And here we are with Chapter 5. This will be the second to last frequent chapter as I unfortunately have to go back to work on Tuesday and the updates will have to be weekly from now on.

Hell Kaiser Younes: To answer your question, Zarc got Astrograph Magician before Yuya was born.

But enough of me whining, let's get on with the chapter.


Chapter 05: The Hero of Legend, Durbe


Blue Path – Sphere Field

"Durbe…you're not human?" Shun questioned.

"That's right." Durbe answered. "The experiments that were done on me by Academia unlocked my true self."

"So, you're allying with Academia?" Shun asked.

"No, I will still destroy Academia. No, not just Academia, I will also eliminate the Resistance and the other dimensions as well!" Durbe revealed.

"Why the Resistance?! We were comrades—" Shun argued.

"You dare call us comrades after what you and the others have done to our school?!" Durbe pointed at Shun. "You all abandoned the Heart Branch and Diamond Branch! We needed help and you didn't come!"

"It…It wasn't like that…" Shun tried to explain.

"No, even before this war, the Spade Branch and Clover Branch always made fun of the Heart Branch and Diamon Branch! You constantly looked down on us, called us weak and pathetic!" Durbe said.

"I always respected everyone. You can't blame me for other people's words." Shun argued.

"It doesn't change the fact that you are still a part of those garbage humans! For the survival of the Barian World, you will be fuel for the destruction of the Four Dimensions!" Durbe activated his Duel Disk.

"That Chaos Power is messing with your mind, Durbe. You know you're better than that!" Shun shouted. "I'm sorry that I couldn't save your school or the Diamond school, but I'm here now and I'll take you back to your friends!" Shun activated his Duel Disk.

"Field Magic: Dimension Gates"

The gates appeared within the Barian's Sphere Field.

"Duel!" Shun and Durbe declared.

Durbe LP: 4000, Hand: 5
Shun LP: 4000, Hand: 5

"The first turn is mine. My turn! Draw!" Durbe drew his card. "From my hand, I activate the Field Magic: Sargasso the Different Dimension Ancient Battlefield! When this card is on the field, whenever any player Xyz Summons a monster, that player takes 500 points of damage!"

"500 points for every time we Xyz Summon." Shun repeated.

"And that includes Rank-Up." Durbe added. "I summon Holy Lightning – Wings (ATK: 1200, LV: 4)!" Durbe summoned a Fairy monster with a pair of wings.

"When Holy Lightning – Wings is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon one Holy Lightning monster from my hand! I Special Summon Holy Lightning – Books (ATK: 1600, LV: 4)!" Another Holy Lightning monster appeared on the field.

"I activate Holy Lightning Books' effect! By sending one Magic Card from my hand to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon one Holy Lightning monster from my hand. Come forth! Holy Lightning Swords (ATK: 1400, LV: 4)!" Durbe brought out a sword this time.

"I Overlay my Level 4 Holy Lightning – Wings, Books and Swords!" All three of Durbe's monsters turned into yellow lights and entered the spacelike portal.

"But, you're gonna take damage from your card's effect!" Shun warned.

"Mighty fairy, appear on this battlefield and fight for the survival of our world! Xyz Summon! Come forth! Numbers 102: Holy Lightning – Glorious Halo (ATK: 2500, RNK: 4, OVU: 3)!" Durbe brought out a fairy in gold armor with a bow and arrow with the number 102 on one of its wings.

Shun then noticed that Durbe's Life Points didn't change. "Huh? What's going on?! I thought you would take damage from your Field Magic?" Shun asked.

"The Magic Card I sent to the Graveyard due to Books' effect was Sargasso Lighthouse. When this card is in my Graveyard, I am unaffected by the effects of Sargasso. I set one card and end my turn!" Durbe finished his turn.

Durbe LP: 4000, Hand: 0
Shun LP: 4000, Hand: 5

"So, he has a Numbers…" Shun recalled what the others told him about the Numbers. "I have faced tougher monsters…I won't fall here!"

"My turn! Draw!" Shun drew his card. "Durbe! Xyz isn't all I can do! Using the Scale 1 Raid Raptors – Wise Owl and the Scale 8 Raid Raptors – Aurora Wing, I set the Pendulum!" Shun set his scale.

