"So, this is where our comrades are being held, huh?" O'Brien said with a grim smile, looking down upon the structure from the high ground he and his comrades had obtained.

At first glance, it looked like any ordinary building. The perfect disguise for an operation such as the Dark Duels, or in this instance…a prison.

From the looks of it, it wasn't all that heavily fortified, which actually surprised the likes of O'Brien and Serena. Considering the stature of their prisoners, they would have thought Academia would put more care into securing the perimeter, but this was not the case at all.

"Alright! Let's get this over with and save everyone already!" Yugo yelled with a fist punched into his glove. There was no way in Hell he was going to let them down, especially Yuya and Yuto.

"Be quiet, you idiot!" Serena hissed through grit teeth, using her better judgment not to smack the Synchro user across the head, taking account of his rather predictable reaction. "Do you want the whole city to hear us?!"

"To think after trying so hard to escape this place, that I have to now break into it…" Ryoga mumbled. He let out a brief chuckle. "Irony can be such a bitch sometimes."

He felt a hand delicately place itself on his shoulder. He glanced back to see Rio giving him a comforting smile.

"You left this place behind." She said with an ironclad stare. "We both left this place behind. Sure, it will always be a part of our past, but it does not have to consume our future. We've come here to save our friends, not return to Dark Dueling. Always remember that, Ryoga."

Ryoga remained silent, but gave her a firm nod of agreement.

"If we are done gawking," Kaito said impatiently, "Then we can begin the mission."

"Right!" Everyone responded at once.

"Does everyone remember where they are going?" Ryo questioned. It was imperative that everyone knew their part so they could avoid a sticky situation later. "If not, speak up now."

After a long pause of silence, Ryo gave a slight nod of approval.

"In that case, let the operation commence!"

As he spoke, Rio, Ryoga, O'Brien, Ruri, and Serena all split off, traveling to their own respective locations. On the other hand, Yugo, Ryo, and Kaito had remained on the cliff. They weren't going into the building. They had another role in this operation.

Yugo's arms began to shake. After noticing, he stopped abruptly and looked at his hands.

"Every second I was praying that you would come and save me! I WAS COUNTING ON YOU!"

The words of his best friend hammered across his thoughts. He winced, not trying to think of that at such an important moment.

"You threw me away…AND FOR WHAT, FOR YOU AND YOUR STUPID DREAM!"

"Kgh…" Yugo grunted with a seeth. And then, without warning…

SLAP!

Both Ryo and Kaito raised their eyes in a mixture of confusion and alarm as they saw the Synchro Duelist slam his palms across his face. The boy let out a hiss from the impact.

"Damn…" He cursed. He didn't realize that he hit so hard.

No wonder Rin always said to have restraint.

Rin…The mere thought of the girl drew Yugo out of his pain, replaced with a now numb feeling in his gut. He formed a fist with his hand. I…

"Yugo."

Said boy snapped out of his thoughts, turning to Kaito who had a fixed glare right on him.

"Snap out of it." He retorted coldly at the boy he once Dueled. "Now is not the time to be dazing off."

"Thinking about that friend of yours? Rin?" Ryo spoke aloud, inserting his Deck into his Disk, readying himself for battle.

"Yea…" Yugo mumbled softly, looking down at the ground in shame. "The last time I saw her she beat me in a Duel while under Academia's control. I can't help but feel as if I could have done something to stop her from being brainwashed!"

"Do not blame yourself." Ryo stated. "Even as far back as when I rescued her, Academia already had ensared her mind."

"You rescued Rin?" Yugo questioned with surprise. He knew that the former Academia Duelist knew his childhood friend, but he didn't know he saved her as well.

And Ruri too…Kaito added within the confines of his thoughts.

"Yes, although going for that rescue mission may have been a lapse of judgment on my part." Ryo stated, stealing a brief glance at Kaito. "After all, look at what has happened because of it…"

"Enough talk." Kaito said suddenly, catching the look Kaiser gave him, realizing that he was talking about him. "Let's go."

And with that, he began to walk off, with Yugo and Ryo not that far behind. As they walked, Ryo ushered one final thing to Ryo before he fell silent.

"I promise you, Yugo, we will get Rin back, and free her from Academia's clutches!"

Yugo gaped out of surprise. A long silence filled the air as the trio made there way over to the base. Each of their eyes darted to the soldiers in front of them.

Lifting up his Duel Disk, Yugo couldn't help but smile like an idiot.

Thank you, Ryo…


Meanwhile - In The Prison

"Somebody…please…save me…" Sawatari groaned as he felt another rumble in his stomach. Clearly, the fact that he and the others had been captured for a day now was getting to him.

Yuto and Shun lightly grumbled, having heard several similar declarations from the Abyss Actor user already. It was annoying the first time. The second, third, and onward…was not any less so.

"Enough, Sawatari." Gongenzaka chided with a harsh tone. If it weren't for the numerous chains around his body, he would be crossing his arms right now. However, due to his big stature, the soldiers made sure to use 4 times the amount of chains for him, not that it helped his discomfort any less. "Impatience and begging will get us nowhere. All we can do in our current situation is wait!"

"He's right, Sawatari," Yuya, who had been returned to the cell not long after his talk with Edo, said. "We just have to put our faith in the others, whether we are captured or not."

"Are you sure about that?" Allen remarked with a negative tone.

Yuto, Shun and Sayaka all looked at him with inquisitive looks. Being negative in times like this wasn't like Allen. If anything, he was one of the people you could count on to still have some spirit left no matter what happened.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yuya asked with a narrowed gaze, fully aware of the poor view Allen has on him and his father.

"Now Ryoga, Ruri, Rio, and O'Brien to some extent I trust. Ryo…is a work in progress. That Yugo guy though, I don't trust with a single speck of my being." Allen said with a wide scowl, making his dislike of the Synchro user evident, as if it weren't enough already. "Then there is you, the son of a coward!"

"Allen!" Yuto raised his voice with a sudden hiss. Allen's blood ran cold as he looked to his friend with shock at the sudden outburst, one that would usually be accustomed to someone like Shun or himself.

"B-But Yuto," Allen tried to reason, "Isn't this Yugo the same guy who attacked you when you first met?! How can you trust such a person so easily, especially when his girlfriend infiltrated our base and Carded Kaito's family?!"

