"Are you guys alright?" Ruri called out of concern, looking down at the four members of the Lancers. She and the others knew just how strong Kaito was, and if he was as ruthless as Allen and Sayaka had claimed nowadays, then they must have been hanging on for dear life.

"Yeah! We're okay…" Yugo said, looking at the Lyrical Luscinia user, freezing at the sight of her face. He immediately looked away as the sight of her face reminded him of Rin and what she had allegedly done to Kaito's family.

"Why were you guys here of all places?" Ryoga questioned with a look of inquiry. "And how did you encounter Kaito?"

"Kaito had Carded three Academia Duelists we defeated." Gongenzaka answered with a gruff tone, glancing at Yuto. "We were protecting a family of three. They claim to be your family, Yuto…"

A look of both shock and relief flashed across Yuto's face in that moment. "My family...they're alright?!"

"Yuto-nii!" The Phantom Knights user's question was answered by a young boy calling out his name out of joy. He looked to see his youngest brother sprinting past Gongenzaka.

"Ryuji!" Yuto cried out the name of his brother as he jumped down to his level, immediately wrapping his arms around the boy in a tight embrace. This was followed by two more pairs of arms surrounding them, followed by the sound of a female sobbing uncontrollably.

"My boy! My beautiful young boy…"

"Hoshi...Mother…" Yuto whispered, the words seeming foreign when leaving his lips. He found his vision blurring as tears streamed down his face. He had lost his father early in the war, and he had to leave for weeks not knowing the true fate of the rest of his family. Being here again...it gave him closure.

And he was satisfied.

Ruri smiled as she watched the scene unfold, feeling tremendous amounts of happiness for her boyfriend as she held her brother's arm tightly.

I'm so glad...Yuto.


Later

After the long-awaited reunion between Yuto and his family, Allen and Sayaka began to lead the Lancers and the family to the new base of the Resistance. Yuto, Shun, Ruri, and O'Brien immediately recognized the location of the base once they started walking up a long flight of stairs. The walk was so long and strenuous that Yuya, Yugo, and Sawatari found themselves with nearly no energy at all, unlike the others who were either physically stronger or more used to the walk.

As they reached the top, Yugo bent over, placing his hands on his knees as he heaved for air.

"Son of a bitch!" He cried out.

"Don't worry." Allen spoke as he pointed to the structure in front of them. "We're here. This is our hideout."

"Using the Duel Sanctuary as a base? Not a bad idea." Ryoga commented as they entered the building.

"With the low numbers we had it was the best we could think of." Allen replied as they entered a room with many civilians and a few leftover Resistance Duelists.

Immediately, Ryoga's eyes began darting around the room, scanning each person for one person in particular.

Where is she? He thought to himself with wide eyes. He eventually stopped to see a dark blue-haired girl with light blue bangs wearing a blue ripped shawl over a heavily tattered school uniform that was showing bits of skin across her body. The girl was handing a bowl of soup to an old woman.

"Rio!" He called out as he ran to his sister, who turned to look at him with an expression of shock and disbelief.

"Ryoga!" She put down the bowl in her hands and stood up, placing her hands on the male Kamishiro's cheeks. "Is it...actually you, Ryoga?"

"Yes!" Ryoga said with a smile. "Shun, Yuto and I've come back. We have more comrades now! And Ruri's back too."

"Wait! Ruri?" Rio gasped as she looked at the group behind Ryoga, confirming her brother's statement at the sight of the Kurosaki. "How did you escape?"

"It's a long story…" Was all that Ruri responded with. However, she was still happy to see her friend once again after so long.

"We should sit down and talk. I'll go get some drinks." Allen said after a moment of silence.


Later

"I think we should formally introduce ourselves now. I'm Kozuki Allen!" The Xyz Duelist greeted with a welcoming smile as he looked at the newcomers. He then gestured to Rio. "The one next to Ryoga is his younger sister, Rio. And the one handing out our soup rations is Sasayama Sayaka." He pointed, prompting the group to see the purple-haired girl taking Rio's previous place of giving out soup.

"Here you go." She said to the man in front of her with a kind smile.

"Hey, Sayaka!" Allen called out a stern yet caring tone, gaining the attention of his close friend. "You're not on duty today, so don't push yourself!"

"Yeah…" She responded with a guilty smile. "But…"

"It won't do any good if you overwork yourself helping people. We don't when our fight with Academia could start up again. You're always caring about other people. I'm always telling you to be more concerned about yourself once in a while, aren't I?"

"Y-Yeah, I know?" She responded as she turned to the man in front of her, handing him the soup. "Here you go…"

Ruri's eyes crinkled at the sight of her friend as a frown formed on her face. "Sayaka...she was always a little shy, but it was never like this." She had been noticing that Sayaka had been remaining a fair distance away from her and Serena. She could understand Serena as she was a complete stranger, but to be avoiding her? Sayaka was arguably one of her closest friends, and likewise. There was no reason for the rift between them.