"With this, I can simultaneously summon monsters from Levels 2 to 7! Pendulum Summon! Flock together and appear!" A portal opened and two monsters appeared.

"Raid Raptors – Avenge Lanius (ATK: 1700, LV: 4)! And the Tuner Monster, Fleur Falcon (ATK: 900, LV: 3)!" Shun summoned his Raid Raptor and card he got from Sherry.

"Tuner Monster?" Durbe questioned.

"Durbe, you're angry and you have every right to be. But that anger shouldn't be used against the other dimensions." Shun said. "There are good people from each of them and they have helped me become stronger." Shun thought of Sherry, Yuya and Dennis.

"I Normal Summon Raid Raptors – Pain Lanius (100, LV: 1)!" Shun summoned a small Raid Raptors. "I activate Fleur Falcon's effect! This card allows me to perform a Fusion Summon and Synchro Summon with Winged-Beast type monsters on my field!" Shun revealed.

"I'm Tuning my Level 4 Avenge Lanius with my Level 3 Fleur Falcon!" Fleur Falcon turned into three green rings and Avenge Lanius flew through them and became seven stars.

"Falcon that flies at the speed of light, appear on the battlefield and bring back life! Synchro Summon! Appear! Level 7! Raid Raptors – Rebirth Falcon (ATK: 2700, LV: 7)!" Shun summoned his Synchro Monster.

"Next, I fuse Fleur Falcon with Pain Lanius!" Both monsters entered the spiraling vortex. "Falcon that takes the pain for his comrades, have your darkness be cleansed by the pure winged falcon and shine a light that renders the darkness! Fusion Summon! Appear! Level 8! Raid Raptors – Twilight Falcon (ATK: 3000, LV: 8)!" Shun summoned his Fusion Monster.

"So, you've learned other summon methods." Durbe observed.

"I can't destroy your Numbers, but I can still damage you! I activate Twilight Falcon's effect! Once per turn, I can select one monster on my opponent's field that has been Special Summoned and have Twilight Falcon gain half of its Attack Points!" Twilight Falcon gained power from the Over Hundred Number.

Twilight Falcon (ATK: 3000→4250)

"Battle! Twilight Falcon, attack Glorious Halo!" Twilight Falcon soared towards Glorious Halo.

"I activate the Continuous Trap: Torture Wheel!" A wheel appeared and trapped Twilight Falcon. "This card prevents one monster from attacking or changing its Battle Position. With this your Fusion Monster can't attack." Durbe said.

"But I still have Rebirth Falcon! Go! Rebirth Falcon!" Rebirth Falcon charged towards Glorious Halo and managed to push it back, but it did not get destroyed and Durbe only took little damage.

Durbe LP: 4000→3800

"I set one card and end my turn!" Shun finished.

Durbe LP: 3800, Hand: 0
Shun LP: 4000, Hand: 0

"My turn! Draw!" Durbe drew his card. "As I expected from you, you managed to find a way to damage me. But for being a key member of the Resistance, you didn't hesitate to leave them to go the Standard Dimension."

"I was worried about my sister. She's my family." Shun narrowed his eyes. "And Academia eventually invaded the Standard Dimension too. They even came to the Synchro Dimension. I couldn't just leave my friends."

"Then you should know that I can't leave my friends either. The friends of the Barian World." Durbe said.

"Friends in the Barian World?" Shun questioned.

"The Barian World wasn't that big, but due to a conflict many years ago, the souls of fallen humans were reincarnated in the Barian World. Including myself…" Durbe explained.

"What are you saying?" Shun asked.

"The ruins here, the story that is painted along the walls. I know this story, because it is mine." Durbe revealed.

"Your story…then the Hero with the Pegasus, was you? But that's impossible! This legend took place hundreds of years ago. You're only a little older than me." Shun pointed out.

"It seems you don't know a thing about the concept of reincarnation." Durbe said.

"Reincarnation." Shun repeated.

