Eddie opened her eyes and she immediately spotted the Yuzu face, though the issue was that she was currently unconscious, tied to a table and that table was in what very much looked like a mad scientist lab.

At a quick glance, she could see a… oh that was a duel spirit, guaranteed, some big bug the size of a small house and a bunch of eggs being pumped out from its abdomen, being shipped out via some long tubes where they were deposited in another tube and in a different tank she could see some hatching to become little… Spore(the game not the monster)-like creatures that screamed 'parasite'.

More importantly, she couldn't see any (conscious) humans around, so she looked at Ruri and found she had her bracelet despite being strapped down.

And, just as importantly?

A teal-haired Yuzu-face on an identical slab beside her.

"...Oh my god." Eddie said, grabbing Ruri's wrist. "Set the Scale-"

She heard the sound of doors sliding open, and she immediately stopped and hid behind the nearest object on the side opposite the sound of the doors.

Which ended up being Ruri's table, which thankfully was like a proper medical table… if it was made out of concrete.

"Doctor, how is the program coming along?" Eddie heard a familiar voice speak, it was a voice she had heard many times from various news clips and press conferences in her research.

"My Fusion Parasite program is coming along nicely, the newest brood shall be even greater than the last, soon Academia's more… problematic soldier's shall be put to good use." An absolutely slimy and mad voice responded. A reflection in a tube revealed him to be a gaunt older man.

"Good, I shall leave you to it, make sure that the girls can be used as spies if a situation where they are freed occurs," Leo Akaba stated.

"You really think that is necessary?" The Doctor asked. "Their use should only be for the Arc-V."

Well that sounded important! That was the name of the show!

"Yes, but I suspect Xyz will eventually make contact with my son and convince him to join forces against us," Leo Akaba said. "And also prepare a Parasite for Serena, she has become a little too… willful lately."

"As you wish, Professor."

"Then I shall leave you to your work," At that the door opened and closed again.

Eddie palmed the surprise she'd bought after finding out about Academia.

"Ah, I do love a good sponsor if only he would tell more about that demon he fears so much, a human fusing with a duel spirit, not even I have managed to achieve such a feat yet," The man monologued as he sat at his computer.

Eddie paused at that, and could pretty instantly put together who the demon could be.

And knew what she had to do.

Eddie suddenly understood why she was so low on the list as she quietly snuck up on the 'good' doctor, completely engrossed in his machine.

She got close enough she could touch him, and-

Reached her arm around his head, shoving the sleeve-covered duel disk against his jaw, as she tazed him in the chest.

"Grghhh, arghh…" Came the muffled scream as he tried to break free while he was still conscious but just as quickly as his body panicked, it quickly ceased moving.

Eddie stared down at the unconscious man, and after confirming he was still breathing, quickly tied his hands with a nearby loose restraint he'd probably used for his subjects in the past, and then turned her focus back to the people that mattered.

Without another moment's hesitation, she went over to Ruri and grabbed the girl's wrist. "Swing, Pendulum of Souls. Set the Scale 1-8. Send forth my minions! Pendulum Reverse Summon!"

In a flash of contrasting red and blue, the unconscious girl disappeared.

Leaving Eddie behind.

"Oh boy." Eddie said, realizing what needed to happen now. "Okay. Okay. Can't exactly leave her here… Swing, Pendulum of Souls. Set the Scale 1-8. Send forth my minions! Pendulum Reverse Summon!" She said as she sent the Synchro-Yuzu as well in a similar flash.

Eddie looked around for anything she could consider useful. The only thing she could find was a fusion monster card, Parasite Queen, which was definitely the one in the tube… but her senses told her that the one in the tube was a physically incarnated Duel Spirit, separate from the card.

So she threw that in the nearby trash chute that smelled vaguely like fire.

"Okay, let's see…" Eddie said to herself as she looked over the lab for anything she could use before she did anything about the unconscious mind-raping asshole. A medical mask, good, with her hoodie she could at least disguise who she was. In preparation of that, she took her hair out of the high ponytail she normally had it in and pulled it into a tight bun, the better to be hidden by her hood. It was damn lucky she had been wearing a new black one instead of her normal ones.

Which just left the most promising thing.

The unconscious(?), bound old man.

