The white lights of the Leo Corporation medical transport hummed. Nakajima watched the vitals monitor, his fingers moving across a tablet as the medical team secured Ryo to the stretcher.
"Oxygen levels are stabilizing, but the internal bruising is severe," an assistant said quickly.
"Doctor Kail, the impact of that rogue... it shouldn't be possible without a physical mass generator," Nakajima added.
At the front of the team stood Doctor Kail, a top physician specializing in unusual cases. Kail checked Ryo's pupils with a small penlight and adjusted the pain medication.
"The local grid wasn't running Real Solid Vision, but the projection from that device acted like real-world heavy trajectory," Doctor Kail said smoothly, checking Ryo's pulse. "The bruising is deep, and he has a head fracture on his third rib. Prepare the trauma bay for immediate treatment."
Ryo lay still, his red eyes half-lidded, staring at the ceiling. The bleeping of the heart monitor faded as old memories rushed back.
It felt like a lifetime ago. He remembered the cold, calculated simulations of the LDS training halls where failure wasn't allowed. He remembered the weight of his brother Reiji's expectations, the pressure of being the spearhead for the Akaba name, and the rigid laws of data-driven Dueling. For as long as he can remember, every move he made was mapped out under strict observation. He had been a flawless machine in a cage of glass and tech, his heart beating weakly inside surrounded by cage like ribs, that felt like a literal cage.
But tonight, the cage had shattered. His heart beat to its fullest.
The pain wasn't just an injury; it was proof that he had finally touched something real. The raw hatred of the Xyz user, the impossible evolution of the "Rank-Up-Magic" card, and the sudden intervention of the masked youth with the light-purple hair—it was a chaotic world that the Leo Corporation's database couldn't predict. For the first time, Ryo felt an exhilarating spark of genuine freedom. He wasn't just calculating anymore; he was fighting to survive.
The transport stopped inside the sub-level medical bay of the LDS headquarters. Standing in the doorway, under the sharp lights of the facility, was Reiji Akaba. He adjusted his glasses, his face completely unreadable.
As the medics wheeled the stretcher past, Doctor Kail stepped forward to brief the LDS leader. "The bleeding has stopped, Reiji-sama, and his vitals are stable. But he needs a few days of complete rest to recover from the physical impact."
Reiji nodded to Doctor Kail, then turned his gaze to Nakajima, who had caught up to accompany Ryo.
"The data recovered from terminal is highly anomalous," Reiji spoke in his calm, deep voice. "The energy signature matches a dimensional displacement pattern we have never encountered in Maiami City. The Xyz user, and the one who intercepted... they are anomalies outside our system."
Ryo let out a sharp, painful chuckle, wincing as the movement strained his bruised body. He tilted his head slightly to look at his brother.
"They aren't just anomalies, Reiji." Ryo muttered, a fierce smile tugging at the corner of his lips despite the blood staining his face. "They are survivors. And they play by rules that will make our entire network obsolete."
Reiji's eyes narrowed slightly behind his lenses, a brief flicker crossing his face before it turned back to stone. "Rest, Ryo. Doctor Kail will ensure your recovery while the analytical department traces the residual energy particles left on the warehouse, parking lot. We will find them."
As the heavy doors closed, separating the brothers, Ryo closed his eyes. The warmth of his past safety was gone, replaced by the new reality of an impending storm. Reiji analyzed the data. Ryo knew the truth—the phantoms would come out again, and he couldn't wait to face them.
He was no longer trapped in any cage. He was more free than ever. And that feeling is what that will make Ryo understand, polish himself more and hone his way of life.
Even as the light faded, the ghost of a smile and the shadow of excitement refused to leave him.
# Two Days Later
The white medical bay was gone, replaced by the grey concrete of the LDS private training room. Standing in the center of the ring, Ryo fixed his coat cuffs. His broken rib and deep bruises were already gone. He had simply recovered on his own, his body healing with an unnatural, stubborn speed that left the medical staff uneasy.
As Ryo walked past the monitoring stations, the lower-level doctors stepped back, keeping their distance. They exchanged quiet, hesitant glances, a distinct flicker of fear in their eyes as they looked at the young man who had practically bypassed their medical science. Only Doctor Kail remained unfazed, calmly noting the rapid cell regeneration on his tablet with a faint, professional nod. He knew Ryo was different.
Ryo stepped onto the field. The training system immediately began firing holographic energy beams at his blind spots from random angles. Before his fight with the Xyz duelist, Ryo would have looked at his Duel Disk screen to read the incoming data and dodge.
Now, he didn't need the screen.
His sharp red eyes caught a slight flash in the air. He leaned just inches to the left, and a beam of light missed his shoulder exactly by a hair. Before the machine could reset, his arm snapped up, his fingers pulling a card from his deck in one smooth motion. His reflexes and raw instincts had grown way past simple numbers. The intense experience of fighting with real pain and thinking while being in pain had changed him and how his body reacted once again. He wasn't just guessing anymore; he could feel where it will be coming.
"Vitals are stable. His response times are up by twelve percent." An assistant reported from behind the glass to Reiji on monitor, still sweating slightly under the gaze of the hesitant medical staff. "It's like his body learned from the danger."