"Yes…let me tell you what happened after the Pegasus was struck down." Durbe closed his eyes. "With my beloved partner struck down, I couldn't abandon him. I stayed with him until death took both of us."

"With our deaths, the hearts of the knights that took over the land were struck by our willingness to sacrifice our lives for each other. They were ashamed of their actions and their desire for rebellion vanished. The buried both me and Pegasus with honor, kneeling before our grave with their heads hanging low." Durbe explained.

"I was then revived in the Barian World, where I became one of the Seven Barian Emperors. Together with my friends, we ruled together and fought against our enemy, the Astral World to protect our world from destruction.

"But, if you were reborn a Barian, why were you here as a human? What you're saying doesn't make sense." Shun was still trying to figure it out.

"Honestly, I'm not sure what happened. But some power that was beyond both the Astral World and Barian World almost destroyed both worlds all together and sent the denizens scattered across the stars. I was once again reincarnated as the Heart Branch student you knew, without any memory of my past." Durbe explained.

"So, after Academia did experiments on you with Chaos, you regained those memories." Shun realized.

"That's right. In some sick way, I owe Academia for giving me my old life back. But the Barian World is still damaged and it needs all seven of us to be together again. We can't let anyone interfere with our goals, not Astral World, not Academia, and not even the Resistance!" Durbe said. "Just like you will protect your comrades and your home, I will do the same!"

"My turn! Draw!" Durbe drew his card. "During my Standby Phase, Torture Wheel inflicts 500 points of damage to my opponent!" The wheel tortured Twilight Falcon and Shun took damage.

Shun LP: 4000→3500

"I activate the Magic Card: Treasure Cards of the Numbers! When I have a Numbers on my field, I can draw one card for every Overlay Unit it possesses! With three Overlay Units on Glorious Halo, I draw three cards!" Durbe drew three more cards.

"Next, I activate Glorious Halo's effect! By using one Overlay Unit, I can target one monster on the opponent's field and have its effects negated and its Attack Points reduced in half! I choose your Synchro Monster, Reborn Falcon!" Glorious Halo shot an arrow at Reborn Falcon and it got weak.

Reborn Falcon (ATK: 2700→1350)

"Battle! Glorious Halo, attack Reborn Falcon! Lightning Cluster!" Glorious Halo created a spear of light and threw it at Reborn Falcon.

"I activate Wise Owl's Pendulum Effect! Once per turn, when a Raid Raptors monster would be destroyed in battle, their destruction is negated and the damage I take is reduced in half!" Wise Owl made a hoot and a barrier protected Reborn Falcon, but parts of the light spear hit Shun and he wince as it cut his shoulder.

Shun LP: 3500→2925

"This level of damage…a normal person can't endure this." Shun took off his scarf and tied it on his arm to contain the blood.

"I set two cards and end my turn!" Durbe finished.

Durbe LP: 3800, Hand: 1
Shun LP: 2925, Hand: 0

"My turn! Draw!" Shun drew his card. "Sargasso might damage me, but I can't falter now!"

"I activate Dimension Gate's effect! I pay 1000 Life Points to open the Xyz Gate to make Twilight Falcon's Level the same as Reborn Falcon!" Shun opened the Xyz gate and the Level of Twilight Falcon changed.

Shun LP: 2925→1925
Twilight Falcon (LV: 8→7)

"I Overlay my Level 7 Twilight Falcon and Reborn Falcon!" The Fusion and Synchro monsters turned into yellow lights and entered the spacelike portal.

"Falcon armed for offense, appear on this battlefield and make our enemies quiver in fear! Xyz Summon! Come forth! Rank 7! Raid Raptors – Arsenal Falcon (ATK: 2500, RNK: 7, OVU: 2)!" Shun summoned a Raid Raptor with multiple weapons.

"Since you have Xyz Summoned, Sargasso's effect activates! You take 500 points of damage!" Durbe shouted and lightning hit Shun, making him grunt from the pain.

Shun LP: 1925→1425

"From my hand, I activate the Equip Magic: Raid Raptors – Iron Heart! I equip this on to Arsenal Falcon and have it gain 500 Attack Points!"