"That was a misunderstanding for both of us!" Yuto exclaimed. "It was my fault just as much as it was his! And his friend Rin is being controlled by Academia! She has no control of her actions right now. She's being used as a mindless slave, I've seen it happen to Ruri firsthand!"

"What?!"

Yuto blinked, realizing what had just left his mouth and the fact that no one around him actually knew about it. With a quick glance at Shun, who had released the outburst, he began to explain.

"We all know Ruri was captured by Academia, and that she managed to escape thanks to Marufuji Ryo." He stated, pausing for a minute to make sure the information sinked in. "Well, I believe that since Rin escaped with her, Ruri had been affected by whatever Rin is under control from. After all, she and I had a Duel in the Synchro Dimension, and the next thing I knew, she was a completely different person!"

"Kgh…" Shun grunted, his eyes widening with rage. To think that this happened to his sister, and he never even knew about it.

"A…different person…" Sayaka whispered, her eyes equally as wide.

"That's not all, she used Fusion." Yuto stated, earning a gasp from the Train user. "Now, tell me, when have you ever seen Ruri use Fusion Summoning? She may be free from control now, but she was still under their control at one point nonetheless. I trust Yuya and Yuto with my life! Yuya is not a coward! And Yugo is definitely telling the truth about Rin. She's just being manipulated like Ruri was."

Allen gaped with shock at the big information dump. None of them, even Shun, knew about the fact that Ruri was controlled by Academia in the Synchro Dimension.

All of this time…his little sister was being used…and he didn't know.

The very thought of it angered him to no end.

"Yuto…" Allen began, his expression one of disbelief, he was about to continue, but just then, the sound of what seemed to be a distant explosion rang through the air. The prison cell shook slightly from the reverberations throughout the underground prison.

"What the hell was that?!" Sawatari wondered, anxiety building up inside of his gut.

Very faintly, they could hear the screams of what sounded like young males.

Yuto's scowl broke into a small smile.

They were here…


Outside

Another hoard of Academia soldiers screamed as they dropped to the ground, unmoving and unconscious.

Yugo, Kaito, and Ryo's eyes darted around the area, continuing to look for any more Academia Duelists.

The operation had officially commenced.

The three of them would cause chaos on the outside. And, with their overwhelming strength, they would divert all of Academia's attention on them, allowing their comrades to use the secret passageways Rio and Ryoga informed them of in order to sneak into the fortress.

"Each one of us can easily take three of these bastards at once!" Yugo exclaimed, his Duel Disk at the ready as he saw three Academia Duelists approaching.

"I see your point." Kaito replied stiffly, directing his gaze to another group of Duelists who were in a frenzy. Without another word, he began to walk away from the other two, reactivating his Duel Disk, a vengeful and determined look in his eyes.

"Kaito!" Ryo yelled out the name of the boy. However, his call fell on deaf ears, and Kaito simply kept striding to the Academia Duelists. He grimaced, this is not what was supposed to happen. At least Yugo was…

He looked back to the Synchro Duelist to see him running off to fight his hoard of Duelists.

Ryo sighed.

This was not part of the plan.

He should have expected something like this to happen though. Despite not knowing them for that long, Ryo could tell that Yugo was the reckless type to run on his own. On the other hand, Kaito was the type who was too good for working with others…especially now.

Ryo smirked. It doesn't matter. The result for these Academia schmucks would be the same nonetheless.

A hoard of three Academia soldiers approached him.

Good, they're all scattered…Ryo thought to himself, knowing that their numbers were dwindling thanks to the sneak attack judging from how infrequent the amount of attacking soldiers was becoming.

As he activated his Duel Disk, pressing his hand across the top of his Deck, Ryo felt a rush of adrenaline pumping through his veins that he had not felt in a long time.

"Come!" Ryo shouted to the soldiers. "The Hell Kaiser will show you just how outclassed you are!"

"Hell Kaiser…?" One of the students, a red jacket, mumbled, a quiver in his tone at the sound of the name. "We're facing Marufuji Ryo himself?!"

"Marufuji Ryo or not, he's still a traitor!" A yellow-jacketed girl retorted next to him with a sneer. "Let's eradicate him!"

The third Academia student, a girl with a blue jacket stepped forward, activating her Duel Disks, to which the others followed as well.

"It doesn't matter who he is! He cannot take on all three of us at once!"

Ryo let out a rare grin. He'd show them just how wrong they were…

"DUEL!" The four Duelists shouted in unison.

Drawing five Cards from his Deck, he quickly analyzed his Hand. He momentarily froze at the sight of them, feeling another rush pump through his blood.

It really has been a while, hasn't it? He thought to himself, analyzing his Hand and nodding to himself. This was the correct play.

"I'll go first!" Ryo declared, removing a Card from his Hand and showing it to the soldiers. "To start, I use the effect of the Cyberdark Cannon in my Hand!"

"Cyberdark…" The Duelist in red mumbled with concern.

"With Cannon's effect, I can, once per turn, send this Card to the Graveyard and add a Machine-Type Cyberdark Monster from the Deck to my Hand!" Cyberdark Cannon's Card slid into Ryo's Graveyard slot. Then, a Card, Cyberdark Edge, ejected itself near the bottom of Ryo's Deck. He removed the Card, waiting briefly for his Deck to shuffle before removing another Card from his Hand, showing it to his three adversaries. "From my Hand, I activate the effect of Cyberdark Monster, Cyberdark Claw!"

The girl in the yellow jacket scrunched her eyes, visible confusion on her face. "He's not using the Cyber Dragons he is known for using…"

"No," Ryo refuted, placing Cyberdark Claw in his Graveyard as another Card was ejected from his Deck. He eyed his opponents as he added the Card to his Hand, "I still do, but none of you will last long enough to see any of them. Now, as I was saying, like Cyberdark Cannon, I can send Claw to the Graveyard and add a Cyberdark Card to my Hand from the Deck. This time, a Magic or Trap Card. I will add the Cyberdark Invasion Trap Card to my Hand."

