[Kaito, LP 400]
[Yumi, LP 2600]
[Hieratic Sun Dragon Overlord of Heliopolis, 3000 ATK]
[Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon, 3000 ATK]
[Starliege Lord Galaxion, 2000 ATK]
[Sky Striker Ace - Masquerade, 2000 DEF]
"Don't panic. The real battle is about to come." Yumi said with a relaxed smile as he lightly placed his finger on top of his deck.
"Draw!"
His arm moved in a smooth arc as he drew the card, his gaze lowering briefly to the cards in his hand while he quickly reviewed the options available to him.
"I banish the two Take Over 5 in my deck and the one in my graveyard to draw three cards!"
Three copies of Take Over 5 appeared behind him as glowing projections before they gradually dissolved into golden particles. As they vanished, three new cards slid from the top of his deck into his hand.
Without wasting time, Yumi selected one card.
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Sky Striker Mecha - Widow Anchor! I target your Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon, negate its effect, and since I have three or more spells in my graveyard, I can take control of it!"
The spell activated instantly. A mechanical claw extended outward from the card's hologram, shooting across the field toward the massive photon dragon.
Kaito's eyes narrowed the moment he saw it coming.
"I won't allow you!" he said, immediately flipping up his face-down card. "Quick-Play Spell, Mystik Wok! I tribute my Galaxy-Eyes, and I can gain Life Points equal to its ATK or DEF!"
The photon dragon released a deep roar as its body dissolved into particles before the mechanical claw could grab it.
The claw snapped shut on empty air.
[Kaito, LP 400 -> 3400]
Yumi raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Nice reaction." He gestured toward his monster. "I switch Masquerade into attack position!"
Masquerade straightened from her defensive stance as her wings unfolded behind her.
[Sky Striker Ace - Masquerade, 2300 ATK]
"I activate the Equip Spell, Hazard Trigger! Equipping it to Masquerade!"
As the card activated, two black mechanical casings materialized beside Masquerade and slammed onto her with a heavy metallic sound. They opened with a hiss, releasing dark smoke that spread around her body.
When the smoke cleared, Masquerade remained standing in the same position, but the color of her armor had completely shifted. The once sleek plating had turned an ominous black, and a faint dark aura now leaked from the seams.
"The equipped monster's DEF becomes zero, but it gains ATK equal to the DEF it lost!"
[Sky Striker Ace - Masquerade, 2300 -> 4300 ATK]
Kaito's eyes widened.
"Battle!" Yumi said as he casually waved his hand forward. "Masquerade, attack Hieratic Sun Dragon Overlord of Heliopolis!"
Masquerade took off instantly, her wings cutting through the air as the dark aura around her intensified.
"Overflow!"
She shot forward like a black comet and struck the massive dragon head-on. The impact produced a burst of light as the enormous dragon shattered into fragments of energy.
[Kaito, LP 3400 -> 2100]
Yumi didn't pause.
"Quick-Play Spell, Mask Change II! By discarding one card, I send the DARK attribute Masquerade from my field to the graveyard and Special Summon a Masked HERO from my Extra Deck!"
He flicked one card from his hand into the graveyard slot.
Masquerade's body immediately began glowing as her form was engulfed in bright light.
"Henshin! Masked HERO Dark Law!"
The light condensed before revealing a new warrior descending onto the field. The armored hero landed firmly in front of Yumi, black armor gleaming as his golden eyes fixed on Kaito's field.
[Masked HERO Dark Law, 2400 ATK]
"Dark Law attacks Starliege Lord Galaxion! Rider Kick!"
Dark Law dashed forward with incredible speed. His clawed foot slammed into the ground as he launched himself upward before driving a powerful kick directly into the photon warrior's chest.
The impact sent Galaxion flying backward before the armored knight shattered against the wall of the arena.
[Kaito, LP 2100 -> 1700]
Yumi glanced down at the cards still in his hand. For a moment, he paused as a faint but unfamiliar feeling stirred in his chest.
He slowly picked up another card. "Spell Card, Angel Baton. Draw two cards and discard one."
He calmly drew two new cards from the deck before sliding Mischief of the Time Goddess into the graveyard.
Truthfully, this duel had already become much more entertaining than he originally expected. Ending it too quickly now would almost feel like a waste.
"I set three cards face-down. Turn end."
Three cards appeared behind Dark Law as glowing face-down holograms.
Yumi then looked across the field toward Kaito with an easy smile.
"Kaito, let's enjoy this duel to our heart's content. I want to see if you can break out of this deadlock."
Over time, Yumi had come to realize something about himself.
Somehow, he had ended up becoming something like a hidden boss in the world of Yu-Gi-Oh. Victories had become far too easy for him, to the point where most matches ended before they could even become interesting.
Only a handful of duelists could truly push him. His sister. President Kaiba. And his Aibo.
Those were the few who could actually force him into difficult situations, of course, under the context that he still let them somewhat play.
Just now, Kaito had surprised him by managing to break through one of his setups earlier in the duel. That brief moment had been enough to make his heartbeat rise again, reminding him how enjoyable it was to duel someone who could actually fight back.
