?
Opening his eyes, Yuya found himself standing in his room. But it wasn't the one he had now, it was the one he had three years ago. There were various children's toys scattered on the floor. The bed cover had a pattern of stars and hippos, which matched his bed pillows. Everything was exactly the same when his dad disappeared before his match with the Sledgehammer. Except for one thing...
On his study chair, a black, humanoid shadow with red eyes sat. when the shadow turned to look at him, Yuya took a step back. But he quickly realized that, despite the appearance, it was not hostile.
"Why do you trust him so much?" The shadow asked.
"Huh?"
The shadow pointed at the photo of Yuya and his dad that was on the desk.
"He abandoned us and Mom." The shadow made it clear that the implication was made at Yuya's father, Yusho.
Twitching at the accusation, Yuya opened his mouth to retort. "Us? What do you mean by that? And Dad never abandoned me! He was just trying to stop the dimensional war!"
"But did he need to leave before his duel with the Sledgehammer?"
Yuya opened his mouth to retort again, but nothing came out.
"He could've done so after the duel, or even a bit later. But didn't. He could've left a message saying where he was going, but he didn't. He was the one in the wrong." The shadow bitterly said, resentment evident in its voice.
"That's not true!" Yuya angrily yelled at the shadow.
The shadow got up from the chair and walked up to him. Once it was right in front of him, it tightly grabbed Yuya's left wrist, causing him to wince in pain.
"We suffered... for all those years... because of him... that's the truth!!"
? - Duel Academy - Fusion Dimension
Yuya abruptly opened his eyes and sat up with a jolt. He breathed heavily with sweat dripping down his face as he covered half of his face with his hand as tried to compose himself. As the shock from the suffocating nightmare wore off, pain from his ribs, arms, shoulders and left leg riled his body. Looking at his body, he noticed that he was in hospital shorts with a small Duel Academy emblem on them, covered in bandages, and his shirt and jacket were taken off. But his goggles weren't anywhere to be seen.
"Are you alright, my boy?"
Yuya turned to where the concerned voice came from. By the side of the bed he was on was a bald, middle-aged man. He had a united black mustache and goatee and wore a dark red Duel Academy staff uniform with a yellow suit underneath and dark brown pants. The man raised his hands to show he meant no harm, though the sincere smile that he gave Yuya was enough to convince the boy he wasn't an enemy.
"Wait... it's all coming back to me now..." Yuya recounted what had happened. Even though he was captured, his friends escaped. All except for...
"Rin! She stayed behind to help me!" Yuya tried to leave the bed, but the pain surged up and immobilized him.
"Don't be so rash. Your friend, Rin, is safe. She's currently being held in a different place for now until they fix the tower she was placed in before." The man assured Yuya as he helped him settle into a comfortable position in bed before resuming treating his wounds.
"And you are...?"
"Apologies for the late introduction. The name's Sheppard. I'm the former chancellor of Duel Academy." The man introduced himself as he finished tending to Yuya's injuries.
"Former chancellor?" Yuya asked in astonishment.
The man sat back in his chair as he proceeded to tell his story. "I was the one who ran Duel Academy. That is, until Leo Akaba forcibly took over."
"The Professor did?!" Yuya couldn't hide his surprise upon hearing that.
"Yes. He arrived here in Duel Academy, one day, out of the blue. He told me he came from another dimension, searching for something. To prove it, he explained many things to me. I thought he could be a wonderful instructor for the students, but I was wrong. Before I knew it, he had convinced many of the teachers and students to have me removed and install him in charge of the Academy. To make sure I couldn't do anything against him, he imprisoned me here..." Sheppard smiled sadly as he remembered how he ended up to where he was now.
"I'm sorry, sir... That must've been harsh..." Seeing the saddened face the former chancellor of Duel Academy was making, Yuya couldn't help but feel guilty for making the man remember unpleasant things.
The former chancellor blinked at Yuya's apology before laughing softly, patting the boy's head. "It's quite alright, Yuya. You don't have to beat yourself up. I would've told it either way."
Yuya then scanned the room they were held up in. It was rather big and more like a safe house. A comfy bed, crystal clear floor, clean walls, almost luxurious food on the table, a separated bathroom, and several highly advanced machines and computers for research.
Knowing from the expression on Yuya's face that he was questioning if this really was a prison, Sheppard chuckled. "I know what you're thinking. In all circumstances, this is more of being a house arrest than imprisonment."
