The concrete tore beneath Ryo's boots as he ran hard into the empty plaza. He wasn't just running; he was pushing himself against a crushing wall of heavy pressure. The strange energy vibrating from the park grew stronger by the second, sending visible ripples through the cool night air.
Suddenly, the loud roar of the high-octane motorbike engine completely cut out, leaving a sharp, ringing silence in its place. The duel was over. The terrible clash between Yuto's and the rider's giant dragon had ended in a massive blast. It was Yuto's defeat.
Ryo jumped over a broken brick wall, his red eyes quickly searching the ruins of the battlefield.
The sleek white motorbike lay a few meters away. Not even a scratch by such a shock. A very well created and strong bike. Its rider aggressively punched the ground, his face covered in sweat and twisted in pure anger. Across from him stood Yuto. His dark cloak was over his face, but his gray eyes remained fiercely focused. In the air between them, the last glowing shapes of Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon and Clear Wing Synchro Dragon sparked against the air before fading away completely.
"I am not fusion! I am Yugo! Remember it!" He felt a sudden energy. "Rin, hang on!" Yugo screamed desperately.
Suddenly, the onboard screen of his bike flashed a bright light, as if reacting to his dragon. The sudden surge of energy triggered an automatic escape sequence designed to pull the rider straight to somewhere else. In a blinding flash of white light, the motorbike and rider vanished entirely from the dimension.
"He's gone..." Yuya Sakaki whispered from the pavement, dropping to his knees as his energy ran out.
Bzzz.
Ryo's ear comm vibrated. It was a direct call from Reiji Akaba at the Leo Corporation command center.
"Ryo," Reiji's cool, calculated voice came through the speaker. "Our tracking monitors just went black. We picked up strange, overlapping energy spikes from Xyz and Synchro cards. You are right there. Tell me what you see."
Ryo shifted his gaze toward the shadows of a narrow alley at the edge of the plaza. Remembering the badly hurt boy he had spotted earlier on the CCTV feed. Ryo had no intention of revealing him. If Reiji discovered an undocumented survivor from another dimension wandering Maiami City, the boy would be treated as nothing more than a test subject in an LDS laboratory. Who knows which kind of physical state he will be in in the first place. Ryo didn't wanted Reiji to have him.
Ryo wanted to use the boy for his own plans.
"I am currently four blocks north of the park, checking a small, localized energy leak," Ryo responded smoothly, his voice completely steady.
"Our sensors say the big blast was right in the park plaza," Reiji countered, his tone sharpening. "Your heart rate went up at those exact coordinates."
"My heart rate went up because I was running very fast," Ryo lied perfectly, using the city's automated drone patterns to build his excuse. "The distance from my last position to this second signature required maximum physical effort, which is why I couldn't take rest considering the situation. The blast from the duel fried the local power lines, messing up the sensor data you are reading. I am collecting the leftover data now. There are no active duelists here."
There was a tense, quiet silence on the line as Reiji processed the smart logic. "Understood. Secure the data logs and come back to the office."
The connection cut off. Ryo shut down the device and turned his attention back to the center of the park.
Right on cue, Yuzu Hiiragi burst through the entrance, out of breath and frantic. "Yuya! I saw a massive flash from the main road—are you okay?!"
The moment Yuzu stepped within ten meters of both Yuya and Yuto, a bright pink light released from her bracelet. Like acting as a alarm system.
Ryo's skin started to shake. His body vibrating. He gritted his teeths tight. His eyes become white, pale. Multicolored lights racing accross them. New photos from a distinct page of album came into his mind.
A man standing high above everyone.
A girl cheering with smile but there was no energy and happiness.
A man clapping his hands, but with hollow eyes.
But he was just one second away. One second away from getting his blood start to spill from his mouth. His eyes.
A sudden urge to see more came into Ryo's every part of mind. But he had to stop it. Because it was a chance he wanted.
