Midori-sensei clutched her head, trying to shake off the creeping sense of deja vu that had taken root during the duel. It was the same feeling she'd had when facing one of her old students, Momoyo Kawakami.
Whose play style is so toxic that her opponent usually doesn't get to play.
"Sensei, are you alright?" Yumi asks, noticing that Midori-sensei is about to collapse and is having trouble standing.
Her eyelid twitched, as this was the same line Momoyo had asked her when they first dueled.
"…I'm fine," she muttered, forcing her composure. "Let's continue."
Her gaze returned to her field; her only monster now is the big sea turtle her student gave her, Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju.
It has decent ATK of 2200 and a solid DEF of 3000.
However, turning it into a defensive position won't work, as the gun-wielding mecha girl on her student side can attack directly, bypassing the 3000 DEF. However, leaving this big turtle in attack position would only give room for her student to finish her off.
After a moment to decide, Midori made up her mind. "Battle!" she declared. "Gameciel, attack Sky Striker Ace - Hayate!"
The massive sea turtle let out a roar and surged forward, slamming into the mech girl. The impact triggered a dust cloud as Hayate was destroyed.
"Hayate's effect activates," Yumi called from within the haze. "When she battles, I can send a Sky Striker Spell from my deck to the graveyard. I'll send Sky Striker Mecha - Shark Cannon!"
[Yumi, LP 4000 -> 3300]
"And when a Sky Striker Ace I control leaves the field," Yumi continued, "I can Special Summon Raye from my graveyard."
As the dust began to settle, Raye emerged once more, calmly taking position beside her master.
[Sky Striker Ace - Raye, 1500 ATK]
"The ability to keep leaping out of the grave whenever your monsters leave the field… That's quite the nuisance," she muttered, quietly impressed and equally frustrated.
"…I end my turn."
With no more play left, she passed her turn.
"Here I go, Sensei," Yumi said with a confident smirk, placing his hand over his deck. "Draw!"
He glanced at the card he'd drawn and continued without hesitation.
"By banishing two copies of Take Over 5 from my deck and one from my graveyard, I get to draw three cards!"
His three copies of Take Over 5 were removed from play as Yumi drew three more cards.
"Spell card, Parallel World Fusion! I return my Elemental HERO Avian and Burstinatrix from my banish zone back to my deck to fusion summon!"
The two glowing figures of Avian and Burstinatrix materialized in midair before spiraling into a fusion vortex, merging in a burst of energy.
"Fusion Summon! Elemental HERO Burst Wingman!"
A fiery gust swept across the field as the FIRE HERO descended, his blazing wings igniting the night air.
[Elemental HERO Burst Wingman, 2100 ATK]
Yumi waved his hand.
"Burst Wingman's effect activated! I can target one face-up warrior on my field, increase its ATK by 1000 until the end of the turn!"
A burning aura surged around the HERO, his wings flaring brighter.
[Elemental HERO Burst Wingman, 2100 -> 3100 ATK]
"Battle, Burst Wingman attack Gameciel!"
Burst Wingman roared and charged, his blazing form colliding with the giant sea turtle in a fiery explosion.
[Midori, LP 1800 -> 900]
"Now, Raye, finish this!"
With a swift hand motion from Yumi, his Sky Striker Ace dashed forward, blade raised for the final blow.
"Trap card, activate!" Midori shouted, flipping her face down. "Call of the Haunted! I target a monster in my graveyard and Special Summon it in Attack Position!"
The field trembled as a figure rose from the underworld, an ominous, black-armored angel cloaked in feathers and fur. A skull-like mask adorned its face, a crimson spike halo gleaming above its head.
"Revive, Darklord Tezcatlipoca!"
[Darklord Tezcatlipoca, 2800 ATK]
Midori-sensei crossed her fingers, hoping that Yumi doesn't have another Hayate in his Extra Deck, otherwise this defense would be pointless.
"As expected of Sensei..." Yumi said with a smile, which only irritated her further. "You even saved such a powerful monster for me."
If others hear this, they might think he is excited that his teacher has brought out a powerful monster to face him.
A form of respect from duelist to duelist.
But those words came out from Yumi's mouth...
"Quick play spell, Sky Striker Mecha - Widow Anchor! Target one of your monsters, negate its effect. And since I have more than three spells in my grave, I can take control of it!"
A massive mechanical claw surged out from his field, snatching Tezcatlipoca with a hiss of electricity. The dark angel was ripped from Midori's side and yanked to Yumi's.
Midori: "..."
Midori's eyelid twitched. Her face was calm, but only on the surface. Inwardly, she was screaming.
This Slifer Red first year…
He's no different from that She-Devil, Momoyo!
The battle continues, now that her monster has been removed from her field.
"Ace Striker!"
Raye dashed forward once more, sword gleaming. With a swift leap, she brought the blade down.
BONK!
