"C'mon now, AIBO, Tyranno learned his lesson. He didn't know better."
Jaden scratched the back of his head while trying to shield his junior from the verbal assault he was currently enduring.
Yumi stood in front of them with his arms crossed, looking unimpressed.
Tyranno, despite having more muscle in both arms than Yumi probably had in his entire body, was kneeling without resistance. Physical strength meant very little when the person in front of you could casually summon an army of Duel Monster Spirits if annoyed enough.
He wasn't suicidal.
Celina watched from the side of the room, leaning against the wall with her arms folded.
The sight of both Jaden and Tyranno kneeling while Yumi scolded them was… entertaining.
"This is quite amusing…" she murmured under her breath.
But beyond that, it was reassuring.
Yumi being annoyed meant he cared. If he truly didn't care, he would've ignored them entirely.
"Wait," Tyranno suddenly said, looking up in shock. "So you're saying the Society of Light actually brainwashes its followers?"
Everyone: "..."
"You seriously don't know that?" Yumi asked flatly. "How did you even manage to join them?"
Tyranno scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Well… I said I wanted to become Jaden-aniki's aibo, and they agreed to let me join after I put on this white shirt."
He pointed at his sleeveless white uniform proudly.
Yumi: "…"
Jaden: "..."
Celina: "..."
"I see," Yumi said at last. "So you're a disposable pawn."
Tyranno blinked. "Huh?"
"They let you wear the uniform, but didn't tell you anything important. That means they don't trust you. You're a name on a list. That's it."
The realization visibly hit him.
"…Oh."
Jaden winced slightly. "That's kinda harsh."
"It's accurate," Yumi replied.
Celina pushed off the wall and stepped closer. "Since there are four of us now… how should we deal with them?"
Her tone shifted slightly. Now that her siblings were also on the island, she wanted this entire situation resolved before it escalated further. Of course, they all knew how to duel, but if this gets dragged out any longer, then the chances of them also being mind-controlled and force again her were pretty high.
Yumi fell back, now sitting on the table.
"We can clear the brainwashing by defeating them in a duel," he said. "Or use cards they have an emotional attachment to. Something meaningful to them, this will help them break out on their own."
Jaden's face grew serious. Celina's gaze sharpened. Even Tyranno straightened up.
"Their leader, Sartorius, has already ordered them to avoid me if possible," Yumi continued evenly. "He knows they can't win against me. There's no point sending pawns to lose."
His eyes moved between the three of them.
"You, on the other hand, they still think they can beat."
Jaden asks. "So we're the bait?"
"No. You're the solution," Yumi corrected. "Breaking the brainwashing on the others, I'll leave that to you."
There was a brief pause.
Then Jaden nodded without hesitation. "Got it."
Celina nodded as well. "Understood."
Tyranno looked at Jaden, saw the complete trust in his expression, and nodded firmly. "I'll give it my all!"
Seeing that unified response, Yumi felt a small sense of relief settle in his chest.
He is confident that his allies would at least be strong enough to take down the henchman and other minor threats. If everything, from the leader down to the lowest henchman, fell entirely on his shoulders, he might actually grow depressed and lose the joy in dueling.
We've all spent three years in a school that teaches us how to draw cards and how to play cards.
How can you fail against background characters!?
If you study all that time and still can't handle henchmen, then what exactly were you studying?
As the three of them left to begin confronting the Society of Light members across the island, Yumi remained seated on the ground, watching the passing cloud above.
Then he sighed.
"…Now I'm bored."
There hadn't been a genuinely strong opponent for him in this tournament yet. Everything so far felt like maintenance work. And he honestly couldn't challange his any of his allies, seeing how if he won, they would lose the qualification to challenge others in this tournament.
Meanwhile, on another part of the island.
Zane was pedaling hard on his bicycle, face composed but legs working overtime as he tried to keep pace beside Momoyo.
She glanced at him. "…Too slow."
Before he could respond, she hopped off her bicycle and began running, while holding it in one hand.
Still faster than Zane.
Finding that insufficient, she grabbed Zane's bicycle as well, one in each hand, and started running ahead of him entirely.
This caused Zane to chase after her.
Back near the dorms, Yumi was mid-yawn when a shadow passed over him.
The next instant, Momoyo scooped him up effortlessly with one arm, while still holding a bicycle in her hand.
Yumi blinked. "Huh? You're back?"
"Yo, did you miss me?" she replied casually, continuing to run.
Behind them, Zane was now running too, carrying his bicycle instead of riding it.
Midori stepped out of the cafeteria holding a cup of coffee and a sandwich.
She took one sip.
Then she saw Momoyo sprinting across campus with two bicycles raised above her head, while Yumi and Zane sat on each one, pedaling like it would actually go somewhere.
Midori blinked once, then twice, before she lowered her coffee slightly.
"…What am I watching?"
She looked down at her drink, then back up at the scene.