Arsenal Falcon (ATK: 2500→3000)

"Battle! Arsenal Falcon, attack Glorious Halo!" Arsenal Falcon charged and struck Glorious Halo and making Durbe take damage.

Durbe LP: 3800→3300

"All that for a mere 500 points…" Durbe grunted.

"Arsenal Falcon can attack as many times as Overlay Units that it possesses! With two Overlay Units, it can attack twice! Go! Arsenal Falcon, attack Glorious Halo once more!" Arsenal Falcon charged again and struck Glorious Halo and damaging Durbe.

Durbe LP: 3300→2800

"I end my turn." Shun finished.

"At this moment, Sargasso's other effect activates! When the opponent has an Xyz Monster on the field, they take 500 points of damage!" Durbe revealed and lightning hit Shun.

Shun LP: 1425→925

Durbe LP: 2800, Hand: 1
Shun LP: 925, Hand: 0

At that moment, Crow entered the room and he saw the Sphere Field. "Hey, Shun?! Are you okay? Who's that guy your fighting?"

"That's Durbe…a member of the Resistance." Shun winced.

"Are you deaf? I told you I serve the Barian World." Durbe glared at Shun.

"Barian World…like what Arclight told us about?" Crow asked.

"The fact that you're here means that you defeated my Pegasus." Durbe looked at Crow. "In that case, after I finish Shun, I'll defeat you and have you become fuel for the Barian World!"

"I'm not done yet…" Shun panted.

"You will be this turn! My turn! Draw!" Durbe drew his card.

"At this moment, I activate Raid Raptors – Aurora Wing's Pendulum Effect! During my opponent's Standby Phase, I gain 200 Life Points times the total Ranks of Raid Raptors monsters on my field! Arsenal Falcon is Rank 7! Therefore, I gain 1400 Life Points!" Shun used his other monster's Pendulum Effect.

Shun LP: 925→2325

"So, you managed to gain Life Points, that's why you didn't hesitate to use your Field Magic." Durbe analyzed.

"But even with your Xyz Summons, it's not enough to defeat me! Reverse Card, open! The Magic Card: Fissure! This card destroys one monster on my opponent's field with the lowest Attack Points, but you only have one monster! I destroy Arsenal Falcon!" Shun's monster was destroyed.

"And at this moment, I activate the Quick-Play Magic: Wrath of Holy Lightning! When a monster on my opponent's field is destroyed while I control a Holy Lightning monster, the opponent takes 1000 points of damage!" Multiple lightning bolts hit Shun making his scream in pain.

Shun LP: 2325→1325

"Shun!" Crow shouted with worry.

"When Raid Raptors – Arsenal Falcon is destroyed while it had Overlay Units, I can Special Summon one Raid Raptors Xyz Monster from my Extra Deck and attach this card as material! I Special Summon Raid Raptors – Final Fortress Falcon (ATK: 3800, RNK: 12, OVU: 1)!" Shun brought out his strongest monster.

"Did you forget?! When you Special Summon an Xyz monster, Sargasso deals you 500 points of damage!" Lightning hit Shun again and he screamed.

Shun LP: 1325→825

"Shun…" Crow looked at his friend and saw his face. "Oh, I know that look. That's the look of a man that has everything going according to plan."

"He's planning something." Durbe questioned. "He knows I can use Glorious Halo's effect to reduce his monster's Attack Points."

"Go ahead and attack me. The moment you do, is the moment I win." Shun thought.

"My set card is Raid Raptors – Implosion. The moment he attacks, this card will destroy Final Fortress Falcon and inflict damage equal to Final Fortress Falcon's Attack Points. His Numbers can only negate Monster Effects, not Magic or Trap cards." Shun thought.

"I don't know what you are planning, but it seems you still think that you can defeat me in this Duel." Durbe said. "In that case, let me rob you of your hopes of winning by showing you my true power!"

"His true power?!" Crow exclaimed.

"You don't know the true power of the Barians. I'll show our power! From my hand, I activate the Rank-Up Magic – Barian's Force! This card allows me to Rank Up one monster on my field into a Chaos Xyz Monster!" Durbe revealed.

"Chaos Xyz?!" Shun gasped.

