Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

-V-

Monday had passed normally enough.

Now Tuesday on the other hand, that had certainly been an experience – a rather unexpected experience of dimensional and temporal displacement, to be exact.

Most people would probably not have taken this all too well. Some would probably likely even have suffered a nervous breakdown of some sort.

However, Yuki Judai was different. To him, this almost counted as a normal Tuesday. Because, getting transported to alternate dimensions was hardly anything unusual for this fun-loving and talented Duel Academia graduate, who had been through a bunch of similar experiences while at the academy that had certainly left their mark.

Experiencing a temporal displacement on top of the spatial one was simply the next stage of Yuki Judai’s general displacement. It was nothing strictly new either, seeing that he had already experienced time travel before – like when he had accompanied fellow duellist Fudo Yusei into the past, picked up the Muto Yugi – the King of Games – and then engaged in a Duel with some card-stealing, time-travelling megalomaniac called Paradox.

But that ‒ defeating the time-travelling megalomaniac and watching the restoration of a previously crumbling reality ‒ was all in the past, and Judai had returned to his own time and drifting lifestyle and thought little more of it – until now, that is.

Because now, on this particular Tuesday, Judai had once again ended up displaced ‒ which was nothing unusual, per se, disregarding the fact that this time around, he had apparently been thrown forwards in time rather than backwards, which proved a quite novel experience, to say the very least.

Thankfully, he wasn't alone in all this though. Yubel was always with him, their souls fused together as they were, and besides that, there was also Pharaoh, as well as the cat's former owner, the incorporeal Professor Daitokuji; Judai's former teacher and dorm leader back at the academy.

Had Judai been completely on his own, then he might have worried. Now however⸺ "Alright, let's have a snack and then go see what's up."

There was no reason to panic after all. It was only Tuesday.

-V-

The distinct lack of D-Wheelers, or Duel Runners, pretty much ruled out Fudo Yusei's world; his era at any rate, but not necessarily his dimension. Then again, since Judai had apparently landed in some place that looked and sounded very familiar to Miami, perhaps it was indeed too early to be passing judgements.

The lack of card games on modified motorcycles came as something of a disappointment though; the lack of Fudo Yusei as well. Frankly, Judai would have loved to just drop in and said hi to the guy; to freak him out if for nothing else. But, Judai supposed that he could probably look into the matter once he had figured out more about the current situation at hand.

On the other hand, while Riding Duels didn't seem to exist in this Maiami place, Synchro Summoning apparently did, alongside a bunch of other summoning methods, including Judai's favoured Fusion. However, there was also something called XYZ Summoning which Judai would have to look into it later. But first, he obviously had to figure out a few things for himself.

Duelling seemed to be a pretty big thing over here, even bigger than back home. Apparently, there was a thing called Action Duels, and when Judai had first seen one, he’d been blown away ‒ figuratively speaking, of course.

Oh sure, he wasn’t quite sure about the exact mechanics of converting solid mass into Solid Vision – but Judai found that he would still like to experience such science fiction-like firsthand, unlike those energy-stealing wristbands that Professor Cobra had brought along at the beginning of third year.

Just thinking about them left a bad aftertaste in Judai’s mouth, because the incident had definitely had a quite strong negative impact on his personal life for the months, even years, to come, and that was putting it mildly.

Sure, Professor Cobra’s interference had given Judai an opportunity to reunite and reconcile with Yubel, who had been manipulating the man behind the scenes. However, said reunion had also very nearly resulted in the destruction of the universe as he knew it as well as in the permanent death of his then thought-to-be-dead comrades.

Of course, this wasn’t to say that Judai wanted to put the blame for what had happened solely on Yubel. Because Judai himself was just as much to blame, if not more. Besides, it was all in the past now ‒ even farther off into the past than usual, actually.

Besides, it was only Wednesday. There was no need to panic if it was only Wednesday.

-V-

There had been no need to panic during Wednesday. By Thursday morning however, Judai’s provisions had run out, meaning there was a need to worry but not to panic.

As such, Judai spent a few hours contemplating his next move on some park bench with Pharaoh and the others by his side.

Maybe he could try and duel his way out of this situation? Or at the very least, to secure some finances? Or just food or favours, really? Then again, if he wanted to duel, then he would most likely have to update his Duel Disk, since there was no real guarantee that it would be compatible with recent systems and all. A new Duel Disk likely wouldn’t be too cheap though, and right now, Judai had more pressing issues to deal with.

"Hungry…"

Yubel and Professor Daitokuji were spirits, so they were less hungry and more exasperated at how long it had taken Judai to properly consider the situation at hand. Pharaoh however was a living being and one with quite an appetite at that.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Judai readily agreed as the cat mewled discontentedly. "But we haven't tried fishing yet…"

Yes, but in order to fish, then they’d need a fishing rod and such – and in order to get that, they’d obviously need money, so⸺

With a sigh, Judai cradled the cat, allowing its pitiful mewling to cover up the sounds of his own rumbling stomach. But then⸺

A pretty blond lady passing by promptly paused in her steps.

-V-

The pretty lady turned out to be one Sakaki Yoko, known to strangers for her recently missing husband and to others for her habit of picking up strays – cats, dogs, and more recently, human beings.

Judai certainly didn't mind though. Because temporally and spatially displaced or not, he was getting pancakes.

-V-

Of course, some stuff just wasn’t meant to last – which was a pity, truly.

It had taken about three days for Judai to start settling in the Sakaki household, then three months for him to gain acceptance and finally just five minutes for him to screw it all up.

In a way, Judai supposed it was probably for the best that he left to focus on actually looking for a way home – and so he did. And then⸺

Roughly two and a half years down the line, Judai was back where he had first started, having finally given in to the collective nagging of his companions. And it would seem that Judai had arrived right on time as well, given the Duel that was currently being broadcasted on monitors all over the city – Sakaki Yuya versus Strong Ishijima.

“Pendulum Summoning, huh?”

Yuya, Judai quietly thought, watching the boy flounder through the post-Duel interview. He’d certainly grown since Judai had last seen him, but even so, the boy’s confusion was obvious – right up until it was covered up by a façade that Judai knew all too well from experience. Still⸺

It wasn’t Judai’s place to confront him – especially not given how things had gone the last time around. Judai was interested, sure, but that didn’t mean that he shouldn’t keep his distance. After all⸺

“Mroooow!”

Judai looked down at Pharaoh.

Then, hearing a deliberately loud footstep onto the pavement somewhere behind him, he turned, and then⸺

-V-

By some odd coincidence, Sakaki Yoko just so happened to be out walking her dogs right around where Judai had been standing – and in truth, he wondered if he ought to laugh or cry as he was dragged back into the Sakaki household, ears still ringing from Yoko’s slap.

Allegedly, he’d deserved it though. Yubel and Professor Daitokuji were in rare agreement about that.

Judai didn’t take it too hard though – because just as Sakaki Yoko’s physical and mental strength had yet to diminish, her pancakes were just as good as they had been when Judai had last had them.

Her son meanwhile was both surprised and a bit unhappy to see him at first glance. However, like his mother, Yuya wasn’t one to hold onto grudges for long. "You're back."

Yeah. "Apparently."

"Why?"

Judai shrugged mildly at that. "I missed the pancakes."

"My pancakes."

"Cheapskate."

-V-

The next morning, at the breakfast table, Yuya finally asked if Judai was there to stay – and apparently, he was, for the time being.

The pancakes were pretty great after all.

-V-

Chapter Text

-V-

Whatever Sakaki Yuya might have expected to see upon his return after defeating Strong Ishijima, this definitely wasn't it. That said however⸺ "You're back."

Judai paused in the task of repairing his jacket; Yuya could swear that it was that very same red jacket as last time. It was the same model at any rate. "Apparently."

"Why?" Why was he back, after all this time? Why was he able to return, while Yuya's father was still⸺

"I missed the pancakes."

⸺And he was back with a bullshit excuse as well, because Yuya knew as well as anyone that Judai favoured deep-fried shrimp over pancakes. Actually, coming to think about it, the guy didn't really seem to like sweets all that much to begin with.

In addition to that, he hardly seemed to have aged a day since Yuya had last seen him ‒ he looked weary, yes, but not older, or maybe that was just Yuya imagining things again. In any case, "My pancakes," turned out to the best response that Yuya could think of; it was childish and rather lame, sure, but at least it was something.

“Cheapskate.”

Cheapskate, huh? “Says the freeloader.”

There was a mild shrug at that, Judai no doubt conceding his point.

There was also a slight bruise adorning the other’s cheek, and while neither of them said anything of it, they both looked over to where Sakaki Yoko stood humming over by the stove before exchanging a look of mutual ‒ albeit somewhat reluctant ‒ understanding.

Predictably, Judai staying for dinner was treated as a definite nonissue. "Food tastes better when you eat it together, right?" was all that Yoko had to say on the issue, settling the matter once and for all.

And equally predictably, Judai staying the night was treated in a similar manner.

Yuya wasn’t all too upset about it though – because with all due honesty, he already had more than enough on his mind to really care all that much.

-V-

At the breakfast table the following morning, Yuya finally popped the question about whether or not Judai was planning on sticking around.

As for the answer, Judai was apparently planning to remain ‘in town’ – proving himself quite allergic to giving out specific details as far as his own future was concerned.

Already knowing what his mother was thinking, Yuya spoke first. "I thought we had agreed to draw the line at picking up humans."

His mother smiled right back at him. "Yuya, rules have exceptions. Besides, Judai's your older brother."

Judai looked at Yuya then, as if seeing him for the first time. Then, he pointed to himself, chopsticks and all. "Older brother? Me?"

Hah. "You're like an older brother to me," Yuya clarified. "Like Gongenzaka, only less reliable."

Judai just continued looking at him strangely, even though Judai was actually the strange one as far as Yuya himself was concerned.

"Don't call me aniki," the other decided at last, halfway between a threat and a dare.

"Duel me," Yuya retorted, stabbing into his own pancakes. "Judai-aniki."

-V-

There was a long line of people assembled outside of the You Show Duel School, and since Judai was nowhere to be seen, Yuya figured he might as well go ahead without him and duel Yuzu to show off Pendulum Summoning to all those hopeful applicants. It sort of figured that he wouldn't be able to pull it off though, simply because he got too sure of himself.

Then, once the last of the disappointed applicants had left, Judai finally appeared, wistfully taking in the people still in the waiting room. Besides Gongenzaka, Yuzu, and Yuya himself, there was also Ayu, Futoshi and some new kid named Tatsuya, who still seemed unsure of whether he should stay or not.

"It's not working," Yuya said before anyone else really had a chance to say anything.

“Well...” Judai flashed him a slight grin and put his Duel Disk on standby. "Let's try again then, now that it's less crowded in here."

-V-

Yuya was ultimately able to pull off another successful Pendulum Summoning. Granted, he still lost, because while definitely unused to playing with Action Cards, Judai was apparently some type of Fusion genius.

Well, this didn't exactly come as a surprise to Yuya. It definitely came as a surprise to some of the others though. The ever-passionate Hiragi Shuzo had gone off to fetch not just one but two application forms and practically forced the second on a still smiling but increasingly uncomfortable-looking Judai.

"You should just give in already, aniki," Yuya advised the other.

As predicted, the reaction was immediate, with Judai snapping his head around with a sharp: “We duelled, and I won, so you don't get to call me that.”

"Brother then," Yuya remedied, while Futoshi and Ayu cheerfully agreed.

Gongenzaka and Yuzu also seemed to approve. The same seemed to be the case with the no longer wavering Tatsuya, and a positively beaming Shuzo.

Judai meanwhile gave them all their share of an exasperated look and then pulled off a strategic retreat, plucking the application form from Shuzo's hands with the promise that he would think about it.

-V-

The form had been filled out by the time Yuya returned home – and largely by his mother, going by the neatness of the hand.

Judai didn't join them for dinner either, having eaten first thing after he got back and then crashed on the living room couch. Curled up around him were the vast majority of the former strays of the Sakaki household; the rest joined in after dinner.

"He must've been tired," his mother noted from over by the sink. "He didn't have all that much of an appetite either now that I think of it. Maybe he's ill?"

Huh. "He looked fine this afternoon."

"He's a good actor, whether he's aware of it or not."

Well, on one hand, that made sense. On the other though⸺ "He doesn't seem to like crowds, and he doesn't seem to care all that much about the audience."

"One can still be a good actor without being a born performer, Yuya."

Well, Yuya supposed that there might be some amount of truth in that.

-V-

It was only when he returned from the turbulent Duel with Sawatari Shingo that Yuya found himself face to face with a Judai who looked entirely recovered. The latter also seemed to be on his way out on some new adventure, considering the pack slung over his shoulder.

"Judai, can we talk?"

The other seemed a bit surprised but made a seamless recovery. "We can talk while we walk. Or jog. Or run. I'm open for suggestions."

-V-

Five minutes later, both of them were in more appropriate training attire, jogging. And since Judai wasn’t saying much, Yuya took it as an invitation to start. "I had a Duel today. Over at the LDS."

Judai hummed thoughtfully at that but said little else, prompting him to continue.

"A guy named Sawatari Shingo challenged me. He stole my Pendulum Cards."

Judai's retained his steady jog but shot Yuya an evident look. "He what?"

"I obviously got them back," Yuya swiftly remedied, slowing to a final halt as they reached the bridge overlooking the seafront stadium. "I got them back, but... not before he'd managed to pull off a Pendulum Summon."

“So?” Judai leaned against the railing. "So what if others can use it? You pulled it off first, and you pulled it off well."

Yuya joined him, slumping slightly in his posture. "You were watching?"

“Well...” Judai yawned and stretched his arms, then looked out towards the stadium. "I only saw the end of it, but I was impressed."

Impressed? "Why would you be impressed? You beat me, barely even breaking a sweat. You would've crushed Strong in just a few turns."

"I suppose." Judai shrugged mildly at that. "But that's not Entertainment Duelling, is it?"

Well, Judai had a point. Still⸺ "You would’ve won. Probably."

"To entertain the audience is also an integral part," Judai sighed, turning his back to the sea. "Making people smile and whatnot."

What? "I thought you said that you disagreed with my father's kind of duelling."

At this, Judai shot him a somewhat exasperated look. "I don't disagree with your father's duelling,” he said next. “I just disagree with a few of his other principles."

Huh? "Why? If you stay sad and cry about things, nothing good will come of it. So, what's wrong with laughing when you feel like crying? That way, you'll be able to move forward."

“Well...” Judai shifted his gaze from the landscape to Yuya, wistful. “Sometimes, it's better to cry, I think.”

"Why?"

Judai said nothing for a long while, turning back to stare out at the sea and the setting sun. And when he spoke, his voice was surprisingly soft. But even with the cries of nearby seagulls and the sound of passing traffic in the background, Yuya had no problem hearing it. "Sometimes, it’s better to cry. You might end up breaking apart from pressure otherwise."

"Breaking apart?"

"You really shouldn't worry too much about other people being able to use Pendulum Cards," Judai said in turn. "You created the summoning method, and no one's can take that away from you."

Well, that was⸺ "Easy for you to say."

There was a small laugh in response to that. Surprised, Yuya turned to Judai who was looking at him now, a small smile still playing on his lips.

“You know,” he said. "Once, way back, I met another guy who used the same type of Deck as I did at the time. So, we duelled and I lost, and after that, I couldn't duel for a while."

What? "You wanted to give up duelling?"

“Nah,” Judai sighed, but his expression retained a strange kind of fondness. "I mean, later on, yes, but back then, I honestly couldn't duel. I looked at my cards, at my trusted Deck, and saw only blank pieces of paper."

Blank pieces of⸺ "How did you recover from that?"

"Well…" Judai shot him another look, outright grinning this time around. "Would you rather have a long and outlandish tale or a short and believable one?"

Huh. "Which one's the truth?"

If anything, then Judai's grin only widened. "The long one."

"Then that one."

Judai looked back out towards the sea again, undeniably drawn towards it. Then finally, he said: "My Duel School is located on this island far out at sea, and I really felt like I had to get away from it all. So, basically, I borrowed a boat and took off."

Huh? "You borrowed a boat?"

"Yep."

Borrowed. A boat. "You could just do that?"

"Pretty much,” Judai laughed. “The headmaster let me get away with all sorts of things."

To Yuya, that sounded like an outright understatement. "What then?"

Judai grinned. "Then I got knocked over by a small meteorite and woke up in outer space, where I met and talked to an alien that looked like a two-legged dolphin who told me that I was the Chosen One and sent me back with a new Deck and then I woke up beached on Academia Island."

Huh? "You can't honestly expect me to believe that."

Taking his scepticism in stride, Judai just shrugged mildly. "You know, my friends said the same thing."

No shit. "They must've thought you were crazy."

"The thought might've crossed their minds once or twice, yeah." Judai smiled, as if the mere thought of it somehow amused him.

For the sake of his own sanity, Yuya opted not to delve any further into that. Instead, he asked: "Do you want to go back there, to that Academia place?"

Momentarily, Judai looked puzzled by the question. Then, a shadow crossed his face and he turned his head slightly, staring somewhat forlornly out toward the horizon.

"Nah,” he said. “I've already graduated and it's the same for my friends. Besides, a lot of things happened, so it’s frankly a bit awkward talking to them."

A lot of things? "You did something incredibly stupid, didn't you?"

“Well,” Judai sighed, sending Yuya another glance. “Simply put, I screwed up royally and put them all ‒ as well as myself ‒ through a whole lot of suffering."

Suffering?

"Tell you what, Yuya: No matter how badly you ever screw up, I will have screwed up at least four times as badly. I might be a decent duellist, but as a person, I'm far from perfect. But that's basically why I can't accept that - the thought of laughing away your sadness. Because you can laugh and smile all you want but if you never allow yourself to properly grieve, then you might fall prey to anger and do something irreversible."

Okay? "You did something irreversible?"

"Kind of," Judai eventually agreed. "I mean, it wasn't quite as bad as it had initially seemed, and I got a second chance to make things right. You might say that I fixed everything but my relationship with some of my best friends though. Because no one was really the same afterwards, myself included."

Oh? "So… you stopped being friends?"

"Not the way that we used to be." Judai tiredly shook his head, then explained: "They didn't agree with my earlier decisions and I went on to isolate myself, simply because I didn't want them to get dragged into any more trouble."

It was an uncomfortable topic for him; Yuya could definitely tell. But that didn’t change the fact that Yuya was curious and wanted to learn more. Did said friends have something to do with Judai's obvious aversion to being called aniki? Had the stuff that had happened in-between Judai and his friends driven Judai to leave them, once and for all? Also⸺ "Where are they now?"

Judai shrugged mildly in response. "Who knows?"

Who knows? "You mean you don't know? Or you don't keep in touch?"

“Well...” Stifling a yawn, Judai checked the time before answering. "We did, but a lot of stuff happened. And my phone stopped working shortly after I left Maiami, so…"

Again, a lot of stuff. "So?"

“Yeah...” Judai straightened back up. "I knew a guy who'd probably be able to help me out, but couldn't find him either, so…"

He trailed off, then began walking, and Yuya immediately hurried to catch up with him.

"In other words," Yuya said. "You ran out of friends and leads and that's why you're back."

“Hah.” Judai snorted. "Actually, no. Two of the friends I still have contact with wouldn’t stop nagging me about it, saying I might as well head back and start over. So I did.”

Oh? "Then why are you living with us and not with them?"

"Circumstances," Judai responded, picking up his pace somewhat.

Yuya followed him. "Do you miss them a lot?"

"Not really. We talk so often it feels like we're together all the time."

So he said, and yet, Yuya honestly couldn’t recall ever seeing him getting or making a call, making it entirely likely that Yuya had just missed out on some type of inside joke. Knowing Judai, it was definitely possible after all.

They were almost back home by the time Yuya recalled another thing that he had been meaning to bring up before getting distracted by Judai's weird recollections.

"You know,” he said. “At the end of my Duel with Sawatari, he tried to get his underlings to steal my cards again, but... this kid just turned up out of nowhere and knocked them all down, just like that."

"O‒kay?"

Yeah. "And then he announced that he was going to become my apprentice and stuff."

“Hoh?” Judai tilted his head slightly to one side before directing his eyes back forward. "Your apprentice, huh?"

"I'm not making him my apprentice," Yuya clarified, just to make it clear.

Judai just hummed thoughtfully in response.

-V-

"Say, Yuya…" Judai later said, lounging on the windowsill of the window overlooking the driveway whilst surrounded by all the cats of the Sakaki household. "That wannabe apprentice of yours…"

"What about him?" Yuya asked, not taking his eyes off the television.

"Blue jacket and blue hair that looks like a pineapple?"

Yuya's eyes immediately snapped towards him. "How did you⸺?"

Judai pointed to the driveway, where Yuya quickly spotted Shiunin Sora chatting up his mother.

-V-

"Mom, I thought we had agreed to draw the line at picking up humans. Seriously!"

"But Yuya, he looks so lost and hungry. Aw, come on, honey. The more the merrier."

Frustrated, Yuya tore his eyes away from his mother, passing right over the deliberately puppy-eyed Sora to Judai who was still surrounded by cats.

"Well, I can't really argue with that," he finally announced, scratching one of the still unnamed newcomers beneath the chin.

Exasperated, Yuya quietly resolved to steal that coveted red jacket.

-V-

Chapter Text

-V-

Whatever Shiunin Sora might have expected upon worming his way into the Sakaki household, this definitely wasn't it.

"Hey, Pineapple Head. Pass the soy sauce."

Yuya, seated across from the speaker, covered his mouth and turned away, shaking with quiet laughter.

Also, unbeknownst to Sora, there was a spirit watching him with narrowed eyes. Because Yubel could recognise trouble from a mile away, being well acquainted with both causing and dealing with it. Yubel was also determined to protect Judai, and by extension, what Judai had decided to protect. For now, the members of the Sakaki household were included in this, meaning that Yubel would ‒ if somewhat reluctantly ‒ look out for their wellbeing as well, knowing that Judai would most certainly not be very happy if something untoward were to happen to anyone of them.

Besides, her peculiar stray-hoarding tendencies aside, Sakaki Yoko had provided Judai with a lot of things; a roof over his head, clothes on his back, regular meals and some semblance of stability. As a result, Yubel had come to hold the woman in quite high regard. As a spirit, Yubel could only do so much after all, even in a materialised state. As such, it was great that there was someone more corporeal looking out for Judai's welfare, now as well as back when they had first arrived.

Naturally, Yubel still believed that Judai would eventually have come to adapt to his new surroundings even without Sakaki Yoko's timely intervention. However, at the time, Yubel had reasoned that Judai might as well accept the offer, because if the woman proved harmless, then Judai and Pharaoh would have both roof over their heads and meals to go along with it. And, in case the woman had any ulterior motives that displeased Yubel, then it would have been a problem easily dealt with.

As had been proven though, Sakaki Yoko was and still remained a creature of goodwill. She ‒ and by extension her family ‒ could also provide the kind of stability that Yubel knew would benefit them all and prevent Judai from doing anything too reckless in an attempt to change the situation at hand.

Because as far as Yubel could tell, they were more or less trapped in this timeline, especially so without Winged Kuriboh's assistance. And this alone was enough reason to both curse and miss the meddlesome fluffball’s existence, because what was really the use of it, when it was not around when one actually needed it?

-V-

"Hey, Yuya. Have you seen my jacket?"

"Which one?" Yuya asked, having recently returned back home to find Judai in the kitchen, in the midst of frying eggs.

"The red one," Judai clarified, as if further clarification was even needed.

"Maybe it's in the washing machine? Or in the drier?"

Yubel snorted at that; at the sheer audacity.

"Yuya," the reincarnated Supreme King uttered, mildly exasperated. "I know that you've seen my jacket."

'And taken it too,' Yubel quietly commented at the same time as Yuya gave a dismissive wave along with an equally dismissive "I don't know what you're talking about, freeloader."

Really. Yubel ought to throttle him.

"Okay, look," Judai said, turning around with the spatula in his hand to use it as a makeshift pointer. "It's important to me. Now where is it?"

"What makes you think that I have it?" the boy shot back, mildly annoyed.

"Intuition," Judai deadpanned, and Yubel nodded sagely at that.

"Well, maybe you're wrong."

Yubel scoffed at that. Judai didn’t though, clearly amused as he renewed his efforts not to burn his afternoon snack.

"Well,” he said. “Maybe you're just doing this because Yoko invited your wannabe apprentice for dinner."

"And breakfast."

"And breakfast," Judai remedied, poking at the sizzling egg. "Why does this translate into you stealing my jacket? If you wanted my veto on this, consider my situation here. In the end, I'm also a stray that Yoko brought in."

"So, you think that Sora guy should stay?" Yuya asked.

"I'm not saying that," Judai deadpanned.

“Then what are you saying, Judai?” Yubel asked, and moments thereafter, the boy unknowingly repeated the question aloud.

"I'll get you an answer if you'll get me my jacket," Judai said in turn.

"Answer first, jacket later," Yuya immediately countered.

"Jacket now," Judai deadpanned. "Or else I'll start wearing yours."

"It's part of my school uniform, you know?" Yuya protested, although Yubel hardly took note, too occupied by the thought of how awful it would be to see Judai dressed in something so white.

"I know. But so is mine."

“But you graduated ages ago! You said so yourself."

"Well, I happen to like it. So, sue me."

"Oh yeah? Well, people who've already graduated shouldn't go around wearing their old school uniforms."

There, someone had finally said it. Though still somewhat peeved by Yuya's childish behaviour, Yubel was quietly relieved by the fact that someone else had brought up the matter about the uniform.

And, with the extended silence that followed, Yubel was rather pleased about having dodged that particular bullet.

"I guess,” Judai commented at last, putting the last of the fried eggs onto his plate before turning off the stove. “And it is getting pretty worn out, so…"

"So?" Yuya asked, like the oblivious child that he was.

"It's a keepsake,” Judai said, making his way over to the table. “It reminds me of my days back at Academia."

There was a brief pause at that. Then Yuya sighed and sank further into his chair, finally admitting: "It's in my closet. Should I go get it?"

"Nah, it's okay.” Judai smiled, sending a wry look in Yubel’s general direction. “My friends have told me that I've got an unhealthy attachment to it."

"So, I can just throw it out then?"

"Nope."

"And if I do?"

"Then I'll return the favour."

Yuya looked uncertain as to whether Judai was kidding or not. Yubel meanwhile was relatively certain that it was the latter.

"I duelled Sora today," Yuya offers up instead, pulling out his Deck and shuffling it. "He kept following me around until I agreed to duel him, so I did. Basically, if he won, then I'd have to become his teacher."

“Huh.” Judai hummed, stabbing his fork into one of the eggs. "Strange logic. Still, did you win?"

"Yeah," Yuya affirmed. "And he went 'Then, I'll just be your friend' on me instead."

"And this is a bad thing how?" Judai asked.

Yuya looked decidedly exasperated at that. For once, Yubel could very much relate.

"Okay, never mind that. The Duel?"

"Sora uses Fusion," Yuya commented, drawing a card and looking at it. "And he doesn't seem to be very used to Action Duels. Pretty much like you actually. And so, I asked him about where he'd learnt Fusion Summoning..."

Judai wordlessly twirled the fork between his fingers for a bit before putting it back down onto the plate where it belonged. Then finally, he asked: "So?"

Yuya looked even more exasperated at that, although going by the look in his eyes, the exasperation was directed towards someone who wasn't with them in this room.

“Well...” Yuya began at last. "He got really vague and said that everyone uses it where he comes from and wouldn't say anything more than that. And so, I began to wonder: Could he be from your Academia?"

Judai kicked up an eyebrow at that. "My Academia?"

"Your old school," Yuya clarified, lowering his voice to a mere whisper. "Did they teach you Fusion Summoning over there?"

“I guess,” he admitted at last, sending a discreet look Yubel’s way. "Fusion's pretty common knowledge where I come from though. I knew it before I went to school."

"Then could Sora the same as you, an Academia graduate?"

Actually, that was an intriguing question. They had gone out looking for Duel Academia after all, finding the island and the ruins and all, but little beyond that. Even their search for dimensional rift activity had proven inconclusive and ultimately fruitless, ruins or no ruins.

The lack of a functioning Academia along with the lack of evidence of such having existed at any point in time pointed to them being not just in the future but in a parallel universe of some sort. Still⸺

"Seems a bit young for that, I think," Judai said, idly observing the cards laid out on the table. "Even if you're good at duelling, it'd still take three years to graduate. Besides, it's a boarding school."

"A three-year boarding Duel School?" the other gaped, as if the mere concept was barely within his realm of comprehension.

"It's a school that teaches duelling among other things,” Judai said. “Our curriculum was a bit broad now that I think of it. I had a class called Alchemy, and the teacher was also my dorm leader. Ah, fun times."

Once again trapped within Pharaoh's stomach, the ghostly professor wasn't around to hear it. Yubel however frowned at the statement.

"You studied alchemy at school?"

"Well, kind of," Judai readily admitted, taking the opportunity to snatch up a bunch of Yuya's cards to scrutinise them further.

Too caught up in Judai's pace, Yuya hardly even seemed to notice.

"So, after you graduate, what do you do?” he asked. “Go pro?"

“Well...” Judai shrugged mildly at that and continued browsing through the cards. "Some do. A couple of my friends did."

"And you?"

"I travelled the world," Judai admitted at last, deliberately vague.

"And did what?"

"Helped people out."

"With what?"

"With issues."

"That's awfully vague, you know?"

Perhaps, but the boy was awfully persistent, wasn’t he?

“Well...” Judai offered up a mild shrug. "I'm a medium of sorts, I suppose."

"A medium?"

"I share a deep connection with this world, the world of humans, and the other world, the world of spirits."

Ah, now Yubel had to resist a sudden urge to throttle him.

"You mean that you can talk to ghosts?"

Actually, on second thought, Yubel would throttle them both if possible.

"Well,” Judai said. “That too in some cases, but one might say that I've got another area of expertise."

'Judai,' Yubel warned him, but as expected, Judai went right ahead and ignored it.

"You know the Destiny Draw, right?” he said. “Basically, if you believe in your Deck, it'll come through for you in the end, right?"

Yuya nodded.

Meanwhile, Yubel just sighed as Judai kept on talking.

“So yeah,” he said. "What if I told you there are sometimes real spirits it?"

Judai⸺

"Real spirits?"

"Yeah. Back where I come from, we call them Duel Spirits."

Judai⸺

"Duel Spirits?"

"Ugh, it's difficult to explain." Rubbing at his temple, Judai sent another look Yubel's way. "Basically, when you duel, you summon Monsters, and in some cases, you get more than just a programmed hologram."

Yubel scoffed, while the other brat asked: "And that's Duel Spirits?"

"Well, that's one way of putting it," Judai said. "I'm not very good at explaining this, am I?"

"I take it that you've never really had to explain this where you come from," Yuya said, and Yubel shot him a brief look before levelling Judai with an outright glare.

"Pretty much," Judai commented, pretending not to see it. "I mean, it's not common knowledge or anything, but there are other people who can see and interact with the spirits, yeah."

Judai, you ⸺

"Friends of yours?"

Judai gave a somewhat dismissive wave, likely intended for them both. "Well, there's Johan and Manjoume. Oh, and Hayato as well."

With a scoff, Yubel resolved not to get involved any further, all while Yuya dutifully asked who Johan and the others were, something which earned him a bright smile.

"Hayato and Manjoume are former room- and dorm mates of mine,” Judai said. “We were in the Red Dorm together. And Johan's my best friend. He was a transfer student from North Academy."

Yubel sensed a sharp tinge of bitterness at the evident nostalgia.

Yuya meanwhile asked about the Red Dorm.

"The Red Dorm's for Osiris the Sky Dragon." Judai said, continuing to browse through the cards that Yuya still hadn't asked him to return. "There's also Ra Yellow and Obelisk Blue."

"So, your jacket's red because you were in Osiris Red?"

"Yep." Judai nodded, staring down at the card of the Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon.

"Why the colours?" Yuya asked, clearly too caught up in Judai's pace to notice which card he was holding.

"Ranking, I suppose," Judai responded in turn, looking thoughtful as he kept staring at the card. "Depending on your scores on the entrance exam, you get placed into a dorm. And if you do well afterwards, then you might get promoted. And if you screw up, then you might get demoted."

"Okay. So, you got promoted into Red, then? That’s why the jacket is so important to you?"

"Nope.” Judai smiled, handing the cards back. “I was a Red when I got there and a Red when I left; the only one, as a matter of fact."

Yuya appeared a bit thrown off by that. "What happened to the others?"

“Well...” Judai grinned widely at that, and Yubel suddenly wanted to punch him. "The others either dropped out or got promoted into Ra Yellow or Obelisk Blue, like Sho."

"Sho?" Yuya asked, unknowingly headed right out into a figurative minefield that still wasn't quite cleared, and the look that flashed across Judai’s face greatly decreased Yubel’s urge to punch him, giving way to the urge to hug him aggressively.

"He and Kenzan kept arguing about who would get to call me aniki," Judai said at last. "Then they both ended up doing it."

"Is that why you're so against being called Judai-aniki?"

"Yeah, because it's awkward, especially when it’s someone who's practically your own age."

"Does that apply to me as well?"

Yes⸺ "Yes."

"Even though you're clearly older than me and also my makeshift brother?"

Judai conceded his point at that. Yubel didn't.

"I’d prefer it if you just call me Judai,” he finally said. “But I'd rather be your brother than your resident freeloader."

This time around, as he should, Yuya conceded to Judai's point. Then he asked why Judai had been in the Red Dorm to begin with, to which Judai readily admitted: "I liked it. It was cosy. Besides, I hated studying. You might say that I'm more into the practical stuff. And besides, I still got chosen to represent the school."

Yuya was visibly surprised at that. "Out of how many students?"

"A few hundred-ish, I suppose."

"You mean that you don't know how many students there were?"

Judai offered up yet another shrug in response. "I had other stuff on my mind."

"Oh, right." Yuya shifted a bit guiltily. "We've talked about this."

"Yep."

"And we're not talking about it again?"

Judai leaned back in his chair, staring up into the ceiling. "Not today."

Yuya was standing right in the middle of the figurative minefield now, and he was very much aware of it now. Yubel almost pitied him a little.

"So,” the boy said at last. “You see spirits? Duel Spirits, I mean."

"Yep," Judai readily responded, putting his elbows into the table and leaning forward to stare intently at him now.

"So, you can communicate with them?" Yuya asked, understandably sceptical but deciding to pursue this topic instead of the much more volatile one he had just encountered.

And Judai, Judai just smiled and said: "Would you like a demonstration?"

Demonstra⸺?!  "Demonstration?"

Judai pulled out his own Deck and placed it down onto the table in front of them.

"Pick a card,” he said. “Any card's good as long as it's a Monster Card."

"What are you gonna do?" Yuya asked.

"Pick a card and I'll show you."

Judai, you⸺ "Any card?"

Judai, you can't honestly⸺ "Any Monster Card."

Judai, I swear⸺ "Then this one. She's cute, and she's a Spellcaster."

To Yubel, it was a flimsy reason. Judai nevertheless accepted it.

"Coming to think of it," Yuya said, watching curiously as Judai held the card up and closed his eyes in evident concentration. "Your Deck's mostly Elemental Heroes and Neo-Spacians, isn't it?"

"And yours is Performapal and Pendulum Monsters," Judai readily countered, his eyes still closed in concentration. Yubel could feel him calling out to the card's spirit, and peeved yet at the same time relieved not to be summoned.

"Sora had some really creepy Monsters up his sleeve," Yuya said. "If you come by You Show, he'd be more than happy to duel you."

Judai hummed thoughtfully at that, while Yubel quietly resolved to keep this from happening.

"Are you ready?"

Although evidently hesitant, Yuya nodded. Yubel reaffirmed her resolve to wash her hands of it all.

-V-

"Judai."

Seated on the roof of the Sakaki residence, Judai turned his head. "Yubel."

"Aren't you telling him a bit too much?"

"You mean Yuya?" Judai asked as he lay back down to stare up at the darkened skies.

Yes. "Who else is there?"

"He would've found out sooner or later anyway, so he might as well get it from me."

Hah. "Naïve."

"Yeah, I thought you'd say so, Yubel."

"I personally think you did well, Judai," a newly liberated Daitokuji interjected, materialising beside them.

“Fine.” Yubel scoffed. "So long as you won't blame me if it blows up in your face, Judai."

"I atone for my own mistakes, got it. I'm glad we can all agree on that."

Judai, you⸺ "You better not tell him ‒ or anyone else for that matter ‒ about the Supreme King…"

"Gotcha. By the way, Yubel?"

"What is it, Judai?"

"Still no sign of Winged Kuriboh?"

Really. "If there were, then I would've already reported it."

"As I thought," Judai sighed, sitting himself up slowly. "I've tried calling for him, but there's no answer."

Yes, and without a card at hand, summoning became difficult. Yubel knew that as well as anyone, and with Judai effectively having returned the card to Muto Yugi, there was little that anyone of them could⸺

"What are you going to do about those men sneaking around?" Professor Daitokuji asked, appearing genuinely curious.

"Ah, those guys?" Judai smiled, looking toward the illuminated tower visible in the distance. "Nothing as of yet."

"Why not?"

"Well, they're probably just investigating Yuya. He did invent a whole new type of summoning after all."

"Isn't it the same with that boy Sora though?"

"Probably, all things considered."

Yes, all things considered⸺ "That boy's not from around here."

Judai nodded.

"And that girl's also ⸺ "

"I know." There was no actual need for elaboration. Even Professor Daitokuji, otherworldly as he might be, ought to be able to tell.

"If they're not from around here, then they must've come here in some way. Shouldn't you be looking into that, Judai?"

"There's Yuya's pendulum too though,” Judai said. “That, along with the Pendulum Cards."

"I can clearly see why you're intrigued," Yubel drawled in return. "But shouldn't you focus more on getting back home?"

At this, there was a mild shrug. "What's the hurry?"

Yubel scoffed. "You can sense it too, can't you? The oncoming storm."

“Well yeah,” Judai said. "I can sense it alright, and I've got a feeling that Maiami City will be at the very centre of it."

"Then you should let the people native to this realm deal with it. You're just a visitor here after all."

There was a somewhat pointed look at that, but Yubel didn't back down, being right about things as usual.

"This world and its inhabitants have treated me well so far,” Judai said in turn. “It's only fair that I return the favour, don’t you think?"

Yubel didn't say anything; there was no real need to. Besides, since Judai already seemed to have made up his mind, it seemed like a waste of effort.

"Entertainment Duelling." Judai looked back up towards the skies, his expression thoughtful. "To Duel for the sake of making others smile. It's a nice thought though, don't you think?"

