Later that night, Celina headed out with Jaden and Syrus to hunt down the so-called Duel Giant. Yumi had planned to go with them, but Momoyo had other ideas, namely, forcing him to install a hook function into her duel disk.
So, he was stuck tinkering with wires instead of dueling, while Zane sat nearby with a look that could only be described as existential dread. Before, he could at least run away from Momoyo. But if she got her hands on this new device? Escape might no longer be an option.
By the next day, Yumi heard the results: Celina had apparently defeated the Duel Giant in a duel, and all the stolen cards had been returned to their owners. Some Obelisk Blue students were even acting a little nicer, humbled by the experience. But the true identity of the Giant was never revealed.
Which is how Yumi now found himself stuck in detention with the others. Jaden and Syrus were scribbling through their homework at breakneck speed, Celina was lounging comfortably while petting Pharaoh, and Chumley was there purely for moral support. As for Yumi... He was only there because Pharaoh seemed to like him just as much as it liked Lyman, so she carried him to make sure Pharaoh stayed for her to pet.
Crowler paced furiously across the room, his heels clacking like a metronome of anger."So let me get this straight," he snapped. "Not only did you confront the Duel Giant when every other Obelisk Blue failed, but you also let him escape?!"
Jaden, not looking up from his paper, replied lazily, "Escape? More like he ran into a giant peacock and hid there."
Crowler stopped mid-step. "A… peacock?"
"Yep. Bright feathers, couldn't miss it," Jaden said, still writing without a care.
"Then how, pray tell, did all the missing cards return to their rightful duelists without anyone noticing?" Crowler pressed, voice rising.
"Maybe they just… magically appeared after he left Duel Academy," Jaden shrugged.
...
"Ahh, Professor Crowler is such a pain."
Jaden grumbled as he walked along, kicking a pebble down the path.
"He wants, like, a million words for that duel theory report, and he wants it done by the day after tomorrow. Ugh, reports are such a headache."
He rubbed the back of his head, ruffling his jellyfish-like hair even more. Then, a thought struck him. He glanced at Syrus with a mischievous grin.
"Hey, Sy, how about helping me out?"
"Eh? But I haven't even started my own yet, big bro…" Syrus's face drooped in despair.
"Yeah, true…"
Jaden sighed and kept kicking the rock. The pebble bounced and skidded ahead, leaving a thin trail of dust.
"If only I could duel instead of writing reports…"
Chumley gave a nervous chuckle. "If that were the case, not many in the whole school could beat you, Jaden. Not even Professor Crowler himself."
"Nah, there are still some seriously strong duelists around," Jaden replied, his eyes lighting up. "Like Sy's brother, Zane. That guy's incredible."
He said it with genuine admiration, his gaze gleaming with respect.
"And there's even my AIBO. Man, last time was so fun! My Shining Flare Wingman clashing with his Shining Blaze Wingman, it was epic! Though, uh, I still lost… and my plan to force a draw totally backfired."
Despite admitting his defeat, Jaden wore a carefree smile. Far from discouraged, he looked like he couldn't wait for the next rematch.
At the same time, Yumi strolled lazily behind Celina as the two headed toward the cafeteria.
"Hurry up, slowpoke, we're gonna miss the drawbread!" Celina said eagerly, practically skipping ahead.
"Relax, it's not like the bread's gonna run away." Yumi yawned, stretching his arms.
The so-called drawbread was a daily ritual at the school shop. All the specialty breads looked identical on the outside, but each had a different filling. You wouldn't know what you got until you took a bite.
According to the Academy's rumors, a magical golden chicken laid a single golden egg every day, hidden inside one bread, dubbed the "Golden Eggwich." It was the most coveted prize on campus. Teachers even encouraged students to "practice their luck" by buying bread daily, though rumors claimed the real reason was Ms. Dorothy's suspiciously close connection with Chancellor Sheppard. Some even joked about a secret tunnel from the chancellor's office to the shop counter.
Ridiculous, of course.
…Except Yumi actually knew there was a tunnel in the chancellor's office. Where it led, he hadn't checked.
By the time they arrived, the shop was already packed. Students crowded outside, buzzing with excitement.
"Don't shove! One at a time!" Ms. Dorothy tried to keep the line in order.
That's when Celina spotted the walking disaster duo.
"Come on, Sy! I can't be late today, it's sandwich day! I know I'll get the Eggwich!" Jaden barreled in, Syrus trailing helplessly. He immediately noticed Celina chewing. "Hey, what'd you get?"
Celina swallowed. "Beef. Not bad, actually."
His gaze shifted. "How about you, AIBO?"
Yumi held up his sandwich. "…Bread." It was literally bread filled with bread.
"Perfect! That means my odds are better!" Jaden grinned, unwrapped his own sandwich, and chomped down, only for his face to twist. He puffed his cheeks and flapped his hands desperately.
"Ugh! Sardines!"