Did I say something to her before I was kidnapped?

"Forgive me for asking this," Gongenzaka started as he turned to Allen. "But there are very few people here. I understand that the attacks on the Resistance were extensive and brutal, but to this extent?"

"Ah, yes." Rio spoke with a pained expression on her face as she gripped the hem of her shawl tightly. "It wasn't long after Yuto, Shun, Ryoga, and O'Brien had left for the Standard Dimension...that the army of Academia unleashed another full-fledged assault on us! They were ruthless...Carding everybody they saw without a second thought. In the fight, the Spade Branch's Resistance squad was practically wiped out."

"What?!" Yuto cried out of shock.

"The Spade…" Shun murmured with wide eyes. "...was destroyed?"

"We never expected it." Allen said with a grim expression. "We just barely managed to escape to this hideout."

"That all happened while we were gone…" Ryoga whispered, grinding his teeth out of frustration. "If we were here...there wouldn't have been so many casualties! And Kaito's family wouldn't have..."

"There wasn't anything you could do about that." Allen interjected. At that moment, Yugo looked away, knowing what was going to be said next. He could feel the piercing gaze of the boy burning a hole in his head. "You there. Your name is Yugo, is it not?"

"Yeah. What's it to you?"

"You wouldn't happen to know a girl named Rin, would you?" At the boy's grimace, he continued. "It's as I thought. You're a Pawn of Fusion!"

"Allen, hold on!" Yuto stood up in a split second, putting a hand in front of Yugo. "Yugo is not with Academia in the slightest! I know it. If anything, he hates them for taking Rin away from him!"

"Are you sure about that, Yuto?" Allen questioned with venom in his voice as he glared at the Synchro counterpart. "Then how come his friend Carded Kaito's family and took place in the invasion?!"

"What?" Yuto gasped as he turned to Yugo. "I-Is this true?"

"It is…" Yugo said with a sad expression. "Kaito told me what happened. And I know why. Rin...she isn't herself. She was under Academia's control."

"Bullshit!" Allen shouted at the top of his lungs. "She and another guy named Marufuji Ryo showed up to our old base one night. We trusted them because Rin looked like Ruri, and then she went on to stab us in the back!"

"Hold on a second!" Yuya spoke in support of Yugo, much to the boy's surprise. "We know Academia has developed technology to travel between dimensions and to turn people into Cards! They've already improved that what we believed to be impossible is possible! It's not too farfetched to think that they can they brainwash people too."

"There's no proof of that." Rio stated with a cold glare.

"There is!" Yugo bellowed as he stood up himself in a fit of anger. "In the Synchro Dimension...I saw Rin! She wasn't herself! We Dueled and...she beat me without remorse...she was with Academia. Academia...they changed her. They're brainwashing her. The Rin I know...is nothing like the one I fought! The Rin I know is kind, motherly and strong! She's not some...cold, heartless, sadistic bitch!"

A silence filled the Duel Sanctuary as no one said a word for a long time. Sayaka and the rest of the civilians merely watched in awe as the argument continued to play out. The civilians had no idea what was going on at all, and they all looked deathly afraid.

"I believe him." The strong and insistent voice of Serena said. Everyone turned in shock to the Fusion user who had barely said a word since they entered the Xyz Dimension. She glanced from Rio to Allen with a calculated expression. "Before you jump to conclusions, I just want you all to hear me out. I...used to be a member of Academia. I wanted nothing more than to join the fight against the Xyz Dimension in order to carry out the Professor's goal. But then I went to Standard...and my visits there helped me see the true terror of Academia. I know the lengths they would go to in order to win."

She paused as she once again looked at Rio and Allen, who hid all signs of emotion on their face. She remained guarded as she continued her explanation.

"When I was at Academia, I heard these rumors. Apparently, Academia was developing a way to control people's minds using Solid Vision." Serena said as she played with a strand of her hair. "If Rin is truly as Yugo says she is, then it's possible that Academia stripped her of her free will. They are controlling her with a Monster of some kind."

"I know what you're talking about." Everyone turned to O'Brien, who looked like he was recounting a memory of some kind. And from the expression on his face, it wasn't a good one. "Some time before the war, Akaba Leo had personally visited my Academia. You see, there are multiple Academias in the Fusion Dimension. There are five in total. North, East, South, West, and Central. I hail from West Academia, while Akaba Leo and his soldiers are from Central Academia."

"And what of the other four?" Rio asked with a fixed glare.