Midori-sensei yelped as she tumbled backward, landing ungracefully on her butt and clutching her head in pain.
[Midori, LP 900 -> 0]
"Gotcha! That was a fun duel!" Yumi grinned, striking a victory pose, pointing two fingers at his sensei, as the holograms dissolved into light.
"Whoa! You combined HEROes with Sky Strikers? That's awesome!" Jaden shouted, practically bouncing over in excitement toward his AIBO.
Yumi chuckled. "There's a bit more to it, but yeah, you can call this my main deck." He gave Jaden a wink, then walked over to Midori-sensei and extended a hand.
"You alright, Sensei? You seem kind of stressed." The night breeze whispered through the field, tugging gently at Yumi's hair. His bangs flopped forward into a messy X across his face.
Midori blinked. For a moment, the sight of that shape, his tone, his grin, flashed memories of a familiar she-devil.
"I'm fine, Momoyo..." she muttered automatically.
Yumi paused, silently brushing his hair back to its usual style. He didn't say a word, but the flicker of amusement in his eyes didn't go unnoticed.
Nearby, Celina stepped forward cautiously, eyes narrowing with a mix of confusion and curiosity.
"You are...?"
Midori cleared her throat, regaining her composure.
"Midori Hibiki," she said formally. "The Female head professor of the Slifer Red dorm."
She tried to hide the fatigue in her voice, but the weight of the duel lingered. Dueling with nether-style players was mentally exhausting, like being chained to the sideline, forced to watch your opponent play solo.
Then, Yumi asked, calmly, but directly: "Sensei… can you tell me about Koyo Hibiki?"
The question struck like a quiet thunderclap.
Everyone turned to look at him.
Midori's gaze sharpened. Her tone, while steady, carried weight.
"I don't usually discuss family matters with students," she said carefully. "But since I came here for this... this stays between us. Understood?"
...
Later, inside Yumi and Celina's shared dorm room, Celina sat cross-legged on the top bunk, while Yumi perched casually on the table. Across from them, Midori-sensei sat in a chair, legs crossed, her sharp eyes watching them closely.
Her gaze lingered on Yumi, who sat like a delinquent without a care in the world.
The image was far too familiar. That posture. That attitude. It was exactly like her.
"Tch… just like the She-devil," she muttered under her breath.
She glanced between the two students. A boy and a girl. Alone in a dorm room. At night. Two hormonal teenagers living under the same roof.
Her expression darkened.
"You two haven't… crossed the line, have you?" she asked suddenly, her tone dead serious.
Yumi blinked. "Heh?"
Celina tilted her head. "What line?"
Raye, leaning on Yumi's shoulder, nearly fell off. "!!??"
Midori stared at their blank expressions for a long moment before letting out a deep sigh.
"Forget it," she muttered, deciding this clearly wasn't the time for that conversation.
Besides, she had challenged Yumi using her authority and lost. She owed him at least a proper answer, especially after agreeing to talk about him.
Leaning forward, her voice grew steady.
"Before we begin... what do you know about Koyo Hibiki?"
Celina crossed her arms, her eyes showing recognition. "Koyo Hibiki, isn't he the Second Generation Duel King who uses HEROes? Some of his famous HEROes monsters are Absolute Zero and Terra Firma."
Midori-sensei nodded.
"Second Generation Duel King?" Yumi question, from his memory, Koyo Hibiki is just a pro HERO Duelist in the manga, not the Duel King.
"He inherited the title of Duel King after the First Generation Duel King, Yugi Muto, retired." Midori-sensei explains, noticing Yumi's confusion. "There was a whole tournament to decide the Second Duel King. How did you not know it?"
There was a tournament and he heard about it, but Yumi paid it no mind since with Yugi retiring, doesn't that mean the person who would most likely become the next Duel King is President Kaiba?
Now that he thinks about it, President Kaiba is too prideful to inherit the title of Duel King like that.
So this meant President Kaiba has also stopped dueling since his rival retired, or he got addicted to abusing AI bots that look like the Nameless Pharaoh, before discovering a way to travel to the underworld to look for the Nameless Pharaoh to duel.
Going with the mindset of since I can't drag his soul back to life to duel, I'll directly come to him in the underworld!
But currently, President Kaiba is still alive and in this world, so does that mean he hasn't traveled to the underworld to play cards with the Nameless Pharaoh?
Seeing Yumi getting lost in thought, Midori-sensei clapped her hands, trying to get his attention.
"Alright, alright, let's get back on topic," Midori said, forcing herself to refocus. The lightness from earlier was gone, her expression now shadowed with something heavier.
According to public reports, the second-generation Duel King Koyo Hibiki suddenly fell ill and fell into a coma while on vacation abroad, and was sent to a local hospital for emergency treatment.
However, the specific process was unclear, and the specific matters were not explained clearly.
"The truth is, my brother accepted a private offer from a corporate entity called Department D, which attracts top duelists from all walks of life, hoping that the power of those duelists can be used by them."
