Okay, announcement time. Due to my recent busier work schedule and the upcoming holidays, I'm planning to get one or two more chapters out. After that, I'll take a break and resume writing after the first of the year. This is the first of those chapters. Now, let us check on Reiji in the ARC-V world!
Yugioh: The Hope of Six
Chapter 6 – Reiji's Investigation
"I'm sorry Mr. Akaba, but there has been no change in Reira's condition." Reiji frowned at the update, or lack thereof, by the doctor overseeing his adoptive little sister. He was an older man in his fifties and seemed to have tired demeanor. Shortly after arriving at the local hospital, Reiji demanded to see Reira straight away and be informed of any signs of improvement. He was then led to the room where Reira lay unconscious with the bed sheets all the way up to her chin. She was also hooked up to an IV. What he just heard was the exact opposite of what he wanted to hear.
"Tell me what you know. How did she end up like this?" He asked calmly, looking down at the long, light pink haired little girl. The doctor looked over his notes before giving a reply.
"We did a thorough examination after your mother brought her in. Apparently, she suffered from severe exhaustion and dehydration. Most likely whatever she was doing, Reira was overdoing it. I have to say, I've never seen a child in a state such as this. It's just…"
"Wrong." Reiji finished for him. The doctor nodded. "Any idea of when Reira will regain consciousness?" The doctor shook his head.
"Unsure. Maybe a couple of days? Again, I'm truly sorry. We are doing everything we can for her." Reiji nodded.
He couldn't believe Reira was in this state. He also felt great anger at his mother for letting this happen. 'She said it was a normal training exercise, but there is nothing normal about this. Reira shouldn't have been pushed this far.' He was about to lay a hand on his sister's forehead when the doctor stopped him.
"I wouldn't touch her right now. She's very fragile." The doctor said quickly. Reiji found this odd.
"What do you mean "fragile"? Does she have some contagious disease you failed to mention?" He questioned. The doctor shook his head again.
"No, of course not! It's just that… we feel it is best that any form of physical contact should be prohibited from anyone except the hospital staff. Reira needs the best care right now and we are the only ones who can do that." He insisted. Reiji narrowed his eyes at the now suddenly nervous physician. The man thought he was going to be questioned further, but instead he sighed.
"Very well. Thank you doctor. Help Reira as best you can and call me to report any progress with her recovery." Reiji requested. The doctor sighed in relief before bowing to him.
"Yes, of course. Your little sister is in the best of hands." He assured. Reiji nodded once more before he walked out of the room.
As he was walking, Reiji began to wonder why the doctor was acting strange when he tried to touch Reira. 'That "being fragile" statement sounded more like an excuse than a fact. Severe exhaustion should be no reason not to touch her.' Reiji felt something was up with how Reira was being treated, and he intended to get to the bottom of it.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
Later, Reiji sat in his office with a look of contemplation. Odd things have happened since he and his Lancers returned from the mission in the Fusion Dimension. First, and foremost, was Reira's incident. She had been tired from training before, but it had never gone this far. Then after being hospitalized, Reiji learned that it was too risky for anyone other than the staff to actually handle her. Reiji himself wasn't even allowed to feel Reira's head out of concern. That bothered him.
Then there was Masumi's disappearance. There was actually no explanation for that. After leaving the hospital, Reiji went to talk to Yaiba and Hokuto at L.D.S. for more details. Unfortunately, they didn't know any more than he did. One minute, Masumi was there with them discussing how things may finally get back to normal after the war. The next, she inexplicably disappeared in a flash of light. All that was left was her Duel Disk, which was on a table nearby when she vanished.
Sawatari felt particularly down when he learned what happened. He owed Masumi for helping him through their battle against the Obelisk Force. "Man, I can't believe she's gone. What if she's in a huge mess and we can't bail her out?" He had said, sounding truly worried. Reiji put a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't give up on her, Sawatari. She is strong. We have to believe that she is okay and somehow she will come back to us." Sawatari nodded from his words, but said nothing. After the brief talk, the older teen left.
Now Reiji came here, hoping to try to learn more about how Reira ended up in her current state. He knew where she trained most of the time, so he started looking through the security footage of Reira's last session while he was away on his mission. Sure enough, he found Reira dueling an instructor, with Himika watching from the sidelines.
According to the time stamp, this video was recorded not long after Reiji departed for the Fusion Dimension. Everything seemed normal, until Reira started gasping and grabbing where her heart was. She then fell down on her side, appearing to have great difficulty in breathing before falling unconscious. Himika and the instructor immediately rushed to Reira and proceeded to have her taken away. Reiji rewinded the video back and paused to where Reira was on the floor, with Himika and the instructor about to move her, showing concern all the while.
'Reira…' Reiji sighed as he took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "It seems mother was telling the truth." He said to himself as he put his glasses back on after cleaning them. Perhaps he owed her an apology for his threat to punish her if she did something to Reira in his absence.
He was about to shut off the video feed when he noticed something he hadn't earlier. Perhaps rubbing his eyes and cleaning his glasses did it, or maybe he just happened to have seen it without trying to look. Reiji zoomed in on Reira, or more accurately… her neck. She usually wore a metal collar around her neck, but a small shimmer could be seen as Reira was being moved. He clicked a few more times before he got a better look just above the collar. It was barely visible, but he definitely saw it. It was something he knew Reira never had.