The Obelisk Blue student grimaced, a scowl present on her face. "I recall you utilizing something called Cyberdark before. They say at Academia that you were ruthless…"

"And they were right." Ryo replied, holding out a Card from his Hand. "I have gone back to Hell in order to regain the strength that I denied. In order to ensure victory in this world, I will embrace the Hell Kaiser once more! No longer do I wish the suffering of foes or the thirst of victory, but the strength to be able to avenge my fallen brother! That is the frame of mind I've been able to achieve!" He shouted, slamming his Card onto his Duel Disk.

A flash of white light shines in Ryo's eyes as a dark green-armored mechanical dragon. Purple circles outlined his arm. The dragon's dark-shaded wings just downwards with a sharp gleam. A mechanical growling sound could be heard as Cyberdark Edge was Summoned to the Field.

Edge: Level 4, 800 Atk, 800 Def

"When Cyberdark Edge is Normal Summoned, I can select a Level 4 or lower Dragon-Type Monster in my Graveyard and equip it to him!" Edge's wings extended, protruding into a portal to the Graveyard that opened below it. After a few moments of struggle, Cyberdark Cannon, a mechanical dragon with yellow lining, silver talons and a purplish body, rose from the Graveyard, ensnared in the wings of its fellow Cyberdark.

"What the hell…?" The Osiris Red student mumbled with a disgusted expression.

"The next part of Cyberdark Edge's effect," Ryo started as Edge gained a yellow glow surrounding his body, "Edge gains the Attack of the equipped Monster! Cannon has 1600 Attack, so Edge's Attack becomes 2400!"

Edge: 800-2400 Atk

"I set two Cards and end my turn." Ryo concluded.

"Hmph!" The Obelisk Blue grunted, regaining the cocky expression she was wearing a minute ago. "Seems like your Deck is being ruthless to you! What kind of first turn is that?!" She cocked her head to the lowest ranked of the three of them. "Make quick work of this."

"Got it!" The boy replied, ripping a Card from the top of his Deck. "Draw! I Summon Ancient Gear Hound Dog!"

The iconic mechanical dog used by many Academia soldiers appeared on the Field. The dog elicited a low growl, its eyes fixated on Ryo.

Hound Dog: Level 3, 1000 Atk, 1000 Def

"I activate the effect of Hound Dog! Once per turn, I can deal 600 points of damage to you! Hound Flame!" A ball of fire burst out of Hound Dog's mouth. Ryo grimaced as the ball connected with his stomach. For a brief second, he ran his hand over the impact spot, causing a sharp pain to run through his gut.

Ryo: 4000-3400 LP

"I activate the other effect of Ancient Gear Hound Dog! I can conduct a Fusion Summon using this Card and other Monsters in my Hand or on the Field! I fuse Ancient Gear Hound Dog with Ancient Gear Frame and Ancient Gear Hydra!" The three antique Monsters all rose above the Osiris Red. They swirled together in a vortex formation, their very essence and forms coalescing together. The student brought his hands together with sharp ferocity, brought them down as he yelled, "Fusion Summon! Appear! Level 9! Ancient Gear Megaton Golem!"

Ryo frowned as he witnessed the familiar mechanical abomination rise from the ground. Dirt splattered off of its many limbs as the soldier released a mighty roar unlike that of a machine.

Megaton Golem: Level 9, 3300 Atk, 3300 Def

Time seemed to slow down for Ryo as one thought processes through his brain at light speed. If Megaton Golem attacks, then I won't be able to use any of my set Cards. In that case…

"To Megaton Golem's Summon, I chain the Continuous Trap Cyberdark Invasion!" Ryo opened a Trap depicting a Cyberdark Monster hovering over Red-Eyes Black Dragon like a predator. "Once per turn, I can activate one of two effects! I will choose the first, which allows me to equip a Dragon or Machine-Type Monster from all Graveyards to a Cyberdark Monster I control!"

"All Graveyards you said!?" The girl in blue cried out of disbelief. "Then that means…"

"Correct." Ryo confirmed with closed eyes. "While I can use one of your Monsters to equip, I will still go with my own. I equip Cyberdark Claw to Edge!" Cyberdark Claw rose from the Grave, being enveloped by Edge's claws. "As per Cyberdark Invasion's effect, the equipped Monster will give Cyberdark Edge an extra 1000 Attack!"

Edge: 2400-3400 Atk

"Shit!" The controller of Megaton Golem cursed under his breath. Because of that Trap, Edge was now 100 points stronger than his Monster.

"As expected of the Kaiser…" The Ra Yellow mumbled to herself, grinding her teeth out of frustration. "He knew of the detriments Megaton Golem would give him should it have attacked, so he used his Trap preemptively. He still knows Academia's Cards like the back of his hand…"

"I have no choice…" Osiris Red said, grimacing as he looked down at the remaining three Cards in his Hand. "I can't use these. I end my turn."

The girl in yellow stepped forward, swiping a Card off her Deck. "Then it's my turn! From my Hand, I use the Magic Card Ancient Gear Double Imitation, and with it I target up to two Ancient Gear Monsters in any player's Graveyard and Special Summon them to my Field with their effects negated. Return from the Graveyard, Ancient Gear Hydra and Ancient Gear Frame!"

As she spoke, a portal opened in the ground, with the two aforementioned Monsters rising from the Graveyard. Just then…

"I activate the first effect of my Cyberdark Invasion Trap once again!" Ryo jumped in, his Card glowing with a light hue upon reactivation. "Using this effect, I will equip the Ancient Gear Hydra you are targeting!"

"Tsk!" The Ra Yellow grimaced out of frustration as the three-headed abomination transferred to Ryo's side of the Field. Like with Cannon and Claw, the Monster was ensnared in Cyberdark Edge's talons.

"Now, not only do you lose a target, but Cyberdark Edge gains another 1000 Attack!"

Edge: 3400-4400 Atk

"To think that an 800 Attack Monster could become so powerful…" The Osiris Red student trembled. He was starting to see the true strength of this new Deck.

At the very least, The Obelisk Blue girl thought to herself, his Magic and Trap Zones are filled. He can't boost his Monster anymore. That set Card is still an issue however…

"I still get to Special Summon Ancient Gear Frame!" Her yellow-jacketed teammate called out.