...
"So the Chancellor invited you guys back?" Yumi asked, now sitting across from Momoyo and Zane inside the Slifer Red cafeteria, which felt a lot quieter than it once was.
"Yeah," Momoyo answered easily. She leaned back in her chair like she owned the place, arms resting behind her head. "Although I couldn't help but notice the Slifer dorm seems a bit… empty now." She glanced around at the empty tables; the few students were nowhere to be seen.
Zane nodded slightly from beside her. "I also noticed the Obelisk dorm suddenly got painted mostly white, and the students now wear mostly white."
Yumi studied the two of them for a moment instead of answering right away. Zane looked mostly the same as he remembered.
He now wore a long black trench coat over a navy blue shirt and black pants, the dark colors reminded Yumi of Zane's clothing in the original work after he graduated and put on a shock collar.
Momoyo, on the other hand, looked completely at ease in black shorts and a sleeveless shirt, a coat hanging loosely over her shoulders like a cape.
"Well, about that…" Yumi finally began.
He gave them a brief rundown of everything that had happened since they graduated, the Society of Light, the sudden change in Obelisk Blue and Ra Yellow, the white uniforms, the strange devotion. Most of the students had already been brainwashed. How the few who hadn't were mostly from Slifer Red.
Tyranno's technically Ra Yellow, but he moved into Slifer after Jaden beat him at the start of the year.
Yumi didn't see any reason to keep this from them. Both Momoyo and Zane were powerful Duelists. If the Light approached them, it was better they knew what they were dealing with.
Zane's expression darkened slightly. "I can't believe Obelisk Blue and Ra Yellow have fallen that much…" he murmured. "Looks like I was hoping too much from them."
"I can't believe the moment I leave, something this fun happens," Momoyo said casually.
Yumi: "…"
Zane: "…"
Momoyo blinked at their silence. "What? You said to clear their brainwashing. I just need to beat them, right?" She cracked her knuckles with a confident smirk.
Yumi and Zane both felt like she had completely skipped over the 'dueling' part.
But then again, knowing her personality, it wasn't hard to imagine her choosing the most direct interpretation possible.
Yumi leaned slightly toward Zane and whispered, "How about you go over there, get brainwashed, and we test how she plans to clear it?"
"Get lost," Zane replied instantly.
He had already suffered more than enough broken bones at Momoyo's hands in the past. He wasn't nearly stupid enough to volunteer for another experiment.
Zane stood up, adjusting his coat slightly. "If the Society really controls most of the school now, this isn't something to treat lightly."
"We just need to give them a good beating, that's all." Momoyo replied, standing as well and rolling her shoulders once. "If that didn't work, maybe a good hit would do."
After that, Yumi began walking toward a quieter part of the island.
His Kuribohs had already scattered ahead of him, small invisible scouts drifting through the trees and across the water. They had located someone interesting, and Yumi didn't rush. He walked with an easy pace, hands in his pockets, steps steady as the forest gradually grew denser and the sounds of the academy faded behind him.
Eventually, he reached a river cutting through the forest. The water flowed calmly, reflecting the late afternoon light. Standing near the riverbank was a lone figure with blonde hair that curled upward into a sharp point at the back.
Yumi stopped a few steps away, crossing his arms.
"Long time no see," he said casually.
The figure turned.
"Kite Tenjo."
Kite's sharp eyes met his. For a brief second, there was a flicker of surprise before it was buried under cold composure.
"Slifer… no," Kite corrected evenly. "Yumi Uzushi."
He turned fully to face him, tension lining his expression. He didn't recall ever telling Yumi his real name. Yet here Yumi was, saying it so casually, like it had always been obvious.
The two stared at each other in silence, the river continuing to flow behind them.
Without another word, Kite lifted his arm. His Duel Disk unfolded with a mechanical snap as he activated it.
Yumi didn't move.
"Do you really think you stand a chance?" he asked, eyeing the active Duel Disk.
"I underestimated you last time," Kite replied coldly. "I won't make the same mistake again."
Yumi remained still, not activating his own Duel Disk.
"You lost to me last time and ran away with your tail between your legs."
The casual delivery made it worse. Kite's face tightened instantly. His jaw clenched, but he didn't deny it. He couldn't.
Yumi tilted his head slightly. "So at least tell me your reason for collecting the Planet Cards."
For a split second, Yumi's eyes flashed crimson. In that instant, he could see them, Duel Monster Spirits resting within Kite's deck.
"I can tell you don't have Terra Firma on you," Yumi added calmly. "Along with Jupiter."
Kite's eyes narrowed.
"Without an interesting reason," Yumi finished, "I won't duel you."
That only seemed to irritate Kite further. Who would have thought someone powerful enough to beat him would refuse a duel?
Atem from another dimension: "So you need an interesting reason to duel!?"
Kite stared at Yumi for several seconds before slowly lowering his Duel Disk.