Ryo looked at the digital card in his hand. The blue light shone in his eyes. The holographic card looked perfect, but it was still too light compared to that night. His face expressionless, feeling that same excitement from before. He was faster, sharper, and more ready.
Let the phantoms come back. Next time, his instincts wouldn't let them get away.
He was discharged from hospital on that day.
# Reiji's Office
One hour later.
"President, can it be?" Nakajima asked with deep concern.
"It seems so." Reiji adjusted his glasses. "Looking at the data, it really appears to be a fact."
Nakajima clenched his fists. "Is there no solution?" he asked in a low voice.
"There is none, Nakajima. We will create a safety protocol for Ryo. A set of rules he must follow for his own wellbeing."
"Does this change things now? The diagnosis and theories of the specialist, Koundri?"
"There is simply no solution for a problem that has already been solved," Reiji said. "A product must be paid for, with an equal price. There are no two-way solutions for natural one-way laws. If Ryo is recovering on his own in such a short amount of time, he is doing so by trashing his lifespan. We can only ensure he never gets injured or even scratched. But we cannot know how much he has lost, how much he has left now, or how long he will live now.
"Send a message to the Youshow Duel School without mentioning us. Just tell them Ryo cannot come for three days."
"Reiji-sama!" At that moment, Nakajima realized the truth. "Did you tell me to inform the school that Ryo-sama would be absent for three days 'now' instead of a few weeks on 'that' day because you wanted to test the theory? The theory that his body recovers in exchange for his own lifespan?!"
"Yes," Reiji said after a long silence. "If Ryo's body already operates this way, there is nothing we could have done to change it. Koundri-san believed his body recovered like a miracle beyond miracle because of the near-death situation he experienced. But seeing this, the world-renowned for being herbal and homeopathic expert and specialist of deep knowledge of psychology and human understandings, might be wrong. Perhaps Ryo's body heals this way not just due to survival instincts, but because that is how it wants to operate. We do not know how much lifespan he will lose, or how much shorter his life have become."
"By 'we,' do you mean Himika-sama also knew about this?"
"Yes. She is at an international conference right now, for negotiations and acquisitions. At first, she wanted to run tests, but she chose not to because Ryo is valuable—especially in the interdimensional war our father, Leo Akaba, has started."
Nakajima let out a sigh of relief. "She must really care for Ryo-sama. That is why she did no test on him."
"By 'valuable,' I mean as an asset for her, for me, and for the Leo Corporation." Reiji corrected. "No matter how much Mother wants to reject Ryo, she cannot. Ryo inherited our father's brain, his intellect, and his genius. Even I am not on his level, not even halfway, in that regard. His help in this upcoming war is essential."
Nakajima fell silent. He could only place his faith in Reiji's safety measures, and in Reiji himself. That was something he never doubted.
# A High Skyscraper
The same day, long after the duel had ended between Ryo and Stranger.
"It was a mistake," the individual in the metal mask said. "Running wild on enemy ground was a gamble destined to lose."
"I know, but... but... BUT!" The youth in the red scarf said, his voice rising gradually high. "But I couldn't stand it anymore! How can you expect me to stay calm with a Fusion user right in front of me?!"
They stood on the roof of the highest skyscraper, making sure the building was empty of surveillance and that no one could hear them.
"I know how you feel!" The masked youth's voice rose before dropping back down. "But they had nothing to do with what happened to us. Our target is Reiji Akaba, or Ryoho Akaba. We cannot let innocent people get dragged into our matters. They have done nothing."
"We also did nothing!" The other shouted. "Yet everything fell apart! It is unfair for these people to be safe while we suffer, Yuto!"
Yuto could only glare at his comrade. He could not find words to prove him wrong.
"I know, Shun... but it is wrong. We are becoming what we hate." Yuto said, his gray eyes growing dark yet shining in the dark night. His voice became calm. "But they will pay. Not these bystanders, but the ones responsible. We will repay what we lost thousands of fold. They will pay for every scream, for every scratch on us. They will pay for every second, every move, and every atom."
Both stared down at the heart of Maiami City, looking toward LDS with pain, horror, and a dangerous rage locked in their souls.
On that day, new eyes had laid their gaze upon Maiami.
# Third Day
Yuzu was following Sawatari's henchmen after overhearing a suspicious conversation.
Passing by, Ryo stood at the far end of the long, wide bridge. See this unfold by sheer coincidence.
Concerned for Yuzu, he followed her while keeping his distance. They arrived at the docks, stopping outside a large storage house.
Ryo stayed outside, listening closely to the voices, sounds, and the tense atmosphere within. Everything unfolded exactly as he had predicted. Sawatari had obtained a new deck specifically to duel and win against Yuya.
When it became clear that Yuzu was going to duel Sawatari, Ryo prepared to rush inside to help.
But suddenly, a new individual appeared out of nowhere, quickly knocking out the henchman guarding the entrance. The newcomer stepped inside, his gaze locking instantly onto the LDS badge on Sawatari's collar.
Feeling insulted and eager to test his new deck, Sawatari angrily challenged the stranger. The youth stood firmly, wearing a metal mask over his mouth, military-style goggles over his eyes. A thick, spiked black choker around his neck. And messed up clothes. His spiked black hair and sharp light-purple bangs stood out wildly against the gloom of the docks.