Eddie decided to make this appropriately dramatic, as she pulled the old man up to the catwalk over the Queen's tube, which had a clear openable hatch, which she opened, and then positioned the old man such that she could easily push him in- not that she was planning on it, but the threat would work well, right?

With that, and with the taser in her other hand, she slapped the old man back to consciousness. "Wakey wakey doc."

"Urgh…" The man groaned as his eyes fluttered open and immediately he started wiggling as he clearly realized that he been assaulted and bound. "Well well well, what do we have here?"

"An interrogation." Eddie responded, taser held in clear visible sight of the man. "I just wanna know a few things before I make my daring getaway."

"Well I would question your ability to do so, but you managed to enter my lab without anybody noticing… ah I recognize that face, you are the one that broke little Sora's cover on day one." Damn, misplay, she should have put on the mask first.

"You have me at a disadvantage. You know my name but I don't know yours."

"I am Dr. Buggenstein, but people just simply call me… The Doctor." He answered.

Buggenstein, dear lord he was doomed from birth!

"Well, Mister The Doctor, I'm very curious as to what that thing is behind you."

"Oh that is my greatest creation, the Fusion Parasite." He answered "A Duel Spirit of my own making."

"You made a duel spirit?" Eddie repeated, genuinely a bit awed at the idea. Mostly in the 'terror' sense.

"Yes I've been summoning for years, looking into the occult origins of Duel Monsters, studying alchemy and comparing it with modern science, I am quite proud of my work. I am happy you understand the genius of my work," The Doctor exposited, the man incessantly prideful about his creation and was clearly taking this as a chance to brag about his work.

"I haven't heard of anything like that since the Sacred Beasts were made in imitation of the God Cards…" Eddie said, testing something.

"Ahh, what an informed girl you are of our institution, the Phantasmal Beasts, said to be weapons created by a king in ancient times made in the image of Egyption Gods whose spirits no longer reside in our world," The Doctor continued; the man clearly didn't care much for secrets, though considering that Eddie had him dead to rights…

"Are they located on this island?"

"Their cards have been given to three Commanders of the Obelisk Force," He answered.

"And those Commanders are?"

"Johan Anderson, The Dark Crystal Master. Axel Brody, the Fiery Commander. And Adrian Gecko, the King of Dark World."

"I see." Eddie said, reprioritizing her slapdash plan as a new order of operations came clear to her. "And all three of them are currently on the island, or are some of them out in the field?"

"I do not know that."

"That's fine!" Eddie said with a smile. "In that case, tell me what you do know about Arc-V."

"It is the machine meant to unite the Dimensions into one," He answered.

"And it does so how, exactly Doctor?"

"Though the sacrifice of duel energy via the people carded in Xyz Dimension." The doctor answered. "Though if they don't suffice… hehehe, we shall just move on."

"Mhm. On that note, your beloved creation behind you, is it a parasite because it feeds on people or Duel Spirits?"

"It drains Duel Energy from Duelist and Duel Spirits," He answered with a wide smile.

"And the babies?"

"They attach themselves to the brain allowing me to control them as they are drained of their life, perfect little puppets." He stated. "My ultimate creation."

"Quick side question, have you heard the name Vellian Crowler before?" Eddie asked. "Or barring that, Chronos de Medici?"

"Chronos… yes I do remember a teacher by that name."

"Does he not teach here any more?" Eddie asked, noting the hesitance in his voice.

"Well it is pretty hard for the dead to teach, remember what I said just earlier, they drain Duel Energy." His smile was gleefully wide.

"Mhm… mhm! Alright." Eddie said, before kicking him into the hatch and closing it.

"ARGHHHH!" Came the short scream before it died just as quickly as the color of the tank changed from light green to red.

Eddie took a deep breath and dusted herself off before heading back down.

The only thing she could think to do before leaving was to check the already open computer that she had forgotten to check before doing… that, and try to use it to find a layout of the place.

Which gave her a map of the complex, island as a whole, and more importantly? A path to the dorms-which were on the top of the island meaning she had to go in and out of the place a few times if she wanted to reach it.

"...Wait, shit, intel." Eddie as she downloaded as much relevant information as she could find.

The Dimension Move app was not accessible through this machine, unfortunately, but it was on a closed loop exclusive to this room.

So when she poured as much cleaning fluids on it as she could, it shorted out for good.

