Disclaimer: I do not own the properties of the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise or the work of the cards; I only own the OCs that could or may be involved in this series. I own nothing of the real OCG cards, just the formal OC character.

Chapter 17: The Administrative Council of Neo Domino

The day of Yuya's release is coming, and every inmate is setting up a large tent for the farewell duel. Yuya will be released today, and everyone is waiting for the show. They set the stage for the duel, where every inmate built the tallest tower they could make. The warden has permitted them to use tools as long as they are constantly supervised. They do not want a riot with the inmates possessing tools, and Chojiro oversaw the inmates.

"Put your backs to it, men!" Chojiro announced.

Yuya was hammering a nail into the platform. He still trained to his thoughts. This was his last day in the Facility. Finally, he's going to be free. Yet, Yuya can feel something heavy in his chest. He didn't seem excited. He was concerned. He's the only one to be released, but his friends and the caught Lancers will still be imprisoned.

He looked at the others. Gongenzaka and Dennis are setting up paper lanterns to the strings. Sylvio carries a box. Crow and Shinji were stringing up the ropes for the lanterns.

"Yasuko, wherever you are, I hope you're working on getting the others out," he thought.

Yuya comes up to Crow. "Hey, Crow," he said. Crow faces him. "If you're thinking of getting out of here, can my friends accompany you, too?"

Yuya's request angers Crow, and he grabs his shirt, pulling him closer to his face. "Listen! I don't give a shit! Don't act like we're friends! I told you before; we're not allies!" Crow lets go of Yuya and finishes roping the rails. "Besides, you're out of here today, so take care of yourself." With that, Crow leaves him alone.

"Crow!" Yuya called back, but Crow didn't listen. He felt disheartened that he'd be going out without the others.

Once the stage was set, the warden returned his duel disk for the duel.

Sylvio attaches his own back and moves his arm to regain the feeling. "Ah, it's good to have my duel disk back," he said. The inmates cheered as the spotlight shines directly on Chojiro. He raised a hand to make one declaration.

"Duels are akin to life; you only live once," said Chojiro. "You win sometimes, and you lose sometimes. Don't be ashamed of defeat. Don't be complacent with victory. In other words, let's enjoy!" Once he made one remark, the inmates and security guards boasted in joy at seeing the entertainment duel.

"Enjoy!"

Chojiro lands on the platform. "And invigorated by a certain youngster." He turns to Yuya. "Right, Yuya Sakaki?" The spotlight turns down to the boy standing in the middle of the crowd. He walks over to the stage. Yuya spots a couple of people in the kitchen. He sees Crow, Shinji, and Damon working on some plan.

He walks up the stairs and onto the stage where his opponents, Sylvio Sawatari and Chojiro Tokumatsu, stand proud of their cellmate leaving the Facility.

"Having the three of us here means we're going in a battle royal, huh?" Chojiro inquired.

Looking at Chojiro, Sylvio stated, "Let's make this last day count. For Yuya. And let's lick it up a notch." Sylvio activates his duel disk. "Let's take this duel to the new evolution of dueling; an Action Duel."

"What's that?" Chojiro asked. He wasn't the only one who was confused by his statement. The Inmates and the prison guards were also confused about what Sylvio talked about Action Duels.

"It's something we've invented. We activate an Action Field and use Action Cards spread out on the field," Sylvio explained.

Chojiro seemed intrigued. "Sounds interesting!" he exclaimed.

"Then let's do it, Action Field, on!" Sylvio declared, activating the Action Field Spell: Crossover. The ARC system in the duel disk turns on, spreading throughout the hall with floating platforms hovering everywhere.

The inmates and prison guards gasped at seeing the new and strange technology.

"The duelists meet at the battlefield!" Sylvio called. However, he paused when Sylvio realized Yuya wasn't paying attention to the duel. He was so preoccupied that Sylvio had to snap him out of it. "Hey!"

Yuya gets back into reality and starts his own chant. "A-Along with the monsters, they'll kick at the ground and fly into the sky!" he announced.

"To move around the field!" Sylvio finished. "Behold! Witness, the greatest evolution of dueling! Action…." The duel commences between the three to start their battle royal.

"DUEL!"

DUEL

Yuya Sakaki (LP 4000) vs. Chojiro Tokumatsu (LP 4000) vs. Sylvio Sawatari (LP 4000)

The bubble at the top of the tent pops, raining down Action Cards all over the field. All three players draw cards from their decks and then start the duel.

Sylvio starts running off-stage. "I'll go first!" he declared. "Let me show you how Action Cards work!"

"What are you doing?" Chojiro questioned.

Turn 1: Sylvio (5x cards)

Sylvio lands on the ground as the crowd gets out of the way. He looks around and spots one Action Card. He swipes it and then sees that he picked up the Action Card: Illumination. "Even though I can't draw or battle during the first turn, I can still pick up Action Cards and use them in my field." He then activates the Action Card. "I activate the Action Spell, Illumination!" Once he's activated the Action Card, the paper lanterns light up inside in response. "Let's make our stage shine with sparkling lights!" He jumps back up to the stage.