Even so, the Kaito standing here now was still inexperienced compared to the version of him that would appear later.
He was talented, but still rough around the edges.
Kaito didn't respond immediately. Instead, he took a slow breath as he stared across the field.
Then he placed a hand against his chest, feeling the pressure in the air coming from Yumi.
The duelist standing across from him felt completely different from any opponent he had faced before.
After a moment, Kaito lowered his hand and placed it firmly on top of his deck.
"My turn! Draw!" Kaito declared as he drew from his deck, his arm leaving a clean arc through the air before his gaze shifted toward the card now resting in his hand.
The moment he saw it, the card began glowing faintly. Light slowly peeled away from its surface as if reacting to his will. Without even lowering his eyes again, Kaito immediately slammed it onto his Duel Disk.
"Rank-Up Magic Over The Galaxy!"
Kaito clenched his teeth as a sharp pain ran through his body. The aftereffects of Photon Change were starting to take their toll on his body. It was a power that placed a heavy strain on him, which was why he normally finished duels quickly whenever he used it.
However, against someone like Yumi, ending the duel quickly was not an option.
From the beginning of the match, Kaito had the clear feeling that his opponent was still holding back. Yumi's relaxed attitude and casual expressions made it seem as if he didn't consider Kaito a serious threat yet.
Combined with the strange location they were currently in, Kaito had already formed his own conclusion.
This world is a dimensional space connected to Astral and the Number Cards, and the duelist standing in front of him was likely some sort of Duel Spirit guarding it.
If that was the case, then Kaito had no intention of backing down.
So to sum up their current situation...
Yumi: "Let's have a fun duel!"
Kaito: "I will not lose this duel! I must win no matter what!"
Because of that determination, when Yumi saw Kaito practically print a card out of thin air during mid-duel, he only assumed that Kaito still had more strength left to continue the duel.
He didn't realize that Kaito was already pushing himself far past his limit.
"With this spell, I select two monsters in my graveyard to form the Overlay Network! Then I immediately Xyz Summon a Galaxy-Eyes monster from my Extra Deck!"
A familiar vortex appeared above the field as a swirling black hole surrounded by gathering starlight. The figures of Photon Caesar and Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon emerged from the graveyard zone before turning into beams of light and shooting directly into the vortex.
The energy condensed before erupting upward in a brilliant pillar of light.
Descending from that light was the massive figure of a dragon.
Its body was larger than before, its scales deeper and more layered, while its claws and feet looked far sharper than the original photon dragon. The overlapping scales gave it a heavier and more imposing appearance, yet when it spread its wings, the energy structure was completely different.
Instead of the familiar photon wings, its wings looked like transparent glass panels, shimmering with colorful reflections as light moved across their surface.
"Xyz Summon! Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon!"
[Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon, 3000 ATK]
Seeing the dragon appear, Yumi raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.
It wasn't every day he saw someone bring a card that technically belonged to another timeline into their own. Seeing an Arc-V era monster appear in a ZEXAL setting was admittedly interesting.
"I activate Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon's effect!" Kaito said through gritted teeth. "By detaching one Xyz Material, once per turn, I can take control of one of your monsters! Its effects are negated, and its name and ATK become the same as my Cipher Dragon!"
The dragon's wings glowed brightly as a beam of light shot across the field.
Dark Law was suddenly pulled away from Yumi's side of the field, dragged through the air before landing on Kaito's side.
As the effect completed, Dark Law's form shifted and transformed, becoming a translucent duplicate of Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon.
"Battle!" Kaito shouted as he pointed forward. "Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon, direct attack!"
"Trap Card, Mirror Force!"
Yumi calmly waved his hand as his face-down card flipped open, creating a massive reflective barrier in front of him.
"It's useless! Rank-Up Magic Over The Galaxy's follow-up effect!" Kaito shouted back. "Since I used Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon as material for this Xyz Summon, my dragon is unaffected by your card effects and cannot be destroyed by battle!"
The reflective barrier surged forward in a wave of light, destroying the copied Cipher Dragon that used to be Dark Law. However, the real Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon flew straight through the attack unharmed.
Breaking through the mirror barrier, the dragon descended toward Yumi with its claws raised.
Reacting instantly, Yumi discarded a card from his hand.
"I activate Ankuriboh! When you declare an attack, I can discard this card to Special Summon a monster from either player's graveyard. However, it will be destroyed during the End Phase!"
The graveyard slot on Yumi's Duel Disk glowed.
"Return to my side! Raye!"
A beam of light shot upward as a young girl appeared on the field, landing lightly in front of Yumi while kneeling defensively with her katana raised.
[Sky Striker Ace - Raye, 1500 DEF]
"Since the number of monsters on the field has changed, a battle replay occurs. I redirect Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon's attack to your Raye!" Kaito said loudly as the dragon adjusted its target mid-attack.
The enormous claws swung downward.
Yumi casually waved his hand again as another card flipped open.
"Quick-Play Spell, Half Shut. I target Raye. Her ATK is halved, but until the end of this turn she cannot be destroyed by battle."