Her voice grew bitter as her fists clenched in her lap.
"My brother agreed to work for them without knowing about their true intention. He thought he was doing something good." She exhaled slowly.
"His final assignment involved a mission connected to Egyptian archaeology. I don't know the specifics. All I know is he never came back."
Celina's eyes softened, her expression touched with concern. Yumi, on the other hand, remains calm.
"The mission was classified," Midori continued, her voice low. "I tried to investigate, but every lead ran into a dead end. The mission was a failure, my brother disappeared, and the archaeological team…" She hesitated. "They all suffered tragic accidents after the excavation."
Celina gasped. "All of them?"
Midori nodded grimly. "Some died in bizarre car crashes. Others fell from horses while traveling through desert terrain. Two were institutionalized after suffering mental breakdowns. The rest became terminally ill, bedridden to this day."
Celina was speechless. Midori could see the shock in her eyes, while Yumi remains calm... a bit too calm.
"Yumi," Midori said, watching him closely, "Do you… know anything about this?"
Her voice cracked, not with anger, but desperation. After Koyo's disappearance, his most iconic cards resurfaced in one place. In Yumi Uzushi's deck.
Yumi sighed softly. Her plea wasn't lost on him.
Technically, this had nothing to do with him. He wasn't responsible for Koyo's fate. He owed Midori nothing.
But seeing the pain in her eyes, the quiet hope hanging by a thread, made it impossible to stay silent.
He closed his eyes. Then slowly opened them.
"I think…" he began quietly, "Koyo Hibiki is still alive."
Midori's breath hitched. Celina sat upright on the top bunk, startled.
Yumi remained composed. "From what I already know, that Duel Spirits existed within and outside of our reality. Connected to our world through Duel Monsters cards."
His gaze narrowed slightly.
"My guess is that Koyo Hibiki didn't die. But he was possessed, taken by a powerful Duel Spirit. Most likely one with malicious intent."
The room fell silent.
"He's likely being used as a puppet by it. But, that would also mean..." Yumi looked straight at Midori. "That he's still alive. And if he's alive, then there's still a way to save him."
Midori didn't speak right away. His last words gave her the hope she had been looking for.
Yumi's theory wasn't baseless. He already understood that this world was a strange blend of the GX anime and manga. And with Midori's story now in the mix, he could already piece a few things together.
In the GX manga, the final antagonist was none other than Tragoedia, a malevolent spirit of terrifying origin.
A monster from three thousand years ago, Tragoedia wielded overwhelming power and a darkness so vile that even the ancient Egyptian priests considered it a nightmare. Tyrannical, cunning, and nearly unmatched, it stood at the top of all who appeared in the manga.
Now, you might ask: If Tragoedia was so powerful, how was it sealed away three millennia ago?
Yumi honestly found the story kind of hilarious.
Three thousand years ago...
Tragoedia had hidden inside a human host and was eventually captured by Egyptian priests. They brought it to the palace for judgment.
In fact, it had the ability to break free easily. It could kill these priests at any time if it wanted to, but it just didn't do that.
Tragoedia said that he would pretend to be a pig and eat the tiger, meaning it'd feign weakness to lure in bigger prey. Once it lulled the priests into complacency, and then massacre them all once inside the palace.
In short, it's just to show off.
The priests summoned the "Winged Kuriboh" spirit. Winged Kuriboh has the ability to take out the heart of an evil person and put it on the "Millennium Scale" to test the evil.
Tragoedia sneered as Winged Kuriboh took away his heart, triumphantly imagining the shock when the priests measured his strength level.
Later, it was indeed installed in place. When the priests saw the test results, they couldn't help but scream, shouting that there could be such evil resentment in the world!
Tragoedia was very satisfied when he saw the panicked expressions of the priests and felt that his purpose of showing off had been achieved. Then, when it was about to show its might and kill all the priests on the spot, it suddenly realized a fatal problem.
Fuck! My heart is still with that spirit!
Tragoedia's strength was greatly reduced after losing his heart. Although it rushed towards the Winged Kuriboh angrily, it was quickly suppressed by the combined efforts of the priests, and it has been sealed for three thousand years.
Cause of death: Pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger, but pretending to be a pig too long and really turning into a pig.
Even after the sealing, the priests were drenched in cold sweat. One of them muttered, "If that monster had attacked at full strength, we wouldn't have stood a chance."
Fortunately, his brain didn't seem to work very well!
Three thousand years later, the seal was disturbed. An archaeological team unearthed the stone slab from an ancient tomb, and just like that, the darkness saw the light of day once more.
"Is that even possible?" Celina asked, her voice tinged with skepticism upon hearing his theory.
Yumi shrugged, unfazed. "Maybe. Maybe not."
He looked up, a faint glimmer in his eye. "But if there's even a chance he's still alive... then he's still worth saving."