And caught fire, but that was part of the plan, having left a line of burnable chemicals up and into the tank of the little parasites, not trusting the big one to stay idle. Thankfully, her stolen mask meant she wasn't as at-risk of breathing anything in immediately, which was good.

And with that, she left the room, and ran in the correct direction.

A moment later, the fire alarms automatically went off.

Heh.

Good thing it was a chemical fire, she thought for the first time ever, as she sprinted.

Thankfully, from the sounds of it, the dead doctor's lab had been relatively isolated from the rest of the school.

Once she got out, she was immediately struck with three facts.

One, the landscape and buildings were all gray and looked visibly evil.

Two, the sky had a visible shadow miasma. Which she could feel all the way from the ground.

Three, this wasn't even the correct island! She saw no volcano anywhere in sight!

With the hatred for Leo Akaba burning brightly in her chest, she switched from sprinting to stealth as she snuck across the barren island. Not a single plant to be seen.

…Well, perhaps she'd spoken too soon.

The place she had decided to cut through a few minutes later, was a garden filled with a variety of flowers, many commons, rare and… was that a pitcher?

On reassessment, at least half of the flowers present (that she recognized) were either poisonous or carnivorous.

She had a bad feeling she knew what was about to happen.

"I wasn't expecting guests in my garden today?" A voice said from behind her.

Eddie stopped in her tracks and groaned. Okay, guess she was doing this now!

Wait, no she wasn't.

She immediately booked it.

"...Well that is a first."

And then the doors, just inches from her face, slammed shut seemingly of their own accord.

Eddie turned back to see who could only be Yuri with a finger on a button of his Disk, a smug look on his face. She liked his hair and his stupid little cape.

"This is my domain, no one leaves without my permission," Yuri spoke. Her makeshift disguise seemed to be working in her favor, as he didn't seem to recognize her yet.

"Do I get that permission if I beat you in a duel?" Eddie asked conversationally. "Or would asking nicely work?"

"While I do appreciate flattery, that is not how it works, you either beat me or I beat you."

"You willing to up the stakes a bit?" Eddie asked on a whim.

"...I know you're playing me, but I like it."

"Winner gets a card of their choice from the loser's deck."

"Ante dueling," Yuri said, his face turning 'Marik'-level of manic. "I like it. Depending on how fun it is, I might not even Card you if I win. I've been so bored lately and most don't wanna play with me anymore."

"Honestly? If it weren't for the circumstances, I'd offer to be your rival." Eddie said completely genuinely.

Yuri's face became one of surprise for a split second before returning to smug. "I accept the terms of your duel."

"Great! Get your game on."

"I have not heard that phrase in years," Yuri said as he activated his Duel Disk fully.

"Do you know of a 'J. Yuki'?" Eddie asked curiously.

"If you win I might tell," Yuri simply answered. "And with you being the intruder I shall go first."

Yuri LP: 8000/ Eddie LP: 8000

Yuri made a face after he drew his five cards, it was the same face that Yuya made when he didn't get a good hand.

Eddie, for once, didn't rub it in, as she was certain by now that it was part of her profile.

"I shall activate the Spell Card - Instant Fusion, by paying a thousand life points, I can Fusion Summon a Level 5 or lower Fusion Monster from my Fusion Deck." Yuri explained. "And I choose Predaplant Ambulomelides(1000/2500)."

Yuri LP: 7000/ Eddie LP: 8000

Eddie stared at the Venasaurian stegosaurus.

She didn't know that card.

Was it an off meta, a new card, or an 'anime only'? She had no way of knowing, since she'd never actually used Predaplant as a real deck, just as support cards.

"When he is Fusioned Summoned, I can add a 'Predap' card from my deck to my hand," Yuri explained as he added a card to his hand. "And then I shall Normal Summon the Predaplant Ophrys Scorpio(1200/800) I just added."

This part of the combo, she knew though. Next would be a weaker one that could be used as L- wait, those weren't a thing, as Fusion Material then.

Her brain had immediately gone to Master Rule 5 memories upon seeing a Predaplant. Thank god for no green snake.

"And when he is Normal Summoned I can discard a Monster to Special Summon Predaplant Darlingtonia Cobra(1000/1500), and when he is Special Summoned by the effect of a Predaplant Monster, I can add any Fusion card to my hand."

And this was where he would add Su- Double Fusion.

