Morning sunlight bathed Maiami Stadium, washing away every visible trace of the previous day's chaos. Workers hurried across the arena, replacing banners, repairing equipment, and preparing for the championship's return. To anyone arriving today, it looked like nothing had happened.
Only those who had stood inside the stadium yesterday knew better.
...
Beneath forgotten blocks away from the stadium, dust drifted through shafts of pale morning light in a desolate underground parking structure.
Without warning, the air rippled. A silent dimensional fracture opened between two concrete pillars. Unlike the massive rifts of the previous day, this one lasted barely a heartbeat before sealing itself completely.
Two hooded figures stepped out onto the damp concrete, both wearing ordinary gray traveling cloaks over their Duel Academia uniforms.
Barrett immediately crouched, placing one weathered hand flat against the concrete floor. He closed his eyes.
After several seconds, he murmured, "...An Xyz Summon."
Celina looked down at him, her grip tightening on her cloak. "...Close?"
Barrett shook his head. "No. A few days old. Xyz energy leaves a mark. You learn to recognize it after enough battles."
Celina frowned, her expression darkening beneath her hood. "So we're too late."
"...For this trail, yes." Barrett stood up, scanning the empty, shadowed garage. "The rift was deliberately small. No one should have noticed our arrival unless they were already standing here."
Celina looked toward the exit ramp where morning sunlight spilled inside, illuminating the concrete. "Good. We stay hidden. No Academia. No Standard. Until we find the refugee."
...
They moved out of the structure and began walking through the outer edge of Maiami City. Celina adjusted her hood, her sharp eyes scanning the streets.
It wasn't what she expected.
She saw families walking together, laughing. Children were gathered on street corners, happily comparing cards and lightheartedly dueling. Food stalls sent warm aromas into the morning air, and smiling duelists crowded the sidewalks. There were no sirens, no fortresses, and no fear.
She stopped briefly, watching a young boy trip, laugh, and get pulled back up by his friend.
"They... they really live like this," Celina muttered, her voice dropping. "Why would anyone want to destroy a world like this?"
Barrett didn't look back, his steady pace never wavering. "Peaceful places often hide wars people haven't noticed yet, Celina-sama. Keep moving."
Without another word, they dissolved into the morning crowds.
# Motel
Earlier that morning, Ryo had already left the motel for LDS. After the previous day's incident forced the championship to pause for twenty-four hours, today's matches were being held under unprecedented security, leaving him little choice but to report in.
Inside the quiet motel room, the bathroom was completely silent except for the sound of running water. The boy washed his hands slowly, still trying to get used to the face staring back at him in the mirror. Deep teal hair, cut in a style that framed his face, contrasted sharply with the striking white locks that ran along the sides and the back of his head. His eyes were an icy, lifeless white. Empty.
He cupped cold water over his face, trying to wash away the persistent fog in his mind.
When he looked up and opened his eyes, a sudden tremor struck his chest.
His left eye flashed. A thin strand of crimson lightning crawled across the iris. For one heartbeat, the reflection didn't feel like his own. His left icy-white iris blazed into a brilliant cyan.
The boy staggered backward, his breath catching in his throat, hitting the wall behind him. "...!"
The bathroom door burst open. Vance rushed inside. "What happened?"
The boy pointed a trembling hand toward the mirror. "...My... my eye."
Vance looked at the glass, then back at the boy. "...Your eye?"
"It..." The boy swallowed hard, his heart hammering violently against his ribs. "...It changed."
Vance frowned, stepping closer to inspect him. "I don't see anything."
The boy forced himself to look back at the reflection. Both eyes were perfectly white again. The expression matched his current panic. Nothing remained.
He slowly touched his cheek. "...Maybe... I'm just tired."
Vance remained silent, watching him closely. He wasn't convinced. He had witnessed too many impossible things to dismiss it as a hallucination.
The boy walked back into the main room and sat heavily on the edge of the mattress. His fingers lingered over his left eye, tracing the bone beneath. "Did I imagine it?" He thought, staring blankly at the floor. "If I just imagined it... why did it feel more real than everything else?"
Vance stood by the window, his arms crossed, watching the boy's subtle distress without saying a word.
# Stadium
At the stadium entrance, Yuya stepped through the plaza beside Yuzu. His headache had almost disappeared. Almost. The stadium felt strangely familiar now, yet a faint emptiness lingered somewhere inside him.
As he looked across the bustling plaza, a thought stopped him in his tracks, freezing him completely.
"...Sora."
Yuzu blinked, stopping a few paces ahead and turning around. "What?"
