As the smoke cleared, Ryo was still standing. He hadn't fallen. The solid light field hadn't dissipated. The glowing blue '0' on his duel disk display suddenly flickered, overwritten by a dark and red, shimmering aura. Along with the zero on the display screen of training field.
Everyone went completely rigid in pure shock.
"W-what?!" Yuya stammered, stepping back, his eyes wide with horror. "Your life points are zero! Why are you still in duel?!"
"I activated my second set card the exact microsecond your attack landed," Ryo's voice cut through the silence like ice.
A card was face-up in front of him.
A trap card, with a big shield and crossing of two sharp swords was on the image of the card, protected by a card that resembled the spell card, Polymerization.
"The Trap card, Fusion Relay." Ryo said.
Everyone were confused, except Reiji and Nakajima.
Ryo gestured to his graveyard as a ghostly light of Genghis emanated from it. "When my Life Points is about to get 0 or I am about to lose, I can activate this card instead. I choose one Fusion Monster in my Graveyard, Special Summon it, and as long as that monster remains on the field, I do not lose the duel."
A fiery vortex erupted on Ryo's side of the field. Rising from the ashes, D/D/D Flame King Genghis rematerialized, roaring fiercely in Attack Position.
[FIRE / Fiend / Fusion / Level 6 / ATK: 2000 / DEF: 1500]
"You summoned it in Attack Position?! You will still take damage by this?" Yuya yelled, completely bewildered. "With only 1500 defense and 2000 attack? I can easily destroy that next turn and win!"
"You aren't gonna be able to touch it, let alone destroy it. So there is no point in thinking to summon it into attack or defense," Ryo stated calmly, staring straight through Yuya. "By the effect of Fusion Relay, the chosen monster becomes completely unaffected by all other card effects. Furthermore, its effects are negated, but it cannot be destroyed by any other way than battle. The very moment it leaves the field, that very instance I lose the duel instantly. But until if it leaves that is, my life is anchored to its existence."
"This is insane..." Tatsuya shrieked, clutching his head. "He's literally cheating death!"
"Someone from a school like LDS wouldn't loss so easily..." Shuzo analyzed.
Everyone at Youshow School's side were unsettled. But everyone at LDS's side were relieved.
"I end my turn," Yuya muttered, his hands trembling violently.
Ryo stood perfectly still. "My turn. Draw." He glanced at his card, his voice dropping into a terrifyingly cold tone. "Yuya, you truly believed you were special, didn't you?" Ryo's voice echoed through the stadium, sharp and biting. "That the heavens and universe chose you to hold the pendulum of destiny? What a childish joke. You didn't create a miracle, Sakaki Yuya—you just passed through a door which was open. And you left it wide open for the rest of the world to walk through.
"Wipe those ridiculous thoughts from your brain, Yuya. Your little circus show is over. You have been swinging your pendulum in a tiny, safe backyard, completely blind to the infinite abyss stretching out right in front of you. Allow me to introduce you to a scale of power from a completely different dimension!"
Everyone stood in mayhem and havoc.
"From my hand, I set the Scale 10 Pendulum monster, D/D Savant Kepler in my left Pendulum zone, and Scale 1, D/D Savant Galilei in my right Pendulum zone! I set the Pendulum Scale!"
Two brilliant looking pillers of light emerged behind Ryo. With their respective monsters and the Pendulum font number respectively showing brightly.
"What?!" Yuya's voice cracked. "You... you have Pendulum cards too?!"
"LDS didn't just analyze them," Gongenzaka whispered, his voice trembling with an overwhelming, crushing sense of betrayal. "They mass-produced them! Ryo... you sat with us, ate our food, and this is what you do?! You just stole Yuya's soul and handed it over to LDS?!"
Ryo ignored the heavy emotional breakdown around him. "With Scale 1 and Scale 10, I can simultaneously summon monsters from Levels 2 through 9. Pendulum Summon!"
The sky between the Pendulum zone tore wide open. A massive blast of dark, crushing energy slammed onto the field.
"Annihilate all who dare stand before me. Descend, the pillar of the underworld! Rulers of all Kings! D/D/D Doom King Armageddon!"
Three identical, gargantuan armored behemoths materialized side-by-side.
[DARK / Fiend / Pendulum / Level 8 / PS: 4 / ATK: 3000 / DEF: 1000]
Behind the viewing glass, Nakajima stepped closer to Reiji Akaba, sweat breaking out on his forehead. "P-President... when you performed the Pendulum Summon in tests with these prototypes, those monsters were forcefully destroyed by the system's feedback. Why is Ryo-sama using them now, and nothing is happening?"