"I Overlay my Rank 4 Glorious Halo! With this monster, I rebuilt the Overlay Network!" Glorious Halo turned into yellow light and soared into the sky and messed with the Overlay Network.

The entire ruins started to shake, making Crow lose his footing. "What the? What the hell's going on?!" Crow looked at the Sphere Field.

"Holy Warrior, embrace the power of Chaos and become the shield that will kill all those that clash with it! Chaos Xyz Change! Come forth! Chaos Number 102: Unholy Lightning Noble Demon (ATK: 2900, RNK: 5, OVU: 3)!" Durbe summoned a darker version of Glorious Halo with a spear instead of a bow and arrow.

"Wha-What is this monster?" Shun felt so much power coming from it.

"This is the power of Chaos." Durbe said. "It is stronger than the Rank-Ups that you possess! No, your Rank-Ups are nothing compared to those of the Astral World!"

"I activate Unholy Lightning Noble Demon's effect! By using one Chaos Overlay Unit, I can target one monster on my opponent's field and have its effects negated and its Attack Points reduced to 0!" Durbe revealed.

Unholy Lightning Noble Demon (OVU: 3→2)

"What?!" Shun gasped.

Noble Demon took the Chaos Overlay Unit and unleashed powerful bursts of energy that made Final Fortress Falcon look weak.

Final Fortress Falcon (ATK: 3800→0)

"Now I can't use my Trap since my monster's Attack Points are 0!" Shun thought.

"By the look on your face, you were gonna use that set card to win. But you can't even survive anyway even with Wise Owl's Pendulum Effect." Durbe guessed.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Crow ran towards the Sphere Field but the Sphere Field knocked him back.

"Crow!" Shun shouted.

"Nothing can break through the Sphere Field." Durbe declared. "Farewell, Shun Kurosaki! Battle! Noble Demon, attack Final Fortress Falcon!" Noble Demon threw his spear towards Final Fortress Falcon and Shun braced himself.

Just then, a bright light crashed down and pierced through the top of the Sphere Field right in front of Shun.

"What?" Durbe was surprised as well as Shun and Crow.

"By sending my entire hand to the Graveyard, I can activate the Trap Card: Gem Lighthouse! This card ends the Battle Phase and allows me to Special Summon one Gem Beast monster from my deck! Come forth! Gem Beast – Amber Mammoth (ATK: 1700, LV: 4)!"

Noble Demon's spear disappeared just before it could take out Final Fortress Falcon and a large mammoth with an amber on its head appeared.

The light died down revealing a young man that wore a blue above-waist-length jacket with dark blue outlines, a lavender shirt with frilled cuffs at the wrists of his sleeves, and black pants which are held up with a white belt. His teal hair juts in backward and down directions, and his eyes are kind and his chin prominent.

"Whew, talk about cutting it kind of close." The man wiped his sweat from his forehead. "Might want to tell us to come sooner, Ruby." A small Duel Monster Spirit appeared on the man's shoulder.

"Another Duel Spirit…" Crow was shocked.

"Who are you?" Durbe asked.

"Oh, nice to meet you. My name is Johan Andersen." Johan introduced himself.

"Andersen…isn't that Serena's last name?" Shun recalled.

"Oh, so you know my foster daughter. I apologize if she's a bit too headstrong and reckless, my bad." Johan chuckled happily, completely unaware of the situation he was in.

"That Duel Disk…" Durbe saw Johan's Duel Disk. "You're from the Fusion Dimension."

"Guilty as charged, but I'm against Academia's goals." Johan faced Durbe. "And you, you shouldn't be fighting against your friends."

"We're not friends. Just because both of us use Xyz, it doesn't mean we're friends." Durbe stated.

"Well, that's too bad. I can't let you keep doing what you want. Especially if what you're doing is going to drag innocent people into danger." Johan got serious.

"Intrusion Penalty: 2000 Life Points."

Johan LP: 4000→2000

"I'll be joining this Duel." Johan declared

"Then I'll take care of you both! I end my turn!" Durbe finished his turn.