Yuya frowned, his chest tightening as a cold sweat broke out on his neck. "...Where's Sora?"
Silence settled between them. His heartbeat quickened, ringing in his ears.
"No..." Yuya's hand drifted to his forehead. "That isn't normal. Sora fought beside us. He's one of my best friends. How... how did I forget about him until now?"
He searched yesterday's memories. The duel. The explosion. The hospital. Coming home. Meeting everyone. Not once—not once had he wondered where Sora had gone.
"That's weird," Yuya muttered, his voice shaking. "I should've asked the moment I woke up. Why didn't I?"
Yuzu stared at him, the color slowly draining from her face. "I... I didn't think about him either, Yuya. Neither did my dad. Neither did your mom."
Yuya immediately thought of one person who could answer. "Yuto?"
Silence.
"...Yuto?"
Nothing. Not even the faint, resonant warmth he had felt before. His shoulders slowly dropped. "...Nothing."
Yuzu looked down thoughtfully. "If we can't find Yuto, let alone take help... maybe someone connected to him can."
Yuya looked at her. "...Who?"
"Kurosaki Shun."
The name immediately felt like the only lead they had left.
"...Let's find him."
"YUYA!"
A familiar shout echoed across the entrance. Before Yuya could even turn, a pair of enormous arms wrapped around him, crushing the air out of his lungs.
"G-Gongenzaka!" Yuya wheezed. "I-I'm okay..."
The hug became even tighter. "I was worried!"
Yuya's face began turning red. "...I know... but... I'm really okay... Please let go... I can't breathe..."
Gongenzaka immediately released him and straightened instantly, striking a rigid pose. "My apologies! I, the man Gongenzaka, allowed my emotions to overcome my judgment!"
Yuya inhaled deeply, massaging his ribs. "...Thanks. But maybe hug a little softer next time."
Even Gongenzaka smiled weakly. Not long afterward, Ayu came running up, followed by Futoshi carrying a large bag of snacks despite the early hour, and Tatsuya hurrying behind them. The group gathered together almost instinctively.
Ayu tilted her head, looking intently at Yuzu. "Yuzu-neechan?"
"Hm?"
"I just saw you earlier," Ayu said, scratching her cheek thoughtfully. "You were walking near the shopping district. But... you seemed different. You didn't even answer when I called your name."
Everyone exchanged confused looks. Yuzu had only just arrived at the stadium with Yuya.
"...Maybe it was someone else," Yuzu said softly, a tremor in her voice.
"Yeah..." Ayu cheered up slightly. "They just looked exactly like you."
The conversation drifted away as the kids began talking about the tournament, but Yuzu couldn't shake the strange feeling it left behind.
Yoko and Shuzo came from behind, talking as they noticed the group.
...
Before anyone could say more, the three LDS students walked across the plaza toward them. Yaiba, Hokuto, and Masumi approached with their usual composed demeanor.
Yuya and Yuzu stood shoulder to shoulder, their expressions equally serious.
Yaiba shrugged, resting his hands behind his head with an easygoing grin. "Looks like everyone's here. What's up?"
Yuya stepped forward. "Can we ask you something? It's about Kurosaki Shun. We want to talk with him."
The three LDS duelists exchanged brief glances. Yaiba rubbed the back of his neck. "...That's gonna be difficult. Kurosaki-san doesn't exactly socialize."
Hokuto also said. "He spends nearly all of his time training in the private simulation rooms. When he isn't at LDS, he just wanders around the city alone. We rarely know where he is ourselves."
"So even if you tried looking," Yaiba continued, scratching his head, "you'd probably spend all day searching for a ghost."
Yuya sighed. "So we don't have any way to contact him...?"
"Not really."
As the conversation settled, Gongenzaka stepped toward Yaiba, his posture stiffening. "...There's something I wanted to say to you."
Yaiba looked confused, blinking at the larger boy. "...Hm?"
"Thank you. For teaching me Synchro Summoning."
Yaiba blinked, completely caught off guard. Then he laughed awkwardly, rubbing his nose. "That? It wasn't anything special, big guy. You asked, I helped. That's all."
Meanwhile, Yuzu turned toward Masumi, who stood slightly apart, her expression blunt and emotionally closed. "...Can I ask about Marco-sensei?"
Masumi nodded shortly. "What about him?"
"...Where is he?"
Masumi frowned, her gaze dropping to the floor. "I don't know. The higher-ups said he took an extended leave of absence. We aren't allowed to visit his quarters."
"...Did Shun know him well?"
"Of course. They worked together within the specialized branch."
"...Did Kurosaki ever mention anything unusual to you before Marco-sensei left?"