"The bracelet is reacting again," Ryo thought instantly, concluding the solution.
Before the strange light could finish its sequence, Ryo moved like an absolute blur. He appeared right behind Yuzu, his hand striking a precise nerve spot on her neck with mechanical accuracy. The quick trick temporarily cut off blood flow to the brain for just a second, making her body drop instantly without hurting her. Yuzu gasped softly, her eyes closing as she fell safely into Ryo's arms.
With Yuzu knocked out, the bracelet turned off immediately. The scary light around Yuto and Yuya vanished, stabilizing the area. Nearby, Yuya fell face-first onto the grass, passing out from pure exhaustion. He had run so long and fast without catching his breath that his body simply shut down.
But Yuto was still awake and concious.
Because Ryo had stopped the sequence quickly, Yuto had not been ripped away to another world. He stood trembling, holding his chest as he stared at the silver-haired thirteen-year-old in absolute shock.
Ryo calmly carried Yuzu over to a nearby park bench, laying her down gently before turning back to the Xyz duelist.
"You... you stopped it," Yuto said heavily, his breath short. "Every time I feel that light tries to tear me apart every time she gets close. How did you know how to stop it?"
"The light needs her to be awake to work," Ryo said coldly, walking over to him. "Or perhaps she has to stay in close distance. I simply cut the power source. Testing her bracelet is more or less a need, but I don't have that much time and circumstances aren't favouring. Sakaki Yuya is fine; his body just exhausted."
Yuto looked down at Yuya's still body, then locked his gray eyes onto Ryo. "Why are you helping us? You work for Akaba Reiji."
"I don't work for anyone. That is the absolute truth," Ryo stated firmly, leaning his shoulder against a cold streetlight. "Reiji is busy building an army or team, whatever you call it. For a war we don't understand. Your enemies view this entire conflict as a sick game. And you... you are simply throwing yourself into a losing fight because you are blinded by grief and sorrow."
Yuto's fists tightened, his expression darkening as he hid his face in his hands. "You don't know anything! You didn't see my home burned to ground! You don't see my people, my parents carded! You didn't see them take Ruri away!"
"I don't need to see the smoke to see the fire, Yuto." Ryo's voice dropped into a low, deeply serious tone that escaped in empty park. "Right now, you are fighting like a wild animal because you think survival means holding onto your hatred to drive yourself. But look at your deck. Look at your dragon. Are you saving your people?"
Yuto flinched, the words striking deeper than any card attack. Slowly, trembling, he drew his signature card, Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon.
"Your plan was to give that card to Yuya, wasn't it?" Ryo continued, watching him closely. "You believe that by passing your world's anger to him, your memory and hope will live on if you disappear."
"No," Yuto said, rejecting Ryo's idea. "I just wanted to pass on a dream that I couldn't reach. A goal I couldn't achieve."
"And what? Are you just going to drop the responsibility you gave yourself? The faith your people put in you?"
"I know!" Yuto shouted, his voice soar. "But I can't be what they need! They need someone who can give them hope. Someone who can give them back what was theirs. I am not that person."
"You aren't just 'someone.' You are Yuto. There is a reason one cannot copy or become someone else. But tell me, why do you think Sakaki Yuya would be able to reach something you consider out of reach?"
"Because he has what I don't," Yuto said after a heavy pause. "He doesn't just win people's hearts. He connects his heart to others. And that is what the people of Heartland need."
"Yuya! Yuzu!" A booming voice shattered the quiet.
"What is—" Yuto started, but Ryo immediately grabbed his arm and pulled him completely out of sight behind a thick row of trees.
"I contacted their friend—Gongenzaka—to pick them up," Ryo whispered into the shadows. "If they disappear from here before the cleanup crews arrive, Reiji will have no reason to question them."
"But why? And when?"