"North, East, and South have no idea of Akaba Leo and his war. The West Branch now knows and they are entirely against Akaba Leo and his ambitions." O'Brien said as he sharpened his gaze, his eyes filled with a burning rage. "As I was saying, before the war, Akaba Leo had visited the leader of West Academia, Professor Cobra. I guess he was trying to recruit him because of his military background. But then, he did something…I don't know what it was to this day. But...Professor Cobra...after Akaba Leo had visited, he Carded my parents."

"What?!" Yuya cried out of shock, feeling bad for his comrade in that moment. "How horrible…"

"I knew Professor Cobra was acting weird. And after I confronted him, he seemed to have no recollection of hurting my parents at all." O'Brien's fist tightened, his teeth seething.

Shun closed his eyes as he remembered what the Volcanic Duelist had muttered when they were Dueling.

"When he first came to my Academia, he did something to Professor Cobra!"

"Despite his cold demeanor, Professor Cobra was one of the most honorable men I knew." O'Brien admitted with a hint of admiration gleaming in his eyes, "He was like a second father to me. I know he wasn in control of his actions!"

After O'Brien's story, Allen and Rio finally gave in, accepting the possibility of Academia being able to control people. Albeit, they accepted this information with a great amount of skepticism. They still had their suspicions about these new people, Serena and even O'Brien especially. However, Shun, Ryoga, Ruri, and Yuto all vouched for them, the latter retelling a story his match with Ruri in the Friendship Cup and how something similar happened. Ruri also voiced out that she was sure that Ryo was one of the people who rescued her from Academia along with Rin.

"Even if this is all true, what's done is done!" Allen exclaimed, pounding his leg with his fist. "Kaito is gone, and he won't trust any of us now. If Rin and Marufuji Ryo truly were against Academia, then it's too late! Rin's under Academia's control now, and we already cast out Marufuji Ryo. No one's seen him in weeks! For all we know he's been Carded!"

"I don't know about that Marufuji guy, but you don't have to worry about Rin. The next time I see her, I'm gonna kick her ass and get her back to our side!" Yugo declared his resolve with determination.

"You said she already beat you before." Allen reminded the boy coldly with a fixed gaze. "If she's beaten you once, then what makes you so sure you'll beat her? She gave Kaito a run for his money!"

Yugo's eyes raised out of disbelief. She...made Kaito struggle? He could barely keep up with Kaito in their Duel. He was sure that the Duel would have resulted in his loss had it continued. If Rin put up a fight with a person like that…

"It doesn't matter." Yuya affirmed with an equally determined expression as the one Yugo had. "This time, we'll be able to help Yugo out. And we will find a way to free Rin! We are not going to run away from people in need."

"How ironic, coming from the son of Sakaki Yusho!" Allen gave a bitter chuckle.

"What?" Yuya blinked, not believing that he heard the name. Unbeknownst to him, Sawatari visibly paled, forgetting about the knowledge he had learned about Sakaki Yusho while in the Synchro Dimension about the man being in Heartland. "You know my father?"

"Yeah! He came to our dimension three years ago and taught us to Duel for smiles! But when Academia attacked...when we needed him most, he left! He abandoned us! HE WAS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND!" Allen screamed, his chest burning with an unkempt anger. A burning rage that would not be extinguished no matter what happened.

"That's not true!" Yuya shouted in denial. "My father would never abandon people in need! He would not just...run away like that! He's here, I know it! He did not run away!" Yuya stood up to his feet, stomping towards the door and gripping the handle tightly. He was about to force it open when he heard Yuto's voice.

"Stop."

"Why?" Yuya asked, turning around with fury. "My father is out there!"

"We don't know that for sure!" Yuto argued, walking towards his counterpart, placing a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. "I'm sorry, Yuya. But, we cannot focus on that right now. Right now, we need to focus on coming up with a counter strategy against Academia."

Yuya calmed down, thinking hard on Yuto's words as he finally reached a conclusion. With a reluctant sigh, he let go of the handle. A signal that he would not be leaving.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Rio spoke up, having calmed down from the previous argument about Academia.

"I think we should all just rest for a little bit. Some people can stand guard while the others sleep. Tomorrow, we will discuss a plan for fighting against Academia."

Once again, Yuya sighed.

"Fine…"


Hours Later-Outside The Duel Sanctuary

The Lancers and Resistance members had all fallen asleep. They were all getting some much needed rest. All of them except for one person…

Sakaki Yuya, who was running down the stairs of the Duel Sanctuary in a hurry. He was so close. He finally had a lead. A lead to where his father was!

And that was another thing he forgot from Yuto's memories. Yuto had heard from Ruri and Sayaka about meeting a man named Sakaki Yusho who had mysteriously appeared one day. He had heard many good things about the man and how he brought smiles to people, like he once did in Standard.