"At least the Professor is treating one person with care." Yuya thought.
"You were brought here to me so I could treat your injuries. Apparently, Leo has a plan for you." Sheppard revealed as he gave Yuya a cup of water.
"What sort of plan?" Yuya raised his brow in questioning as he took a drink.
Sheppard just shook his head. "I don't know. But when I checked his computer when I was getting suspicious of him, I found a folder labeled "Revival Zero".
"Revival... Zero?" Yuya asked curiously.
"I don't know any more than you do, but it had files of Yuri and Celina."
"Really?" Yuya's interest grew.
"Based on what I was able to gather, I'm only able to conclude that Revival Zero is at the heart of Leo's Arc-Area Project, but how it is, is all but uncertain. But what is clear that if he has a file for Yuri and Celina, then you must be connected somehow to the project. In fact, all versions of Yuri and Celina." Sheppard said as he looked straight at Yuya.
More sweat formed on Yuya's face. From what he knew, the Professor, Leo Akaba, was trying to gather Zuzu, Lulu, Rin, and Celina, four girls from separate dimensions that shared the same face. Not only that, but each girl had a bracelet with a mysterious power and glowed whenever Yuya and his dimensional doppelgängers experienced a strange phenomenon linked with their four dragons.
"There's no way that Yuri and Celina aren't involved in the Professor's plan, and neither are we, their lookalikes. It would be way too coincidental."
"Seems like it." Sheppard agreed, unsure himself.
"Leo allowed me to pass my time here to continue researching. But even if I found something, I can't do anything to stop him. And he's right. I can't get out of here without outside help." Sheppard sighed, disappointed in his inability.
"Not if my friends have anything to say about it!" Yuya told the former chancellor with confidence. "They'll be here, and we'll definitely end this madness!"
Sheppard nodded. "Yes, I have heard about the Lancers. Aster told me all about your friends and you in particular, Yuya."
"Aster did?!" Yuya stared at the former chancellor in shock.
"Indeed. You see, before Leo took over the Academy, I was the one who enrolled him here. Back then, he was a kind-hearted and talented boy. Even after I was forced to step down and Leo taught him all those horrible ideals, he still comes to visit me once in a while. We often talk about what is happening as he tries to convince me to help Leo. He really is a nice child." Sheppard smiled as he remembered, that despite the differences of opinion, Aster visiting him was one of the few things he was able to look forward to and liven his day.
Sheppard looked gratefully at Yuya. "He may not show it, but I can tell that his heart has been moved by your duel with him."
Yuya smiled in relief as he heard that he was able to connect his heart with Aster's properly. He then picked up his deck. "That's great to hear. Many of the people here in Duel Academy only know how to duel the way the Professor taught them. They just don't know that there are other ways to duel for what you believe in."
"...Do you have fun dueling, Yuya?" Sheppard's question was answered with a bright smile like a child would show. "Of course I do! Duels are all about having fun, to make people smile. That's what I believe in. And I know others believe in that as well."
Sheppard stared hard as Yuya's face became overlapped with that of a young Yuri's identical expression. Sheppard's face turned sad again. Yuya was about to apologize again for accidentally offending him, but Shepard raised hand to motion that he didn't need to.
"Sorry. It's just that you remind me a lot of Yuri when he was little."
"Of... Yuri?"
"I know he's such a cruel duelist now, but back in the day, he was very much like you. He loved dueling and enjoyed it especially when he was with Celina and Dennis."
"Celina and Dennis? The two of them were his friends?" Yuya was completely surprised by the information. From what he knew, they actually never acted that friendly before to each other. Plus, Celina would've told them about it...
"There happen be traces that pieces of my memory have been erased by other means. As in ways that other people do on purpose." Yuya widened his eyes as he remembered what Celina had told him. "I've been having these strange dreams lately about a boy and a girl. Whenever I remember them, I feel so happy and warm... as if together we were a loving family."
"Don't tell me... The boy that Celina forgot... is Yuri!"
"What kind of person was he before?" Yuya asked.
Sheppard pulled out a photo from his pocket and showed it to Yuya. The photo showed an 11-year-old Yuri, Celina, Dennis, and an unfamiliar girl with silver hair and black fringes going to the sides of her hair like a crown. The photo was taken from far away, so the children didn't notice it. Celina and Yuri were dueling while Dennis and the little girl were cheering them on. The girl also had two plushie dolls with vibrant hair with her: one was in a black and gold witch costume with long robes and had neck-length light blue hair, while the other was wearing a white and gold hooded robe and monocle with long strands of lime hair coming from the hood.