"Tch." He looked away briefly, then back.
"If you really want a reason, then here," Kite said flatly. "My brother is ill. I need to collect the Planet Cards if I want to save him."
Yumi's expression didn't change. "Did Tragoedia tell you this?"
Kite's composure cracked. His eyes widened. "How did you?"
Yumi exhaled quietly. Just as he had suspected, that big lobster was pulling the strings. He had guessed it before, but without clear evidence or anything to tie back to it, he couldn't verify his guess.
Now Kite has verified his guess.
"You're being played like a fool," Yumi said plainly. "Do you really think a giant lobster that got itself sealed because of its own carelessness can actually heal your little brother?"
Kite's expression darkened further. "What do you mean by that? Answer me, Slifer!"
"Tragoedia," Yumi continued evenly, "an ancient evil being that looks like a big lobster. It got sealed because it was careless. And you think something like that would honestly keep its promise once you help it fully unsealed and resurrected?"
Kite didn't respond immediately.
Because he couldn't.
Part of him knew that what Yumi was saying wasn't impossible. Ancient beings wanting to be unsealed and resurrected weren't exactly known for honesty. There has to be a valid reason for them to be sealed in the first place. But if he admitted that, even to himself, then the only lead he had to save his brother would crumble.
So he refused to accept that.
"You're lying," Kite said quietly, though there wasn't much certainty behind it.
"Maybe," Yumi shrugged. "Or maybe you're gambling everything on something that sees you as nothing more than a tool. Maybe once you fully free that big lobster, it might take your little brother's body to use as a puppet."
Silence fell between them again, heavier this time.
Kite's face hardened. Without another word, he raised his arm again. His Duel Disk snapped back into full activation.
"If there's even a chance it can save him," Kite said, voice firm despite the tension, "I'll take it. Even if it kills me."
Yumi then raised his own arm. His Duel Disk unfolded smoothly. "Fine, I suppose this is how you wish to die."
"DUEL!"
[Yumi, LP 4000]
[Kite, LP 4000]
"Draw!" Kite said as he pulled his first card, his eyes lowering to scan his opening hand without changing expression.
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Hand Destruction! We each discard four cards, if possible, then draw the same number we discarded."
Without hesitation, both Duelists sent four cards from their hands to the Graveyard. Cards slid cleanly into their respective zones before they each drew four new ones.
"Since I control no monsters," Kite continued, "I can Special Summon Super Quantum Red Layer from my hand!"
He placed the card down firmly. A bulky warrior clad in red armor materialized on his field, arms crossed as it stared directly at Yumi.
[Super Quantum Red Layer, 2000 ATK]
"When this card is Summoned, I can add a 'Super Quant' card from my Graveyard back to my hand." A card ejected from his Graveyard slot. "I'll add back Super Quantum Green Layer."
The card slid into his hand smoothly.
"Now, I Normal Summon Green Layer!"
A slimmer warrior in green armor descended beside the red one, landing in a classic superhero pose before rising to stand ready.
[Super Quantum Green Layer, 1600 ATK]
"And when Green Layer is Summoned, I can Special Summon a 'Super Quant' monster from my hand." Kite selected another card and placed it down. "Show yourself, Blue Layer!"
A blue-armored heroine appeared beside the other two, matching their design but moving with quicker, lighter motions.
[Super Quantum Blue Layer, 1200 ATK]
"Blue Layer's effect. I'll add Super Quantal Mech Ship Magnacarrier to my hand."
He briefly revealed the card to Yumi before adding it to his hand.
"Quantum Change!"
Kite stepped forward slightly as energy surged around his three monsters. Massive mechanical beasts descended from above, each one matching its pilot's color scheme. The three warriors leapt upward, merging seamlessly with their machines.
[Super Quantal Mecha Beast Magnaliger, 2600 ATK]
[Super Quantal Mecha Beast Aeroboros, 2400 DEF]
[Super Quantal Mecha Beast Grampulse, 2800 DEF]
A red mechanical lion, a sleek green aerial bird, and a pair of blue dolphin-like machines hovered and stood across from Yumi, engines humming softly.
But before Kite could continue.
"Since you summoned five or more monsters this turn," Yumi cut in calmly, "I can Tribute as many monsters on the field as possible and Special Summon Nibiru, the Primal Being from my hand."
Kite: "!!!?"
In the next instant, all three mechanical beasts vanished. The field emptied as if they had never been there.
A massive meteor-like entity descended onto Yumi's side of the field with a heavy impact, dust scattering outward.
[Nibiru, the Primal Being, 600 DEF]
Yumi continues. "And I can Special Summon a Primal Being Token to your field. Its ATK and DEF become the combined original ATK and DEF of all monsters Tributed."
Another enormous chunk of rock formed on Kite's field, larger and more imposing than the one on Yumi's side.
[Primal Being Token, 6600 ATK]
Kite: "..."