"It's naïve," Yubel said.

"Well yeah. But naïve or not, it's Yuya's wish. I suppose it's selfish of me to want to watch over him while I still can."

"Judai…"

He gave a dismissive wave at that. "I'm not saying that I'll fight all his battles for him. I'm merely talking about making sure that he's strong enough to stand on his own when he has to."

"It's been months, not years," Yubel snorted. "Just how attached have you become to this child?"

“Well, he reminds me a bit of myself actually."

"Of you when you first arrived at Duel Academia?" Professor Daitokuji quipped. "Now that you mention it…"

Yubel scoffed openly at that. "That thing and Judai? It isn't even a comparison."

"Yubel, he's got a name…"

He did, but that was beside the point.

He also did carry a slight resemblance to the younger Judai, but that was also beside the point.

The point being?

He attracted trouble.

And knowing Judai's luck, they would end up right in the thick of it.

"Judai."

Judai hummed thoughtfully in response.

"You better include Non-Fusion Area in your Deck from now on."

"Way ahead of you."

-V-

Chapter Text

-V-

Hiragi Yuzu was not entirely unfamiliar with Yuya’s older brother – with the rumours, at any rate. As such, there had been certain expectations.

For one thing, Yuzu had expected to pull out her fan to dish out some long overdue justice, and for another, she had expected to dislike him. As such, when she’d watched the guy carelessly waltz into You Show in the immediate aftermath of Yuya's failure to perform another Pendulum Summoning, Yuzu had been half a mind to walk up and forcefully evict him from the premises.

In hindsight, Yuzu was definitely glad that she hadn’t though, because the other’s first visit to You Show Duel School had proven quite informative – to her, at any rate.

Because now Yuzu knew that Judai wasn't just a talented duellist that favoured Fusion. She also knew that he really seemed to dislike crowds and unwanted attention, which was a stark contrast to Yuya, who positively craved the limelight. Then of course, there was that clear aversion to being called "aniki".

In any case, Yuzu wondered if she ought to have prevented her father from pretty much forcing the application form on Judai. Because sure, their duelling school was struggling a bit right now. However, forcing someone to join really wasn't the way to make it any better.

Sure, Sora had certainly joined up readily enough, but Yuzu couldn’t help but wonder how things would develop from this point onwards.

Thankfully, Yuya didn't seem to have taken all that much psychological damage from their whole ordeal with Sawatari Shingo over at the LDS Tower. Perhaps he had ended up talking it out with Judai, who had handled the unfolding crisis just as well as he had the previous one.

But with Judai not turning up at You Show afterwards, there had been no real opportunity for Yuzu to ask about it. This matter was far from her mind though, when group pressure had sent her and Ayu out to buy ice-cream, with Yuzu herself grumbling that the boys ought to go buy their own.

The weather was pretty nice though, and Yuzu found herself relishing the peace and quiet as they made their way back from the shop. You Show had after all become a lot livelier as of late, which was a great thing but nevertheless a bit trying in its own way.

Peace didn’t turn out to be particularly long-lived though, and Yuzu knew this the moment she caught sight of that Sawatari guy’s goons.

Still, since it was just the two of them, Yuzu quickly pulled Ayu along and hid. But overhearing them talk quickly awoke her ire.

That Sawatari guy – honestly, how dare he? Was he going to get back at Yuya again? And by striking at his weak point and whatnot? Unforgivable.

Incensed, Yuzu decided to give the bastard a piece of her mind. As such, she sent Ayu on her way back to the others and began stalking the goons, morbidly hopeful that they might lead her to the bastard himself.

Eventually, Yuzu saw them entering one of the warehouses belonging to the LDS. She hesitated briefly, then mentally slapped herself, because it was do or don’t, now or never, and if she didn’t put an end to this now, then that Sawatari guy would only be back to cause Yuya even more grief.

Mind made up, Yuzu readied her Deck before finally reaching to push the huge sliding door open.

Unbeknownst to her, she was being watched.

-V-

Unsurprisingly, Sawatari Shingo wasn't particularly happy to see her, and Yuzu herself obviously wasn't very happy to see him again either. But considering the alternative, she would much rather deal with this sooner rather than later and shame this hundredth-rate duellist to the extent that he wasn't going to get within twenty feet of Yuya ever again. In other words, Yuzu was there to kick his arse.

However, before any such attempt could be commenced, someone else had butted into her business to challenge Sawatari in her place – and while Yuzu wasn’t exactly thrilled about, something about the mysterious masked stranger seemed familiar somehow, which threw her off more than just a bit.

As it turned out, the masked duellist used XYZ Summoning. It also turned out that Sawatari didn't stand a chance, despite initial impressions of the opposite.

Surges of wind rippled through the air; the effects were massive, considering how they were not duelling within an Action Field. However, what struck Yuzu the most was not that but the seeming identity of the one running interference. Because although Yuzu blinked repeatedly and rubbed her eyes, what she saw still remained the same. "Yuya?"

The other looked back, apparently somewhat puzzled but not in the way that Yuya did it. It was eerie at best; frightening at worst.

"You're Yuya, right?" Yuzu was more hesitant this time around, growing increasingly uncertain. On one hand, there was what she saw. On the other, there was what she⸺

The sound of a door getting pushed back open quickly tore Yuzu’s attention away from the thought and she, as all who were still awake and aware, quickly looked towards the door.

"Well, this is new."

What's he doing here? That was Yuzu's immediate thought. However, Judai being there was actually the least strange thing about this whole situation. Because as Yuzu looked back, Yuya's face darkened and his posture shifted, body language signalling that he was ready to launch himself right into another Duel at any given moment.

Judai most likely picked up on that as well, because he didn’t attempt to step any closer. Instead, he looked towards Yuzu and simply said: "Yuzu. You're safe and sound, right?"

Yuzu nodded, only really then noticing that Judai seemed to be on the phone with someone. "Yeah, I think so."

"She looks like it and says that she is, so there you have it, Yuya."

Yu⸺ "Yuya?!"

"Yes, Yuya," Judai affirmed.

Wide-eyed, Yuzu threw a glance at the guy standing beside her. "But then he's…" She trailed off when he looked back at her briefly before once again focusing the brunt of his attention on Judai, apparently hostile.

Judai himself appeared to be taking it all in stride though, still talking on the phone.

"Hang on a sec." He accompanied message with a slight gesture. "Yeah, so are you guys all back at You Show? No, no, just stay there, we'll start heading back in a sec. Yeah, sure, I'll ask."

Yuzu wasn't quite sure as to what to think, so when Judai suddenly threw a question at her, she was mildly startled.

"Hey, Yuzu! Sora's whining about melted ice-cream, so Yuya's asking if it's alright with you to buy a replacement."

Yuzu briefly considered telling them to just go and buy their own ice-cream before finally agreeing. Then, she chanced another look at the guy standing next to her, quietly wondering.

"She said yes, so we'll see you in a bit. Yeah. Cheers." Ending the call, Judai finally moved further into the warehouse. "So, curious question: Which one of these is that Sawatari guy?"

Saying this, he made a vague gesture towards the unconscious people on the ground, two of them knocked down by purely physical means and another one or two knocked down and out in connection with the Duel.

And since the Yuya-lookalike remained as still and tense as ever, Yuzu took it upon herself to point out Sawatari Shingo to Judai, who whistled, smiled and then reached into his pocket as he began his approach.

Next to her, Not-Yuya tensed up even further, shifting his position ever so slightly so that he now stood firmly in-between Yuzu and Judai. The other appeared to be trying to shield her, much like he had shielded her from the brunt of the shockwaves released from the Duel, and Yuzu honestly couldn’t help but wonder.

Meanwhile, Judai crouched down where Sawatari was slumped against the wall. Then, a sharp click resonated in the warehouse, and to Yuzu, it was a very familiar sound. Heck, even Not-Yuya seemed to recognise it as well, if the slight drop in tension served as any kind of indication.

Is he really ⸺ ?

Judai briefly glanced towards her, a black marker still in hand. "So, I'm pretty open for suggestions. XYZ-guy, Yuzu?"

They both looked at him like he was from another planet. All things considered, maybe he was?

Then, since neither of them said anything, Judai apparently deemed them a lost cause, sighing as he turned back to Sawatari, with marker still in hand.

Then, after spending a good minute on it, Judai finally straightened back up and turned his attention towards Not-Yuya, who visibly tensed at the renewed scrutiny. "So, XYZ, huh?"

"What about it?" the guy asked, positioning himself so that Yuzu was still behind him.

Judai didn’t answer though. Instead, he looked right past him. "Hey, Yuzu."

"Yeah?"

"Do I even want to know what you were doing in a darkened warehouse with a dark lookalike of Yuya?"

Hah?!

"Idiot! It's not like that!" Yuzu sputtered, stepping away from him; away from the both of them actually as she started pointing fingers. "He's the one who⸺ He's the one who butted in and challenged Sawatari to a Duel!"

At this, Not-Yuya sent her a brief look before redirecting his attention to Judai, who now had his arms folded across his chest and the marker capped but still in hand.

"I look like someone you know?" the guy asked at last, his voice low and controlled.

"Yep." Judai unfolded his arms, stuffing the marker back into his pocket with one hand and covering up a big yawn with the other. "That having been said… Yuzu, let's go."

"But⸺ Yuya's⸺"

Judai waved dismissively at that, stepping past them like he wasn't affected by the current situation in the slightest. He only turned his head once he was already at the door and said: "Yuya doesn't know how to XYZ Summon. Also, I just talked to him on the phone, so he's definitely back at You Show."

"Then who is⸺?" Yuzu pointed to the lookalike.

The lookalike looked at her in return, wearing an unreadable expression. "Yuto."

Yuto, huh?  "Why did you interfere?"

The expression remained unreadable. "You look like someone I know."

Huh? “Who?”

"My best friend's sister, Ruri."

Ruri?

Yuzu pointed to herself. "I'm Yuzu."

There was a beat of silence, followed by a quiet response. "I realise."

"And you're Yuto," Yuzu repeated, trying to grasp the concept herself; to separate from the initial notion that he and Yuya were one and the same – which they clearly weren’t.

Yuto dipped his head in response, affirming the statement. Then he once again shot a glance at Judai, who was now slouching in the doorway.

"You look a lot like my friend Yuya, Judai's brother," Yuzu explained, inwardly wondering just how said brother could be so carefree, even in this kind of situation.

"Judai?"

“Yeah.” Judai offered up a grin and a slight wave. "Yuki Judai, at your service."

Ah, Yuzu was half a mind to pull out her fan and beat some sense into him. However, before she had the chance to act upon the notion, there was another strong gust of wind and when she looked back up, Yuto was nowhere to be seen.

Bewildered, Yuzu looked towards Judai, who looked unfazed as he tilted his head back slightly and began staring up at a particularly shadowed nook of the warehouse ceiling.

"Man, Yuto, you're like a bat."

Yuzu stared from one to the other. Truth to be told though, she could no longer see the latter. "Huh?"

Instead of explaining, Judai just motioned for her to get going and Yuzu grudgingly obeyed, throwing one last look in this Yuto guy's probable direction before hurrying off to catch up with Judai, fully intent on picking his brain for answers.

-V-

“So,” Judai said as they made their way back towards You Show. “What made you decide to go and challenge that Sawatari guy all of a sudden?”

It sounded more like an earnest question than an accusation, and as such, Yuzu had no problem explaining herself. Still⸺

"In other words," Judai said. "Hearing all that pissed you off, making you leave Ayu behind to go deal with the guy before he got around to harassing Yuya?"

Well, putting it like that⸺ "Yuya's my friend, and I don't want to see that guy do anything to him again. I mean, sure I told Yuya that we shouldn't go to the LDS in the first place, but he was all giddy about the chance to duel the guy, so he wouldn't listen. And then that Sawatari and his thugs stole the cards and forced Yuya into a Duel. And now Sawatari's pissed off about Yuya beating him? That cowardly hundredth-rate duellist! He definitely got what was coming, but why did that Yuto guy⸺"

“He wanted to protect you.”

Yes, Yuzu had already realised that much for herself, but could she truly trust her own perception? Also⸺ "Protect me? From Sawatari?"

Judai shrugged mildly at that. Then finally, he said: "You were a lone girl in a darkened warehouse with at least three guys, so..."

Yuzu just stared at him, momentarily stunned, and then something in Judai’s expression shifted slightly.

"You don't have a whole lot of crime in this city, do you?"

Crime?

It took another moment for Yuzu to realise what the other was more or less implying, and when she did she couldn’t help but feel slightly sick. "You mean that they would've⸺"

"This Yuto guy might've thought as such," Judai corrected, looking towards the setting sun. "It might've been something else though, but he was obviously concerned for your safety."

Safety…

Yuzu looked to Judai, his clothes, hair and skin oddly radiant in the twilight. "How did you find me?"

"Ayu ran into me on her way back to You Show," Judai explained, keeping his eyes ahead as they continued walking. "I promised I'd take care of it and give Yuya a call when I found you."

Hearing this, Yuzu couldn’t help but study him, even out of the corner of her eye. Absentmindedly, she wondered just how old he was, being so childish at times yet so mature at other times. More than his age though, she wondered about his origin; where he had been prior to getting picked up by Sakaki Yoko and also where he had gone after first leaving the Sakaki household. After all, a duellist of his calibre should have already sent noticeable ripples throughout the world of professional duellists, right?

Granted, Judai allegedly hadn't even taken part in any Official Duels in Maiami City back when he'd first come to town, and it was entirely possible that he had also stayed away from Official Duels while travelling.

Judai obviously enjoyed duelling though; that much was obvious to anyone with a functioning pair of eyes. However, it wasn't like people actually had to be so all-out on entertaining the audience like Yuya was, so why hadn't Judai opted to take a more active part in the duelling circuit?

Then again, Yuzu knew that there were some pretty strict Duel Schools out there, so maybe Judai had been a member of one of those and dropped out or run away, which had led him to Maiami City and to taking up residence with the Sakaki family? Or maybe Judai had simply disagreed with the plans that others had made for his future, gotten himself expelled from school and perhaps even been disowned ‒ if he had any family in the first place, considering how Yuya had never mentioned anything of the sort. Or maybe he'd just⸺

"Judai."

Judai paused, directing his eyes towards her. "Yeah, what's up?"

"Have you ever thought about going pro?"

“Well...” Judai looked mildly puzzled for a second. Then he shrugged, covering up another yawn before looking towards the horizon once more. "The thought has definitely crossed my mind. In the past, I didn't think about much beyond duelling. But now I know that there are things more important than that."

-V-

Once they’d arrived at the convenience store, Yuzu went in to buy the ice-cream while Judai waited outside, seemingly engaged with someone over the phone. Perhaps it was just Yuya again or maybe even Yoko, or maybe it was someone from Judai's past life checking in to make sure that he was still doing alright. Yuzu’s stomach went into a slight knot at the mere thought of it, although she wasn't quite certain as to why. She resolutely pushed the thought away though, paying for the ice-cream before stepping back out.

"All done?"

She nodded and held up the plastic bag as proof. "All done."

"Then let's go."

As they headed back towards You Show, Yuzu finally asked: "What do we tell Yuya and the others? About that Yuto guy?"

“Well...” Judai was quiet for a moment, evidently thoughtful. "He didn't seem to have very bad intentions, and seemed pretty keen on keeping a low profile, so maybe we shouldn't say much at all. Of course, we should probably give a heads-up to Yuya that he's got an XYZ-using counterpart running around, because he should definitely know about that."

"Counterpart?" Wouldn't lookalike or doppelganger have been a more accurate description than counterpart?

Judai shrugged mildly in response. "The face was a mirror image, but the hair, clothes, accessories and attitude were all off, so that's why it's counterpart. Besides, he used XYZ, and Yuya's into Pendulum. Imagine if there were other lookalikes who used Fusion or Synchro. I wonder what their hairstyles would look like. Yuya's like a tomato and Yuto's like an eggplant."

Yuzu could probably have done without that particular mental image. That was an undeniably interesting way of putting it however. So⸺ "If Yuya's a tomato, then what am I?"

Chewing on what remained of his own ice-lolly, Judai considered it. "Raspberry?"

"Ayu?"

"Strawberry."

"Tatsuya?"

"Blueberry."

"Futoshi?"

"Potato."

"Sora?"

"Pineapple."

Suddenly, the image of Sora twitching and Yuya doubling over with laughter at the sight of the pineapple slices offered as refreshments earlier was starting to make an awful lot of sense.

Then, out of sheer curiosity, Yuzu asked about Sawatari Shingo.

"Banana peel," Judai immediately deadpanned without even the slightest bit of hesitation, and Yuzu was almost willing to bet that this was now written on the guy's face in permanent marker. Almost.

Hah. "Cowardly Hundredth-Rate Banana Peel Duellist."

Yep, Yuzu was definitely calling him that from now on, pun or no pun.

-V-

Chapter Text

-V-

In hindsight, it made a fair bit of sense that the events of said afternoon would upset certain people, and the members of the You Show Duel School had been practicing and otherwise working hard when there was an unexpected arrival – consisting of the chairwoman of the LDS, Akaba Himika, alongside three of her underlings and an ultimatum of sorts.

"If your party wins, then we'll ignore the Sawatari incident. But if we win, then we will make You Show Duel School part of the LDS."

Such had been the ultimatum presented by Akaba Himika, to the amazement and rage of those around to hear it. Gongenzaka in particular was enraged. Yuya meanwhile experienced a definite surge of discomfort and rebellion as the woman started talking about how she intended to use Pendulum Summoning.

And none of this was really Yuya’s fault, despite the claims of Sawatari and others. It was a situation stemming from a misunderstanding and a case of mistaken identity, but even knowing that, Yuya couldn’t help but feel somewhat responsible for it all.

Besides, the whole thing just sort of rubbed him the wrong way – because Duels were not meant to be used for fighting, and while Yuya’s XYZ-using counterpart might have had his reasons, but that in itself did not justify the act.

As such, Yuya sincerely hoped that Sawatari hadn’t been too injured in the incident; Yuzu and Judai hadn’t mentioned anything of the sort though, so he was probably okay. Yuya resolutely pushed the thought out of his mind though, knowing he needed to focus more on what was currently at hand: protecting You Show from the LDS. After all⸺ "My dad created You Show Duel School to teach Entertainment Duelling, because Duels are something should be enjoyed by both the duellists and the audience, and I don't want to give it up to someone who thinks they can control everyone with money and influence."

"Well said, Yuya," Gongenzaka said, putting a hand upon hiss shoulder. "This man, Gongenzaka, agrees wholeheartedly. I'll fight alongside you to defend the You Show Duel School."

"You're an outsider though, aren't you?" Sora quipped. "If this is between You Show and the LDS, then Yuya, Yuzu and I should be the ones to do it, right? I want to duel an LDS student."

Technically speaking, Sora had a point. Still⸺ "There's Judai."

Hearing this, Gongenzaka settled down somewhat, clearly recognising the validity of Yuya's argument. Sora meanwhile looked put out and somewhat irritated. "But he's not here now, is he?"

He wasn’t, but Yuya figured that he was probably somewhere in the area, and⸺

As if on cue, the door was pushed open to reveal Judai, who shot the LDS people a cursory glance before looking towards Hiragi Shuzo. "What did I miss?"

"Who are you?" Akaba Himika asked, rising to her feet while giving him a clearly assessing look.

Judai gave her a searching and then equally assessing look in return. Then, as per usual, he looked towards Yuya and the others, clearly expecting them to explain the situation.

"The LDS has issued a challenge," Yuzu readily told him, although she looked a bit pained to do so. "If we win, they say they'll leave us alone and not pursue Sawatari's accusations that Yuya attacked him. And if they win, then You Show… will become part of the LDS."

Hearing this, Judai actually frowned. Then, there was a flash of something in his eyes as he stepped further into the room, moving so that he stood solidly on the You Show side of things before turning back towards Akaba Himika.

"You know," he said. "You people have terrible double standards."

"Double standards?" the chairwoman echoed a tad haughtily. "What could you possibly be referring to?"

Judai gave Yuya a short look before returning his attention to Himika, who looked decidedly less certain about the situation than she had just moments prior.

“Well, starting off...” Judai raised a finger. "One: This isn't really about Sawatari Shingo. You're just using what happened to him as an excuse to get your hands on some Pendulum Cards. And as for Pendulum Cards, you've already got some, since that Sawatari guy stole Yuya's cards a while ago and took his friends hostage in order to force him into a Duel at the LDS Tower."

"This is a question about our school's reputation," Himika responded, equally haughty but obviously taken aback when Judai pointed at her.

"If you'd want to clear up your school’s damned reputation, then you should deal with those card-stealing, hostage-taking compulsively-lying duellists of yours first!" Judai snapped. "As for Sawatari's opponent, I was talking to Yuya on the phone when that went down, so unless you mean to say that Yuya can be in two places at once, your case is weak."

"Sawatari Shingo and his friends⸺"

"I was there," Judai snapped right back at her to the surprise and shock of several of those present to hear it. "I know what I saw, and Yuzu knows what she saw, and on top of that, there are five people here who can account for Yuya's whereabouts at the time of the events."

Saying this, he made a sweeping gesture towards Ayu and the others, and Yuya honestly couldn’t help but stare; to be startled by Judai's decidedly unusual, confrontational behaviour, and going by what he could read in the faces of the others, he wasn't the only one.

"So, you mean to say that you were present at the scene?" Akaba Himika asked at last, her voice carefully controlled.

"I just told you that," Judai retorted, withdrawing his hand in favour of sticking it into his pocket. Then he pulled out his marker and twirled it between his fingertips, evidently calmer now but still on the exasperated side of things. "I arrived at the scene, found Sawatari and his goons strewn about in lala-land and Yuzu and that XYZ guy talking. I even talked to the guy. You'd think that I'd be able to tell if I was talking to my own brother. "

Akaba Himika looked like she might have had something to say about that, but instead she turned towards Shuzo. "It seems as though your students' feelings align."

Shuzo meanwhile tore his eyes away from Judai in favour of looking at the LDS chairwoman. Then, he folded his arms across his chest, his expression determined. "Mine as well. We're not handing You Show over to you."

The woman sighed at that, though at the same time, she seemed amused. Yuya noted this only as an afterthought though as he was still a tad perplexed by the subtle but still evident hostility Judai seemed to be projecting her way.

"Well then, shall we begin?"

-V-

Minutes later, they were in the Duelling Field, with the LDS people on one side and You Show on the other.

"Three versus three. The first to get two wins is the victor. Is that acceptable for you?"

There were no objections. In fact, for the first time in minutes, Akaba Himika looked decidedly pleased. "Who wants to start?"

Sora definitely seemed keen on taking up the challenge. However, before he was able to, he was physically pushed down by Judai, who’d planted a hand firmly on top of his head. "Yuya?"

Yuya nodded, stepping up. "I will."

"Of course," Himika said, evidently condescending as she let her eyes sweep across the room, lingering briefly on Judai before finally settling on Yuya. "The rest don't seem very reliable, do they? If you want to finish this quickly, then no other choices re⸺"

Sora once again looked keen on taking the bait. But surprisingly enough, he went quiet as soon as Judai gave his hair a light tug and said: "Less evil monologue, more getting things over with. Yuya goes first, Yuzu second. If needed, I'll go third."

Again, Sora looked ready to protest this, until Judai whispered something to him that made him go quiet and mutter: "Well, I suppose."

As if once again reminded of Judai's presence, Himika turned towards him, ever condescending. "You're not a Junior Youth Class Duellist though, are you?"

Judai’s slight smile returned, then gradually morphed into a quite sharp-looking grin.

"You're the one bringing along the aces of each LDS course," he said in turn, keeping his hand solidly planted on top of Sora's head. "Consider it evening out the odds."

Normally, Yuya would've expected Sora to be indignant about having to suffer through such treatment. Whatever Judai was doing and whatever he was saying though, Sora apparently approved, going by the devious smile that quickly spread across his features.

"Sakaki Yuya,” the chairwoman said at last. “You'll be up against Shijima Hokuto of the XYZ course."

Shijima Hokuto, huh?

As expected, Tatsuya and the others over by the wall were quick on the uptake, quickly looking the guy up online. Yuya didn't quite pick up on everything they said, but Futoshi's "A winning percentage over ninety percent?!" definitely caught his attention.

Ninety‒ "Ninety percent, huh?"

Shuzo placed a hand upon Yuya’s shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze. "Ace and potential champion or not, don't let it scare you. Show him your abilities, Yuya ‒ they're burning and hot-blooded!"

Well, as much as Shuzo’s words reassured him, Yuya actually felt a bit sick right now. However, he resolutely pushed aside the anxiety, plastering a smile across his face as he turned towards Judai and asked: "Yo, got any brotherly advice for me?"

Judai on his part didn't hesitate. "Believe in yourself and in your Deck."

Hah. "And?"

"And bring that Constellation Guy back down to earth," Judai readily responded, pointing to the guy over his shoulder. "Between you and me, he looks pretty spaced out."

Between the two of them, Judai should probably be the last person to point fingers at others for being spaced out. "Only you, Judai."

"Only me." Judai grinned, this time with genuine warmth.

-V-

In the end, it didn't matter that Shuzo unwittingly ended up choosing Shijima Hokuto's favourite Action Field, Cosmic Sanctuary, because⸺

"What's done is done," Yuya said, giving Shuzo a smile and a slight wave to show that he didn't have any hard feelings about it. "And besides, facing me, he'll no doubt need every advantage he can get!"

It looked tough, sure. But Yuya had the vote of confidence, didn’t he?

Okay, he thought to himself. Let’s do this!

-V-

"He's looking quite energetic, but how long will it last?" Akaba Himika noted, earning herself quite a few glares.

"It'll last longer than your evil monologues, and that's saying something," Judai muttered under his breath, earning quite a few looks himself.

Akaba Himika in particular shot him a look of evident irritation before turning back to address her chosen champion. "Hokuto, show us your abilities."

And show them, he did.

Shijima Hokuto took the first turn and began by summoning Constellar Algiedi, using its Effect to Special Summon another Monster, Constellar Kaus. Then, he activated that Monster’s Effect in turn, allowing him to increase the Levels of the two to five before overlaying them to XYZ Summon Constellar Pleiades, narrating all the while.

"That's a whole lot of shit in a single turn," Judai noted.

The rest of the You Show crew mostly stood in in awe of what was taking place out on the Field though, with Sora being a notable exception.

"A Rank 5 2500 ATK Monster in the first turn," Sora said, unwrapping another lollypop and clicking his tongue as he pocketed the candy wrapper. "Not bad."

"Ranks? Not Levels?" Tatsuya asked.

"What? You don't know?" Sora scoffed, pulling the lollypop from his mouth. "When you XYZ Summon, you use multiple Monsters of the same Level. This allows you to Special Summon a Monster from your Extra Deck with a Rank equal to the Level of the Overlay Units."

"Overlay Units?" Ayu repeated, looking a bit lost.

"Those lights." Judai pointed them out, because even though he was certainly no expert, he knew at least that much and then some. "You use them to activate Monster Effects."

It was kind of ironic though, all things considered. Judai was just a visitor to this place, and yet, he most likely already knew more about the game and different summoning methods than most.

Then, it was finally Yuya’s turn, and Judai wasn’t entirely surprised to see him set up the Pendulum Scale with Timegazer Magician and Stargazer Magician, and to Pendulum Summoning immediately after that, adding Performapal Sword Fish and Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon to the Field.

"Odd-Eyes right off the bat, not bad."

And indeed, it wasn’t bad – the only thing that was bad was that Hokuto guy’s comments about why Yuya wasn’t XYZ Summoning. After all⸺ "How the heck is he supposed to XYZ Summon when he doesn’t have any XYZ Monsters in his Deck?"

The guy then proceeded with the trash talk, insisting that Yuya was no challenge to him and whatnot.

"That guy's annoying," Sora noted, and Judai – among others – most certainly agreed. In fact, he found himself agreeing even more as Hokuto thwarted Yuya’s attack with Odd-Eyes by using one of his Overlay Units to return Odd-Eyes to Yuya’s hand, and then intercept him as he scrambled for an Action Card. Also, there were the monologues – that guy really seemed to like hearing himself talk.

Apparently, he’d memorised everything about the Field as well, and looked entirely too smug to admit it. Judai honestly couldn’t help but comment on it, and on how the guy clearly had no life.

Beside him, Sora sniggered, then added: "Not outside the Field anyway."

Yuzu and Gongenzaka meanwhile, who had previously been discussing what was happening out in said Field, turned to glare at them somewhat angrily for making jokes in such a dire situation.

And Judai supposed that the situation might indeed be classified as dire – mildly, at least.

As for Sora, the guy seemed to think it wasn’t quite enough.

"Come on, Yuya! You've got to be more entertaining than this!"

"It's not the time for that now!" Yuya responded, returning Odd-Eyes to the Field and summoning Performapal Turn Toad in Defence Mode. "I can't afford to lose this Duel!"

Ah. "Not good."

Yuya’s nerves were clearly getting to him, which was not good.

"Such a bold duellist, showing his back to the enemy," Akaba Himika noted, looking on as Yuya mounted Odd-eyes and made another dash for an Action Card.

Hearing this, Judai narrowed his eyes slightly. "Well, you're not wrong."

"He is still losing though."

She sounded quite certain of it too, entirely unsurprised by what happened next – Hokuto detaching his remaining Overlay Unit to use Pleiades' Effect once more with calculated precision, once again returning Odd-Eyes to Yuya’s hand, sending Yuya himself plummeting off of the edge of the platform – where he just barely managed to save himself using Performapal Revival, Special Summoning Sword Fish from his graveyard.

"That guy!” Gongenzaka yelled. “That timing! He did it on purpose!"

“So dangerous!” Ayu said, while Tatsuya commented that Hokuto was willing to do anything to win.

Futoshi meanwhile called it a dirty tactic, but⸺

"It's Solid Vision, so it's more than a dirty tactic," Judai said, balling his hands into fists as he struggled against a sudden onslaught of emotion. Even Yubel was telling him to calm down, which was certainly something. Still, Judai turned towards that woman – that Akaba Himika person – and said: "So, the LDS is not only willing to resort to thievery, hostages and blackmail to accomplish their goals, but also to attempted murder?"

Ah, this was honestly too much, and Judai finally decided that he’d waited long enough.

“Akaba Reiji,” he said, addressing the silent eavesdropper around the corner. “If you don't learn to control your students or your own mother, then I'm going to start retaliating."

Out in the Field, the Duel continued to play out. Little attention was being paid to it though.

"You know me?" asked Akaba Reiji, the chairman of the LDS, stepping out from behind the corner and knocking down his hood as he spoke.

Hah. "Not personally no. And having met your people, I don't really want to get to know you either."

Yes, and that much was true. Judai only knew because Professor Daitokuji had quietly informed him of the man’s presence.

"Judai," Sora said, summoning his attention back to the Duel at hand while Yubel quietly filled him in. Apparently, Yuya had just activated the Action Card Twinkle Comet, reducing Hokuto's Monster's ATK from 2700 to 1700 and inflicting Direct Damage, dropping boy’s LP from 4000 to 3500.

Yuya’s LP dropped as well though, from 400 to 200, courtesy of Continuous Spell Card Constellar Tempest.

"This isn't good," Yuzu commented, her attention flickering in-between what was taking place in the Duel and what was taking place amongst those watching it.

Gongenzaka solemnly agreed, all while that Hokuto guy began another monologue, claiming that Yuya was going down in the next turn, no matter what.

"What do you think a Duel is?!" Futoshi shouted, and Ayu readily agreed.

The older boy then proceeded to yell at them to be quiet, declaring that a Duel was a fight, and that one couldn’t be picky about tactics.

Ah-ah. "Hundredth-rate."

"No, thousandth-rate," Yuzu said in turn before raising her voice. "Yuya! Don't you dare lose against this thousandth-rate duellist!"

Yuya in turn – looking a tad worn out and maybe a bit bruised – readily saluted them before launching right into his regular spiel. Judai found it quite reassuring that he hadn’t been too discouraged by it all.

Yes, he thought to himself. Yuya can definitely win this.

-V-

And win he had, putting the odds in You Show’s favour.

"So,” said the next opponent, one Kotsu Masumi of the Fusion Course. “Which one of you will be my opponent?"

"I will," Yuzu said, stepping up.

That Masumi girl just chuckled in response, obviously not viewing her as a challenge. Frankly, these guys and their attitudes were starting to piss Judai off. As such⸺

"Yuzu."

"What is it?"

He just motioned for her to come closer, and when she did, Judai discreetly handed her a card that made her eyes widen noticeably.

"Judai, this is⸺"

Well⸺ "It's called evening out the odds."

"But what about⸺?"

"Then next one's Synchro, so if it comes to that, this card won't be of any use," Judai quickly reassured her. "Take it. Teach her not to underestimate Entertainment Duellists."

-V-

Chapter Text

-V-

Akaba Reiji wasn’t just a man with a plan. Akaba Reiji was the man with the plan, and said plan included raising enough talented duellists so that they wouldn't be completely overrun in the upcoming battle against invading parallel dimensions.

Obviously, the aforementioned plan was not without its more recent modifications. The emergence of Pendulum Summoning had definitely evened out the odds a bit, since it definitely had the potential to give them an edge against the invading forces of Reiji’s father, Akaba Reo.

Of course, said new technique's possible connection to the missing Sakaki Yusho was a bit concerning. However, with no actual proof that the man had gone off to join the enemy camp, Reiji felt that he could probably hold onto his respect for the man for just a little longer and that he could focus more on the son for now; the supposed creator of Pendulum Summoning ‒ or was he really its creator or merely its first known user?

Pendulum Summoning had made its first public appearance in Maiami City towards the end of Sakaki Yuya's Duel with Strong Ishijima. However, that was not to say that Sakaki Yuya was necessarily its inventor.

Going by the reports from the people Reiji had sent to investigate Sakaki Yuya and Pendulum Summoning, there was another probable suspect: an older teen, taken in by the Sakaki family a few years prior, who had apparently returned to town on the very day that Yuya had pulled off his first Pendulum Summoning.

Naturally, it was indeed very possible that the timing had just been an eerie coincidence. However, with the evident increase in irregularities since Yuya's Pendulum Summoning and this Yuki Judai person's return, Reiji found himself believing that it was more of a pattern than a string of actual coincidences.

In addition, there was the curious testimony of Sawatari Shingo who had insisted that an XYZ-using Sakaki Yuya had attacked him. Looking at the readings on the city's sensors, the XYZ part had indeed been accurate. However, even though Reiji had learnt to expect a whole lot of things, Sakaki Yuya going around attacking people using XYZ certainly wasn't among them.

Something that Reiji had learnt to expect however was the fact that his mother, briefed on the situation by Nakajima, would make an attempt to use it in order to further their mutual goals – and this was exactly why Reiji had put on a hooded sweatshirt and shaded glasses before heading out. It wasn’t much in terms of a disguise, but there were not all that many people who knew what Reiji really looked like either.

For one thing, Reiji had figured that he might as well go out and monitor things in person, if for nothing else then to make sure that his mother didn't do anything that would end up sabotaging his forming plans for Sakaki Yuya and the people surrounding him.

Unfortunately, as things turned out, she probably already had.

The Duel in-between Shijima Hokuto and Sakaki Yuya had already commenced by the time Reiji arrived at the scene, and all in all, it went pretty much according to expectations, barring a few minor surprises; Yuya using his Stargazer Magician as a Monster on the Field instead of in the Pendulum Scale being one of them.

However, it was the words and the interactions of the people watching the Duel that caught the brunt of the Reiji’s interest, a few of them in particular.

One was Shiunin Sora, wearing the Obelisk Blue.

The other was Yuki Judai, wearing a jacket of a red hue that inevitably led one’s thoughts to Osiris Red.

Shiunin Sora was obviously a scout sent out by Academia who had then infiltrated You Show and the Sakaki household, presumably in order to investigate Pendulum Summoning. Then again, there was also Yuki Judai living under the same roof, wasn’t there?

Yuki Judai had first appeared in Maiami City about six months into the disappearance of Sakaki Yusho. Then, at some point, he had left town only to recently make his return from who knew where and with impeccable timing at that.

On top of that, Reiji had heard rumours that the other was some type of Fusion specialist.

According the reports though, the Fusion-using pair didn't get along particularly well. However, the interaction Reiji saw and heard definitely spoke against this, as Shiunin Sora was visibly submitting to Judai's authority, just like the rest of them.

And while the other members of You Show were evidently distraught by Hokuto's tactics, Yuki Judai saw straight past the Solid Vision and the Duel itself. Duelling with Solid Vision did come with certain risks after all, and technically speaking, intentionally putting one's opponent in danger could definitely be viewed as an attempt on their life.

Having Yuki Judai throw this into his mother's face was a novel experience in itself as far as Reiji was concerned, much like the revelation that Judai had apparently been aware of his presence all along.

Furthermore, his words were a definite warning, and with Reiji himself being addressed right off the bat, Yuki Judai obviously knew and wanted them to know that he knew who was really in charge. Yuki Judai knew him, and with recent actions taken to antagonise and endanger the members of You Show, this unknown individual was not very far from retaliating, as he himself had put it just now.

And upon meeting him face to face, Reiji immediately understood two things.

First of all, he was able to confirm what he had already been suspecting; that Yuki Judai wasn't someone that Reiji wanted as an enemy. Secondly, he realised that Judai was challenging them – or more specifically, challenging him.

In the end, Judai didn't care about this feud – this so-called Duel War – because Judai had seen actual war, and going by the look that he sent Reiji, he knew that no matter the result, the deal would be considered null and void the moment Reiji said so.

In the end though, Judai and Reiji appeared to share one particular ambition: raising talented duellists ‒ but for what purpose? And, in the offhand case that Judai really did have something to do with Pendulum Summoning, why had he attached himself to the Sakaki family? Had Yusho sent him? Had Akaba Reo?

Reiji resolved to deal with the matter at a later point in time, because there was a Duel to be played out and it featured Hiragi Yuzu, who bore an uncanny resemblance to a particular girl that Reiji had met years prior over in the Fusion dimension.

-V-

The Field Spell turned out to be Crystal Corridor, chosen by Hiragi Shuzo, and considering Kotsu Masumi’s Deck and general preferences, Reiji found this a rather favourable turn of events for the LDS, much like the Field Spell had definitely been in their favour in the previous Duel.

However, it wasn’t as though Reiji ‒ or anyone else for that matter ‒ had any serious reason to believe that Hiragi Shuzo was actively sabotaging his own students. Rather, it was the man's well-meaning but ultimately thoughtless actions that seemed to harm them the most.

"Next time, let's go with random selection," Yuki Judai commented, earning a bunch of nods in agreement.