"When I was heading here. I had a feeling that I might need a reliable wild card. Not just anyone who will talk to the President of Leo Corporation for their benefit, but someone who will protect them and keep quiet. Gongenzaka is their closest friend; he would never do anything to put them in danger."
Through the leaves, they watched as Gongenzaka burst into the park. "Yuya! Yuzu! Respond to me!"
The big duelist ran straight to Yuya first, checking his breathing, before scrambling over to Yuzu. After confirming both were okay, he hoisted Yuya over his shoulder, scooped Yuzu into his massive arms, and began to carry them away as fast and safely as possible.
"He will go straight to the Youshow Duel School," Ryo noted, not even looking in their direction. "I have quite a reputation as an LDS representative, so Gongenzaka won't trust an LDS hospital. Going straight to their families is the safest option right now."
"...But what about us?" Yuto asked.
"Let's go somewhere else. People from LDS will be here soon."
The two broke away from the park, slipping through the blind spots of the city's security cameras until they reached a dark, quiet alleyway where nobody could hear them.
"I still don't understand why you wanted to give your dragon to Yuya." Ryo said, crossing his arms.
"I told you, he can make better use of it than I ever could." Yuto said, staring at the black card in his hand.
"...Do you believe in spirits?" Ryo asked suddenly.
"Like ghosts?"
"Let's call them something more peaceful. Energies that stay in a place because of strong emotions."
"I don't have proof, but yes, I do."
"Then tell me, do you believe that duel monsters—the cards themselves—also have spirits?"
Yuto narrowed his eyes. "Are you saying my Dark Rebellion is telling me something?"
"Look at yourself. Unlike Sakaki Yuya, you are analytical and smart. Tell me, did you feel anything strange when you were close to him?"
Yuto thought deeply, staring at the pavement before finally answering. "All I can say is it was a feeling. I don't remember the details, but when I was near him... there was this echo."
Ryo sighed. "And why are you so sure for giving your monster to Yuya? It's just my guess but it is your Ace card, right? Were you so easily gone into flow by Sakaki Yuya's speech?"
"No," Yuto answered with firmness. "I can't wield Dark Rebellion the way I am. I am not suited to use it's power and use it."
"You are being a idiot. A perfect example of one." Ryo said in sarcasm.
Yuto's gray eyes become strong.
"If you aren't the one than become one, although you are already one in the first place. Don't you have that much confidence or faith in yourself that you can? It's not about becoming or not being in the first place. It's about using the cards properly. And you are doubting yourself, that's all. But you are perfectly using your cards. Much better than Sakaki Yuya can."
Yuto closed his eyes. As if he wasn't in sync with Ryo with the conversation. As if he was rejecting Ryo's assertion.
Ryo sighed. "First of all, why did you two even come to this dimension?" Ryo asked. "Clearly, neither of you fully understand the scope of this war other than in Heartland. You came here thinking Leo Akaba would be vulnerable through his sons. But don't you think if that were true, he would have taken extreme security measures to protect Reiji and me?"
"I understand that much," Yuto admitted quietly. "I came here hoping it would help us a little. Even in the slightest way."
"Chasing light in a full dark, hopeless situation, huh?" Ryo remarked. Yuto didn't nod. "Your eyes tell me something else. You talk about making people happy, but there is a deep, pure hatred inside you. You want the ruin of Academia first. Everything else comes later."
Yuto tightened his fist, his knuckles turning white.
"You speak of dreams, but beneath that metal mask you wear, your expression is entirely blank—like a poker face. You care for others, but you can't bring yourself to move forward."
"What do you know about me?" Yuto snapped, his voice tight.
"You have what it takes," Ryo said calmly. "Your destination is set, but your direction is wrong. In short, you need good guidance."
"In short, you are saying you want my help. Am I right?"
"Yes and no," Ryo corrected instantly. "I am saying our goals align perfectly."
Yuto let out a deep sigh.
