Here we are folks! Chapter 16, so let's see what's going on now shall we? I'm sure you guys are all excited.

Ch.16: Fusion VS Xyz

Lelouch huffed a breath as he made a sharp turn down a hallway in the medical center of the L.D.S tower. The raven haired teen having to reenact running all the way here, which wasn't exactly a lie, and was rather out of breath because of it. Once he had finished turning the corner, violet eyes managed to spot the rest of the Yusho group standing beside a closed door. All eyes looking at it solemnly and with worry.

Scarlet eyes managed to spot Lelouch first. "Lelouch." Yuya spoke, but there wasn't any joy in his words. "I'm glad you could make it."

"I-" Lelouch held up a finger and took a deep breath to help relax, before straightening up to his full height. "I got here as fast as I could. I saw what happened on TV, and when I got your call I just knew I had to get here quickly." Violet eyes looked over at the door as well. "I can't believe… That duel was out of control."

Yuzu just nodded at Lelouch's words, before she held her hands together by her chest. "Sora…"

"He'll be fine." Shuzo tried to reassure the group, but it wasn't doing any wonders. "I'm told that L.D.S has a very skilled medical team."

Allie looked at the ground, her eyes somewhat moist. "But if the building hit his head before the Action Field turned off… then…" The strawberry redhead couldn't even finish her sentence or train of thought.

Observant violet eyes noticed how Yuya's fists tightened slightly at Allie's implications. "The good thing we should all be thankful for is that he's still alive." Lelouch pointed out somewhat optimistically. "I mean, a literal building fell on top of his head and he managed to get away without being stuck onto a heart monitor, IV drip, or breathing machine. That's a good sign… He'll be alright eventually… Although…" Lelouch trailed off, and Yuya looked back at his friend.

"What's wrong?" Yuya asked. Still always concerned about his other friends, even under these sad circumstances.

Lelouch faked a somewhat uneasy expression, and chewed on his lip for just a second. "It's just that, on the TV… Sora didn't exactly look to, well, sane during that duel." Just when Yuya was about to retort Lelouch interjected swiftly. "I mean! He was literally talking about a hunting game, and how he hunted 'Shun's people' down for fun! I don't know about you Yuya, but that's not exactly a good thing."

The tomato haired teen's mouth lingered open for a second, trying to find a rebuttal, but Lelouch was right. Hunting people just for a sadistic thrill wasn't a good thing to do. It was wrong.

"Yoko and I will be walking the kids home." Shuzo suddenly spoke up, and Lelouch made sure to take at least a step away from the man. The principal of the Yusho Duel School could see where this conversation was heading, and decided that the kids didn't need to hear this. Yoko seemed to understand as well, because she began to herd the tired children down the hall and away. Everyone else followed the four out until they got to the entrance of the L.D.S tower. Sora's medical room having been moved to the giant duel tower a while before Lelouch got there. "Take care of Sora for us."

With those words, Shuzo, Yoko, and the kids departed. This left only Yuzu, Yuya, Gongenzaka, and Lelouch to ponder on their own thoughts.

Yuya spoke up once again. "What do you think?"

"Huh?" Periwinkle eyes looked over towards Yuya.

"Shun is the culprit for the serial attacks on L.D.S." Yuya stated, and Lelouch had to raise an eyebrow at this even though he already knew it.

"Wait?" Lelouch had to play dumb and act lost. "What do you mean Shun's responsible for those assaults on L.D.S' employees, and their top teams? I thought he was an L.D.S student. Why would he attack L.D.S if he studied there? It doesn't make sense."

"I saw him take out members from their top team in front of my very own eyes." Red flickered over to violet momentarily. "It was before my second duel match to enter the tournament."

"I saw Masumi get into a dangerous situation while she was chasing the culprit too… But…" Yuzu trailed off, remembering what the Gem-Knight duelist had said to her at the beginning of the tournament. "I don't know why Masumi would say something like that. But Yuto said they were attacking L.D.S to test their strength, to see if they were a possible ally."

"Hold on a second, Yuto?" Lelouch rubbed his forehead. Though he had to admit, he deserved a damn award for this acting. "There are two of them? Or should I say three since Zero sems to know Shun as well. Who even is Yuto?"

"Yuto…" Yuya trailed off, and though nobody knew it. Said person was slowly but surely making his way down a dark and empty hallway. His footsteps echoing off of the walls and he strode forward confidently and without hesitation.

"Then that man called Yuto is the one who attack Sylvio?!" Gongenzaka seemed to put the pieces together, and looked down towards Yuzu. "Why didn't you say anything about it?! If you had told the truth, Yuya would have been cleared of suspicion."

"So this guy is the Yuya lookalike that got Yusho into a fight with L.D.S..." Lelouch trailed off.

Gongenzaka took a step forward, stone sandal clinking against the ground. "Don't tell me you doubted Yuya?!"

"That's not it!" Yuzu insisted stubbornly.

"Yuya doesn't even use Xyz." Lelouch pointed out one of the real major flaws.

"Right." Yuzu agreed with Lelouch, before looking back up towards the Steadfast duelist. "But…"

"Yuto. A man who looks just like me." Scarlet red eyes looked at the others. It was rather freaky, especially since Lelouch lived with said counterpart in a certain hotel room. The raven haired teen always feared he would slip up and call Yuya Yuto or vice versa eventually, but thankfully it hasn't happened so far. "That's the same man who would disappear whenever your bracelet would shine, right?"

It seemed Lelouch wasn't the only one who was out of the picture, supposedly, because Gongenzaka seemed just as lost. The sturdy teen looking back and forth at the two in confusion. "Disappear!?" Everyone looked over at Yuzu's seemingly innocent bracelet. Though Lelouch knew what it really was, a pain in his and everyone's ass.

The pink haired teen held the bracelet out for everyone to see better. "I don't know why Yuto would vanish whenever this bracelet shone." The Melodious duelist held her hands by her chest again. "I thought you were just changing out of a costume, but you didn't have a reason to do that!"

"Not only that, but he wouldn't have the time to do it either." Lelouch raised an eyebrow at what Yuzu had though. It was rather ridiculous. "He would have to leave, change, and come back like nothing happened within seconds. That's not exactly possible."

"He doesn't have a reason to attack L.D.S either!" Gongenzaka straightened slightly.

"Hmm." Yuya looked down at the ground in thought. Everyone else looking over at him now. "Assaulting their enemy as a means to test their strength."

"Yeah, Yuto said that." Yuzu nodded.

"Who is their enemy? Are they not L.D.S?" Gongenzaka asked.

"Perhaps a certain someone would know." Lelouch piped up again, his head turned to look into the L.D.S building.

"Wait- You don't mean Sora, do you?" The sturdy teen asked with disbelief.

"Yuya, did you ever ask Sora where he was from?" Lelouch asked, his attention now focused on the Entertainment duelist.

"I did, but he would always end up dodging the question." Yuya replied with a frown. This certainly give Sora any favors.

"Hmph." Lelouch turned back towards the L.D.S building. "It's not that far out there. From the way Shun and Sora battled, along with their exchange of dialogue... I would say that Sora is one of their supposed 'enemies'." Lelouch narrowed his eyes at the thought.

. . .

A door quietly slid open, and Yuto walked inside silently. The Phantom Knights user strode forward collected and calm, before he stood beside a medical bed.

Yuto's shadow was cast over the prone form of one injured Sora Shiunin. The secret spy of Academia that was defeated by his childhood friend Shun Kurosaki. Grey eyes narrowed, and his fists clenched just a bit at the sight of the Fusion user sleeping so calmly. Even after what the small bastard had done to his homeland and to his people.

What they had planned for himself and Ruri.

Hidden emerald eyes began to twitch, before Sora's eyelids shakily opened. Yuto's features being blurred and fuzzy, but the general figure was still there.

"Yuya?" Sora called out softly, quietly.

Grey eyes narrowed even further, and Yuto's scowl deepened. It was time for some answers. "I have some questions for you."

At the deeper sounding voice that was definitely NOT Yuya's, emerald eyes snapped opened completely. Sora's prone body tensing as he began to become fully alert. "You're… Yuto!"

"I want to know what you're plans are for Revival Zero." Yuto got straight to the point. The resistance fighter not wanting to waste his time here with the Fusion duelist much longer.

"Revival Zero…?" Sora repeated the question and trailed off. He had no clue what this 'Revival Zero' bullshit Yuto was babbling on about was. The Academia spy managed to sit up on his bed and glared his emerald eyes into grey. "I don't know anything about this Revival Zero!" The shorter teen closed his eyes and stuck his nose up, away from the 'Xyz scum'. "There's no way I would anyways!"

"Then do you at least know where the hostages are, or where they could be taken?" Yuto persisted. "Anything on the file relating to Revival Zero, or what you have on Ruri."

Emerald eyes blinked up at Yuto, before whining slightly. "I don't!" How many times would he have to repeat that he didn't know anything about this Revival Zero! "All I know is that your so-called prisoners of war don't exist!"

"Don't exist?" Grey eyes blinked, so no one on the list for Revival Zero was kidnapped yet? Though, they almost managed to get their hands on Ruri if it wasn't for Zero's unpredictable intervention.