Then, as Kotsu Masumi engaged in a few verbal punches with Hiragi Yuzu down on the Field, Reiji kept most of his own attention on the You Show part of the audience and on the taller one in red in particular.

If Yuki Judai had indeed been sent to stay with the Sakaki family by Akaba Reo or a Fusion-allied Yusho, then that probably wouldn't bode too well for Reiji's tentative plans.

After all, with Judai already exerting this kind of influence over the members of You Show, if he was indeed up to no good, then the thought that the members of You Show might end up spearheading an anti-LDS assault in the near future didn't seem all that unthinkable anymore. Still⸺

“Geez,” Judai said. "First a spaced-out Constellation Guy and now a lustre-obsessed Gem Girl? What's next? A Synchro-using Beast Guy?"

He uttered the words in seeming jest, earning himself quite a few snickers along the way. That didn’t mean that they weren’t true though, hinting at either previous research or an astonishingly sharp intuition.

In either case, Reiji would have to keep a close eye on him for now.

-V-

Kotsu Masumi started off strongly, using Gem-Knight Fusion. In short order, she had Gem-Knight Topaz (1800 ATK) on her side of the Field, something that clearly startled Hiragi Yuzu. Like most of You Show, she seemed to have little experience with Hand Fusion. She clearly knew what it was however, and was fairly impressed by Masumi managing it during her very first turn, even though the Monster’s ATK was still relatively low. Mentioning this to Masumi only got her some condescending comment though.

“You shouldn’t underestimate it,” Masumi said, setting a card. “How you deal with this Monster will decide your fate.”

Hiragi Yuzu didn’t seem to take it to heart however. Instead, she used a Spell Card to Special Summon Aria the Melodious Diva, which in turn allowed her to Special Summon another Monster, Sonata the Melodious Diva, before tributing them both to summon an even stronger Monster – Mozarta the Melodious Maestra – using its Effect to Special Summon Canon the Melodious Diva.

As far as Reiji could tell, she seemed to be using her Deck to great advantage, first destroying Topaz using Mozarta and then using Canon to inflict direct damage, reducing Masumi's LP to 1800.

Masumi wasn’t fazed though. "It looks like you've got some skill, but don't think you've won just yet."

Hiragi Yuzu in turn commented that she sounded like a sore loser, to which Masumi readily responded: "You'll understand whether I'm a sore loser or not after the next turn."

Though visibly unnerved, Hiragi Yuzu seemed determined to push onward and looked back down at her hand. Then, Reiji noticed her sending a quick glance towards them before selecting one and setting it, announcing her intentions: "I set one card, switch Canon the Melodious Diva to Defence Mode and end my turn."

Clearly, she was planning something – and Reiji was almost willing to bet that it had something to do with the card that Yuki Judai had discreetly handed her right before the Duel.

Kotsu Masumi seemed quite oblivious to this though, drawing and then smiling triumphantly at her hand before summoning Gem-Knight Alexandrite and using its Effect to Special Summon Gem-Knight Crystal.

And at 2450 ATK, Gem-Knight Crystal was a fairly formidable opponent. In terms of ATK though, that of Mozarta the Melodious Maestra was still higher. Masumi had clearly accounted for that though, activating the Trap Card Fragment Fusion to banish the Gem-Knights in her graveyard – Alexandrite, Tourmaline and Emerald – to use them as material for Fusion Summoning, which was a solid strategy in and of itself. But⸺

Hiragi Yuzu’s voice rang out, just as the Duel seemed to have turned in Masumi’s favour. "You've activated my Trap Card! Non-Fusion Area, activate!"

Non⸺ "Non-Fusion Area?!"

"Non-Fusion Area," Yuzu repeated. "When this card is in effect, neither player can Fusion Summon."

-V-

Chapter Text

-V-

As a Duel Academia agent on a covert mission to the Standard Dimension, Shiunin Sora wasn't doing too well. Because whatever he might've expected as he latched onto Sakaki Yuya and wormed his way into the Sakaki household, this definitely wasn't it and he most definitely hadn't expected there to be someone else ‒ an outsider ‒ who had apparently managed to infiltrate it already.

In short, whatever Sora might've expected and to some degree anticipated, the presence of Yuki Judai came as an intriguing but nevertheless uncanny surprise⸺

"Hey, Pineapple Head. Pass the soy sauce."

⸺No, make that an intriguing, uncanny and decidedly annoying surprise.

However, since his furious investigation into the matter had so far only turned up evidence to suggest that Yuki Judai wasn't XYZ scum, there was little that Sora could do but to lie low and plot his vengeance in ways that wouldn't necessarily include turning the other into a Duel Monsters playing card.

Now if only the guy would slip up or unknowingly make use of XYZ Summoning so that Sora would have a viable excuse to Card him; a precautionary measure in order to prevent the other from potentially blowing his cov⸺

"Hey, Pineapple Head. Soy. Sauce."

Of course, it didn't help that Yuya was doubled over in a fit of barely restrained laughter, undoubtedly at Sora’s expense.

This realisation in turn made Sora stab into his pancakes with all the more fervour, taking great pleasure slicing them into pieces while imagining that they represented Yuya's annoying older brother.

As for Yuya himself, he finally came out of it, reaching out to grab the requested item and passing it over with a smile – and as much as Sora was intrigued and wanted to be friends with him, he honestly couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed.

"You're not from around here, are you?" he asked at last, in-between bites.

Similarly in-between bites, Judai gave him a short look before refocusing on the deep-fried shrimp halfway to his mouth. "Nope."

"Travelled far?" Sora pressed on, stuffing another bite into his mouth, chewing.

"Preeeeetty far, yeah," Judai said, clicking his chopsticks together. "You?"

Sora technically wasn't supposed to answer that. Still⸺ "I'm new in town."

Brown eyes flickered briefly in his direction. Sora pretended not to notice.

-V-

Sora spent the following days gathering information, all while trying to figure out just what kind of unit the Sakaki family was.

It took absolutely minimal effort for him to ascertain that the guy posing with a much younger Yuya in the picture on the wall was Sakaki Yusho, an allegedly legendary duellist who had been missing for almost three years at this point.

A basic Internet search had confirmed it and then some; Sakaki Yuya was supposed to be an only child. And so, hiding behind a mask of childish curiosity, Sora had finally opted to ask Yoko about it.

“Well,” she said, cooking up another batch of pancakes. “My husband only has one son, but I decided I wanted two.”

Well, Sora supposed that made sense – in some sense of the word, that is. In any case, Sora now had his explanation, allowing him to shift his attention away from the merrily humming woman and back towards the picture frames on the wall. Because underneath the one with Yuya and his father, there was also one of a younger Yuya and Judai, both of them looking immensely concentrated as they were in the middle of a game of some sort, Yuya with a smaller cat on his lap and Judai wearing that tabby cat of his like a hat. "Why that guy though?"

"The more the merrier."

Well, that didn’t really answer Sora’s question. However, all things considered, it might well be as good an answer as he was ever going to get. Besides, there was another thing that was curious, and Sora quickly wandered over to take a closer look.

That guy... doesn’t look like he’s aged at all.

-V-

Yuki Judai was and still remained a definite oddity. However, despite the other’s habit of not turning up at You Show, Sora had already managed to assemble enough information to make a few hypotheses about the other’s true identity.

This was in large part due to certain members of You Show being quite eager to share information, prattling on about some Duel that Yuya had apparently had with him recently. And from this, Sora had managed to glean that Judai was allegedly some type of Fusion genius capable of defeating a Pendulum-wielding Yuya with relative ease.

Then again, considering the You Show members and their seeming lack of knowledge and experience in regards to more advanced summoning methods, Sora honestly couldn’t take their words at face value. Yuki Judai was likely strong, sure, but his exact calibre had yet to be determined, and this applied both to his skills and to his character in general.

However, from the looks of it, the renewed interference from the LDS might allow Sora to obtain new and interesting data in regards to that.

Sure, Sora was still a bit peeved about the other not allowing him the chance to pummel the LDS into the ground. However, seeing Judai tear this Akaba Himika person a new one was a novel experience in its own. And sure, the woman still remained condescending on the outside, but Sora could very much tell that on an instinctual level, she was rapidly coming to the realisation that she was facing off against a superior predator.

Of course, her instincts obviously had to be quite dull since she apparently couldn’t properly discern just how dangerous Sora was. But with the ‒ for lack of better terms ‒ killing intent Judai was releasing, Sora honestly couldn't fault her or anyone else from focusing their attention on him.

As for the members of You Show, they seemed quite taken aback by it all, confirming that this was indeed a side of Judai's personality that was previously unknown to them.

Sora certainly wasn’t put off however – no, it was rather the opposite. Besides, Judai definitely had a point; allowing the LDS to monopolise Pendulum Summoning for themselves probably wouldn't be such a great move, especially not when Sora wanted in on a piece of the action himself.

Oh sure, Sora’s mission still took priority. However, once Sora returned to Duel Academia after dealing with the XYZ scum hiding out in Standard, his superiors would undoubtedly appreciate a thorough report on this new summoning method.

As such, Sora had sufficient incentive to continue his unofficial undercover mission of tailing Yuya – and to continue gathering information on Yuki Judai, should it prove necessary to include him in some future report.

After all, the other’s true status and origin were as of yet unknown, and while the shade of his jacket obviously suggested that he might be an undercover operative himself, the amount of time he had spent with the Sakaki family left a lot of questions unanswered.

Then again, with Yuki Judai turning up in the wake of Sakaki Yusho’s disappearance, perhaps the guy had sent Judai to watch over his family in his stead, or perhaps the Professor had sent Judai out to keep an eye on the guy's family for some reason. In either case, considering the fact that Sakaki Yuya had apparently managed to create a whole new summoning method, it had obviously been a good call.

Now as for whoever had made it in the first place, Sora was still investigating it.

One thing was for sure though, and that was the fact that the LDS was not responsible, because to them, Judai was a clear obstruction.

Of course, there was also the fact that Judai didn't seem overly fazed by his alleged encounter with Yuya's XYZ-using counterpart, which pointed to him knowing about the different dimensions. Sora found the other's apparent apathy for said XYZ user a tad confusing though; XYZ users were weak and meant to be hunted after all, yet Judai mentioned talking to the guy as opposed to confronting him in a Duel.

Then again, with Hiragi Yuzu present at the scene, it was certainly possible that Judai had avoided a direct confrontation so not to make Yuzu, and by extension Yuya and the others, suspicious about his true reasons for being there.

Of course, if Judai was indeed a fairly long-term undercover agent, then there was a definite risk of him having gone native. Still, at the same time, Sora thought that his actions might indeed be quite sensible if was protect his zone of interest, alongside the position he had made for himself both in the Sakaki family and at the You Show Duel School. Because, going by what Sora had seen and heard and what he was seeing and hearing right now, Yuki Judai commanded no small amount of respect and awe from the members of You Show.

However, so far Judai had done very little to earn Sora's respect, and frankly, Sora was a bit peeved about the other not allowing him to duel the LDS, as well as the other’s means in doing so. Still, Sora knew better than to blow his cover by causing some major scene, and so, he settled for a glare.

Of course, then that chairwoman just had to speak up again, and her words quickly redirected Sora’s ire. Because the LDS had no business calling him a second-rate duellist with all the pride that they took in their measly XYZ course, and Sora was more than ready to take the bait.

Judai however was not so much for that, going by the tug on his hair.

"Less evil monologue, more getting things over with,” he said. “Yuya goes first, Yuzu second. If needed, I'll go third."

Then, to Sora, he quietly said: "They need the experience. We don't."

To Sora, it seemed as though there was even more to it though; an implied message not to show his hand before the time was right. Besides, using the high and mighty LDS and its representatives in order to strengthen their own faction made a whole lot of sense.

Of course, the chairwoman had opinions though, and kept airing them as well, seeming to argue that it wasn’t right for Judai to duel since he wasn’t classified as a Junior Youth.

"You're the one bringing along the aces of each LDS course," Judai readily countered, keeping his hand firmly planted on top of Sora's head even though it was hardly necessary now that Sora had been clued in on things. "Consider it evening out the odds."

There was terrible irony in that statement and Sora honestly couldn’t help but smile. Because the LDS actually took pride in XYZ Summoning, and XYZ users were trash and Judai's jacket was the colour of Osiris Red. In other words, evening out the odds meant giving the LDS aces opposition in the form of two relatively inexperienced students and himself, an Osiris Red, and only in case he was actually needed.

Naturally, the only one who caught the veiled insult was Sora, seeing that it took knowledge of the Duel Academia's ranking system to get the reference. Sora nevertheless took great pleasure in it, because Judai was basically telling him that the LDS representatives were unworthy opponents, which appealed to Sora very much, despite the fact that he had been incredibly bored as of late due to a decided lack of strong and focused opponents.

Like, duelling Yuya had been fun and all, but even if it was fun and reasonably interesting, that whole Entertainment Duelling skit took away a whole lot of the serious action Sora had been craving as of late.

Oh well, he’d undoubtedly have his chance – and if not, then he’d certainly make it. Besides⸺

Sora looked over at Yuya’s opponent, some guy who apparently thought that he was hot stuff just because he knew how to XYZ Summon. And Judai apparently seemed to think so as well, since Sora had definitely just overheard him telling Yuya to drag that ‘Constellation Guy’ back down to Earth.

'And stomp on him as well,' Sora mentally added to it as everyone besides those duelling made their way over to the spectator area.

-

As the Duel commenced, Sora was soon forced to educate certain You Show duellists on the mechanics of XYZ Summoning, because although XYZ was a summoning technique used by trash, the You Show crew obviously needed to know what they could eventually end up facing.

As for Yuya’s opponent, that Shijima Hokuto turned out to be just as annoying as Sora had anticipated, seriously redefining what it meant to be seriously lame.

But then that trashy duellist finally did something that proved smart but also undeniably foolish, incurring the wrath of more than just a fraction of You Show and its associates – Judai included, who although he hid it well still looked just about ready to tear someone’s throat out.

"It's Solid Vision, so it's more than a dirty tactic," Judai said, giving Akaba Himika a look that sent a slight chill down Sora's spine. "So, the LDS is not only willing to resort to thievery, hostages and blackmail to accomplish their goals, but also to attempted murder?"

Then, adding insult to the injury, Judai promptly dismissed the chairwoman altogether, addressing the LDS chairman directly instead. Because Akaba Reiji had apparently been eavesdropping on them from behind a corner for quite some time like some creeper, and Judai basically told the guy that he needed to get his rabid dogs under control or Judai would take them out – which was an exciting prospect, to say the very least.

Then of course, there was the Duel itself, where Shijima Hokuto continued his habit of engaging in evil monologues and getting into shouting matches with the You Show peanut gallery. And sure, Sora actually agreed with the core principle of doing whatever one needed to do in order to win. Of course, Sora himself would never stoop so low as to rely upon XYZ Summoning, unlike some.

Fortunately, Yuya did manage to beat the guy in the end, saving Sora the shame of being friends with someone who lost to XYZ trash.

Next up was Kotsu Masumi of the Fusion course, yet another person with a bloated ego just because she happened to know how to Fusion Summon, and not even properly at that. That said however, the things she did know obviously put her way above certain members of the You Show crew, emphasising just how correct Judai had been on the issue of them needing additional experience, because this honestly wouldn’t do.

In any case, the Duel kicked off largely according to Sora’s expectations. This didn’t mean that he wasn’t bothered though, undeniably curious as to which card Judai had handed Yuzu right before the start of the Duel.

Then, seeing Yuzu glance their way before setting a card, Sora felt a weird chill run down his spine, overcome by a strange feeling of foreboding. And then⸺

"Non-Fusion Area, activate!"

Sora's mind skidded to a temporary halt, apparently along with those of several others. "Non-Fusion Area?!"

As Yuzu explained the card and its effect, Sora’s mind was still reeling. Because really, a Trap Card that sealed Fusion Summoning?

Sora looked at Yuki Judai with new eyes, forced to re-evaluate his earlier assessment. Because that red jacket and alleged Fusion specialisation definitely pointed towards either an Academia student or⸺

It suddenly struck him, completely diverting his attention away from the Duel at hand. Oh sure, he vaguely registered that things had devolved into a mad scavenger hunt for Action Cards, but Sora was honestly far too distracted by his own thoughts to pay all that much attention.

As for the end result, Yuzu had apparently lost – not by much, granted, but a loss was still a loss.

Judai apparently didn’t seem to think so though, because he smiled when Yuzu returned and then immediately stepped up to give her a slight pat on the head, surprising her as well as others. "Don't mind it, don't mind it. We're at school, so it's all part of the learning experience, right?"

"But everyone was counting on me," Yuzu argued, still holding onto the card.

“Yeah, sure.” Judai nodded. “We were all counting on you to put up a decent fight, and man, I got chills.”

“But your card⸺”

“⸺Is just a card. You’re the one who went up against one of the LDS aces and nearly won, even without a special summoning method up your sleeve.”

“But ⸺ ”

With a mild sigh, Judai finally plucked the card from her grip, giving it a cursory glance before slipping back it into his pocket. Then he lowered himself slightly, putting them on the same eye level.

"Let me ask you one thing, Yuzu," he said. "This Duel, did you think it was exciting? To me, it looked like you had all of us on the edge of our seats right up until the very end."

"I suppose it was exciting," Yuzu managed at last. "I still lost though."

"And next time?"

What still remained of Yuzu's frustration at the loss completely dissipated at that, burnt away by renewed determination. "Next time, I'll definitely win."

"Hah!" Kotsu Masumi sneered from across the room. "As if you'd ever stand a chance, you lustreless⸺"

“Ah, honestly...” Judai snorted, immediately drawing the already flustered duellist's ire. "My best friend's huge on precious stones, so he's really the expert on that. But even an amateur like me can clearly see the difference between a diamond in the rough and a polished quartz crystal."

Going by the way Kotsu Masumi's face immediately changed, Judai had just mortally offended her. And despite having far more important things to consider, Sora found himself strangely transfixed by it all.

"You bastard! Duel me!" Masumi snarled, the other representatives trying to hold her back. "I'll show you who is the quartz!"

She looked just about ready to pounce, and it was only then that it finally occurred to Sora that the LDS also had a bunch of Fusion users that might decide to oppose Academia in the future, something that might explain Judai having that particular card in his position. Still, if that was the case, then why reveal it now? To play mind games?

Sora wondered, and a still grinning Judai looked ready to say something – potentially to agitate her even further. But then, an upbeat pop song suddenly started playing, and while the rest of them looked on, Judai quickly hauled out the Duel Disk that also doubled as his phone, checking the display before quickly taking the call. "Hey Yoko, what's up?"

There was a beat of silence. Then Judai grimaced slightly.

"Oh, nothing much, mom," he said. "We're in a bit of a Duel War with the LDS and⸺ Yeah? Uh-huh? Yeah?"

There was another pause, and Judai appeared to be too into his call to notice that everyone was now staring at him. "Wai‒wai‒wait, Pharaoh did what?"

'Pharaoh?' Tatsuya mouthed to Yuya who quickly mouthed back 'Judai's cat'.

"He bit him?" Judai said at last, pinching the bridge of his nose. "He scratched him, bit him and then chased him up a tree? And he's still up there?"

Again, there was a slight pause before Judai finally lifted his head, looking mildly exasperated. "Yeah, Pharaoh does that. He lives steadily by the principle of biting the hands that don't feed or scratch him and occasionally even the ones that do. The Professor said the same thing."

The ⸺

Judai's eyes suddenly snapped towards him, resting there briefly before moving towards the LDS faction, and out of the corner of his eye, Sora noted the definite changes in the facial expressions of the Akaba mother and son.

"Okay, okay, I'm on it," Judai said before ending the call with a sigh. Then, he quickly crossed the short distance in-between himself and Gongenzaka, put a firm hand on the guy's shoulder and said: "Gong, my man, you've got this one, right? I have to go and save some guy from my ferocious pet."

Undeniably intrigued, Sora moved to follow – but for some reason, Yuzu decided to grab him by the back of the collar, hauling him right back.

“Well,” Yuya said. “So much for being the reliable older brother.”

He was still smiling though, and soon, he gave Gongenzaka a light pat on the arm.

"Gong, we're all counting on you."

-V-

Chapter Text

-V-

Truth to be told Yuya wasn’t particularly surprised that Judai had been forced to leave right in the middle of things – because by now, he was fairly familiar with Judai and how the universe seemed to work around him at times, and a well-timed phone call was nothing all that out of the ordinary.

As for what followed however⸺

The Duel in-between Gongenzaka and that Todo Yaiba guy was still ongoing by the time the door was pushed back open, revealing a grinning Judai.

"Yo, I'm back," he announced. "And I've brought company."

At first, Yuya thought that the other might’ve been referring to the decidedly grumpy-looking cat in his arms. But then some tall guy showed up in the doorway, and Yuya honestly wasn't quite sure as to what to think.

He certainly wasn’t the only one though, judging by everyone else’s expressions as they watched Judai walk over to You Show’s side of things, trailed by the guy who looked around the room with evident curiosity.

As for the guy, Yuya immediately noticed two things; the shock of teal that was apparently the guy’s hair, and the bright blue portions of his jacket. Next, there was obviously the slight tan, the sizeable Band-Aid slapped across one of his cheeks, and the way that the guy seemed to stick fairly close to Judai, which was puzzling if the other was indeed the same guy who’d been scratched, bitten and chased up a tree by Pharaoh.

"Okay,” Judai said, in a visibly good mood. “The Duel's still on, so let's hurry up with the introductions. You Show, this is Pharaoh, and the guy in blue is Johan."

Next, he motioned to Yuya, promptly introducing him as his little brother.

"Another little brother?" The guy in blue, Johan, looked both curious and mildly exasperated at that. But he smiled when they locked eyes and offered Yuya a slight wave. "I'd shake your hand, but you know…"

Yuya understood perfectly why, because the guy's hand was all wrapped up in a handkerchief and he looked a tad pained by merely waving it around a bit.

-V-

Despite Gongenzaka's valiant efforts, the Duel ultimately ended in a draw.

As such, the end result was a win-loss-draw, which meant that they had neither won nor lost as of yet. Thus, a tiebreaker was needed, and Yuya felt a knot in his stomach at the mere thought of them losing it and as a result You Show to those guys in the LDS. However⸺

"A tiebreaker huh?" Judai mused, largely restored to his usual laidback self now.

A similarly restored Akaba Himika condescendingly suggested that the winners ‒ that is to say Yuya and that Masumi girl ‒ should duel each other next. Yuya honestly wasn't too keen on that idea though, and Masumi was even less keen on it. And then⸺

"Chairwoman,” Masumi spoke up. “Would it be possible for me to choose my own opponent?"

She seemed considerably more controlled now. However, her eyes still burned as she looked towards Judai who obviously noticed and shot a slightly wolfish grin her way.

"There are scores to settle after all."

"I don't see why not," the chairwoman commented, her condescending eyes now looking towards everyone from You Show. "Unless You Show minds, of course."

If anything, Judai's grin grew even sharper. Even that Johan guy was throwing worried glances his way now.

“Right,” Judai said. "You know that Gem Guy I mentioned earlier? He's here now. He's pretty new to Action Duels though, so I might as well show off a bit."

-

‘Show off’ turned out to be a bit of an understatement. Because after handing Pharaoh over to Yuya, Judai had proceeded to absolutely wipe the floor with his opponent, all within just three or four turns.

He could’ve undoubtedly done it in fewer though, because clearly it seemed as though he was trying to make some sort of point, showing himself capable of Fusion Summoning even with Non-Fusion Area in play.

He’d summoned Neos Wiseman, a Level 10 Monster with 3000 ATK and 3000 DEF incapable of being destroyed by any Card Effects and that, if attacked, would inflict damage equal to the attacking Monster’s ATK and boost the user’s LP by the same amount as the attacking Monster’s DEF.

It was actually a pretty terrifying card; Yuya realised as much now, and it was clear that Kotsu Masumi hadn’t stood a chance to begin with.

“You know,” Judai said, addressing a shell-shocked Masumi after the fact. “You’re actually a pretty decent duellist. But if you rely too much on one summoning method, then you'll ultimately end up meeting someone capable of sealing it, and then, it’ll most likely be game over for you."

Masumi didn’t say anything at first, and neither did anyone else. Then, frustrated anger rising anew, she demanded to know what many others were also wondering about.

"Why can you Fusion Summon even with Non-Fusion Area in play? Why can you⸺?"

“Well,” Judai said, completely unbothered. "It's called Contact Fusion, and it's something of a speciality of mine."

Yuya knew that. In fact, most of You Show technically knew that as well, having seen it in action before this, but with different Monsters. As for the rest of them though⸺

"Contact Fusion?" Sora mumbled to himself, making this really weird face. "He can Fusion Summon without a Card Effect? And he can do it even while Fusion Summoning is sealed?"

"Is that really something special?" Yuya finally asked, because⸺ "Judai can also Fusion Summon using his opponents' Monsters as material."

Numerous pairs of eyes immediately turned towards him, visibly perplexed, with one notable exception.

“Yes,” Johan softly said, bringing everyone’s attention towards himself instead. “Judai started using Contact Fusion after gaining his new Deck. As for that other thing, yeah, he sometimes does that. Still⸺"

He turned towards Judai, who was only joining the rest of them now.

“Judai,” he said, with something that might have been mild disapproval. “I'm surprised that you'd keep that card in your Deck. Did that person put you up to it?"

That person?

“Well...” Judai just shrugged mildly in response though, and when asked about it, shifted his gaze slightly off to the side and then back again. "My partner? Kind of? We are promised to one another after all."

There was a beat of silence, followed by outright bewilderment.

"⸺Judai," Yuzu said at last. "Isn't that a fiancée?"

“Uh...”

Again, Judai gave the air this weird side look, as if the spirits were saying something to him, and Johan definitely seemed to be paying attention as well, even though he was evidently discreet about it.

“Well, I suppose that would be one way of putting it,” Judai offered up at last, putting his hands inside his pockets before turning to look at the part of the room still occupied by members of the LDS. “Anyways, you lot came here to pick a fight, and well, you got one, and you lost, so basically, shoo.”

He said all of this with a smile as well, motioning for the lot to get out and not come back – which they quickly did, even though their demeanours strongly suggested that they did so vowing vengeance in their hearts.

The scarf guy Judai had identified as Akaba Reiji was nowhere to be seen though, and Yuya vaguely recalled the other leaving the room in the middle of things to take an urgent phone call and that the other hadn't returned since.

Either way, it was all the same though, because You Show had been saved.

"By the way, Yuya," Judai said, and Yuya experienced a sudden sense of foreboding. "Mom's invited Johan to stay with us. I was told to convince you."

"What?!"

-V-

Of course, Yuya should’ve known better than to be surprised. It was starting to get a bit cramped around the kitchen table though.

"Johan, try this next!"

And Yuya's mother had quickly gone from fawning over Sora to fawning over Johan, moving from one blue-haired and blue-jacketed guy to another. Not that Yuya was complaining though, at least not about anything beyond his mother's ongoing habit of picking up strays.

Besides, unlike Sora, Johan wasn't exactly using compliments to manipulate her, so that was a definite plus in Yuya's eyes. Still, being forced to house complete strangers all of a sudden was kind of⸺

"Yuya."

Sora had just snuck out, and Yuya’s mother had just dragged Judai along to the store to buy more groceries, which left Yuya alone with Johan, Pharaoh, En, Core, Kilo and Watt. In other words, Yuya was stuck at home with two cats, three dogs and a stranger who was apparently his brother's best friend. "Yeah?"

Said stranger was looking at the picture frames on the wall, and he had been doing that for a while now, just standing there in quiet contemplation.

"When did Judai first come here?” he finally asked. “Two years ago?"

Huh. "About two and a half. What about it?"

"Has he been here the whole time or⸺?"

That was a pretty strange question. Still⸺ "He initially stayed three months and then left, getting back maybe a week ago."

"Ah, it's no wonder then."

That wasn't even an explanation. "What about it?"

Johan shrugged mildly in response, and again, that wasn't really an explanation.

"Say," the guy said at last, looking back towards Yuya on the couch. "How much has Judai told you? About his past?"

Again, that was a pretty odd question. Then again, considering what Yuya had so far understood about Judai’s background⸺ "I know he went to a place called Academia on an island, that he hates being called aniki, that he once wanted to quit duelling, and that he claims to have been abducted by aliens and sent back with a new Deck⸺"

Johan actually snickered at that, prompting Yuya to ask whether it was actually true or not.

“Well,” Johan said. "That was before my time, but if Judai said that, then it's probably true. He already had the Neo-Spacians by the time we met."

Oh. "When did you meet?"

"Third year."

Yuya absentmindedly wondered whose third year Johan was referring to. In any case⸺ "If you're really his best friend, then you’d have to know what he did, right? He did mention that he’d screwed things up pretty badly and stuff."

At this, Johan's face visibly darkened, but he looked frustrated and sad rather than angry.

"Yes, I do know," he said, looking towards the picture up on the wall again. "I did play my part in it after all."

"Your part?"

"My part," Johan affirmed, stepping away from the pictures to join Yuya on the couch.

Clearly, it seemed as a bit of a sore topic, so⸺ "You don't have to tell me. It's not like I have to know or anything."

At this, Johan gave him a clearly considering look, and Yuya tried his best not to squirm. "You already know about Duel Spirits, right?"

“Yes.” Yuya nodded. "Judai told me. He also showed me."

Johan had nothing to say to that – not immediately, at any rate. Instead, they both sat there in silence for a good moment, interrupted only by Pharaoh jumping up on the couch to lie down in-between them, soon joined by Core, who jumped up to claim the lap of an initially surprised but undeniably pleased Johan.

“Well,” the other said at last, staring thoughtfully at Core while giving him a few chin scratches. “Judai’s always had a pretty strong connection to spirits. However, it wasn't until a few months into third year that we all realised just how strong it was...”

He trailed off, then moved on to scratch Core behind the ears, making the odd-eyed cat squeeze its eyes shut in obvious contentment.

Yuya meanwhile glanced off towards the nearby dog bed, where En, Kilo and Watt were all snoozing away, seemingly without a care in the world. Then finally he said: "Back at You Show, you asked Judai if that person had put him up to including Non-Fusion Area in his Deck. Who's that person?"

Technically, it probably wasn’t any of Yuya’s business. Still⸺

He turned his attention back towards Johan, only to be met by visible confusion.

"Non-Fusion Area?"

Huh? Well, if it wasn’t that one, then which⸺ Oh. "Super Polymerization?"

“Yes,” Johan said at last. “He had to pay a great price in order to get it. No, we all did.”

"All of you?"

It was an undeniably useful card – quite possibly even unique, but⸺

One after another, En, Kilo and Watt raised their heads, suddenly alert and initially quite wary. And Johan looked up as well, tensing up before relaxing and raising a hand to pet the air on his shoulder, quietly reassuring it. "Ruby, it's just Yubel."

Yubel. The Level 10 Fiend/Effect Monster that stood out like a sore thumb amongst the mainly Light- or Elemental-themed Neo-Spacians of Judai’s Deck. Difficult to destroy and capable of dealing a great deal of damage despite having no ATK or DEF. Yubel, that Judai rarely summoned except to summon his ace monster. Yubel⸺ "Who's Ruby?"

Johan looked mildly surprised at that, looking from Yuya to the space right by his shoulder and then back again.

“Ruby’s my partner,” he said at last, retrieving his Deck.

“Oh.” Yuya leaned in for a closer look at the card, which was named Ruby Carbuncle. "If this is your partner, then is Yubel⸺?"

Before Yuya had the time to finish asking, the door opened, and all the dogs rushed off to greet Yuya's mother as she entered, followed by Judai.

"We're back now,” she said, looking to be in a very good mood. “Who's up for snacks?"

-V-

That night, Yuya had trouble sleeping. As he lay there in bed and stared up into the darkened ceiling, he recalled the conversation he’d had with Judai on the day he'd duelled Sawatari, and the things Judai had said and vaguely alluded to.

Allegedly Judai had been under a whole lot of pressure and ended up doing something thought to be irreversible, but no one was really the same afterwards...

"Judai’s always had a pretty strong connection to spirits..."

“However, it wasn't until a few months into third year that we all realised just how strong it was...”

A strong connection to spirits. Someone telling Judai to put a card in his Deck; not Non-Fusion Area but Super Polymerization?

“He had to pay a great price in order to get it. No, we all did.”

A great price, paid by Judai as well as others, with no one being the same in the aftermath.

Johan, Judai's best friend, capable of seeing spirits.

The others friends that Judai had allegedly lost touch with.

"⸺A lot of stuff happened."

But why is he here? Why now?

Struck by a sudden restlessness, Yuya found himself getting out of bed to go and get a glass of water or something. However, as soon as he stepped out from his room, he spotted Judai and Johan down in the living room, talking quietly amongst themselves. In spite of the low volume though, they seemed to be engaged in an argument of sorts. However, before Yuya had the chance to slink back into his room, the pair had already spotted him.

This in turn was how Yuya, still in his pyjama, found himself joining in at the couch table with a glass of water in his hands and the novel experience of listening to what appeared to be an argument mixed with a strategy meeting in-between at least three or four participants of whom Yuya himself could only see and hear two.

"It's too dangerous," Johan intoned, pointing demonstratively into the middle of the scribble-covered paper laid out on the table. "I'm definitely against it."

"Why?" Judai asked, exchanging looks with the air.

"Why?!" Johan hissed in seeming disbelief. "We're technically not even supposed to be here, you know!"

"Well, we're here now! That’s got to mean something!"

Again, there was a slight pause. Further looks were exchanged with the air, and then Johan finally said: "I agree with Yubel on this one."

"Well,” Judai said in turn. “The Professor's on my side, so that's two against two."

The Professor, Yuya thought, vividly recalling how Sora, Akaba Himika and that Reiji guy had reacted noticeably when Judai had mentioned the guy. But⸺ "Who's that?"

Instantly, the pair visible to him snapped their attention towards him, as if only just then remembering that Yuya was still there. Then, they looked at each other.

"Oh right,” Judai said at last, scratching the back of his neck. “Coming to think of it, Professor Daitokuji was already disembodied by the time I met you, wasn't he?"

Disembodied? "A ghost?!"

"Shhhh!"

As it turned out, Professor Daitokuji was the disembodied spirit of Judai's late alchemy teacher who had died and gotten his soul eaten by his pet cat Pharaoh – which was an outlandish tale, sure, but by no means on par with that whole getting abducted by aliens bit. Then again, in Judai’s life, perhaps dealing with such things was just normal – a day like any other.

“Okay.” Deep breaths. Focus. “So, what’s really going on here?”

Yuya asked, because something obviously had to have happened. However, in hindsight, some part of him definitely wished that he hadn’t. Because after they – or mainly Judai – had finished explaining and discussing various theories about the state of things, Yuya’s own response consisted of a surprisingly quiet and controlled: "You can't be serious."

They both made faces at that – Judai smiling apologetically but also not so apologetically, while Johan in turn made a definite grimace at the air.

“Yubel,” Judai said, quirking an eyebrow as he shifted his own attention to the same spot. “We’ve talked about this, remember?”

"What did Yubel say?" Yuya asked in turn, temporarily putting the matter about alternate dimensions aside for more imminent concerns.

“Well,” Judai said. "Yubel's basically asking Johan to grow a backbone and to drag me back home before the storm hits."

Huh?

"She's right though," Johan said. "We're not supposed to be here."

"Well, we're not the only ones,” Judai said in turn. “Besides, I got here first."

The storm? Not the only ones? "You mean that Sora's⸺? And that Yuto guy too?!"

“Probably yeah. There’s more though.”

"More?!"

“Yeah,” Judai began. “Long story short, there are at least two factions here besides us who're not supposed to be here; another Academia and an XYZ faction."

"XYZ faction? Another Academia?"

"Eh, simply put, it's complicated. Johan?"

“Honestly...” Johan sighed, folding his arms across his chest. "I've been in this world for like two weeks, and I don't have Yubel's abilities at my disposal."

"Right," Judai said, smiling a tad sheepishly before leaning closer to Yuya, lowering his voice to a slightly conspiratorial whisper. "You remember that Scarf Guy getting a call right in the middle of my Duel with Gem Girl and him leaving, right? The Professor was kind enough to follow him and to listen in on the call."

Oh. "Then the LDS is⸺?"

"The XYZ faction seems to have it in for the LDS, and the LDS has been monitoring the whole city for energy fluctuations since some LDS guys got hit by an unknown XYZ user."

Huh. "Got hit?"

"Well…" Judai exchanged a slight look with the air, just in another spot this time around. "Professor Daitokuji's exact words were 'turned into cards'."

Wha⸺ "Turned into what?!"

"Turned into cards," Judai reaffirmed, eerily calm. "I mean, this sort of thing isn’t exactly unheard of where we come from, but... going by what I heard, this isn't just a question of people stealing other people's souls and sealing them into cards but a question of them literally turning people into cards."

Again, Yuya was painfully reminded that Judai's past experiences had made his definition of what was to be expected severely skewered at best. Because normally⸺

"Normally, you can't do something like that without something like a Millennium Item," Johan said, appearing quite grim. "Normal duellists definitely shouldn't be able to⸺"

Normal. Yuya dimly wondered if duellists from parallel dimensions still fell into the definition of normal in their eyes.

"Yeah,” Judai said in turn. “But normal people can't exactly materialise Duel Spirits either, and we could all do that back in the Dark World."

Well, Yuya had definitely had enough surprises for now. As such, he wasn’t going to ask about what the Dark World meant, because the name alone and the looks that Judai and Johan exchanged said more than enough about the place. But⸺ "Could the attacker be that Yuto guy that you and Yuzu ran into?"

Judai shook his head. "Probably not. From what I got, Yuto only attacked Sawatari because he thought that Sawatari was going to harm Yuzu. In other words⸺"

"There are more of them," Johan hissed, slapping his own forehead in exasperation. "And you've got the stupid idea to get in touch."

"What?" Judai shot him a pointed look. "They've got the means to travel in-between dimensions and can turn people into cards. Obviously, I'm interested."

That wasn’t what Yuya would call a standard reaction. Judai was still Judai however, and Judai wasn’t exactly normal by normal people's standards. Heck, even amongst those not considered normal, Judai seemed to be an oddity of his own. Also⸺

"It's too dangerous, Judai," Johan said. "If you get yourself carded, we're all screwed."

“Well,” Judai intoned in turn, smile turning decidedly sharp. "Who says they get to card me? See, Yubel agrees with me."

At this, Johan gave the air a brief look before averting his eyes with a sigh. "Honestly, if O'Brien were here⸺"

Yuya had no idea who that was. But considering how Judai's smile went out one moment only to return with full force in the next, there was definitely some history there.