Dad...I've got so many questions! Yuya thought to himself as he reached the bottom of the long staircase as he began to run into the city. Unknown to him, a dark figure lurking in the shadows was following him closely with great speed, making sure not to be seen.

After a few minutes of searching and replaying Allen's words in his head, Yuya stopped at a wall.

"...when we needed him most, he left! He abandoned us! HE WAS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND!"

"NO!" Yuya bellowed out of desperation, ramming his fist into the wall, biting his lip from the pain of the impact. "My father would never abandon people who were suffering...he just wouldn't! Isn't that right, Yuto?"

A few moments of silence past. Until finally, a voice spoke.

"So you knew I was here…" From around the wall, Yuto appeared in front of Yuya.

"In a desolate place like this, it's not that hard to hear another person." The Entermate user answered as he continued to walk forward, moving past Yuto. "Don't try stopping me. I am going to find my father!"

"I wasn't going to stop you." Yuto replied as he began to walk alongside his counterpart at the same pace. "I knew you would pull something like this. At the very least I can be here to make sure you don't do anything stupid."

"You should have gotten rest."

"I'll rest when Academia is out of my hometown and once the survivors will be able to sleep knowing that there is hope." Yuto said with a determined tone, looking up at the gray sky. "When the sun is out in Heartland again...only then will I get rest!"

Yuya glanced away from his counterpart. "Why didn't you tell me my father was in Heartland?"

Yuto released a sigh. "There was a lot going on. I simply didn't remember. Plus, I never actually met your father. I've only heard of him from Sayaka and Ruri."

"Speaking of Ruri…" Yuya's head perked up as he suddenly remembered something he wanted to talk about with Yuto. "Do you think she has something to do with why we are separated again?"

"I don't know. I remember feeling you by my side while we were Dueling Ruri. But then...I blacked out. I don't remember much other than Ruri acting strange."

"She used Fusion!" Yuya recalled with wide eyes as he turned to his Xyz counterpart. "She was under Academia's control..."

"Just like Rin was…" Yuto finished with a look of realization. "Do you remember that Duel with Darkness? I can remember the four dragons were howling in unison. They were resonating with each other…"

"Yeah." Yuya nodded as they came across the location of Yuto's old Duel School, walking into the locker room as they were now on a mere look around the area rather than a search for Yuya's father. "It was like they were trying to become one…"

"I know. That feeling of having your mind and body taken or by some unknown being...it's terrifying." Yuto said as a chill ran down his spine from the mere thought of it. "I can also remember...a person."

"A person?"

"Yeah. There was this voice that was asking me to join something...Z-ARC...that's what it was I think."

Yuya blinked, stopping in place and abruptly forcing his hands onto Yuto's shoulders. "Z-ARC? You also heard a voice telling you that?"

Yuto gave a nod. "I couldn't see the person at all, but I got an odd feeling. It felt like Dark Rebellion's presence."

"The same with me, except it felt like Odd Eyes…" Yuya mumbled as he pondered in the memory. "This whole with the Professor going after people who like Yuzu...I feel like we're connected somehow, the guys with our face, I mean."

"Hold on, Yuya!" Yuto suddenly spoke. Yuya turned to his friend, seeing him look into a wrecked room with multiple lockers lined up.

A locker room?

"What is it?" The son of Sakaki Yusho questioned the Phantom Knights user, who walked into the room, seemingly scanning the lockers for something. He had searched for a whole minute as if he had forgotten where something was. Then, he stopped across one beat-up locker. He pried the top door open and looked at the inside of the door.

The sound of paper being ripped off the wall bounced through Yuya's head. He walked up next to his counterpart to see him looking at a photograph with a sad look on his face. Yuya looked at the picture with interest, seeing Ruri, Yuto and Shun, all in casual clothes with Ruri's arms wrapped around the other two with a smile on her face, which visibly startled the two judging from the expressions on their faces,

"I never thought I'd see such a look on your face, much less Kurosaki's." Yuya said, a sad expression adorning his features as he once again realized just how much the war had impacted their lives. From the look on Ruri's face...they were happy. And while Yuto and Shun were flustered, it didn't seem like they were uncomfortable.

"We were much happier back then. I was much happier then." Yuto said, his fingers gripping the photo tightly as a hint of anger flashed through his eyes. "My family was complete...I had a good group of friends...my best friend wasn't changed for life...and my girlfriend wasn't kidnapped!"

Yuya couldn't help but let out a surprised gasp. "G-Girlfriend?! Y-You mean you and Ruri…"

Yuto's angered face was replaced with one that radiated with a recollection of happiness. "Yeah. We were dating before the war. Shun's the only one who doesn't know, of course. He would snap my neck if he knew. That's how you feel about Yuzu, isn't it?"