Sora shrugged, a happy smile on his face. Emerald eyes locked onto grey ones with a sadistic glee of sorts. "Because people who are hunted get put into cards! So I'm sure whoever or whatever your looking for is too." Yuto blinked, eyes shrinking slightly at Sora's ability to SMILE while saying such things. However, things got worse when emerald eyes grew darker, more serious as they narrowed. "More importantly, where is he?"

"He?" Yuto asked, faking some of his innocence since he had a hunch about who Sora was talking about.

That didn't bode well, because Sora soon started yelling in his rising rage. "Shun Kurosaki! I have to settle a score with him!" The Academia spy threw the sheets off of his legs and grabbed ahold of his duel disk, which was sitting beside him on the nightstand. "Even better, tell me where Shun is along with Zero. I'll make them both pay for mocking and humiliating me with that damn defeat!"

"That's already been settled." Yuto put down Sora's demands, fists clenched, though the rest of his body was relaxed. His black cape pooling around him on the floor. "You lost." He said simply.

"I didn't lose!" Sora raged in pure denial. "There's no way I would lose to Xyz scum! I can't lose to trash like you and bastards like Shun! People like you, Shun, and Zero are no threat, and should be put down like the dying dogs you are!" The Fusion user raised a fist towards Yuto, beginning to threaten him even in his injured state. "Take me to him now! I'll beat him to a pulp this time!" Now that he was awake all of his focus was on taking down Shun Kurosaki. Nothing was going to get into his way of achieving that goal, and especially not some puny mouse like Yuto. Grey eyes just looked down at Sora emotionlessly as he began to stand. "If I go all out, someone like him would easily…"

"Where is that sound coming from?" Grey eyes looked back towards the opened door. The sound of other footsteps echoing down the hallway and coming closer.

"This way!" It seems Sora's yelling has finally attracted some unwanted attention.

That was okay though, it seemed Sora didn't even know the answers to Yuto's questions anyway. He would find someone who would know though soon enough.

"Who are you?!" Two security guards looked through the doorway at the supposedly unconscious Sora and intruding stranger.

Yuto didn't bother to grace them with a reply and lunged forward. The Phantom Knights user acting just like one of his monsters, and simply slipped past the two guards. His tattered black cape flaring out behind him and following.

"Wait!" Sora yelled out towards the fleeing Xyz user, and began to run after him.

"You shouldn't be moving yet!" One of the guards blocked Sora's way, and both were simply knocked out with a punch to the face in response.

"Move it!" The crazed candy addict yelled, before he began to make a beeline after Yuto's small figure which was getting even smaller the farther he got away. "Get back here! I'm not done with you yet, Yuto! Tell me." Sora breathed before screaming at the top of his lungs. "Tell me where Shun Kurosaki is!"

. . .

"No, not over here!"

"Where could he have gone?"

"I'll search this way!"

Lelouch, Yuya, Yuzu, and Gongenzaka looked over at the buzzing activity coming from the guards. They seemed rather panicked about something. "What's all the fuss about?" Gongenzaka quirked an eyebrow.

"He might have already gotten outside!"

"Contact headquarters immediately! Tell them that Sora Shiunin has escaped!"

"Yes sir!"

The security personal scattered, some going to do as ordered while others continued in their search efforts. Though, it wasn't really smart to have such a conversation beside the entrance where four teens could easily hear them.

"So Sora has gone missing?" Lelouch poked through the shocked silence. "Is it convenient that he went missing just as we began to put the pieces together as well?" He should have known better than to trust Reiji and his incompitent security to keep Sora in line. Now there was a problem that not only threatened his safety as Zero, but Yuto and Ruri's safety as well. Perhaps he should have let Shun card the boy anyway, damn the consequences.

Yuzu looked down at her duel disk for a moment, having received a message from her father. "Dad said he would be here soon."

"All right, let's all split up and search!" Gongenzaka took charge. They would find their missing friend, and they would get to him before L.D.S could. "I'll head towards the ocean." They had questions they wanted answers to after all.

"Then I'll go towards Central Park." Yuya spoke up next, determined to be the one to find Sora.

"I'll go this way then!" Yuzu pointed close to Central Park.

"Then I'll look around the Yusho Duel School." He wasn't going to really do that. If he did, then Zero would be the one to do it, not Lelouch. Reiji could handle the mess he created, it was his own damn fault for the lax security. If it were up to the masked man, he would have locked the boy up in a closet somewhere in a maximum security asylum and thrown away the key.

All four teens gave swift goodbyes, before sprinting off towards their destination. After a good couple feet and losing sight of everyone, Lelouch slowed to a walk and began to head back to the hotel. He was rather tired, and don't feel like doing much else but actually going to bed and sleeping for once.

Though, that thought was ruined when he got a message coming from Yuto. His duel disk binged loudly at the sudden message.

Meet up in Central Park. I have a little runt chasing after my tail, and I don't feel like leading him to the hotel. Besides, he wants to know where you or Shun are and won't stop following me until he finds you. Not only that, but I'm sure you somehow already knew what happened and wanted to find and bring in the little bastard. -Yuto

Lelouch sighed. He just couldn't get a break, could he?

No, he would later realize, he really wouldn't.

. . .

Zero tapped his foot, slightly impatient as he waited for Yuto to arrive with Sora on his tail. It was getting rather late out, and the moon was high in the air with stars flickering around it. The city lights blocked out most of those beautiful stars however, but the moon was full and shone brightly. The masked leader of the resistance was currently waiting in the middle of a small stage placed in Central Park. Rows of benches were surrounding it in a half circle, while street lights glowed and illuminated some places around the border of the park. There was a nice little fountain a little ways away from the stage behind the seats.

Just as the masked man was about to contact Yuto in fear of something happening to him, he finally spotted a flicker of movement coming from down an alley. It was Yuto's black cape, and soon Yuto himself was revealed as he ran into the park. Seeing his masked leader, the Phantom Knights user sprinted towards him, and jumped onto the stage to face Zero properly.

"I'm glad you could finally make it. I've been waiting here for about ten minutes, and I was just about to call you." Zero crossed his arms and huffed. Though the masked man was relieved to know that Yuto was fine, he also knew that the Phantom Knights duelist can take care of himself.

Grey eyes flickered with an inner smile. "Thanks for your concern." Those grey eyes soon turned stormy as they heard feet rapidly hitting the pavement behind them, and getting louder by the second. Yuto's scowl returned full force. "However, there's still something we need to take care of first. Or someone, that is."

Both resistance fighters turned to face the Academia spy, Sora Shiunin. They frowned down at the teen as he began to catch his breath. Emerald eyes glaring up at them defiantly and with rage, though some sadistic joy flickered in them at the sight of one of his targets. That masked man named Zero, the leader to the resistance, the Alpha.

However, unknown to all three of them, there was a camera that had its eye on all of them. Along with a few people back in the L.D.S tower watching the scene unfold before them as well.

. . .

Four people looked up at Sora's breathing form. The Fusion user having to take a break from all of the running unless his injuries catch up with him again. While the only child there mostly kept his eyes down and hat lowered, Reiji's violet eyes studied the situation carefully with his chin in his hands. The only real person showing any emotion was Shun Kurosaki, the Raidraptor being forced to 'house arrest' after the near disaster of him carding Sora. Though yellow eyes burned with anger, he stayed in his spot.

He should have known better than to let that bastard live, and now look at the chaos he's causing.

"Location?" Reiji questioned.

"Central Park!" A worker replied instantly.

Nakajima looked up at the screen with an angered frown. "Send a team over there immediately and capture him!"

Shun wouldn't mind being a part of that team, but Reiji soon shot that mini dream down. "Wait." Violet eyes narrowed. "Turn the camera to where Sora Shiunin is looking." The CEO ordered calmly. The camera panned over to what Sora was looking at, and two rather familiar figures were seen on the screen.

Zero alongside someone else had their backs turned, before they both turned around to frown down upon Sora. The other person looked exactly like Yuya Sakaki.

"That's…" Nakajima began. "This is… Yuya Sakaki!" The bodyguard couldn't believe. He never did believe someone like the father of Yusho Sakaki could assault an L.D.S student. But there he stood on the stage, beside Zero no less.

"Hurry up and get him!" Sora yelled up at the two impaniently, eyes twitching slightly and a vein appearing on his forehead in rage. "One of you bastards are already here, so now all I need is the other! Get Shun Kurosaki!"

"No." Shun quickly denied the bodyguard's line of thinking. The cat was out of the bag about Yuto, so might as well come somewhat clean. Both Reiji and Nakajima tilted their heads to face the Raidraptor duelist. "That is Yuto."

Reiji blinked. "Yuto?"

Yellow eyes narrowed slightly. "He's my comrade."

"I see…" Reiji trailed off, before tipping his head down as he looked at the screen in front of him. "I had suspected that there were two Xyz users attacking L.D.S, but… Hmph." Reiji clicked his tongue. "I didn't expect there to be three… It seems you and Zero have been hiding a few things from me." He didn't like that either. The professional duelist always liked to be in control, so having his feet pulled out from under him didn't bode well for his mood.

"What did you expect?" Shun snapped sarcastically, he still didn't trust Reiji. He was too slippery, like a snake, for his liking still. "That we would tell you all of our secrets after one passing, fancy meeting? You've got to be joking."