"Well,” Judai said next. “O'Brien's not here now, so let's do what O'Brien would do if he got himself stuck in this kind of situation."

At this, Johan looked even more exasperated. "Go head-to-head with the Supreme King, you mean?”

“Yup.”

“Definitely not.”

Confused, Yuya filed the names away for later as downed what still remained in his glass before moving to rise. After all⸺ "I've got school in the morning. Will you be here then, Judai-aniki?"

"Well yeah, I did promise that I'd to stay in town, didn’t I? Besides, eating together is more fun than eating alone, so we'll probably be here for breakfast as well."

Probably, huh? "What about Sora?"

“Well...” Judai gave the air beside him a slight look and then looked back at Yuya, his expression friendly but more thoughtful now.

"If possible, then I'd like to keep the stuff discussed here between us. Basically, the fewer people who know the better at this stage. As for Sora, the guy will probably tag Johan and I as connected to Academia, which technically isn't wrong. Rather, it's convenient for us if he thinks that for now ‒ he along with others. Because it's exactly as Johan says – we're not actually supposed to be here."

Well, Yuya wasn’t entirely sure what he meant by that. Still, he wasn’t incapable of keeping a secret, especially about something as outlandish as this. Still⸺ "Promise me three things.”

“One.” He raised a finger. “You won’t lie to me.”

“Two.” He raised another. “You won’t suddenly disappear again.”

“And three.” He held up a third. “You'll teach me how to Fusion Summon."

"Deal." Judai didn't hesitate – not even in the slightest.

Johan meanwhile gave Judai a definite look. "Judai, you⸺"

"It's not really our world, I know," Judai said, offering him a somewhat dismissive wave. "But this is still my brother's world and family’s got to stick together, right?"

Johan didn’t seem entirely pleased by this. However, at the same time, it didn’t take long for him to relent, offering up a mild shrug as he said: "I guess I do owe Mrs. Sakaki for taking you in. Besides, she makes excellent food."

“Well,” Judai began. "If you like her food, then you should definitely taste her panca⸺"

"My pancakes!" Yuya hissed at them both before finally retreating back to his room and going back to bed where he eventually dozed off, still wondering what it was with these dimensional drifters and his mother’s pancakes. After all, Judai didn't even⸺

"I should've made him promise to stay away from the pancakes," Yuya muttered to himself, largely unheard save for Core, who lazily cracked his heterochromatic eyes open and then squeezed them back shut.

-V-

Chapter Text

-V-

The world had gone to Hell on a Sunday. Truth to be told though, it had started its downward spiral long before that.

"Still nothing?" Johan asked, looking from the dry landscape to his companion, who stood there frowning down at a particular device.

“I’m picking up on some fluctuations, but nothing outside the normal range,” O’Brien said. "How about the spirits?"

"Ruby says that we should go to the geoglyphs."

"Glyphs?" O'Brien checked his GPS. "Cook and Manjoume investigated the area about six months ago, and there haven't been any strange shifts since. Besides, before that, Muto⸺"

"O'Brien."

They exchanged a look, both of them weary.

The climate didn't bother O'Brien too much, but Johan truthfully wasn't adapting too well, having just flown in from a wintry Trondheim to meet up with O’Brien in Peru, the man having arrived about a week prior and already scouted out a few locations. By now, it was practically becoming routine however, seeing that they had done this on and off for over two years now, investigating unusual rift activity.

The world had after all only gone to Hell on a Sunday, and the events leading up to it had taken place on a Tuesday.

Even now, Johan remembered it well enough. He’d just had a Duel scheduled in the Nordic pro duelling circuit, and only just returned to his apartment when he’d been so suddenly overcome by a feeling that something had gone terribly wrong. And going by the reactions of the Gem Beasts, they had definitely felt it as well, perhaps even more keenly than he had.

And then, hours later, that phone call.

"Judai's gone. He's no longer in this world."

Judai just up and vanishing with barely a trace had already been bad enough; it was like the Dark World incident except in reverse, leaving a very bad aftertaste in Johan's mouth. Besides, it wasn’t just the fact that Johan’s best friend had gone missing. Because without the Supreme King's stabilising influence, the worlds were once again growing unstable. The balance had been broken, and they all had to deal with the consequences of that.

Of course, nothing truly major had happened as of yet, but among those in the know, more than a few were holding their breath. Because it wasn’t a matter of if anymore; it was a matter of when.

Standing atop the foothills overlooking the Nazca Lines, Johan found himself overlooking the place identified to have been Yuki Judai's last known location – in this world, at any rate.

"Over there." O'Brien pointed to a spot close to one of the geoglyphs. "Back when I first got here, there were still impressions left on the soil, but mostly just residue. The readings I took then were higher than the ones that Jim and the others got, and there haven't been any physical tremors either."

So, this was either the calm following a storm or the calm right before one.

Approximately two years and six months prior, Johan had for the first time spoken to the King of Games at any length. Because, hours after Johan had first experienced that sickening feeling, he had received a direct call from the King himself and about Judai at that.

"Judai's gone. He's no longer in this world."

"And we don't know where, so we could use more people in tune with the spirits."

Naturally, Johan had decided to pretty much drop everything and pitch in to help, getting partnered up with O’Brien, who handled the technological aspect of things.

A handful of other Duel Academia alumni had also pitched in to help out. As a whole however, the issue had largely been kept under wraps. Even now, years after the fact, only select individuals connected to Industrial Illusions and Kaiba Corporation had been clued in on Judai's disappearance and of the increased instability of the dimensional rifts.

Manjoume, now a successful professional duellist and company executive, had concluded his part in the search with the visit to the Nazca plateau about six months prior, claiming that he only had so much time to waste on an idiot like Judai, who would probably turn up any day now, wondering what they were all freaking out about.

In a way, Johan supposed that Manjoume had a point, and he also wished that would be the case. However⸺

"Johan?"

Manjoume had reported nothing out of the ordinary after his visit to the location, and Jim Cook hadn't picked up anything particularly noteworthy either. That had been six months ago though, and now, standing atop the foothills overlooking them, Johan wondered if they had either missed out on something big or if the change had begun and escalated at some point in-between then and now.

Because to Johan’s eyes, the geoglyphs quickly began to change – becoming outlined with ominously glowing purple – and one obviously didn’t have to be particularly in tune with the spirits to know that this probably wasn’t a good thing. And with the way the sweat on Johan’s face and neck immediately turned cold and O’Brien’s measuring device emitting a strange noise before short-circuiting altogether, there was honestly little doubt about it.

"We should go." O’Brien said, struggling to make contact with his employer while physically dragging Johan back towards the jeep. "This place is dangerous."

Of course, it was dangerous. But it was been more than two years and unlike Manjoume, Johan wasn't quite ready to simply call it a day and hope that Judai would somehow find his way back on his own. After all, the last time Judai was lost and left to his own devices, the world had nearly been destroyed.

Of course, this time around, Judai had Yubel, the Neo-Spacians and the Elemental Heroes, and presumably also Pharaoh and the spirit of Professor Daitokuji accompanying him. Still⸺

As the ground began shaking and Ruby suddenly materialised beside him, Johan knew what to do. And with Ruby's abrupt manifestation and the visible escalation of the situation, Johan finally had the lapse in attention that he needed to pull himself free and set off downhill, which was difficult in itself because of the tremors.

Cursing, O’Brien quickly moved to follow. But Johan already had his Duel Disk out and slammed his Deck into it. What he had been planning on doing wasn't normally possible with the rules in play, but in this kind of situation, did rules even⸺

"Johan!"

Card already in hand, Johan snapped his head back around to look at O'Brien where he stood, looking surprisingly steady on the somewhat rocky incline with his earpiece in place.

"Industrial Illusions and KC will be tracking your signal, but you'll probably have to find a way back on your own! And make sure to bring Judai back with you! He's got an awful sense of direction!"

Johan probably shouldn't be making promises, but he did anyway. "I will!"

These were the last words they exchanged, but hopefully not the last words they would ever exchange.

And then, next thing he knew, Johan had been awoken by the incessant calls of Ruby and the other Gem Beasts, with the feeling of rocks and sand against his face.

He’d also found himself in Peru, albeit not in the same Peru that he had left behind. And while Johan had still had his family with him, his family being the Gem Beasts, he’d only really had his Deck, Duel Disk, passport, a tiny bit of cash and the clothes on his back.

Thankfully, he hadn’t landed all that far off from civilisation, and a visit to the local library had quickly allowed him to find out more about where he had just ended up.

And, having already been informed that this place felt different, Johan had not been overly shocked to learn that Duel Academia did not exist in this place – and neither did Northern Academy or any other branch for that matter.

A great number of Duel Schools did exist however – no Duel Academia though, which would've been a good place to start looking.

Looking up names hadn’t proven particularly useful either though, and so, Johan had opted to look up duelling instead, seeing that duelling did seem like a good place to start whenever Judai was involved.

-V-

Apparently, the LDS filled the role of both Industrial Illusions and Kaiba Corporation of this world, with its branches spreading way beyond its roots in some place called Maiami City in Japan.

And Johan was quite glad that he’d decided to look the place up, seeing that it had unearthed a bunch of articles about some mysterious new summoning method created by one Sakaki Yuya, the teenage son of some now missing pioneer of the Action Duels that seemed so popular in these parts.

Looking up that Sakaki Yusho in turn had unearthed that the man’s disappearance was just six months off from Judai’s own – which obviously didn’t have to mean anything. However, with no other leads at hand, Johan had decided to give it a shot.

Getting there wouldn’t necessarily be easy though. Oh sure, if Johan contacted the LDS and explained his circumstances, they might well be able to help him out. Johan obviously wouldn’t do that though, because for now, he knew entirely too little about them and their motives, and what they might do to an interloper from some alternate dimension or timeline.

So, seated in that library, Johan had contemplated his options, recalling the conversation he’d had with Muto Yugi all those months ago. Allegedly, Winged Kuriboh had told the other that Judai was in the future rather than in the past, and Yugi had said, half-jokingly and half-sincerely, that with Judai’s habit of straying into alternate dimensions, time slips seemed like the next natural step.

Getting caught up in time slips was hardly the next natural step to anything, but because it was Judai, Johan had opted to rest his case. Also, if Winged Kuriboh had said that Judai was in the future, then Judai was probably in the future, and if it was the same future and the same dimension as the one Johan was currently in, then that would definitely make Johan’s job finding a whole lot easier. Still⸺

Had O’Brien been dragged into things as well, or had he made it out safely and returned to Industrial Illusions?

It was certainly worth considering it, and so Johan had, right up until he concluded that O’Brien likely wouldn’t find it too difficult to survive in a foreign environment, given his wide range of skills. Now Johan meanwhile⸺

He’d managed, but it certainly hadn’t been all that easy. It had after all taken a whole lot of convincing, a fair amount of hitchhiking and a heavy reliance upon his alleged powers as a medium.

Besides, as luck would have it, Johan had also managed to run into a local tour guide who could recall seeing a young man matching Judai’s description talking to some old lady some months back. Allegedly, the woman had mentioned being from Miami, to which Judai had in turn commented that he was from there as well – but rather from Maiami City, Japan.

And sure, Amethyst Cat might’ve said something scathingly about Judai's sense of humour and about what an amazing coincidence it was at the time. But Johan for one had been deeply thankful, because if the young man in question was indeed Judai, then this amazing coincidence had just made Johan’s life a whole lot easier.

Still, touching down in Japan and making his way over to Maiami City, Johan had quickly found that the city was very, very large, and that there were enough Duel Schools to leave Johan winded at the mere thought of investigating them all – because Judai was probably in one after all, or had likely been involved with one at some point, meaning that there were likely people out there who knew or at the very least recognised him – and obviously spirits as well.

The task was still a bit daunting though, so Johan had settled for the next best thing - parking himself on a park bench and asking Ruby to keep an eye out, while he himself kept an eye out for any spirits.

What Johan had ultimately found was not a spirit though ‒ well, at least not in the sense that he had anticipated. What he had found was actually a spirit orb that was soon thereafter devoured by a leaping tabby cat that looked all too familiar. "Pharaoh?!"

Because it obviously had to be Pharaoh, as there couldn’t be that many other soul-eating tabby cats in the universe ‒ past, present or future.

There’d been no sign of Judai though, but with Pharaoh there, he likely wasn’t too far off. As such⸺

One thing had ultimately led to another, and to Johan getting scratched, bitten and chased up a tree – which was not a terribly dignified position to be in. However, Johan was much keener on keeping his limbs and digits intact than his dignity, and so⸺

This was how Judai eventually found him, having been summoned there by some blonde lady out walking three dogs.

“You know,” Judai said, picking up a hissing and ominously growling tabby. “I don’t think he recognises you anymore, Johan.”

Well, to be perfectly honest, Johan wasn’t entirely too sure about that. He obviously wasn’t about to question it either – because Judai looked about as happy to see Johan as Johan was to see him, although his grin did turn slightly strained as the displeased feline dug its claws in all the more firmly into his shoulder.

He looked largely the same though – the same as Johan had last seen him at any rate, in a somewhat grainy video call many months – and at this point years – prior. The changes to his appearance were minute; the clothes were new and there was a trace of weariness to him, yes, but other than that, it was all the same. Frankly, it was eerie but not all that surprising.

"I'm sure we can get reacquainted," Johan said at last, sliding down from the tree now that Pharaoh was no longer out to get him. "Judai, you're pretty damn difficult to find, you know that?"

Judai smiled sheepishly at that, which was familiar and definitely a good sign. Something that was not familiar however was the blonde lady with the dogs, who had been following their exchange with keen interest.

"So,” Judai said at last. “He scratched you, bit you and chased you up a tree?"

Johan just held up his hand in response, because although the scratches to his face were fairly minor, but his hand was still bleeding.

"Oh my," the blonde lady gasped, stepping closer.

The dogs were obviously curious as well, yet at the same time decidedly keen on greeting Judai while their owner ‒ or at the very least their walker ‒ turned over the leashes to him before reaching into her handbag with a gentle "Honey, why don't you introduce your friend?"

Honey?

"Okay, Yoko⸺"

"Mom," the woman intoned, pulling out a handkerchief.

Judai's grin turned even more sheepish.

"⸺Mom,” he then said, giving Johan a slight nod. “This is Johan. And Johan, this here is Sakaki Yoko.”

Ah.

Temporarily at a loss as to what to do and how to respond, Johan allowed the woman to clean and wrap his hand, then looked towards Yubel, who promptly ignored his quiet plea for an explanation.

"Ah, nice to meet you." He smiled somewhat nervously at the woman, who was now checking to see if the makeshift bandage was tight enough. "I'm Johan."

"Charmed," Sakaki Yoko responded, positively beaming at him and still holding onto his hand in a weird handshake. Then, still not relinquishing her grip, she turned to a still sheepish-looking Judai and commented: "Judai, you've never told me you've got such handsome friends."

Judai in turn returned the smile. Then, the moment the woman turned her back towards him, Judai gestured that he was sorry, but only a little. In any case, Johan would very much like his hand back.

"Johan,” Yoko said, already pulling out a sizeable Band-Aid. “Have you found a place to stay yet? Would you like to come and stay with us?"

Again, Johan looked for guidance on how to deal with the situation, and thankfully, this time around, Judai actually cleared his throat, bringing the woman's attention back to himself.

"Mom,” he said. “I think Yuya would do terrible things to me if I'd let you take in another stray."

At this, Sakaki Yoko pouted before finally letting go, allowing Johan to reclaim his now bandaged hand.

"Well then, son,” she said next. “I guess you'll just have to convince Yuya then."

"Or else what?" Judai challenged, handing back the leashes.

"Or else no deep-fried shrimp."

Judai actually sighed at that. "I shouldn't have asked."

He recovered fairly quickly though.

"Well anyways,” he said, turning back to Johan. “Got any requests for dinner? I'm sure Mom would be delighted to cook up anything you want."

Johan looked from one to the other; he even tried looking at Yubel, only for the spirit to turn away, once more.

"Well…" Sakaki Yoko seemed to be considering the matter. "Only if you reveal all of Judai's embarrassing secrets," she decided at last, giving Johan a slight wink as Judai, still holding Pharaoh, moved to put himself in-between them.

"Yeah no,” Judai said, physically grabbing him by the arm. “Sorry Mom, but we've got to get back to the Duel War with the LDS now."

"Make sure you get home in time for dinner," the woman called after them.

-V-

"So,” Johan asked, once they were safely out of earshot. “What’s going on? What's this Duel War? And the LDS?"

"Really Johan?" Judai shot him a look. "How long have you been in town?"

Well⸺ "About three hours, give or take." It was actually less than that.

"And how long⸺?"

No further elaboration was needed. "Roughly two weeks."

Judai frowned slightly at that. "That's weird."

"There have been dimensional disturbances all around, so it's no wonder," Yubel commented.

Well, there was obviously that, but⸺ 

"So," Judai said at last, giving Johan another look as they walked. "Not that I’m not happy to see you or anything, but... what are you doing here anyway, Johan?"

That... was a decidedly stupid question. "I'm here to find you, obviously."

“Well... now you've found me. What’s next?"

Again, that was a very stupid question. Johan was itching to grab Judai by the shoulders and shake some sense into him, but Pharaoh was there and for now, Johan would very much like to play it safe, taking out his frustration verbally as opposed to physically.

"Judai, do you have any idea about just how worried everyone's been? It's been close to three years, Judai, three years. You skipped out on the graduation party and left, but since you're you so it took a while before we figured out that you hadn't just gone off and forgotten about the time." Technically, it had taken Johan less than twenty-four hours, but for the ones that hadn't gotten a call from Muto Yugi himself, it had obviously taken much longer.

"I did call you though?"

Johan shot him a pointed look, and Judai finally averted his eyes, dropping the cheerful façade, for the most part.

"So," he said at last. "What tipped you off exactly?"

"The King contacted me."

"The King?" For a brief moment, Judai looked decidedly puzzled. "Ah, him."

Judai's obvious detachment was more than just a bit concerning, but this was Judai and he had a tendency to be decidedly casual about a whole lot of things. Besides, if Judai had indeed been in this place for as long as Johan suspected, then him detaching himself emotionally from the memories of his own time was a very probable defence mechanism. Still⸺ "He's told me all about your little untimely misadventure. You never did properly explain that deal over in Venice."

“Well...” Judai shrugged mildly at that, with the cat on his shoulder and everything. "You never did explain how that Paradox guy got hold of your ace card either."

That was actually a fair point, and Johan was not late to admit it. Still⸺

"Paradox must've wrecked something," Judai mused out loud, picking up his pace. "I hadn't even been back for a month before I ended up here."

“Just out of the blue?”

"Well, not exactly?"

Right, that was probably good, because then the stories still aligned.

"Okay, look,” Johan said, lengthening his stride in order to keep up. “I talked to the King. You gave him Winged Kuriboh, remember?"

“Yeah sure. That card was originally his anyway. Besides, Winged Kuriboh's abilities are dimensional."

"Yeah, exactly,” Johan said. “That's why you should've kept him with you. Of course, if you had, then it would've taken us a whole lot longer to track you down." Or even figure out that he was missing in the first place.

“Hah.” Judai actually snickered at that. "You call this tracking me down? To me, it sounds more like you got down to investigating dimensional rifts and ended up here the same way I did."

Judai had a point. Still⸺ "I was only out there because I was looking for you. And now...”

Again, Judai shot him this look, like he was not completely sure as to what to make of him.

"We'll talk later," he then said, nodding in direction of the building just ahead of them. "I've got to show you what I've been up to as of late."

-V-

Chapter Text

-V-

All things considered, Johan knew that he shouldn’t have been overly surprised by the fact that Judai’s adoptive little brother was indeed none other than Sakaki Yuya, the inventor of Pendulum Summoning. Rather, that was one of the least surprising aspects of it all.

"Another little brother?" he said, smiling in spite of that weird feeling that had been churning in his gut ever since he’d entered the building. "I'd shake your hand, but you know…"

He offered up a slight wave, wincing slightly as his hand ached. The wound honestly wasn’t that deep, but the pain helped him hide the true extent of his bewilderment.

As for the ongoing Action Duel, a lot of it more or less passed over Johan's head, with Synchro Summoning and Action Cards and whatnot, and by the time it finally came to a close, Johan was still not over his initial impression.

As for Sakaki Yuya, the boy looked tense, and Johan now very much understood why, having received a rudimentary explanation of the situation from Yubel. Still⸺

Out of the corner of his eye, Johan took in the people from the LDS as the matter of a tiebreaker was brought up, and the winner of the first Duel – one Kotsu Masumi – requested to settle some sort of score. And given the way Judai’s grin immediately turned sharp, Johan had no doubt about the other’s involvement.

Now, as for the rest⸺

Apparently, Judai must’ve brought him up at some point, and now, Judai was talking about showing off and whatnot. The look on Judai’s face did not bode very well for his opponent however, as it was not only mischievous but had a definite edge to it.

"What did they do, the LDS?" Johan asked quietly, partially to those closest and partially to the spirit orb of Professor Daitokuji as it floated close to the ceiling, keeping well out of reach of Pharaoh.

The members of You Show all offered up similar explanations, giving Johan a general idea as to what had happened and what had resulted from it. He still looked towards Professor Daitokuji's though, hoping for the man’s input.

"Yuya's opponent deliberately tried to injure him in order to win," the spirit quickly responded, which did explain some things but not others, such as why⸺ "The LDS has had it in for You Show ever since Yuya invented Pendulum Summoning. Earlier, they took his friends hostage in order to force him into a Duel."

Ah. "It's no wonder then."

Because yeah, that would explain a lot. It certainly explained the use of Neos Wiseman. It didn't explain why Judai was playing with Non-Fusion Area in his Deck though.

As for the Duel, while it was definitely on the ruthless side of things, it was not completely devoid of Judai's regular goodwill. Simply put, it was a demonstration of power and that was definitely a foreign thing as far as Johan's impression of Judai went. However⸺

They hadn’t actually seen each other in years, and pretty sporadically even in the time before that. As such, it wasn’t an outlandish thought that there might’ve been some changes. Besides, it wasn’t as though Judai wasn’t incapable of being ruthless, as the events in the Dark World had shown. And perhaps the LDS repeatedly harassing Yuya had triggered something in him, making this Judai's way of telling them to back off?

In any case, the guy calling the shots had left the scene midway through the second turn to take an urgent phone call, and hadn’t returned since – and Johan probably wouldn’t have paid much attention to it, had he not seen Professor Daitokuji’s spirit orb darting off to follow. Also⸺

"Contact Fusion?" Johan's attention darted to the blue-clad, spiky-haired boy standing a bit to Yuya's left. "He can Fusion Summon without a Card Effect? And he can do it even while Fusion Summoning is sealed?"

Duel Academia. Johan immediately caught himself thinking it, probably because of the jacket. Because the latter was blue, much like Johan's own jacket was part blue, but unlike the cut of Johan's own jacket, the boy’s attire definitely looked like a uniform of some sort, and the first thing that came to Johan's mind was Duel Academia and Obelisk Blue.

"Is that really something special?" Yuya asked, drawing attention to himself. "Because Judai can also Fusion Summon using his opponents' Monsters as material."

Ah.

“Yes,” Johan said, drawing attention towards himself before Yuya could unwittingly reveal more about Super Polymerization. Instead, he calmly commented that Judai had started using Contact Fusion after gaining his new Deck, and that sure, he did do that other thing sometimes. But⸺

Turning towards Judai, who was only rejoining them just now, Johan honestly couldn’t help but ask if Yubel had put him up to it – though obviously without naming names, since he wasn’t an idiot or anything – and while Judai didn’t exactly give him a straight answer, questions about the identity of ‘that person’ and Judai’s relationship with them quickly diverted the conversation into territory of a different sort.

“Well...” Judai exchanged a look with Yubel. "My partner? Kind of? We are promised to one another after all."

They were essentially joined at the hip, only on the soul level of things. It was not like the others knew about that though. Still, the thought of Yubel being Judai's fiancée had Johan sneaking another look at the pair, realising that yes, Yubel was indeed flustered.

And despite knowing that Yubel was now free of the twisting influence of the Light of Destruction, Johan could not help but find it all just a tad outlandish. It was still better than what had been before – that much was for sure.

“Well, I suppose that would be one way of putting it,” Judai just said, and yeah, that would definitely be one way of putting it.

“Anyways,” he said next, turning towards the remaining delegation from the LDS. “You lot came here to pick a fight, and well, you got one, and you lost, so basically, shoo.”

He even said it with not just a smile but a shooing motion as well, which wasn’t particularly diplomatic even if it did seem to have the desired result. And then⸺

"By the way, Yuya," Judai said. "Mom's invited Johan to stay with us. I was told to convince you."

The other’s reaction was, predictably, one of dismay.

-V-

In any case, this was ultimately how Johan had found himself seated at the Sakaki kitchen table, sampling all kinds of things. Truth to be told, it was a bit overwhelming, but as usual, Judai appeared to be taking things in stride, like the fact that that Sora kid was putting chocolate sauce on everything.

On the other hand, putting chocolate sauce on everything wasn't on par with being from another dimension or another timeline altogether, was it?

-V-

“Yuya.”

“Yeah?”

After eating, Sora had left. As had Judai and Yoko, leaving Johan alone with a fourteen-year-old Sakaki Yuya, three dogs and two cats, seeing that Professor Daitokuji had once again been devoured, leaving Johan without much desired elaboration on just how this whole arrangement had come to be.

In the meantime, Johan was stuck looking for contextual clues, and a good place to start seemed to be the framed photographs hanging on a nearby wall. "When did Judai first come here? Two years ago?"

"About two and a half. What about it?"

Two and a half sounded just about right, taking what Johan knew into account. Still⸺ "Has he been here the whole time or⸺?"

"He initially stayed three months and then left, getting back maybe a week ago."

Ah. “It’s no wonder then.”

"What about it?"

Johan honestly didn’t have a good answer to that – or rather, he did, but it wasn’t necessarily one he felt like he should share. For one thing, Johan wasn't entirely sure about how much Yuya already knew, if anything, so⸺ "How much has Judai told you? About his past?"

“Well,” Yuya said at last. "I know he went to a place called Academia on an island, that he hates being called aniki, that he once wanted to quit duelling, and that he claims to have been abducted by aliens and sent back with a new Deck⸺"

Ah. In other words, Judai had essentially told the other just about everything besides the fact that he was a time traveller and probably from an alternate dimension. Typical Judai.

“Say,” the boy said next, giving him a definite look. “That whole alien thing...”

“Well,” Johan said in turn. "That was before my time, but if Judai said that, then it's probably true. He already had the Neo-Spacians by the time we met."

"When did you meet?"

"Third year." Such a long time ago – it practically felt like an eternity ago at this point.

“Hey,” Yuya said. "If you're really his best friend, then you’d have to know what he did, right? He did mention that he’d screwed things up pretty badly and stuff."

"Yes, I do know." In fact, Johan knew far too well, having played his own part in it.

"Your part?"

"My part," Johan affirmed, stepping away from the pictures to join the other on the couch.

The boy hesitated, clearly interested in learning more while also wary of pushing his luck too far. Johan honestly couldn’t blame him though.

"You don't have to tell me,” Yuya said at last. “It's not like I have to know or anything..."

He trailed off, then looked visibly uncomfortable as Johan carefully considered him – and while it was rude to stare, Johan also recognised this as an opportunity of sorts. Because something had been nagging him for quite a while now, and now that Judai’s presence was a whole lot fainter, Johan experienced it all the more keenly.

"You already know about Duel Spirits, right?" he said at last, trying to make sense of that strange underlying current of danger. It was very faint though, and had it not been for Johan's own connection to the spirits, then he would’ve probably never picked up on it the same way that the Gem Beasts obviously had.

“Yes.” Yuya nodded. "Judai told me. He also showed me."

Well, Johan wasn’t overly surprised by that – in fact, he was all the more surprised when Pharaoh suddenly decided to join them on the cough alongside some other cat, which quickly laid claim to Johan’s lap, either ignorant of or actively ignoring Ruby, who made a slightly irritated noise but still refused to move from her perch on Johan’s shoulder.

“Well,” Johan said at last. “Judai’s always had a pretty strong connection to spirits. However, it wasn't until a few months into third year that we all realised just how strong it was...”

That actually wasn’t true though, because even now, Johan had a distinct feeling that no one really knew the true extent of it.

Then, while Johan was distracted by the thought of that, Yuya suddenly spoke up. "Back at You Show, you asked Judai if that person had put him up to including Non-Fusion Area in his Deck. Who's that person?"

"Non-Fusion Area?"

It took longer than it should have for things to connect – and that seemed to be the case for the both of them actually, since Yuya quickly backtracked upon seeing Johan’s reaction, and then quickly came to a realisation. "Super Polymerization?"

“Yes,” Johan said at last. “He had to pay a great price in order to get it. No, we all did.”

"All of you?"

Yes, all of them – although admittedly some more than others. Still⸺

Suddenly, Ruby started growling quietly, and moments thereafter, Johan sensed it as well; that strange shift.

The pets of the Sakaki household definitely seemed to pick up on it as well, although their wariness didn’t last nearly as long.

“Ruby,” Johan mumbled, attempting to reassure her. “It’s just Yubel.”

Obviously, Ruby and the rest were just as aware as he was that Yubel was no longer the same as back then. However, the scars and the memories wouldn't necessarily fade that easily, and while spirits could certainly forgive, they rarely forgot.

Besides, the Gem Beasts and Johan had more than enough reason to not like Yubel. But knowing what they knew now and with Yubel and Judai being inseparable in a very real sense of the word, cooperation was definitely preferable to the alternative. After all, Yubel was more concerned about Judai and Judai's safety than anyone, and Johan wasn’t about to stand in the way of that. Still⸺

"Who's Ruby?"

“Ruby’s my partner,” Johan explained, retrieving his Deck to show him.

“Oh.” Yuya leaned in for a closer look. “If this is your partner, then is Yubel⸺?"

Yes and no, Johan privately thought, watching as the dogs rushed off to greet Yoko and Judai upon their return.

-V-

"We'll talk later," Judai had said, and so, when Yuya and Yoko had both gone off to sleep, they finally got down to it.

"So, I did tell you about the Paradox thing, right?" Judai asked quietly, taking a seat on the floor next to the couch table.

Then, at Johan's curt nod, he promptly continued. "Okay, so, here's my theory: Paradox's time-travelling stunt essentially wrecked the timeline, or at the very least screwed up the balance, bringing about some crazy rift activity. And as I was planning on looking into that, I sort of figured I should probably let someone in on what I was doing...”

Hoh. "And you chose the King?"

“Well...” Judai offered up a mild shrug, then simply said: "He was close, and Winged Kuriboh told me to."

"And then you decided to leave Winged Kuriboh with him? Despite Winged Kuriboh’s dimensional abilities?"

“Well...” There was another shrug at that. "If it's about crossing dimensions and such, Yubel and I can manage that much on our own, though it's obviously easier to exploit already existing rifts than to tear up new ones. As for Winged Kuriboh, I left him with Yugi in case something happened. What can I say; I had a weird feeling about it."

Hah. A weird feeling indeed. "And then you ended up here?"

"More or less."

Okay. "And you've remained here since?"

"...Not in town, but in this world, yes."

Right. "Why?"

"Because we deemed it too risky," Yubel finally elaborated. "We were already lost, and we didn’t know what was on the other side."

Indeed, if one was already lost, getting even more lost didn't seem like such a great idea. Still⸺

"Duel Academia doesn't exist over here,” Judai said at last. “In other words, we're in a parallel dimension. Of course, it'd been risky to move, but⸺"

Judai went quiet at that, and Johan could tell that he was deep in thought. Then finally, he said: "Yoko found me. On a Thursday, about two days after I first came here. I think stayed maybe three months, and then I left to look first for Duel Academia, and then for just about anything familiar; ways of getting home and all that. Like you said, our Duel Academia doesn't exist here. Here's the thing though⸺"

" ⸺ There's supposed to be only one world, connected to eleven dimensions of spirits."

Yes, and Yubel should certainly know that, considering the whole ‘combine them all into one using the power of Super Polymerization’ bit. "Then‒"

“Well,” Judai continued. “Like I said, my guess is that Paradox or someone else screwed things up royally. And like, what if the world got split up into the different summoning methods? It was actually Yuya who suggested it, asking me if Sora was from the same place as me and whatnot, seeing that we both use Fusion. Besides⸺”

At this, he produced a pen and paper and quickly made a few scribbles, saying: “I’ve already met someone who looked a lot like Yuya, but used XYZ. And what can I say, honestly – he had a pretty otherworldly vibe about him.”

Right. "And that Sora guy?"

“Well, if there's a place for XYZ, then there's likely a place for Fusion, and if Sora's from there, there might be a Duel Academia as well – maybe even ours."

This should have been a reassuring statement, yet it somehow wasn't. Still⸺ "There's the issue of time to consider as well."

Yes, because different dimension or not, this was still a future of some sort. Then again⸺

“You know Paradox, right?” Judai said, adding a Synchro(?) to the already finished Fusion(?) and XYZ(?). “I mean, why shouldn’t you, since he took Rainbow Dragon and everything. But yeah, that motorcycle thing, that’s a D-Wheel or a Duel Runner. That Yusei guy also had one.”

Yes, and Johan had certainly heard about the latter from Muto Yugi, who had filled in bits and pieces of the story Judai hadn’t quite bothered with.

Anyways, it was clearly not important right now – and if Judai’s theory was indeed correct and there were different dimensions based on the main type of summoning method used, then just how far did it extend? Was there a dimension for Ritual as well? And which dimension were they in right now?

"Well, you know, Johan, we could just ask."

Ask? They could just ask? Now that had to be the stupidest idea out of the bunch, and Johan was gearing up to tear it to pieces when he was alerted to the presence of another and turned, laying eyes upon a now very much awake Yuya looking down at them from the upper floor.

Ah, great, Johan honestly couldn’t help but think as Judai quickly waved at him and motioned for him to come down and join them. Another complication.

"It's too dangerous," Johan intoned, referring both to making contact and to inviting Yuya to take part in this discussion. "I'm definitely against it."

Judai didn’t really seem to care though – as if there was no danger whatsoever of accidentally tearing up the whole time-space continuum which already ought to be more than a bit frayed around the edges at this point.

Ah⸺ "Why?! We're technically not even supposed to be here, you know!"

"Well, we're here now! That’s got to mean something!"

“Not necessarily,” Yubel said, and Johan agreed, because coincidence was not necessarily the same as correlation. Oh sure, there seemed to be an uncanny number of strange coincidences going about, but still⸺

Naturally, a newly liberated Professor Daitokuji called in favour of Judai, making it two against two, something that the latter was not late in pointing out.

This in turn had Yuya, who had up until then just sat there watching them in silence, ask who the professor was, forcing Judai to explain Professor Daitokuji’s disembodied situation. Of course, Judai did fail to mention that Professor Daitokuji had also once been Amnael and part of the Seven Stars Assassins aiming to retrieve and revive the Sangenma; the Three Phantom Demons sealed beneath Duel Academia.

“Okay,” Yuya finally said, looking a bit overwhelmed – which was hardly that much of a surprise, all things considered. “So, what’s really going on here?”

Judai then proceeded to tell him about Duel Academia and about his theory about the different dimensions, conveniently leaving out the time travel, which was probably for the best.

"You can't be serious," Yuya said, just as Yubel correctly pointed out that they weren’t actually supposed to be there, basically commenting that Johan should just get on with it and drag Judai back, kicking and screaming if need be – and Judai in turn, who’d heard all of it, obviously had a thing or two to say about that. Still⸺

"She's right though," Johan said. "We're not supposed to be here."

"Well, we're not the only ones,” Judai said in turn. “Besides, I got here first."

Ah, honestly⸺

“Wait!” Yuya said. "You mean that Sora's⸺? And that Yuto guy too?!"

“Probably yeah. There’s more though.”

"More?!"

Hah.

-V-

Honestly, if O'Brien were there⸺

"Well, O'Brien's not here now, so let's do what O'Brien would do if he got himself stuck in this kind of situation."

Hah. "Go head-to-head with the Supreme King, you mean?”

“Yup.”

Yeah, no. “Definitely not.”

Honestly, of all foolishly reckless schemes⸺

Well, at least this whole exchange seemed to have overwhelmed Yuya to the point that he quickly excused himself, albeit not without first extracting a promise from Judai to stick around, be honest with him and teach him how to Fusion Summon and whatnot – to which Judai had easily agreed.

"It's not really our world, I know," he then said, sending Johan a definite look. "But this is still my brother's world and family’s got to stick together, right?"

Well⸺ "I guess I do owe Mrs. Sakaki for taking you in. Besides, she makes excellent food."

“Well, if you like her food, then you should definitely taste her panca⸺"

"My pancakes!" Yuya hissed, then quickly headed off to bed, every bit an annoyed teenager – albeit a relatively young one at that. Ah, to be fourteen – Johan certainly didn’t miss it.

As for Judai, he just sat there quietly for several moments, and when he finally looked up, it was with Yubel’s eyes.

“Is he⸺?” Johan asked, keeping his voice down low.

“Maybe,” Judai said, speaking quietly as well. “But all things considered, there’s a decent chance, and if he is, then⸺”

"⸺We'd be risking far more than a simple paradox, huh?"

That would be bad – possibly even very bad. Still⸺ "Where and when do we start?"

"Tomorrow. Shopping."

“Hah?”

-V-

“You know,” Johan said, standing there like some packing mule. "O'Brien would've just knocked you out and dragged you back home."

“Really?” Judai said, moving easily in-between racks and shelves. "That guy still owes me a favour though."

Well⸺ "O'Brien owes his employer far more. And apparently, Pegasus just won't shut up about the importance of bringing 'Judai-boy' back home, and he's apparently put quite a bit of money into the search as well."

“And the King?” Judai asked, retrieving yet another article of clothing to the bunch that Yoko had already insisted upon.

Really, although Johan was certainly fitter than he was before, he could feel his arms becoming tired from holding it all up, and gritted his teeth as Judai added yet another piece of clothing to his burden. "The King says that he'd rather not have a repeat of the whole Paradox incident."

"Well, yeah, but that wasn't really my fault now, was it?"

It technically wasn't, but⸺ "He's still right about that, and O'Brien, his boss and everyone else agree with him. Heck, the last thing I heard, even Misawa had gotten in touch, stressing the importance of bringing you back."

For the first time during this quiet conversation, Judai actually looked a tad surprised. "Misawa did? From all the way over⸺?"

Ah, honestly⸺ "Yes! And everyone over there agrees with him! Geez, Judai, don't you understand your own importance?!"