"Wh-What?!" Yuya froze, his face going as red as his hair, turning away from his counterpart from embarrassment, who laughed as a response.

"You cannot hide it from me, Yuya." Yuto said with a sly smirk. "I saw the way you two looked at each other back in Synchro. You both have feelings for each other...you just haven't told each other yet."

"Ahem!" Yuya cleared his throat, wanting to change the topic. "So, what was this detour for?"

"Oh yeah!" Yuto's eyes lit up as he reached further into the damaged locker, pulling out a stack of Cards. It wasn't a full Deck, but it was a few extra Cards. He turned Yuya, showing him the Cards. "It was the last batch of Phantom Knights Cards released before Academia attacked. For some reason, they decided to support both of the Decks Shun and I use. We were planning to mix up our Decks with Cards that supported our Decks if we were to ever enter a Tag Duel."

"Support for both Raid Raptors and Phantom Knights?" Yuya widened his eyes with awe, his jaw dropping out of disbelief.

Yuto chuckled at his counterpart's face. "That was my exact reaction."

After retrieving the Cards, Yuto and Yuya continued to explore the destroyed building, making their way over to the Clover Branch area of the Duel School. However, as soon the young Duelists stepped outside…

"And we thought all of the Resistance was destroyed."

Yuya and Yuto tensed as they looked to their right, seeing a trio of Academia Duelists. The one in the middle was an Obelisk Blue while the other two were Ra Yellow. They all wore cocky and sadistic grins on their faces as they activated their Duel Disk, with one saying that two survivors were found. Much like the common Academia belief, they were ready to continue the hunt.

"Academia…" Yuto grumbled out of anger, the recent revelation on the fate of most of the Resistance dawning on him once again. He shot out his arm, pointing his Duel Disk at the soldiers and activating it, prompting Yuya to do the same. "I'm never going to forgive you for what you did to my comrades!"

"DUEL!" The five Duelists shouted in unison as a clutter of Cards scattered across the Field as multiple blue platforms appeared.

"My turn!" The first Ra Yellow announced, holding up a Card from his Hand. "I Summon Ancient Gear Frame from my Hand!"

Frame: Level 4, 1600 Atk, 500 Def

"I use Ancient Gear Frame's effect! I discard a Card. Then, I can add Ancient Gear Golem or a Magic or Trap that lists Ancient Gear Golem in its text." The student explained as he revealed an Ancient Gear Golem from his Deck. "I set a Card and end my turn."

"Then it's my turn!" Yuya stepped forward, drawing his Card. "I, using the Scale 3 Xiangke Magician and the Scale 8 Xiangsheng Magician, set the Pendulum Scale!" After swiping his Cards onto his Duel Disk, the word Pendulum played out in all caps as Yuya's Monsters flew into the air on each of his sides.

"With this, I can simultaneously Summon Monsters with Levels from 4 to 7! Swing, Pendulum of my soul! Carve an arc of light across the ether! Pendulum Summon! Appear, my Monster!" Yuya raised his hand to the sky as a beam of light shot out from the portal. A new Monster appeared onto the Field, in the same figure as Odd Eyes but yellow and dark blue colors instead. "From my Hand, Odd Eyes Phantom Dragon!"

Odd Eyes Phantom Dragon: Level 7, 2500 Atk, 2000 Def

"Next, I'm going to bring out Entermate Chain Giraffe!"

Chain Giraffe: Level 1, 100 Atk, 500 Def

Yuya waved his hand as his Monster glowed with a bright white light. "When Chain Giraffe is Normal or Special Summoned, I can target an effect Monster you control. That Monster's effect is negated and it cannot attack!" Obviously, the chosen Monster was Ancient Gear Frame, who grayed out as a result.

"I activate the Pendulum effect of Xiangsheng Magician! Once per turn, I can target a Monster on the Field. That Monster's Level will become the same as another Monster on the Field!" Yuya explained as his Pendulum Monster shot an arrow down toward the ground, enveloping Odd Eyes and Chain Giraffe in a force field. "I make the Level of Chain Giraffe the same as Odd Eyes Phantom Dragon's, 7!"

Chain Giraffe: Level 1-7

Yuya raised his hand as his Monster glowed with a yellow hue. "I overlay the Level 7 Chain Giraffe and Odd Eyes Phantom Dragon! Dragon with dual-colored eyes, step into a brand new stage of ice and snow, and show your absolute powers to the world! Xyz Summon! Show yourself! Rank 7! Odd Eyes Absolute Dragon!"

Absolute Dragon: Rank 7, 2800 Atk, 2500 Def

"I end my turn." Yuya concluded as the Obelisk Blue Duelist announces his turn, drawing his Card after.

"I Summon Ancient Gear Hound Dog!" The soldier said as he inserted the Card into his Duel Disk. The hound appeared to the Field, letting out a howl.