Reiji push his glasses, his expression calculated. "The answer remains a hypothesis, Nakajima. It might be because the real source of Pendulum, Sakaki Yuya, was near and was the one dueling, stabilizing the spatial field. Or maybe because he had already set the original Pendulum cards. Or perhaps... Ryo possesses a special phenomenon himself, considering how his body works so inhumanly... But notherless, giving Ryo these five Pendulum cards were worth the shot. I was gonna tell Ryo to do it anyway, the circumstances were unrequested, but everything turned out on our side."
"Battle." Ryo commanded smoothly. "The first D/D/D Doom King Armageddon attacks Performapal Sleight Hand Magician."
Armageddon rose high, absorbing dark energy to attack Yuya's signature magician.
"I won't let it end like this!" Yuya scrambled, sprinting up a striped pole and leaping out into the air to catch an Action Card. "Action Spell: Evasion! I negate the attack!"
A translucent barrier snapped into existence, deflecting the dark light.
"Predictable. The second D/D/D Doom King Armageddon attacks Sleight Hand Magician." Ryo commanded smoothly.
"I'll use Sleight Hand Magician's own quick effect!" Yuya countered, hitting the duel disk. "I discard Performapal Salutiger to destroy your second Armageddon!"
The magician unleashed a blinding burst of magical energy, shattering the second titan into glowing purple shards.
"At this moment, the effect of my remaining two Doom King Armageddon activates," Ryo's voice boomed over the explosion. "Because a D/D monster on my field was destroyed, Doom King Armageddon gains ATK equal to that destroyed monster's original ATK until the end of this turn! However, it cannot attack directly."
The remaining, both titans roared as the shattered dark energy was absorbed into their crystal.
D/D/D Doom King Armageddon ATK: 3000 → 6000
"6000 attack...?" Everyone from Youshow hunged their mouths low.
Yuya's eyes widened in disbelief. But he had to pull himself.
"But it can still attack your monsters," Ryo stated coldly. "The third D/D/D Doom King Armageddon attacks Odd-eyes Pendulum Dragon!"
"He changed the target?! Why?"
The final titan raised its colossal crystal, bringing a dark light down with absolute force, completely obliterating Yuya's ace dragon.
Yuya threw himself sideways, sliding across the field to snatch another Action Card before the shockwave reduced his points.
"Action Spell: Saved! My monster will still be destroyed, but the damage I take is halved!"
He spotted another Action Card near him, and grabbed it rushing.
"Action Card, Life Saver! When I would take damage, it is halved that damage!"
The dark light passed through Odd-eyes, and it was completely destroyed before dissolving into particles.
Yuya took damage which was halved and it again got halved.
Yuya LP: 1400 → 525
"I set a card and end my turn," Ryo concluded, his voice flat. "Both Doom King Armageddons attack returns to normal."
D/D/D Doom King Armageddon ATK: 6000 → 3000
"Why didn't he ended the battled by destroyed Whip Snake? He would've won the battle." Ayu quistioned.
"I can't even guess." Tatsuya moved his head.
"Even I don't know." Sora surrendered. "But I think he wants to have Yuya learn that he isn't gonna win no matter what he does. And maybe he also wants to show he is better and greater Pendulum user."
"This is..." Gongenzaka clunched his fists. He said in low voice. "This is unforgivable as a duelist."
"When I asked about Pendulam summon he said he don't know about it." Futoshi grumbled. "And now he is acting almighty, as if he actually knows better than Yuya-niichan. If he was fighting for our side then I would've definitely getting shivers."
"Maybe..." Yuzu muttered before saying. "He was lying... But thinking safely wouldn't get any idea that how Ryo knows so much."
"Lying...! It is unforgivable...! But... at this point I can't complain. Ryo have crossed every boundry of how a man should be and how a duelist should be." Gongenzaka said.
Yuya pushed himself up from the ground, his breath hitching in his chest. "My turn! Draw!" He looked at his hand. He had to take out Genghis, but it was unaffected by card effects, and had to beat it in battle. But to do that...
"Come to me once more! I Pendulum Summon with the Scale 1 and 8! Odd-eyes Pendulum Dragon!"
The red dragon skeletal armor, with different eyes and a big blue sphere in it's stomach came back.
"I attack with Odd-eyes Pendulum Dragon! Partner, gave Ryo taste of your strength!" Yuya commanded, removing his goggles and placing them over his head.
Odd-eyes leaped a big jump, to destroy Genghis.
"I activate my continuous trap card, Dark Contract with the Witch. All Fiend-type monsters will gain 1000 attack."
Two D/D/D Doom King Armageddon ATK: 3000 → 4000
D/D/D Flame King Genghis ATK: 2000 → 3000
Genghis advanced its sword and slashed Odd-eyes into half. And it dissolves into particles.
Yuya LP: 525 → 25
"But Genghis is supposed to be unaffected by effects?!" Yuya exclaimed.
Most of people watching were dazed as well.