"Right now, Reiji is in full control of LDS and Maiami City," Ryo explained. "I want backup plans. Even if I share my plans with Reiji, the information might leak to the outside through a rat."
Yuto's eyes widened. "Are you saying there is a spy from Academia inside Leo Corp?"
"I can't say it's a hundred percent certain, but I can say with absolute confidence that the invasion of the Xyz Dimension was not a coincidence or an unfortunate event. Your people were pushed to the edge of defeat far too quickly."
Yuto forced himself to stay calm, listening closely.
"Shun told me the details of the attack," Ryo continued. "Even if he doesn't trust me, a person cannot hide the hatred and anger of a tragedy. He told me that the people with critical jobs were turned into cards first. The duelists who could make new cards to fight back, and the strongest protectors and students from the Diamond and Clover branches, were taken out in the very first wave. Meanwhile, your branch and heart branch was left for later, simply to save time and energy. You all took massive damage without ever landing a clean hit. That means their battle plan was flawless—built entirely on inside data."
"So... there really was a spy in Heartland," Yuto whispered, his voice dropping, realizing a fact.
"Yes. Clearly, Xyz Dimension is good to strike first. An Xyz monster is limited by its Overlay Units. Once they're all used, they're sitting ducks. Fusion monsters don't face those restrictions. But it isn't all the reason for such a absolute ruin. One needs plan on the basis of the place and foundation in question. And I suspect the same plan is being set up here. Shiunin Sora is already gone, but for a mission of this size with the protections and premeditated actions backing up LDS, the Professor wouldn't trust just a single agent, no matter how good he is."
"So there are others hidden in Maiami City," Yuto concluded.
"Exactly. And I want your help until the Maiami Championship ends, and more importantly, after it finishes."
"What do you plan to do after the championship?"
"The original plan was to secretly send a team to the Fusion Dimension to gather information while a second unit protectes the Xyz Dimension and makes alliance," Ryo explained. "But the rider from tonight changes everything. He was from the Synchro Dimension without a doubt. Reiji will have clearly scanned and deployed his energy waves to the R&D department and LDS's other technicians, to find a pathway to Synchro Dimension. And you two clearly have a history."
"Not a good one," Yuto said. "He attacks me on sight, completely nonstop, whenever he sees me. And I also do that because I thought he is a Fusion user. He even calls himself 'Yugo.' But because he used only that weird summoning method and never once fusion summon, we thought it is Academia's new trick but not a single person of Academia have used it."
"He mentioned someone named Rin. Do you know her?"
"No."
"Then the pieces fit together," Ryo said, his mind working through the data. "The rider, Yugo, is looking for his missing friend. It seems she was captured by someone who shares your exact face."
"Me? That doesn't make sense. Yuya and I look alike, but how can there be three of us?"
"That is a question I am still working on," Ryo said, deliberately keeping quiet about the lookalike he had briefly seen in the Fusion Dimension through the photo. If he revealed he knew about an Academia lookalike, Yuto's fragile trust would vanish instantly. Since why would a person with no alliance with Academia would know such things. "Since Yugo used a Synchro Summon, his energy signatures have already been logged by the LDS. Reiji will need my technical help to trace those coordinates, which keeps my access secure. Once the rift stabilizes, we will use that data to open a path to the Synchro Dimension to make an alliance."
"A calculated plan," Yuto admitted. "But do you seriously think the Synchro Dimension will help? If they haven't been attacked yet, why would they join our fight and risk their people and world?"
"Because survival matters to everyone. Eventually, Academia will expand its targets to include them. They will need our data just as much as we need their numbers."
"But why go to such lengths for my help?" Yuto asked, looking directly at Ryo. "I am not boasting, but I know I am a good duelist, but why not just ask Shun?"
"Because I do not want your strength tied to Reiji Akaba's command. I need you to answer to me," Ryo said flatly.
Yuto's eyebrows knit together in shock.
