murmurs hover in the air, surprised faces, the Hell Kaiser stands on the dueling platform, but the equipment stopped working.
Rie dashes towards the bridge without a second thought, her steps crackling the small rocks under her feet, it takes but a moment for him to notice her presence, turning around, their eyes meet for a moment. His gaze is distant, as if he's still in that duel, processing the latest happenings.
"Ryo, are you fine?! Are you hurt anywhere?"
The message was already displayed when he opened his mouth to speak, he jeered as if that was an unnecessary question, a sketch of a smile on his face, soon other people come around, some medics, soldiers and scientists, he just dismisses them quickly, walking away from the crowd. As he takes distance, a voice stops him on his tracks as he passes by that person:
"That was an impressive performance. You did wrench the gate open. But I suppose you proved your passion for dueling was lit again in our last duel."
It's Edo Phoenix, they both just cast side glances at each other, he averts his gaze, uninterested in the praise.
"I was called because you couldn't do the job." He retorts in a placid tone, but ill-mannered.
"You, wha-" He gasps, but takes a deep breath, scowling and shrugging off to keep his composure and elegance. "Whatever. Well, you did get more than just a bit of attention, it seems even if the school is gone, some of your 'fans' are still around." He takes a peek at Rie, who talks to Samejima cheerfully.
Ryo follows the direction of his eyes, landing on the pink-haired too, his eyes narrowing slightly, that aloofness in his face looked like it was melting away, he averts his gaze before there is time for his coolness to crumble.
"Now it's up to them to finish it and come back safely."
With those last words, he turns around, crossing his arms, they both look at the bridge constructed to link both worlds, with their jobs done, it was time to wait and trust their friends on the other side.
Samejima and Rie join those two not long after, much to their surprise. The principal thanks them both for helping out there, while he speaks to Edo, Rie types discreet messages.
"Ryo, you looked like you had fun dueling… But are you… Is your body all right?"
"I'm fine." His answer comes with a low snicker, and a faint smile that vanishes into thin air, he crosses his arms declaring bluntly. "And I'm not giving you an interview on my dueling, Rie. We both know you're very aware of how Hell Kaiser duels work."
"Why? I was just asking, I'm not going to write about you in my article or anything… Actually… I will, but it's not like that… I just wanted to hear how it was and what you felt…"
Her fingers fumble while trying to explain herself, he just lets out a muffled chuckle as if he was having fun seeing her troubled.
Samejima and Edo take a glance at it, but enroll in their conversation, the director has a smile written on his face, his eyes gazing up to the sky.
"They were both my students here. As a chancellor of the school, one of the most amusing experiences is to see those students grow and take different paths in life, hopefully, I will be seeing much more of that…" The tranquility of his semblance is disrupted, looking at the hole of the missing academy.
On the other side, Judai and Johan settle the scores with Yubel inhabiting Martin's body. At the end of the duel, Johan sacrifices himself and the Rainbow dragon to defeat Yubel and fulfill his dream of making a bridge between spirits and humans, using his powers for the sake of all the friends and people in that world.
The whole academy is translated back to the normal world, everyone inside too, the zombie students awaken from their slumber, familiar faces await them on the island, they open smiles all over the faces of the worried scientists, soldiers and other crew members that wished for their return.
Shou spots his brother and Edo nearby, also other people like Rie and the chancellor in person. Everyone is checked by the doctors and they settle other matters, with the academy back in place, they should make sure that every student is safe.
Judai smiles happily, looking around until he notices something is off. Johan did not come back with all the other students. One of the tents is temporarily set as an infirmary given parts of the school building were destroyed and under repair.
Shou rests in one of the beds, his eyes opening slowly until he comes to his senses fully. The scenery around is a bunch of other students in the same state as him, some still unconscious, even Manjoume.
His orbs stop upon the figure of the pink-haired, sitting beside his bed with a stunningly gleeful smile.
"Shou-kun, are you feeling better?"
Her text startles him slightly, still confused with the situation, a drop of sweat rolling down his face as he scans around again, before asking.
"What happened? I remember dueling in the academy in that strange world and then… I dreamt that I kept dueling without a rest… But if you are here, Rie-san, that means… That means we made it back, right?" A smile sprouts on his lips with the realization.
"Yes! Everyone is fine…" Her eyes squint bitterly at the last part, knowing well it is a lie "Your brother did his part too, he also came here to help."
"M-my brother?" He blurts out in shock, his brows furrowing upwards remembering their last encounter. "Is that true?"
"He dueled Johan to help open the fissure between dimensions so Johan could finally get his Rainbow Dragon. Did you not see it?" Her head tilts, perplexed.
"I… I don't remember any of this..." He crumples the blanket covering his legs.
"Shou-kun, you should rest, we will all be around for a while, don't worry too much, okay? I will drop by again tomorrow." She smiles fondly.
They're finally back, but Rie has the sensation that it's not all over yet. Why is this strange feeling creeping inside her, as if something bad is about to happen again. As the day unfolds, she helps settling and welcoming the students back, running around.
After many hours of arduous work, she takes a break, sitting down to rest inside her tent, ignoring the dozens of messages from her family, deleting them, without even reading it once.
"I wonder if everything will be fine…"
She thinks to herself, her brows furrowing up. Tossing her device aside, her hand lands on her belly, her fingers gently caressing it through the thin cloth of her blouse.
"Wait just a bit longer." Her eyelids close restfully.