Reiji just ignored that jab. "It was you and Zero carding L.D.S, but it was Yuto that attacked Sylvio, wasn't it?"

"But that face… he looks exactly like Yuya Sakaki." Nakajima said somewhat numbly, and confused in that regard. Reiji turned his head when he began to hear the child on his right breathing rather harshly.

"Hurry up and get Shun Kurosaki!" Sora demanded.

Yuto's frown deepened. "You want to fight Shun again with those injuries?"

"Yes!" Sora nodded wildly. "This time I definitely won't lose!" Emerald eyes focused on the silent masked man beside Yuto. "To lose to someone like him… Xyz scum are all destined to be hunted down like dead, rabid dogs! Even those that wear fucking masks like you! You, Kurosaki, Zero, and even that Ruri girl you talked about briefly!"

Zero knew that the Academia soldier had unintentionally struck a cord there. Masked violet eyes looked over to see Yuto's stormy grey ones widening slightly, before darkening even more. Shun's own piercing yellow narrowed in anger, and fear. How did this bastard know about Ruri? Where is she?

"There's no way I would lose to Xyz users! You people are all too weak and pathetic to even stand a chance against me!" Sora continued to rant in his rage. "I'll prove to you that if I fight seriously, I'm the stronger one! If you two are going to hide him like the coward he really is, then I won't show you any mercy! I don't know what you were talking about back there, about this Revival Zero, but…" Emerald eyes glared at Zero.

"Revival Zero?" Reiji questioned out loud to himself. His eyes flickered over to Shun, who had tensed rather immensely at those two words, before he looked back at the screen.

"I bet his has something to do with your damned leader Zero. That is his name after all…" Sora smirked wickedly. "I bet he's an experiment cooked up by our best in Academia, and you allowed him to become the leader of your resistance! HA!" Sora laughed psychotically. "You fuckers must have been desperate to accept someone with no face. Someone who wears a damn mask and hides himself from the world like a coward, as your leader!"

Sora leaned forward as his voice lightened slightly. "Perhaps there is a way to find out what Revival Zero really is." Yuto leaned forward slightly, but Zero wasn't falling for it.

"What? How can I find out the true meaning of Revival Zero?" Yuto asked, eager to find out why the hell the Professor was after him and Ruri, alongside Yuya and Yuzu.

"What way would that be?" Shun straightened at this. Zero managed to steal just about everything from the Xyz base back in their dimension. What file could they have possibly missed?

"By destroying all of us!" Sora smirked. Before he spoke arrogantly. "But that's impossible for the likes of you, though."

Shun clicked his tongue in distaste at the Academia bastard. The Raidraptor duelist turned on his heel, and began to walk away. The older Kurosaki sibling and big brother determined to go over there and beat the daylights out of Sora while figuring out where his little sister was.

"Wait, Kurosaki!" Nakajima called out, but Shun just ignored him. He was a pushover compared to the Xyz duelist.

"Let me go!" Shun yelled.

Reiji however, was not a simple push over. "No." Yellow eyes narrowed at the back of Reiji's head and chair in rage at the outright refusal. Violet eyes looked back to meet the Xyz rebel. "You'll only cause more of a scene if you go." A frown twitched on Reiji lips. "I don't exactly appreciate what disasters you could have caused if you turned Sora into a card. And if this causes the Miami Championship to end…" Red glasses reflected the light off of the screen as Reiji looked forward again. "My entire plan will amount to nothing." Shun growled, yellow eyes shaking in rage. "Don't forget that this is a selection exam to determine which duelists are fit to fight against Leo Akaba. Besides, even if you don't go…"

. . .

Yuto activated his duel disk, the violet blade appeared as he prepared for battle. Scowl on his face and grey eyes set in acceptance of this fight. Though, it shouldn't be too difficult.

"Oh! Finally feeling up to it?" Sora perked up, and immediately fished out his duel disk and put it on, before activating it. A light blue duel blade appearing. "That's more like it!" The Fusion user ripped off the bandage on his cheek, and threw it aside carelessly. "I'll take you both out first before I finish Kurosaki off! Perhaps I'll even show him your carded forms, get that nice terrified expression on his face before I turn him into a card as well. I'll prove that I can deal with every Xyz user in this world by myself! Starting with you and Zero!"

"I won't let that happen." Yuto swore, and Zero took a couple steps backwards. The masked man saw this as Yuto's own fight and knew to back off. "Defeating you will be the first step towards keeping Ruri, Yuzu, Yuya and I safe from Revival Zero's clutches. I won't let you have your way with Shun or Zero. Then when we get to the Fusion Dimension I'll stop whatever Leo Akaba is cooking up. And save all of our lost, carded comrades alongside those being targeted by Academia's darker plot."

Sora's eyes widened when he heard Yuya and Yuzu's names being mentioned along with Revival Zero. But he quickly pushed it all aside and focused more on the duel in front of him. He had to win and show this pathetic Xyz scum who was the proper ruler.

YUTO LP- 4000

SORA LP- 4000

"DUEL!"

"I'm going first! My turn!" Sora instantly took over the duel, and quickly made his move. "I summon Edge Imp Tomahawk from my hand!" The Fusion user raised the monster card in the air, before playing it. The monster was a bunch of metal axes welded together and spinning rapidly.

EDGE IMP TOMAHAWK LV.4 ATK:1800 DEF:800

"With Edge Imp Tomahawk, once per turn, I can send one Edge Imp monster to my Graveyard to deal 800 damage to my opponent!" Sora's smile widened in a wicked manner before quickly sending his monster to the Grave. The sudden force pushed Yuto back harshly, the Xyz user not being able to prepare for the assault in time. Thankfully, Zero managed to intervene and catch Yuto before he could hit the wall. The masked man grabbed ahold of Yuto's arm, his shoes skidding across the stage floor and managing to make a mark.

YUTO LP- 4000 = 3200

"Are you alright?" Zero crouched down beside Yuto, a hand on his back while his cape draped over the both of them.

Yuto gave a swift nod, before standing up once again with steeled grey eyes. "Yes, I'm fine Zero."

Sora's mouth twitched at the masked man managing to save Yuto from any real harm. "Of course you would help him, even when you're not the one dueling. Hiding behind your men like a coward, how disgraceful." The Academia spy spat, before he smirked once again. "Though, think of that as a little greeting from me, Yuto. I end my turn."

. . .

"800 damage right out of the gate." Nakajima watched the duel with concern.

"Don't worry." Shun looked over the duel with a confident stare and posture. "Yuto would never falter against this amount of damage." The Raidraptor smirked. "Besides, Zero is there with him. Though he tends to have rather shitty luck he's strong, and able to stand up to just about anything."

The little child beside Reiji shook, but they soon calmed down when the CEO himself put a hand on their shoulder. Light purple eyes looked over to the taller teen. "Watch closely, Riley." Riley complied to Reiji's request, and looked up at the screen, at the duel.

. . .

The Phantom Knights user didn't like how his name rolled off of Sora's tongue, but persisted nonetheless. "Are you okay?" Sora asked lightly, and put a hand on his hip. "Feel free to call Shun out and trade spots with him!"

Yuto frowned. "My turn, draw!" Yuto ignored Sora's words. He would never sell his best friend out like that, over his own dead body. "I summon Phantom Knights Dusty Robe!" The specter had cyan blue flames licking the insides of the hooded robe that was over it. Red eyes stared out of the fire and clothing to look over at Sora.

PHANTOM KNIGHTS DUSTY ROBE LV.3 ATK:800 DEF:1000

Sora laughed at the sight. "First off is an 800 Attack monster, huh?" Emerald eyes narrowed with arrogant mockery. "Now how will you advance your plays, Mr. Xyz Loser? Or perhaps you'll switch with Zero or finally show me where Shun is hiding."

"When I control a Level 3 Phantom Knights monster, I can Special Summon Phantom Knights Silent Boots!" Yuto ignored Sora, just like he did with most of his opponents from Academia, and summoned this new monster. The monster had tightly wound together leather boots. An upper body with a skull necklace, steel collar, and specter like head underneath a cowl of sorts.

PHANTOM KNIGHTS SILENT BOOTS LV.3 ATK:200 DEF:1200

Sora grinned. "I get it…" He drawled on like it was a joke. "Since you've got two Level 3 monsters…"

Grey eyes widened slightly, and Yuto straightened his back. "I overlay my Level 3 Phantom Knights Dusty Robe and Silent Boots!" The two monsters turned into a dark purple light that crossed each other. Before going into the golden vortex that opened in the ground in front of Yuto. "Souls of warriors fallen on the battlefield. Revive now and become light to rend the darkness! I Xyz Summon" Smoke poured out of the vortex as a beast appeared. "Appear before us! Rank 3! Phantom Knights Break Sword!"

A phantom knight with those same bluish flames appeared, but he wasn't alone. The knight rode on an undead horse that had no bones or flesh, being only made up of armor. The horse neighed loudly, and raised its two front hooves before stomping them on the ground. The wooden benches around the stage were crushed and thrown far away into the fields. The horses' eyes glowed purple and it snorted loudly. The knight held a huge, long sword that was broken in half.