"Who's that girl?" Yuya pointed to the unfamiliar girl in the photo with the plushie dolls. Sheppard chuckled softly. "That is Yume. Yuri's kindhearted, little twin sister." "He has a twin sister?!" Yuya was shocked at the revelation.
But what mostly caught Yuya's attention was Yuri. He still had a cocky face, but he didn't have a shred of malice in it. The boy seemed to purely enjoy dueling like he and the other the kids in You Show Duel School when they were his age did.
"Yes. Both she and her brother Yuri were talented children. Quick learners and many thought the two of them were geniuses. But... they had a rather... rough way of dueling." "Rough how?" Yuya inquired, a puzzled look on his face. "Rough as in: they put too much spirit into it. Even though they didn't mean it, they wound up hurting other students by accident, causing them to fear them. When we're extremely devoted to something, we can tend to get in the moment purely enjoying it."
"Yeah..." Yuya could understand, and knew that all his friends did, since they put their all into dueling.
Sheppard then frowned. "But in their case, it was so much that they were isolated because of it. The other students were so scared they didn't want anything to do with them. They were always alone."
The man then reminisced about the twin's time when he was in charge. He had found them in an alleyway when he was in town one day, dirty and alone. Taking them to Duel Academy, he gave them a home when they had none.
"The two of them have never known who their parents were or if they have any family other than themselves." Sheppard further explained, sadness in his voice. "In fact, it's been a habit of mine to take in orphans and enroll them in the Academy, so they would have a home. Celina was among those as well."
Sheppard looked at the indigo-haired girl in the photo. "When she met Yuri and Yume, she saw them as a way to prove herself. But, due to the difference in their skills, she was beaten continuously. But unlike the other students, she remained optimistic and strived to beat them. Over time, they became the best of friends, their bond almost close to the point of being an actual family. And it grew stronger when Dennis enrolled in the Academy and joined their threesome."
Yuya chuckled. "That definitely sounds like something Celina and Dennis would do. Celina's stubbornness and Dennis' willingness would make them the perfect friends for the two of them."
"But if they were such good friends, why aren't they now?"
"Leo had a hand in that. One day, he called Yuri for something, and he never came back. Later on, I found out that he had wiped Yuri's memories and placed him in another class so he wouldn't meet up with Yume, Celina, and Dennis again, without my knowledge."
"Why would he do that?" Yuya asked bitterly, knowing that very likely he wouldn't like the answer.
"I have no idea. The only thing I do know is that Leo wanted to make sure that Celina didn't attempt to run away from Duel Academy. To ensure they didn't try to look for him and escape, Leo also wiped the three of their memories too. By that time, Leo had taken over the school."
"That's horrible!" Yuya was shocked at the thought of having the cherished people in your life taken away. "Then... if Yuri gets those memories back..."
"He won't change."
The next thing Yuya knew, he was in his room from his dream again, facing the red-eyed shadow.
"Even if he gets them back, do you really think that he'll just become good instantly?"
Yuya then thought of what he knew of the current Yuri. How he seemed to enjoy hurting others. Like it was natural to him.
"Do you not understand? There are some people you cannot save, and he is one of them."
"Is there something wrong?" Sheppard called out when Yuya when the boy went silent and started spacing out.
"No, I'm fine." Yuya leaned back on his bed, a little weary from the new revelations.
"Should I tell Celina about this?"
? - Duel Academy - Fusion Dimension
Leo entered one of Duel Academy's many laboratories, this one having numerous tubes containing strange insects. There was machine that resembled a generator and a huge computer for unknown scientific purposes or communication. There were several mini screens that were connected to several surveillance cameras, showing various parts of Duel Academy one of the cameras showed the room where Sheppard and Yuya were held up.
"My apologies for the state of my lab, Professor."
Leo approached a tall, thin man with sunken eyes and cheeks, bags under his eyes, small green pupils, and long white hair. (His hair was in a style reminiscent to Rex Goodwin from Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds.) He wore a long dark gray coat with an orange-brown center that was patterned with yellow lines, in addition to gray pants and black shoes. Under him were many scattered pieces of paper that contained the results of his research.
The Professor got straight to the matter of his visit. "How is the examination of Yuya Sakaki, Doktor?"