"Like this, for incidental instance, once per turn, monster summons cannot be negated," said Sylvio. He checks his hand and sees that he has the right cards to make it happen. "I'll show you some creatures you've never seen before," he stated. "I Set the Pendulum Scale with Scale 1 Abyss Actor - Evil Heel and Scale 8 Abyss Actor - Funky Comedian to my Pendulum Zones!" Sylvio activates both his Abyss Actor - Evil Heel (Scale 1) and Abyss Actor - Funky Comedian (Scale 8). The rainbow "Pendulum" word appears on his blade, allowing two monsters to emerge from the towering lights: a purple clown monster with an enormous right arm and an olive green obese clown monster with four arms.

"With these two monsters, I can simultaneously Pendulum Summon any monsters between levels 2 and 7!" Sylvio explained.

Chojiro was also surprised Sylvio could also do a Pendulum Summon, just like Yuya. "You can do that, too?"

"Pendulum Summon! Come on, my level 7 Abyss Actor - Superstar!" Sylvio Pendulum Summons Abyss Actor - Superstar (ATK 2500/DEF 1800) from his hand in Attack Position. The monster Sylvio summoned is his deck's best main monster: a majestic, mechanical spellcaster with black leotards and four layers of red bycocket hats.

The audience was astonished by the Pendulum Summon. Like the ones from the Arc-League Championship, the audience, who've never seen any other summonings before, were amazed at how Sylvio brought out a high-level monster.

"He brought a high-level monster without a Synchro Summon?!"

"Yes, that's how Pendulum Summon works!" Sylvio boasted. "Now, let's pick up this excitement even more." Sylvio removes a card from his hand to activate the Continuous Spell Card: Abyss Stage - Treasure Boat of the Lucky Seven. "I activate the Continuous Spell, Abyss Stage - Treasure Boat of the Lucky Seven," he declared. Upon activation, a giant pirate ship appears on the field next to the tent. "During their turn, all players once have to put one monster they control underneath this card and destroy all the other monsters on their field." Sylvio points at the pirate ship. "Superstar, get onboard and take the helm!" The superstar flips over and lands on the ship with acrobatic skills; his attire turns into that of a pirate.

"Now, who else wants to ride it? It's a great way to earn money!" Sylvio bragged. "I end my turn!" With that, Sylvio ends his turn.

Turn 2: Chojiro (5x cards)

Chojiro was getting more excited after seeing Sylvio's performance. "Very good, lad," he commented. "Now, it's my turn," he started. Chojiro makes a post and places his hand on his deck. "Enjoy!" Chojiro draws a card. Following Sylvio's lead, he leaps over and snags an Action Card hanging one of the paper lanterns. "Very well, I'll play along. I'm gonna enjoy this Action Duel!" he exclaimed. Chojiro activates the Action Card: Sound Rebound. "I activate the Action Duel! Sound Rebound!" When he activates the card, musical notes appear in the air. The paper lanterns dance to the sound of the music. Chojiro lands on the stage with a thunderous pound. "Once per turn, the activation of Spell Cards cannot be negated," he said. "But I don't care about that. When entertaining people, this lively atmosphere is what's important!" Chojiro picks out one card from his hand and activates the Spell Card: Super Koi Koi.

"I activate the Spell, Super Koi Koi! This lets me draw three cards from my deck and reveal them, but if they are "Flower Cardian" monsters, I can Special Summon them to my field, but their Levels become 2, and their ATK and DEF become 0," Chojiro explained.

"But if non-"Flower Cardian" monsters are drawn, you must send them to the Graveyard and take 1000 damage for each card," Sylvio reminded.

"If I didn't try to enjoy this, I'd have abandoned my name," said Chojiro. "Now come on, let's enjoy!"

"Come on! Come on! Come on!" the crowd cheered.

"Come on!" Chojiro draws a card, and it's a monster card: Flower Cardian Clover with Boar (ATK 1000/DEF 1000). "The first monster is Flower Cardian Clover with Boar! Now, the second, come on! Come on!" He draws the second card, and it's a second monster card: Flower Cardian Maple with Deer (ATK 1000/DEF 1000). "The second is Flower Cardian Maple with Deer! And now, the last one! Come on! Come on! Come on!" Chojiro makes his third draw, which is a monster card: Flower Cardian Peony with Butterfly (ATK 1000/DEF 1000). "And the third monster is Flower Cardian Peony with Butterfly! I Special Summon all of them on my field, but their ATK and DEF become 0, and their levels all become 2!"

Chojiro Special Summons all three cardian monsters: boar, deer, and butterfly. The cardians stack against each other, but their ATK and DEF points become 0, and their levels are reduced down to two.

(Flower Cardian Clover with Boar: Level 7/ATK 1000/DEF 1000 Level 2/ATK 0/DEF 0)

(Flower Cardian Maple with Deer: Level 10/ATK 1000/DEF 1000 Level 2/ATK 0/DEF 0)

(Flower Cardian Peony with Butterfly: Level 6/ATK 1000/DEF 1000 Level 2/ATK 0/DEF 0)

Now that all his monsters are level 2, Chojiro can make his Synchro Summon.