PHANTOM KNIGHTS BREAK SWORD RNK.3 ORB.2 ATK:2000 DEF:1000

Sora covered his face, and once the wind was gone he looked back excitedly. "Here it is! An Xyz monster!"

"Battle!" Yuto leaned forward slightly. "I attack Edge Imp Tomahawk with Break Sword!" The horse galloped towards its opponent and neighed loudly. The sound echoing out for miles as the knight swung its huge sword. Tomahawk being cleaved in half almost instantly, and was destroyed. Sora grunted from the force impacting him, his wounds still tender, and skid back on both feet.

SORA LP- 4000 = 3800

"I set two cards and end my turn!" Yuto finished as he threw his arm to the side.

"Hmph." Sora straightened with pride. The Academia soldier continuing forward despite his injuries. "Well, it wouldn't be any fun if you couldn't at least do this. Now that you've shown off your Xyz, it's time for me to go all out!" Sora's nose scrunched up slightly as he smiled. "My turn, I draw!" The shorter teen raised a familiar Spell Card up between two fingers. "I activate the Spell Card Polymerization from my hand!" Grey eyes widened slightly, unknowingly alongside yellow and unseen violet. All three of them getting sick of seeing that card constantly.

"The cards I'm going to fuse are Edge Imp Sabres and Fluffal Bear in my hand!" The two monster appeared behind Sora, and began to fuse in a blinding light. Sora took a step back and raised his hands into the air, before balling them into one fist and throwing them in front of himself. The light casting shadows over him. "Claws of the demon and fangs of the beast! Become one and reveal to us your new form! I Fusion Summon! Come forth, horrifying beast that shreds all! Frightfur Scissor Bear!" The familiar demonic toy rose up with a hellish cackle, pink eyes moving around in circles in its head.

FRIGHTFUR SCISSOR BEAR LV.6 ATK:2200 DEF:1800

A speck of white and orange crossed Zero's vision, and the masked man looked over to see a familiar face, slightly shocked. "Yuya…" He knew Yuya was going to search around this area, but he didn't exactly believe the tomato haired teen would actually find them.

This may cause some problems.

"Sora!" Yuya breathed to himself, before looking over to see Yuto and Zero. The former being focused on the duel while the latter was looking directly at him. "That's…Zero!" Though, most of his focus was on Yuto. The Pendulum creator just couldn't believe how alike they looked. Sure their hair and eye color with different alongside their attire. But push that to the side and they could be passed off as twins, identical twins at that.

It was creepy, how someone he hardly knew had the same face as his.

"Is that the Yuto guy Yuzu was talking about?" Yuya mummered.

"Time to battle!" Sora said cheerily. "I attack Break Sword with my Frightfur Bear!" Sora threw his hand forward, and the nightmarish toy followed his master's action. The toy's arm extended, until it smashed into Break Sword and caused the ghostly knight to fall apart. The force blew Yuto back a ways, but thankfully Zero didn't need to intervene this time. The Phantom Knights user only skidding back a little bit, although one of his grey eyes were closed.

YUTO LP- 3200 = 3000

Yuto reacted instantaneously. "At this moment, I activate Break Sword's effect!" The eggplant haired duelist raised his hand calmly in front of him. "When this monster leaves the field I can Special Summon its Xyz Materials as Level 4 monsters!" The two monsters appeared once again, rising up from the ground as if rising from a grave.

PHANTOM KNIGHTS DUSTY ROBE LV.3 ATK:800 DEF:1000

PHANTOM KNIGHTS SILENT BOOTS LV.3 ATK:200 DEF:1200

PHANTOM KNIGHTS DUSTY ROBE LV.3 = 4

PHANTOM KNIGHTS SILENT BOOTS LV.3 = 4

"Phantom Knights will never fall!" Yuto yelled out towards Sora. "No matter how many times you take them down, they will always revive!"

"It's like how we of the resistance fight." Zero interjected smoothly, a bit surprised no one else has noticed Yuya by now. That, and the fact that Yuya was still standing there watching instead of taking action. The Entertainment duelist was always more of an action person, though that never surprised the masked rebel. Speaking of Yuya, the teen seemed to be muttering to himself under his breath. Yuya beginning to put the pieces together shakily.

Sora continued mercilessly. "Frightfur Scissor Bear's effect activates! Once per turn, Scissor Bear can equip a monster it destroys in battle!" When the knight rose from the dead, the devilish bear pounced. It's maw opening widely before it chomped down over half of Yuto's Xyz monster. The demonic bear chewed a bit, pieces flying everywhere before it gave a loud burp. "And then its Attack is added to Frightfur Bear's!" Sora added.

FRIGHTFUR SCISSOR BEAR ATK:2200 = 4200

The bear grew about twice its normal size, and began to babble loudly. "This means that your Xyz monsters are only going to be nutrients for my Frightfur Bear!" Sora sneered. "Now, go ahead and Xyz again with those monsters you Summoned!" Sora dared Yuto, egging him on. "I'll devour those as well! I set one card and end my turn!" With that, Sora's hand was empty.

"My turn!" Yuto yelled and drew a card. "I overlay the Level 4 Phantom Knights Dusty Robes and SIlent Boots!" The two specters gave a ghoulish chuckle as they went into the golden vortex in the ground once again.

Sora laughed at Yuto's supposed stupidity. "He's really doing it!"

A dark, black and purple dragon crawled out of the darkness and stood proud and threateningly. "Fangs of pitch black darkness. Rise up against the foolish oppression!" Bony armoured claws flexed themselves strongly, the dragon stretching its wings as if it had been cramped in a tight space for a while. Yellow eyes glowed as lightning flickered around the dragon. "Descend now! I Xyz Summon!" Yuto yelled, as his ace monster appeared. "Come forth! Rank 4! Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon!" The dragon spun around, tail waving wildly, before it flapped its wings once and hissed into the air.

DARK REBELLION XYZ DRAGON RNK.4 ORB.2 ATK: 2500 DEF: 2000

"Dark Rebellion…" Yuya trailed off. "Xyz Dragon?"

Sora smiled darkly at the dragon's appearance. "Just what are you going to do with just a monster with a measly 2500 Attack?" Emerald eyes looked up towards Frightfur Bear, Sora leaning back to do so. "Right now, Frightfur Bear's Attack is already 4200!"

Yuto spoke harshly. "I activate Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon's effect!" The Xyz user raised a hand. "By user one orbital, I can halve the Attack of an opponent's Level 5 or higher monster until the end of the turn and increase its own Attack by that amount!" Dark Rebellion hissed loudly as it spread its wings once again, purple lightning charging up from in between and around them. The purple electricity snaked forward as Yuto spoke, and wrapped around Sora's Fusion monster like ropes. "Treason Discharge!"

DARK REBELLION XYZ DRAGON ORB. 2 = 1

FRIGHTFUR SCISSOR BEAR ATK:4200 = 2100

DARK REBELLION XYZ DRAGON ATK: 2500 = 4600

Emerald eyes shrunk and Sora flinched back at this realization. This is bad. If he uses his remaining Orbital, Frightfur Bear's Attack will lower to 1050… Light blue eyebrows furrowed.

"Dark Rebellion Xyz's Attack will be at 5650." Zero remarked, thinking along the same lines as Sora and Yuya were. Yuto would win, and Sora would lose to another Xyz fighter.

"Battle!" Yuto yelled, and this caught all three of them off guard. Zero especially, the masked man looked over at Yuto with some concern. He usually never holds back against Academia soldiers… So why is he forcefully pulling back now?

"What?" Sora asked, voice somewhat small.

The dark purple orbs on Rebellion's wings began to glow ominously. "I attack Frightfur Scissor Bear with Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon!" Blue fire spread from the dark dragon's wings, and with a few flaps, the Xyz dragon was flying straight towards Sora and it's prey. The mandible on it's chin glowing a fierce white. "Revolt Lightning Disobey!"

The dragon swiped its sharp mandibles, causing the demonic bear to be destroyed in a fiery explosion. The explosion sent shockwaves of force outwards, and caused Sora to fly head over heels backwards. Sora screamed as his injuries began to protest rather loudly.

SORA LP- 3800 = 1300

"This isn't even a Solid Vision Field, but these shockwaves…!" Yuzu told the truth when she recalled her first encounter with Yuto. How the air was frigid and how the warehouse and furniture within took actual, real damage. Scarlet red eyes widened at the sight of Sora laying on the ground in pain.

"I end my turn with this." Yuto finished, Dark Rebellion having returned to it's master's side. "At this moment, Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon's Attack returns to normal.

DARK REBELLION XYZ DRAGON ATK: 4600 = 2500

"Sora!" Yuya finally moved his legs forward, and sprinted over to his fallen friend. The Pendulum user kneeled down to check on Sora. "Are you okay, Sora?"

Grey eyes blinked, Yuto didn't even realize his Standard counterpart had arrived. Perhaps he was a bit too into the duel to notice. When he looked over at Zero, the masked man nodded slightly, confirming his suspicions. Yuto's frown lightened slightly, but at the same time it seemed to deepen.

"Does he know who Sora really is?" Yuto questioned lightly.