"As I said, there may be a rat leaking information. I don't need a loud frontline fighter; I need a wild card—a pawn that moves completely everywhere on the board, anywhere. Your skills are real. When we move to the Synchro Dimension, you will operate entirely in the shadows, gathering info and acting as my hidden enforcer. I will modify the teleportation setup so LDS cannot track your specific signature. I will condense the Synchro coordinates into a small card. You won't need a massive machine to jump dimensions; you can do it independently from anywhere in the city."
Ryo stepped closer, his red eyes locking onto Yuto's eyes. "But until then, I need your absolute secrecy in Maiami City. No getting captured. No getting spotted."
Yuto remained silent for a long moment before finally nodding. "Fine. I will play your wild card."
"It isn't just about agreeing. You need to anchor your resolve," Ryo said, his voice firm. "You are acting like a ghost that only crawls out of its grave at night. I need you to stand with an iron will, ready at all times. Do not waste energy worrying about the Xyz Dimension right now. As part of our agreement with Shun, Leo Corporation is quietly, directly teleporting medical supplies and food rations to the shelters in Heartland. Your people are being taken care of."
Ryo reached into his jeans' pocket and pulled out a small packet of papers, written in clear, simple text.
"This is the address of a quiet motel on the outskirts of the city," Ryo said, handing them over. "No one watches that sector. I couldn't put you in an LDS safehouse without triggering an automatic log on Reiji's monitor, and nice hotels require ID checks. The motel is basic, but completely private. You will have food, water, a secure room, privacy, and zero questions asked. I paid the bills in advance, so you don't have to worry about money. I have also included an underground transit map of the city and the structural layouts for the Maiami Championship arenas and whole timetable so you can move around without being seen."
Yuto took the papers, a look of genuine relief passing over his face. "Thanks. I appreciate this."
"Do not mistake efficiency for kindness. Think of it as a necessary investment for the greater benefit," Ryo replied calmly. He then handed Yuto a small, highly encrypted black cell phone. "Use this for direct communication. It runs on a silent, localized frequency. No rings, no traces. You can directly message and call me, and I can too."
"Understood."
"Give me your duel disk too." Ryo commanded heartless.
Yuto was shocked, his eyes becoming still.
"We need an exact example as a test subject to configure the technology and methodology to create and use our own Dimensional teleporter. We can't make such a thing from scratch. Shun isn't cooperating on this one thing. Don't worry, I have already placed a duel disk on the table of your room. Use that one until my work is done. I will return it after that. I will give it to you the way it was. I will take it as a secret so Shun won't find out and I will tell this was what I could've found in the park. Making sure Shun doesn't doubt or question, Reiji or anyone won't say anything either on this topic. Shun might be desperately curious on what happened there, to you. But I will tell you weren't there
"Now, get some rest. Our timeline begins tomorrow."
With a silent nod, Yuto looked at his dark duel disk which he have used from the day he was selected and enrolled in Heartland School. One of very few things Yuto had left of Heartland. One of few things Academia hadn't taken.
After a long silence, the place become more quiet, he unclasped his duel disk. Which only he and his people would know how long he had attached that to him.
He gave it to Ryo with firm hands.
"I don't want you to make any contact with Shun either. In one way or another, Reiji will know or anyone else. I want you to act and play like an actual phantom in this city and on our plan. Don't worry, you might know better than me that Shun may make trouble if he can't find you or trace you but he have to stay firm and not troublesome for this war and to win against Academia. And he knows this better than anyone." Ryo finished it.
Yuto stepped backward, his dark cloak blending perfectly into the shadows until he disappeared completely into the night.
"Clearly you are just in too deep trauma," Ryo thought. "You say Yuya can use such strong card, Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon better than you? He is more suited for it? Doesn't that 'more' means you are suited too. You are just underestimating yourself. Or perhaps, deep inside you, you have lost the confidence to win against Academia... either way, you just need your confidence and your form back. You are already a great tactical creator, strategist and duelist. I have already seen it with my own eyes. Just have some firmness in yourself to back yourself up."