Frame: Level 4, 1600 Atk, 500 Def

"Next, I will activate the Magic Card Fusion! I will fuse together the Ancient Gear Frame on my Field, with the two Ancient Gear Golems in my Hand!" The girl exclaimed as the three Monsters swirled together, beginning her chant. "Ancient Giants! Ancient body of the strong! Become one and demonstrate your tremendous power! Fusion Summon! Come forth! Level 10! Ancient Gear Ultimate Golem!"

The ground began to quake as riding from the earth was a four legged Ancient Gear Golem with a sharp three-fingered gauntlet on its left arm. The antique gears grinding within the behemoth gave off of a loud motoring effect that would send fear down the backs of ordinary Duelists.

Ultimate Golem: Level 10, 4400 Atk, 3400 Def

Fortunately for Ryo, he was no ordinary Duelist.

"And just one more final touch," The Academia Duelist smiled, inserting a final Card into her Duel Disk, "The Equip Magic Ancient Gear Tank, activate! I equip it to Ultimate Golem, who will gain 600 Attack!"

Ultimate Golem: 4400-5000 Atk

"Time for us to battle! Ancient Gear Ultimate Golem will attack Cyberdark Edge!" The large Monster rose it's left hand, bringing it down on Cyberdark Edge. As the attack was underway, the Academia student added, "As I'm sure you know, when Ultimate Golem attacks, you are unable to activate any Magic or Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step!"

"That doesn't go for regular Monster effects though."

"What?"

She didn't get a chance to think what he had said through because the attack had connected. Ryo let out a grunt of pain as he was enveloped in the smoke that ensued from the attack.

The Ra Yellow watched anxiously as the smoke cleared. She gasped out of shock as she saw both Ryo and his Cyberdark Edge still standing. The former had a small smirk on his face that just spelled condescending.

"The second effect of Cyberdark Edge, I can send the Monster it equipped to itself upon it's Summon to the Graveyard in order to negate destruction in battle." He said, motioning towards his Monster, which was lacking the presence of Cyberdark Cannon, which was the Card that had to be discarded.

Ryo: 3400-2800 LP

Edge: 4400-2800 Atk

"I end my turn." The student concluded out of frustration. While she had managed to make a small dent in his Life Points, it wasn't even close to enough considering how skilled this man was. He could still annihilate them even with one Life Point…

"You won't be getting out of my turn unscathed, Marufuji Ryo!" The girl in blue declared, finally taking her turn as she drew a Card. "I Summon Ancient Gear Hound Dog!"

Like the first Academia soldier, the Obelisk Blue Summoned the hound to the Field. And just like last time, a fireball bursted out of its mouth, connecting with Ryo's abdomen. The older man let out a small grunt of pain as he hunched over slightly from the impact.

Ryo: 2800-2400 LP

"Now for the other effect of Hound! I fuse it together with the Ancient Gear Golem, Gadget, and Reactron Dragon in my Hand! Fusion Summon! Appear! Level 10! Ancient Gear Chaos Giant!"

The Monster most associated with the destruction of Heartland rose to the Field. It's lone eye flashed with a red hue, the huge Monster towering over many of the nearby buildings in the destroyed city, creating a shadow that consumed Ryo.

Chaos Giant: Level 10, 4500 Atk, 3000 Def

With a scowl, Ryo spoke up. "Once again, I will use the Continuous Trap Cyberdark Inferno. Using the first effect, I equip Cyberdark Cannon to my Cyberdark Edge!"

Edge: 2800-3800 Atk

"It's still not enough!" The Obelisk Blue soldier yelled, swiping her hand to the side. "Battle! Ancient Gear Chaos Giant, attack Cyberdark Edge! And remember, when Chaos Giant attacks, all Monsters you control have their effects negated until the end of the Damage Step! Crush of Darkness!"

The cannon on Chaos Giant's hand glowed with a blue hue, the energy coalescing into a single form. The bean bursted out of the cannon, heading straight for Cyberdark Edge.

"Monsters may be negated, but my Magic and Traps aren't!" Ryo proclaimed.

"That may be true, but Chaos Giant cannot be targeted nor affected by your Magic and Trap effects." His opponent said with a grin. "Sorry, but you aren't going to be able to even touch my Monster!"

"Who said I was going after your Monster…"

"Huh?"

"During Damage Calculation," Ryo started as two Cards in his Magic and Trap Zones glowed, "The effects of both Cyberdark Cannon and Cyberdark Claw activate when equipped to a Monster. But first," Ryo clicked a button on his Duel Disk, revealing his last set Card, "Reverse Card, open! Power Wall! With this Card, I can send any amount of Cards from my Deck to the Graveyard when I would take battle damage! And for each Card sent, 100 points of damage is negated!"

"How annoying…" The Academia students grumbled.

Ryo removed 7 Cards from his Deck, negating the 700 points of damage he would have taken. Briefly, he glanced at the Cards he was sending, hoping that a certain Card would be among them.

He saw…

Samsara Dogma, Trap Jammer, Cyber Kirin, Battle Fusion, Cybernetic Hidden Technology, and finally…

He found a smile coming across his face. Good…

Cyberdark Keel.

Ryo looked up from his Duel Disk, continuing the Chain, "Now, first the effect of Cyberdark Cannon! When a Monster equipped with this Card battles, I can send a Monster from my Deck to the Graveyard! I send Cyberdark Horn!" Removing said Monster from the Deck, he briefly showed his opponents the Card before inserting it into his Graveyard.

But I'm not done just yet…

"Now," He continued, "Cyberdark Claw, when equipped to a Monster that's battling, allows me to send a Card from my Extra Deck to the Graveyard!"

"From the Extra Deck?!" All three students exclaimed in unison.

"The Card I will be sending to the Graveyard…is Cyber End Dragon!" Ryo announced, revealing the Card of his ace Monster, whom he sent to the Graveyard.

Finally, Chaos Giant's attack connected, and Cyberdark Edge was incinerated in the blast. However, when the smoke cleared from the attack, Ryo appeared relatively calm and unscathed.

"Persistent bastard." The controller of Chaos Giant said with a frown. "I end my turn."

This has gone on long enough…Ryo thought to himself.