Zero shook his head. "No, he doesn't know what's really going on here." His faceless mask looked over at the two briefly, before turning back towards Yuto. "But I suspect he will learn very soon."

"Why didn't you tell me he was coming?" Yuto almost barked. He didn't want to keep warping all over the place because of Yuya being nearby. Though, that didn't seem to be happening now. Yuto vaguely realized that it was because Yuzu wasn't here along with her bracelet.

"Why did you hold back?" Zero responded smoothly, always answering questions with a question.

Yuto chewed on his inner cheek slightly at that, before huffing. "I'll talk about it with you later, Zero."

Yuya helped Sora sit up, but the tomato haired teen was immediately pushed away. Emerald eyes looking up at Yuto and Zero stubbornly. "Go away! This isn't any of your business!"

"What are you talking about?!" Yuya asked, he was so lost right now. "Why did you sneak out here to duel when you should be getting rest in the hospital?!"

Sora grit his teeth and growled, emerald eyes still fixated on the two resistance fighters. "He's…" The Academia soldier could barely speak he was grinding his teeth so much. "He's holding back… Holding back against me?!" The shorter teen sucked in a breath. "Dammit! He's making fun of me!"

Sora stood up shakily, Yuya raising his arms to help catch him incase he fell over again. The candy addict balanced himself quickly though. "I'll…" He sounded enraged and humiliated at the same time. "I'll never forgive you!"

"That's enough!" Yuya yelled, red eyes narrowing slightly at his friend's behavior. "If you keep this up your body will-!"

"Shut up!" Sora yelled and finally faced Yuya, eyes shrunk back slightly in his anger. "I'm still not going all out yet! I'll prove to you if I get serious, I'm the stronger one!"

"You can do that anytime!" Yuya insisted, his hands balled into fists. "Like in the next tournament!"

"There isn't a next time!" Sora snapped, and looked back at Yuto and Zero. The two having finished their own conversation, and where looking down at him. Those grey eyes were silently mocking him, judging him, shaming him. Sora hated it. "In a real battle, there isn't another chance!"

"That's right." Yuto agreed, speaking up so everyone could hear. Yuya's scarlet red eyes blinked, before looking over at Yuto and Zero. "But even if you are my enemy, I can't bring myself to hurt you anymore. If you surrender now, I'll end this so that you won't suffer."

Yuya turned to face the resistance fighter and lookalike fully. "What are you planning on doing?!" He spoke slowly, proving that he was serious on this matter. "What are you going to do to Sora!?"

No reply, Yuto deciding to stay silent as he looked down towards Yuya. Towards the face that looked almost exactly like his own.

"Answer me!" Yuya yelled, and took a step forward. Red eyes blazing with an inner fire of rage and teeth grit. "That Kurosaki guy tried to do something to Sora too! But Zero stopped him." Yuya's mind quickly flashed back to the moment Zero and Shun had a small quarrel. Revealing the fact that they actually knew each other. Though Yuya knew that already from meeting the two back when Shun first Xyz Summoned Rise Falcon in the alley.

Grey eyes narrowed. "You said I have to destroy Fusion right? If I want to save Ruri and I from that fate." Yuto dodged Yuya's questioning. Zero raising an eyebrow at how the Phantom Knights user answered the question with a question of his own. Just like how Zero did, and usually does when people ask questions he won't answer or outright lie about.

"Ruri?" Red eyes softened slightly at that.

Grey eyes flickered back and forth between Sora and Yuya, before they closed in deep thought. "A large building can be brought down by a single anthill." The Xyz duelist recalled. "I'll have you become the first crack that we drill into the wall of Fusion!" Sora grit his teeth, while Yuya gasped. The tomato haired teen seeing Shun's face instead of Yuto's for a moment.

He stepped forward. "Stop it!" Sora's emerald eyes looked over at Yuya. "I won't let you hurt my friend anymore!" Both Zero and Yuto leaned back at that promise. Yuya attached his red duel disk onto his forearm, and an orange duel blade appearing. "If you want to do this, then I'll take you on!"

.

.

.

"Alright then." Zero conceded finally. Everyone blinked at his words, thinking that the masked man was going to actually surrender.

Those thoughts were banished from everyone's minds when they saw the masked revolutionary take a step forward, and attach his own duel disk onto his forearm. His duel blade activated, revealing the royal violet mark of geass.

"If we must fight, Yuya. Then I suppose we can even the odds a bit." Zero sighed, his masked head shaking side to side slightly, before he returned his attention to his two opponents. "Let's finish this."

"Battle Royal Mode." Both Zero's and Yuya's duel disks spoke. "Joining…"

SORA LP- 1300

YUTO LP- 3000

ZERO LP- 4000

YUYA LP- 4000

"DUEL!"

"My turn!" Yuya yelled, taking a few steps forward before making his move. He lifted two cards in between his fingers, and both Xyz users knew what was coming. "I, using Scale 1 Stargazer Magician and Scale 8 Time gazer Magician, set the Pendulum Scale!" The two magicians rose up in two pillars of bright blue light. "With this, I'm able to summon Level 2 to 7 monsters simultaneously!" Yuya raised his hand up towards the sky, where a portal was beginning to form. "Sawy, Pendulum of the Soul! Draw an arc of light across the ether. I Pendulum Summon!" Only one monster came through the portal, but it was his best, his ace monster. "Come forth with your wondrous and beautiful dichromatic eyes. Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!" The mighty red scaled and dichromatic eyed dragon roared into the sky loudly.

ODD-EYES PENDULUM DRAGON LV.7 ATK:2500 DEF:2000

The air suddenly seemed to shift into something dark.

"AHH!" Yuya screeched suddenly, before cutting himself off with a gasp for air. His crimson eyes shrunk into pupil size, and shook violently. The Pendulum user clutched his chest with one hand harshly, fist gathering a bunch of orange fabric. The tomato haired teen took deep, even breaths, as if he was having a hard time breathing properly. Zero looked closely at Yuya's sudden pain, surprised by this action.

"Geh!" He wasn't the only one apparently. Zero's maskless face swung over to look at Yuto, the Phantom Knights user grabbed ahold of his chest as well. The Xyz duelist feeling a burning pain in his chest all of a sudden. A sudden darkness, a rage that appeared when he fought Edo Phoenix back in his home world. Yuto's heart raced, and he quickly pushed the horrible emotions and darkness away as if it was on fire, or perhaps fire itself. Though he showed no outward emotion of pain, his grey eyes had glazed over just a bit. A sheen sweat forming on his comrades' face.

Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon roared, and Zero looked up to see the dragon. As soon as was finished, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon seemed to roar back. It went like that for a few moments, the two dragons rearing up and roaring almost as one.

It looked like they were talking to each other.

But that was impossible! Duel monsters didn't have feelings. Right?

Then why was it Odd-Eyes and Dark Rebellion were talking to each other through their roaring?

The two dragons began to glow, and it only seemed to be getting brighter and brighter without any signs of stopping. Odd-Eyes glowed a fierce red, while Dark Rebellion glowed a rather soothing, yet fiery blue.

"What the hell is going on?" Zero spoke out loud, both him and Sora were completely lost at the sight. Zero looked back at Yuto, before putting a firm hand on his shoulder. "Yuto? Are you alright?" He didn't seem to gain a reply at first, so he tried again. "Yuto? YUTO!"

They weren't the only ones lost.

. . .

"Yuto? YUTO!"

"It's as if the two dragons are calling out to each other…" Nakajima trailed off, awed yet somewhat afraid of the sight. Why did watching this bring a bad feeling in his gut?

Alarms and bells were going off like crazy around the Observation Room, and it didn't look like it would stop soon. The power coming from the two dragons was astronomical, it was insane.

Yellow eyes narrowed slightly. What the hell is this? Why is Dark Rebellion acting that way? Shun crossed his arms tightly across his chest. Why does Yuto look like he's in pain? Then it hit him. If Ruri's bracelet had a power, and was wanted by the Professor of Academia for it. Then this is probably why he wants Yuto, for this power that seems to cause him pain while dueling.

"Is this… Revival Zero?" Shun spoke so quietly, even Reiji didn't catch it.

. . .

Yuya threw his hand out, ignoring the burning pain in his chest as much as possible. "I attack Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon with Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!" The Pendulum monster stomped forward, before jumping high into the air towards Dark Rebellion. The red scaled monster turned, and swung its tail.

Dark Rebellion flew up to meet the other dragon, purple wings shining a fiercely bright purple and blue. One bony, clawed hand reached out and caught the tail while its mandibles scratched Odd-Eyes' tail before releasing it. The two backed off if only for a moment, before butting heads. Odd-Eyes jumped away, and Dark Rebellion struck, its mandibles glowed a fierce white as it went in for the kill. The Pendulum dragon dodged and ran. Before quickly turning around and swinging its tail down. The plan was to crush Dark Rebellion's head against the pavement.

It failed however when the Xyz dragon swerved to the right, missing the blow if barely. Dark Rebellion backed off slightly, only to turn around and began to fight Yuya's dragon once more. The Pendulum monster stomping its feet loudly, cracking the pavement below it as it charged forward.