He dropped to his knees, fighting back the urge to puke. Everyone knew Jaden hated fish more than anything. The fact he once ate styrofoam but refused fish said it all.
"Trade with me, AIBO!" he begged, shoving his sandwich toward Yumi. Without a word, Yumi swapped his bread-bread sandwich for Jaden's sardinewich.
"Big bro used to win all the time," Syrus explained helpfully. "They even called him the King of the Golden Egg Bread! He once had a twenty-day streak!"
"That's a terrible nickname, Sy…" Jaden muttered.
"But even big bro hasn't gotten it in days."
Yumi tilted his head. Remembering the real drawbread maniac. Damon, the guy who literally disappeared into the mountains for a year just to "train his draw power." Sneaking into the shop at night to guarantee his win… yeah, that sounded about right.
Still, Yumi decided he'd let Jaden handle that mess. Damon was talented, but Jaden's draw power was on a whole different level.
"Better to draw a bad sandwich here than a bad card in a duel, right?" Alexis chimed in, strolling over with two sandwiches in hand, no doubt gifts from her fanboys.
"Alexis?" Jaden perked up. His eyes narrowed at the sandwiches. "Wait a sec. Don't tell me one's the Eggwich and you're saving it so you can share lunch with me?" he teased.
"Yumi, here, you can have mine."
Rio appeared beside Yumi like a silent ninja, holding out her sandwich with a faint blush. Behind her, Reginald stood glowering like a guard dog, without a sandwich.
"Uh… thanks." Yumi accepted it calmly, while Rio's cheeks turned even redder.
Celina's eyelid twitched. She almost choked on her own sandwich. Suddenly, beef didn't taste so good anymore.
Yumi didn't mind Rio acting like a love-struck heroine around him, while she acted more like her ZEXAL counterpart to others now.
He found this to be a plus since wasn't Rio a typical Tsundere?
They are cute and all, but really confusing for him to understand.
One second they'd blush and act shy, and the next they'd beat you half to death for pointing it out. Yumi had no idea how anyone was supposed to keep up.
Really confusing.
"Sorry, everyone. There's no golden egg bread today," Ms. Dorothy announced apologetically. "Actually… for the past week, the golden egg bread's been stolen every single day."
"Eh? Only the golden egg bread was stolen?" Syrus yelped in shock.
"That thief must be amazing." Jaden scowled instantly, as if his King of Draws title had just been insulted.
"Alright then!" he clenched his fist dramatically. "Tonight we'll camp out here! We're gonna catch that golden egg thief red-handed!"
"You guys go on ahead. I already have a plan." Yumi replied coolly, biting into the sandwich Rio had given him. "…Hmm. Honey flavor."
Jaden's face fell. His AIBO wasn't joining him? Tragic. But he quickly bounced back and turned to Celina.
"Sorry, Crowler's duel theory report isn't going to write itself," Celina said flatly. Then she shot Yumi a narrow glare. This guy never studies, never does his homework… yet somehow he always has something to turn in. Suspicious.
She was starting to suspect Yumi had another girl doing all his assignments.
Roze: You're absolutely right!
Then, out of nowhere, Yumi dropped the bomb.
"Rio. Come to my room tonight."
Rio's face instantly turned the exact shade of Yumi's Slifer Red jacket.
Everyone: "…"
Reginald: "You bastard! I'll kill you!"
"R-Right! I'll go!" Rio blurted, clutching Yumi's hands with starry eyes.
Celina snapped. "That's our room, damn it! Are you seriously gonna do it with her while I'm there!?" She kicks Yumi in the side.
"We're just playing cards. You could join if you want," Yumi said, genuinely confused.
Everyone: "…"
Could you at least have phrased that better!?
"Speaking of playing, AIBO, let's duel!" Jaden suddenly shouted, whipping out a duel disk like he'd been waiting his whole life for that cue.
Yumi: "…"
...
Later that night, Rio slipped into Yumi and Celina's room, Duel Disk in hand. Not far away, hidden behind a tree, Reginald stood with arms crossed, his glare burning holes into the walls as if he could kill Yumi through sheer willpower.
Inside, Yumi spread out a fresh deck on the table. "This is the one I wanted to show you. Let's go through the mechanics first."
Rio leaned closer, listening intently as he explained the effects. After some practice hands, they stepped outside to the open field, the night air cool around them.
Yumi smiled as he slid his Duel Disk into place. "Do your best, Rio."
"I will. I won't let you down, Yumi." She gave a small, determined nod, blushing slightly as she activated her Duel Disk.
"DUEL!" x2
[Yumi, LP 4000]
[Rio, LP 4000]
"I'll go first. Draw!" He glanced at the card, then smoothly played another. "Spell Card, Angel Baton! I draw two cards, then discard one."
The cards slid into his hand, and one went straight to the Graveyard.
"Since I control no other monsters, I Special Summon Exosister Martha from my hand!"
A figure materialized, an elegant woman in a sharp, magenta uniform, curves emphasized by the tight fit. Her long pink hair flowed in the night wind.