The Doktor laughed in a creepy way, while watching Yuya on the monitor. "I've found him to absolutely extraordinary, Professor! This is the first time in my life I have found such a specimen that has piqued my interest this much! To think that there is a human that can have energy that's equivalent to an entire dimension! Speaking of which, Yuri seems to be a similar case." The Doktor then cackled a creepy giggle.
Unfazed by the behavior, Leo continued to ask the mad scientist questions. "Have you discovered how he is able to turn people back or how we can turn him into a card?"
"Unfortunately, no. However, I did discover through my experiments that he wasn't able to gain the immunity or his power by natural means, but by some external factor." The Doktor revealed as he brought up a computer image of Yuya that showed the results of the examinations on one of the monitors.
"What are you saying? That something gave him that power?" Leo looked at the results with interest.
"Precisely. And the power is split into two. But at the same time, they cannot exist without the other. Interdependent, interconnected, complementary forces!" The Doktor then changed the image into two: one showing Yuya's form in black and the other in white. "Let's say that the black is the energy that allows him to change people back from cards, while the white is what protects him from being affected by our Sealing Technology. It seems to be that neither can exist without the other."
Leo read the data in deep thought, his hand on his chin all the while listening to the explanation.
"We can continue the study of this phenomenon later. Have you found a way to extract his energy without turning him into a card?"
The Doktor grinned at the Professor's question. "Indeed. But it could very well destroy the boy. Is that a problem?"
"Not at all." The Professor answered immediately, with no hesitation in his voice. "Get to work on the procedure and finish it as quick as you can. We cannot waste any time anymore."
Right after Leo gave his orders, he left laboratory with the Doktor saluting him from behind as he did so. As he walked down the hallway back to his throne room, he thought to himself without remorse. "This is the right thing to do. If this is done, then that monster won't ever return!"
Harbor - City - Fusion Dimension
Per the Professor's order, Dennis and Yuri were currently investigating for any leads that might lead them to the hideout of the underground You Show Duel School. They were accompanied by a group of Buster Brigadiers and Duel Academy duelists, mostly the ones with red blazers, who were asking the citizens for information. Though, some of the Buster Brigadiers took matters a little too seriously, but not enough to cause a disturbance.
"Is there something wrong, Dennis?" Yuri asked the man when he noticed that he was staring at him. "No, not at all! It's just that I didn't think that you'd be tagging along in my search." Dennis quickly looked away from Yuri as he answered.
"I don't have anything else to do. Not to mention that the Professor has barred me from playing with my newest source of entertainment." Yuri's sigh of disappointment was quickly replaced with an ecstatic grin. He then took out and looked at something from his pocket. Yuya's goggles. "He's absolutely amazing. I never felt like that in a duel before. I want to feel that excitement again. I want to duel him again with my own deck!"
Dennis shuddered at Yuri's desire to duel Yuya again. "Beating the deck out of Yuya wasn't enough? He still wants to duel him? Boy, I hope Yuya's ready for it. Not that... I'm worried about him or anything... right?"
"Ugh! There're no useful, recent leads from anyone around here!" Dennis and Yuri redirected their attentions to one of the Buster Brigadiers that was nearby and was complaining to his comrades. "Easy man! It's not their fault." "Yeah! They're just gettin' ready for that bazaar that's comin' up this evenin'!"
Dennis' vision blurred as the tinge of another headache hit him and a sense of nostalgia filled his mind.
His surroundings changed. The preparations for the bazaar began to morph into a complete bazaar at Duel Academy. The empty walkways became crowded with people. He also found that he was with the three mysterious children from his last vision: the boy and the two girls. The three of them seemed to be eager to explore the bazaar.
Pulling him along, they went to explore the fair. They went from the market stalls to the blacksmith. Watched the glassblowers create wonderful glass figurines and items. One of the figurines was bought by the silver-haired girl, but Dennis was unable to see it, as the vision suddenly became filled with distortion and static before becoming stable again. By that time, they were in front of a drawing booth. The artist sketched their faces for free. With the portraits in their hands, they especially smiled when they took a look at the one with them together. However, like their faces, Dennis wasn't able to make out who was in the picture other than himself.
"Hey! Snap out of it!" Yuri flicked his fingers right in front of Dennis' face, snapping him from the reverie.
Dennis took a step back as he held his left chest and let out a protest. "Geez! Don't do that to me. I almost had a heart attack!"
Yuri sneered. "This is no time for daydreaming! We have a job to do!"