Masumi shook her head. "...No." Her answer carried no hesitation. As far as she knew, nothing unusual had happened.
An announcement echoed throughout the stadium.
"Ladies and gentlemen! The Maiami Championship will resume shortly. Participants should proceed to their assigned arenas!"
Yaiba stretched his shoulders, his confident grin returning. "That's us. If you're feeling down, Sakaki Yuya... watch my duel. And see me win." With that, the three LDS duelists headed toward the inner corridors.
Yoko smiled softly from nearby. "It's good seeing everyone together."
Shuzo nodded, crossing his arms. "...By the way, Yuya, where's Sora? I thought he'd be glued to your side today."
The smile entirely disappeared from Yuya's face. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. "I..." He searched his memories desperately. "...I don't know."
Silence spread through the group.
"...You don't know?" Shuzo asked, his brow furrowing.
Yuya slowly shook his head, looking down at his trembling hands. "...I can't remember the last time I saw him."
# LDS Headquarters
Deep inside the secure levels of the LDS main building, Shun Kurosaki stood before Nakajima , his posture radiating tension.
"Kurosaki."
"I'm requesting yesterday's surveillance footage of that central park," Shun stated flatly.
Nakajima didn't even look focused on him. The answer came too quickly. "There isn't any."
"...What?"
"The duel created enough localized electromagnetic interference to blind every nearby camera," Nakajima explained, his tone completely clinical. "The recording ends shortly."
Shun's eyes narrowed, his fists clenching at his sides. "...Convenient."
Nakajima finally met his gaze, completely unbothered. "Do you have any other questions?"
"I want to talk with Reiji Akaba or Ryoho Akaba."
"Both are unavailable. They are supervising today's tournament."
Shun remained silent.
His sharp gaze shifted toward the reinforced, soundproof wall behind where Nakajima was standing. He couldn't see past the heavy barrier, leaving him entirely blind to what lay directly on the other side.
But deep within the laboratory beyond that wall, technicians surrounded a dismantled Duel Disk on a diagnostic table. At the center of the room stood Ryo Akaba, carefully inspecting the hardware. The chassis belonged to Yuto. Behind a one-way observation window, Reiji Akaba stood quietly, watching the entire process unfold in absolute silence.
Nakajima subtly stepped sideways, indicating the exit. "If that's all, Kurosaki."
Shun understood. Turning on his heel, he walked out of the office, still completely unsatisfied.
# Motel
Back in the motel room, Vance picked up the remote and switched on the small television screen.
"…The Maiami Championship resumes today! Our opening match features LDS duelist Yaiba Toudou against Isao Kachidoki from Ryozanpaku School!"
The nameless boy watched silently from the edge of the bed. On the screen, Yaiba's monster was driven backward by another crushing attack. The impact sent him stumbling hard across the Duel Field.
Yaiba couldn't even reach a single Action Card; Kachidoki claimed every nearby Action Card before Yaiba could reach one. Every attempt to move was met with another crushing assault that forced Yaiba backward.
In the competitors' waiting area, Hokuto frowned, his expression tight with frustration. "...He's not giving Yaiba any room to do anything."
Beside him, Masumi folded her arms tightly, her face twisted in distress. "...He's forcing Yaiba into a corner with only brute strength."
In the audiance, the Youshow's people watched the duel.
"That's horrible..." Ayu whispered.
"He's not even giving Yaiba a chance to fight back," Futoshi said quietly.
Gongenzaka's expression hardened. "A duel without respect becomes nothing more than domination."
Yuya kept watching the screen, his fist clenching. His expression was of disbelief. "...A duel isn't supposed to look like this."
Back in the motel, the nameless boy remained motionless. Everything about the scene felt wrong.
He looked from the screen to Vance. "...They're smiling."
Vance glanced over. "They're enjoying the duel."
The boy watched the sea of smiling faces. The stadium erupted with applause as people rose from their seats, roaring with excitement at the duel's relentless pace and cheering as every devastating attack shook the arena.
He watched them for several more seconds, completely unable to understand. Then he quietly asked, "...Is dueling... really that much fun?"
Vance didn't answer immediately. His eyes remained on the television. "...For some people," he finally said.
The boy looked back at the screen. Deep inside him, monsters were never meant to entertain. They existed to survive. Fighting wasn't supposed to look like this.
The camera cut across the stadium corridor, briefly showing Yuya making his way toward the arena floor, his expression filled with determination despite his lingering doubt.
The boy instinctively leaned forward. Something deep inside him stirred before he understood why.
For a single heartbeat, his left eye flashed a brilliant cyan.