Hound Dog: Level 3, 1000 Atk, 1000 Def

"I activate Hound Dog's effect! Once per turn, I can inflict 600 damage to you!" Ancient Gear around Dog released a ball of fire towards Yuya. The boy let out a cry of pain as the ball hit him in the stomach, causing him to stumble backwards.

Yuya: 4000-3400 LP

"I end my turn." The Obelisk Blue student concluded.

"My turn, draw!" Yuto exclaimed as he eyed his Card. "I set two Cards facedown. Then, I activate them! Phantom Knights Shade Brigandine! This Card can be activated the turn it was set if I have no Trap Cards in my Graveyard. Now, these two Traps are Special Summoned as Normal Warrior-Type Monsters!"

Shade Brigandine: Level 4, 0 Atk, 300 Def

"I overlay the two Level 4 Phantom Knights Shade Brigandine!" Yuto declared as his Monsters entered a portal in front of him. "Dragon with fangs of the pitch-black darkness of the night, redeem the fall of your comrades and slash the pall of rebellion! Xyz Summon! Appear, Rank 4! Dark Redemption Dragon!"

Dark Redemption: Rank 4, 2500 Atk, 2000 Def

"I set a Card and end my turn." Yuto concluded.

"My turn, draw!" The final Ra Yellow exclaimed, inserting a Card into his Duel Disk. "I Summon Ancient Gear Hound Dog!" As another Hound Dog appeared to the Field, the Monster released yet another fireball, this time at Yuya once again, causing him to try out in pain.

Yuya: 3400-2800 LP

"I activate the Magic Card Ancient Gear Fusion! I can Fusion Summon an Ancient Gear Monster using Monsters from my Hand or Field. If Ancient Gear a Golem is used, then I can use Monsters from my Deck!" The student said as he placed the Ancient Gear Golem into the Graveyard. He then followed up by sending the Ancient Gear Hound Dog on the Field two more copies of Hound Dog from the Deck. "Fusion Summon! Appear! Level 10! Ancient Gear Chaos Giant!"

Yuto widened his eyes out of both fear and anger as the Monster he had grown to hate so much rose to the Field. He bit his lip as he dug his nails into his palm. Yuya grit his teeth as he felt the rising anger radiating from his counterpart. And to be perfectly honest...he was getting pretty pissed as well…

"Battle! Ancient Gear Chaos Giant, attack and destroy Odd Eyes Absolute Dragon!"

"I activate Absolute Dragon's effect!" Yuya interjected as soon as Chaos Giant began to move.

This declaration caused the Ra Yellow student to grin with glee. "When Chaos Giant attacks, you cannot activate any Monster's effects until the end of the Battle Phase!"

"Not so fast!" Yuto called out, revealing his only set Card on the Field. "Continuous Trap, Phantom Sword! With this, I can increase the Attack of a face-up Monster on the Field by 800! I increase the Attack of Odd Eyes Absolute Dragon."

Absolute Dragon: 2800-3600 Atk

Chaos Giant held out its left arm, charging up its weapon. It released a light blue beam, enveloping Absolute Dragon. To the Academia Duelist's surprise, the dragon was still standing on the Field, seemingly unscathed.

"By sending Phantom Sword to the Graveyard, I can prevent Absolute Dragon's destruction!" Yuto said, removing his Trap from his Duel Disk as it was sent to the Graveyard. This action caused Absolute Dragon to lose his Attack boost.

Absolute Dragon: 3600-2800 Atk

Yuya: 2800-1900 LP

"I end my turn." The Academia member finished as his Monster held back its weapon as it began to steam from the recoil.

"My turn!" The other Ra Yellow announced, drawing a Card from his Deck. "I activate the Magic Card Fusion! From my Hand, I fuse Ancient Gear Golem with Ancient Gear Hound Dog and Ancient Gear Cannon. Fusion Summon! Come forth! Level 10! Ancient Gear Ultimate Golem!"

A three-legged mechanical Monster with a grey-clawed left hand appeared to the Field, looking down menacingly at Yuya and Yuto.

Ultimate Golem: Level 10, 4400 Atk, 3400 Def

"Battle! Ancient Gear Ultimate Golem, attack and destroy Odd Eyes Absolute Dragon!"

Yuya raised his hand to speak, but before he could even move his mouth, Yuto activated his Monster's effect.

"Once during either player's turn, Dark Redemption Dragon can halve the Attack of a Monster you control. Then, until the end of the turn, this Monster gains the lost Attack and a Monster I control cannot be destroyed by battle or Card effect." Yuto called out as an overlay unit was detached from his Xyz Monster. Electricity spewed out of the Monster's wings, coating and weakening Ultimate Golem, who shuddered as a result.