"Level 2 Peony with Butterfly tunes with my level 2 Clover with Boar and Maple with Deer!" The peony cardian turns into two green glowing rings to scan the other cardian monsters, scanning them in the process. The solid mass are removed with only four white orbs at the center

(2 + 2 + 2 = 6)

"The courage of the boarC the elegance of the deer, the beauty of the butterfly! I Synchro Summon! Level 6! Flower Cardian Boardfly!" He tunes his Level 2 butterfly with the boar and the deer Synchro Summon Flower Cardian Boardefly (ATK 2000/DEF 2000) in Attack Position. The white horns flash a bright light to let a giant armored samurai with deer horns in its helmet out on the field. It twirls its speared staff around before presenting itself.

"I'll follow your good fortune," said Chojiro. Get on the treasure boat, Boardfly!" The boardfly hops on the treasure pirate ship. Once it's on the ship, it's attire changed into a thief with its staff being replaced with a hammer and his arm shield being turning into a giant sack.

The audience cheers at Chojiro.

"Not a bad show, old man," Sylvio commented.

"You'd better believe it!" Chojiro exclaimed. "Now I end my turn."

Turn 3: Yuya (5x cards)

Chojiro turns to the third player in the battle royal. "We'll, Yuya. It's your turn next."

Sylvio and Chojiro paused when they noticed something odd about Yuya. The boy didn't look enthusiastic like his opponents. Even the audience saw him being down, confused about what was going on with Yuya.

"Hey, Yuya," Chojiro called.

Yuya snapped himself back, realizing that he was in the middle of a duel.

"Oh! My turn!" Yuya draws a card from his deck. Yuya Normal Summons Performapal Hip Hippo (ATK 800/DEF 800). "I summon Performapal Hip Hippo." The monster he summoned is a pink hippo wearing a red vest and a magician hat.

The hip hippo waves at the crowd, expecting something more. Yuya, however, looked down at the audience where Gongenzaka and Dennis were. He then looked at the stage to Chojiro and Sylvio before returning to the kitchen area where Crow is. He can see. Row and his companions are already working on something in there to escape.

He looked at his hand, which consisted of Wisdom-Eye Magician, Performapal Whip Snake, Stargazer Magician, Performapal Skullcrobat Joker, and the Quick-Play Spell Card: Hippo Carnival.

"Yasuko, I can't leave the others behind," he thought. "Even if I get out, I can't go without my friends."

Yuya looked at Gongenzaka. The muscle boy noticed the look on his face and was thinking otherwise.

The hip hippo was stretching and thought of joining the treasure ship. The monster leaped, expecting Yuya to do the same, but instead, Yuya Sets a card.

"Then, I Set a card, and end my turn," he concluded. The hip hippo falls to the ground, looking back at Yuya with comedian tears.

Turn 4: Sylvio (1x card)

The audience was expecting more from Yuya, but they were disappointed because he didn't put much effort.

"Hey, what's with you? Didn't you come here to enjoy yourself?" Chojiro questioned.

"Weren't you the one who fought the legendary duel with me at the Maiami City Championship?" Sylvio added.

Crow and Shinji saw how depressed Yuya looked. It'll ruin their escape plan if Yuya can't get his act together and make a good show.

"Yuya…" Crow uttered.

"Crow, this wasn't a part of the deal!" Shinji hissed under his breath.

"What do you mean, this wasn't a part of the deal?"

Crow and Shinji flinched when someone repeated the sentence. They looked out and saw Gongenzaka by the window stand. "Tell me more," Gongenzaka demanded.

Meanwhile, at the duel, Sylvio was ticked by Yuya's lack of confidence. "This isn't satisfying at all," he said. "In that case, I'll have to make a comeback!" He raised a fist in the air. "My turn! Treasure Boat of the Lucky Seven's effect activates! During the Draw Phase, I can draw an additional card for each monster he controls that are underneath "Treasure Boat"." Since superstar and boardfly are underneath the spell, Sylvio draws two cards; one monster he controls and the other is from his normal draw.

"Oh. So that's the fortune you reap from it?" Chojiro bemused.

"That's right…" Sylvio responded. "But that alone won't satisfy me…" Sylvio starts running away from the stage to the edge.

"Not only did you draw two cards, but you want Action Cards, too?" Chojiro quipped. "Man, you're a greedy one."

"If you don't like it, keep up with me, old man, you too, Yuya!" Sylvio called to him.

Yuya was still in a very bad mood. As he was lost in his thoughts, Gongenzaka snapped him out.

"That's right, Yuya!"

Yuya looked over and saw Gongenzaka standing proud.

"Gongenzaka!"

"Today's your last day here, Yuya," Gongenzaka reminded. "Make this final day count!"

Yuya seemed perplexed by his words. Then, his peripheral caught something at the levels. He looked up and saw Dennis waving at him.

"Hi," Dennis replied in English. With that, he makes one jump and disappears like a shadow.