Durbe LP: 2800, Hand: 1
Johan LP: 2000, Hand: 0
Shun LP: 825, Hand: 0

"My turn! Draw!" Johan drew his card. "I activate Gem Excavator's Monster Effect from my hand! When I draw this card in my Draw Phase, I can draw one more card for every Gem Beast monster in my Graveyard with a different name! I have four Gem Beasts in my Graveyard, therefore, I draw four more cards and Gem Excavator is banished from my hand!"

Johan drew four more cards. "I summon Gem Beast Sapphire Pegasus (ATK: 1800, LV: 4)!" A Pegasus with sapphire gems in his wings appeared. "When Sapphire Pegasus is summoned, I can place one Gem Beast monster from my hand, deck or Graveyard in my Magic/Trap Zone! I place Gem Beast Ruby Carbuncle!"

"The conditions have been met! When there are seven Gem Beasts on my field and in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon this monster in my hand!" Johan held up the card in his hand and it released a bright light, blinding everyone in the area.

The seven colors of the rainbow flew from Johan's field and Graveyard into the sky and merged together and a large mystical creature appeared. "When the seven Gem Beasts are all together, the light tied to the world revives on this Earth! Behold! The miracle of the Gem Beasts! Be revived! Ultimate Gem Beast – Rainbow Dragon (ATK: 4000, LV: 10)!"

A large white dragon with white wings appeared with the seven gems along its neck shining in majestic beauty.

"Amazing…" Crow was in awe of the dragon.

The dragon roared and the entire area shook. "It's so powerful…" Shun shielded himself. "Honestly, it's power reminds me of Kaiser's Cyber End Dragon."

"I activate Rainbow Dragon's effect! I send all Gem Beast monsters I control to the Graveyard and Rainbow Dragon gains 1000 Attack Points for every card! I sent Sapphire Pegasus, Amber Mammoth and Ruby Carbuncle to the Graveyard and have Rainbow Dragon gain 3000 Attack Points!" Johan made his monster stronger.

Rainbow Dragon (ATK: 4000→7000)

"Alright! It's way stronger than Noble Demon and enough to win!" Crow cheered.

"No!" Shun knew that wasn't enough.

"I activate Noble Demon's effect! Once per turn, by using one Chaos Overlay Unit, I can negate the effect of one monster on my opponent's field and reduce its Attack Points to 0!" Noble Demon used its power to weaken Rainbow Dragon.

Rainbow Dragon (ATK: 7000→0)

"But that's only once per turn, did you forget where I came from." Johan grabbed a card from his Extra Deck.

"Damn, that's!" Durbe sweated.

"This Fusion Monster can either be Fusion Summoned using 7 Gem Beasts as Fusion Material or by releasing one Level 10 Ultimate Gem monster! I release Rainbow Dragon! Come forth! Ultimate Gem God - Rainbow Over Dragon (ATK: 4000, LV: 12)!" A larger and more powerful Rainbow Dragon appeared. It roared and the Sphere Field began to crack.

"Impossible, this monster is more powerful than the Sphere Field!" Durbe exclaimed.

"Yeah, Rainbow Over Dragon doesn't like enclosed spaces." Johan nervously laughed.

"Rrgh…this isn't over! The Barian World will take over all!" Durbe disappeared as the Sphere Field completely shattered and both Shun and Johan fell to the ground.

Duel Cancelled

"This place is going down!" Crow panicked. The exit door was then blocked by fallen debris. "We're trapped!"

Shun winced as he was still feeling pain from the Sphere Field. "I gotcha, buddy." Johan helped Shun. "Rainbow Dragon!" Rainbow Over Dragon roared and it took Johan, Shun and Crow on its back and soared right out of the hole that Johan made when he intruded the Duel.


Outside the Underground Temple

Johan, Shun and Crow watched as the temple was completely reduced to nothing. "Oh man, well I guess that's one way to take out a base." Crow sweated.

"I'm sorry." Shun apologized. "Damn it, V was right. I am soft. Even though Durbe was serious about taking me out, deep down, I just couldn't…"

"Shun…" Crow uttered.

"Hey, chin up." Johan patted Shun's shoulder. "So, you couldn't convince him to come back to your side. So, what? You gonna give up just because you failed one time."