Dennis puffed at the violet-haired boy's coldhearted rudeness. "Man, these daydreams are getting more frequent. They're all so real... almost like hidden memories. But that's ridiculous."
Suddenly, Yuri seemed to turn into the boy from his daydream for a brief second.
"What the - ?"
Yuri turned to Dennis, raising an eyebrow at the notice Dennis said something. "What is it now?"
"It's nothing..." Dennis quickly answered. "Nothing at all." Yuri scoffed. "Whatever."
Sheppard's Room - Duel Academy - Fusion Dimension
"So if I'm getting this straight... your pendant is the reason you can now change the people who were turned into cards and is the main reason you are now immune to the Human Sealing Technology. And it's also the thing that created the pendulum cards." Shepard eyed the pendant that Yuya showed him as he held it in his hand.
"Yeah. I don't know how though, and I'm not very sure on when or how I got it. But I do know that I've had it since I was a kid."
"Is alright if I borrow it for research? From the looks of things, I'm guessing Leo hasn't figured it out yet."
Yuya nodded in response to Sheppard's request, giving him permission. "It's alright by me. I also want to know more about it."
A couple of knocks ushered Sheppard and Yuya to do the exchange quickly before anyone came in and act as if nothing happened. When the door was slowly opened, they were expecting the Duel Academy personnel that was bringing them their lunch. So they were surprised when a lock of light green hair stuck out from the side of the door before Rin's head popped out.
"Yuya?" Rin meekly asked as she entered the room.
"Rin?!" Yuya sat straight up from the bed. "How'd you get here?!"
"I brought her here." Aster stepped into the room beside Rin, only half of his body being shown to Yuya and Sheppard.
"Aster?!" Yuya exclaimed, not expecting him of all people to escort Rin.
"She wouldn't shut up about you. She got so annoying from her temporary holding that Hydromancy couldn't even focus on her mediation, so she ordered me to put her here until we finish repairing and upgrading the security in her tower." Aster explained as he pushed Rin further into the room while he was still behind the door. He looked at Sheppard and gave him a respectful nod, which the former chancellor returned.
Aster then made narrowed glare at the surprised Yuya. "I'll make this clear. Don't get the wrong idea, it wasn't for your sake. We're only doing this on a whim." Aster then shut the door.
Once the door was shut closed, Rin took a seat next to the bed, smiling in relief.
"You alright? You feeling better?" Rin asked in concern.
"I feel a bit better. With some more rest, I think I'll be back to normal soon." Yuya thanked the green-haired girl. Then he frowned. "I appreciate the fact you were concerned about me, but you should've escaped with Celina."
Rin pointed her finger to the in-between of Yuya's eyes. "Would you leave someone, despite not knowing them for very long, injured on the ground like that when they just risked everything to save your life?" "You got me there." Yuya smiled as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Yugo really misses you. He's been jumping from dimension to dimension to find you ever since you got captured. He even competed in the Friendship Cup to fulfill his promise with you."
"He did what?! How'd he do?! Did Yugo win?!" Rin asked Yuya with her face so close to his, surprising the injured, tomato-haired boy who moved his head back a bit in response.
"Sorry, but he sort of... lost. I kinda beat him and won the tournament." Yuya nervously replied while trying to keep his personal space.
"You mean... you defeated Jack Atlas and are now the champion?!" Rin was amazed and shocked when Yuya nodded in confirmation.
Yuya then told Rin everything that happened. From his battles in the Standard Dimension and the creation of the Lancers up until to how he and Celina ended up in the Fusion Dimension. Though, mainly Yuya told her about Yugo and what he'd been up to. He told her about how they met, the complications he and Yuto had between them before thanks to Yuri, how their duel in the Friendship Cup went on, and how they promised to have a rematch.
"Sheesh, Yugo doing something idiotic like that doesn't surprise me. I've always had to remind him not to do things like that." Rin sighed after hearing of the reckless things Yugo did.
"Don't worry, we've cleared up the misunderstanding, so everything is good now."
"That's not the problem. He's always been reckless. And he says what's on his mind without thinking it through. I've told him over a hundred times, to "think about it, before you speak about it". That bad habit of his is why I can't leave him alone." Rin pouted as she started to imagine what she'd do to Yugo to scold him once they meet up again.
"She's almost like a mother." Yuya commented in his mind.
"Next time, I won't make the mistake of kneeing the wrong person." Rin said that as she patted her knee, causing Yuya to cringe and cover his stomach where she kneed him.