"Certainly," Ryo brushes his hand over his hair, his face and eyes becoming more vivid. "But Contract with the Witch grants attack to all monsters present. It doesn't affect monster but it directly increases attack points. But the attack isn't permanent. It rises the attack of all Fiend-type monsters in spite of their state and position."
Yuya gulped, knowing he made a fatel mistake in choosing his monster.
"You could had just attacked with your Whip viper. Changing Genghis's attack points by its defence points. But you were too prideful of your Pendulum cards.
"But Odd-eyes attack is over, as well Odd-eyes. And you also wasted your Pendulum summon. Now even if you use Whip Snake's effect to change Genghis's states. It's 1500 attack would still become 2500 attack thanks to my trap card. With Odd-eyes, both could had easily destroyed eachother. In the end I would've lost, but you wanted to defeat me by your Pendulum monster. A fatel mistake. Very outcome changing decision because of mere emotions... Acting based on emotion always works in infecting oneself.
"And from your looks, you don't have any Performapal monster to activate Slaight Hand Magician's effect and destroy one card. Not like you can destroy Genghis in the first place, destroying Armageddon won't profit you either since I am gonna bring them back again in next turn, since Pendulum monsters go to extra deck when destroyed.
"Thanks for telling me this the other day, Yuzu." He turned toward the area where Yuzu was.
She gripped her hands on her skirt, looking down with shame. Tears ready to flow out like rain.
"But he still have his magician!" Gongenzaka defended. "It's attack is same as Odd-eyes. Both will be destroyed!"
Sora licked his lolipop. "Certainly. But I don't think it will be done. At this point, I have figured and accepted that Ryo isn't someone who will let his opponent have any advantage or any privilege over a battle or strategy. He must had another something else up his sleeves."
"It's hard to swallow, but yeah. It is like defending yourself with a broken shield." Tatsuya said.
"25 life points?" Ayu said, her whole figure trembling. "This is so little to even be called a sliver, to even be called flickering wisp of candle."
"Don't worry!" Gongenzaka announced. "As long as you have life points, as long as you are still in duel, you always have a chance. Yuya still can turn the tables!"
Everyone turned head and their focus on duel again.
"I activate Whip Snake's effect, your Genghis's attack and defence is replaced!" Yuya shouted.
D/D/D Flame King Genghis ATK: 3000 → 1500 → 2500 / DEF 1500 → 2000
"Now, Performapal Slaight Hand Magician attacks!"
With the movements of it's staff, the magician charged toward the standing Genghis, but Genghis didn't moved, not even flinched, as if it had no need to in the first place.
The trap card that had a long tower with golden light surrounding it, flashed a light. That light striked through the magician. And the magician dissolved into particles.
Everyone, especially Yuya, was stunned.
"I activate another effect of Contract with the Witch." Ryo said. "I can discard a D/D or dark contract card from my hand or destroy from field and destroy one card on the field. I discard D/D Nighthowl."
Reiji was expressionless.
"How does it felt?" Ryo asked, with his cold eyes, looking directly into Yuya's eyes. "A monster who's very effect is to destroy a card by discarding a card getting destroyed the same way?"
"I can't believe," Hokuto said with a sweat on his face." That guy is on total thunder."
"I end my turn." Yuya choked out, his vision blurring with frustration.
Ryo stood perfectly still. "My turn. Draw."
At that moment, the scale of Galilei increased: 1 → 3 and Kapler's decreased: 10 → 8.
It made a hissing sound before changing the numbers.
"President!?" Nakajima said to Reiji, near his ear, with low voice.
"Guess they are not perfect. Not now at least." He straightened his glasses. "But at this point, it carries very low meaning. We will improve them later."
Ryo looked up, he had no confused expression.
Maybe this is what Reiji wanted, to test the Pendulum cards. Ryo concluded.
"But with Scale 8 I can't summon back third Doom King Armageddon. Well, I don't need to in the first place."
Two D/D/D Doom King Armageddons, titans already stood side-by-side, completely blocking Genghis from view.
Yaiba muttered from the LDS side, his hands trembling. "This guy's capability is completely flawless. It doesn't matter how much scale he have. The result is set on."
"It's over for Yuya..." Masumi whispered, her eyes wide with awe, and fear as well.
"Normally, with the Contract with the Witch, I would take 1000 points of damage, but my life points is already zero and at this point it doesn't matter but for your sake, for a bit of satisfaction, let's get this over as slow as possible."
The recoil of Dark Contract with the Witch surged through Ryo, a not so sharp, but burning pain that forced him to grit his teeth. As the shockwave settled, his hair fell forward, casting a shadow that completely obscured his eyes. He paused, breathing quietly, before casually sweeping the strands back with his dominant hand—his piercing gaze cutting through the smoke once more, entirely unfazed.
"Well...," Ryo said, turning at Yuya.
Yuya let out a roll of sweat.