This brought back his previous visit to Reira's hospital room. When he saw her, most of her body was covered up by blankets, including the neck. The doctor there prevented Reiji from touching her. That's when he realized it.
'Of course. He wasn't trying to stop me from feeling Reira's forehead. He was afraid I was going to pull back the blanket, exposing her neck!' Reiji felt that had to be the real reason. Whatever was on Reira's neck, that doctor didn't want him to see it.
Now here he was, thinking over what he had learned, and what he suspected. He clinched his fists in anger. He was convinced that his mother did do something to Reira after all, and no doubt she ordered the doctors to keep that "something" confidential. He was willing to bet his scarf on it. Even her own son wasn't allowed to know about it. Well, he would have to do something about that…
/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Hey Stan, I'm heading to the break room. Want me to grab you a cup of coffee?" A red haired cute nurse asked the doctor, Stan, who was sitting at his Desk writing some notes. It was late and he had the night shift to his rotten luck. He looked up at her with tired eyes.
"Thanks Kaya, that would be very much appreciated." He told her. Kaya nodded back as she left for the break room. Dr. Stan Tucker sighed from exhaustion and rubbed his forehead. This had been a hell of a day for him. 'I can't believe I lied to the CEO of the Leo Corporation about his sister.' What his mother asked him to do was just… unethical. Not right. He hated to do it. Still, if he hadn't agreed to do as she asked, Himika would have him fired and ruin his life. After all, she was the Chairwoman of a powerful company, putting her position right above her son's. He covered his face with his hand and shook his head.
"Late work hours, Doctor?" Stan gasped as he sprung out of his chair and turned around. He was face to face with a ninja dressed in red and gray clothing with the sun on his forehead protector. He also had brown red hair in a ponytail.
"W-Who are you?! How the hell did you get in here?!" Stan demanded. The ninja merely raised his hand as he leaned against the door, the only way out.
"I did not come to harm you, Dr. Tucker. I merely wish to talk." Stan eyed the man wearily.
"About what?" He asked, sounding more than a little nervous.
"The truth about Reira Akaba's condition." Stan's eyes widened until they were like saucers and gasped.
"I… I don't know what you're talking about." He said. The sun ninja was suddenly right in front of the man with a kunai at his throat.
"I have been instructed not to harm you, Doctor. However, I will make your night very uncomfortable for you unless you cooperate. If you tell me what I wish to know, my employer will see to it that you will not get into any trouble." The poor man eyed the masked intruder, sweat pouring down his neck and back.
"Why should I believe you?" He demanded out of fear. The ninja narrowed his eyes.
"Do you wish to test my resolve? I can certainly oblige…" He said, raising the blade a little and lightly touched Stan's nose with the tip. That did the trick.
"Okay, I'll talk! Just please don't hurt me! Also, if Mrs. Akaba finds out about this, my wife and two kids will pay the price! Give me your word that my family will be safe!" The ninja nodded as he put his kunai into a little pouch behind him. Stan couldn't see it, but there was a triumphant smile beneath the mask.
"You have it, Doctor Tucker. Now, let us talk." Stan sighed heavily as he confessed.
At the same time this was happening, someone else in the hospital was receiving an unexpected visitor. In Reira's hospital room was another ninja, this one with blue garments and a moon on his forehead protector. The mysterious man looked down at the girl with great sympathy. It deeply troubled him that a kid so small would be mistreated in some way.
'Poor child. I do hope she will recover from this.' He thought to himself. The ninja pushed those thoughts aside and reminded himself he had a mission. His brother was surely getting his job done at this moment, so now he had to do the same.
So without any further delay, the ninja reached for Reira's blanket and pulled it back enough to see her neck. He was told what to look for and he immediately saw it. He and his employer had no idea what it is or what its doing to Reira, but the fact that the Chairwoman went to a lot of trouble to keep it under wraps meant it had to be important. He then took out a mini camera and took a picture of the mystery object to show his employer later.
The ninja got what he needed. He should leave now and meet his brother at the rendezvous point. However, as he pulled the blanket back to where it was, he instinctively felt Reira's forehead with his other hand. It was not just because he felt sorry for the little one, but also because he simply wanted to know if she was running a temperature. He felt something alright. It just was not what he expected.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
Reiji stood on the roof of his company, breathing in the night air. Hard to believe that just yesterday, he fought and defeated his father at this same spot. It was also ironic that Leo met his downfall at the very company he himself started. He wondered where his father was hiding at that moment and what he was up to. Not that it mattered; all four girls were now in no danger of being taken by him. The strong Duelists he met and fought with had seen to that, including Yuya.
The young man also began thinking of the one who set things into motion to take down his father. 'Ray. All this happened because of you. Even though he was our father, you knew he had to be stopped before lives could be lost… especially your fragments. I wish we could've met.' Reiji hoped that one day he could meet his half sister.
Reiji then felt a couple of gushes of wind behind him. He had been waiting up there for the past half hour for them to return. "I trust your missions were successful?" He asked as he turned around to face the two ninjas kneeling before him. They both nodded.