"Of course not." Shun argued.

"Then, don't worry about it. Next time you face someone who's too stubborn to listen to you, use your full power to convince them that there's proof that Heartland can be taken back from Academia, that the Resistance won't fall against the Barian World and that the Xyz Dimension can go back to the way it was before all this happened." Johan encouraged.

"You're right…Thank you, Johan." Shun thanked.

"So, what's next on the agenda?" Johan asked.

"Well, since we finished our mission, I guess we head back to Heartland, see how everybody else is doing." Crow said.

"You can come with us. Serena is there." Shun offered.

"She is?! Alright, I can't wait to share stories of little Serena's adventures with all her friends." Johan smiled widely.


Heartland – Resistance Base (Kitchen)

"Achoo!" Serena sneezed. "Sorry."

"Guess someone is talking about you." Ruri said as she was making sandwiches.

"Is it cold in here?" Serena asked.

"Serena, you're standing right in front of an open freezer." Rin pointed to the open freezer door.

"Oh." Serena closed the door. "Why was I here again?"

"We're making snacks for the others when they come back from their patrols." Yuzu explained.

"Oh right. I still think we should be out there helping." Serena argued.

"Relax, everyone is partnered up and they can take care of any opponent they come across." Ruri pointed out.


Heartland Elementary

Yuya and Sawatari walked through the halls of an elementary school. "Man, these Academia guys were Heartless, I mean elementary students." Sawatari looked at the damage.

"To think my old school became like this." Yuto appeared.

"You went to school here?" Yuya asked.

"Yeah, it was before Samejima took me in and trained me to become a Dragon Soldier." Yuto explained. "It was this school that I met Shun and Ruri. The three of us were inseparable until that day."

"Yeah, I remember when I was with Rin in the orphanage and Samejima came to adopt me." Yugo appeared.

"Samejima actually raised me since I was a kid. I was just there at his doorstep and he took me in." Yuri appeared.

"Come to think of it, I can't remember when Samejima took me in." Yuya thought. "The only thing I remember is when my mom…Yoko, found me."

"You know you can still call her your mom right. Unlike Yusho, she actually cared about you." Yuto pointed out.

"I know…but still, whenever I say mom, the one that comes to mind my actual mom, Ray." Yuya thought. "I guess since I've spent so much time in trying to become like Yusho, I neglected Yoko."

"Well, maybe when you get back to her. You can do something fun. Oh, I know, since you both have D-Wheels, you can race around the highway!" Yugo said.

"Fusion, while that is a good idea, it's also illegal." Yuri pointed out. "Yuya is still underage and doesn't have a license. Plus, Standard isn't big on the Riding Duels like Neo Domino."

"It was just an idea." Yugo pouted.

"But you're right, Yoko does deserve gratitude from me for everything she has done these past years." Yuya thought. "Wait, May's coming up. And that mean's Mother's Day. Mother's Day is the perfect time to give her something special."

"That sounds like a good idea." Yuto smiled.

"Then we got to finish this war fast. I promised her that we would all be together, and that's what I'm gonna do. You're gonna love her, guys." Yuya said.

"Hey, Yuya! Come here!" Yuya was snapped out of his thought when Sawatari called out to him and pointed to a room.

"It's an infirmary." Sawatari read the room as Yuya walked up to him. "Do you think we might be able to find some medicine?"

"Worth a shot." Yuya answered.

The two rivals went inside and looked through the cabinets and the drawers and found lots of supplies.

"Sweet, medicine, snacks, vitamins, we hit the jackpot." Sawatari smiled as he gathered as much as he could carry.

"Here, put them in this bag." Yuya found a duffel bag and he and Sawatari started packing it.

"Hey, does this bring back any memories to you? When you were a Dragon Soldier?" Sawatari asked.

"Our missions were more like infiltration and rescue, not really scavenging or patrolling." Yuya answered. "But it's a nice change of pace."

"How do you think the others are doing? The ones that are at the ruins?" Sawatari wondered.