"Time to finish this Duel. Draw! I activate the Magic Card Pot of Greed, and with it I draw two Cards!" The Cyber user yelled, glancing at what he had drawn, his eyes brightened at the sight.

Just what he needed to do the job.

"I activate the Magic Card, Cyberdark Impact! This Card allows me to Fusion Summon Cyberdark Dragon from my Extra Deck by shuffling Cyberdark Keel, Edge, and Horn from my Hand, Field, or Graveyard back into the Deck! Return, my Cyberdarks! Merge together to create the strongest of the Cyberdarks! Appear, Level 8! Cyberdark Dragon!" A dragon with the body of Cyberdark Keel, the wings of Cyberdark Edge, and the head of Cyberdark Horn appeared to the Field. The dragon let out a sinister growl as a portal opened in front of it upon it's Summon.

Cyberdark Dragon: Level 8, 1000 Atk, 1000 Def

"What's going on?" The student in red mumbled with confusion.

"Upon it being Special Summoned, Cyberdark Dragon can equip 1 Dragon-Type Monster from all Graveyard and gain its Attack. Furthermore, this Monster gains 100 Attack for each Card in my Graveyard. I equip Cyber Dragon!" Ryo exclaimed as his newly Summoned Monster stuck it's claws into the portal, pulling Cyber Dragon out and absorbing it's Attack.

Furthermore, as there were 11 Cards in Ryo's Grave, Cyberdark Dragon gained 1100 Attack from that.

Cyberdark Dragon: 1000-4200 Atk

"Although I suppose all of this will not matter…"

"Hah!" The student controlling Chaos Giant cackled out loud like a crazy person. "Damn right it doesn't matter! All of that for a 4200 Attack Monster?! The only Monster that can take out is Megaton Golem, and if you use your Trap even then you can still only get rid of one Monster! Once our turns come back around it's over!"

"I meant it doesn't matter because I will be getting rid of Cyberdark Dragon anyway…" Ryo corrected, much to his opponents confusion and dismay. Ryo removed one of the remaining Cards in his Hand, inserting it into his Duel Disk, "Magic Card, Power Bond, activate! This Card allows me to Fusion Summon using Monsters in my Hand or on my Field!"

The three students froze. Power Bond. That was the Card that the Kaiser was most well-known for when finishing games.

"But I'm not done!" Ryo shouted, holding out another Card from his Hand. "Quick-Play Magic, Cybernetic Fusion Support! By paying half of my Life Points, I can banish Materials on my Field, Hand, or Graveyard when conducting a Fusion Summon just once! I banish the Cyberdark Dragon on my Field and Cyber End Dragon in my Graveyard to fuse them!"

"What?!" The Obelisk Blue blurted out with wide eyes. "A Fusion between Cyberdark and Cyber End?!"

"The Light and Dark forces of the Cyber Style merge together to form one being. Descend now and evolve forevermore! Fusion Summon! Descend upon us now, Cyberdark End Dragon!" Hovering down to the Field was the complete Fusion of Cyber End and Cyberdark. Cyberdark had its claws surrounding the whole form of Cyber End Dragon, their souls and forms now and in unison.

Cyberdark End Dragon: Level 12, 5000 Atk, 3800 Def

Ryo grinned, forming a fist with his hand. "Now, because it was Summoned through Power Bond, Cyberdark End Dragon's Attack is doubled!"

Cyberdark End Dragon: 5000-10000 Atk

"10…10000 Attack?!" The Osiris Red cried out, taking a step backward and tripping over a rock, falling on his bottom.

"It doesn't matter!" The Ra Yellow said, though her body was still shaking from the sheer size of the dragon facing her. "A-After all, that Monster can only attack once!" While two of them would survive, she does not want to be the one who gets hit by an attack from that dragon.

"That's right!" The student with the blue jacket agreed. She was the only one out of the three who wasn't displaying overwhelming fear. "And at the end of the turn, the risk of using Power Bond will bite you in the ass! You'll take 5000 points of damage and your Life will hit 0!"

"None of you will be able to see to the end of this turn." Ryo proclaimed.

"Huh…?"

"Let me show you the power of my new dragon," Ryo thrust his hand out forward as his dragon released a roar, "Cyberdark End Dragon's effect will now activate! Once per turn, I can equip a Monster from all Graveyards! I'll equip your Ancient Gear Golem to Cyberdark End Dragon!"

"Shit!" The Ra Yellow cried as the Golem was ensnared by Cyberdark End Dragon from the Graveyard.

"It's not over yet." Ryo continued, "For the last time, I use the first effect of Cyberdark Invasion! I'll equip Ancient Gear Hydra to my Monster!" Once again, a portal to the Grave open, Cyberdark End Dragon's connectors oozed into the portal, grabbing and pulling out Ancient Gear Hydra.

As per the effect of Cyberdark Invasion, Cyberdark End Dragon gained 1000 Attack.

Cyberdark End Dragon: 10000-11000 Atk

"Finally, from my Hand, I Summon Armored Cybern!" Ryo spoke as a gold-colored cyborg with wings flew down to the Field.

Armored Cybern: Level 4, 0 Atk, 2000 Def

"I activate Armored Cybern's effect! Once per turn, I can equip this Card to a Cyber Machine-Type Monster I control. Of course, that Monster will be Cyberdark End Dragon!" Ryo explained as Armored Cybern split apart into two guns, attaching themselves onto both sides of the unification of Cyberdark and Cyber End. "Now, battle!"

"Heh!" The Obelisk Blue grinned slightly. "Like I said before, no matter what you do, that Monster can only attack once! Even if you survive Power Bond's effect, the two still standing will finish you!"

"Cyberdark End Dragon can attack equal to the amount of Equip Cards it has…" Ryo said with closed eyes.

"What?!" The third student exclaimed, her eyes practically bulging out of their sockets. If she wasn't scared before, she definitely was now.

"Cyberdark End Dragon, attack all of their Monsters and finish this Duel! Full Evolution Burst!" Ryo shouted as all four heads of Cyberdark End Dragon released a stream of blue energy at all three Ancient Gear behemoths, incinerating them all.

All three Academia students screamed in agony as they were thrown back, their bodies crashing on and turning in the ground.