"Yes, Master Reiji. We got in and out of that hospital without any hinderance." The red clad ninja said.
"We have the intel you requested." Said the blue clad ninja. Reiji nodded.
"Good, well done. As expected from students of the Fuma Duel School. Tell me what you have learned. You first, Hikage." He ordered, addressing the red ninja. Hikage nodded.
"As you believed, Dr. Stan Tucker lied about Reira's health problems. He was given strict orders by your mother to not reveal anything when she was brought in. Apparently, she threatened to punish his family if he did not cooperate. He felt he had no choice but to do as she said." Reiji frowned.
'That's very similar to how my father forced Ryo Marufuji to fight for Academia.' Leo threatened to have the sister of his old girlfriend sealed into a card if Ryo refused to join the war to capture Yuzu Hiragi. He didn't expect his mother to make such a similar threat. "I see. What is the true cause of Reira's condition?" Hikage raised his head to make eye contact with Reiji.
"I'm afraid I don't know." He said.
"Tucker didn't tell you?" Reiji questioned, his eyes narrowed. The masked ninja shook his head.
"No, because he does not know either. Your mother simply told him she was unconscious and ordered him to not run any tests on her and to have no one touch her. All she wanted was for Reira to lie in an empty hospital room, undisturbed, for an indefinite period of time. No questions asked." Hikage reported.
Reiji was perplexed by this information. Now it seemed his mother didn't care at all if Reira recovered or not. He felt sure there had to be more. He then turned to the blue ninja. "You have the picture, Tsukikage?" He asked. The younger ninja nodded as he handed his camera to Reiji.
"I have a clear photograph of the object you noticed on the security video." Reiji examined the little device and saw a much better image he noticed on the video feed. He was looking at what appeared to be a blue diamond embedded on the front of Reira's neck. "I have no idea what it means though. I have never seen this on anyone before." Tsukikage added with regret. Reiji shook his head.
"Neither have I. I will have to look into this myself. Thank you." Before Reiji could say anything else, Tsukikage spoke again.
"Master Reiji, if I may… I have additional information you might be interested in." Both Reiji and Hikage looked at him.
"You have more to add, brother?" Hikage questioned his younger sibling. The blue ninja nodded.
"Yes, I do." He said.
"In that case, please share it." Reiji said. Tsukikage nodded before continuing.
"After I took that picture, I had chosen to check to know if Reira had some kind of fever. As I laid my hand on her forehead, I felt… no heat at all. She was cold to the touch… like I was touching steel." Tsukikage saw the look of panic on Reiji's face. "I am not saying she is dead, Master Reiji. Not at all." He said hurriedly but calmly.
"Then what are you saying?" Reiji asked, fear evident in his voice. The ninja explained further.
"After feeling no heat from her head, I also checked the IV tube Reira was supposed to be hooked up too… only it wasn't. Instead, it was held in place on her arm with a strip of duct tape. The needle hasn't pierced the skin at all. Also, on a mere whim, I tapped the flat side of one of my kunai blades on Reira's arm. I heard tiny but noticeable "dings" from it, like I was tapping on another piece of metal." Tsukikage hesitated before finally getting to the point. "Master Reiji, what I'm saying is that… whatever is lying on that hospital bed is not your sister." Reiji and even Hikage looked at him in shock, especially Reiji. He appeared visibly shaken from this revelation. In spite of it, he steadied himself and tried not to lose control. Though, his eyes clearly showed that he was very disturbed about the implications of what he just learned.
"You both did very well tonight. Thank you for your help in this matter. If I need any further assistance from you, I will let you know." He finally said in a surprisingly calm voice. "Also, Hikage. Keep watch on Dr. Tucker. See to it that he and his family are protected from my mother's threat." The two ninja nodded before disappearing from sight. Reiji then turned back to the night sky, now more worried than ever for Reira.
'Mother. What the hell have you done?' He asked himself, more determined than ever to uncover the truth about his adoptive sister.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
The next day, Reiji checked all surveillance footage across the city that showed his mother. He spent hours scouring through every single frame. He watched as "Reira" was rushed to the hospital after she fell and was taken inside. Soon after, Himika came back out alone. Then she returned here to resume her other duties as Chairwoman.
After finding nothing, he decided to go back to just before the war took place in Maiami City. He remembered the streets were deserted thanks to his mother's warning, so he went to check any activity within her own office. He knew that Reira was with her the whole time everyone was fighting Leo and Academia. However, as he did, Reiji saw that nearly all video footage of his mother's office during that time was erased. He fast forwarded to the next recorded scene, which showed Himika writing business notes. Reira was still with her. The video said this took place a little over an hour after the war ended.
He observed more footage from the moment he left for Academia with his Lancers to "Reira's" collapse. All footage then was there, and there were no signs any of it was tampered with. The only parts that were missing happened during the war itself. 'Why would this particular recording be deleted? Did something happen in there during the battles that my mother didn't want anyone, including me, to see? If so, what?' Reiji's mind filled up with more questions.