"Yugo must be physically stronger than me if he goes through this frequently, so he'll be fine... right?" Yuya nervously thought, praying for the best for his Synchro Dimension counterpart.
"You and Yugo are similar than just looks." Rin suddenly commented. "You're both thickheaded and stubborn, but kindhearted and caring."
Yuya scratched his head in embarrassment. "You're also almost like Zuzu in more ways than one. You both tend to nag, yet never hesitate to stop and help others in need."
"I take it that this "Zuzu" is another girl that looks like me?" Rin asked while she pointed to herself.
"It must be strange. Meeting people that not only have the same face as your childhood friend, but also act like them." Sheppard commented, finally joining the conversation after listening with interest.
"Right." Yuya and Rin chuckled.
"New Domino isn't divided in two anymore. Once you get home, you'll be happy to live in a place that is certainly more peaceful."
Rin closed her eyes and shook her eyes. "I know. But as long as I have Yugo by my side, that's my home. It was how I was able to stand living in New Domino before."
"Yugo must feel the same way." An idea flashed into Yuya's mind. "I know! Once this war is over, let's have a duel for fun!"
"A duel?"
"Yeah! I mean the Friendship Cup is still being held every year, but it's now fully dedicated to bringing the city together. I already promised Yugo we'd have a rematch after all this, and since you missed the Friendship Cup, you can participate in the next one once we get back home." Yuya suggested to the girl.
"Once we get home..." Rin uttered.
Sheppard patted Rin's shoulder. "I'm sure you've heard, Yuya's friends are trying to end this dimensional war. So you must place your faith in them, and in your friend Yugo."
Rin placed her hands on her chest as she smiled. "I know. I've always believed Yugo would come. He's always been so headstrong and terribly bad at giving up."
The three of them halted their conversation when they heard voices arguing from outside the room. The words were incoherent, but it sounded like someone was trying to stop someone or someones from coming into the room. Before Sheppard could go and check it out, the door had already opened, with Grace and Gloria entering the room.
"Hello Yuya~!" Grace greeted as she carried a tray of food with a sweatdropping Gloria behind her. "I've brought you lunch! If you're having trouble eating, let me spoon-feed you!"
"The Tyler Sisters?! Why are you bringing us lunch?!" Yuya asked.
"Oh, I, like, convinced the one who was supposed to do it so let me totes do it so I can see you!" Grace answered while she offered a spoonful of food to Yuya.
"Hey! I told you not to come in and do as you please! You already brought the food, now get out!" In the doorway, it was revealed that Captain Perceptra was arguing with them, and was now ushering the twins to leave. Most of it was to Grace rather than Gloria, who was more willing to leave then her sister.
"Unfair! Why does she totes get to spend time with Yuya while we gotta leave immediately!" Grace pouted while pointing to Rin. "It's not like they're, like, an item or anything, right?"
"Of course not!" Both Rin and Yuya shook their heads in denial at the same time.
"I'm not in a relationship." Yuya added to make it clear.
However, it was just fuel for the fire. The moment Grace heard that, her ears perked up. she smiled sweetly and happily as a light tinge of pink adorned her cheeks, confusing the prisoners.
"It's not that!" Perceptra and Gloria then pulled her to the side for a private whispering conversation. "Your sister and I know what you're up to, and strictly forbid it!" "After all, they're our enemies and may I remind you that we do not even know what the Professor is planning to do with him?!"
"So whatsies? It's not like he can do a whole lot while they're here. In fact, we may be able to convince him to join us. Then we wouldn't be totes enemies anymore, right?" Grace's eyes sparkled with her idea.
"Give it a rest! We both know that he won't be swayed to our cause, no matter what!" Gloria nearly shouted, but still kept her voice as quietly as she could.
Unbeknownst to the trio of girls, Sheppard and Rin were able to catch a few of the whispers to get an idea of what was going on. They looked at each other in understanding that Yuya's dueling had touched more than Aster's own heart.
"Yuya's so popular." Rin commented in her mind as she chuckled, confusing the said boy more.
Perceptra finally sighed in frustration after they talked for some time. "You know what? Let's continue this conversation somewhere else. We've already overstayed our welcome." The three Duel Academy girls then bid their goodbyes to Sheppard and left.
Even though he was right in the heart of the enemy's base, Yuya didn't feel nervous at all. He felt at peace, content knowing that he was not going to be in any serious trouble yet, at least until his friends came to save him.
"Everyone, I wonder how you're doing now?"