It was decidedly difficult to look imposing when your face was gradually becoming obscured by clothes that people seemed to think would fit you. As things were however, Johan had a few centimetres on Judai now, which was why they needed to buy clothes in the first place.

"My own what now?" Judai asked at last, blinking.

Then, before Johan had the time to respond, Yoko suddenly returned, expressing her approval of Judai’s choices before ushering them both towards the checkout – because apparently, she had another appointment to keep, which was a blessing in and of its own. Judai and Johan still helped her load the purchases into the car though.

"Okay look, Johan," Judai finally said as they went into some sports shop next. "Third year was a major screw-up, with the Dark World, the Supreme King, Darkness, and all that. And like, if it wasn't for me, then none of that would've happened, and even if we did manage to avert the worst of it, everyone couldn't be saved."

Johan in turn gave their surroundings a sweeping look before finally settling his gaze on the section that Judai was apparently interested in. "You mean like Amon and Echo?"

"Well, them and countless others."

Hah. "Amon had it coming. Echo was unfortunate, but it's not your fault that Amon decided to sacrifice her in order to gain more power. As for the others, you⸺"

"⸺The Supreme King, yeah, I know," Judai finished, checking out the shop's selection.

They probably shouldn't be out here, discussing these things even in hushed tones. Still⸺ "If anything, then it's my fault that everyone ended up there in the first place, you know."

"No." Judai shook his head. "It's my fault. Yubel only went after you because of me, and Yubel only became like that because I⸺"

Johan exchanged a brief look with Yubel above Judai's head, then, quietly resigned, he leaned closer, pretending to check out the store’s selection of ski gear.

"Judai,” he said. “You were a child, and Yubel, no offence, was hurting the people around you. Now, I won't say that it was your parents' fault either for convincing you to send Yubel away, because how could they've known about the bond between the two of you? They had your memories suppressed in order to protect you. If the connection had stayed in place, would you really have been able to stay sane?"

"I very nearly got you and everyone else killed though," Judai countered, picking out a pair and inspecting them closely. "You just got in the way. That's all."

Well⸺ "I'll get in the way again, to protect you."

"I hardly need additional protection though, Johan." Judai smiled, picking up another pair. "I've got a guardian that’s more than capable of the task."

Yubel actually looked a bit proud at that; at having been acknowledged.

Still⸺ "When you're left to your own devices for too long, you tend to do some really crazy things. Besides, I obviously can't go back without you."

"Can't or won't?" Judai challenged, checking out a third pair.

Well⸺ "I could certainly try. But without you, there wouldn't be much of a point now, would it?"

Judai shot him a definite look before putting the third pair back onto the shelf.

"Judai,” Johan insisted. “It's not just me, you know. Thunder and the others are also⸺"

"Geez." Judai picked out a fourth pair. "Don't you people in the pro circuit have careers to worry about?"

Geez. "I quit."

Judai stilled. "When?"

"The day the King called."

"You didn't."

Well⸺ "I was actually intending to quit, but I got convinced to take an official leave instead. Family reasons, you know."

"Family?"

"Family," Johan readily affirmed, because just as the Gem Beasts were his family, Judai was also⸺

"So,” Judai said, grinning now. “Should I start calling you aniki then or what?"

Ah, honestly⸺ “Anything but that.”

"So, Judai," Johan asked at last, watching as still grinning Judai finally settled on a fifth pair. "Why are we out here buying goggles?"

"Peace offering," Judai offered up in response as the sleepy-looking cashier ringed them up.

Really, if O'Brien were there, then he would've⸺

"Let him do as he wishes," Yubel offered up with a snort. "And if it comes to that, then you know what to do."

On one hand, it was nice to know that he was being trusted and relied upon. On the other hand though, it was a rather heavy responsibility to bear. Also⸺ "Judai, at least tell me we're not doing this today."

"Of course not, Johan," Judai said as they headed for the exit. "We'll need some proper bait before that."

Proper bait?

-V-

Chapter Text

-V-

Coming to the Standard Dimension, Yuto had expected a whole lot of things. A cityscape unmarred by fighting was one of them, and an uncarded and lively population was another.

When it had come to finding answers however, Yuto had been decidedly less certain. After all, he and his friend, Kurosaki Shun, had come to Standard to investigate the LDS, which was the brainchild of Akaba Reo before the man had moved on to bigger, dimension-conquering endeavours.

And truth to be told, Yuto was now more worried about Shun than about the LDS. Because from what he had been able to observe up until this point, the LDS students lacked both the discipline and the ruthlessness of the Fusion invaders. Shun wasn't listening to any of that though, manically searching for answers as well as for someone to blame for his sister Ruri's disappearance.

But by now, days had gone by, and with their investigation yielding next to no results, Yuto had gradually found himself losing hope – up until he’d encountered that girl, Hiragi Yuzu.

Of course, finding out that it wasn’t their Ruri had hurt, but Yuto certainly didn’t regret standing in-between her and the students from the LDS. He still hadn't told Shun about this encounter though, as he could not quite trust him not to do something rash in his current paranoid state.

And as for Shun, he was gone now, but he would be back eventually. This warehouse was still their makeshift base, and even Shun needed to eat and sleep sometimes, if only in slight amounts. As for food, they had got enough cup ramen to sustain themselves for a few days yet, and while it wasn’t terribly luxurious, they weren’t terribly used to such things either.

Besides, compared to how things were back home, their life in Standard was only a step down in the sense that their surroundings were foreign to them. Otherwise, compared to Heartland, Standard was deceptively peaceful, and full of people who had never known war.

Thinking this, Yuto couldn’t help but wonder if this Maiami City would soon meet the same fate as Heartland, raided and burnt by the forces of Duel Academia, and the thought didn’t sit well with him. But in the end, if they could not even save their own home, then what chance could they have to save this place?

Thinking this, Yuto looked up from where he sat, watching the LDS Tower blinking away as it towered above the city, all while wondering if the answers and the people they were looking for had ever even been in this world to begin with.

-V-

"Additional lunch boxes?" Sakaki Yoko peered at her foster son, alternating her gaze in-between the grinning Judai and a decidedly exasperated-looking Johan, who was leaning against the wall, arms folded across his chest. She was surprised, yet at the same time not very surprised, and also quite suspicious. "Not that I mind, but what for?"

Judai's grin widened a fraction. "Feeding the homeless and weary?"

At this, Yoko gave him a pointed look that told him to cut the crap. Judai remained entirely unapologetic though. Really, Yoko ought to grab him and give him an earful. But instead, she opted to humour him, at least for now. "Hoh? Just in general or do you have any specific stray in mind?"

"Maybe?" Judai most certainly had, because otherwise, he wouldn't have asked. After all, Maiami City was not typically known for its homeless strays. It was a fairly large city, so there was probably a few of them out there somewhere, but for Judai to make such a request now, someone in particular obviously had to have caught his interest.

"Is he cute?" Yoko finally asked, returning to her cooking. She blatantly assumed it was a guy as well, because if it wasn't, then Judai would've probably asked her to come along. Then again⸺

"You'd probably think he's cute,” Judai said in turn. “I'm pretty sure he's about Yuya's age. He does seem to have been through a lot though and has a lot of trust issues, so…"

Yuya's age. Fourteen. "Is it just him? Alone?"

"Well, I’m pretty sure he's got a friend, possibly a few years older."

So, two teenagers with trust issues, then, and this knowledge alone invoked a surge of motherly instinct that Yoko quickly had to quell; she hadn't even laid eyes on them yet and she already wanted to hug them. "Two extras then."

"Start with one extra,” Judai said. “It's a trial run."

Hearing this, Yoko recalled the time when she herself had picked up the stray that now sat at her kitchen table.

Perhaps it was her own past that ultimately left her so open to the thought of picking up various strays – of giving a home to those that no one wanted or needed. Of course, it had also been a good way to keep the house lively in Yusho’s absence; something to distract both herself and Yuya from the fact.

Naturally, Yoko had known well that Yuya was reminded more than enough of it all; his demeanour had told her as much. And as much of an actor as the kid aspired to be, hiding things from Yoko would never be his forte. The same could probably be said about Judai though, even if the boy retained a strange ability to conceal things with that grin of his.

Pretty much from the start, Yoko had been reminded of Yuya. At the same time though, she had been able to see a lot of herself and some of Yusho in him as well – and perhaps this was why it had just seemed so utterly natural for her to take him in, despite him being a complete stranger.

Besides, the household animals had all warmed up to him fairly quickly, and animals usually had a good grasp on a person’s true character – and so far, they hadn’t been wrong.

Also, contrary to popular belief, Yoko did pay a fair amount of attention to what went on in her son's vicinity and in her own home in particular.

And even after his prolonged absence, Judai had been readily accepted back into the pack, alongside Johan, even if the latter seemed less sure about how to handle it.

In contrast, the pets of the Sakaki household had never really bothered with Sora, and even now, they regarded him with a mixture of curiosity and wariness. From what Yoko herself had seen so far, Johan seemed to have adopted a similar stance on the issue, while Judai on his end remained cordial and affectionate if a bit disapproving.

"Why that guy though?"

Sora had asked her this, and Yoko hadn't really answered him then – not truthfully at any rate.

As for what was the actual the truth, Yoko herself still wasn't entirely certain why. In part, it was likely due to timing, and in part, he just so happened to fit into the empty space left behind by her husband.

Humans were different from strays though. Usually, they had a home to return to, making them lost rather than actual strays. And, like with lost pets, they would eventually have to return or be returned ‒ unless they themselves actively opposed it, that is.

As for Judai, Yoko had always known that the other’s past would come for him sooner or later, be it in a benevolent or in a not so benevolent form. Of course, she hadn't quite expected it in the shape of Johan Andersen, but she hadn't been wrong either.

Having Judai tag along with her to the store, Yoko had taken the opportunity to casually interrogate him about the nature of their relationship – because Johan did seem to be perhaps a few years older. Then again, with Judai's own appearance having changed very little since he had first arrived, perhaps they were even the same age? Judai had after all mentioned that he and Johan had met at a Duel School when she had asked. He had also claimed that they had both been Duel-obsessed idiots back then, but hadn't really said anything further, leaving Yoko to arrive at her own conclusions.

Of course, given the opportunity, Yoko had soon posed a few of those questions to Johan as well, receiving confirmation that he and Judai had indeed met at school, becoming fast friends and even best friends. "Because we're both idiots," allegedly.

It was both interesting and a bit cute how they had both used that same phrase, and the slightly fond look accompanying it indicated that they had heard it more than once. Then again, that did leave Yoko wondering about Judai's other friends and even more so about his family, which had never been brought up in conversation. However, knowing it could be a sensitive topic, she had never really forced the issue. But now, with Johan turning up with the obvious objective of finding Judai, her curiosity in the matter had been rekindled.

"Judai's parents?” Johan had repeated, looking a tad awkward. “Never met them, and most of what I know comes from what Judai’s former dorm mates told me, which they in turn got from the Headmaster.”

There was undoubtedly some history there, and recalling Judai's slightly awkward yet easy acceptance of Yoko as 'Mom', she couldn’t help but wonder if he had been neglected, or perhaps even abandoned.

In any case, it seemed as though Judai hadn't been in contact with his parents for the last three, possibly even six years. And sure, Yoko knew as well as anyone that there were Duel Schools out there with pretty strict rules, even to the point of forbidding direct contact with family. But from what Yoko had understood, Judai had since long graduated yet never gone home.

"He doesn't know how to face them," Johan had finally said, obviously pained. "And they probably don't know how to face him either."

A lot of things could probably change during the course of three whole years, but still, to not even try and make contact? To not even make a single phone call?

According to Johan, there had been little use forcing the issue though, and while Yoko obviously didn't approve, she understood. Still, should she ever get the chance to meet these so-called parents face-to-face, then she would no doubt pounce at an opportunity to give them a piece of her mind.

"Yuya mentioned you'd promised to teach him about Fusion," Yoko finally said, receiving a somewhat sheepish grin from Judai as she finished packing up the last lunch box and handed it over with a soft but firm "Don't forget about it."

She didn't tell them to be careful, because they were both old and travelled enough not to get into trouble that they could not get themselves out of. Well, that was what she hoped at least.

And once they had left, Yoko was left to ponder other things. After all, although she was decidedly curious about the parents of Yuki Judai and his friend, fact remained that Judai and Johan were both young adults or at least fairly close enough to it.

Shiunin Sora on the other hand was another matter altogether. Because going by his looks and demeanour, Yoko had him pinned down as being Yuya's age, or possibly even a bit younger. This of course brought about the curious question as to where in the world Sora's parents were and why they would allow him to come all the way to Maiami City on his own.

For several reasons, strict Duel Schools and limited parental contact lay close at hand, but if so, then Sora had almost definitely run away or dropped out of one – and going by the borderline familiarity that seemed to exist in-between Judai and Sora, perhaps they had indeed attended the same school, only at different points in time?

If Johan's penchant for blue was in any way similar to Judai's penchant for red, then maybe there had been some sort of divisions, much like the LDS had courses in Fusion, Synchro and XYZ Summoning? If so, and if the colour indicated the course into which they were enrolled, then it would’ve made little sense; Judai, who favoured red, obviously favoured Fusion, along with Sora, who wore blue. Or maybe all three of them were proficient in the art of Fusion Summoning?

Yoko put down a mental note to investigate further.

-V-

“So?”

Later in the day, Yoko found an opportunity to ask about the turnout, given that it was only she and Johan in the kitchen, with the latter helping her clear the table.

“Well,” he said, shooting a tentative look in direction of the living room, where the rest of them were discussing Fusion. "As expected, there are some serious trust issues. It's hardly a wonder though."

"They've had it rough, huh?" Yoko sighed. "What else? Any food allergies? Preferences?"

"Personally, I think variety is important,” Johan said. “From what I understand, their diet mainly consists of cup ramen."

"Cup ramen?" Yoko made no attempt at hiding how she felt, turning on the tap to fill the sink. "Honestly, where are those parents?"

"We're still looking into it," Johan quietly said, pulling out a kitchen towel while Yoko started doing the dishes. "Can't say it seems very easy though."

“Well,” Yoko said, handing over the first plate for Johan to dry and put back into the cabinet. "If I met them, then I'd want to take them in. Yuya would have a fit."

"I think we're imposing upon your hospitality already as it is, Yoko.”

"Nonsense," Yoko scoffed, handing him another plate. "Family's family. And a friend of the family is practically family."

On one hand, Johan appeared relieved. On the other though, he seemed decidedly troubled, and kept looking towards the living room. "I suppose."

“Well,” Yoko said in turn, handing him another plate. “And I suppose that Judai will be busy teaching Yuya and the others tomorrow, and that you wouldn't mind accompanying me."

Because Yoko had questions and Johan had answers – some of them at any rate – and going by the look on his face, he too was very well aware of this.

-V-

Once informed of Yoko’s plans, Judai had done very little to rescue his friend from her grasp – which not entirely unexpected, all things considered. Instead, he had taken Pharaoh and merrily left to help Yuya and the others get a better grasp on Fusion Summoning, leaving behind only a muted half-hearted apology to said friend, and although not entirely pleased, Johan seemed to have come to terms with his own fate.

"So…" Yoko wondered just how spot on her womanly intuition was. "Is the red and blue merely a question of personal preference or do they actually mean anything?"

Looking like he had more or less expected this turn of events, Johan looked to the side and then back at her, resigned. "What is the real question, Mrs. Sakaki?"

Hoh. Cutting to the chase already?

Yoko smiled, satisfied yet at the same time a bit bummed out that it hadn't take more than that. Then again, with the time he had now spent in the Sakaki family, Johan undoubtedly had a decent enough grasp on its dynamics, meaning that he knew that Yoko alone reigned supreme.

"Well then, Johan,” Yoko said. “I know that you and Judai know each other from Duel School, and my womanly intuition tells that you both know Sora, not personally but by association. How's that for starters?"

Johan once again looked around the park, his gaze lingering on one particular spot before he heaved a sigh and turned back towards her. "We're not completely unrelated."

Not completely unrelated, huh? "You're all from Duel Academia, right?"

Predictably, this earned her a look of definite surprise. "Judai said that he hadn't⸺"

Well, he hadn’t, but⸺

"Well," Yoko said, pulling him towards an empty bench with the dogs in a tow. "The name was printed on the washing tag of his uniform jacket."

Then, she let En, Kilo and Watt off their leashes, allowing the poor boy some additional time to process the shock.

“Right,” Johan said at last. “I had considered the Duel Disk, but not that.”

"Ah." Well, there had been that as well. But if Yoko recalled things correctly, then the Duel Disk was only marked with ‘KC’, which honestly hadn't given her a lot to go on.

"So," Johan continued, evidently resigned. "I guess you tried to look up Duel Academia."

Indeed. Still⸺ "I couldn’t find anything. So, tell me, where is that Duel Academia of yours?"

“Well,” Johan began. “It’s located out on an island far out at sea – like really far out.”

"It's even farther than that though, isn't it?"

“Yes.”

"How far?"

"Out of this world far."

Well⸺ "That explains a lot actually."

Johan had nothing to say at that, and simply just sat there, arms folded across his chest, looking decidedly uncomfortable.

"Will you get in trouble for telling me this, Johan?"

At this, he heaved a sigh and then finally looked back towards her.

“I’m not sure,” he said. “And right now, there are far worse things.”

Far worse things?

“I can’t go into detail on everything, but⸺ something big is coming, something bad."

Oh.

"Well,” Yoko said, making sure the dogs were still within her line of sight and not bothering anyone. “Let’s start with the small things, shall we? You don’t like Sora.”

"I don't."

Well, Yoko had already figured as much. At the same time though⸺ "Why is that? He's so cute."

Johan screwed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose, and to Yoko, it seemed as though he was trying very hard not to say the very first thing that had apparently come to mind.

"Yoko," he said at last, looking like he was regretting it already. "There is someone I think you should meet."

-V-

Chapter Text

-V-

"I honestly cannot believe this."

Hauling the lunchboxes along, Judai said nothing, looking entirely too pleased with himself.

"I honestly cannot believe I let you talk me into this," Johan said.

"You're the one who insisted on following me here," Judai quipped, not sorry in the slightest. "If you don't like it, then you can go home."

"We both know what happened last time around."

"Fair enough," Judai admitted, glancing towards the street camera to his left, clearly taking note of its movements. "Is the high route all right with you? I feel like avoiding traffic."

Hah. "You do realise that this isn't like that time in Venice, right?"

"Yeah, sure," Judai said. "And for the record, Venice was awesome up until that guy decided to show up and ruin it in his attempt to kill me."

-V-

Sakaki Yusho only had one son, but Sakaki Yoko had allegedly decided that she wanted two – and Akaba Reiji was using the street cameras to keep track of the later addition, as well as an even more recent one.

Yuki Judai and his friend, Johan, were weaving their way through the Maiami streets. Shiunin Sora wasn't with them, but Reiji honestly wasn't too sure whether or not this was a good thing.

As for the other two, they were clearly aware of the fact that they were being monitored, but given their lack of action, they did not seem overly concerned with it, presumably because they were perfectly capable of ditching the surveillance should they wish to do so.

In fact, it was only a few minutes after this that they did just that, with Yuki Judai even taking the time to flash a grin and a victory sign at the nearest camera.

Seeing such an overt display, Reiji considered the merits of a direct confrontation. However, considering how their latest encounter had turned out, perhaps surveillance would be enough for now.

After all, the ones attacking LDS duellists were XYZ users, whereas Yuki Judai used Fusion. And, if Reiji's theory about an Academia connection was indeed correct, then odds were that Johan was a Fusion user as well.

That said, there was undeniably something off though, because although the colour choice and affinity for Fusion obviously pointed towards Duel Academia, the values seemingly held by Yuki Judai seemed to point in another direction entirely.

Sure, there had been that offhand reference the other had made about the Professor in regards to his cat. However, the Akaba Reo that Reiji knew would hardly have bothered with such. Rather, if bitten, then the man would’ve undoubtedly ordered for the beast to be euthanized.

Besides, the thought of an Academia student keeping a pet did seem a bit odd, judging by what Reiji knew of the place. However, while Shiunin Sora was undoubtedly a student, Yuki Judai and Johan were both too old.

Graduates then?

Reiji had to admit that this was an intriguing thought. Previously, he had just assumed that all Academia students became soldiers sooner or later after all – and if such weren’t the case, then perhaps Akaba Reo's control over Duel Academia was not quite as absolute as Reiji had initially assumed?

Perhaps they were dissidents, and perhaps there even more of them out there. Reiji certainly wouldn’t mind it if that was indeed the case, because any dissidents might well prove highly useful to Reiji and his cause.

Yuki Judai at the very least could probably be persuaded to fight for Standard, going by his seeming attachment to the Sakaki family. Of course, there was still the chance or rather the risk of him protecting Sakaki Yuya merely because he still needed him for something later down the line. Still⸺

It was still too early to say – still too many variables to consider. And yet, they were already running low on time, and at this rate, it might even⸺

“Duel Energy spike detected!” someone announced, the monitors lighting up with high energy readings – and they were indeed high, but neither Fusion nor XYZ as one would have expected.

Instead, a Normal Summoning had been carried out, giving off a highly disproportionate energy reading.

However, as far as who was behind it, Reiji didn’t really have to wonder, seeing that the readings largely matched those recorded from Yuki Judai during his latest Duel.

Still, why Normal Summoning of all things? A Monster summoned by normal means hardly stood a chance against an XYZ Monster, even using some type of Special Effect.

As Reiji pondered this, there was another strong energy reading, this one undoubtedly XYZ. It didn’t last for too long however, and neither did the one that had preceded it, making Reiji frown. Because given the timing, there had likely been an encounter of some sort, presumably in-between Yuki Judai and his companion and one of the XYZ rebels. However⸺

An hour passed with no new developments, and by reports reached him of Yuki Judai and his companion having been spotted downtown again, Reiji was already back at his office.

"Nakajima," he said, turning to his subordinate. "Get someone to monitor the movements of Shiunin Sora."

"What about Yuki Judai?"

Yuki Judai was an unknown, but given his link to the Sakaki family, he was unlikely to stray too far from them without good reason.

Shiunin Sora on the other hand was a wild card – an obvious scout from Duel Academia – and since Reiji already had the XYZ rebels to deal with, he needed to play his cards right and collect more information.

And indeed, Yuki Judai knew far too much. However, he also wasn't someone that Reiji wanted as his enemy. He was also clearly quite knowledgeable about Fusion, and knowing what they would be eventually facing⸺

"I will confront him directly."

-V-

Yuto had been heading back towards their makeshift base when he’d first seen it out of the corner of his eye. At first, he’d mistaken it for a stray of some sort, because it looked to be roughly the size of your average housecat.

However, as Yuto turned his head to take a proper look, he immediately saw that it wasn’t. For one thing, it was purple, and on its head were a total of four large ears, flickering slightly as the strange creature sniffed the air and narrowed its ruby-coloured eyes before widening them as it seemingly became aware of Yuto looking at it.

Then, it quickly turned on its heel and scurried off into a warehouse door left slightly ajar – and Yuto wasn’t all that far behind, getting there just in time to see the thing scurry off to a person standing inside the dim warehouse, quickly climbing up their legs before finally settling on their shoulder, and immediately, Yuto registered two things: A blue jacket, and another presence behind him.

By the time he’d snapped his head around though, the door had already been pulled shut and locked – apparently from the outside, effectively trapping him within. Bewildered yet at the same time grimly determined, Yuto readied his Duel Disk, turning back to face the person standing in the midst of the warehouse.

“Hi,” the guy said, their Duel Disk glimmering ominously in the dimness. “Yuto, right?”

Yuto wasn’t sure why this person knew his name. He wasn’t sure, but⸺

"Just for the record," the guy said next, setting three cards. "Not my idea."

Yuto wasn’t quite sure what the other meant by that. Still, he answered in kind, summoning Phantom Knights of Rugged Glove and special summoning The Phantom Knights of Silent Boots before overlaying them to summon The Phantom Knights of Break Sword.

The teal-haired guy in the blue jacket meanwhile did nothing in turn, and Yuto naturally assumed that at least one of the set cards were likely traps. However, the lack of aggression from the other side definitely threw him off – along with the fact that the other’s Duel Disk was clearly not an Academia-issued one.

"Then whose idea was it?" Yuto asked at last, because unlike Shun, he had qualms about attacking those that had made no move to attack him first. "Just for the record."

The guy shifted his gaze to a point slightly behind Yuto, prompting him to turn around.

An eerily familiar grin met his eye, along with oddly-coloured, smiling eyes. "Yo, Yuto."

"Yuki Judai," Yuto responded, because although the eyes were different, the rest was the same.

Then, as if only to screw with him further, the other held up a lunch box, still grinning, asking: "You hungry?"

-V-

“Yuto, you’re not eating?”

Yuto shook his head but offered up no further explanation. This didn’t change the fact that he was unusually full however – both of food that wasn’t cup ramen and with enough new information that he was actually feeling a bit nauseous.

"Is it that dream again?"

For once, it wasn't the dream of their hometown ‒ of everything and everyone ‒ getting destroyed or taken. But⸺ "Yeah."

Obviously, Yuto wanted to tell Shun. Frankly, he needed to tell Shun about what he had just learned. Now was not the time, because knowing Shun, he would undoubtedly⸺

"Shun."

Shun immediately stopped chewing and levelled him with a look.

"The LDS is onto us."

“Hah,” he scoffed. "But that's exactly what we want. How else are we going to lure Akaba Reiji out into the open?"

Yes, but what if Akaba Reiji wasn’t the enemy? Or what if he was at least the enemy of their enemy, Academia?

Still, Yuto knew that explaining all this to Shun wouldn’t be easy, because Shun was paranoid and impulsive, and given this piece of info now, he would no doubt go out and do something irreversibly stupid, leading to him either crashing and burning or getting himself caught by the LDS.

Still, Yuto knew that he would eventually have to explain the situation to Shun. He still needed some time though, in part to verify the info that he could verify and in part because he needed to figure out just how to explain the fact that he'd been ambushed, treated to lunch, given a pair of replacement goggles and good advice on how to keep a low profile in town.

Oh sure, Shun had definitely noticed the goggles – he hadn’t asked about them though, probably figuring that Yuto had just stolen them from somewhere. And why wouldn’t he, honestly?

In the time since Academia had first started wreaking havoc in their hometown, Yuto and Shun had done plenty of things that they were less proud of. In the end though, no one really had the right to blame them, and they could only blame themselves for not being strong enough.

-V-

Shun had lingered longer than usual in the morning, commenting that Yuto's colour was off and that he should stay hidden and rest – which was honestly advice that Shun would have been better off following himself. However⸺

"Yuya?!"

Yuto sure was glad that Shun wasn’t around to witness this.

“Yoko,” said the teal-haired guy from before – Johan, as Yuto now knew. “This is Yuto. Now, Yuto...” He motioned towards the tall blonde. “This is Yoko, Yuya's mother."

-V-

"Well, that wasn't very smart of you, was it?"

Even from a bit of a distance, Yuto could hear Yuki Judai's comment to what Johan had just told him over the phone.

"Of all people, I really don't want to hear that from you," Johan commented, sending a brief look Yuto's way before returning his attention to the ongoing call.

"Still, Johan," Judai quipped, strangely amused. “What were you thinking?”

"No, no, Judai, what were you thinking?" Johan scoffed, decidedly exasperated. "You're the one who got outed by a washing tag!"

Outed by a washing tag, Yuto thought, then quickly got distracted by Yoko, who kept fussing about his health and eating habits and whatnot.

"Geez, Johan. It wasn't like I was even planning on it. I got lost. It happens."

Looking like he had been dealing with far too much shit as of late, Johan heaved a heavy sigh. "Only you, Judai. Only you."

"Besides, it softened the impact, didn't it? Saved you some trouble as well."

Johan lowered his voice significantly. "Something tells me that I wouldn't ever have been through this much trouble if I hadn't befriended you."

"Says the guy who followed me all the way to town."

“Say, Judai...” Johan pinched the bridge of his nose, seemingly having forgotten all about his small audience. "How's Fusion training going? You're all over at You Show, right?"

You Show Duel School, Yuto thought, recalling the girl, Yuzu. And even though she wasn't actually their Ruri, the thought of her using Fusion didn't sit too well with Yuto.

On the other hand, from what Johan had said, it had been the perfect excuse to rope the Academia agent Shiunin Sora into teaching, leaving him with a lot less time to track down Yuto and Shun – keep your friends close, but your enemies closer and preferably busy, and whatnot.

Also, it did help that the agent currently believed himself to be amongst friends. It was obviously a game that couldn’t last forever though.

“Well,” Judai sighed from the other end. "We're making progress, so that’s something."

"Will you make it to the Maiami Championship?" Yoko asked, clearly listening in. "The deadline's coming up."

There was a slight pause, and in the meantime, Johan switched over to speaker phone.

"Probably. Oh, right, and Yuya's got that Smiley guy to arrange some Official Duels for him. The rest are also planning on taking part in the championship."

"What about you then, Judai? How about it?"

Again, there was a slight pause. "Me?"

"Yeah, you. Youth Division. How about it?"

"Mom, not that it wouldn't be fun, but I've honestly got better things to ⸺ "

"Honey."

There was a heavy sigh from the other end. "Yeeees?"

"Fried shrimp."

Yuto wondered if it was a codeword of sorts, because upon hearing it, Judai quickly folded and ended the call soon thereafter.

“So,” Yoko said, turning her attention back towards Yuto with a somewhat troubling smile on her face. "Yuto, what's your favourite dish? How about your friend? Preferences? Allergies? How about hygiene products? Clothes? Yuya'll surely let you borrow something, and as for your friend⸺"

-V-

"Yuto."

Yuto acknowledged the newly returned Shun with a look. And since the tone used indicated that it was a question, Yuto eventually pushed the thing towards him and clarified: "Your share. I've had mine."

Predictably, Shun narrowed his eyes at that, evidently suspicious. He still opened it up though, revealing the sizeable lunch box in full. "Looks home-cooked. Where did you get it?"

Hah. "Does it matter?"

"Yes, because I told you to stay put and out of sight."

Well, to be fair, Yuto had stayed put, and it honestly hadn't helped much. Besides⸺ "They're the ones that found me."

"They? The LDS?!"

Yuto shook his head.

"Then who? What? Yuto!"

Yuto wondered about how to properly explain things without having it all blow up in his face.

"Eat," he decided at last. "Eat and I'll tell you."

-V-

Chapter Text

-V-

"Well, that wasn't very smart of you, was it?" Judai said, his smile and the lightness of his tone indicating that it must’ve been Johan on the other end of the call.

The latter also seemed like a bit of a foregone conclusion, considering the fact that Johan wasn’t there like the rest of them, watching the ongoing spectacle that was a frustrated Sora trying to teach Yuzu how to Fusion Summon properly. Besides, Futoshi and Ayu were both sat close enough to catch some of what was said on the other end – going by the muted snickers and giggles at least. Eventually, it came to a point where even Judai took note, still smiling as he gave them something of a dismissive wave, then getting back up with the phone still pressed to his ear.

"Still, Johan,” Judai said next, very much confirming it. “What were you thinking?"

This time around, Yuya was also close enough to hear part of the rebuke.

"‒Judai, what were you thinking? You're the one who got outed by a washing tag!"

The latter part meant nothing to Yuya. As for the former, it was nice to know that there were times when even Judai's best friend didn't know what he was thinking.

"Geez, Johan," Judai said, keeping an eye on Yuzu and Sora's progress or relative lack thereof. “It wasn't like I was even planning on it. I got lost. It happens."

At this, there was an audible sigh from the other end.

“Besides,” Judai went on, lowering his voice considerably. "Besides, it softened the impact, didn't it? Saved you some trouble as well."

The response was too quiet for Yuya to hear, but Judai clearly did, letting out an amused snort and a frank "Says the guy who followed me all the way to town.”

No doubt quite exasperated, Johan then proceeded to ask about how Fusion training was going, to which Judai responded with a sigh and a comment that they were making progress – which was true, at least in some regard. Yuya for one now had a decent grasp on the whole process, even though he had yet to hammer out all the practical details. Because for one thing, Sora’s and Judai’s styles differed significantly, and since Judai’s preferred technique required very specific cards, the other had been all too happy about teaching them the basics while leaving most of the practical stuff up to Sora, who although not initially thrilled had gradually gotten more and more into it.

"Will you make it to the Maiami Championship? The deadline's coming up."

It was his mother's voice; distant yet highly recognisable all the same. Judai didn’t seem overly surprised though.

“Probably,” Judai said at last, scratching his head before exchanging a seeming look with the air. "Oh, right, and Yuya's got that Smiley guy to arrange some Official Duels for him. The rest are also planning on taking part in the championship."

Yes, and although vaguely hopeful, no one had really forced the issue of Judai taking part himself – Shuzo for one clearly considered it an outright shame, while Ayu, Futoshi and Tatsuya had expressed their disappointment. Sora meanwhile pointedly hadn’t asked, either because he had blatantly assumed that Judai would take part or because he had blatantly assumed that he wouldn't.

As for Yuzu, she honestly hadn’t had much to say, and as for Yuya, he was a bit put out, yes, but on the other hand, he understood. After all, with these talks about parallel dimensions and people getting turned into cards and whatnot, getting hyped over some tournament was a little⸺

"What about you then, Judai? How about it?"

"Me?" Judai actually winced. "Mom, not that it wouldn't be fun, but I've honestly got better things to⸺"

That was right; even though it would be fun, it would be selfish and irresponsible to⸺

"Yeah, you. Youth Division. How about it?"

Of course, Yuya's mother wouldn't have cared even if she had known about all that other stuff, which was probably why she was willing to resort to threats of never again serving fried shrimp in order to get Judai to reconsider.

The threat definitely seemed to have worked though, because when Judai ended the call, he had made the promise to compete. "Geez."

Geez. That was exactly the word for it. Because all things considered, Judai was probably a bit old to participate in the Youth Division. Then again⸺ "Mom's got you beaten as usual, huh."

“Well,” Judai said in turn. “What can I say? She's a formidable opponent."

"A formidable opponent?" Sora cut in, heading for them along with Yuzu.

Yuya didn’t turn his head to look though – instead, he found himself staring at Judai, because the guy was smiling and better not be planning on⸺

"Yeah, a formidable opponent. An absolutely terrifying one."

No way. "Judai, don't you dare⸺"

"Who?! Who is this absolutely terrifying opponent?! Let me duel them, Master!"

Yeah, and somewhere along the way, Sora had taken to calling Judai 'Master'. It didn't happen all the time, sure, only when duelling was involved and Sora wanted something. It was still pretty weird though and definitely on the embarrassing side. It didn’t seem to have taken Judai very long to adapt though, surprisingly enough.

"It's still too early, dear disciple," he just said, wagging a finger at him. "To face an opponent of that calibre and win, we all need to work harder, right?"

"Right!" everyone agreed, barring Yuya and Yuzu, who exchanged looks and sighed before delving into the unfolding madness.

-V-

They returned late, exhausted, but Yuya's mother hardly seemed to notice where she stood over by the stove, humming, apparently in a good mood. "Welcome back. This will be ready in just a minute."

Johan meanwhile was nowhere to be seen, but since Judai didn't ask, Yuya didn't ask either. Besides, the table was already set for five, so he was probably around somewhere.

And since dinner would be along in just a minute, Yuya moved to join the others in the living room, and Core mewled in greeting before immediately scurrying over to Judai. It was stupid, but Yuya could not help but feel the sting, and⸺

Suddenly, there was a hand in his hair, ruffling it, and Yuya instinctively reached up to swat it away but paused midway, locking eyes with Judai.

The hand didn't retreat, both steadying and weighing him down. "Yuya, you⸺"

-V-

Dinner proved an unusually quiet affair. Heck, even Sora looked up from his chocolate-drenched fried shrimp, clearly taking note of Yuya's mood.

"It's just nerves," Yuya heard his mother's voice conclude softly as he left the kitchen before any of the others. "He's got an Official Duel tomorrow after all."

It wasn’t just nerves, but Yuya didn’t bother correcting them. Instead, he climbed up to his room. It was his intention to spend the rest of the evening there and sort out his Deck as well as his feelings for the future. He wanted to be left alone as well, and the others seemed to get that, at least initially. Even so, Yuya found that he could not turn Johan away when the guy suddenly came knocking.

"What is it?"

"Nothing in particular," he said, staring thoughtfully down at his Deck. Minutes prior, he had sat himself down on Yuya’s bed and not really budged since.

Yuya meanwhile turned slightly in his chair, looking at him with a slight frown, but Johan just continued sorting through his Deck, as though somehow unaware of it all. Had Yuya not known about the other's ability to see spirits then he would probably have found the seeming obliviousness highly convincing. Now however⸺

"Are you also taking part in the Maiami Championship, Johan?"

This wasn't really the question that Yuya wanted to ask, but at least it had Johan's eyes flickering towards him.

"Me? No." Johan smiled a bit at that. "I already went pro back home and besides, I'm a bit too old for it, I think."

Yuya turned a bit further in his seat, narrowing his eyes a fraction. "How old?"

Johan's smile softened slightly, as if the guy was somehow aware of what Yuya really wanted to ask.

"Well,” he finally said. “I was active in the pro circuit before graduating, and it's been a while since I graduated for real."

"A while?" Yuya echoed, noting the deliberate vagueness of the statement.

"Yeah,” Johan said. “And by your standards, Judai's probably pretty old to be participating in the Youth Division. With his looks and behaviour though, it's doable. As for me on the other hand⸺"

He offered up a mild shrug, leaving Yuya to ponder what he’d just said.

“So... in other words, he's childish enough to pass for being younger?"

“Well...” Johan’s face gained a somewhat wry look. "He certainly isn't as bad as back then, but⸺ Well, he's got his reasons; his circumstances and whatnot. You probably think he's some kind of indestructible idiot genius or something, but once something gets under his skin, it actually bothers him a lot, especially if he can't do anything about it."

Yuya recalled that short moment before dinner, when he had slapped the hand away and trudged into the kitchen; Judai had gone quiet instantly, making no move to stop him. "Are you telling me to go and apologise or something? For taking out my frustration on him, I mean."

Johan just shrugged mildly at that, then exchanged another look with the air before speaking up once more. "To be completely honest, Judai can be kind of overwhelming at times. So, it's not weird if you feel like he kind of smothers you with his presence, getting you caught up in his pace and whatnot. He doesn't always realise it himself, I think – the impact of his actions."

Okay, that wasn't really an answer. Still⸺ “Should I...?”

Johan smiled a bit sadly at that, then shook his head slightly. "If that's the way you feel, then you shouldn't have to apologise for it. I know that Judai can be a pretty frustrating guy when it all comes down to it. But, even if he can be pretty frustrating with his happy-go-lucky attitude and reckless decisions, it's difficult not to get attached, even if he doesn't realise just how many people are still out there, actively looking for him or awaiting his return."