He still could not believe what he learned from Tsukikage last night. If he was right, then what he thought was Reira in that bed was some kind of fake. Was it even the real her he saw yesterday as he left with the Lancers? For all he knew, his mother could've made the switch before then. If that wasn't her, then where was the real Reira? What had really happened to her? How long had she been gone? Finally, why the hell would his own mother do something like this and keep it from her own son?! Perhaps his father's betrayal had affected Himika more than he thought.
"Dammit. Where are you Reira?" He asked himself very quietly. He had a growing sickening feeling that Reira was now involved in something bad… something sinister. He wanted to confront his mother about all of this, but he knew it would be counterproductive. She could simply deny the whole thing. Also, that would put Dr. Tucker and his family in unnecessary risk. So, he chose not to do that. Reiji had to find another way to discover Reira's true whereabouts without alerting his mother, but how? Oddly enough, his solution came in the most unexpected way as he heard someone knocking on his office door. "Yes?" He called out.
"It's me, Dennis! Can I drop in for a minute?" Reiji perked up considerably. He had been expecting Dennis Mackfield to show up after the Academia infiltration.
"Please, come in." Reiji replied, allowing the former Academia spy to enter. As Dennis entered, he wore a satisfied grin on his face. "Judging by your expression, I take it you found something?" Reiji asked. Dennis nodded as he stopped in front of his desk.
"Sure have!" He said energetically as he took out a small object from his pocket. While he was in Academia, Reiji secretly contacted Dennis and asked him to come find any and all security videos he could and upload them into a thumb drive he gave him. Dennis was to especially search for all videos of Leo Akaba's movements within the complex. This took place prior to the evacuation before the whole island blew up. Reiji expected to find some kind of lead to his father's current location from all that data. He told no one about this, not even his mother. He didn't want to risk getting their hopes up. "There was a ton of video feed to go through, so it took a while. But it sure was worth the hassle." Dennis added.
"Great work. How's the rebuilding of Heartland coming along?" He asked.
"That is still in the very early stages. It's gonna take a long time before it is what it used to be before the Invasion. Still, Edo is making sure all the efforts are not going to waste. Both people from the Xyz and Fusion Dimensions are pitching in to do what they can to help." Reiji smiled.
"I'm pleased to hear that. So… do we have any idea where my father ran off to hide?" Reiji asked eagerly after a moment. Dennis' grin then became a frown.
"Well… I wouldn't put it like that." He answered. Reiji didn't like the sound of that.
"Meaning what? Do we know where he is or not?" He demanded. Dennis flinched from the edgy tone in Reiji's voice. Seeing this, Reiji sighed. "My apologies, Dennis. I'm having problems of my own to deal with." Dennis nodded.
"I hear ya. As for where your father is now… maybe you should just see for yourself." He said as he handed Reiji the thumb drive. Reiji nodded back, inserted the thumb drive on his computer, and uploaded the drive's contents. There were a number of video files shown on the screen. "Most of those are having to do with watching both staff and students, along with other interesting stuff. The one you want is the second from the bottom on the right hand corner." Reiji saw the file Dennis pointed to and clicked on it to play the video.
The first thing Reiji saw was his father discovering he had been fooled with the Yuzu hologram. The young man couldn't help but grin at his father's reaction.
"It would seem reviving my daughter will have to be temporarily postponed, Yuzu Hiragi. Until that day finally comes, I shall see that you are treated well and… WHAT?!" Leo turned to Yuzu as he spoke to her, only to find that the girl he fought so hard to capture wasn't there. "WHERE DID SHE GO?! SHE WAS RIGHT HERE, I KNOW IT!" Inside the orange sphere instead was a small hovering device that immediately shut down and crashed to the floor, now broken. He then guessed the awful, crushing truth. Leo's rage boiled until he couldn't contain it anymore and screamed with unrestrained fury. "NO! NO! WHERE IS SHE?! WHERE IS YUZU HIRAGI?!"
"I am afraid that is now the least of your concerns… my dear husband." Leo snapped at the direction of the new, calm, yet familiar voice. Stepping into the throne room from the hallway was none other than the woman he married in the Standard Dimension.
Reiji couldn't hide his shock. "What?! My mother was in Academia at that time?!" He couldn't believe this. 'She never said anything about confronting father! Does this mean she knows where he is?' This didn't make any sense. If his mother knew where his father was now, then why didn't she just tell him? More importantly, did this happen during the missing time frame of the deleted surveillance footage from her office? He continued watching to learn more.
"Himika?! How the hell did you get in here?!" Leo demanded at the older dark pink haired woman. As she approached him, Himika wore a very cold smile.
"I have my ways. Now, before you are righteously punished for leaving me and our son behind, I want you to meet someone." She looked over her shoulder. "Come out from behind me." A new figure stepped out from behind Himika and stood beside her. Leo was momentarily surprised. It was a small child in a blue hoodie, and the child was holding a stuffed animal. With the hoodie up, Leo could not tell if it was a boy or a girl.
However, Reiji definitely knew it was a girl… the very girl he just discovered had been replaced by some replica. He jumped out of his chair and stared at the screen in complete and utter disbelief. 'Reira… she was there too?! Mother took her to Academia?! Why?' The truth continued to be played out.
Himika answered the question her husband was about to ask. "Leo, meet the newest addition to our broken family, Reira. I brought her here to fulfill her purpose."