Raye braced herself as the dragon's claws crashed down on her position.
The impact forced her backward as her boots scraped across the ground. She slid several meters before her back bumped into Yumi, who instinctively caught her to stop her from falling.
Despite the overwhelming force, she was still standing.
Kaito clenched his teeth harder, his other hand pressing against his chest as the strain on his body intensified.
"...Turn... end."
His breathing had become noticeably heavier now. Yumi didn't comment on it, since he didn't notice.
"At this moment, I activate Raye's effect," Yumi said. "By tributing her, I can Special Summon a Sky Striker Ace from my Extra Deck."
Raye's body began glowing before dissolving into light.
From that light emerged a sleek green combat suit equipped with a large cannon mounted behind her.
"Henshin! Sky Striker Ace - Hayate!"
[Sky Striker Ace - Hayate, 1500 ATK]
Across the field, Kaito was starting to feel lightheaded.
His breathing was becoming difficult, and his footing had grown slightly unsteady. Even so, his eyes remained locked on the field.
He was close. Just one more turn, he believed he could win this duel. Because of that, he refused to back down now.
Yumi rested his hand lightly on top of his deck before drawing.
"My turn! Draw!"
The card slid cleanly into his fingers. His eyes dropped to it for a moment, and then a small, surprised smile appeared on his face.
"Battle! Hayate can attack directly!" Yumi said as he waved his hand toward Kaito's side of the field. "Hayate, direct attack! Vector Blast!"
Hayate immediately lowered herself into a firing stance. The cannon on her arm began gathering energy before releasing a focused beam that shot straight past Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon and struck Kaito directly.
[Kaito, LP 1700 -> 200]
The blast forced Kaito to stagger backward, but he remained standing, barely keeping his balance.
Yumi watched him for a moment before raising the card he had just drawn.
"It was fun," Yumi said casually. "But sadly for you... I drew this."
He turned the card around so Kaito could clearly see it before sliding it into his Duel Disk.
"Quick-Play Spell, Berserker Soul."
"Berserker Soul?" Kaito murmured quietly, clearly unfamiliar with the card.
"By discarding my entire hand," Yumi explained as he casually sent the last card in his hand to the graveyard slot, "I can draw cards until I draw a non-monster card. Every time I draw a monster, I must discard it, and a monster I control with 1500 or less ATK can attack again."
Kaito's eyes widened as the effect sank in.
Yumi placed two fingers on the top of his deck. "Here I go! First draw!"
He pulled the card and revealed it immediately. "Monster Card, The Tyrant Neptune!"
Hayate fired again without hesitation. Another beam blasted across the field and struck Kaito directly, throwing him further back.
[Kaito, LP 200 -> 0]
But Yumi didn't stop. "My second draw!"
He pulled another card from the deck and flipped it over. "Monster Card, Effect Veiler!"
Hayate fired again. The beam struck Kaito once more, and this time his vision began to blur as the impact pushed him closer to collapse.
"Draw!" Yumi continued, pulling another card.
"Monster Card, Kuri- huh?" His voice stopped mid-sentence.
Across the field, Kaito's body had begun to fade.
At first it was subtle, small fragments of light drifting away from his shoulders and arms. But within seconds, the fading began spreading across his entire form.
"Oi! The heck?" Yumi immediately lowered his Duel Disk and ran toward him.
By the time he reached Kaito, the duelist's body had already started breaking apart into glowing fragments. Yumi reached out instinctively, trying to grab him, but his hands only managed to catch a few fading pieces of light.
The fragments dissolved the moment they touched his palm.
Yumi looked down slowly.
The glowing pieces didn't disappear. Instead, they were being absorbed into his body.
A strange sensation spread through his chest as the realization hit him. His breathing became uneven, and an unfamiliar heaviness settled in his stomach.
He hadn't just defeated Kaito. He had taken his life.
The surge of negative emotion gathering around him didn't go unnoticed.
Near his foot, a black, liquid-like shape slowly crept forward before latching onto the edge of his shoe.
"Master!" Raye dismissed her armor as she quickly ran over to him, grabbing his arm to help steady him.
"Chaos... take me back..." Yumi muttered quietly.
The moment he spoke, a familiar figure appeared beside them.
Chaos stood there silently for a moment before opening his hand. A dark rift began forming in the air beside him.
"Master... don't let today's event become the shackle that binds you," Chaos said calmly.
Yumi slowly turned his head toward the half-black, half-white warrior. His eyes, which were normally golden, had already darkened into an ominous crimson.
"What?"
"Falling into darkness won't help anyone, Master," Chaos continued in a steady voice. "Today may have been an accident. Remaining trapped by it will only cause more harm."
The rift beside him widened. "You can only move forward from here. Remember the ones who still need you."
Yumi didn't respond. With Raye supporting him, he slowly stepped toward the rift. Chaos followed behind them as the three crossed through the tear in space. Once they disappeared, the rift quietly closed behind them.
Raye stood beside Yumi as they emerged on the other side. She held onto him tightly, staying close as he struggled to process what had just happened.
For the first time since forever... Yumi didn't feel any joy from dueling.