Yuto finally snapped out of what stupor he had. He quickly shook off Zero's hand, before throwing his own to the right of him. "I activate the Continuous Trap Phantom Fog Blade!" A dark purple flamed, ghoulish blade appeared from some fog and began to swing. "This card negates your attack!" The sword swung right in between Odd-Eyes and Dark Rebellion. The two dragons passed through the purple fog, before quickly returning to their own masters. "As long as I control this card, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon cannot attack!" Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon hissed down at them, it's glowing wings spread menacingly while floating behind Yuto.

Odd-Eyes Pendulum dragon roared, before jumping back and landing beside Yuya. Sora and Zero watched it all before their own eyes, in slight disbelief. "A trap that negates attack?!"

Apparently, they were in disbelief about two different things. Zero was more shocked and focused on the fact that both Yuya and Yuto seemed to be in pain, and that their monsters were actually communicating with each other. Sora seemed to be more focused on the duel, and didn't really notice the odd behavior going on around him.

Sora narrowed his emerald eyes angrily as he realized something else once again. "If he had that card set, he could have stopped my Frightfur Scissor Bear's attack!" The Academia spy ran a couple steps forward, absolutely furious. "You baited out my attack just so you could Xyz Summon again! And in your attack earlier, you didn't use one of your orbitals!" The shorter teen grit his teeth and took another step forward. He shook from his anger and the pain of his injuries. "How…" The candy addict felt so humiliated, and Zero couldn't really disagree with that. It was rather embarrassing, but then again he was as prideful as Sora. Most likely even more so than him really. "How much more are you going to make a fool of me!" Sora spat with pure venom. "I will never forgive you! NEVER!"

Yuto looked over at Sora, his grey eyes not really caring that much, before they went over to Zero, and finally Yuya. The two lookalikes narrowed their eyes at each other.

"I activate Timegazer Magician's Pendulum effect!" Yuya continued his turn and threw his hand out. "Once per turn, it can negate the activation of a Spell or Trap card that targets a Pendulum monster!" The magician spun a golden mechanism back, before rushing it forward and crating an infinity loop from the magic. "Inverse Gears!" Time spun backwards, before Yuto's trap card lowered. "Alright!" Yuya did a fist pump, but it was sadly too early to celebrate.

"Trap activate!" Yuto yelled once again, catching Yuya off guard.

"What?!"

"Booby Trap E!" Yuto responded well to Yuya's move. "This card copies the effect of a set Trap I control!"

"Then that means that Trap that Timegazer Magician negated…" Yuya leaned back, red eyes having widened.

"That's right." Yuto agreed to Yuya's line of thinking. "Since it has the same effect as Phantom Fog Blade your attack will be negated. And as long as I control this card, your dragon cannot attack!"

Yuya grit his teeth in frustration. "I end my turn here."

"Well then." Zero held a hand on top of his deck for a second, ready to draw a card. "I suppose it's finally my turn then. I draw!" Zero huffed slightly at the card he drew, before beginning his turn. The masked man showed them a Spell card. "I activate the Spell card Mechanical Fusion. By discarding one card from my hand, I can use the monsters in my hand or field to perform a Fusion Summon."

Yuya and Sora both flinched back at that. "Zero can Fusion Summon!?"

The masked man ignored them, and pressed onwards. "I choose to fuse my Level 6 Knightmare Gekka and my Level 4 Black Knight Glasgow. Mechanical beast of old, and new sleek bringer of death. Combine together to bring forth an even stronger, more deadlier machine of war!" Zero threw one graceful hand out in front of him, before slowly turning it into a fist that reenacted crushing his enemies. His cape rose, like a dragon spreading its wings. "I Fusion Summon!"

A big giant that easily towered over even Odd-Eyes by a few inches descended from the sky like a Titan itself. "Descend from the dark, emotionless heavens that you reside in! Level 8! Knightmare Mordred!" This giant monstrosity could somehow float, even with tons upon tons of steel that it carried. While it had a simple float pack, there were two giant shoulder pads on the sides of its arms. It's feet were bigger than its own hands, most certainly used to stomp and crush things with ease. The machine had a dark maroon, yellow, and white paint job with glowing pink eyes.

KNIGHTMARE MORDRED LV.8 ATK:3000 DEF:2800

"T-that thing is huge!" Yuya cried out in shock, and unconsciously took a step back.

Sora himself seemed terrified at the notion of Zero summoning THAT thing. "H-He can Fusion Summon. But how?!" The Academia spy took a couple steps back. This wasn't just some flimsy Fusion Summon either, it was just as strong as one of their own. Hell, one of their bests performing a Fusion Summon.

Just who the hell was Zero!

. . .

Seeing such a Fusion monster certainly took Reiji by surprise. "So he can Fusion Summon as well. This makes things more interesting." It seemed that the more time he spent observing the masked man, the stronger he revealed himself to really be.

Yellow eyes flared with anger at seeing a Fusion monster on their side, but Shun just barely managed to hold his rage in. All four of them had already talked about this. He already accepted Zero, and the fact that he Fusion Summoned at times. Though it was hardly often due to how his allies felt about the method. It still made him feel so angry at the sight of the thing, even if it was a rather impressive machine.

"Nakajima." Shun snapped out of his thoughtful daze and listened in. "Take a note of this, would you?"

Shun's frown deepened at that. Did Reiji really just order his bodyguard to take notes of Zero and right in front of him? Who was he kidding, of course he did. The CEO certainly had the balls to pull it off.

He'd have to warn Zero about Reiji keeping a careful eye on him once he gets the ability to contact or meet him again. Without being followed or bugged.

. . .

"I activate Knightmare Mordred's effect!" Zero proclaimed. "Once per turn, the Mordred can destroy a monster on my opponent's side of the field. And they take halve of the monster's Attack as damage." One black gloved hand calmly pointed towards Odd-Eyes, since he was the only monster on the field besides Dark Rebellion and the Mordred itself. "I choose Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon." The Mordred slowly turned to face the dichromatic eyed monster, before it's supposed 'shoulder pads' shifted around and turned into a huge cannon in front of the enormous knightmare. A dark, blood red energy gathered together within the enormous cannon that the Mordred calmly held. "Wreck havocate and destroy! Stark Hadron Cannon!"

The giant cannon fired, Yuya unable to stop it, and could only watch his monster face the machine's wrath. The energy surrounded his dragon, before it began to melt the poor beast. Thankfully it was soon put out of its misery, and destroyed in a fiery explosion. Yuya having to cover his face from the thick smoke and blew around him and away in the wind.

YUYA LP- 4000 = 2750

The pain Yuto was feeling suddenly vanished, and the Phantom Knights duelist was able to breathe more easily. Zero noticed this change, and was thankful in knowing his comrade would be alright. Yuya also seemed to be feeling better, because the pain his red eyes reflected was gone.

Zero stood tall, looking between the two duelists that were supposed to fight against him and Yuto. "You know, I don't exactly feel like fighting against you Yuya. You're not my enemy." Zero's mask tilted towards Sora. "He however, is." The masked man thought for a moment. "I end my turn here."

It looked like Sora was going to literally explode from rage. Even Zero was underestimating, silently mocking him by ending his turn without attacking! Sora growled, before stomping over to Yuya and pushing him back. "If you can't do anything, then get lost!"

"Sora!" Yuya yelled at his friend, completely caught off guard, and slightly hurt at his friend being so angry and rough with him.

"They're my prey!" Sora snapped. Turning his head to face Zero and Yuto while holding a hand out towards Yuya's face. "Don't interfere, Yuya!"

"Your prey?!" Yuya looked absolutely horrified as Sora said those words so casually. "What the heck is that?! What do you even mean?" The Pendulum user began to get frustrated when his candy addicted friend wouldn't answer. "Answer me!"

Nothing but grinding teeth and growls.

"You said the same thing during your duel with Shun Kurosaki!" Yuya pointed out, wishing he could forget the horrible fight. "You said they were just prey for your HUNTING GAMES!" Yuya yelled rather loudly at the end of his sentences just to emphasise the point. "Yuzu told me…" Red eyes looked up at Zero and Yuto. "You're looking for an alliance with L.D.S. That there's a bigger picture going on! That he's in danger along with this girl named Ruri, Shun's sister!"

Yuto shrunk back slightly at that, possibly regretting what he had told Yuzu the day Shun fought Masumi, Dipper and Kit. Meanwhile, back at L.D.S, Shun's yellow eyes shook just barely at the mention of his sister.

Now Sora turned his head to face Yuya. "Yuzu said that...!"

"She said she heard that from Yuto." Red looked back up into grey. "Is that really true!? Answer me!" The tomato haired teen pointed up at Yuto. "You're Yuto, aren't you!?"

The Xyz user closed his eyes, and nodded. "That's right."

"Tell me then! What happened!?" Yuya was desperate to know, desperate for some answers in this endless puzzle of truths and lies. "Why do you guys hate each other so much!?"

Grey eyes looked to the side for a moment, pondering whether he should really tell his Standard counterpart. Zero wondered if it was safe as well, but in the end Yuya would probably believe it was a lie without any real proof. Yuto decided to remain silent, and quietly looked back at Yuya.

"Why aren't you saying anything!?" Yuya was practically pleading now. "Answer me!" He repeated in frustration.

More silence.