Double Fusion?

"I shall activate the Spell Card - Double Fusion, by paying 500LP I can fusion summon a monster now, and then do it again later! First I shall fuse my two non-Fusion Predaplants on the Field, now come together, two beautiful flowers combine together to form of a carnivorous flower. Fusion Summon! Level 7! Predaplant Chimerafflesia(2500/2000) and the next plant requires a Fusion Monster as fertilizer, so I shall fuse my Predaplant Ambulomelides and Predaplant Chlamydosundew from my hand to create a being that combined the essence of plants and dragons! Fusion Summon! Level 8! Predaplant Dragostapelia(2700/1900)!"

Shit.

She definitely knew that card.

Back when she tried to climb the ladder in Master Duel she'd been stopped by that damn plant dragon, which was somehow more menacing in person, perhaps due to the corpse flower monster beside it or the grinning sadist behind it.

Yuri LP: 6500/ Eddie LP: 8000

"And with that I end my turn," Yuri said as he gave her a mocking bow.

"Draw." Eddie said. Didn't change her plan. "I'll start by normal summoning Summoner Monk(800/1600) in attack position. On summon he switches to defense." Would he counter now…?

No, no he didn't, damn.

"I'll activate his effect, discarding a spell to summon a monster from my deck."

"I am sorry but I can't let you do that, I chain the effect of my Dragostapelia which puts a Predacounter on your monster, and while it is attached your monster is Level 1 and while it has a counter the continuous effect of my lovely plant prevents it from resolving." Yuri said as vines crawled across the monk. "And here I thought you would last a little longer."

Summoner Monk fizzled out, her One for One going to waste.

"Alright. In that case…" She breathed in deeply. "Fiendish father of fear… make my monster GROW!" Eddie shouted, forming the Xyz energy between her hands and physically throwing it at her monster. "RANK 12! SUPER STARSLAYER TY-PHON - SKY CRISIS(2900/2900)!"

The Xyz energy engulfed it, before causing it to bubble and morph before rapidly expanding into a massive mecha-like monster, a single material floating around it a moment later. A kaiju in all but name, who's sheer menacing presence radiated off it in nigh-on visible waves.

Yuri actually took a step backwards. "So you are from Xyz." Yuri said. "But how did you do so from a singular level 1 monster?"

"TY-PHON only needs one material if you've summoned multiple monsters from your extra deck." Eddie explained.

"A monster to combat Fusion, at least you're more prepared than those other resistance fighters," Yuri said, a wide smile on his face, somewhere between mocking and appreciative.

"Battle phase! TY-PHON, attack Dragostapelia! Starslaying Strike!" Eddie ordered, the monster's shoulders growing out and spreading like a macross missile massacre to tear the fusion to shreds.

Yuri LP: 6300/ Eddie LP: 8000

"Main Phase 2, I'll detach TY-PHON's material to bounce Chimerafflesia back to your 'hand'." Eddie said, the monster this time launching a wave of darkness that sent the monster flying. "End turn."

Yuri stared at his now empty field in shock, clearly not having expected this turn of events as he had been oh so confident in his Predaplants preventing his opponent from doing their thing. But he still recovered and kept dueling.

"I draw, and I play the Continuous Spell - Seed Cannon Salvo." Yuri said. "By sending a Predaplant Monster to the Graveyard I can deal 300 points of damage, and reduce the attack of your monster by 600."

"In response, I'll activate my Metaverse trap card to activate a Field Spell from my deck." Eddie said, still maintaining her cool facade. Internally, she was… mostly still cool. "Say hello to Super Quantal Mech Ship Magnacarrier." She said as they entered the Stock Footage Dimension, the ship in question bursting from the portal that had been pre-formed by Metaverse behind her.

Yuri LP: 6300/ Eddie LP: 7700

"...Hnn," Yuri groaned as he clearly was now off center as he looked at his Duel Disk, with a frown that made it clear to her Yuri had sent the wrong card. It was the exact same face Yuya made when he did it, after all.

"So shaken up by my comrades' arrival that you forgot how to use your own deck?" Eddie asked mockingly, unable to resist herself.

"I activate the Continuous Spell - Predaponics, and once per turn, I can Special a Predaplant that is Level 4 or lower from my hand, or grave, though its effects are negated." Yuri said, ending his turn as Predplant Sarraceniant(100/600) sprouted up from the floor.