"At this point does it really matter? That which monster I use to defeat you? Armageddon is Pendulum and Genghis is fusion. One have higher attack, one has lower attack, and all you have is just a 1700 attack snake.
"Of course, you can still go for one or two Action Cards. But does stretching this duel to even for one more card, one more play favour you? Unlike you, I don't care which monster does the final blow. It won't change a thing on result. Well, you already know then why not just end it."
Yuya's eyes didn't flinch.
"The climax of the show has come. Time to end the conclusion." Ryo's gaze became more sharp. His eyes sharpening more, like swords. "With the Pendulum monster, D/D/D Doom King Armageddon," Ryo raised his hand, ready to declare the final strike that would bring Yuya and Youshow School to absolute ruin.
One Armageddon floated high, near ceiling, forming a dark light in its crystal, ready to unleash it.
Whip Snake was shaking with fear.
Yuya stood frozen on the field, sweat pouring down his face, his teeth gritted so hard they clicked. His hands were clenched into tight fists, his nails digging into his palms. He braced for the impact, staring up at the descending attack, knowing there were nothing he can do, even if he grabbed unlimited Action Cards. He was in complete despair. A state where he knew he had no chance no matter how much of a "hope" named Action Card he used now. He could had done nothing even if he stretched the duel.
Armageddon was ready to release the final strike. Ryo opened his mouth, words just inches away to be released, the command to attack.
BEEP. BEEP.
A high-priority video call popped up directly on the screen of Ryo's Duel Disk. Reiji Akaba and Himika's face appeared on the display. One of rare moments in Ruo's life; Himika had a worried expression on her ever-smilling face. Reiji spoke about something that wasn't audible enough for Yuya or anyone to hear.
Ryo stared at the screen, closed his eyes for a single deep breath, and forced himself to calm down. The cold, mechanical aura around him instantly dissipated.
Without a word, Ryo turned away from Yuya. He was standing on a high, floating ring platform. Instead of waiting for the system to lower him, he simply stepped off the edge.
The crowd gasped. But Ryo's movements were incredibly agile and blindingly fast. He caught the edge of a lower bouncing hoop, flipped gracefully through the air, and landed perfectly on his feet in the center of the ring with effortless, hard athleticism.
"Wow..." Sora muttered, chewing his lollipop slower. "That kind of agility doesn't come from simple dueling practice."
"He's like a trained acrobat," Yuzu whispered, stunned by how simply and casually he performed such a dangerous drop.
"But why is he going away? Wasn't he gonna declare attack?"
Ryo walked toward Yuya, deactivating his Duel Disk as the Holographic Real Solid Vision System powered down, dissolving the circus arena back into the quiet Youshow backyard.
Himika, Reiji, and Nakajima stepped outside from the area, alongside the three LDS students—Hokuto, Masumi, and Yaiba. They departed. Masumi was suddenly very nervous. She looked in hurry.
Seeing them leave, Razz and Vance rushed out of outside, from the netting. They completely disappeared. And they talked about the duel after that.
"It is urgent, so I have to go," Ryo said, looking at Yuya, then turned his gaze to the rest of the Youshow students. "I apologize to all of you. It wasn't my intent to duel you like this, or to cause any of this trouble. But... life is just like this. Sometimes you are forced into positions you never requested."
Ryo paused, looking down at his hands before sliding them into his pocket. "When you are constantly running so close to zero, you learn that every single move has to be calculated just to survive... and climb higher... without your wish."
He said, turning his head toward Youshow's people and Yuya. "Don't worry about future. Chairwoman isn't gonna have her head anchored in matters for long, the matters which don't have any need to worry about. And I had nothing to do with these Pendulum cards. They were just prototypes. Created based on the Pendulum energy Leo Corporation has been catching constantly whenever Yuya used Pendulum summon. The real ones are now gonna be made based on today's data. But I have done nothing more than evaluate you, Yuya. Your Pendulum summon and your skills."
Yuya stared at him, his breath still ragged, his knuckles white. "Ryo..."
"Yuya." He said, looking at him. "Don't worry. You had no copyright or petent over Pendulum cards and monsters. But LDS, Leo Corporation is gonna have. But they won't prohibit using them. They are just gonna make and produce them. So you have to be prepare yourself to see people using Pendulum cards all around you in no time.
"And don't overthink that if you had done things that way or any other way, you might have won, don't waste your energy on that. You never had a chance against me."
Ryo walked toward the exit door of the school backyard. Just as he was near the frame, he paused and glanced back over his shoulder.
"Sorry for one more thing," Ryo said with soft but audible voice, a faint, unreadable expression crossing his face. "I haven't told you my full name. My name is Ryoho Akaba."
Ryo was last one to exit.
With that, he stepped through the door and left, leaving the Youshow School and it's people completely silent.