Ultimate Golem: 4400-2200 Atk

Dark Redemption: 2500-4700 Atk

Ultimate Golem's left arm crashed to the ground, aiming towards Dark Redemption. The Academia students' faces' all convulsed into expressions of shock as they looked up, seeing Dark Redemption soaring down with a piercing roar. Dark Redemption zipped through Ultimate Golem. The machine crumbled scrap and bolts as a cloud enveloped the vision of the first Academia student. The boy let out a cry of pain as he was thrown to the ground.

Yellow Soldier #1: 4000-1500 LP

Almost immediately, the soldier rose to his feet, removing a Card from his Graveyard. "I activate Ancient Gear Ultimate Golem's effect! If this Card is destroyed, I can bring out a copy of Ancient Gear Golem from the Graveyard. Appear, my Monster!"

The iconic machine rose from the ground.

Ancient Gear Golem: Level 8, 3000 Atk, 3000 Def

"Continuous Trap, activate! Ancient Gear Spark Shot!" The Academia soldier revealed his only set Card. "If one Ancient Gear Golem is Special Summoned from my Graveyard, then I can inflict damage to you equal to half the Attack of the Summoned Monsters!" Right after the explanation, Yuya jumped onto a platform and leaped into the air, swiping his hand across another platform and grabbing an Action Card. He glanced at it, widening his eyes when he saw what it was.

Wonder Chance! This is…

An orange ball of fire shot out from the Academia studentKs Trap Card, slamming into Yuya's body and throwing him to the ground with a scream.

Yuya: 1900-400 LP

"Yuya!" Yuto called out of concern.

"I'm fine." Yuya assured his counterpart, staggering to his feet, placing his Action Card into his Hand for later use.

"Now, Ancient Gear Golem, attack and destroy Odd Eyes Absolute Dragon!" The soldier shouted as the golem thrusted its arms towards Yuya's dragon, who let out a howl as one of his overlay units was detached.

"Once per turn, by detaching an overlay unit, I can negate an attack!" Yuya exclaimed as he held a Monster out to his opponents. "Then, I can Special Summon an Odd Eyes Monster from my Hand or Deck. Return, Odd Eyes Phantom Dragon!"

"I end my turn." The Ra Yellow concluded as Odd Eyes Phantom returned to the Field. "Now, take your last turn. Soon, you will be joining the rest of all the other pathetic Duelists of this dimension!"

Yuto froze up at the statement, slowly comprehending the words that were just said. After the words played through his head three times, he seethed. He could feel anger boiling up in the pit of his stomach. His eyes were burning with emotions of rage and grief as a dark aura began to appear around.

"I won't forgive you…"

Yuya let out a grimace, clutching his chest as he glanced to his counterpart.

"Yuto, calm down!" He warned, knowing the consequences. He was pissed off as well, but he was still trying to keep his anger in check. Yuto's rage right now was spewing out of a faucet at full power.

"Just like this, Academia has attacked my comrades! They've all mercilessly eradicated my comrades...the rest of the Resistance!"

"Yuto…"

"I now regret ever going to the Standard Dimension…" Yuto murmured with a fire burning his eyes. He was so caught up in his anger that he ignored the hurt look on his counterpart's face. "If we hadn't left, we could have protected Kaito's family and so many of my other comrades!"

"Stop! Don't give in, Yuto!" Yuya pleaded with one last cry as a dark cloud enveloped his mind, a sharp pain rushing through his body. "GAH!" He opened his eyes, which were bright red with a vibrant purple aura flushing around his body, with the same thing happening with Yuto.

They both could feel it. That familiar feeling of anger and rage consuming them, leaving barely any trace of their real self.

And their power was just waiting to be unleashed.

Back at the hideout, Serena and Ruri woke up from their sleep, shivering with drops of sweat rolling down their faces. For some reason, they had a really bad feeling about Yuya and Yuto...

"MY TURN!" Yuya shouted with a gruff voice, sending out a shockwave that lashed out as his opponents as he drew his Card. "I activate the Pendulum effect of Xiangke Magician! Once per turn, I can target an Xyz Monster on the Field and give it a Level equal to its Rank. I give the Rank 7 Odd Eyes Absolute Dragon a Level of 7!"

Absolute Dragon: Rank 7-Level 7

Over Yuya and Yuto, a large, purple silhouette with gleaming red eyes glared down at the three Academia Duelists, who looked on with awe.

"With the Level 7 Odd Eyes Absolute Dragon and Odd Eyes Phantom Dragon, I overlay!" Yuya declared as his Monsters flew into the portal that opened in front of him, causing a pillar of light to be released. "Dragon with dual colored eyes! Resurrect from the deep darkness. With the flame of rage, incinerate everything on the earth! Xyz Summon! Come forth, Rank 7! The blazing dragon called by calamity! Supreme King Violent Dragon - Odd Eyes Raging Dragon!"