Osiris Red: 4000-0 LP

Ra Yellow: 4000-0 LP

Obelisk Blue: 4000-0 LP

Ryo let out a sigh as his dragon and the rest of the Cards in his side of the Field disappeared, signifying the end of the Duel.

"Another group down. Hopefully the others are fairing just as well…"

Ryo glanced to his left, seeing another group of Academia students walking towards him. With a large sigh, he activated his Duel Disk.

I will fulfill my part of this operation!


With Yugo

"Let's go!" Yugo shouted, currently at the beginning of his own Duel, taking the first turn. "When I control no Cards on the Field, I can activate the Magic Card Speedraw! It's effect is, I draw two Cards, and then send a Speedroid in my Hand to the Graveyard!" He explained, removing Speedroid Tri-Eyed Dice after drawing two. "Next, I Summon Speedroid Block-n-Roll!"

A guitar with protruding spikes coming out of the end two gears for eyes and a white sash for a mouth appeared to the Field above Yugo.

Block-n-Roll: Level 4, 1000 Atk, 1800 Def

"Then," Yugo grinned, holding out another Monster Card, "When I control a Wind Attribute Monster, I can Special Summon the Tuner Monster Speedroid CarTurbo from my Hand!" In front of Yugo, an engine with a red frame and two lightning bolts on top appeared to the Field, making its spot next to Block-n-Roll.

CarTurbo: Level 3, 800 Atk, 1200 Def

"Alright," He raised his fist, his Monsters rising into the air as he spoke, "I tune the Level 4 Block-n-Roll and the Level 3 CarTurbo!"

Block-n-Roll's body turned into four bright stars, while CarTurbo turned into three bright green rings. The stars ran through the rings in a single file line as a brilliant flash of light flushed in while Yugo chanted.

"Spread those wondrous and beautiful wings, and strike down your enemies at the speed of light! Synchro Summon! Appear now! Level 7! Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!" Yugo shouted as his majestic dragon descended.

Clear Wing: Level 7, 2500 Atk, 2000 Def

As soon as his Monster appeared, Yugo thrusted his hand out, continuing with his advances, "When sent to the Graveyard as Synchro Material, Speedroid Block-n-Roll's effect can activate! A Wind Machine-Type Speedroid Token is Summoned to the Field with a Level equal to the original Level of the Synchro Monster Summoned using Block-n-Roll! The Summoned Monster, has a Level of 7, so the Level of the token will also be 7!" Appearing next to was a miniature version of Block-n-Roll in Defense Position.

Speedroid Token: Level 7, 0 Atk, 0 Def

"I set these two Cards and end my turn." Yugo concluded as the first Academia student stepped forward to fight.

"It's my turn!" The student, one of three clad in a blue uniform, shouted as he slid a Card into his Duel Disk. "I activate the Continuous Magic Ancient Gear Fortress!"

Upon activation, a giant stone fortress appeared behind the Duelist. Yugo looked on with a face of both shock and amazement. Though it was being used by his enemy, he couldn't help but admit that the old fortress looked pretty cool.

However, the fortress would not last, as the Blue Duelist activated another Magic Card, Cyclone. Using it, he destroyed his own Ancient Gear Fortress, much to Yugo's confusion.

Why would he destroy his own Card?

"The effect of Ancient Gear Fortress now activates! If this Card in the Magic and Trap Zone is destroyed, then I can Special Summon an Ancient Gear Monster from my Hand or Graveyard!" The student grinned as he slammed a Card onto the Field. Rising up from the ground in front of him was a gigantic golem. "Appear, Ancient Gear Golem!"

Golem: Level 8, 3000 Atk, 3000 Def

"When Ancient Gear Golem attacks, not only does it inflict piercing damage to a Defense Position Monster, but it also prevents you from activating Magic or Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step! Battle! Attack the Token, my Golem! Ultimate Pound!" The student yelled at the Golem's fist punched down towards the ground.

Yugo thrust his hand out in response. "I can still activate Monster effects! By banishing Tri-Eyed Dice from the Graveyard, I can negate Ancient Gear Golem's attack!" An image of the pyramid-shaped die appeared before getting crushed under the first of Ancient Gear Golem, saving Yugo and the Token.

"Kgh!" The first Blue student grunted, ending his turn.

"Then it's my turn, draw!" Obelisk Blue 2 announced, adding another Card to his Hand. "I'll use the Magic Card Ancient Gear Fusion! I'll use the three Monsters in my Hand, Ancient Gear Box, Ancient Gear Reactor Dragon, and Ancient Gear Hydra! Fusion Summon! Show yourself! Level 9! Ancient Gear Megaton Golem!"

Yugo watched in awe as the huge Monster towered over him and the other Duelists. However, he quickly regained his focus, flipping over his set Card.

"Quick-Play, Speedroid Roulette! By discarding a Card, I roll a six-sided die! Then, I Special Summon up to two Speedroid Monsters from my Hand or Deck whose Levels are equal to the result." He explained, sending Speedroid Demonmagne to the Graveyard as a large die appeared. It was thrusted into the air by an unknown force. It clattered on the ground, each click making Yugo's heart skip a beat.

Come on, come on…Yugo waited anxiously as screeched to a halt. Gravity took over as the die finally toppled over, revealing…

"Hell yeah! The number six!"

"No way!" The second Blue student cried out. "That's impossible!"

"Believe it, asshole! I got a six, and with this number, I'm gonna be bringing out Speedroid Rubberband Plane and Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice!" Yugo shouted as his two Monsters appeared in Defense Position next to Clear Wing and the Token.

Rubberband Plane: Level 5, 1800 Atk, 0 Def

Red-Eyed Dice: Level 1, 100 Atk, 100 Def

"And now, I activate the effect of Rubberband Plane upon it's Summon!" Yugo called out.

"What?!" The third student questioned. "How? You said the Summoned Monsters had their effects negated!"

"That may be true, but I can still activate it in this case! And because of that, I'm able to use the effect of Clear Wing Synchro Dragon! When a Level 5 or higher Monster on the Field activates its effect, Clear Wing can negate the activation and destroy the Monster! Dichroic Mirror!" Yugo cried out as his ace Monster released shards of green at his ally. The plane combusted as Clear Wing's eyes glowed up with a bright yellow. "And now, until the end of the turn, Clear Wing gains the Attack of the destroyed Monster!"