Sora gave a short laugh. "Ha. There's no way they could!" He smirked, and pulled out another lollipop from his back pocket. "If they do, they'd have to show their weak side!" Sora mocked, before taking a bite out of the candy he held in one hand.

"What?" Yuya turned back to face Sora, who was more focused on finishing his lollipop and chewing than his 'friend's' lost concern.

"We are not weak." Zero growled, his modulator making it sound almost animalistic.

Sora's words reminded Zero of his bastard father. Who dared to call him and Nunnally weak, and thrown them away like trash to another country they would soon invade.

The Fusion user gulped loudly. Before leaning in with a wicked smile and taunting emerald, practically acid, green eyes. "They're just a remnant of those losers." Yuto tensed, offended by the insult. He wasn't alone either, Zero and Shun were also angered by Sora's words. But the masked man was able to conceal it more that Yuto or Shun. Having mastered the art of deceit and masks a long time ago, sadly.

Sora dropped his lollipop, or what remained, and quickly stomped down on top of it with one boot. The Academia spy made sure to put as much weight and pressure on it while moving his foot side to side. "They're just runaways from the Xyz Dimension that my allies took over!"

Yuya blinked. "Xyz Dimension?" He sounded incredulous.

"Shut up!" Yuto finally snapped, and raised a fist. Stormy grey eyes having darkened even more at Yuya possibly learning even a fragment of the truth. However, he was more mad at the lies and twists Sora came up with in those few sentences. "We have not been taken over!"

. . .

"And Zero, Shun and I didn't run away!" Yuto insisted. Shun was grinding his teeth, really wanting to wring Sora's neck now. The Professor could wait, this runt came first.

. . .

"We came to this world to oppose the Fusion Dimension!" Zero spoke up for once, helping to separate the truths from the lies. Though, technically they came here on accident… But it still worked out in the end.

"Fusion Dimension?" Yuya sounded so lost and on the fence about this whole thing. The teen raised two fingers. "Xyz Dimension… Fusion Dimension… What the heck is that!?"

Sora pointed over at the two resistance fighters. "It means that he, Zero, and Kurosaki aren't from this world!" Yuya looked back up at the two, speechless. "They came from another world, the Xyz Dimension!"

"A-Another world?" Yuya repeated numbly.

Sora put a hand against his chest with pride. "My allies fought gallantly and won against the Xyz Dimension!" That pride soon returned to rage as he snarled up at the two resistance fighters. "If I lose, I'd be smearing mud on their honor! And more than that, I cannot forgive myself!" The Academia spy pointed a thumb at himself. "I was the top of the elite class in Academia, and was even given this special mission!" Sora's hands were clenched so tightly his nails drew blood from his palms. "To think I'd lose to Xyz scum!" He quickly shook his head side to side. "There's no way that would happen! My turn!" Sora yelled as he drew his card, beginning his turn.

Yuya leaned forward a bit towards Sora. "Stop it! If you keep this up-"

"I activate my set card on the field, Frightfur Custom!" Sora interrupted and ignored his friend's warnings. "With this card's effect, I can Special Summon Edge Imp Tomahawk from my Graveyard and have it be treated as a Frightfur monster!" The metal monster was reborn for round two.

EDGE IMP TOMAHAWK LV.4 ATK:1800 DEF:800

"Then, I activate the effect of my Edge Imp Fakefur in my Graveyard! I can have it be treated as a Frightfur monster!" Sora continued. "Then, I activate Frightfur Fusion from my hand!" Sora's monsters began to fuse together behind him. "Using Edge Imp Tomahawk on my field with Fakefur and Frightfur Scissor Bear in my Graveyard, I perform a Fusion Summon!" The Academia soldier's duel disk began to glow a bright yellow as a new monster was about to appear on the field of battle. "I'll make you realize how powerful I am! Yuto! Zero! I'll show you the real power I developed at Academia!" Sora swore, and everyone watched the shorter teen yell loudly towards even the heavens. "I'll bring out the strongest monster with real Fusion Summoning!"

Just as the card started to form on Sora's screen. The duel disk suddenly began to fizzle, and glitch out of control.

"Huh!" Sora looked down at his malfunctioning duel disk, his emerald eyes widening with realization and then panic.

"Duel Closed." Sora's duel disk spoke with it's robotic voice, and his duel blade was forcibly turned off.

"No!" Sora screamed, and began to try taking his duel disk off. The dueling device was turning a fierce bright red, and no matter how hard Sora tried he couldn't pry it off of his arm. "Stop! I don't want to go yet!"

"Sora!" Yuya called out.

"Wait please!" Sora pleaded, still trying to claw the duel disk off of him stubbornly. "Wait until I defeat them!" Stoic grey eyes looked down at Sora, the Phantom Knights duelist remaining silent alongside Zero. They both knew what was happening as well.

Sora was being forcibly sent home. To the Fusion Dimension. To Academia.

"Until I finish off those Xyz users!" Sora begged. He refused to go back with the shame that he held still, the loss. "I still need to defeat Shun Kurosaki! I- I have to beat Yuto and Zero!" The shorter boy began turning into blue pixels. "I can't go back to Academia!"

Yuya almost looked like he was going to pass out in disbelief. "S-Sora… Sora!" Yuya turned to look at Zero and Yuto. The two remaining rather passive throughout all of that. "Hey! What's going on! What just happened?"

Yuto closed his grey eyes, and Zero decided to answer for him instead. "He ran away, back to his dimension. He went back to the Fusion Dimension."

"Went back?!" Yuya said incredulously. "It didn't sound like he wanted to go back!"

Yuto nodded. "Yes, he went back. Or he was forced to." Grey eyes opened once again. Yuya was close in figuring everything out, might as well tell the boy so he would stop pestering them with too many questions. Though, they'd still leave out a couple of details. "He was originally a person from that world."

"That world…?" Yuya snarled. "What ridiculous garbage have you been spewing!" Yuya began to speak somewhat sarcastically. "Sora is from the Fusion Dimension. You, Zero, and Shun Kurosaki are from the Xyz Dimension?! What the hell is this bullshit!" Yuya must be rather upset if he was cursing at them right now. "Are you saying there are other worlds than this one!?" The sarcasm in his voice went away.

"That's correct." Zero leaned back slightly, and wiped off his suit carefully.

"Stop screwing around!" Yuya snapped at the both of them. They had to be playing a prank on him. "There's no way I can believe that!" Yuya raised a fist. "Hurry up and give Sora back! He was injured during his fight with Shun!"

"You don't have to worry about that." Zero tried to calm his tomato haired friend. "Academia should have their own doctors."

Scarlet red eyes blinked. "Academia?" Sora mentioned that name as well, and again just as he disappeared. Yuya frowned. "Just what the heck is Academia?"

"Academia is…" Yuto tightened his fist, knuckles turning white. "A training school for duel soldiers in the Fusion Dimension."

Now red eyes widened. "Dueling soldiers?"

Yuto changed the subject, the idea of talking about Academia grating on his nerves enough. "Now that Sora Shiunin has left, it would be my turn. But…" Grey eyes looked to the side. "This duel no longer has any reason to continue." Yuto looked down at his duel disk. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Emergency Provision! I can send any number of Spell or Trap cards from my field to my Graveyard and gain 1000 Life Points for each." Both of Yuto's traps were destroyed, giving him 2000 extra Life Points.

YUTO LP- 3000 = 5000

"I end my turn." Yuto finished, and closed his eyes impassively.

"Are you sure?" Yuya asked. "With your trap gone, I can easily resummon Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon and attack you with him.

"If you want to, then do it." Yuto said simple, grey eyes reopening once more.

Yuya sucked in a breath, scarlet red eyes widening as he frowned. The tomato haired teen gritting his teeth as he did so. "There's no way I could!" As fast as lightning, Yuya quickly removed his deck and ended the duel. His magicians vanishing in an array of yellow particles. Zero and Yuto did the same thing, their two monsters being destroyed into yellow particles as well.

Now that the fighting was finally over, and everyone was slightly calmer than before. It was time to get some answers.

"You said that Sora would be the first step in destroying the Fusion Dimension." Yuya restated, his posture calm and his face relaxed. "But with Sora disappearing like that, aren't you relieved somewhere deep down?" Yuya was almost afraid of the answer he would get from the two. Though he was rather hopeful. "Even back in your duel with him, you would have won if you had used two orbitals… But you tried to end it by using one to destroy Sora's monster!" Yuya looked over to Zero. "And you could have just attacked him directly, but instead you ended your turn."

"Could it be that you really don't want to fight?" Yuya questioned.

"... Those guys…" Yuto sat down on top of the stage, legs hanging over the edge. Though Zero didn't bother to sit down, he did decide to lean against the wall of the backstage. "The people at Academia are invaders!" Yuto spat darkly. "They invaded the Xyz Dimension and tried to kidnap one of my comrades… my best friend's little sister!" Grey eyes looked up and over to Zero. "They may have gotten away with it to if it wasn't for Zero." That was a lie, because Yuri WOULD have gotten Ruri and made a clean getaway before they could even find her. Zero was the only thing that prevented that from happening, and it was mostly on pure luck that he managed to find her just in the nick of time.