Ryo turned on his heel and moved with high-speed precision through the alleyways, arriving at the hidden bunker where the injured boy was kept just. He arrived six minutes later.
He slid open the heavy maintenance door. The blue medical monitor was still humming in the dark and cracky concrete.
"Are you conscious enough to respond?" Ryo asked, stepping up to the cot.
The boy let out a weak, broken groan, his head moving back and forth on the pillow as he drifted through a fever dream. "He carded them... he did it again... why..."
"Clearly not," Ryo muttered, checking the vitals.
A soft sound echoed from other part of the tunnel. Ryo didn't reach for his duel disk or become wary; he simply stood up, watching the dark figure approach.
The newcomer stepped into the dim blue light. He had deep navy-blue hair that fell slightly over his sharp navy-blue eyes, pale skin, and wore a dark blue jacket over his clothes. His expression was serious and heavy.
"Ryo-san, everything is fine." The teenager said, his voice low and calm.
"He needed immediate relocation, Vance. Thank you for answering the call and taking care of him till now."
"Don't worry about it," Vance replied, stepping up to the cot to help lift the unconscious boy. "It's nothing. Just... handling Razz afterward might be a bit of a headache if he gets curious."
"Which is why I secured a secondary room right next to your current quarters at the motel," Ryo explained smoothly. "It keeps him within your immediate area. Monitor his recovery, give him the medical supplies I provided through the staff, and ensure your companion remains unaware of him. We will talk with him once he can speak clearly."
Vance carefully lifted the unconscious boy. His pale face was framed by slightly messy, layered deep teal-blue, turquoise hair, its silver-white tips on sides and back head catching the faint light. Beneath his closed eyelids rested striking icy-white eyes. He wore a loose white jacket with hood attached, jacket was accented with blue gradients and blue-and-orange trim over the jacket, fitted brown pants, and sturdy, heavy black boots. Dust and dried dirt covered his clothes, while every shallow breath showed the toll the dimensional journey had taken on him.
"It goes without saying—"
"Reiji Akaba won't find out or grasp a clue, don't worry, Ryo-san. I'll handle it," Vance said, his voice deep and certain as he balanced the boy's weight. "Nobody will see him."
"I am counting on you." Ryo said, watching as Vance slipped back out into the darkness of the tunnels, carrying the city's newest secret guest with him.
# Yuya's House
The cool night air brushed through the open window of Yuya Sakaki's bedroom. Yuya lay fast asleep on his bed, his breathing heavy but stable, totally exhausted from the night's events.
A dark figure cloaked in black appeared against the silver moonlight, slipping silently through the window frame through opening it, without making a single sound. He approached the desk where Yuya's deck sat under the dim light.
With a quick hand, the figure drew a single card from his own pocket. The card, its border pitch-black, depicting a dragon with jagged metal wings, its body crackling with violent, dark lightning.
The figure quietly slid the dragon deep into the center of Yuya's deck, making sure it was completely mixed into his cards. He stepped back, slipping out of the window and closing it firmly behind him, vanishing into the rooftops before any LDS patrol drone could log his heat signature.
As Yuto ran through the dark streets toward the motel address Ryo had given him, he looked back toward the shape of the place he had gone.
"I am sorry, Ryo," Yuto thought, his gray eyes shining with fierce conviction and gaze. "But I know my own limits. I cannot use Dark Rebellion properly—not with the hatred currently burning in my blood. Yuya's soul is different. He can use this power to bring smiles to everyone and completely wipe away the anger and hatred from people. He is the one who should carry it."
He tightened his hanging blazer suit against the wind, his resolve hardening as he pulled out the encrypted phone.
"But I will keep every single promise we made in the dark. I will be your wild card, Ryo. I will fight from the shadows, as long as it brings us closer to saving Heartland."