[Exosister Martha, 1600 ATK]
Rio tilted her head. "Exosister? Not your HERO or Sky Striker deck?"
Yumi chuckled. "Of course not. This is just a fun duel. No point in going all try-hard when you're still learning."
Her lips curled into a shy smile. "Right… then let's enjoy it."
"Martha's effect activates! When she's Summoned, I can Special Summon Exosister Elis from my hand, Deck, Graveyard, or even banished!"
A light flared from Yumi's Graveyard as a card slid out on its own. "Show yourself, Elis!"
[Exosister Elis, 500 ATK]
Elis appeared beside her sister, the two standing proudly together.
The original Exosister Martha could only bring Elis out from the deck, but Yumi made it so that Martha could basically call her sister out from anywhere, as long as Elis is in the deck when the duel started.
He still remembers a BS moment in the DM anime, when Téa Gardner, the main female lead, used the Sage's Stone to Special Summon the Dark Magician from Yugi's deck.
But then again, that side arc does have a large number of cheaters.
He was originally going to do something similar, but he decided against it, seeing how only he has a copy of Elis, and to suddenly pull a card from a different deck to play in the middle of a duel is a bit scummy.
"Now I contact fuse Martha and Elis!" Yumi swept his hand as the two sisters leapt into the air, merging within a radiant column of light.
"Fusion condition: two Exosisters! Manifest, Exosister Gibrine!"
The light parted, revealing Gibrine, kneeling with a sleek magic rifle braced in her hands.
[Exosister Gibrine, 2800 DEF]
"And since I haven't Normal Summoned yet, I'll play Kuribee in Defense Position!"
A tiny pink furball popped onto the field, bouncing happily.
Kuribee: Kuri Kuri!
[Kuribee, 200 DEF]
"I'll set three cards face-down." Three glowing panels appeared behind his monsters.
"Finally, I activate Take Over 5! I send the top five cards of my Deck to the Graveyard." He sent them in one swift motion, the cards sliding into the Grave.
"My turn ends."
"Right, my turn! Draw!" Rio swiftly drew her opening hand, her eyes narrowing as she scanned her cards.
"First, I'll Normal Summon Strategist of the Ice Barrier!"
Cold winds stirred on her field, coalescing into the figure of an elderly man in flowing blue robes and a tall conical hat.
[Strategist of the Ice Barrier, 1600 ATK]
"Strategist's effect activates! By discarding one Ice Barrier monster, I draw a card." She slid a card into the Graveyard, reaching for her deck, but Yumi's calm voice cut through.
"Not so fast. I'll activate Exosister Gibrine's effect. Once per turn, I can target one of your Effect Monsters and negate it until the end of the turn."
Gibrine raised her gun, firing a shot that transformed into glowing golden rings, sealing the Strategist's powers.
Rio didn't flinch. Instead, she played another card.
"Spell Card, Medallion of the Ice Barrier! This lets me add one Ice Barrier monster from my Deck to my hand."
After rifling through her deck, she revealed her choice.
"I'll take the monster Zuijin of the Ice Barrier!" Adding the card to her hand, she quickly played another card.
"Spell card, Magic Triangle of the Ice Barrier!"
A massive frozen glyph spread across the arena beneath them, glowing with icy runes.
"By revealing three different Ice Barrier monsters from my hand, I can destroy one of your monsters! I reveal Mirror Mage, Zuijin, and General Gantala!"
The three spirits appeared at the points of the glowing triangle, channeling power into the circle.
"Say goodbye to your Exosister Gibrine!"
The magic circle shined brilliantly before collapsing inward, encasing Gibrine in jagged ice crystals that shattered with a sharp crack.
Rio smirked. "And that's not all. Since I destroyed your monster, Magic Triangle lets me Special Summon one Ice Barrier monster from my hand! Come forth, General Gantala of the Ice Barrier!"
A towering, dark-skinned monk stepped forth, muscles rippling, his fists glowing with icy energy.
[General Gantala of the Ice Barrier, 2700 ATK]
"Battle! Strategist, attack Kuribee!"
The robed elder dashed forward, striking down the fluffy pink creature in one blow.
Yumi raised a hand. "Kuribee's effect activates! When it or any Kuriboh monster I control is destroyed by battle, I can add one Spell or Trap that lists Kuriboh in its text to my hand." He searched his deck, revealing his choice. "I'll take Five Star Twilight!"
Rio pressed on, her eyes gleaming. "Then, General Gantala, direct attack!"
The massive monk lunged forward with a devastating strike, but Yumi pressed a button on his Duel Disk.
"Trap Card, Counter Gate! Your attack is negated, and I draw one card!"
A shimmering gateway of light appeared, intercepting Gantala's punch. Yumi immediately drew, his gaze sharpening as he revealed his card.
"Perfect. Since I drew a monster, I can Normal Summon it right now. Appear, K9-17 Izuna!"