Waiting⸺ "Are there really that many of them?"

"There are." Johan was looking straight at him now, his gaze unwavering. "Myself included."

-V-

Inspiring some sense of guilt might not have been Johan's intention, but Yuya still found himself out of bed that night. He couldn't sleep, and since Judai didn't seem to intend to do so either, Yuya figured that might as well keep him company for a bit.

"Are you sure you should be up here? You've got a Duel tomorrow morning, right?"

He did, but that was beside the point. "Can we talk?"

Judai wordlessly extended his hand, and Yuya quickly grabbed it, allowing himself to be pulled up onto the roof before taking a seat beside him.

"So?" Judai said once the silence had lasted long enough. "Feel free to talk. I'll listen."

Yuya honestly wasn’t sure where to even start, and spent a good moment scanning the cityscape in search of inspiration before it came to him at last. "I saw that some of my clothes are gone. Did she raid your wardrobe as well?"

“Well...” Judai shrugged mildly at that. "Apparently, I wasn't the right size."

"She's met with that Yuto guy, hasn't she?"

"That's right."

"Oh."

In spite of Johan's earlier words, Yuya found himself revisiting the thoughts that had occupied his mind both before and since. Because in some ways, it really felt like he was slowly being replaced.

"You know, no one's really here to replace you."

That’s⸺ "Easy enough for you to say."

"I suppose, because I've never really worried about that kind of thing."

"Never?" In a way, Yuya supposed that was to be expected; it was difficult to imagine after all, that there would be someone out there who could ever⸺

“Well sure,” Judai said. "I don't imagine I'd be very good at being someone else either. Heck, being me is complicated and exhausting enough. As for Yuto, he's got his own problems to deal with. Besides, you're you. You're not that easily replaced."

As expected, he couldn't⸺ "Is it really that easy to tell what I'm thinking?"

The response wasn't immediate. It was preceded by an arm slung across his shoulders, dragging him closer.

"To a certain extent, I suppose," Judai said, flashing a smile at Yuya’s mildly irritated look. "Looking at you, I kind of remember what it was like at that age."

What it was like⸺? "I thought you⸺"

"I was alone a lot, growing up," Judai interrupted, and Yuya went quiet, startled by the sudden confession. "It wasn't always like that, I suppose. My parents had work and weren't around much and I used to spend my days duelling the neighbourhood kids, and it was fun, but⸺ Stuff sort of happened, and I was mostly alone after that. Then I came to Duel Academia, where I met Sho and the others, and after that, well⸺"

He trailed off, and Yuya took the opportunity to dislodge the arm.

"Why?" he asked at last. "Why do you duel, Judai?"

“Well...” Judai stared out towards the LDS Tower glowing in the distance. “People duel for all sorts of reasons. Money. Fame. Conviction. Necessity. Survival. You duel to entertain, but also to protect, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. As for me, back when I was your age, I did it because it was fun. I never questioned it; it was fun, so I did it. A bit flimsy, I suppose, compared to the motives of others. Meeting Johan, I came to envy him."

Yuya looked towards him, but Judai's eyes remained on the horizon. "Envy?"

"Yeah, envy," Judai affirmed, looking back at him with a smile. "He seemed to know what he was doing; why he was duelling and all that. I hadn't even thought about it before Sho asked."

"And now?"

Judai didn't hesitate, not in the slightest. "To protect. And because it's fun, of course."

Oh. "So, it's alright then, to duel for the fun of it?"

“Sure. Of course, I've taken part in several Duels that haven't been very fun, but that's life, I suppose. Seriously though…" At this, Judai levelled him with an unusually solemn look. "Make the effort, but make sure that you know when it's more important to focus on things other than on providing maximal entertainment. Because when it all comes down to it, protecting people and surviving are far more important than clinging to ideals."

Surviving⸺ "So you're telling me to throw away my dream; Dad's way of duelling? What exactly do you expect will happen here?"

"It's not like that," Judai protested. "I'm just saying, in a worst-case scenario⸺"

Yuya gritted his teeth and then forced himself to calm down, recognising that he was being both childish and selfish.

"I'm sorry," he managed at last, averting his eyes. "I made you promise to stay here and never lie, but I⸺ I made you stay here and help us out, even though there’s so many people⸺"

"People?"

"But Johan said⸺"

At this, Judai's eyebrows furrowed briefly. Then, after quick glance to the side, his expression gradually morphed into one of understanding.

"Ah, I guess," he said, looking a bit sheepish now. "Going by what Johan tells me, they're making a pretty huge deal out of it."

"But⸺"

“Honestly...” Judai offered up a dismissive wave at that. "If I’ve kept them waiting this long, they should manage for a while yet. Besides, I can't very well leave before I know you've gotten the hang of Fusion now, can I?"

Hah⸺ "You're planning on taking part in the championship too though, representing our school no less. You're not planning on dropping out halfway or something, right?"

"No worries, no worries,” Judai said. “I'll stick around. Besides, if I'm going to duel anyway, then I might as well make it as entertaining and memorable as possible."

"Entertaining?"

Then, seeing the other’s expression, Yuya decided it was better not to ask. Instead, he climbed back in through his open window, only to discover something that wasn’t there before; a single card lying right next to his deck.

And even though Yuya was tired, he flicked on his desk lamp to see what it was, taking a moment to adjust to the brightness.

Polymerization?

It was, and attached to it, there was a small note. "A good luck charm? Honestly, Sora…"

Yuya slept a lot easier after that – maybe even a bit too easy, all things considered.

-V-

"Geez, Yuya. Of all days to oversleep."

Geez. Of all days for his alarm clock to malfunction. "If you were already up then why didn’t you wake me up on time?!"

"If you hurry up, you can still make it,” Judai laughed. “And if I take you, you won’t be that late."

Yuya didn't pause to ask where his mother was, or for that matter where Johan and Sora were; they'd obviously gone ahead or⸺ "You'll take me? Can you even drive?"

Judai looked vaguely offended at that, jiggling with some keys while making a meaningful gesture towards the window. And there, out in the driveway, stood a familiar red and purple motorbike, the sight of which had Yuya choking on his toast. "No way!"

"Yes way, I got permission," Judai said, already heading for the door. "Come on!"

-V-

By the end of the day, Yuya was terribly exhausted and more than just a bit exasperated with things in general.

Sure, on a positive note, he had experienced new things and learnt from his mistakes; having learned that Mokota Michio's cooking and duelling skills were both admirable, and that Judai's driving skills were both formidable and terrifying. And at the end of the day, perhaps it had indeed been for the best that Yuya hadn’t had much for breakfast, because Judai's driving was just⸺

"No dents. Not even a speeding ticket. It's a skill, I tell you."

"Still in prime condition!" His mother preened with pride, ruffling Judai's hair. "As expected of a son of mine."

"I've learned from the very best!" Judai easily agreed, his smile broadening.

Honestly.

-V-

"Geez, Yuya," Sora admonished him after dinner once they were both out in the living room, preparing their Decks. "This time, you better include the Polymerization card. There's no use in having a skill if you won't use it, right?"

Yuya just hummed noncommittally in response, checking to make sure that everything was now included.

"Tell you what," Sora ventured, rifling through his Deck before pulling out a card and handing it over, lollypop still in mouth. "Use Polymerization and that in the next Duel and I'll teach you a few neat tricks on how to deal with XYZ-using trash."

Huh. "Are you sure? I might not get to play it anyway."

Sora dismissed his concerns with a slight wave. "Keep it in your Deck just in case. You can return it once you've qualified for the Maiami Championship."

"No pressure, huh?"

“Well...” Sora's grin broadened slightly. “My rematch aside, we’ve still got to pay those LDS people back from before, right?"

Somehow, Yuya had a bad feeling about this. He was hardly the only one though.

-V-

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah."

"Are you really, really, really sure about this?"

"Uh-huh."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Judai…"

Judai grinned. "Aw, come on, Johan. It'll be fine. Fun too. I mean really, this much is to be expected."

"Hah... I'll be watching."

"You do that. That Smiley guy went through the trouble of arranging it, so I'm definitely giving those people a run for their money."

"Really?"

"Of course."

"Really."

"Yep." Saying this, Judai put the finishing touches on his latest project, holding it up to scrutinise his needlework. Sure, Johan knew that Yoko had helped out with most of the groundwork, because although Judai knew how to repair things made out of fabric, actually making them in the first place was still beyond him. All things considered though, this was actually a pretty decent result. "So?"

Johan looked from the mostly finished costume to Judai and then back again, his attention flickering briefly towards Yubel, who stood off in the corner, exasperated and amused in equal amounts. "What exactly would you like me to say?"

"What would I like you to say?" Judai repeated, as though it was somehow Johan and not him who was being absolutely insufferable. "Some constructive criticism would have been nice. The last time I did this kind of thing, I basically threw together some parts from four different costumes."

Hoh? "Four different costumes?"

“Yeah...” Judai looked at his costume again, knitting his eyebrows together as he seemingly noticed a mistake that he soon moved to correct. "It was a thing for a school festival or something."

Johan could not recall having attended any school festivals back then. Coming to think of it, had that place even‒? Well, it hardly mattered at this point. Barring the inevitable emergence of extreme danger to one's life and self, Johan had always liked the atmosphere over at Duel Academia far more than the dull competitiveness over at North Academy.

Actually, coming to think of it, Johan had definitely seen some pictures of that school festival at some point, either back when they were all waiting for Judai to return from the Dark World or in connection to the festivities of the graduation party that Judai himself had skipped out on. Speaking of which⸺ "Why did you merrily skip out on the graduation party anyway? Not that anyone was really surprised, but⸺"

"Sentimental goodbyes and such aren't really my style," Judai commented, checking his progress. "Besides, the King had plans. Sort of."

Although curious, Johan didn't comment; he could ask about that later on. For now, there were other things to address after all.

"Why the mask though?" he asked, because while it definitely wasn't a bad idea to wear some type of disguise, Judai spontaneously deciding to do so was a bit surprising.

Judai positively grinned at that, and within moments, the mask was in his hand whereas Johan's fingers were left grasping only air.

"Isn't it obvious?" Judai said, looking at Johan through the eyeholes. "Mask Change."

Johan lowered his hand. "And the cosplay?"

Judai held up the index finger of the hand not holding the mask in place, grinning widely now. "Entertainment."

-V-

Chapter Text

-V-

Few plans survive their first impact with reality. Akaba Reiji knew this better than most people. As such, his plans were constantly undergoing changes, and while most changes were minute, some were quite significant.

The emergence of Pendulum Summoning had proven a pretty major development, but other things had already impacted on Reiji's initial plans.

For one thing, given the likelihood of an inter-dimensional warfare within the foreseeable future, it made sense for them to not only refine the talent they already had at hand but to also scout for new potentials, even if only a few duellists had the potential to be part of the Lancers; Reiji's planned defence force.

Lancers. Lance Defence Soldiers.

Now, it only remained to be seen just who and how many would qualify; Maiami Championship was just the first step in the selection process.

After that, it remained to be seen just who and how many of them possessed both the skill and the mental fortitude to deal with an actual invasion. Many of the LDS elite had already been taken out after all, and not so much by an army as by a few XYZ users. It was a decidedly pathetic show on their part, but it definitely showed their unpreparedness to deal with what still lay ahead.

The XYZ rebels were few. But given that they had managed to not only survive but also make it to Standard, they ought to be fairly strong. Reiji knew that there were at least two of them, and that one of them bore a great physical resemblance to Sakaki Yuya, and that going by the evidence that they had so far, it was the other one doing the carding. Otherwise, Sawatari and the others would have been carded just like the rest of them.

Granted, Reiji's mother had gotten ahead of herself with the whole Sawatari incident; she had only seen the opportunity to monopolise Pendulum Summoning for the LDS. Reiji meanwhile had moved on to other things. For one thing, they already had access to Pendulum cards and had already begun refining the process of creating them. Granted, the output of these cards still left a whole lot to be desired, but there was still time before the Championship.

No, what Reiji had come to consider was another thing altogether; the proof that Yuki Judai had already made contact with the XYZ rebels, and that the guerrilla attacks on LDS members had practically ceased, at least for the moment. Reiji found this a curious fact, though he would still very much prefer it if he could get the XYZ remnants into the LDS; they could hardly join You Show after all, given Shiunin Sora's presence there.

All things considered, Reiji would very much like to know Yuki Judai's motives. Confronting him within the imminent future had been on Reiji's agenda, but other things had come in-between. And now that his schedule had finally cleared, the situation had changed once again, taking a quite interesting turn.

It had not taken long for the rumours to reach him; rumours of Nico Smiley reaching out to various Duel Schools, asking if they would consider taking on a You Show Youth Class duellist in an Official Duel.

Knowing quite well that there was only one likely candidate, Reiji had been rather pleased, and before long, the LDS had deceived direct word as well. In their case though, the request had been issued as more of a challenge than a request, and quite a few had expressed an interest in taking it up, as there were scores to settle, as Reiji’s mother had so eloquently put it.

In order to qualify for the Maiami Championship, the option lay between winning six consecutive Official Duels or having a winning percentage of at least sixty percent out of at least fifty Duels within the latest twelve months.

And now, barring his earlier victories, Sakaki Yuya had won one of his scheduled Official Duels so far; the one against Mokota Michio.

Next up was Kyando Eita of the Clarity Duel School. After that, it would be Hochun Miero of the Unno Divination School, and lastly, there would be Steadfast Duellist Gongenzaka Noboru of the Gongenzaka Dojo.

Reiji was by no means worried however. Sakaki Yuya would definitely clear the conditions – if he improved quickly enough, that is. And he would; of this, Reiji was fairly certain.

Yuki Judai meanwhile was skilled, if a bit unconventional. By and large, he lacked an official record; one that the LDS had been able to uncover at any rate. He was a definite irregularity and his motives were still vague, although Reiji was beginning to gain some insight.

What was a tad worrying however, was the degree of insight that Yuki Judai seemed to have into the LDS and by extension also Reiji's affairs.

He had already launched an investigation, searching for the leak, but had yet to find anything conclusive on that front. That said though, Reiji had found plenty of other interesting leads, most of which had been filed away for later processing.

Also, despite not having much of an official record, Yuki Judai did have an unofficial one. With Reiji's mother travelling around the world buying up various Duel Schools, they had eventually encountered a couple of duellists claiming to have had past encounters with a duellist fitting Yuki Judai's description.

Nothing mentioned in the report really contradicted what Reiji already knew about the other's character though. It was a welcome addition however, to have facts corroborated by other sources. Knowing one's potential allies was after all just as important as knowing one's enemies.

Besides, odds were that Yuki Judai already knew far more about Reiji than Reiji did about him, which was an obvious cause for concern. However, as much as Reiji would have liked to confront the other party directly, it would be beneficial to do so only after gathering a bit more intelligence on their style of duelling.

In addition, recent events indicated that Yuki Judai seemed to be willing to play by Reiji's rules, at least for now. This in turn gave them time to gather additional data, and oversee the creation of new and improved Pendulum cards.

Besides, the recently issued challenge did have another major upside.

Sakuragi Yuu, the previous winner of the Junior Youth Division, had just left Reiji's office.

Pitting Yuki Judai against such a skilled XYZ duellist would serve multiple purposes.

First and foremost, it would serve as an excellent opportunity to gauge their respective strengths and adaptability. It would also prove an excellent opportunity to get better readings on the cards in Yuki Judai's possession for the sake of future replication.

-V-

"The LDS, Cloud Dragon Form Duel School, Kabuki School, Psycho Duel School, Gongenzaka Dojo and Ryozanpaku?!"

Hearing Futoshi’s excited exclamation, Judai looked towards them briefly before looking back down at the screen of his phone, frowning minutely. "Yeah, so?"

"The LDS aside, isn't Ryozanpaku that school with super violent martial artists?" Ayu commented, looking a bit uncertain now – and in Tatsuya’s private opinion, she was very much right to do so.

Judai hardly seemed fazed though. If anything, then he seemed mildly surprised, looking up from the screen. "Really?"

"Wha⸺?! You mean you didn't know?!"

Their bewilderment was perfectly justified. After all⸺ "Crazy martial artists, sumo wrestlers, kabuki actors, psycho duellists… I'm shivering!"

Heck, even Tatsuya found himself shivering, albeit not from excitement but rather from something far less pleasant. Ayu seemed to share his slight unease, unlike Judai, who grinned.

"Sounds like fun, I think," he said, largely unconcerned. "A bit challenging perhaps, but still fun."

Calling it a bit challenging was a definite understatement, but Tatsuya simply had to let it slide. There were after all more important things to address. "When's your first Duel?"

"Tomorrow morning," Judai said, having gone back to texting.

"And your second?" Tatsuya pressed, suspecting⸺

"Tomorrow afternoon," Judai easily responded, without looking up.

"Are you really sure that's such a great idea?" Tatsuya pressed, and the others nodded in agreement. "Having two important Duels on the same day, I mean."

"Nah, it'll surely be fine. It's hardly the craziest thing I've ever signed up for."

Somehow, Tatsuya didn't doubt that. Still⸺ "Are you sure?"

"It'll be fine. I promise," Judai said, flashing them an easy-going grin.

And even though Tatsuya had no actual reason to doubt Judai's promises, he honestly couldn’t help but wonder.

"But then we won't be able to see both you and Yuya duel," Ayu remarked. "Yuya's got a Duel over at Clarity Duel School tomorrow."

Judai kept smiling. "Yeah, I know."

"But⸺"

"I'll be fine," he insisted, with no doubt whatsoever. "There'll be other chances."

“Tch.” Futoshi snorted. "To think we'd miss out on your first Entertainment Duel."

"Only my first official one," Judai countered, his smile broadening a fraction.

"Which makes it even more of a shame. Someone should record it!"

Someone honestly should, but Tatsuya couldn’t help but notice that although Judai was still smiling, he didn't seem to be all too keen on the idea.

"Nah, I'd rather not," he said at last, scratching the back of his head. "I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise."

"Surprise?"

"For the others, I mean," he finished and just a tad awkwardly at that. Surprisingly, no one besides Tatsuya seemed to notice.

"Coming to think of it," Futoshi commented, craning his neck. "Where's sis and Sora?"

"Sora and Yuzu?"

"Yeah," Ayu latched on and quite intensely at that. "Are they off doing some special training or what?"

“Nah.” Judai put the phone back down, scratching the side of his neck now. "Sora's got a few Duels and Yuzu's tagging along to watch Fusion in action."

Yuzu and Sora. It was a quite unexpected combo in Tatsuya's private opinion, given Sora's gravitation towards Yuya and Judai. Of course, given that Judai had effectively pushed Sora into acting as Yuzu's personal coach, maybe⸺

"How come they didn't tell us?! We could've used some extra training as well! Sneaky!"

"My guess is that Sora just assumed you'd stick with Yuya," Judai eventually offered. "That's what I assumed, at least."

Well, that was true. Still⸺ "Still, he could've asked."

At this, Judai levelled them with a definite look. "Is Sora really the type to ask such a thing?"

Well⸺ "No, not really, no."

"So, there you have it," Judai said, back to texting again.

"So, there we have what?" Futoshi retorted. "Did you mean that we should ask him?"

"For me, the question is, do you need to?” Judai countered. “We've already gone through the basics, in theory as well as in practice. The rest is up to you, really."

Yeah, that was easy enough to say for someone who had already mastered the technique.

"Isn't there more to teach though, Judai bro?" Futoshi insisted.

"Such as?"

"Your special techniques," Ayu piped up.

“Ah,” Judai said. "Those can't really be taught though."

"But⸺"

He lifted his hand, halting the oncoming protests.

"Look," he said at last. "I'm probably not the best person to talk about this kind of thing, but let me say this anyway: There are many different styles, and not all of them mesh very well with your personal style of duelling. Of course, you can copy someone else's techniques. However, if you really want to make them work for you, then you must figure out a way to make them your own. I for one favour Fusion, and another Summoning method wouldn't work very well for me, because my Deck's geared towards Fusion. I mean, sure, I could technically add cards so that I would be able to use Synchro or XYZ Summoning, but⸺ I trust my Deck, and because I believe in my Monsters, they will come through for me in return. Of course, that's not to say that I won't ever change the composition of my Deck; I do tune-ups all the time, but the core composition usually doesn’t change very much. If I switched out everything, then it really wouldn't be the same."

"Of course," he added, grinning now. "If you think I'm on the conservative side, then you should really see Johan; he's barely changed his Deck at all since we first met, and that's saying something. I for one⸺"

"Where is Johan though?" Futoshi interrupted, bringing up a very good point. "And Yuya for that matter? Weren't we supposed to meet up like half an hour ago?"

"No worries, they'll be around in a minute," Judai responded with absolute certainty. "Still⸺"

He rose to his feet. "Let's go meet them halfway, shall we?"

The rest had no objections to this, Futoshi and Ayu walking a few steps ahead. Tatsuya meanwhile⸺

"Say, Judai, can I ask a question?"

Judai hummed thoughtfully in response, slowing his pace until they were walking side by side. "Sure thing. What's up?"

“Well...” Tatsuya privately wondered just how to breach the issue at hand. "About that thing you said earlier⸺ that thing about your Deck…"

"My Deck; what about it?"

Well⸺ "You did say that you don't change its core composition much but⸺"

"⸺But?" For a brief moment, he looked confused. But then⸺ "Ah, you mean this?" he asked, one hand resting on the card holster strapped to his belt. "Well, since I decided to try my hand at Entertainment Duelling, I figured I’d need to make a few adjustments."

"Adjustments?"

“Well... Fusion is my speciality, and I don't have any plans on using Synchro or XYZ Summoning for now. As for Pendulum, who knows, but at any rate, I'll have to up my game if I want to stay on top."

But⸺ "How?"

Judai smiled. "Easy. I'll transform."

Huh? "Transform? Into what?"

There was no answer, and just then Yuya and Johan finally showed up. They both looked somewhat exasperated, and if anything, Judai's smile only widened.

"You're late, Yuya, Johan."

"And whose fault is that?" Yuya retorted, slightly out of breath.

Johan meanwhile just sighed, appearing to be somewhat winded himself, as he held out a bag.

"We're here now; that's what counts." He paused, giving Judai an evident look. "Judai, we've been over this before, but… Are you really, really sure about doing this?"

"Really Johan?" A scoffing Judai retrieved the bag in order to check its contents. "Did you really think I would've gone through all this trouble making a costume and asking Smiley to arrange some Duels for me if I weren't serious?"

"I wasn't asking if you were serious; I was asking if you're really sure it's such a good idea."

"But it is such a great idea," Judai countered. "Don't you guys agree?"

Ayu and Futoshi both agreed. Tatsuya meanwhile pondered why Johan, allegedly Judai's best friend, seemed to be so utterly against Judai's participation in the Maiami Championships. After all⸺

"It's not a bad idea to participate," Yuya said, having mostly recovered his breath. "But why Entertainment Duelling? You’d certainly kick ass without it."

Judai's smile broadened a fraction. "Then all the more reason for me to up my game and kick ass while providing entertainment, don't you think? Besides, I'm the only Youth Class representative from You Show, so I'm aiming to make a lasting impression."

He actually winked at that last part, and Tatsuya noted how it made both Yuya and Johan grimace.

"If that's what you're aiming for, then you'll surely succeed," Yuya sighed. "Still, why was there a need to drag me out here? I've got a Duel tomorrow, and I still need to work on my⸺"

"And miss out on your big brother's first Entertainment Duel? Guess I'll have to go look for another opponent then."

"Another opponent? What’s that supposed to⸺?"

Judai flashed him an easy grin. "Me. You. Unofficial Entertainment Duel at You Show. You and the others won't be seeing most of my official ones, and I need some practice before the real thing. So, how about it? I've received permission and everything."

-V-

Chapter Text

-V-

Allegedly, Judai's aim was to make a lasting impression – and he most definitely would; of this Tatsuya had no doubts, because Judai certainly hadn’t been kidding about the transformation part.

Granted, for a costume, it wasn't too over the top. It had the same colour as Judai’s usual jacket, even if the cut, the length and other details made it somewhat different. There was clearly something to it though, something subtle yet not so subtle, and looking at it, Tatsuya was oddly reminded of dragon scales and wings.

"Whoa, I'm shivering! This is gonna be so awesome!"

Tatsuya and Ayu were both a tad more restrained in their enthusiasm than Futoshi. "I sure hope so. Still⸺"

Having just started up the Solid Vision System, Futoshi turned around to peer at them both and at Tatsuya in particular. "Still?"

Tatsuya wondered if he should actually say anything or if it was better to keep his thoughts to himself.

"I don't get it – the costume, I mean," he clarified at last, nodding to the ones down in the Field.

"Well, coming to think of it⸺" Futoshi started, exchanging a look with Ayu. "It reminds me a bit of Odd-Eyes, but Odd-Eyes doesn't have⸺"

Behind them, Johan made a slight sound, something in-between a cough and a small laugh.

"Johan?"

"It's nothing," he said, averting his eyes with a slight smile tugging at his lips. "Carry on."

"It's not nothing!" Ayu protested at the same time as Futoshi said "Don't leave us hanging, man!"

Johan opened his mouth to respond. But then a voice carried over from down below.

"Hey!" Judai called. "Are you guys done up there? We were thinking about starting!"

The attention of Ayu and Futoshi was immediately redirected. Tatsuya also turned, at least partially. However, his attention still lingered on Johan, even though he wasn’t quite certain as to why.

"Which Action Field should we pick?" Futoshi asked.

"Pick Random Selection!" Judai shouted back.

Out of the corner of his eye, Tatsuya saw Johan move. The latter lifted a hand as if to brush something away from his shoulder. He didn't though; the hand just briefly lingered there, and Tatsuya got the distinct impression that there was something riding on the other’s shoulder, and then felt silly for thinking it.

-V-

Outlandish. Standing out there right before the Action Field materialised, Yuya could not consider the situation as anything but outlandish. Then, as the Action Field materialised around them to reveal pillars and starry skies, the feeling only grew all the more intense.

"Cosmic Sanctuary? Really? What are the odds?"

Yuya took note of the surprise; it felt good to know that even Judai saw the strangeness in the situation. Still⸺ "Must be because I'm playing you. Aliens and all."

"Not today, though," Judai said, shifting his stance slightly. "Ready?"

Yeah, as if. "Whenever you are."

They started the opening chant, aided by a small but vocal audience, completing the movements fluidly. "ACTION⸺"

"⸺DUEL!"

Above them, the Action Cards scattered, but even so, they remained right where they were, sparing a moment to size each other up.

"Will you start?" Yuya finally suggested.

"You're the expert here, remember?" a smiling Judai reminded him. "You've gotta show me the ropes, Yuya."

Somehow⸺ "Somehow, hearing you say that doesn't make me happy in the slightest."

“Really?” If anything, Judai's amusement only increased. "Could've fooled me."

Truly, what were the odds of Yuya playing someone again in this Field, and Judai of all people at that?

Granted, the pressure Yuya felt now was different from the one he had felt back then. This time around, there was only some amount of pride at stake.

Furthermore, as he began his turn, Yuya found Timegazer Magician and Stargazer Magician in his hand, as well as Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon. The last time around, he’d also had Performapal Sword Fish on hand, but⸺ "I set the Pendulum Scale with Timegazer Magician and Stargazer Magician to Summon Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon in Attack Mode! I also set one card before ending my turn."

Yuya was definitely aware of the spectators. For some reason though, he found it difficult to focus much on them, because even while idle, Judai commanded attention. And sure, this wasn't exactly news to Yuya, but the getup along with the scenario at hand definitely made the feeling a bit different somehow.

"Let's go! Draw!"

Even in that getup, the unwitting elegance of the movement was the same as ever. Then, as Judai's eyes flickered to the card he had just drawn, the amusement in them became all the more pronounced. "I activate Spell Card E - Emergency Call!"

There was no real need to elaborate on it; the Spell Card was familiar, and so was its Effect. Judai added another card to his hand. Something was coming though; Yuya could feel it.

"From my hand, I activate Polymerization to fuse Elemental HERO Avian and Elemental HERO Bubbleman⸺"

Elemental HERO Avian, Level 3, 1000 ATK, 1000 DEF.

Elemental HERO Bubbleman, Level 4, 800 ATK, 1200 DEF.

"Come forth, Elemental HERO Great Tornado!"

Elemental HERO Great Tornado, Level 8, 2800 ATK, 2200 DEF.

"In addition, I activate his Effect, halving the Attack and Defence Points of any Monster currently controlled by my opponent."

Yeah, trust Judai to pull off a Level 8 Fusion Summon with 2800 ATK in his very first turn, and one with a quite troublesome Effect as well. The blast of wind was no joke either as the newly summoned Fusion Monster readied its stance.

"Go for it," Judai said. He was immediately obeyed.

Normally, having Odd-Eyes face a Monster with 2800 ATK wouldn't have been the end of the world; the Battle Damage would have been relatively small, just 300, but with the Attack Points halved⸺

Odd-Eyes' normal ATK was 2500, but due to Great Tornado's Effect, it had currently gone down to just 1250. If Yuya took an attack head-on with those numbers, then his Life Points⸺ with 1550 points worth of Battle Damage, wouldn't his Life Points drop all the way down to 2450? "I activate the Quick-Spell Hippo Carnival!"

Three Hippo Tokens materialised in the Field, and one was immediately destroyed. If anything though, Judai seemed happy that his attempt had been foiled, and, using Great Tornado as his springboard, he proceeded to launch himself into the air.

"I set two cards and end my turn!" he announced, still airborne. "Now let's liven things up, shall we?"

Above their heads, the light of a meteor shower illuminated the Field, indicating the location of Action Cards, while Yuya quickly jumped up onto Odd-Eyes and set off, determined to make good use of his own turn.

-V-

"Go Yuya bro! Go Judai bro!"

The Duel had barely even started, yet there was no mistaking the excitement from the spectators. There was Futoshi as well as Ayu, and of course Tatsuya as well; he wouldn't deny that, because even if his own outward reactions were quite not as extravagant as those of the others, his pulse had definitely picked up speed.

This is a Duel, he thought. Of course, Tatsuya had seen a fair number of Duels in the past; some from the side-lines, and others aired on TV. His parents had never quite seen the appeal of it all, but they had never really stopped him from pursuing it either. In fact, they – particularly his mother –had been fairly surprised that it had taken Tatsuya this long to join an actual Duel School.

"You Show is well-known and all, but why not try for a school that has greater prospects to offer? If you really want to pursue a career as a professional duellist, then why not join the LDS?"

At first, Tatsuya hadn't had a very good answer as to why he had picked You Show over the LDS. Truth to be told, he hadn't even had a very good answer until recently.

Now however, after encountering a number of LDS students as well as the leading forces of Leo Corporation, Tatsuya knew. You Show Duel School might not be perfect by any means. It was plain as day that they were struggling but⸺ people still did their best, not just to win but to also include others in the fun. Entertainment Duelling wasn't just about winning; the people at You Show did not duel simply because they wanted to make someone experience defeat. Instead, it was a nice, warm feeling.

"Looks like they've just about finished warming up, huh?" Tatsuya commented softly, but Ayu and Futashi were both too absorbed in what was happening out in the Field to hear him. Tatsuya honestly didn't mind though, because he knew just how easy it was to get drawn in by it all. In fact, he was just about to join them when something – some movements out of the corner of his eye – drew his attention away from the Field once more to look at Johan, who stood a few feet behind then, partially facing away from the Duel.

Seeing this, Tatsuya considered saying something, asking something. He ultimately held himself back though, noticing the seemingly troubled look on Johan's face and the way that the other kept looking off in direction of the door.

Briefly, Tatsuya wondered if it could be the LDS again. Maybe Sawatari had decided to seek revenge? Or maybe that Chairwoman Akaba was back to⸺

Tatsuya's thoughts were cut short as Johan suddenly looked his way. Briefly, they locked eyes, and then Johan smiled, then turned back towards them and finally stepped closer to the viewing window, turning his back fully to the door.

Meanwhile, the cat, Pharaoh, yawned from its position on one of the couches; it didn't seem to be overly concerned with the situation, so that should mean that everything was fine, right? Tatsuya had heard from somewhere that animals supposedly had quite good instincts when it came to stuff like this.

"Looks like they're having fun," Johan calmly observed, his voice soft.

Tatsuya glanced up briefly to catch his expression; the earlier tension had, for the most part, vanished. "Yeah, pretty much."

-V-

Truth to be told, Yuya hadn't been entirely sure as to what to expect. First and foremost, the fact that Judai had shown an interest in Entertainment Duelling had been relatively exceptional in itself. It hadn't been unbelievable per se, just somewhat surprising, considering everything. Granted, Judai's style of duelling had always featured some element of fun, but⸺

For a brief moment, Yuya had thought that Judai might actually try to go easy on him, but now, such worries seemed to have been completely unnecessary. Yuya certainly didn't fault him for that though. If anything, then it was actually the opposite; his future opponents would likely be tougher than ever before, and if Yuya managed to overcome this obstacle, then he would be far readier to face them.

"I summon Performapal Drummerilla in Attack Mode and end my turn."

Now he needed just one more card.

Judai in turn drew his next card, glanced at it and then slammed it down onto his Duel Disk.

"I summon Elemental HERO Stratos!" Judai announced, and while Yuya was still processing his statement, he hitched a ride with his newly summoned Monster, obviously aiming for the latest Action Card, all while Great Tornado destroyed another Hippo Token.

Yuya set off in pursuit, still processing what was occurring. With Great Tornado still on the Field, why would Judai abruptly decide to summon Elemental HERO Stratos, which only had 1800 ATK and 300 DEF? A Trap? A test? Or possibly⸺

"I attack Elemental HERO Stratos with Drummerilla! I also activate Drummerilla's Effect!"

Drummerilla's ATK was normally 1600, but for the duration of the Battle Phase⸺

With the incoming attack, Judai jumped off his ride, actually somersaulting backwards and snatching the Action Card mid-air before touching down upon one of the pillars, activating it within moments of impact. "I activate Miracle!"

With Miracle, Stratos remained on the Field, and the Battle Damage was halved, meaning that Judai lost just 200 LP instead of 400. Moreover, he made it look very good.

Yuya couldn’t help but feel at least a twinge of envy when he noticed just how easily Judai overcame his initial stumbles. Recalling his own first attempts as well as those he had made after his father's disappearance, Yuya honestly couldn’t help but feel this way, because currently, Judai was performing acrobatics worthy of a duelling pro.

More so, Judai was doing it in that getup of his; Yuya wouldn't not have called it a full-on costume per se, but⸺

Given the pretty tight deadline, Yuya had been surprised by just how good it looked aside from its relative simplicity. Then again, up close, he had swiftly picked up on how well made it was, especially so considering the time constraints. Granted, Judai had admitted to having had excellent assistance, but⸺

"It turned out pretty well, I think," Judai had said, right at the beginning of things. "It doesn't hinder my movements."

Judai had made a good choice, prioritising practicality and mobility over additional dramatic flair. Moreover, the costume looked good on him, even mid-air. The sheer redness of the modified trench coat only amplified the thrill of those watching – because even though the noises from outside the Duel were somewhat muted, there was little mistaking the excitement of the spectators.

Though it was decidedly stupid, not to mention pointless, to let such a thing get to him, Yuya still felt the sting of it. He did, even while knowing Judai had little thought of trying to steal his place, be it in the limelight or elsewhere. But⸺ No time for that. Focus. Assess the situation. Focus.

It was Judai's turn now. He drew, and smiled at the card and then at Yuya. Then he called for Great Tornado to destroy the last remaining Hippo Token, finishing his turn by setting the card.

Next, it was Yuya’s turn to draw, and upon seeing the card, he experienced a sudden rush of joy, straightening back up as he turned to address the audience. "Ladies and gentlemen! We're just about to welcome a new star on stage!"

Because now, having come this far, Yuya knew exactly what to do. "I use Polymerization to fuse Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon with Performapal Drummerilla! Come forth, ferocious dragon with luminous feral eyes, Beast-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!

Beast-Eyes Pendulum Dragon. Level 8. 3000 ATK. 2000 DEF. "If Beast-Eyes Pendulum Dragon destroys an opponent's Monster by battle, the damage is the same as the original ATK of the Beast-Type Monster used as Fusion Material!"

In other words, 1600.

Hearing this, Judai whistled, but otherwise, he hardly seemed fazed. If anything, then he seemed positively delighted.

The response from the side-lines was also great, but⸺

Yuya now had a Fusion Monster on the Field, one that was stronger than both Elemental HERO Great Tornado and Elemental HERO Stratos. However, there were also the two cards Judai had set; Trap Cards? Spells?

Stratos had just 1800 ATK, whereas Beast-Eyes had 3000. Then, applying the Effect, that would mean⸺ "Beast-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, attack Elemental HERO Stra⸺" Yuya didn't get much farther before Judai's voice cuts in.

"I discard one card from my hand to activate Quick-Play Spell: Mask Change II!”

Mask Change II?

“I send Elemental HERO Stratos to the Graveyard⸺"

Wha⸺? To the Graveyard?

"⸺To Summon Masked HERO Divine Wind!"

Lights exploded on the Action Field as Beast-Eyes attack impacted on Judai's latest summon. The shockwaves were no joke either, as Yuya found himself thrown off balance, regaining it right before he would’ve otherwise stumbled off the edge.

Having finished its attack, Beast-Eyes landed beside him, and the impact and ensuing roar both sent definite tremors throughout the Field.

Yuya looked towards the spot where he had last seen Judai and his Monsters, but he couldn't see anything due to the smoke. As the moment dragged on, Yuya felt a stab of trepidation. Because what if⸺?

Then, before Yuya could get much further in that ominous train of thought, there was another sharp gust of wind that quickly parted the smoke, revealing the scene at hand.

There was a new Monster on the Field, clad in green and white armour and a white cape, and just behind it, there was a shock of red; Judai's coat was billowing, and on his face was a domino mask.

There were sounds of awe coming from the spectators, and Yuya honestly couldn’t help but be a bit awed himself, because⸺ "How?"

Judai's LP, previously at 3800, were now⸺

"As I was saying," the masked Judai said, grinning as he gestured to the newest Monster. "Using Stratos and Mask Change II, I Summoned Masked HERO Divine Wind, which has the same attribute as Stratos but a higher level and cannot be Special Summoned by other means. Another nifty thing is that Divine Wind cannot be destroyed by battle, which means⸺"

Yuya felt his shoulders slump. "⸺that Beast-Eyes Double Damage Effect is nullified."

"Bingo!" Judai exchanged a high five with his Monsters.