"You can't do this to yourself; you are a free man, Yuya! So man up and give it all you got!"

Yuya glanced down and saw Gongenzaka and Crow looking at each other. Crow looked back at him and nodded. Yuya felt his chest being lifted up, seeing that Crow had agreed to take the others with him. He smiled at Crow, happy he was backing him up.

With that, Yuya gets back into gear and points at the sky. "The fun is only getting started!" he announced. As the audience cheered, Crow and Gongenzaka were on the sidelines making their move.

At the entrance's open area, Yasuko, Akiza, and Mina are waiting for Yuya to exit the Facility. The night makes her feel uneasy because they were supposed to get Yuya in the morning, but instead, they're told they can get Yuya by night.

"That idiot's late," Yasuko grumbled. "When the hell is he going to be out of there? It's been four hours since he was supposed to be released."

"I don't know what's going on in there either," Akiza agreed. "But it's not like Yuya to be waiting out on us."

"No, he isn't," Yasuko replied. "And that's what bothers me." She looked up at the towers above them. "I get it's a big place, but it does not mean he can keep me waiting all night."

Yasuko checks her duel disk to know the time, and it's almost past 7, which means she'll miss dinner.

Right on cue, the huge metal doors grind open. The three females turn to the entrance. A lone figure and multiple cheers came from the entrance as the doors opened.

Yuya waved at the audience, amazed by the sheer performance inside the Facility. He is dressed out of his prison clothes and back to his red shirt, white school jacket, green cargo pants, and sneakers.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," said Yuya. "I will miss this place, but thank you for everything you've done. Enjoy!"

"Yuya! Yuya! Yuya! Yuya! Yuya! Yuya! Yuya!"

The inmates inside the Facility cheered at the boy, who was still waving at them from behind the doors. Once he was outside, the doors started grinding to close. With one more wave, Yuya watched as the doors completely closed.

He turns around and sees the three females with a white limousine waiting for him.

"Yasuko! Akiza!" Yuya smiled. "I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting. I was giving my best for everyone here." He jabs his thumb to the entrance. "Man, you should've seen my farewell duel in there. That was some really good stuff." Unfortunately for him, he ends up having his cheek pinched roughly by Yasuko.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!" Yuya grunted. Yasuko lets him go after. He rubs his cheek. "What was that for?"

"For making me save your ass again," Yasuko retorted. "God, whenever we are together, trouble keeps coming for me. I'd be chaining you to my duel runner right about now if I'm not here risking my ass to save yours. Cuz getting here and getting you out there was such a drag."

Yuya gives her a look of annoyance. "What do you mean? You're here, right? Sector Security won't touch you if you're with Akiza."

"Only for a while," Yasuko responded.

"So, what now?"

"Now? We're going back," Yasuko replied.

Yuya raised an eyebrow. "Back? Back to where?"

"To the twin's place," Yasuko revealed. "We're going to be staying with the twins."

"Twins?"

"A couple of rich kids who live by themselves."

Yuya inclined his head in confusion. "What?"

"Never mind," Yasuko dismissed. "Come on, let's go." Yasuko turns to the limousine, and Mina opens the door for her. Yasuko nodded and entered the car. Yuya and Akiza follow inside. Once all three occupants enter, the car drives away from the Facility.

The boy looked at the place one last time. He smirked with satisfaction, knowing what the other Lancers would do next.

"Yuya," Yasuko called.

The boy turns his head to the girl. "What's with that smirk on your face?" she asked.

"Huh?"

Yasuko narrowed her eyes at the boy. "Yuya, I know you better, so tell me what you are smiling at."

Yuya flinched. "Uh, I'll explain to you in a moment, Yasuko," he said. "Right now, let's go back to Riley."

Yasuko sighed. "He's going to be fine," she assured. "We'll be back when…" She paused when she saw Mina answering her phone. She received a call from someone.

"Oh. Really? Are you sure?" Mina inquired. She paused to listen to the caller, and as she listened, her eyes widened. She holds the phone away for a brief moment.

"Yuya Sakaki, there's been a prison break in the Facility," Mina informed.

Akiza and Yasuko are surprised by her statement.

"A prison break?" Yasuko inquired. "When did this happen?"

"Right after the farewell duel," Mina replied. She turns to Yuya. "You wouldn't happen to be involved with this, aren't you?"

"What? I…I mean, I don't think it's my intention, but I don't know what to do without my friends."

Yasuko is fumed by him with every single second. About an hour after she bailed him out, there's a prison break. "Yuya, you really do make me wanna hit you, don't ya?"

"But Yasuko, I don't want to leave the others behind," said Yuya. "We had no choice."

"There's always a choice," Yasuko snapped. "My choice was either you or the others, and I chose you, Yuya." She can't even imagine what would've happened if Yuya had been involved and been sent back to prison again. "The other guys will have to fend for themselves. I can't risk you getting caught again. Now I'm playing a dangerous game here."

"But Yasuko…" Yuya uttered.

A spotlight shined on them as they were about to enter the highway. They looked up and saw that some VTOL was shining on them. The limousine stopped at the end of the intersection.