Clear Wing: 2500-4300 Atk

"Tch!" The student grunted, hoping to get rid of Yugo's ace Monster. So, he directed his attention to Yugo's Token. "In that case, I will make Ancient Gear Megaton Golem attack the Token!" In an instant, the Token was completely crushed under the large fist of the Duelist's Monster. When the Golem lifted it's fist of the groundz there was not even a single trace of the now deceased Token.

"Very well, I end my turn."

As per his effect, Clear Wing's Attack returned to normal.

Clear Wing: 4300-2500 Atk

"Then I'll go!" The third student cried out with a determined tone, beginning his turn. "To start, I will activate the Magic Card Fusion! I fuse the two Ancient Gear Golems, Ancient Gear Frame, and Ancient Gear Hydra in my Hand! Fusion Summon! Show yourself, Ancient Gear Chaos Giant!"

Yugo remained unfazed as the Monster responsible for most of Heartland's destruction rose to the Field. After this turn, it didn't matter what they would Summon. And now was the time…

"I activate the Magic Card Brain Control! By paying 800 Life Points, I can target and take control of a Monster another player controls until the end of the turn!" The third student glanced to the second. After receiving a nod from the latter, he continued, "I take control of Megaton Golem!"

Blue 3: 4000-3200 LP

Megaton Golem briefly disappeared from the Field before reappearing under the control of the third Academia Duelists.

"Battle! Chaos Giant, attack Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!"

"I activate my last set Card, Urgent Tuning!" Yugo bellowed, revealing his last Card. "With this, I can now conduct a Synchro Summon using Monsters I control during your Battle Phase!"

"A Synchro Summon during his turn?!" The first student said with wide eyes.

"I tune the Level 7 Clear Wing Synchro Dragon with the Level 1 Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice! Shiny-winged dragon! Appear here and now to tear down your foes! Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 8! High-Speedroid Kitedrake!"

A small dragon-like Monster resembling Clear Wing Synchro Dragon flew down to the Field. It's wings were not as radiant as Clear Wing's, but they were still beautiful nonetheless.

Kitedrake: Level 8, 3000 Atk, 2800 Def

"Upon being Synchro Summoned, one of High-Speedroid Kitedrake's effects can be activated. I choose the first! Now, all other Cards on the Field are destroyed!"

"All of them?!" The students cried out in unison.

"Yes! Now, Kitedrake!" Yugo shouted as the Monster mechanic wail, speeding around the Field and crashing into every other Card, destroying them with small explosions. "Lightspeed Roar!"

The three Academia students watched helplessly as the Field that they had built together was dismantled in one single move.

The third student looked at his Hand, trying to see any other way out. He couldn't use Megaton Golem's effect since he was not the one who Summoned it. Megaton Golem only worked when it was destroyed in control of the person who originally Summoned it.

"Damn it, I end my turn."

"Good, now it's time to end it!" Yugo shouted, drawing a Card and grinning. "I activate the Magic Card Pot of Greed! With this, I draw two more Cards! Then, I activate the Magic Card Speed Burst using Kitedrake as a target! Depending on the Level of the chosen Monster, it is allowed to attack that many times per turn! Level 3 or lower can only attack once! Level 4 to 6 can attack twice! Level 7 and above can attack three times per turn! Kitedrake is Level 8, so he can attack three times this turn!"

"Three times?!" The first Blue student cried out in shock.

"And I'm not finished!" Yugo grinned, holding out the last Card in his Hand. "Magic Card, activate! High Speed Re-Level! With this Card, I banish a Speedroid resting in my Graveyard. Then, I target a Synchro Monster I control and give that Monster the Level of the banished Monster and give it Attack equal to that Monster's Level times 500!"

Yugo banished Speedroid Block-n-Roll, giving Kitedrake the Level of 4. Furthermore, Kitedrake's Attack increased by 2000.

Kitedrake: Level 8-4, 3000-5000 Atk

"Battle! Go, Kitedrake, take all of them down in one go!" Yugo shouted as the mechanical Monster rose into the air, releasing a metallic shriek as a a green energy bursted from it's mouth. "Whirlwind Drowning Strike!" The Monster spun in the air, the blast of energy enveloping all three of Yugo's opponents. They all released cries of pain as they were thrown backwards onto the ground, unconscious.

Blue 1: 4000-0 LP

Blue 2: 4000-0 LP

Blue 3: 3200-0 LP

Yugo's Monster disappeared, he glanced to his left and saw another hoard of soldiers running towards him. He activated his Duel Disk, briefly looking at the fortress ahead of him.

Good luck, you guys. I'll beat the crap out of many Academia guys as you need me to!


With Kaito

"My turn." Kaito drew his Card, taking his turn and assessing the Field before him.

The three Obelisk Blue students facing him had quite the Field. The first student, had managed to bring out Ancient Gear Ultimate Golem. The second, had a menacing Ancient Gear Ultimate Hound Dog. And lastly, the third student has an Ancient Gear Chaos Giant on his Field.

Due to the fact that two of the soldiers used Ancient Gear Hound Dog before Fusion Summoning, Kaito had 2800 Life Points, while his opponents all had an untouched 4000.

Kaito: 2800 LP

Blue 1: 4000 LP

Blue 2: 4000 LP

Blue 3: 4000 LP

Kaito was now taking his first turn…

"I activate the Magic Card Cipher Trade!" He said, placing a Card called Cipher Etranger in his Graveyard. "By sending a Cipher Monster in my Hand to the Graveyard, I can draw two Cards!" As he did so, a Card ejected itself from the bottom of his Deck. "Then, the effect of the Cipher Etranger activates since I sent it to the Graveyard. I add a Rank-Up-Magic Card from my Deck to my Hand. I add Rank-Up-Magic Cipher Ascension! And then, when I control no Monsters, I can Special Summon Cipher Slasher from my Hand!"

Kaito placed the Card on his Duel Disk, and with a flash of Monster with a body made of pure green energy appeared, brandishing it's sword and letting out a fearsome cry.