Masked HERO Divine Wind, Level 8, 2700 ATK, 1900 DEF. Not as powerful as Beast-Eyes, but formidable nonetheless.

Yuya couldn’t help but sigh. "I set a card and end my turn. I take it there are even more nasty surprises waiting for me."

“Gotcha!” Judai announced, smiled widely at his next card before adding it to his hand. "One nasty surprise coming right up! I activate Quick-Play Spell: Mask Change and target Elemental HERO Great Tornado!"

Great Tornado was sent to the Graveyard, and in its place⸺ "Come forth, Level 6, Masked HERO Blast!"

Masked HERO Blast, Level 6, 2200 ATK, 1800 DEF. Another Wind Attribute, huh? "And its Effect?"

Judai grinned. "I'm allowed to target one face-up Monster controlled by my opponent and halve its current Attack Points."

⸺Which meant that Beast-Eyes was down to 1500 ATK, seeing that the Stargazer and Timegazer combo could only prevent the activation of Traps and Spells, not Monster Effects. "I really need to revise my strategy, don't I?"

Judai's grin widened slightly. "Well⸺"

-V-

The rest of the Duel was intense, but afterwards, it was something of a blur.

With the Effect of Masked HERO Blast activated, Judai attacked with Divine Wind, and Beast-Eyes vanished with a screech, leaving quite a dent in Yuya's LP, dropping them from 4000 all the way down to just 2800, which definitely hurt, but it occurred to Yuya that taking a direct hit from Great Tornado would have been even worse.

Instead Judai opted to use Mask Change to turn Great Tornado, a Level 8 Monster, into Masked HERO Blast, a Level 6. Initially, Yuya had believed it was because of Blast's fairly convenient Monster Effect, but then⸺

"And, finally, I fuse Masked HERO Divine Wind and Masked HERO Blast! Come forth, Level 9, Contrast HERO Chaos!"

Contrast HERO Chaos, Level 9, 3000 ATK, 2600 DEF.

Hah, Chaos. Both in that moment and in what followed, Yuya thought that it was only appropriate for Judai to have such a Monster. Still, he fought back to the best of his ability, even when he knew that he was fighting a losing battle. And, despite everything, Yuya could admit that he had definitely had fun by the time his LP finally hit zero.

"Yo.” Judai landed in front of him. “Need a helping hand?"

Yuya in turn honestly couldn’t help but return the grin aimed down at him, allowing the other to pull him back to his feet. "You went easy on me at the beginning."

"Wasn't I supposed to?" There was little mistaking the amusement in Judai's voice, and as he dislodged the domino from his face, it became all the more apparent.

Yuya wasn't mad though, because⸺ "I know what you think about my dad's teachings. But for all that it's worth, I think you’ve honoured them in this Duel."

Hearing this made Judai pause, amusement giving way to surprise. Yuya could hardly fault him though, because to be completely honest, Yuya was fairly surprised himself.

"Well," the other said at last, all while the Action Field finished dematerialising around them. "You’ve honoured your father's teachings and I’ve tried to honour those of mine, I guess."

Huh? "Your father's?"

"Oops, no." Judai smiled sheepishly, giving a somewhat dismissive wave. "I meant the teachings of a bunch of people who mean a lot to me. This is me… paying homage, I guess, to my old friends, my old professors and to my great idol back home."

Oh. "Not your parents?"

“Hah.” Judai gave a snort and a slight shrug at that. "Nah, my folks aren't duellists and they weren't very happy about me becoming one, even if they didn't try too hard to stop me. But yeah, enough about that. Congrats."

Coming to think of it, the topic of Judai's parents had somehow always been conveniently skipped, hadn't it? Either way⸺ "Shouldn't I be the one saying that?"

"I meant congrats on achieving Pendulum Fusion," Judai clarified, giving him a slight pat on the back.

Hah. "Thanks, it means a lot. Really." And it did, it really did.

"No problem. I had fun."

Yeah, no doubt about that.

"Me too." Yuya lifted his gaze towards the window, smiling.

"What about you guys?" he shouted.

The others cheered and then vanished from sight, obviously headed out towards the Field. Only Johan lingered at the window, and Judai gave him a brief thumbs-up before returning his attention to Yuya.

"And that's what it's all about, right?" he said, and upon seeing Yuya's confusion, he quickly clarified. "Entertainment Duelling, I mean."

Yeah. "Pretty much."

"That said," Judai went on, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "We should've been home like half an hour ago. You've got a Duel first thing in the morning, right?"

True, but⸺ "Isn't it the same for you though?"

"Pretty much."

"Where?"

Judai paused a brief moment to think.

"The LDS," he said at last, sounding entirely unconcerned. "After that, it's the Cloud Dragon-Something School in the afternoon."

"You're really cramming two Official Duels in one day…" Of course, he was.

"Pretty much, but the deadline is fast approaching," Judai conceded, and that much was true. Still⸺

"What about the day after tomorrow?"

Again, Judai needed a moment to think before answering. "Kabuki School in the morning and Psycho Duel School in the afternoon."

Whoa. "You're really committed to this."

“Well...” Judai said. "When I commit, I commit. But yeah, I'll probably be pretty beat by the end of the week."

No kidding. "I heard from Gong that you've got one at his place as well."

"Yeah, in the morning, two days from now."

That made five, which meant⸺ "Which one's the last?"

"Ryozanpaku."

"Ryozanpaku?" Yuya repeated, aware that it was one of the more high-profile Duel Schools alongside the LDS. He didn't know an awful lot about it though, something that he should probably do something about.

"Yeah,” Judai said. “Futoshi says they're super violent martial artists. That'll be interesting for sure."

Super violent martial artists. Interesting. Well, in any case⸺ "Good luck. On all of it. If you're really committed to this, you better qualify."

Judai looked his way, amusement evident. "Same to you."

-V-

Chapter Text

-V-

In the aftermath, after the immediate wave of excitement had passed, there were obviously questions to be had – mostly about Judai’s costume and new Deck.

“So, what’s up with the costume?” Futoshi asked.

“The costume?” Judai repeated, pulling on his regular jacket. “What about it?”

“Does it carry any special meaning?” Tatsuya asked.

“Oh sure,” Judai readily admitted. “Gotta show some dorm loyalty and all that.”

“Dorm loyalty?”

"Well⸺" Judai looked to the side, just slightly to the left of Johan, who in turn just coughed softly. "That's a story for another time, I guess. Because Mom will skin us alive if we don't get back soon."

Yeah, an excuse, if Yuya ever saw one.

"Yuya's mom would never do that," Ayu argued.

“Well,” Judai hummed. "With her, you'll never know."

It was clearly a joke – Yuya obviously understood as much. Some small part of him might have considered telling Mom about it, sure, but the thought was quickly dismissed as unimportant. Because tomorrow's Duel still awaited him, and Yuya had to prepare for it. Still⸺

Judai laughed cheerfully, conversing with Futoshi, Ayu and Tatsuya as they made their way back. Yuya also offered up a comment or two, but eventually had to bite his bottom lip so not to pick up a more serious discussion on how to improve his duelling strategies. He wanted to, but now was not the time and place. Besides, Johan was there.

Because although Johan had been a mostly benign presence in their lives so far, Yuya honestly couldn’t help but remain on his guard around him. And perhaps the other had noticed, perhaps not. It was probably the former though, because Johan seemed to be the sort of person who’d notice such things. But⸺

"Coming to think of it," Judai said, suddenly turning towards his friend. "Johan, would you mind doing me another favour?"

Yuya quietly wondered just how many favours Johan had done for Judai in the past. Looking at the expression on Johan's face though, it was probably a bit more than just a few. Even so, the other didn't say no when Judai asked if he could carry the bags back.  "Sure thing," he just said, as if shouldering Judai's burden was the natural thing to do, and Yuya was so caught up in his own thoughts that he was completely caught off guard by a sudden shove to his back.

"Come on, lil'bro! Let's go!"

That was all the warning Yuya got before Judai picked up speed and vaulted over a nearby railing soon thereafter.

"It's a race!" Judai called after him. "The first person to reach the bridge wins."

Yuya hesitated, but only for a brief second.

"Go ahead," Johan said, friendly as ever. "I'll make sure the kids get home alright."

The aforementioned kids cheered, urging him to hurry up and get going already, and Yuya, still torn in-between not wanting to betray their expectations and the mostly irrational fear that he was becoming unneeded, quickly set off after Judai.

-V-

As expected, Judai was fast, and going by how he wasn’t even slightly winded by the time Yuya got there, he had probably been standing there for a while.

"That was really unfair, you know," Yuya gasped, leaning against the railing for support. "You didn't even give me time to⸺"

"People don't always play fair," Judai quipped, managing to get in a good hair ruffle before Yuya slapped his hand away. "We should both be careful of that from now on."

Weird. "You could've just told me that, you know."

"Maybe, but I got the feeling you wanted some one-on-one. It doesn't have to be with me, of course, but⸺"

Oh. So, he had noticed after all.

Yuya didn't know whether he ought to be happy or annoyed. That said though⸺ "I guess I wouldn't mind a few more pointers…"

-V-

For once, Yuya had actually started on time. He hadn’t overslept or been forced to stop halfway to retrieve something and he had eaten a proper breakfast and everything. The day had looked so promising, and yet⸺

"Don't you dare let that person escape! He is the one who attacked my precious son!"

⸺Yuya had suddenly found himself getting chased down the street by Sawatari's father of all people. Well, him and three students from the LDS. "That's not true! It wasn't me!"

The latter three were obviously faster on their feet, and they were close on Yuya's heel as he turned the corner, veering into a fairly empty side street.

It wasn’t entirely empty though, because there was some guy just standing there, right in the middle of it. Yuya didn’t exactly have the time to ponder such things however, only vaguely taking note of the tattered coat, goggles and red scarf as he quickly rushed past. It was only after that, after hearing the surprised shouts of the LDS guys that Yuya stopped, turned and quickly looked up, finally noticing the large, birdlike Monster right above them.

"W–what's going on?"

"What are you doing?!" Sawatari's father shouted. "Don't interfere!"

The guy didn't seem to have much of a problem with that though, brandishing his odd-looking Duel Disk. In no time, there were two additional Monsters, and then⸺ "I Overlay my three Level 4 Vanishing Lanius! XYZ Summon!"

Strong winds erupted, taking out Yuya’s balance and sending him flying right into a wall, and soon after that, everything just went black.

-V-

His head hurt. His head hurt, and so did his eyes when he finally managed to get them back open. It took a few seconds for his vision to clear, but even then Yuya found himself blinking. Because that was most definitely his own face, staring down at him. The eyes were wrong though, because they were grey, not red. "…Yuto?"

"That's right," Yuto said, extending a hand.

Without really thinking, Yuya took it, allowing the other to pull him up. He still ended up having to sit back down though, leaning against a wall while holding his head, fighting against the nausea bubbling in his stomach.

By the time it had receded some, Yuya finally lifted his head, noticing that Yuto was still there, crouching down beside him, and a bit farther off was also the guy in the tattered trench coat, seemingly glaring at them.

"Sakaki Yuya, right?"

Yuya looked back at Yuto, and it felt like he was seeing double again. "Uh…"

The guy in the trench coat scoffed. "Hmph."

"Don't mind Shun," Yuto said, regarding him with obvious concern. "Are you okay?"

Uh… "Huh? Oh. I'm fine, just peachy. Kind of surprised, that's all. That's my old sweater, by the way."

And it was. Awkward.

"Right…" Yuto looked like he didn't quite buy into Yuya's assessment. "Your mother insisted."

"Yeah…" Yuya agreed. "She does that."

Coming to think of it, Yuya's mother had never really been very good at taking no for an answer, had she?

"Okay…" Yuya took a deep breath, steeling himself for the incoming onslaught of nausea as he got back on his feet. "Thanks for the save back there, uh… Shun?"

"Hmph." Even with the goggles and scarf obscuring much of the guy's face, there was little mistaking the disdain and suspicion being directed Yuya's way. Still, the guy didn't seem keen on attacking him or anything, and Yuya really, really, really had to get going in order to⸺

"Ah! There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you! Your next Duel starts in less than fifteen minutes!"

Yuya snapped his head around and immediately regretted it. If not for Yuto stabilising him, he would’ve fallen, no doubt.

"Oh my," Nico Smiley said, as if only then noticing the others. "What happened here?"

Yuya didn't even know how to begin explaining all of this, but Yuto spoke up before he even got the chance. "The LDS happened."

Now that wasn’t exactly the truth, but Yuya wasn’t about to argue at this point. "Sorry. I wasn't planning on any of⸺"

"Yuya has a concussion," Yuto interrupted, earning surprised looks from all around.

"Concussion?" Smiley echoed, giving Yuya a cursory onceover. "Well, that obviously won't do. I can't very well let you participate in an Action Duel with a concussion. It would be deeply irresponsible of me!"

⸺Which meant that Yuya would have to throw this Duel, and likely also his chance to participate in the⸺

"But we obviously cannot cancel this Duel! The representative of Clarity Duel School is already waiting, and so is the audience. It would be seriously bad publicity if we⸺ Unless…" Nico Smiley turned his attention towards the other two, smiling widely. "Gentlemen, might I tempt you with⸺"

"No," Shun snapped at the same time as Yuto said "I'll do it."

Yuya honestly couldn’t help but stare. He was hardly the only one though.

Nico Smiley looked insurmountably pleased though. "Excellent! Let's get right to it!"

Yuya had a bad feeling about this.

-V-

Elsewhere, at the LDS, another Duel had just begun to unfold.

"A Prophecy Deck, huh? Whoa, nostalgia."

Sakuragi Yuu did not know quite to make of his opponent. Said opponent had sauntered in just minutes prior, wearing that fairly eye-catching getup of his, and looked no more nervous about duelling last year's winner of the Junior Youth Division than he had minutes prior – which was to say that he did not seem nervous at all, really. "Is that so?"

"I've duelled a guy who was really into those things," his opponent commented, snatching up another Action Card mid-air. "Prophecies and all that."

The guy might’ve older than him, but Yuu found that he was not entirely fond of the guy's attitude. Of course, the people over at the You Show Duel School had never been particularly known for taking Duels very seriously, but if this guy had been even the slightest bit serious about taking part in the Maiami Championship or about duelling in general, then he should’ve already had the qualifications to enter, not scrambled to get them at the very last minute. That said of course, Yuu had received a mission to evaluate the guy and to determine whether or not he could possibly prove an asset, and Yuu fully intended to do just that. "And?"

Yuki Judai smiled. "I beat him. Twice."

Having dealt with his fair share of overconfident duellists in the past, Yuu smiled right back.

-V-

Meanwhile, Yuya wasn’t entirely sure as to what was going on.

As expected, there had been some disappointment from the audience, many of whom had been looking forward to seeing Pendulum Summoning in action. Even so, the crowd had warmed surprisingly quickly to the presence of the Dark Duellist, as Nico Smiley had dubbed Yuya's replacement.

Heck, some even seemed convinced that this was in fact Yuya, trying out a new method of Entertainment Duelling. How these people managed to reach such a conclusion was a true mystery, because looks aside, they acted nothing alike and besides, Yuto was wearing his goggles and mask, and⸺

An exited roar arose from the crowd as Yuto used another Overlay Unit to halve Kyuando Eita's Quiz Sphinx's ATK, adding the other half to his Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon. It was far cry from anything that Yuya would have called Entertainment Duelling, but it sure was efficient, bordering on brutal.

By the end of the Duel, there was silence. It proved decidedly short-lived however, because soon thereafter, people started clapping. At first, it was only a few, but then, more and more people started joining in. Towards the end, some were even chanting, and when the Dark Duellist lifted his hand, it soon became a roar.

Nico Smiley however was not one to be deterred by anything, and swiftly made his way over to conduct a post-Duel interview.

"Tch." Yuya heard Shun scoff. "Ridiculous."

-V-

Reiji had prepared himself for this eventuality. Even so, he could not help but bring up the recording of the Duel, replaying certain segments now that Sakuragi Yuu had left his office, presumably to find somewhere quiet to recover from the ordeal. And Reiji did not fault him for that. In fact, he believed that Sakuragi's reflections about his defeat would likely prove to be just as fruitful as the defeat itself. And, while Sakuragi had only managed to inflict superficial damage, he had managed to extract a fair deal of useful data.

'Transformation Summoning' was a definite first, even if the energy readout did not differ an awful lot from regular Fusion Summoning. Even so, Reiji could not help but ponder the reason as to why Yuki Judai had suddenly decided to switch to another Deck. Granted, the element of surprise would likely give him an edge in battle, at least for a while, but that in itself did not change the fact that Yuki Judai's original Deck would have been just as strong, given his ability to use Contact Fusion.

Right now, Reiji could only really think of two options, but he had to put the matter aside, at least for now. Because while Reiji had been watching the Duel in-between Yuki Judai and Sakuragi Yuu, it seemed as though those XYZ rebels had resurfaced once again.

-V-

"Yo, I heard you ran into some trouble."

Yuya had a lot of things to say to his brother when the latter dropped by to pick him up, fresh from his Duel at Cloud Dragon Form Duel School. Yuya wasn’t quite sure where to start though, and when Judai turned his back on him and dropped down to one knee, Yuya wasn’t entirely sure as to what to think.

"Get on. Just like old times."

Yeah, except⸺ "I'm not a child anymore."

Judai turned his head around, regarding him with evident amusement. "Could've fooled me. Anyways, it looks like it might start raining soon, so we should hurry up and get home."

Yuya had changed his mind; Judai's costume was not cool, and he looked ridiculous, walking around with it outside of the Duel Arena. "Fine. But we're not taking the high route."

"Why not?"

"Because I've got a concussion and might just puke on you."

"Slow and steady then. Gotcha."

Yuya pointedly didn’t ask about how Judai knew where to find him, and neither did he say anything about Yuto and Shun. Because odds were that Judai knew all about it already.

"Looks like we're both duelling twice tomorrow," Yuya said instead. "Nico Smiley arranged another Duel for me at Clarity Duel School. This time it’s in the afternoon though."

"Great," Judai said, quickening his pace. "You've got Unno Divination School in the morning, right?"

"Yes."

"Better watch out. Fortune-tellers can be pretty tricky to deal with."

Okay. Yuya wasn’t entirely sure as to how he ought to respond to that, or if he ought to respond at all.

"I'll be careful," he offered up at last, allowing his head to rest against Judai's shoulder. It felt strangely nostalgic to do so, considering how, even back then, he had only done this maybe a handful of times, if even that many. But for now, he was tired, his head hurt and he simply didn't care.

"Hey," Judai said. "Don't drool on my costume. I worked hard on it."

Yeah… Yuya really didn't care. "You'd make a pretty lousy hero if you're scared of some drool."

"Hey!"

-V-

Chapter Text

-V-

True to Judai's estimates, Unno Divination School's Houchun Mieru proved quite a handful with her Flip Summon Monsters and ominous predictions about Yuya's future. She effectively shut down his strategy for a while, using Lock Draw to prevent him from drawing, and kept urging him to call it quits. But Yuya obviously couldn’t do that, just as he obviously couldn’t afford to lose.

And so, he made a mad dash for an Action Card, hardly even having time to process the chandelier coming down on top of him. And his gamble had ultimately paid off, since the Action Card Miracle kept him from getting buried in the rubble.

When he finally emerged, there were cheers. Ayu, Futoshi and Tatsuya were there, cheering for him, and Yuya quickly sent Miracle to the Graveyard, dispelling the effects of Lock Draw.

"Alright!" Finally. "I bet everything on this one card! Draw!"

Polymerization; just the card he needed.

Smiling broadly, Yuya made his way over to a more stable portion of rubble, spreading his arms wide. "Ladies and gentlemen!" he called out, facing the crowd as he set the stage, calling back Odd-Eyes, Performapal Kaleidoscorp, and Performapal Partnaga from the Extra Deck.

Of course, Mieru chose that exact moment to activate Prediction Princess Tarotei's Effect, allowing her to then activate the Effect of Prediction Princess Petalelf, which put Yuya's Monster's back into Defence Position, which would’ve been bad, had Yuya not had an ace up his sleeve.

Mieru didn't seem to have figured that out though, as she reminded him that the Effect of her Prediction Princess Astromorrigan would destroy all of his Monsters in Defence Position and inflict enough damage to take out his remaining 300 LP.

"I wonder about that, Miss!" Yuya just said, and immediately set to work. "I activate Performapal Springoose's Effect! By banishing this card from my Graveyard, I can return two cards on the Field to my hand! Return to my hand, Stargazer and Timegazer!"

Yes, like back then, except⸺ "I'll tribute Performapal Kaleidoscorp to Summon Level 5 Stargazer Magician! And now, from my hand, I activate the Spell Card Polymerization and fuse Stargazer Magician and Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!"

Yes⸺ "Fusion Summon! Rune-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!"

Rune-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, Level 8, ATK 3000, DEF 2000. Monster Effect: to launch multiple attacks, depending on the Level of the Spellcaster used as Fusion Material −which in this case was Stargazer Magician, Level 5, ATK 1200, DEF 2400 – so: "When the Fusion Material's Level is 5 or 6, it can attack three times!" he announced, jumping onto Rune-Eyes' back.

Each of Mieru's Monsters were illuminated by spotlights as Yuya declared his attack. It was the climax, and Yuya found himself experiencing a sudden rush, because this, this was what he wanted – this was how he wanted to duel!

And as he made his way back down, his friends from You Show immediately ran over. Ayu, Futoshi and Tatsuya had now been joined by Yuzu and Sora, who was particularly happy, exclaiming that he knew Yuya could do it before lapsing into a small rant about not inviting him and Yuzu to watch the action just the other day. "⸺Playing Entertainment Duels with Master, and not even giving us an invite? That's mean!"

There wasn’t a whole lot of spite behind it though, and Yuzu didn't seem to be a particularly upset about it either, so⸺

"My fated person!"

Yuya hardly had the time to react before his opponent came charging at him, tackling him to the floor.

"I knew you were my fated person! You made my heart go⸺" Huh? Huh? "⸺just now!"

Uh… what?

"My divination wasn't wrong after all!" Houchun Mieru declared, nuzzling his cheek and ah⸺

"Hold on a sec," Yuzu said, and even though Yuya had no clear view of it, he knew that Yuzu's dreaded fan had reappeared. "Fated person? What's the meaning of this?"

"I have no idea!"

Yuzu didn't seem all too keen on listening though, and as Yuya got back on his feet, Mieru refused to let go and Yuzu started pursuing them both with vengeance.

"Please don't hit me on the head!” Yuya begged. “I've got another Duel after this!"

That quickly stopped her in her tracks. "You do? Isn't it tomorrow?"

"My Duel yesterday got moved to today!" Yuya explained, still trying to get loose.

"Eh?! Why?!" Sora asked, all while Mieru kept babbling on about meeting Yuya's parents and about how many children Yuya wanted and⸺

"I got a concussion, okay! No big deal, but they didn't allow me to participate in an Action Duel when I⸺"

"You got a concussion?!" Yuzu echoed, and Mieru's arms went slack just long enough for Yuya to slip out of her grip. "How?!"

It occurred to Yuya that the centre of a Duelling Arena was not the best place to be discussing such things. "I'll tell you later, okay? I have to go."

Yuya actually wanted to tell Yuzu everything, but now was not the time. Besides, with Sora around, Yuya couldn’t talk about Yuto or⸺ "I'll see you guys later, okay?!"

He ran off to his next Duel, leaving them behind. It felt an awful lot like he was running away.

-V-

Duelling while distracted wasn't very smart, but Yuya still pulled through in the end. He felt like it was all a bit unfair though, because Kyuando Eita had yet to recover from yesterday, and having watching yesterday's Duel, Yuya had a bit of an advantage. He was still pretty useless as far as quizzes went though, so maybe it would be fair to say that things had probably evened out?

In any case, Yuya was pretty damned worn-out by the end of it all, and if this was how it felt after doing two Official Duels in one day, then Yuya was impressed that Judai had been up and about as usual. Because if Yuya had to do this kind of thing more than once, then he would probably crash right after dinner.

Judai being Judai however, he had returned looking oddly refreshed, talking excitedly about his own Duels at Kabuki School and Psycho Duel School, and even with everything that had gone down as of late, Yuya honestly couldn’t help but feel a bit excited as well. Because his remaining Duel was against Gong. Coming to think of it though⸺ "You're also duelling at Gongenzaka Dojo tomorrow, right?"

"Yep. Gongenzaka Dojo in the morning, Ryozanpaku after lunch."

Ryozanpaku.

"They're like super violent martial artists! Gives me the shivers!"

"You're really saving the worst for last," Yuya commented, thinking back on what Futoshi had told him. "Are you sure you can do it?"

Judai grinned, reinforcing Yuya's impression that he had just asked an idiotic question.

"Nah, I’m sure I’ll manage," Judai finally said, levelling him with a look that was both curious and amused. "How about you then? Think you can go all out in a Duel against one of your best friends?"

"Duh." As if the question even needed to be asked. "He'd never let me hear the end of it if I didn't."

-V-

Gongenzaka was already waiting for them by the time they −Yuya, Judai, and Nico Smiley – arrived at the Gongenzaka Dojo the next morning.

"I was growing tired of waiting for you, Yuya!" Gongenzaka shouted, and geez, they weren’t even that late – or late at all for that matter.

Earlier, Yuya would have pondered why Nico Smiley had insisted upon putting Gongenzaka as Yuya's final opponent, seeing that the two of them had already duelled many, many times. Yuya hadn’t commented on it though, figuring that the man no doubt had his reasons for wanting to see this particular matchup, and besides, Yuya had also his own reasons for wanting this Duel.

Gongenzaka, along with Yuzu, had always supported and looked out for him. Of course, they had also had their disagreements, but that was just normal, and while Yuya might not have hung out with them quite as much recently, he’d still been thinking about them. And, while Yuya had heard reports from Sora about Yuzu's progress, he knew next to nothing about what Gongenzaka had been up to, save for him receiving special training of some sort.

As such, Yuya was excited, not just to see what Gongenzaka had been up to but also to show off his own skills – or rather, he was, right up until he learned about what the other had planned.

"Why go this far, Gong?!"

Why deliberately make it so that only one of them would be able to qualify? Why?

"If I didn't do this much, I thought that I wouldn't be able to get a serious match from you," Gongenzaka explained, going on to say that this was also a test for him to hone his Steadfast Duelling technique and that Yuya better prepare himself, because Gongenzaka would show him no mercy.

Gongenzaka probably thought that he would be able to motivate Yuya like this, but now⸺

"It's okay." A hand clapped him on the shoulder, grounding him, and Yuya looked up to see Judai. "Don't let it intimidate you," Judai continued, more quietly now. "He can easily make up for a loss. He's just putting pressure on you, hoping you'll take this seriously."

"But I am taking this seriously," Yuya hissed back at him.

The hand gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Better prove it to him then," Judai grinned.

-V-

Truth to be told, Gongenzaka's new Synchro-empowered strategy did prove a tough nut to crack. Yuya had still prevailed though, managing to summon Beast-Eyes. He had then used its Effect to inflict enough damage to drop Gongenzaka's LP to zero.

And it had felt great, and Gongenzaka wasn't terribly upset about it. It was more of the opposite, really.

As it turned out, the others – Yuzu's dad and Yuya's mom included – had all been there watching from the very start, and Yuya was so distracted by them, particularly by Sora's nagging about Pendulum Fusion, that he very nearly missed the start of the next Duel.

-V-

Judai's Duel proved a fairly quick affair. But that was understandable, considering how Judai was on a pretty tight schedule and all. Even so, even Yuya was surprised by just how quickly Judai had departed, offering up a cheerful "Well, I'm off! Wish me luck!" and a wave before disappearing back out the door.

On one hand, some part of Yuya wanted to rush after him, and likely, this feeling was shared by several others. On the other hand though, Yuya felt that he shouldn’t, because if Judai had wanted an audience, then he would have asked for one.

Sora didn’t seem to be on quite the same page though, and he would’ve likely dashed after him, had Yuya's mother not grabbed him by the back of the collar like an unruly kitten. "Everyone, we're heading back to You Show. Let's go!"

The others cheered, and Yuya tried hard not to snicker at Sora's disgruntled expression, because serious matters aside⸺

"Johan's bringing snacks," Mom added with a wink, which explained why Johan wasn’t around.

"Snacks?!" Sora's facial expression immediately brightened. "Like candy?!"

"That's right. Lots of it."

"Then what are we standing around here for? Let's go!"

-V-

The atmosphere was light, but somehow, Yuya couldn’t help but think about Judai, even while Sora talked excitedly about the Duel and about Yuzu's progress with Fusion.

"I make a pretty damned good teacher actually!" Sora bragged around a mouthful of chocolate. "I admit I had my doubts at the start of it, but damn, this teaching thing is actually pretty fun!"

At this rate, You Show Duel School might just end up as the You Show Fusion Duel School. But that was the least of their worries, really – the least of Yuya's worries at any rate. Because even while enjoying the makeshift celebrations with the others, Yuya definitely noticed the slight nod that was exchanged in-between his mother and Johan, right before the latter slipped back outside.

They were definitely hiding something, and quite frankly, it made Yuya sick to his stomach, because after being told about alternate dimensions and people getting turned into cards, he honestly couldn’t imagine a whole lot of things that could possibly be terrible enough to warrant such secrecy.

Of course, if it was in any way related to Yuto, Shun and the XYZ Dimension, then Yuya could obviously imagine why they would not say anything with Sora around. But somehow, Yuya didn't think that was it, and he had a sinking feeling that it might just be related to Judai's Duel over at Ryozanpaku.

-V-

"You really are an idiot, you know?"

Judai readily laughed it off up until Johan smacked a band-aid onto his cheek. Because at that point, he hissed, because with a bruise like that, it ought to hurt. Johan was just a tad too exasperated to feel very bad about it however.

"Geez," Judai said, wincing a bit as he reached up to touch it. "It's not like I even planned on this to begin with. But, for future reference, those Ryouzanpaku people? Don't engage. Or, if you ever have to, don't bother playing fairly, because they sure as heck won't."

Johan knew that it had to have been pretty bad for Judai to say that. He didn’t need the additional testimony of Yubel or any other spirit, though it did help him to paint a slightly more detailed picture.

"I'll keep that in mind," he offered simply, returning the rest of the medical supplies to the box. "Not that I'm planning on it or anything."

Really. They shouldn’t even be here.

"Are you going to talk to Yuya about it?"

“Uh...” Judai blinked. "I guess? But I’ve already told him to watch out, because people don't always play fair, so… Do I really need to bring it up again?"

Ah, honestly⸺ "You should really talk to him about it. Kachidoki Isao is in the Junior Youth class."

"Who's Kachidoki Isao?"

Oh, for the love of⸺ "He came in second after Sakuragi Yuu in last year's Maiami Championship. He's from Ryozanpaku."

"Oh. Why is that important?"

Really, sometimes, Johan wondered if Judai was acting this dense on purpose, given how perceptive he could be about other things. Ugh, honestly⸺ "Revenge, Judai, revenge. To Ryozanpaku, winning is everything, and you just beat one of them. If they didn't care about You Show before, then they sure do now."

"Huh…" Judai scratched his head and then winced, clearly reminded that the bandage wrapped around his wrist wasn’t just for show. "Didn't think about that."

Of course not.

"Look," Johan said. "Just remember that you're not alone in all of this. I mean, sure, you're the only person from You Show who's taking part in the Youth class, but Ryozanpaku is a large school with students of all ages, so if they're nursing a grudge, they’re just as likely to target Yuya, Yuzu or Sora in the Junior Youth class or Ayu, Futoshi and Tatsuya in the Junior class."

Just as likely, possibly even likelier.

"It'd be interesting to see them go up against Sora," Judai idly commented. "Interesting but violent."

Johan fervently hoped that none of them would ever have to see that.

"That said," Judai noted, regarding him with obvious curiosity. "Since when did you become such an expert on Ryozanpaku?"

Johan felt so utterly tired all of a sudden. "You'd be surprised by just how much you can find out if you go digging around a bit on the Internet, Judai."

"I know how to search the Internet, Johan; I'm not that dense. I browse articles on Wikipedia all the time."

Hah.

Johan felt a sudden urge to facepalm – and going by Yubel's heavy sigh, he probably wasn’t the only one.

-V-

Chapter Text

-V-

Kurosaki Shun had no reason to trust these people. He had no reason to do so, and neither did Yuto, and yet here they were.

Then again, Yuto had been acting a bit strange for a while now. Shun had simply been too busy hunting down the LDS to properly address the fact before, and now⸺

"Shun, just listen to me, okay?"

Although decidedly unkeen on it, Shun had to admit that Yuto did have a point; that the LDS students they’d encountered in Standard up to this point had all lacked the discipline and ruthlessness of the dimensional invaders. They’d been easy prey as well – maybe even too easy – and the horrified disbelief at the sight of their comrades getting carded might well have been too raw to be fake. Thus, it was only reasonable to assume that some of them might well have been ignorant of everything.

 Of course, given the situation at hand, Shun would much rather be safer than sorry in that regard, no matter how much Yuto seemed inclined to disagree.

"The LDS is not our enemy, but they've been infiltrated by agents of the Fusion dimension. Akaba Reiji is investigating them while making preparations."

Infiltrated by agents? Such a convenient excuse. "Preparations for what?"

"For an invasion. They intend to fight against the Fusion dimension."

"Who?"

"Akaba Reiji and his underlings. But…"

"But?"

"There's more."

More?

-V-

Realising there was no point in hunting down the truly ignorant, Shun had ceased his attacks for now. Besides, if the duellists of the Standard dimension were truly in the midst of preparing to defend against an incoming invasion, then continuing to attack them would only make things easier for the soldiers of Academia.

Sure, it was still a bit hard to swallow. But Shun figured that he might as well reserve his energy and refrain from engaging them for now – unless they came running at him directly, of course.

"What are you doing?! Don't interfere!"

To be perfectly honest, Shun couldn’t care any less about what that chubby man was shouting. Rather, he wouldn’t have cared, had the man not been accompanied by three students from the LDS, and in the middle of chasing down a painfully familiar stranger.

"I Overlay my three Level 4 Vanishing Lanius! XYZ Summon!"

Pathetic. All of them. After getting tossed around by the shockwaves, the man and the LDS just scurried away like rats.

Only the familiar stranger stayed, and only because he was unconscious. Pathetic, truly.

"Shun."

Yuto was there, frowning at the scene. But then, before he had the time to say more about it, he cursed under his breath, rushing over to the fallen figure.

Shun remained right where he was, both because he had no reason to involve himself beyond this point and because someone had to stand guard. Besides, even though he had been alerted to Yuto’s doppelganger beforehand, it was still uncanny to see them both beside one another. It was uncanny, albeit not quite as agonising as the thought of Ruri’s, learning Fusion while wearing that same face.

In this, Shun firmly trusted Yuto’s judgement that they were different people. The girl had not recognised Yuto and thus would not recognise him, and Ruri would’ve never stooped so low as to learn Fusion. Seeking the girl out would’ve only caused trouble and risked making Shun falter in his convictions the same way that Yuto⸺

"Thanks for the save back there, uh… Shun?"

Yuto's doppelganger, Sakaki Yuya. Weak, but⸺

"Ah! There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

Shun whirled around, readying his Duel Disk as he faced the most recent arrival – a man in a striped suit, glasses and a fixed smile. And despite sensing no hostility from the man, Shun by no means lowered his guard, because people who smiled like that were never up to any good. But⸺

The man was apparently there for Yuto's⸺ for Sakaki Yuya, not them, so there was no real need for them to engage. There was no real need, and yet⸺

"The LDS happened," Yuto readily explained, tacking on the extremely unnecessary info that his doppelga⸺ that Sakaki Yuya had a concussion.

"Concussion?" the man echoed, managing to look troubled despite the persistent grin. "Well, that obviously won't do. I can't very well let you participate in an Action Duel with a concussion. It would be deeply irresponsible of me!"

Tch. Duelling for entertainment? These people⸺

"But we obviously cannot cancel this Duel! The representative of Clarity Duel School is already waiting, and so is the audience. It would be seriously bad publicity if we⸺ Unless…"

The man turned towards them with a wide grin. "Gentlemen, might I tempt you with⸺"

“No.” The mere thought disgusted him.

“I’ll do it,” Yuto said in turn.

“Excellent!” the man said, looking insurmountably pleased. "Let's get right to it!"

Shun had a bad feeling about this.

-V-

Naturally, Yuto had prevailed. Anything else would’ve been preposterous, considering the opponent.

That said, Shun wasn’t happy – he wasn’t happy about this at all.

"Dark Duellist! Dark Duellist! Dark Duellist!"

The previously silent audience was now clapping – clapping and cheering and chanting – and Shun was involuntarily reminded of better days, before those Fusion bastards had invaded Heartland, turning everyone into bloody⸺

"Ridiculous."

They really had no time for this. There was really no time for this, and yet, and yet⸺

-V-

Shun rounded on Yuto as soon as they were safely out of earshot, because while he was upset, he was hardly a fool. "What were you thinking?!"

"It was a viable option," Yuto answered, entirely too calm. "This way, we'll have an insider on Akaba Reiji's operation, and it'll be easier for us to determine whether or not they’ll be useful to the Resistance."

It sounded reasonable. It definitely did. Still, Yuto should’ve brought this up with Shun before rather than after the fact. Because they were in this together and could only really trust each other, not these Standard duellists that were either too weak to be of use or too⸺ too much, in certain ways.

Entertainment Duelling? Dueltaining? Idiotic.

-V-

The Duel Stadium was crowded – full of anticipation and cluelessness, and quite a lot of both.

"It's Reiji! There he is, Akaba Reiji himself, the main sponsor of the tournament and the president of Leo Corporation!"

And there he was indeed, alongside the rest of Akaba Reo's damned family.

And here Shun was, keeping an eye on things while Yuto was somewhere down in the lounge, scouting the area.

"Shun." Correction: Yuto was back now. "Have you seen anything?"

Shun had seen many things, but few things that were worth reporting. "Over there." He nodded towards the Akaba family's box seat. "Akaba Reiji."

There was also Akaba Reiji's army of fangirls, but they were likely useless and therefore undeserving of additional notice.

"That's Akaba Reiji, huh?" Yuto commented, pulling at his mask. For a moment, he looked like he was about to say something else. But then, he just huffed and went back to scanning the crowd.

If he noticed Shun's glances, then he made no comment of it.

-V-

Meanwhile, there was Yuya and Judai, standing over at the bridge overlooking the Duel Stadium out in the bay.

"Nostalgic, isn't it?"

"I suppose," Yuya agreed, if a bit absentmindedly. "Did Mom send you out to get me?"