"What the hell?" Yasuko retorted. "Sector Security?"

"Hold on, just stay here. I'll go check it out," Mina offered. She exited the car and looked up. The other occupants scooted closer to the window to take a closer look. The VTOL hovered over and landed at the intersection. Turbines made dust and debris spray everywhere. The VTOL powered down, and the cargo door opened.

Two white, well-dressed men wearing hats and visors emerge from the cargo hold. They speak to each other for about two minutes. When they are done, Mina turns to the window and motions everyone to come out.

"Come on out, everyone," Mina called. "It's okay; they're not here to arrest you."

Akiza, Yuya, and Yasuko exchanged glances at each other. They all get out of the car and spot the VTOL and two of its personnel.

One of the men turns to Akiza. "Miss Izinski," he addressed. "The Administrative Council has requested their presence." He gestures to Yasuko and Yuya. "Would be so kind as to let them come with us immediately."

Akiza is baffled. "What? Under whose authority? They're not criminals; they're with me," she said.

"True, but the Council made it clear that they are to be brought to the Hall of Dominion," the man informed.

"Wait! They haven't done anything wrong! Sector Security falsely accused them; they would never—" Akiza was interrupted when the VTOL projected a holographic live chat of the administration.

Yasuko and Yuya saw five people standing before them. They all looked between middle-aged and elderly, but they represented the highest body in the city. Yasuko sees a black-haired, grey-eyed man wearing yellow robes and a hat. Yuya spots another man with hazel hair wearing a gray coat over his orange suit, but his eyes look dilated. They even notice a woman in the group; she has a blue cap with a large jewel on it and is wearing a blue robe. The other man is wearing an orange robe, and his hairstyle is knotted upwards. The man in the middle is the most elderly with two low braids, a receding balding white-gray hair, and white robes over his purple suit.

"The Administrative Council members: Gael, Gray, White Taki, Azul, and Bordeaux," Akiza addressed.

"My apologies, Akiza Izinski, but we ask of you to please hand over the two you have in custody," said Gael.

"We shall determine if they are just troublemakers or if they intend to sow seeds of discord," said Gray.

"So, please bring them to us immediately," said Azul.

"And that isn't a request," said Bordeaux. "Right, chairman?" he asked the chairman, White Taki.

"Yes," White Taki replied. "Please don't mistake us for being unjust, Miss Isinzki, but a certain benefactor has requested that all the escapees and those who haven't been caught or released have an audience with us." His smile gives a more subtle impression of demand. "So, I hope we can cooperate, Miss Akiza Izinski."

Akiza furrows her eyebrows at the council. She sighs and relents to their demands. "As you wished," she complied.

"Thank you," White Taki beamed. The holographic projection of the council disappears with the two representatives standing on the deck.

Yasuko looked at Yuya in confusion. "A certain benefactor?" she repeated.

"Who would want us?" Yuya inquired, confused by the certain change in events.

The trio enters the VTOL to take a short ride up to the highest peak of Neo Domino City. The night sky lets the city illuminate under the stars. The Tops are the most beautiful sight anyone could see from the VTOL. Inside the cargo hold, Yasuko sits beside Yuya, across from Akiza. They are taken to the council on the VTOL.

"You never told me Neo Domino City has a council," said Yasuko.

"I thought you were the senator's daughter," Yuya added.

"It's not a subject you should know," Akiza replied. "But I don't think I'd have to see them again."

"Why?"

"The Administrative Council is the highest authority in Neo Domino City. They're in charge of the city as its governing body. Higher up than Sector Security. Higher up than even the Director himself," Akiza explained. "But the reality is that they're not realistic enough to be invoked in city affairs. They don't care about social welfare or the issues the city caused. They donated tons of money to Sector Security. Because of that, Commons are disproportionally prosecuted. All thanks to their infinite funding to the Director."

"And who is this Director of the a-holes who's been chasing after me?" Yasuko questioned.

Akiza inhales to say one name. "Jean Michel Roget," she revealed.

The VTOL lands on an aircraft pad, and the cargo doors open. The trio unbuckles themselves and exits the aircraft. Upon arrival, the trio finds themselves standing higher than the Tops. The Hall of Dominion is a crystalline structure with a tall stone tower. The hall building is even bigger than the school campus in the Tops.

"Wow," Yuya uttered. "This is the tallest building I have ever been to." He looked outside to the ocean horizon.

Yasuko looked down at the city. From the Tops, they looked as small as the ones in the Commons. "A lot of money is what gets you out of there," she commented.

"This way."

The trio turns to the two representatives and follows them inside the city hall. The doors automatically open, and inside are more crystalline details and interior walls. The two representatives stop before the door and then turn to the trio.

"You may proceed to enter." The two representatives hold a hand to the door and open them both.

Inside the main city hall is the council. They sat on a bench way higher than the floor they were standing in.

A single person standing in the middle of the podium is a pale-skinned man with a long nose, green eyes, and ash-blonde. He looked and saw them entering the hall. Smiling as a well-mannered gentleman, he greets them.