Zero looked to the side, masked violet eyes narrowed in thought. "I was lucky that time. I only managed to stumble upon her after I found the file linking her to Revival Zero." The masked revolutionary crossed his arms and huffed in annoyance. "It was too close a call."

. . .

"Our homeland was attacked by them! By Academia and their Fusion duel soldiers!" Yuto snarled angrily.

"And our world turned into a battlefield." Shun ground out, yellow eyes molten in fury. Riley looked over and up at him in shock.

. . .

"Your homeland…?" Yuya trailed off, his voice tinged with guilt and pity. "The Xyz Dimension was!-"

"Please don't feel guilty about dueling us just now." Zero quickly interjected, showing his irritated state even through his voice modulator. "You still don't know what's going on, you were only protecting your supposed 'friend'. Besides, you don't even know us, so don't go pitying us either." The moonlight reflected off of Zero's mask as it turned to the side.

"Academia calls it that… the Xyz Dimension." Yuto corrected quietly. "Just as they use Fusion Summoning, people of our world all use Xyz Summoning." Yuto put one hand on his wrist, and tightened it while gritting his teeth. "But it was never meant to be used as a tool for fighting! Our duels were there to make everyone smile and have fun!" Grey eyes softened to a light cloudy color. The Xyz user looked as if he were reliving fond memories.

"That's right… Until that day." Zero spoke up for Yuto since he couldn't finish. "The day when Academia attacked."

"Heartland was overflowing with people's smiles." Yuto gave an actual small smile. He could still remember the once beautiful city with its marvelous lights and unique buildings. He could still remember what Heartland's tower was really supposed to look like, and what it was supposed to represent as a symbol. The people talking cheerily, the children laughing as they dueled for fun…

How the sky turned grey as multiple dueling soldiers marched through a large blue light used to warp them there. How they summoned their monsters, their Ultimate Ancient Gear Golems, destroying the city and wreaking havoc. How the fire and smoke spread chaotically, and entire crowds of people were turned into cards in an instant. Living human beings, men, women, children, elderly, even small infants were turned into flimsy, easily breakable pieces of paper that sometimes flew away in the wind. Never to come back.

Then there was the screams mixed alongside the laughter of Academia. Those scarring screams that Yuto just couldn't get out of his head. Those nightmares that would haunt him at night and keep him awake. The struggle it really was to find sleep on top of his normal sleeping problems.

But the worst of it all?

The silence.

The pure, deafening silence that came after. Once Heartland became a desolate wasteland, because there was nobody left to scream or cry out.

They had all been turned into cards.

It hurt to remember what his home was like, and what it had been forcefully turned into now.

It hurt a lot.

Zero walked over, and placed a calming hand on Yuto's shoulder. The Phantom Knights user could feel the masked man's sympathy and understanding, even with his mask on. He could feel how Zero's body shook, so small he probably didn't even know he was shaking in the first place.

He knew exactly what it was like to lose it all. He knew Yuto's pain well, too well.

The masked man helping to ground his friend and comrade in arms, grey eyes had unknowingly began to moisten with tears, and Yuto quickly blinked them away. It was foolish to show such weakness to the enemy.

Zero felt so sorry for Yuto, having known what it was like to lose a home twice in a row. He was rather personal with the pain and misery that came with such things. Not only that, but he had begun to get used to it as well. But there were times like this, when he would just remember like Yuto, and the pain would come back ten times stronger. Carefully, the resistance leader sat down, and threw one part of his cape over Yuto's shoulders. The two resistance- No. The two survivors sitting side by side. The temperature was getting rather cold out at this time of night.

It certainly painted a picture though, one that Clovis would shed a tear on once he had finished.

"They turned one person after another into cards!" Yuto bit his inner cheek. He could faintly taste blood in the back of his mouth, but he didn't care.

. . .

Shun punched his thigh rather harshly, having to expel the emotions he felt as Yuto spoke. The Xyz duelist didn't care about the pain he felt for doing it, his rage clouding the pain. Yuto looked so tired, so exhausted... He looked so tired of it all. The Raidraptor desperately wanted to go out there and help comfort his friend in some form of way. Shun's yellow eyes shook, and though he wasn't noticing it, they were clouded slightly with tears as well.

But he wouldn't cry.

He lost the ability to truly cry, to show and express his sadness long ago.

Riley looked over a Shun, before she noticed Reiji straighten slightly. Her light purple eyes focused on him, and she was surprised to see Reiji scowling. Violet eyes darkened with anger, and his hands clenched into one fist tightly.

"Brother…" Riley trailed off.

It seemed Shun wasn't the only person furious.

. . .

Yuya could only shake at the sudden information he was given. The Pendulum duelist's breath taken out of him at this revelation. He wanted to forget though, he wanted to go back to being naive. Though it was too late for that. The only option now was to continue forward, or be drowned by the burden he now carried.

"S-something like that…" Yuya almost squeaked, his voice was so low and quiet. He stilled struggled to properly find his voice. "I-I can't believe that!" Though, the pain Yuto expelled was genuine, and it was hard to even say those words. "Using dueling to take over worlds!?"

He still wished it was a lie.

"Do you think it doesn't concern you since you're from such a faraway world?" Zero spoke, voice monotone. Dead. "The world is much larger than what you perceive it to be!" His faceless masked tilted slightly, almost playfully, but it only seemed to add to the creepiness of it all. His modulated voice didn't match it at all. "There are plenty of things happening in places unseen!"

His monotone voice soon gave was to anger. "In this reality, I saw countless people get turned into cards in front of my very own eyes!" Zero snapped. "I wouldn't have believed it, and certainly wouldn't talk about it if it wasn't true."

"A world we don't know of…" Yuya breathed. Scarlet red eyes flickered down at his own two feet. "Does it really exist? The Fusion Dimension and the Xyz Dimension?" Red eyes blinked, before looking up at the two sharply. "Then does that mean-?!"

"Yes." Yuto answered before Yuya could finish. "It certainly exists." His mind flashed back to when he had met, and fought with that stranger on the weird motorcycle once again. Yugo. "The Synchro Dimension." Zero quickly retracted his cape and Yuto threw his own forward, helping to keep himself warm. "It's still a mystery as to why the worlds are divided by summoning methods. But it's an undeniable truth."

"Then what about here?!" Yuya questioned in a frenzied rush. "What is our dimension called?"

"Standard." Zero piped up, the masked man looking at his deck once again. Violet eyes staring at his Xyz, Synchro, and Fusion monsters, before putting it back into his duel disk. "Those at Academia call this world by that name. Though it is rather fitting, seeing as your dimension knows all of the Summoning Methods instead of just one."

"Standard…" Yuya repeated to himself, trying to find out how the word tasted when saying it.

"The quote unquote, 'foundation of all that exists'. The center world." Zero raised his hands and made quotation marks, before lowering them once again.

"Fusion… Xyz… Synchro… and Standard." Yuya spoke to himself, trying to at least get some form of organization for his thoughts. "The world is divided into four different dimensions. And the Fusion Dimension is invading the Xyz Dimension. Why did something like that happen!" The young Entertainment duelist sounded so dismayed at the thought.

. . .

"That is because of Leo's Akaba's ambition." Reiji grounded out through gritted teeth, and Riley looked up at her brother in shock.

. . .

"I don't get anything about this dimension nonsense!" Yuya's eyebrow twitched slightly. It was all so confusing and complicated. "But I know this!" He took a step forward. "Dueling is not a tool for conflicts!" Yuto blinked, and looked Yuya in the eyes again. "And even less for invading!" Yuya clutched his Pendulum crystal tightly, his hands ghostly pale. "The dueling that I believe in is entertainment to make people happy, and to put smiles on their faces! Even now I remember it clearly." Red eyes glazed over slightly at the memory. "My father united everyone with dueling! The power that was in Action Dueling that my dad created and polished! The power to grab people's attention and bring a smile to their faces!" His thoughts went back to his duel with Sylvio. "I even felt like I was just getting a bit closer to that… That was dueling! The Entertainment dueling I believe in!"

Yuya looked down sadly at the ground. "To think that dueling is being used as a tool to hurt people…!" He was sickened by it. Scarlet red eyes looked back up at Yuto. "I can't forgive it!"

Yuto gave a small gasp, something so small it was almost silent. "You…"

A bright, blinding seafoam green light suddenly began to spark and grow wildly a little ways away from all three teens. Yuto and Zero jumped up to their feet, ready for a fight while looking at the unexpected intrusion in shock.

"What the hell?!" Zero barked. His duel disk still on his forearm, and ready for another battle. While his geass mentally lunged forward, begging to be called forth.

Yuya looked over and took a step back. "What is that?"

The light was so bright, even Zero was blinded by it. Everyone had to cover their faces as the light shone almost like a star.

Something was coming.

Something strong.

Well. We all know what's happening next…. I think. It seems Yuya is finally getting the answers he's so desperately been looking for. Of course it certainly wasn't pretty information now, was it? Not only that, but Sora is back in Academia to! Oh boy, Academia is getting closer and closer to invading the Standard Dimension now. Chaos is going to happen later.

The chapter was too big in my opinion to add anymore, but rest assured I'm working on the next one by bits and pieces at a time. It shouldn't be long before Chapter 17 is posted, so until then everyone! -MoonlightWright