“Well...” Judai said, leaning more heavily against the railing. "Not quite. Besides, I'm perfectly capable of wandering off on my own."

Yeah, the understatement of a century. "And your random stroll led you right here to me?"

There was a mild shrug at that, and then⸺ "I like the view. Reminds me of home."

Hearing this, Yuya promptly stopped fiddling with his goggles. "Of Academia?"

"Yep."

They had talked about this before, and not very long ago at that. Still, Yuya was curious to hear more. Of course, this might not be the time and place for that, but⸺ "Don't you ever think about... you know, your parents and stuff?"

Judai went strangely quiet at that. Frankly, it was eerie.

"Not really," he admitted at last, straightening back up. "Like I told you the other day, my folks aren't duellists and they didn't want me to become one either. Besides, back then, they were always working, so we barely even saw each other..."

Yuya found himself holding back an involuntary shudder, because he knew there had to be more to it than that – so he asked why they had opposed it so strongly.

"Because they were afraid," Judai eventually admitted, gaze even more distant now as he leaning against the railing once more. "They were afraid I would remember."

"Remember?"

“What happened and what they did. Not that it matters or anything, since it's all in the past – like really far."

Oh. "But your parents, they didn't try to stop you from joining Duel Academia?"

“Well...” Judai actually let out a slight laugh at that. "They didn't exactly try to stop me, but they also didn't encourage me. But you know, I beat the examiner in a Duel, so I got in, and after that, there wasn't a whole lot they could do about it. I mean, sure, they could’ve probably pulled me out, but they didn’t. Maybe because they couldn't bear with the thought of me moping around all day. But who knows? I never asked."

Judai's relationship with his real – well, biological – family sounded complicated, which wasn’t to say that Judai's relationships were not complicated in general. Still⸺

"I met with Dad on this bridge. On that day before his Duel against Strong Ishijima."

Even now, it hurt to think about it, but since Judai had revealed things about his past, it was only fair for Yuya to say something about his – from the time before.

"He said that he'd do his best," Yuya said, feeling a thickness in his throat. "And he told me to do my best in the Junior Championship. And I said… that I'd definitely win and become a professional duellist, just like him, and he… he told me to cherish what makes me 'me' instead of trying to become him."

"Sound advice," Judai said, and for a moment, he looked like he was about to say something else, but then he kind of just smiled and looked past Yuya, prompting Yuya to turn his own head in that direction.

"Ah, there you are, my wayward sons," their mother said, hands upon her hips. "Did you perchance forget at what time the opening ceremony starts?"

Yuya looked to Judai, who just smiled sheepishly.

"Up, up," Mom urged them. "Let's go. Yuzu's getting worried about you two."

Yuya and Judai exchanged a look.

"Right," Judai said at last, looking a tad mischievous. "Race you to the stadium?"

-V-

"You two are such idiots! And you, Yuya, we were all worried while you were wandering around!" Yuzu exclaimed, clutching Yuya's hand in hers; she probably felt the need to clutch something, and had apparently foregone the fan, considering Yuya's recent concussion and all.

Still⸺ "Weren't you worried about Judai though?"

"Of course, we were!" Yuzu shouted, grip tightening. "We were worried he wasn't gonna show up!"

Hah. A valid concern.

"Well, I'm here now, aren't I?" Judai said, standing just behind Yuya's shoulder. "What's up with your bracelet by the way? It's kind of… glowing?"

Yuya hadn't even noticed, but going by the lack of surprise from the rest of them, he was probably the only one.

"I know!" Yuzu said, letting go of Yuya's hand in favour of frowning down at the bracelet. "It started going off a couple of minutes before you arrived, and I don't know why. It has never done that before."

Judai hummed thoughtfully at that before asking to take a look, to which Yuzu quickly obliged.

"Weird," he said, looking it over. "But jewellery is mostly Johan's speciality, so we could ask him to take a look at it, I guess?"

"Hey, hey, Master!" Sora interrupted. "What happened to your cheek?"

Judai gave a dismissive wave at that, giving Yuya a glimpse of something white; a bandage? "Ryozanpaku happened. They weren't kidding about that 'super violent martial artists' thing."

Oh.

Yuya had obviously noticed the band-aid, but⸺

"You know what, I'll just go and drop this off with Johan for a bit," Judai said, turning the bracelet over in his hand. "I might forget about it otherwise."

"It doesn't have to be now!" Yuzu called after him, as he was already on his way. "If you're late for the opening ceremony, I'll whack you ten times with my fan, just so you know!"

Wow.

And what was even more extraordinary was that the threat seemingly made Judai pause.

Then, Yuya suddenly received a hard shove from behind, barely managing to catch his balance in time and whirling around to come face to face – or rather, face to chest – with a very familiar and unpleasant face. "Ankokuji Gen."

"Long time no see, weakling," the other greeted him. "It's right before an important tournament, so I was certain you'd run away, just like your daddy dearest!"

It was a blatant provocation, but that didn't make it hurt any less – and what did he care about hurting Yuya’s feelings. Rather, he relished in it – Ankokuji Gen, fan of Strong Ishijima, former student of the Gongenzaka Dojo.

"I'll never accept that someone like you beat Strong Ishijima!" he hissed. "How about I crush you right here to prove what coward you really are, huh?"

"That's enough, Ankokuji Gen."

Gongenzaka.

Yuya found himself starting to relax despite everything, but then⸺

Ankokuji Gen abruptly tore his attention away from Gongenzaka at the unmistakable sound of someone uncapping and capping a marker pen, and Yuya, among others, turned around just in time to see a smiling Judai offer up a friendly wave before starting to twirl the marker in-between his fingers, Yuzu’s bracelet nowhere in sight.

“Uh.” Ankokuji Gen blanched, even though he tried very hard not to let it show. Then he scoffed, retreating, at least for now, but not without calling them losers and whatnot.

Yuya didn’t really care though – as he saw Ankokuji Gen walk away, he immediately felt his tension drain away. Then, he turned, first to Judai, who gave a slight wave before heading off again, and then to Gongenzaka, who was still staring after Gen with a serious expression on his face.

Yuya was stronger now, so he could take care of himself. But it still felt good, knowing that someone always had his back. And it also felt good, knowing that Gongenzaka had managed to qualify on time after all.

-V-

Shortly thereafter, there was the announcement that the competitors could begin entering, and they all lined up according to their teams for the entry procession.

As the champions of the previous tournament, the LDS naturally led the march.

Watching the screens down in the lobby, Yuya quickly recognised Sawatari, alongside the three who had come to duel at You Show – which had only been little over a week ago, even though it certainly felt as though it had been a whole lot longer.

The next team out was Ryozanpaku. Normally, Yuya wouldn’t have paid all that much attention, but knowing that Judai had apparently had some trouble with them, Yuya made sure to commit at least their faces to memory.

Next up was Knight of Duels, an international team from overseas, and after that, a number of different Duel Schools. Yuya paid no greater attention to them though, because Judai wasn't back yet, and wasn't that a worrying thought?

It almost seemed as though they would have to head off without their only Youth Class duellist. But just as they had stepped out into the arena and just as the announcer started talking about You Show, there were audible gasps from above, and moments thereafter, Judai landed right behind them and straightened from his slight crouch with a triumphant smile. "Told you I'd make it."

To be fair, Judai hadn't exactly said anything about making it on time, but who even cared at this point.

"Judai..."

Oh wait, Yuzu cared.

"Yuya!"

Yuya looked up to see Mom on the stands next to Yuzu's dad.

"Have fun!" she shouted, barely making herself heard over all the energetic cheering.

It was a bit embarrassing actually, but nowhere near as embarrassing as when the announcer started talking about Yuya and about Pendulum Summoning.

Yuya chanced one last glance in direction of the audience before moving on. Once again, Johan was nowhere to be seen.

Soon, all of the teams stood side by side, lined up before a small stage where someone was giving a speech; Yuya only listened to it with half an ear, because frankly, he was feeling a bit overwhelmed. Granted, this technically wasn't his first time competing, but⸺

"Well, you've got their attention alright," Judai softly commented behind him, and Yuya couldn’t help but turn his head.

And yeah, plenty of people were looking at Yuya. But the team from Ryozanpaku were definitely looking at Judai with murder in their eyes, and Yuya was so absorbed by it that he completely stopped listening to the speech until Yuzu rammed an elbow into his ribs and hissed at him to get up on stage.

"You’ve been chosen as the representative to say the fair play oath!" she quickly explained. "They want you to hold a speech!"

Horrified, Yuya looked back at Judai, who quickly mouthed a "Can't help you with that. Good luck!"

Reluctantly, Yuya got up on stage, and Nico Smiley was there, so Yuya figured that all this was probably the guy's fault. He didn’t say anything about that though, because like it or not, there was that speech thing.

And although Yuya might’ve stumbled a bit over his words at first, he still felt like he’d managed to convey what he’d wanted to convey; that he’d do everything in his power to carry on the legacy of Entertainment Duelling and that he would strive to become a great professional duellist like his father. Of course, it still hurt that many considered his father a coward that ran away all those years ago. But one day, Yuya hoped that everyone would see the truth.

And they applauded him at least, which although embarrassing was still a lot better than getting booed, allowing Yuya to leave the stage and rejoin the others.

"Now then,” Nico Smiley said. “Time to announce the first matches! All competitors, please insert your registration card into your Duel Disks! This way, you'll receive info on who is your next opponent!"

Yuya immediately did so, and ended up with Sawatari, for tomorrow – and while he wasn’t exactly thrilled about that, he’d rather deal with Sawatari than with Ankokuji Gen, who would be Gongenzaka’s opponent in the morning.

"It must be fate," Gongenzaka said, appearing somewhat pleased.

Yuya honestly wasn’t even sure what to call it, so he opted not to say anything about that – or about Yuzu getting a rematch with Masumi in the afternoon. Futoshi and Ayu were also duelling today, but a bit later on, meaning that they would all be cheering for Yuzu, Futoshi and Ayu today.

"What about you, Sora?" Tatsuya asked.

"Mine's tomorrow," Sora announced.

Yuya leaned in, undeniably curious. "Who is it?"

"No idea," he muttered, frowning down at the display. "Master, 'the Dark Duellist', do you have a clue?"

Yuya nearly dropped what he was holding, because that was⸺

"Dunno," Judai hummed, putting a hand up to shield his eyes from the sunlight as he scanned the crowd for a bit. "He's probably around here somewhere though."

"Unaffiliated, huh?" Sora said, and as he looked down at the screen, his lips curled into a smirk. "Probably pretty strong then."

Yuya wasn’t sure what made Sora say that, but knowing who was truly behind the moniker, he honestly couldn’t disagree. That said though, was this really such a good idea?

"Hey, Judai-bro!" Futoshi shouted, interrupting Yuya's train of thought. "Who did you get?!"

"Dunno," Judai offered, turning his screen towards them. "Who's Sasaki Ryouhei?"

-V-

Chapter Text

-V-

Futoshi had won his Duel, so next up was Ayu, who was to face some student from the LDS.

Said student… was a bit creepy; Yuya had to admit that much, considering the vacant look and how he was wearing both a hood and a cap, and moved like he didn't want to be seen, tugging along a worn-out teddy bear. The boy didn't seem nervous, per se, more like… scared? But why would he be scared of Ayu of all people? Could Yuya be imagining things?

Well, in any case, the Duel started, and Ayu was doing pretty good. No, very good, in Yuya's and everyone's opinion. Well, almost everyone's opinion.

Sora yawned, stuffing a final piece of candy into his mouth before turning on his heel.

"I'm off to check out the competition," he said, offering up a slight wave. "See you guys later!"

Yuya sneaked a glance at Judai, but Judai spared just brief glance at Sora's retreating back before looking in the direction of Ayu's opponent. Yuya wasn’t sure what Judai saw, but whatever it was, it had him frowning.

But then, suddenly, Judai looked up again and then in the direction Sora had just disappeared.

"You know what?" he said. "I'm gonna go and track down Sora. Yuzu's Duel starts right after this, right?"

Had that been the real issue at hand, then maybe Judai shouldn't have let Sora run off in the first place. No, this was probably just Judai wanting to keep an eye on things, and wanting to be close at hand in case something happened.

Knowing Yuto and Shun were likely to be in the vicinity, it wouldn’t be impossible after all. Sure, Yuto's scheduled Duel with Sora was tomorrow, but⸺ There was really no point Yuya in worrying about it, was there?

"Go ahead," he said, turning his attention back towards the ongoing Duel. "We're perfectly fine without you."

Hearing this, Judai laughed and left, and in the corner of his eye, Yuya could see Yuzu's hand edging closer to the handle of her paper fan.

"Fifteen times," she growled under her breath, and hearing this, Yuya felt a momentary sting of sympathy for Judai. It was gone quickly though, because Judai most certainly deserved it.

Anyways, Ayu's Duel was still ongoing, and they had to be there to cheer her on. Practicing Entertainment Duelling without an interested audience wasn't the same after all.

"You're doing great, Ayu! Keep it up!"

-V-

Ayu fought bravely. In the end though, it wasn’t enough.

"I did my best, but I lost…"

She’d lost, but there was no shame in that.

"Ayu," Yuya said, leaning in. "There's always tomorrow. Believe that you'll win tomorrow and the day after that and keep taking one step forward. We'll work on your Fusion Summoning, and then⸺"

Ayu wiped away her tears.

"Then I'm gonna come back and kick his ass!" she declared, flinging out her hand to point at her opponent. "Did you hear that, you⸺ Oh."

Her opponent seemed to have left already, and without following proper duelling etiquette at that. Because much like it was customary to start with the duelling chant, it was also customary to address your opponent afterwards, typically to comment that it was a good Duel or something like that.

"Well, whatever," Ayu said after a while, turning on her heel. "Come on, you guys! Let's go watch Big Sis kick some ass!"

Yuya's eyes darted towards Ayu's parents who were displaying expressions of surprise, even mild shock, and Yuya briefly wondered if they were all going to get scolded for teaching Ayu to speak like that, but then⸺

"Yes!" Ayu's father shouted excitedly before turning to his wife. "Honey, I got it on video! She's so fierce! Our little warrior princess!"

Suddenly, Yuya was relieved that his mother, while supportive, had never insisted on making private home videos. Because that would’ve been terribly embarrassing.

-V-

"Okay!" Yuzu straightened out her hair, clothing and Duel Disk. "Time for revenge! Let's do this!"

"It's payback time!" Ayu agreed. "Better beat those LDS people down once and for all, Big Sis!"

Wow. On one hand, it was a great thing that Ayu didn't seem very bothered by her loss. But had she always been this… fierce? Then again, Ayu clearly admired Yuzu, and Yuzu could be quite fierce, so… where was Yuya headed with this again?

"Good luck!" he told her. "Show them all just how much you've improved."

"Of course!” Yuzu affirmed. “She's my fated rival and this time around, I definitely won't lose!"

Hearing this, her father wiped a tear away, mumbling in an unusually quiet tone. "That's my daughter!"

Then, he turned towards the rest of them, raising his voice once more. "Alright! We gotta hurry to our seats! My lovely daughter's about to duel!"

Heading back to their seats, Yuya was quick to spot his mother, and alongside her, Sora. The pair in turn noticed Yuya and the others just around the same time, and Yuya's mother offered up a smile and a slight wave whereas Sora just kind of blinked at them and then pulled the lollipop from his mouth.

"Where's Master?" he asked. "Wasn't he with you guys?"

And Johan was also gone.

Yuya experienced a sudden urge to facepalm. However, instead, he just pulled out his phone.

Surprisingly, Judai picked up on the second ring – which was surprising, because Yuya hadn't been sure that the other would pick up at all. His first words however were somewhat expected. "Hi, Yuya. Yeah, something came up. It might take a while."

Really. "Yuzu won't go easy on you for this. I heard her mutter something about fifteen whacks a while back, but once she learns about you ditching her Duel⸺"

There was a slight laugh from the other end. "Well, I guess I better watch out then. Besides, I'm definitely watching it – on a monitor, but still."

On a monitor? "Where are you?"

There was a brief pause at that.

"Dunno actually," Judai finally said. "I mean, I know where I am – well, more or less. But I don't know what this place is called. Besides, do you really have time to keep chatting with me? The Duel's about to start."

Judai was right. And he didn’t seem to be lying either, at least not at the moment. That said however⸺ "You better have a good explanation for this later."

-V-

Judai better have either a good explanation or a decent excuse, because Yuzu would hardly accept anything less. In fact, it was debatable that she would accept even that.

Granted, Yuzu was in a pretty good mood after the Duel, for obvious reasons. She had after all achieved what she had come for and then some, winning not just the Duel but also the acknowledgement of not just one but two acclaimed users of Fusion – Sora and Masumi – for her successful application of Fusion Summoning.

Schuberta the Melodious Maestra had the effect of banishing all cards used to Fusion Summon once per turn and temporarily gaining ATK for them, which had incidentally turned out to be the perfect way to counter Masumi's Gem Knight Master Diamond, which gained ATK for each Gem-type Monster in her Graveyard.

Sure, Masumi had still had a way to counterattack, proving herself capable of Fusion Summoning not just from the Hand or the Field or the Graveyard but from her Deck as well. Heck, even Sora had seemed impressed to see that.

Then, there had been that moment – Masumi attacking Schuberta with Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Diamond, destroying it and causing enough shockwaves to send Yuzu over the railing, and for a brief moment, Yuya had felt as though his heart was about to stop.

The Action Field, Infinite Bridge, was definitely a risky one with its network of crisscrossing walkways. Like Nico Smiley had said, one misstep meant plunging headfirst into the abyss, and the sheer indication that this was about to happen to Yuzu had been enough to make the blood freeze in Yuya’s veins.

Sure, Yuzu had managed to not just grab onto the railing in time but also counter Masumi’s strategies, turning the Duel back into her favour – summoning yet another Fusion Monster, Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir, to redirect the Battle Damage she would’ve otherwise taken from Masumi's attack, before launching a particularly daring manoeuvre to reach an Action Card ahead of Masumi, Bloom Diva swooping in to catch her as she fell.

And Bloom Diva had swooped in and caught Masumi as well, after she had lost her balance and taken the plunge.

Now, there were no words about Yuzu lacking any lustre. No, it was rather the opposite.

In any case, Yuzu had just won her first match, and she was in a fairly good mood, shining even brighter than usual. Only the fact that Judai had yet to show his face seemed to be putting a slight damper on her mood.

And right at that moment, when Masumi was already on her way, Johan suddenly appeared, being greeted by Yoko.

"Johan, Judai isn't with you?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Yuya saw Masumi's retreating steps come to an abrupt halt. Then, before Johan could respond, Masumi whipped her head back around to stare at him with narrowed eyes.

"You're the Gem Guy?" she said, because it wasn't really a question.

And then, only then did Yuya recall that whole Duel War incident with the LDS. More so, he recalled the way in which it had ended – and going by Masumi's facial expression, she also remembered the event, and likely with a whole lot of bitterness at that.

Johan no doubt sensed it as well, because unlike Judai at times, he wasn't exactly dense. He didn’t shrink back though. Instead, he displayed a warm smile and took a few steps forward, extending his hand. "Johan Andersen. Kotsu Masumi, right? It was quite an impressive Duel."

Masumi stared at the hand and at him for several moments, seeming pretty ready to just turn on her heel and storm off. However, just then she took the proffered hand and shook it.

"So, 'Mr. Expert'…" she said at last. "A diamond in the rough or a polished quartz crystal – Which one am I?"

For a brief moment, Johan looked confused. He quickly covered it up with a smile though.

"Who would I be to define you, having only just met you?" he said. "I'm leaning towards diamond, personally, but…"

Masumi smiled, obviously satisfied with the answer, and left. She had only just made it out of earshot when Sora muttered that Johan had lain it on unnecessarily thick; that Masumi was impressive, sure, but not to such a degree.

It was very lucky that Yuzu didn't hear him, because Yuzu would’ve probably hit him if she had. Because Masumi was Yuzu's rival now, and it wasn't Sora's place to talk smack about Yuzu's rival. Speaking of rivals though, what about Yuya?

Sure, he had Yuzu and Gong, but they were his childhood friends and it wasn’t the same, and they had other rivals. Sure, if everything went well, then Yuya could end up facing either of them in the finals, but that was only if they managed to win and continue winning and if Yuya did the same.

It would only be determined with time, and tomorrow marked the first step in the tournament for him and for Gong. Still⸺ "What happened to Judai?"

Johan's smile turned mildly sheepish before he turned to look towards the arena's exit. "Why don't you ask him that yourself?"

Then, before Yuya had the time to ask, the doors opened to reveal Judai, who greeted them with a tired smile and a slight wave. He wasn't alone though.

Yoko whistled. "I see that Judai's following in our proud family tradition."

Proud family tradition?!

"Judai-bro?!" Futoshi crowed. "Isn't that⸺?!"

"−Riley?!" Ayu finished while Tatsuya looked on in obvious surprise.

This time around, Judai was the one looking surprised.

"Riley?" he repeated, tilting his head to look at the child standing beside him. "Wasn't it Layra? Did I get it wrong?"

Instead of answering, the younger Akaba sibling attached himself to Judai's jacket, and everyone – well, almost everyone at any rate – was suitably weirded out. Heck, even Judai looked a bit out of his depth for once, looking helplessly towards them and towards Johan in particular.

Johan didn't look like he was about to step in though. Well, not physically at any rate. "Judai..."

A lot of things could be conveyed in a single utterance, depending on the tone along with other things. And Johan's tone conveyed a lot of things, at least to Yuya's ears; mild exasperation, mild impatience, mild amusement among other things.

In any case though, it seemed to motivate Judai to settle this situation – whatever this situation really was – once and for all, as he looked back towards Riley – Layra? – and hesitated. For a moment, he looked like he was about to pat the boy's head, but apparently thought better of it. Instead, he smiled and crouched down instead, putting them at approximately the same eye-level. "Say, Layra... Don't you think you should get back to your brother? I think he's down in the lobby, and most of the crowds should have dispersed by now, so..."

For a while, there was silence. Probably quite a bit of staring too, going by the angle. Then, the kid kind of dropped his head down and hugged his teddy bear tighter, uttering a barely audible "Okay" before dashing off back inside.

It made for a somewhat touching but nevertheless odd scene, to say the very least.

"Honestly, Judai... Akaba Reiji's little brother? How did that happen?"

That was an excellent question, really.

"Little brother?" Judai repeated, blinking. Then he pointed over his shoulder. "Layra's a girl, you know?"

Hah?

"No way!"

"Are your eyes okay, Judai-bro?! Are you sure you don't need glasses?!"

"Layra's a girl," Judai repeated, a tad exasperated now.

"Are you sure, Judai?" Tatsuya asked.

"I'm pretty sure," Judai said. "But never mind that. Yuzu! I saw the Duel! It was awesome!"

Yuzu seemed somewhat mollified at that. "Masumi was here up until a minute ago. You just missed her."

At this, there was another blink. "Masumi?"

"You know, Kotsu Masumi. My opponent. Gem Girl?"

"Ah."

There was a noticeable twitch at that. "You remembered Akaba Layra's name with no problem, yet you forgot about Masumi's. How?"

"Ah ha ha ha. Yeah, my memory's pretty awful... and selective. So I've been told, at least."

Well, no shit.

-V-

Meanwhile, down in the lobby, two pairs of eyes looked on as two 'brothers' reunited. One pair belonged to Nakajima, watching from close by. The other pair belonged to Kurosaki Shun.

Naturally, Yuto was there too, but he didn't participate for more than a moment, playing the lookout while Shun was busy glaring. Also, Yuto was there to ensure that Shun didn't slip up and do something stupid simply because the sons of their hated enemy were just within reach.

But, contrary to popular belief, Shun had better self-control than that, especially so after a bit more sleep and a few proper meals – which wasn’t to say that he was in top shape, but still⸺ he ate and he slept because of the mission, because of vengeance, and because he wanted to get his sister back.

This was probably why Shun felt a stab of resentment at seeing the two children of Akaba Reo happily reunited whereas Ruri's ultimate fate still remained unknown.

Then there was that girl from before, that Hiragi Yuzu, and if some part of Shun had allowed himself to hope, it was all gone now. Hiragi Yuzu was not Ruri, because Kurosaki Ruri would’ve never used Fusion.

"Shun."

Shun didn't answer, but Yuto persisted, tugging.

"Come on."

Fine, he thought, turning on his heel.

-V-

Chapter Text

-V-

The second day of the Maiami Championship had only just begun, and yet, a bunch of stuff had already gone down.

In the early hours of the day, Ankokuji Gen had attempted to sabotage Gongenzaka, but thankfully, Yuya had been able to retrieve the sash and get it to Gong in time before the match. Then finally, it had been Yuya’s turn to shine.

Strangely enough, he hadn’t been particularly nervous about it. No, if anything, then Yuya had been excited about facing Sawatari again – wanting to duel him fair and square this time around.

Because Sawatari had clearly attempted to reinvent himself since last time. Oh sure, he still persisted in accusing Yuya – for stealing ‘his’ Pendulum cards, for the attack on him and his father and all that – even though Sawatari had been guilty of the first and Yuya hadn’t been responsible for the latter.

In any case, Yuya hadn’t been overly fazed by Sawatari managing his own Pendulum Summons. In fact, he’d long reconciled with the thought of eventually facing other Pendulum users. No, he might even have been a bit excited at the opportunity to experience that – and to provide maximal entertainment for the audience, of course.

Pendulum Fusion had been a big hit, and by the end of the Duel, Sawatari had gracefully accepted his defeat and the audience had been cheering for the both of them.

And yeah, when Sawatari had hinted at future Duels, Yuya hadn’t seen any reason to deny him. Because sure, the guy might not have been the nicest to him initially, but maybe in time, they could become friends, or at the very least good-natured rivals. Oh sure, Yuya already had Gong and Yuzu and the rest at You Show, but⸺

It didn’t hurt to expand one’s horizons, and duelling Sawatari had been decidedly entertaining, not just for him but for the audience as well.

And, speaking of entertainment, there was what had followed; Judai duelling Sasaki Ryouhei. And it had certainly been a spectacle, and the audience had enjoyed every minute of it. Midway through, someone had begun chanting and others had quickly followed suit. By the end of it all, Judai – in his special getup – had flashed a smile and his usual salute, which had immediately made the audience go crazy.

Yuya hadn’t really felt envious though, not even when the crowds had called for the ‘Masked Hero’. No, if anything, then Yuya had been immensely proud of him, because throughout the Duel, Judai had honoured the principles of Entertainment Duelling without necessarily compromising his own, providing maximal entertainment. Knowing Judai’s skill, he could’ve no doubt crushed his opponent several turns prior, although him not doing so had also been entirely in character.

Because Judai was only ruthless when he was angry, and Yuya had rarely seen him Duel in such an emotional state. No, even back then, when Judai had first come around, he had rarely duelled in anger. He had seen no reason to prove his strength to anyone – not to Yuya’s tormentors or to anyone else – and he had also never used duelling as a tool for fighting; not within Yuya’s line of sight, at least.

As for what Judai had been doing out of sight, that was another matter altogether. Like yeah, Yuya was pretty sure that Judai hadn’t been doing anything nefarious behind the scenes. However, Yuya knew for a fact that Judai had definitely done something, considering Ankokuji Gen’s earlier reaction to his presence.

Yuya wasn’t mad about it though, and looking at the other now, he vividly recalled that time when he’d come home from school and met him for the first time. Neither had really known what to make of the other, but in time, Yuya had found that he didn’t really mind the disruption. Because having Judai around had been better than the emptiness – the gaping hole left behind by Yuya’s father.

At times, Yuya wondered what life would’ve been like if his mother hadn’t brought home a stranger and insisted that he should stick around ‘for now’. Maybe it wouldn’t have been all that different, but⸺

Gong and Yuzu would’ve still been there for him, sure, as well as his mother and the people at You Show, but⸺

“Freaking finally!” Sora shouted, dashing off as the next Duel was announced. “I’m gonna kick so much ass!”

Hearing this, Yuya couldn’t help but smile. Because upon witnessing Judai’s ‘Transformation Summoning’ for the first time, Sora had been over the moon, excited to the point of jumping up and down in his seat.

Yuzu had also been quite excited, if a bit annoyed when she had learned the rest of them had known about Judai’s new style and Deck already.

Sora had probably felt something similar, but for now, he was much too excited about being next in line to bother with anything else – and while Yuya was happy about Sora getting into the spirit, that happiness quickly morphed into a sense of unease as he remembered who would be the other’s opponent.

Down below, the ‘Dark Duellist’ – Yuto – was already making his way to the platform to the excited cheers of the audience. There were other cheers as well, from parts of You Show that were excited about finally seeing Sora in action – and Yuzu had been among them, right up until she’d caught sight of Sora’s opponent.

“Yuya,” she said, grabbing hold of his sleeve while lowering her voice to an urgent whisper. “Isn’t that⸺?”

Yuya nodded but said no more as the Action Field activated down below, revealing a futuristic-looking cityscape. It wasn’t among the standard ones, that was for sure – and Nico Smiley quickly introduced it as ‘Heartland’. 

The word meant little to Yuya, but considering how Judai and Johan both reacted, it had to hold some significance, quite possibly even⸺

“That Reiji guy, he really went there,” Judai mumbled, facepalming.

Johan in turn said nothing, but going by the look on his face, he definitely shared Judai’s sentiments.

“That must Yuto’s hometown then,” Yuya’s mother suddenly said, and Yuya, suspicions now confirmed, looked back towards the Field, where Sora had just attempted to start up the traditional Action Duel chant, but the Dark Duellist – Yuto – wasn’t having any of it.

“Hey,” Sora said. “You suck at reading the atmosphere! Take the hint already!”

Sora⸺

Yuto ⸺

The latter was standing eerily still, and with the mask and goggles in place, it was hard to determine his exact expression. There was definite tension in his frame though, and after what seemed like an eternity, Yuto finally spoke.

“I take the first turn,” he said.

He then proceeded to Summon and Special Summon Phantom Knights Dusty Robe and Phantom Knights Silent Boots, Overlaying them to Summon Phantom Knights Break Sword.

Over in the commentator’s booth, Nico Smiley enthusiastically commented on the Masked Duellist’s quick and aggressive approach, XYZ Summoning a monster with 2000 ATK from the get-go.

The audience in turn was abuzz with excitement, eager to see what came next. But it wasn’t like that for everyone; Yuya for one felt slightly ill, and Yuzu apparently felt it too.

As for Judai and Johan, Yuya didn’t really have to look, because their expressions hadn’t really changed since the announcement of that particular Action Field.

Sora meanwhile didn’t seem daunted – no, his grin was entirely too wide for that. “Heeeh, XYZ huh? Guess I lucked out. Draw!”

He drew a card, then cackled.  “Yes! I activate Polymerization to Fusion Summon Frightfur Bear!”

As the Monster appeared, Nico Smiley excitedly commented on Sora managing to Summon a Level 6 Fusion Monster with 2200 ATK in his very first turn

The audience didn’t cheer though. In fact, they seemed a bit taken aback or even scared by the sight.

“It’s time to take out the trash!” Sora announced, directing his Monster. “Frightfur Bear, attack Break Sword!”

-V-

With Break Sword destroyed, Yuto’s LP dropped down to 3800. The Dark Duellist didn’t seem fazed though, using Break Sword’s Effect to Special Summon the Monsters attached as its Overlay Units, returning Dusty Robe and Silent Boots to the Field and raising them both to Level 4.

Sora meanwhile activated the Effect of Frightfur Bear, equipping it with Break Sword, increasing its ATK to 4200. The whole process – with Frightfur Bear effectively gobbling up Break Sword – did not come as a shock to Yuya nor to anyone that had seen Frightfur Bear in action before. The same honestly couldn’t be said for the rest of them.

Sora clearly didn’t seem to care though – he was much too busy taunting his opponent to even consider the feelings of the audience. “Go ahead and XYZ Summon something again, trash! Frightfur Bear will just devour it again!”

This wasn’t right, Yuya thought. Duels were supposed to make people happy – they were supposed to bring smiles to people’s faces, not scare people or hurt people! But⸺

In this Duel, only Sora was smiling and laughing rather maniacally at that, and no matter how it progressed or ended, it was just wrong-wrong-wrong!

Yuto wasn’t a bad guy though – Yuya might not have spent a lot of time with him, but according to what he had seen for himself and heard from others, Yuto was a good person.

But what about Sora?

Admittedly, Yuya might’ve thought of him as a bit of an annoyance at first, but that didn’t change the fact that Sora had actively helped them out – he’d given Yuya good tips on Fusion Summoning and taken Yuzu under his wing. Like sure, he had a definite bias against XYZ and all, but that in itself didn’t mean that Sora was a bad guy. But⸺

“Draw!” Yuto glanced at the card, then quickly came to a decision. “I Set a card. Next, I Overlay Dusty Robes and Silent Boots and XYZ Summon Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon!”

Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon, 2500 ATK, against Frightfur Bear’s 4200 ATK. It obviously wouldn’t work, but as it quickly turned out, Yuto wasn’t done by a long mile. He detached one Overlay Unit to activate its Effect, Treason Discharge, allowing him to halve the ATK of a Monster at Level 5 or above, adding the ATK to Dark Rebellion for the rest of the turn, making it soar to 4600.

At this, there was a buzz throughout the arena, with Nico Smiley talking excitedly about the Duel unfolding down below.

Those partaking in it didn’t seem to pay him any mind though – him or anyone else for that matter. Instead, Yuto ordered Dark Rebellion to attack and destroy Frightfur Bear, and given its reduced ATK, Sora’s LP was brought down to 1500. Then, finally, Yuto set a card, announcing the end of his turn.

It was easy to tell that Sora was shocked at recent developments. He recovered fairly quickly though, hiding his shock and mounting frustration behind a very sharp grin.

“Heh,” he said. “For being XYZ trash, you’re surprisingly capable. Now, it’s my turn! Draw!”

-V-

The Duel progressed further.

And then⸺

And then⸺

And then⸺

The words exchanged.

“You lot were laughing as you hunted down my comrades,” Yuto said, his voice carefully controlled but undeniably angry.

“It’s just a game!” Sora laughed; it wasn’t a very nice laugh. “How can I take it seriously? It’s the same for my comrades! We hunt you down because we enjoy it! I mean, you’re nothing but prey in our hunting game!”

Sora, hunting people for sport. Yuya felt sick at the thought.

“What are they talking about?” Yuzu asked, but before Yuya could say anything, Yuto had spoken up once more.

“What happened to the prisoners?”

Prisoners. Yuya could feel his pulse picking up; it was already elevated.

“Prisoners?” Sora repeated, frowning momentarily before shrugging and grinning, looking positively deranged. “No clue. Last time I checked, we didn’t capture anyone. Because everyone got turned into cards!”

Yuya felt his heart skip a beat. Then it picked up pace again, starting to race. And it hurt, it⸺

“I’m the top-ranking student of Academia’s Advanced Placement Class!” Sora bragged, out loud for anyone to hear. “I was selected for this special mission!”

Had he forgotten about the people in the stands? Had he⸺ Ugh.

“Yuya?!”

Yuzu’s voice, concerned.

“Yuya?!”

Other voices, equally alarmed.

Yuya couldn’t do much though, and very little to reassure them. His body felt hot, like it was burning up on the inside. What was this feeling? What⸺?

Down below, there was a roar; Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon.

Something was happening. Something was happening, but what⸺ Ugh.

Vaguely, Yuya picked up on more voices and something going on below. However, most of it was drowned out by the sound of his racing heart. Yuya could still sense it though; travelling through the air like vibrations.

And then⸺

And then⸺

Then suddenly, Yuya could see and breathe again, and he instinctively looked in direction of the Field. People were holding him – Yuzu, his mother – but they too seemed distracted by what was going on down below. Or rather, what had apparently just taken place.

The Action Field had just about faded away. But strangely enough, the arena was almost completely silent. Shock, confusion, dismay⸺

“Wait...” Sora. “This Duel isn’t over yet... No way I could’ve ever lost to some XYZ trash like you!”

But the Duel was over. The Duel was⸺

Then, a horrified whisper to his right; Ayu. “What would’ve happened if the rubble had hit him head on...?”

Another whisper, equally horrified; Futoshi. “If Judai-bro hadn’t⸺”

Judai?

Judai was down there; he was back to wearing his usual red jacket and⸺

He was down in the Field in the dissipating smoke, Duel Disk glowing eerily while Sora only just barely managed to tear himself loose from the grip of Elemental Hero Neos; which had most likely swooped in right in time to save Sora from whatever had just occurred – some type of Solid Vision malfunction?

“Why did you interfere?” Yuto asked, mask and goggles still in place. “In the end, are you siding with him, Yuki Judai?”

His voice carried over the stadium, not because it was loud but because of the microphones down on the Field.

“What on earth is going on?!” Yuzu whispered, and Yuya would very much like an answer to that himself.

However, just as Judai seemed about to respond, something made him pause.

Moments thereafter, a bright flash temporarily blinded them all. It was a bright light and a roar – one from a huge white dragon and the other from… a weird-looking motorcycle?

And this was about as much as Yuya had time to process before he once again felt the return of that searing and suffocating pressure. Anger? No, this was⸺

Yuya heard Yuto’s voice again, as clearly as if the other had spoken right next to him. “You.”

It was but a single word, but it was uttered in such a way that Yuya definitely felt it – the cold rage – almost as if it had been his own, and he lifted his gaze just enough to stare at the newcomer – the motorcycle rider – and his hands immediately tightened into fists. By now, the dragon had vanished, and the helmet-wearing intruder seemed momentarily taken aback by the surroundings before his gaze suddenly landed on Yuto.

“Ah!” the newcomer exclaimed. “Finally found you!”

In response, Yuto quickly readied his stance.

“I’ve got a score to settle with you!” the intruder announced. “This time around, I’ll be sure to kick your ass!”

“I won’t fall to a minion of the Fusion dimension!” Yuto snapped, all while the audience looked on. Many were exchanging glances, whispers, and the part of Yuya that wasn’t seething from a rage not his own was horrified that no one had seen it fit to do anything yet. What were they⸺?

Then a hand landed on his shoulder, and Yuya found that he could finally breathe again. Looking up, he saw Johan, but the other wasn’t looking at him. The other’s eyes were on the Field, and in his hand – in the one that wasn’t resting on Yuya’s shoulder – there was⸺

“My bracelet!” Yuzu gasped, instinctively reaching for it, and then⸺

Another flash of light followed, and the noise of the audience surged. But all that faded into the background when Yuya picked up on a word, just a single word; a name.

“Judai.”

And his eyes immediately snapped back towards the field, widening in horror at the sight.

Because Yuto, Sora, the intruder, and Judai – they were all gone.

-V-