Slasher: Level 4, 2100 Atk, 0 Def

"Then," Kaito continued, holding out another Monster in his Hand, "When a Cipher Monster is Special Summoned, I can Special Summon Cipher Biplane from my Hand!" A mechanical plane with light fluorescent wings and tail flew onto the Field, landing in front of Kaito and next to Cipher Slasher.

Biplane: Level 6, 1000 Atk, 2000 Def

"Now, I will activate the effect of Cipher Biplane!" Kaito announced, directing his gaze at his other Monster. "Once per turn, I can target a Cipher Monster I control and have its Level become 8! I choose to change the Level of Cipher Slasher to 8!"

Slasher: Level 4-8

"Hmm…" One of the students grumbled. "The data shows that your ace Monster is a Rank 8. However, it seems you don't have the necessary Materials…"

"I don't know about that." Kaito quickly replied.

"What?" The man spoke with confusion.

To clarify, Kaito inserted another Card into his Duel Disk. "I activate the Magic Card Shift-Up! With this, I target a face-up Monster I control with the highest Level! Then, the Levels of all other Monsters I currently control become that Monster's Level! I target Cipher Slasher, whose Level is now 8!"

As a result of his effect, the Level of Cipher Biplane increased from 6 to 8.

Biplane: Level 6-8

"Two Level 8 Monsters!" The second soldier cried out.

In response, Kaito narrowed his eyes, beginning his Summon. "I overlay the Level 8 Cipher Slasher and Cipher Biplane!" A spiral of light erupted in front of Kaito as his Monster took form from the sparkling green particles within. "Galaxy shining in the darkness, dwell in the demonic god of revenge and become my very servant! Xyz Summon! Descend, Rank 8! Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon!"

Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon: Rank 8, 3000 Atk, 2500 Def

"I'm not finished just yet!" Kaito exclaimed, shoving a Card inside his Duel Disk. "Rank-Up-Magic Cipher Ascension will now activate using my Galaxy-Eyes as target! Now, I can Special Summon a Cipher Xyz Monster from my Extra Deck whose Rank is 1 higher! With Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon, I rebuild the overlay network!" Kaito's ace glowed with a yellow hue as he reentered the portal, it's new form taking shape like a bug breaking out of its cocoon. "Galaxy shining in the darkness. Release the forever unchanging light and become the beacon that illuminates the future! Rank-Up Xyz Change! Descend, Rank 9! Neo Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon!"

Neo Galaxy-Eyes: Rank 9, 4500 Atk, 3000 Def

"I activate the effect of Neo Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon! By detaching all overlay units from this Monster, I can take control of all your Monsters with their effects negated! Furtuermore, their names become Neo-Galaxy Eyes Cipher Dragon and their Attacks become the same as this Monster's. Cipher Super Projection!"

The three overlay units orbiting Kaito's Monster vanished as Neo Galaxy-Eyes' wings bursted with light, enveloping all of his enemies and converting them to Kaito's side, with their form becoming the same as that of his own.

Ancient Gear Ultimate Golem-Neo Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon: 4400-4500 Atk

Ancient Gear Ultimate Hound Dog-Neo Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon: 2800-4500 Atk

Ancient Gear Chaos Giant-Neo Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon: 4500 Atk

"The Monsters that I take control of cannot attack this turn, but that doesn't matter." Kaito said, much to the confusion of his poor opponents.

A small sense of hope flashed across one of their faces. He grinned. "It doesn't matter. You can only take out one of us!"

"It doesn't matter because I'm still finishing all three of you off this turn anyway!" Kaito clarified, causing the man to gasp. Fighting back the urge to smirk at their stares of awe, Kaito inserted a Card into his Duel Disk. "I activate the Magic Card Cipher Diffusion! To use this Card, I must reduce the Attack of a Cipher Monster I control to 0 until the end of the turn. I'll simply use one of your Monsters!"

Ancient Gear Ultimate Golem-Neo Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon: 4500-0 Atk

"Then, I can target another Cipher Monster I control and allow that Monster to attack three times during this Battle Phase!"

"What?!" All three shouted.

"Are you all prepared to repent?!" Kaito yelled, waving his hand towards them. "I attack you all directly with the original Neo Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon! Cipher Stream of Devastation!" Neo Galaxy-Eyes released a stream of energy, enveloping all three Academia members. They all screamed with agony, crashing to the ground as their Life Points hit 0.

Blue 1: 4000-0 LP

Blue 2: 4000-0 LP

Blue 3: 4000-0 LP

Neo Galaxy-Eyes disappeared as Kaito's victory was declared. Despite this confirmation, he did not give himself any room for rest. He turned away from his defeated opponents, seeing more students making their way towards him.

He reactivated his Duel Disk.

He would not stop until every single one of these scourges were decimated!


Card Catalog

Speed Burst, Magic: Target a Monster you control. If the Level of that Monster is 3 or lower, that Monster can only attack once. If it is between 4 and 6, it can attack twice. If it is 7 or higher, then it can attack three times this turn. This Card can only be activated once per turn.

Cipher Slasher, Light, Machine, Level 4, 2100 Atk, 0 Def: If you control no Monsters, you can Special Summon this Monster from your Hand. This Card cannot attack the turn it is Summoned.


If there is one thing this chapter taught me, it's that having Academia Duels against nameless nobodies that use the same Deck is still annoying as fuck. Fortunately, the rest of the Duels in this mini arc are 1v1s with actually relevant characters.

There ain't much to talk about this chapter, other then I decided to give Yugo Kitedrake, and Ryo has now implemented the Cyberdarks into his Deck. Truth be told, out of the three Duels in this chapter, Ryo's was the only one I had fun writing.

Hell Kaiser Younes: I suppose I should have explained this better, and I planned to somewhat show this later on, but out of the Yu-boys at this point in the fic, Yuri is the 'closest' to his dragon and to Zarc. So, whose to say that he doesn't have any memories from a past life…

hajalsafy: Glad you enjoyed it :)

Now for the chapter preview…

While Yugo, Ryo, and Kaito provide a distraction, Ryoga, Rio, O'Brien, Ruri, and Serena all split up individually in the fortress in search of their captured comrades. While searching, Serena runs into Gloria, while O'Brien encounters Grace…

Anyways, that's all for now guys. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Until next time!

Take care, goodbye!