"What purpose?!" Leo questioned. Himika's cold smile widened.
"My revenge." Himika then looked down at the child. "Now Reira, it is time. Fulfill your purpose." She ordered coldly. Reira then took out a Duel Disk from inside her stuffed animal, put the toy down, slipped the Duel Disk on, and then activated it.
Leo, having no choice, put on and activated his own Duel Disk. However, it was apparent that he had not recovered from his Duel with Yugi, Yuya, and Reiji. He wasn't going to let that stop him, though. "Himika, I will not fall to some brat!" He yelled at her. Himika just smiled as the Duel commenced.
"DUEL!"
(Leo: 4000) (Reira: 4000)
"I will go first! My turn!" Leo declared, intending to prove more than capable of beating a little toddler in a Duel. "With my Scale 1 Spirit Reactor and my Scale 8 Spirit Eye, I Set the Pendulum Scale!"
Reiji recognized the Spirit Reactor from his own Duel with him. The other, a big red crystal that resembled an eye, was new to him. 'I wonder what that other new Pendulum Monster's Effect was?' He thought.
"Now I can Summon Monsters with Levels 2 through 7! Spirits of the heavens and earth! Cleanse my hands of filthy sins and become the cornerstone of the world! Pendulum Summon! Appear now! Level 7! Spirit Tech Force - Pendulum Governor!" (LIGHT; Level 7; ATK: 2800; DEF: 2500)
Reiji watched as his father's formidable Pendulum Monster appeared on his Field. "Woah, man! I didn't know the Professor could use Pendulum Monsters too!" Dennis said. Reiji said nothing.
"Pendulum Governor cannot be attacked by anything except Pendulum Monsters, and Monsters whose Levels are within my Pendulum Scale cannot attack either! I then Set 1 card facedown and end my turn. Now show me how weak you are, child." Leo taunted. Reira seemed unfazed by the insult.
"Reira is no weakling, Leo. She was trained by Reiji himself, and you saw how much trouble he gave you earlier." Himika said mockingly. She then glanced down at the little girl. "Show this poor excuse of a man the fruits of your labor." Reira seemed to flinch from the look Himika gave her, but nonetheless, she complied and made her move.
"My turn. Draw." Reira sounded very emotionless when she spoke. "I activate Persona Shutter Layer 1. It allows me to choose one face-up Monster my opponent controls, and then I can Special Summon this card as a Normal Monster. When I do that, that Monster's name, Type, Attribute, Level, Attack Points, and Defense Points become the same as the targeted Monster." At once, Reira's Magic card turned Monster became a nearly exact copy of Leo's Pendulum Governor.
Dennis thought the kid may not have had a normal childhood if she didn't display any kind feeling. 'I wonder what she went through to be like this?' He thought. Maybe he out to ask Reiji about this when it was over, or maybe not. It seemed to personal. He returned his attention to the recorded Duel.
"I activate the Pendulum Effect of Spirit Eye! Once per turn, when my opponent plays a Magic card, 500 points are inflicted as damage for each card in that player's hand! You hold five cards, so that damage you take is 2500!" Leo confirmed as a red beam from Spirit Eye hit Reira squarely in the chest and knocked her down.
(5 x 500 = 2500)
(Reira: 4000 - 2500 = 1500)
"Ouch, that's gotta hurt." Dennis commented. Reiji didn't give any reaction. He just continued watching the battle unfold.
"Your tool for petty vengeance has been poorly trained, Himika. Reiji should have known better than to let you bring a pathetic child to fight me." Leo taunted. Himika smirked.
"Actually Leo, Reiji doesn't even know we're here. Nor would he ever know. As for Reira being weak… that is another thing you are wrong about." She then turned to the child Duelist. "Now get back up and do what you're told!" She ordered. Reira slowly stood up again and resumed her turn.
"I Equip Persona Shutter Layer 1, now "Pendulum Governor", with Persona Lens Cover. A "Persona" Monster Equipped with this card is now immune to all my opponent's Monster Effects."
"What?" Leo said in surprise.
Reiji could tell his father didn't expect this. He figured Leo's facedown card must be Dis-Swing Fusion and he planned to activate it if Reira attacked with a strong enough Pendulum Monster. If so, Leo made a severe miscalculation since Reira's copied Monster was Normal, not Pendulum, so that his Trap wouldn't be able to be triggered. Also, being immune to Monster Effects meant Pendulum Governor couldn't prevent it's attack.
"Battle! "Spirit Tech Force - Pendulum Governor", attack the true Pendulum Governor!" The fake Pendulum Governor struck the real deal with a powerful light beam. Leo's Monster responded in kind. Since the Attack Points of both Monsters were equal, both Monsters were destroyed.
Reiji knew Spirit Reactor couldn't use it's protective Pendulum Effect because Persona Shutter Layer 1 copied Pendulum Governor's LIGHT Attribute, which wasn't one of the Attributes needed to use it.
Leo appeared pissed. "Damn you, child! You will pay for that on my next turn!" He said with a snarl. Himika chuckled.
"Sorry "Dear", but if I see Reira's hand correctly, you will not have a next turn." Leo stared at her in disbelief.