"Ah, Miss Akiza Izinski, how pleased to see you again," he said. "I trust that everything is going well for you."

Akiza narrows at the man. "Director Roget, as always, you have no remorse for your actions against the Commons," she stated.

Yasuko and Yuya glanced up at the man, who was the Director of Sector Security.

"So, this man, he's Jean Michel Roget? He's the guy in charge of the police," Yasuko thought. Undoubtedly, the man was responsible for causing her so much trouble.

"Akiza! Yuya! Yasuko!"

The trio heard someone calling out to them. They turned and found the Lancers, Crow, Shinji, Damon, Chojiro, and two others standing on the far left with Solid Image binds.

Yuya was shocked the Lancers and Commons from the Facility were caught when they were trying to escape. "Crow! Shinji!" he exclaimed.

"Uh, hey, we're right here too," Sylvio interjected.

Yasuko realized that the Lancers were all here. Everyone, including Shun and Serena, was in the city hall. The only ones missing from the group were Declan, Moon Shadow, and Riley. She looked at the two others. The other guy, she doesn't know, but the last one shocked her. She recognized him. It was Kalin Kessler.

"Kalin?! What the hell are you doing here?!" Yasuko exclaimed.

Kalin heard his name and saw Yasuko. He smiled softly. "Hey, Yasuko," he said. "Glad you made it back."

She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Sector Security caught Kalin Kessler. The last time she saw Kalin was a few days ago after working on the delivery service for Elsa. "What happened? I thought you were staying with Marlene and Casey," Yasuko questioned.

"I did, but I…happened to owe Crow a favor," Kalin replied. He jabs his thumb at his associate. "He called it in."

Crow turns to Kalin with sympathy. "Sorry for dragging you back into the fold, Kalin," he apologized. "I know you are retired, but…"

Kalin glanced at Crow. "Retired? Whoa, dude. I said I was done; I didn't say I was retired."

Crow makes a slight smirk. "What? You said you didn't want anything to do with the Commons or the Tops anymore after your little gang war, and I thought you retired somewhere."

Kalin snorted. "Nah, it's fine. I owe you a favor."

Jean Roget stands and speaks before the council. "Chairman, I must testify that these two," he points at Yuya and Yasuko, "coerce a Tops resident to collaborate with them so they can create discord in the Commons."

"That's a lie!" Yasuko shouted.

"A lie? Like your forged ID?"

A holographic display shows everyone the forged documents Elsa gave Yasuko. "You trespassed into private property in the Tops and illegally obtained false identification documents to enter the premises. That clearly violates our laws, and you have spurred discord between the Tops and Commons," Jean explained. "It is a clear testimony of her conspiring with their captured colleagues!"

"That's not true!" Sylvio defended. "I don't know anything about a plan like that! The escape plan was spur the moment Yuya was released."

"Just what did we do wrong, exactly?" Yuya questioned.

"You and your colleague here committed many crimes," Jean accused, pointing at Yasuko and Yuya. "Resisting arrest, illegal entry to Top premise, false identification, blackmailing, evading arrest; I can list all the crimes in my head for her misdeeds."

"That's preposterous!" Akiza argued. "You're the ones who came after them first!"

"Akiza's right!" Yuya agreed. "The moment we arrived in this dimension, your security surrounded and arrested us without any reason!"

Jean narrows slightly to what Yuya spoke of. "Dimension?" he repeated. He sounded intrigued and face the council. "Do you hear that? They just said that they "arrived in this dimension."" He spoke. "What do you suppose that could mean?" He then faces the Lancers, Commons, and the trio. "If we consider their word, it means they came here from another dimension."

Yasuko is sure Jean was onto something about the Lancers. "It would explain their use of summoning methods that are unfamiliar to this world," said Jean.

"Fusion."

Serena flinched at his words.

"Xyz."

Shun and Dennis grew tensed.

"And of course…Pendulum."

To support his evidence, he brings up various footage of the duels by the Lancers. Everyone was on display. Yasuko's duel with Akiza. Yuya's Pendulum Summon. Shun and Dennis' underground venue. Serena's body cam footage.

"These users of unknown summoning techniques, why have they appeared in our city?" Jean questioned the council. "To learn the answer, I ordered security to take them into custody, yet only one remains elusive."

His eyes rove to the only one of the Lancers who evaded security for so long. "So? Tell me, what is your purpose? Why have you and your colleagues come to our world and break the law?"

All eyes turned to the girl standing between Akiza and Yuya. Since they all stood before the Administrative Council, they expected Yasuko to tell him the truth.

"We're from another dimension called the Standard Dimension," Yasuko answered. "The truth is, we are at war with the people from another dimension called the Fusion Dimension."

She turns to the Lancers and Commons. "We seek to form an alliance with people from different dimensions, including this one, the Synchro Dimension, to help us win this war. They've already conquered another Dimension called the Xyz Dimension. Some of my colleagues are survivors of Xyz and defectors of Fusion. The war they waged is wrong, and we intend to fight back, but only if we are allies."

Yasuko turned to Jean. "We do not want any trouble," she concluded.