"Draw. Let's do this! I'll normal summon Super Quantum Blue Layer(1200/2000) in attack position, activating her effect to add Green Layer from my deck to my hand." Eddie said, the first of the trio entering the field. "I'll then discard a card to show the power of the Super Quants! XYZ MORPH! SUPER QUANTAL MECH BEAST GRAMPULSE(1800/2800)!"

Blue Layer jumped to meet the ship shot out of Magnacarrier, the monster landing on the field with a splash.

"That is the effect of the Field Spell, it allows you to Xyz Summon with only one monster on the field, by treating the discard as the other material," Yuri said as he looked down at his Duel Disk.

"Have you perhaps noticed a theme?" Eddie asked rhetorically. "I'll enter my battle phase. Grampulse, destroy that plant."

"When Sarraceniant is destroyed by battle I can add a 'Predap' card from my deck to my hand, I shall chain to that effect, my Predaplant Drosophyllum Hydra to banish a card, and reduce your Ty-Phon by 500 attack."

"And yet, he'll still attack directly." Eddie said as Ty-Phon did just that, ripping the boy's coat but thankfully not drawing blood.

Yuri LP: 4500/ Eddie LP: 7700

"Main phase 2."

"And you are not done yet, well at least your more interesting than that songbird from Xyz." Yuri said, his clear attempt at riling her up not working because 1. She didn't know Ruri personally and 2. She wasn't a teenager.

"ANTI-AIR BATTERIES, LAUNCH!" Eddie declared, ignoring the barbs, as a massive number of missiles fired… at her own monster, destroying it in a swirl of anti-matter from which TY-PHON's counterpart arose. "RANK 12! BURN THE SKIES AND DESTROY THEM ALL! DIVINE ARSENAL AA-ZEUS - SKY THUNDER(3000/3000)!"

Where once stood a demon, now there stood a god. Lighting crackled off its thrusters, no doubt tearing into the still real garden around them as it arrived going off the smell of burning plants.

"...I spent hours cultivating those," Yuri said, though he was clearly baffled by the showcase of power that Eddie was displaying.

"On the one hand? Whoops, sorry, not used to using him with Real Solid Vision." Eddie said truthfully. "On the other hand? I hope you're ready to lose."

"As if that is going to happen, I draw, and during my Standby Phase, I pay the cost for Predaponics."

Yuri LP: 3700/ Eddie LP: 7700

"Next I shall Normal Summon, Predaplant Spinodionea(1800/0) and when he is Summoned, I can place a Predacounter on your Zeus." Yuri said. "Next I shall use Predaponics to Special Summon from my graveyard."

"Quick Effect, Grampulse uses a material to destroy Predaponics."

"What?!" Yuri shouted in shock as his Continuous Spell was destroyed resulting in it not resolving.

"When Blue Layer goes to the graveyard, I can target up to three Super Quants in my grave and shuffle them back into the deck." Eddie said, continuing unabated. "Chain end."

"Ha, you fool, I activate the effect of my Predaplant Drosophyllum Hydra(800/2300) in my Graveyard, by tributing a monster with Predacounter on the field, I can Special Summon it from the Graveyard!"

"It can what!?" Eddie's composure broke slightly as ZEUS was consumed by plant matter to form a new monster. No chance to trigger effects either, damn.

"Next I shall activate the Spell Card - Ultra Polymerization!"

Oh no.

"Two beautiful flowers with an insect-alluring fragrance! Now become one, and from the hell beneath your petals, give birth to a new terror! Fusion Summon! Appear! Poisonous dragon with hungry fangs. Level 8! Starving Venom Fusion Dragon(2800/2000)!" Yuri chanted as a dark aura surrounded his body.

She could feel the atmosphere shift the moment he played the spell.

As the third of the fourth dragons arose, she could tell instantly.

This one was the worst.

"I'll chain my face down Full-Armored XYZ, letting my XYZ summon on your turn! XYZ MORPH! XYZ ARMOR FORTRESS(2500/1800)... in defense position!" Eddie said, quickly swapping out her dolphins for an armored figure with a shark-faced bazooka who quickly knelt and blued out.

"I shall target your monster, and Starving Venom Fusion Dragon gains attack equal to its."