"Say What?" He questioned. One nod from his adoptive mother and Reira made her finishing move.
"I now activate a Quick-Play Magic card, Persona Flash Shot! When two Monsters, with one being a "Persona" copied Monster, are destroyed in battle, the Attack Points of both Monsters are dealt to my opponent as damage!"
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" The now paled man said in shock. Himika's smiled with sick delight as a massive explosion erupted from where the two Pendulum Governor's collided with Leo, knocking him back against his throne as he yelled painfully… defeated once again.
(Leo: 0)
"That little sister of yours is strong alright. I hate to go up against her." Dennis said as he whistled, sounding impressed. Reiji nodded.
"I trained her to be strong." He said. They both watched what happened next.
As Leo struggled to get up again, Himika stepped toward him and stared down at him with undisguised hate. "Leo, do you have any idea how much you hurt me and Reiji when you left us? Any idea at all? I was so angry when you vanished that I actually wanted to kill you! After all the years we shared, the three of us, you just left us and never came back! Did none of our time together ever matter to you anymore?! Did Reiji and I ever mean anything to you at all?!" She screamed as she slapped her former husband hard across the face.
Leo rubbed his cheek while looking back up at her. He didn't seem to care. "My only family… was my daughter. Ray was real. You and Reiji… can never replace her."
Reiji could see that his father's words had deeply hurt his mother. They seemed to hurt her even more than what Leo said about his own son.
After a moment of being on the verge of tears, Himika suddenly hardened herself. Her glare was icy cold, as were her next words. "I see. Then there is nothing more to discuss. Reira… punish this uncaring piece of filth." Himika then stepped aside as Reira approached the man that cared nothing for his current family. Once she was close enough, the little girl raised her Duel Disk again and prepared to press an unseen button. Leo seem to know at once what Reira was about to do, and became instantly terrified.
"NO! IT CAN'T BE! NOT THAT! I MUST RESURRECT MY DAUGHTER! I MUST REVIVE MY TRUE WORLD! IT CANNOT END LIKE THIS! IT SIMPLY CAN'T!" Leo turned to his former wife. "HIMIKA, DON'T LET HER DO THIS! YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY…?!" Leo saw to his horror that his pleas were having no effect.
"Goodbye Leo… and good riddance." She said coldly before her screaming former husband was consumed by a very familiar dark purple light. Once the light faded, a new card appeared on the floor. Himika then picked up the card now containing Leo's soul.
As he paused the recording, Reiji appeared shocked and angry. It wasn't because of what really happened to his father. He felt that Leo definitely deserved that fate for everything he did. No, it was because his mother had straight up lied to him and kept this from him. She intentionally chose not to tell him anything about what he just witnessed. She made him believe his father had gone into hiding when in fact that wasn't the case at all. He figured Himika must've somehow convinced those scientists he interrogated to also lie about Leo's whereabouts. Reiji was also unnerved that Reira was the one that actually carded Leo, not Himika herself. Himika must've obtained that function and uploaded it into Reira's Duel Disk prior to Leo returning. Dennis gave him a pitiful look, but chose not to say anything.
"So, my severely misguided father has been sealed into a card… a process he himself invented. How fitting." He said with almost the same coldness in his voice like his mother's. This meant he would no longer pose a threat to this world or it's inhabitants, most importantly to Ray's fragments taking refuge on each of the protector's worlds. He would be sure to tell them when they would be brought back.
However, Reiji still had another problem. Even though the question of where his father is has been answered, it still doesn't answer the one regarding Reira. She was still missing. "Are you… okay?" Dennis asked nervously. Reiji turned to him.
"Thank you for showing me this. You have done outstanding work, Dennis." Reiji believed his mother took Reira somewhere else after finishing her business in Academia. He was about to shut the video off when Dennis stopped him.
"Wait, there's actually more to see in this file. I really think you should take a look." He insisted. Reiji, both surprised and curious, nodded as he resumed playing the video.
Himika and Reira stood alone in the throne room in complete silence for a long moment… when a new voice joined in. "That was quite intense." The pair turned to see a new figure coming in from the front doors of the throne room. It was another woman, though she seemed younger than Himika. She was light-skinned with light blue eyes and blue hair with green accents. She also wore a black and white business outfit.
"Who is that?" Reiji asked. He had never seen her before, though she appeared to be someone of importance. Dennis shrugged.
"Don't really know, but she's quite the looker." He said, noting the woman's attractiveness.
The newcomer stopped as she came near Himika, with Reira still a few feet away. "Got the revenge you desired?" She asked. Himika looked at Leo's card with disdain.
"I most certainly have." She then turned back at the stranger. "I should thank you, Queen. The codes you provided gave me and Reira entry into Academia without any issues. We were just waiting outside those very doors when my disgraceful ex-husband came back empty handed. He never saw it coming." Queen shared Himika's smile.
"Indeed. Still planning to accomplish your other objective? It seems like such a waste, the vast amount of resources this place could provide you." She said while looking around. Himika frowned.
"I don't care. This entire island has Leo's filthy hands all over it. As soon as I upload the self-destruct program of yours and is activated, all of his work shall literally go up in smoke."