A crimson-colored dragon with dual-colored eyes sporting insect-like wings appeared to the Field. The new dragon released a ferocious wail void of any emotion other than pure rage.

Raging Dragon: Rank 7, 3000 Atk, 2500 Def

"Odd Eyes Raging Dragon's effect!" Yuya announced, extending his hand and crushing it to form a fist. "By detaching all of its overlay units, all other Cards on the Field are destroyed!" Yuya's new dragon let out another roar as it's wings extended with a fiery hue. The dragon swung around, its wings lashing out at every other Card in the Field, be it Magic, Trap, Monster, or even Pendulum.

"7 Cards were destroyed." Yuto spoke up for his counterpart, his voice also without any sort of kindness or remorse. "As such, the Attack of Odd Eyes Raging Dragon will rise by 1400!"

Raging Dragon: 3000-4400 Atk

"Battle." Yuya stated with a chilling tone.

One of the Academia students recoiled from the shock of every Card being destroyed. A smile once again returned to his face as he thought they were safe. "So what if your Monster is strong? There are three of us! Next turn we will-"

"THERE WILL BE NO NEXT TURN!" Yuya interrupted with a firm and hate-filled tone. "Odd Eyes Raging Dragon can attack twice each turn. And then, I activate the Action Magic Wonder Chance, which gives my Monster an additional attack this turn."

The orbs scattered around the crimson dragon's body all glowed with a bright hue. The dragon was soon enveloped by flames due to the wings emitting such a high temperature. It was as if the dragon had brought Hell to the already screwed world of Heartland upon its Summon.

"Odd Eyes Raging Dragon…" Yuya declared with wide eyes, thrusting his hand out forward with a hard thrust. "Attack these three pieces of garbage directly! Destruction Burst of Rage!"

A torrent of flame rushed out of the dragon's mouth, enveloping Yuya and Yuto's opponents. They all screamed out of horror as the flames are at their skin, burning them and throwing them backwards. They all hit the ground with a loud thud, unconscious and seemingly injured.

Yellow Student #1: 1500-0 LP

Blue Student: 4000-0 LP

Yellow Student #2: 4000-0 LP

Odd Eyes Raging Dragon disappeared from the Field as Yuya let out deep breaths. This feeling...it was getting worse.

He felt as if there was someone else inhabiting his body and that they had complete control.

He lost control…

They both did. Yuto let his emotions get out of hand, and for some reason, Yuya felt connected with him. He felt the immense anger pounding through his chest as if he was feeling it himself.

Perhaps it was a side effect of their prior unification…

"Destiny HERO - Dystopia, attack!"

Before Yuya could further dwell on these thoughts, he heard the voice of a youth. The next thing he knew, he saw a yellow and blue-colored warrior in the air, his sights on Yuto, who was still hunched over.

"Yuto!" Yuya cried out of concern as he attempted to bolt towards his counterpart. Unfortunately, he was still fatigued from both the Duel and the lack of rest he received. He was not going to be able to get to him in time!

Suddenly, a metallic screech flared through the air. Out of nowhere, the Destiny HERO was thrown away from Yuto by a ball of fire. With weary looks on their faces, Yuya and Yuto looked behind them. Their eyes bulged at the sight of a large three-headed metal dragon, looking down at a spot far in front of them.

The two boys looked ahead to see a silver-haired boy in a blue and green regal cape with a white chest piece walking towards them. He was still a little far so they couldn't make sure, but the boy did not look happy at all. Oddly enough, despite attacking them, he didn't seem to be looking at them. Rather, he was looking behind them.

Yuya turned back to the three-headed dragon that rescued them, finally noticing a man in a black overcoat with white trimmings with a black shirt underneath. He was looking towards them, but his attention was not on them. Rather, they were on the silver-haired boy.

"I've finally found you…" The boy said with a sneer as both of their Monsters disappeared. He glared at the boy with intense detestment burning in his eyes.

"Marufuji Ryo."


Hey guys, I'm very sorry for the long update. I shouldn't have done the Duel with Academia this chapter cause that kind of made me bored, but I wanted to give the debut of Odd Eyes Raging Dragon.

And I also wanted this chapter to reintroduce Ryo, as he hasn't been in the story for a very long time.

Fanime1: Hey, I think I do remember you. I'm pretty sure you were my first ever review for this fanfic. Nice to see you again and I hoped you enjoyed the chapter.

Hadou Master: I double checked the effect, and it turns out you're right. Fortunately the mistake wouldn't have changed the outcome of the Duel, but it is good you've brought that to my attention so I won't make the mistake again. Thank you.

And with that, I'll end the chapter.

Take care, goodbye!