Jean Roget seems satisfied with her answer, and before he can ask even more, the double doors open, catching everyone's attention.

To their surprise, it was Declan Akaba, Moon Shadow, and Riley. It was mind-boggling to see Declan once again despite how long he was missing.

"That is all true," Declan affirmed. Our goal isn't to disrupt your way of life.

"Declan Akiba!" Sylvio and Yasuko gasped.

"And Riley!" Yuya smiled.

"So, you were safe?" Serena questioned.

Despite how relieved they were to see Declan back, Yasuko was the only one in the group who was not happy seeing him again.

They descend the stairs to confront the director.

"The Lancers came to the Synchro Dimension to protect it from Academia's invasion and to gain allies for the Dimension War," Declan explained, verifying Yasuko's story.

Akiza and Crow were baffled by what Declan was speaking about.

"Lancers?" Crow inquired.

"What's that?" Akiza asked.

"Lance Defense Soldiers," Sylvio stated. Let's lay our cards on the table. We're a group of duelist soldiers formed to oppose Academia."

"What? You, a warrior?!" Chojiro gasped, incredulously skeptical of Sylvio being a Lancer despite his weak stance. Sylvio glares at the old man with annoyance.

Jean started to laugh, making Sylvio tick off. "That's supposed to be funny to you?!" he accused.

"I beg your pardon, but this Dimension War? It sounds ridiculous," Jean mocked.

"It's no lie!" Sylvio snapped. "Listen to me! You may not believe me, but this world-"

"Enough."

Sylvio stops talking and looks up at the council.

"We heard the whole story from Declan Akiba," Gael verified.

"All of it. About the Dimension War," Gray added.

"And about the Lancers," said Azul.

"Right, chairman?" Bordeaux asked.

"Yes, we heard it all," White Taki agreed.

Yasuko is outraged, boiling inside of their absurdity. "What?! You mean you knew about it this whole time, and you never do anything about it?!" she snapped. "What kind of hypocritical idiots are you!"

"Silence!" Jean yelled at Yasuko. "You do not speak to them like that so crudely!" He turns back to the council. "You see? This is nonsense. This is all but a fiction, and you, the Administrative Council, believe in this nonsense?"

"We don't know if that is nonsense," said Gael.

"But then they came from another dimension, which means they are who they say they are," Gray added.

"You also believe in the other dimensions. That's why you took them into custody except for her, this one who you let go and evaded you," Azul interjected, referring to Yasuko. "Was it to assess their motives? Is it not?"

Jean seems a bit flustered by their statement. "Their motives, indeed," he confirmed. "Can we be sure they are not the true invaders?"

"What?" Yuya gasped, outraged.

"Don't be stupid!" Sylvio shouted.

"You're the one trafficking in nonsense!" Gongenzaka commented.

"We're not invaders!" Yuya added.

"The invaders are from Academia!" Sylvio stated. "Declan Akiba must have told you that we've come to this dimension to protect it!"

"Protecting this world is security's role," Jean clarified. "Not yours."

"Protecting?!" Akiza inhaled. "You're not protecting this world! You've only been using security to oppress the Commons!" Akiza gestures to the Lancers and Commons. "These people have not done anything wrong to the Tops! They're just trying to get back together, and you just separated them before shipping them to the Facility!" She turns to the council members.

"I must object to their treatment caused by security," she stated. "I heard this story from my colleague herself." She gestures to Yasuko. "I believe that they have not done any harm in this world."

"You do not speak for them on their behalf, Miss Izinski," Jean rejected. "This is for the security to determine what they-"

"No, it is up to us," Gael interrupted.

Jean and Akiza looked at them in surprise.

"That is why we have put them all under the Administrative Council's supervision," Gray added.

"All of us?" Chojiro inquired. "You mean in a suspect, too? That's ridiculous! I've been in prison for ten years!"

"And what of Crow and the ones who are not the Lancers? They have nothing to do with this!" Akiza added. "They're not responsible."

"I'm afraid there are no exceptions, Miss Izinski," Azul declined. "And that goes for you and your colleagues here."

Akiza was shocked. Not only did the council suspect her of any wrongdoing, but they were putting her along with the Lancers and Commons.

"No way," Akiza uttered.

"If you're on our side, we'd like you to prove it," said Bordeaux.

"Prove it? How?" Yuya inquired.

Declan makes one clear statement that will shock everyone. "Participate in the Friendship Cup," he suggested.

"The Friendship Cup?" Yasuko quipped. "You mean we have to play in that Turbo Dueling tournament?"

"That is the Administrative Council's wish," Declan confirmed. "They want the Lancers in the tournament to demonstrate their skills as duel warriors."

Once everyone settled in with the information, they all seemed tensed. It's not the kind of duel fight they want, but they're going to be in it.

"By everyone. Does that include Kalin and Akiza?" Yasuko inquired. "That's not fair."

"There are no exceptions," Azul stated.

Chojiro was flabbergasted by his sudden participation in the Friendship Cup. He turns to the council. "But, I…I've only heard rumors about the great City Duel tournament," he said. "I-I can part take it?!"