Reiji was stunned once more. 'Mother uploaded the self-destruct program, not father? And this woman, Queen, gave it to her? Who exactly is she? In fact, how do they even know each other?' Reiji was understanding this less and less. Still, he kept observing.
Queen shrugged. "Well, it's your choice. However…" She then became more serious. "Now that I gave you what you wanted Himika, it's time you do the same." Himika nodded.
"I haven't forgotten our agreement, Queen. Reira, come here." At the order, Reira moved to stand at Himika's side, holding her toy once more. "As you just saw, this child is stronger than she appears. I believe she will be useful to you." Queen nodded as well with a smile.
"Oh, I have no doubt at all. Now, to seal the deal..." She snapped her fingers, and suddenly another figure entered the room from the hallway. It appeared to be another Reira, except this one had a blue diamond on the front of the neck.
"What the hell?!" Reiji shouted. If he wasn't mistaken, the new Reira that just showed up was the same one he saw in the hospital. So it was this Queen who provided Himika with the fake? What for? The young man was about to get his answer.
"The resemblance on this SOLtiS is striking, isn't it?" Queen asked as the Reira imposter joined her side. Himika definitely seemed impressed.
"Very striking. Your old company certainly knew what they were doing. I doubt even my son will tell them apart… provided he doesn't notice the thing on it's neck."
"That shouldn't be an issue, since she does wear a collar. Now then… shall we trade?" Queen asked. Himika nodded.
"Reira… go to that woman. She will look after you from now on." Surprisingly, Reira hesitated again, like before.
"Big brother Reiji… will I ever… see him again?" She asked timidly. Himika gave the child a stern look.
"I said go to her… now." She said more forcefully. After flinching from this, Reira marched toward Queen. At the same time, the Reira impersonator moved to stand by Himika. "Good girl." Himika turned to Queen again. "You really believe she could be of use to you?" Queen glanced down at the child now with her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Reira shivered in fear from the stranger's touch.
"Once I've regained control, SOL Technologies will profit greatly from her assistance." She said before she took out a small device. "It was a pleasure doing business with you, Himika Akaba." Himika nodded once more.
"It was indeed." The cold woman responded. After pushing a button on her device, both Queen and Reira vanished in dark yellow light. Satisfied, she turned to her "prize." "Now then, let us go home." She pushed a button on her wrist, and then both of them also disappeared from sight.
Reiji stopped the video feed… and slammed a fist on his desk. Dennis actually stepped back a little from the reaction. He could tell the guy was pissed big time, and who could blame him? He just watched his little sister being traded by his own mother to a complete stranger in some kind of shady business deal. His mother kept all this from him from the start. He wisely decided to not to comment on anything from the recording. After a very tense minute of silence, Reiji slowly turned to him. He spoke in a very soft but angered voice.
"Dennis, I need to ask a favor of you."
/\/\/\/\/\/\
Several hours later, Reiji stood before the inter dimensional transporter Yusho used three years ago. It was how he ended up trapped in the Xyz Dimension before accidentally showing up in the Fusion Dimension. It was the same device Reiji himself used around that same time.
If he was right, he would need it again… but not for either previous destination. Reiji told Dennis to meet him here when he was done with the favor he was given. He only had to wait about 10 minutes before Dennis arrived. "Well?" Reiji asked. Dennis shook his head.
"Sorry Reiji, no dice. I asked everyone we knew in all the other Dimensions, even some of Academia's former staff, but not one of them knew anything about that "Queen" woman or any company called "SOL Technologies". Believe me, I was thorough." The spy said. Reiji sighed.
"I suspected as much. I had no luck on my end either, though I was being very discreet. Thank you for checking. This means there is only one explanation…" He started.
"Queen and SOL Technologies are on a completely different world than ours." Dennis finished. Reiji nodded.
"Right. The question is, which one? We know there are other worlds besides ours. What we don't know is the one we are looking for."
"Which is why you asked me to meet you here." Dennis said, looking around the transporter room.
"Before Yugi and everyone else left, you told us about your discovery regarding Roget's Gauntlet program, and that he had help from a possibly malevolent Ignis. Also, that shield Roget used to trap all of Maiami City came from the same program. It had the exact same color as the light we saw when Queen disappeared with Reira." Dennis caught on.
"You think that Queen and Reira are on the same world that bad Ignis is at." He hypothesized.
"Precisely. I have a strong feeling there is a connection there. Do you still have those Gauntlet codes you procured?" Reiji asked. Dennis handed him a disk.
"Way ahead of ya. I thought you might be asking for the codes, so I dropped by Edo's base during my assignment and asked him if could bring these to you. He said it was fine, since you're nothing like the Professor." Reiji was grateful as he took the disk.
"Hopefully, I can use these codes as a compass to point me in the right direction." He said before inserting the disk in an open slot on the transporter console. His hope was that the transporter matrix would analyze the dimensional energies from the Gauntlet codes to lead him to the source: Queen's world. Without any means to contact Ray and the protectors for transportation, this was the only option he had… as was his only way in finding Reira.
For several seconds, nothing had happened. Reiji started to think all his efforts would be in vain. And then… the transporter turned on, now shining in the same dark light he hoped would appear.