Starving Venom Fusion Dragon(2800-5300/200)

"I shall go to battle phase, and attack your wretched Xyz Monster," Yuri said as the monster was simply destroyed by the monster's stinger.

"And that's all you get to do thanks to Grampulse and Armor Fortress's valiant sacrifices." Eddie said, still untouched.

Yuri LP: 1700/ Eddie LP: 7700

"To think another wannabe Hero would show up in my life."

Eddie stilled slightly at that. Easily able to extrapolate what likely happened based on what happened to Crowler.

"Oh… does that information upset you?" Yuri asked. "Wanna know what happened to Judai?"

Eddie glared, hard, at him. This was good actually, she could get more info if she acted like she was bothered. "From what I've heard? He sounds like a Real Hero."

"Oh he tried to be, but like everybody else who goes against Academia, he ended up just a simple card." Yuri said.

Well, that was better than what happened to Crowler, which was a relief.

"End your turn."

"I shall." Yuri replied. "See if you can overcome my beloved dragon."

The dragon responded to Yuri's words by roaring.

"Gladly!" Eddie said, drawing her card. Not the hero she needed… but probably the one she deserved. "I'll Normal Summon Super Quantum Green Layer(1600/1400), using his effect to special summon Super Quantum Blue Layer from my hand! Upon being summoned, she lets me add one Quant from my deck to my hand, which will be Super Quantum Red Layer."

Okay.

This was going to be her biggest play yet.

"XYZ MORPH! RANK 4! SUPER QUANTAL MECH BEAST AEROBOROS(2200/2400)!" Eddie declared as the second piece entered the field with a whirl of wind. "I'll activate Aeroboros's effect to add Blue Layer to the cockpit!" Eddie said as Blue Layer jumped in as well, a second material now flying around the massive terror-dactyl. "I'll then detach Green to flip Starving Venom Fusion Dragon face down, using his graveyard effect to then discard Red Layer and draw a card!"

"I will chain Predaplant Drosophyllum Hydra to banish a Predaplant from my Graveyard to lower your Xyz Monster's attack by 500 ATK meaning it is unable to hit over."

"That would be an issue… but I'm not done yet." Eddie said. "Red Layer's effect resolves, bringing back Green Layer. And now… XYZ MORPH! RANK 4! SUPER QUANTAL MECH BEAST AEROBOROS(2200/2400)!"

"You can do it more than once?" Yuri asked, and then panicked as he counted his life points and saw that he had just just brought himself to death's door. But then a sense of relieved calm seemed to return to him, probably remembering Venom Dragon's destruction effect.

"More than that… that was just for fun." Eddie said with a wide, unseen grin. "I recreate the overlay network! Rank UP! Rank 5! DRILL DRIVER VESPANATO(2500/2100)!" The weakened green mech left the field to make way for the no-doubt Auxiliary Beast. "And I'm not done yet! A true hero's power lies in their allies! I activate Full-Armored XYZ from my grave, letting me equip Xyz Armor Fortress to Drill Driver, giving him the combined attack… oh yeah, and double battle damage."

Drill Driver Vespanato(2500-5000/2000)

"Piercing…" Yuri whispered as he stared up at the menacing bee, Armor Fortress having mostly formed into a significantly larger drill around its abdomen.

"Vespanto… GIGA DRILL BREAKER!" Eddie ordered.

And for the first time in her professional career, Eddie dealt 8000 points of damage in one move.

Yuri LP: 0/ Eddie LP: 7700

The boy was sent flying, landing on his stomach as the remaining life points trickled down to zero.

The stock footage dimension faded, the monsters leaving the area to reveal a definitely wrecked greenhouse. Eddie walking over to the downed evil(? No, he was sadistic, but he was 14 and clearly indoctrinated) Yu-boy, and did the responsible thing of making sure he was still alive.

He was, but he was definitely unconscious.

Eddie took the moment to take his duel disk and gather up his cards.

She wouldn't be keeping those long term, but she needed this disk, quickly fishing through the deck for her prize, slotting it into her side deck for now.

Eddie then flipped the boy on his back into her best approximation of recovery position. She was pretending to be a hero after all, not that she would have left him like that regardless.

But regardless, Eddie had a much better plan in mind now.

And so, she continued up the genuine castle fortifications of Academia.

Soul Subtitle: Absolute Domination! The End of the Beginning!