"Personally, I'd love to see it," White Taki amused. "Chojiro Tokumatsu was the reason that the Friendship Cup was created."

Upon hearing this, Yasuko and Yuya gasped when they realized Chojiro was involved with the Friendship Cup's beginning.

"What?" Yuya inhaled.

"Hold on, you're saying the Friendship Cup started because of him? Chojiro Tokumatsu?" Yasuko questioned. "What's he got to do with it?"

"Ten years ago, after you were brought in for an illegal move, the Commons youth started causing trouble," White Taki explained. "To crack down on them, we formed the Duel Chasers to apprehend the troublemakers. But the more we cracked down, the worse the chaos grew.

"To ensure that the people of this city are safe, we founded a duel tournament, the Friendship Cup, to promote peace and harmony between Tops and Commons. The winner receives the honorary title of "king" among both Tops and Commons. Just like the current champion, Jack Atlas."

It was a moment of clarity for everyone. They thought that the Friendship Cup was just a once-a-year tournament that everyone could participate in and be part of the Tops. Yet, the reality shattered their expectations.

Yasuko is disgusted. She thinks of the kids from Akiza's school, the ones who attend the Friendship Festival, and the twins. They all love the Friendship Cup and want to be in it so they can become champions like Jack Atlas.

She thought of Yugo and Rin. They admired Jack Atlas because he was the first Common to become the champion in the Friendship Cup.

There was only one word she could use to describe the tournament.

Fraud.

The whole Friendship Cup is nothing but a sham. If she thought the Arc League was bad, the Friendship Cup is way worse than that one. Everyone in the city was looking forward to the game, but they never knew how it started.

"King of both, my ass!" Crow cursed. "I will not take part in any tournament! I won't be used as a show for the Tops!"

"Crow…" said Yuya.

"I understand how you feel," Shinji sympathized. "But if you can participate, you can show Frank and the rest you're safe."

Crow makes a sound of disgust at the thought of the kids.

"All right then," said Chojiro. "Now I can keep my promise to my men!"

"You see, Yuya," said Sylvio. Turning to Yuya, he replied, "let's use our entertainment duel to really excite the Synchro Dimension."

Yuya narrows at him. "No, forget it. We're going to find Zuzu," he declared.

"Oh?" Jean bemused. "You mean that Zuzu Hiiragi was one of you?"

Yuya fears the worst thing that could happen to Zuzu. "Don't tell me… You have Zuzu, too?" he questioned.

"She isn't in custody or anything," Jean answered. "She's an important duelist who has entered the Friendship Cup."

The sudden revelation took Yasuko aback. "What? Zuzu's in the Friendship Cup?"

"If you're that worried, you should hurry and show her you're safe," Jean smiled.

Yasuko raised one eyebrow in suspicion.

"Very well then," said Jean. "I approve of their participation in the Friendship Cup, but I wish to make one proposal."

"A proposal?" Gael inquired.

"What is it?" Gray asked.

"Every year, during the Friendship Cup's opening ceremonies, the reigning king holds an exhibition match," Jean explained. He points at Yuya and Yasuko. "Why not let one of them be the opponent?"

"Which one?" Azul demanded.

"Well…" Jean looks at both Yasuko and Yuya. "They're more likely to be the best candidates out of the lot for the king. The boy seems to be most proficient in the strange summoning technique known as Pendulum." He roves his eyes to Yasuko. "But the girl is most elusive and has a strong sense of judgment using Pendulum to the absolute." He turns to the council. "I desire the king to evaluate their skills," said Jean.

Bordeaux seemed interested. "I see; what do you think, chairman?" he asked White Taki.

"Yes, that would be just fine," White Taki agreed. He turns to Declan. "And you?"

Declan looked at both Yasuko and Yuya. "I have no objections, of course," he said. "So, which one of you will accept?"

Yasuko and Yuya glanced at each other. There can only be one person in the exhibition match. The choice is between the two of them.

Yasuko never wants Yuya to be involved in such a display of humiliation in front of the whole city. She can't let it happen to him. She turns to the council to speak.

"I-"

"I accept!"

Yasuko was caught off guard by Yuya's sudden burst.

"Yuya," Yasuko breathed, shocked by his decision.

"I'll be the one to duel the king, Jack Atlas," Yuya declared. "Yasuko has nothing to do with this. I'll be his opponent."

White Taki makes a delightful smile. "Then, it's decided."

Yasuko could not believe what she was seeing. Yuya accepts the duel before she can.

"Yuya…" she thought. "Why?"

With the duel decided, it was not just the beginning of something far worse than just gathering allies.

Alright, I'm posting the chapter right after I updated the last one a week ago because I wanna get straight to the second part of the story. The Friendship Cup. No more delays. The time for duels starts. I hope you all are having an awesome holiday. If you like this story, then don't forget to leave a comment on what your thoughts are on the story. If you like it, recommend it to a friend or another reader who wants something different. Now, w're getting right into the good stuff. Merry Christmas, everyone! And a Happy New Year.