"Alright! Looks like we're in business!" Dennis cheered. Reiji smiled from the triumph he felt. Now he truly had a path to his adoptive sister. Reiji started moving toward the transporter…
"Stop Reiji!" Reiji and Dennis turned around to see someone neither one expected.
"Mother!" The older teen responded in shock. "How did you know?" He demanded. Himika looked most displeased about the whole situation.
"You really thought I wasn't following your movements? I know you, my son, so I had you monitored without you noticing a thing. I have eyes and ears of my own, like you. Honestly, I was hoping you would just leave well enough alone regarding Reira. But no. You chose to get nosy instead, which made things more complicated for me. What I imagined least of all was you learning about my deal with Queen and how to find her. Hence, me following you and your friend here." Reiji now shook with rage as it bubbled to the surface.
"You lied to me about everything! First about knowing what really happened to father, and now with Reira! You fooled me into thinking that facsimile lying on that hospital bed was my sister! To top off everything, you traded her off like she was nothing more than some bargaining chip! Why?! TELL ME!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. Dennis was definitely scared seeing a cool guy like Reiji lose it like that. Himika sighed deeply.
"You were never supposed to know the truth, Reiji. My one and only goal was to find and punish your father for abandoning us. It was the main reason that I had you train Reira to be the strong Duelist she is. During the war here, Queen appeared in my office out of nowhere and offered me a proposition: She gives me the codes to bypass Academia's security systems and the self-destruct program, while I give her Reira in exchange… after I had my revenge, of course. I was very skeptical at first, but when she proved her claims were real, and that she had big plans for Reira, I accepted." Reiji was enraged further, especially after hearing Reira's last words before she was taken.
"So that was why the footage in your office during that time period was deleted." He said.
"Indeed, yes. I couldn't risk anyone discovering my dealings with Queen. But, like I said before, I never expected you to find out about her in another way." Himika said. Reiji then asked something to get it out of the way.
"Father's card… what did you do with it?" His mother gave a cruel, satisfied grin.
"I burned it." Reiji flinched, which Himika noticed. "Yes, Reiji. He deserved to die for hurting us. Burned to ashes while trapped in a card seemed the most appropriate death sentence for him. I do not regret it." Her son was silent for a long time, digesting this truth.
"I knew you hated father for how he wronged us. I did too. I could never forgive him. But for you to actually take his life…" Himika did not soften her features.
"It had to be done. Just as I had to give away Reira." This reignited Reiji's fury.
"But Why mother?! Why give Reira away in the first place?! She was adopted into our family!" Reiji reminded her. Himika frowned.
"I never saw her as part of the family, only someone that could be used. She just needed the proper training, and she had gotten that. Once your father was disposed of, I saw no further use for the little girl. If Queen has plans for that child that could benefit her, then who am I to deny her?" The way his mother talked about Reira really got under Reiji's skin.
"You were supposed to be a mother to her!" He shouted back. Himika grunted.
"That was never in my agenda." She said. Reiji stood silent for another long moment before he asked his next question.
"Did you really forget what it means to be a parent when my father left us?" He asked softly. Himika didn't answer that one. She just kept silent. Reiji sighed. "Then, I suppose there is no point discussing this further." He then turned his back on her and proceeded to the transporter. Himika's pride now began to be replaced by fear and anger.
"Reiji! Don't you dare leave! You know what happened when Yusho Sakaki used that contraption! Once he stepped in, he traveled to another place without any means of returning! He was gone for years! You are about to do the same thing! If you go through with this… you will have no way back! Don't leave me like your father did!" Himika yelled, now starting to sound desperate. Reiji stopped a little way before the transport pad and looked at her over his shoulder.
"I am fully aware of all that, mother. And unlike my father… I intend to return, with Reira." He resumed his walk without saying another word. Himika seemed about to lose it now. His last sentence didn't seem to register to her.
"NO! I WON'T LOSE ANOTHER MEMBER OF MY FAMILY THE SAME WAY!" She screamed as she ran toward her son. She never got far, for she was immediately knocked aside by Dennis' Monster, Trapeze Magician.
"Sorry, but I couldn't let you do anything dumb like that." He said before returning his sights to Reiji.
When he was only one step away from entering the inter dimensional transporter, Reiji shifted his gaze to the only other occupant in the room. "Dennis, I have something for you to do in my absence."
"I'm listening." Dennis said, having a feeling of what he was about to hear.
"When Yugi and his friends return with Yuya and Yuzu's families, tell them what has happened here and to me. I'm sure they will then come find me on that Airship of theirs. Hopefully, by the time they do, I will have long found and saved Reira. Also, make sure my mother is looked after." Dennis nodded.
"I'll do that. Anything else?" He questioned. Reiji had one more thing to add as it turned out.
"One last favor. After I'm gone… destroy this transporter. I don't want to risk my mother or anyone else here following me. Can you do that, Dennis?" He asked. Dennis sighed.
"Got it. Good luck in finding your little sister. I really hope she'll be okay when you catch up to her." He said sincerely. Reiji smiled as he pushed up his glasses.
"So do I. Thank you." Those were the last words Reiji Akaba spoke before he finally stepped into the dark yellow light of the transporter… and was gone.
To be continued.