"They're strong, they won't lose." Yuya said. "Remember, Jack is the King of the Synchro Dimension and Reiji is stronger than he was before. Gongenzaka obtained a new power and so has Shun. Crow, Asuka, Aki and Dennis are no slouches either."

"A new power…" Sawatari repeated before taking out his God card. "I still can't believe Ra chose me. It's the strongest God…"

"You're a True Duelist, Sawatari. We didn't get off to a good start, but you changed into a better Duelist and a better man. I have no doubt in my mind that if there was anyone to take leadership of the Dimension Guardians, it would be you." Yuya said.

"W-Well, you flatter me, but don't think I haven't forgotten our rivalry." Sawatari acted smooth. "When the Maiami Championship starts up again, you better meet me in the Finals."

"It's a promise." Yuya held out his hand. Sawatari grabbed Yuya's hand with his and the both grinned at each other.

"Alright, let's get these back to the base." Sawatari said.


Resistance Base

"We're back!" Jonouchi dropped a heavy bag on the ground. "We managed to scour a lot of food."

"We should be good enough for at least another month." Akari said.

"Excellent, we really appreciate your efforts." Bryon thanked.

"Hey, you're back." Rio came in with Rua behind her. "We found some clothes and cleaning supplies."

"And I found some toys and stuffed animals for the other kids." Rua showed a box of toys and stuffed animals. "I know they're not a necessity but I thought these might take their minds off this war."

"That's a good idea, Rua." III said. "I'm sure the other kids would like them."

"Any update on the others?" Rio asked.

"The only calls we've got where from Shun and Crow. The base they went to had quite a legend." Bryon said. "I can only assume the others will have similar experiences."

"Hey, guys. We made some snacks for you." Yuzu said as she, Ruri, Rin and Serena came out with food and drinks.

"Sweet, I'm starving." Jonouchi smiled.

"Huh? Yuya and Sawatari aren't back yet?" Ruri noticed.

"That's weird, we agreed to meet back here at noon, right?" Rio asked Rua.

"Yeah. What where they going to get?" Rua asked.

"They were going to retrieve medical supplies." V recalled. "I'll go look over the city cameras." V left to the lab.

"I hope they're okay." Rin said.

"Yeah…" Serena nodded.


Heartland – Business District

"Man, we had to go really far to get this stuff." Sawatari sweated a bit.

"But it'll all be worth it once we get these supplies to the others." Yuya said. "We just have to—"

Suddenly Yuya was knocked off his feet by a blast. "Yuya!" Sawatari shouted.

Sawatari looked up and he saw a man in a dark cloak with an Academia Duel Disk in his hand and a Warrior-type monster beside him. "That Disk…you're Academia!"

"Yuya Ryuga, it's time that you pay for your crimes!" The man shouted.

"Hey, that's dirty!" Sawatari stood in front of Yuya. "Oh, wait that's right. You Academia scum don't fight fair!"

"Get out of my way, or I'll turn you into a card." The man ordered.

"I don't take orders from bad guys!" Sawatari glared.

"It seems you don't know who I am." The man removed his hood. "I'm the Commander of the Xyz Dimension Force, Edo Phoenix." Edo introduced himself.

"The Commander…then you're responsible for all this destruction…" Yuya grunted.

"The people that were turned into cards will be revived in our utopia, sometimes you must destroy something old to create something new." Edo said.

"Well, since you've introduced yourself, it's only fair that I return the greeting." Sawatari said. "I'm the amazing Shingo Sawatari, a Dimension Guardian! And I'm gonna take back the freedom you stole from these people!" Sawatari pointed at Edo as he stood in front of Yuya.


And that is the end of Chapter 5. What did you all think of the unexpected character? Did I surprise you? Was it obvious? Let me know in the reviews what you think of this chapter and if you have a question, feel free to PM and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Thanks for reading and I will see you next time.


Preview: The Commander of the Academia Army, Edo Phoenix, ambushes Yuya and Sawatari and has immobilized Yuya from escaping. Despite feeling tremendous pressure from Edo, Sawatari has steeled his resolve to fight not only to save himself and Yuya, but to get back the freedom that Academia took from the people of Heartland.

Next Time: Abyss Actors vs Destiny Heroes