Surrounded on all sides by wild Duel Spirits, Yumi narrowed his golden eyes and slowly swept his gaze across the battlefield, calmly taking in the countless monsters closing in from every direction.
There was no escape.
Only an endless tide of spirits drawn by the overwhelming amount of Spirit Energy gathered inside his body.
The moment the first monsters entered striking distance, Raye and Roze shot forward together like streaks of light.
Their blades collided head-on with Swordstalker and Beast of Talwar, sparks exploding into the air as steel met steel. Neither side gave an inch, the sound of clashing swords echoing throughout the white desert.
At nearly the same time, Chaos leaped into the fray and drove a fierce rider kick straight into Barrel Dragon's head, sending the machine beast staggering backward from the force of the impact.
Meanwhile, Cosmo Queen floated high above the battlefield.
She raised both hands, gathering countless spheres of magical energy before unleashing a relentless barrage toward Yumi.
But before any of them could reach him, a wall of Kuribohs suddenly appeared in front of their Master and blocked the attack with their own bodies. The explosions that followed kicked up a thick cloud of dust, completely hiding Yumi from sight for a brief moment, and just when the smoke was at its thickest, two pairs of glowing red and blue eyes appeared side by side inside it.
Then, as the dust slowly began to settle, two armored warriors stepped forward in front of Yumi.
Both of them carried a sword in one hand and a shield in the other, and both wore heavy armor lined with golden accents, though one was deep blue while the other was pure white.
They looked almost like mirrored versions of one another, and the moment the other Spirits saw them, a few of the weaker ones immediately began to back off in fear.
Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning, and Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of Evening Twilight.
Seeing not one but two upgraded versions of the legendary Black Luster Soldier standing in front of them was enough to make some of the lesser monsters instinctively step backward.
Suddenly, blazing flames roared toward him from one side while an icy blizzard surged in from the other.
Before either attack could reach him, two figures appeared simultaneously.
House Dragonmaid caught Yumi from the left.
Lady Labrynth of the Silver Castle caught him from the right.
Without exchanging a single word, both women spread their wings and soared into the sky, narrowly avoiding the elemental attacks beneath them.
Their dragon wings and demon wings spread out wide as they glared at each other, and even while carrying Yumi, each subtly tried pulling Yumi closer toward herself.
"Fight later," Yumi said, his gaze shifting away from them and back toward the Spirits that had attacked him.
Below them stood two more powerful figures.
One was a tall, muscular woman clad in black armor and carrying a massive black buster sword, the Queen of the Blazing Domain.
The other was a mature woman dressed in a snow-white gown and holding an ice staff, the Ice Queen.
The moment House Dragonmaid and Lady Labrynth noticed the two of them, whatever rivalry they had instantly disappeared, and both of them turned their attention downward with matching hostility.
"Throw me," Yumi said simply.
With perfect timing, they tossed him high into the sky before diving straight toward their respective opponents.
Several dragons and Winged Beast monsters immediately noticed the opening and rushed toward Yumi while he was still airborne, but before they could reach him, he raised one hand and called out, "Extension! Burst Wingman!"
His body overlapped with Elemental HERO Burst Wingman, fiery wings bursting from his back as flames wrapped around him like a blazing cloak.
He twisted through the air smoothly, slipping away from the rush of attacking dragons and winged beasts that tried to tear him down before he could get back to the ground.
"The Earth!"
Elemental HERO The Earth appeared in front of the charging monsters and met them head-on, his massive fists slamming into anything that got too close with enough force to send them flying backward in different directions.
By the time Yumi descended back toward the ground, the fiery wings behind him slowly dispersed into countless glowing embers.
The instant his feet touched the sand.
Metalzoa charged toward him, its massive metallic body thundering across the battlefield, raising clouds of sand behind it.
Before it could even swing its enormous claws. A silver dragon burst out from behind Yumi.
Stardust Spark Dragon slammed directly into Metalzoa with enough force to halt its charge completely before sending the enormous machine fiend tumbling backward.
Yumi drew a card from his Deck and immediately activated the Quick-Play Spell Forbidden Droplet. The moment the spell resolved, the power of the monsters rushing toward him was cut down across the field, their abilities negated and their attacks blunted just enough for his side to keep holding the line.
Unlike a certain potential man who could summon spirits but somehow had zero feats, zero relevance, and seven kamikaze attempts.
Yumi actually knew how to command his summons.
Even the ones that had once refused to listen had eventually been beaten into submission.
Just look over there.
Neptune, the monstrous alligator, swung its massive scythe against a massive humanoid snake woman, her lower half stretching out as a long serpent tail while her arms ended in snake heads and her hair writhed like living snakes.
And yet, despite how wild and proud that Spirit had once been, it now listened to Yumi without daring to question him, because it already knew what happened to Spirits that refused to follow his lead.
Seeing yet another wave of Spirits rushing toward him, Yumi let out a tired sigh before signaling his own Spirits to push forward again.
Wave after wave kept coming.
They all wanted a chance to kill him, because they could feel the Spirit Energy he carried and understood exactly what it meant.
If one of them managed to bring him down and take what he was holding, their strength could rise far beyond what anyone here should reasonably be able to handle, possibly even reaching a level that would have made them stronger than the Egyptian Gods themselves.
That was why, even though so many Spirits were already throwing their lives away against him, the swarm still refused to back off completely.
Some of them could see that he was growing visibly tired from keeping so many Spirits under control at once, and that small opening was enough to make them desperate enough to gamble everything on a single attack, hoping that if they rushed him all at once, they might catch him off guard and finally bring him down.
Yumi could feel the strain building in his own body and mind as he continued commanding multiple Spirits at the same time, and even now, after who knew how long, he could already tell that the exhaustion was starting to catch up with him.
Still, he remained standing.
...
Back at Duel Academy, the moment the academy was dragged into another world, the teachers inside the main building immediately sensed that something was wrong. The familiar tremor beneath their feet wasn't like an ordinary earthquake, and when they looked outside the windows, the scenery beyond the campus had completely changed.
Without wasting a second, the faculty rushed outside to investigate.
The commotion naturally caught the attention of Jaden and the others as well. By the time they reached the academy's front entrance, Celina came running back with Lunalight Cat Dancer carrying her.
She quickly explained everything that had happened outside, repeating what Yumi had told her.
According to him, Duel Academy had somehow been pulled into one of the Spirit Worlds, a place where Duel Monster Spirits existed as real living beings instead of holograms.
More importantly... Yumi had chosen to remain outside by himself.
The moment Jaden heard that, he instinctively took a step forward, ready to rush out and help his AIBO.
"I'm going!"
Before he could leave, Jesse and Jim immediately grabbed his shoulders.
"AIBO's out there alone!" Jaden protested, trying to pull free.
"And running out there won't help him!" Jesse replied just as quickly, pointing toward the chaotic battlefield in the distance.
Everyone instinctively followed where he was pointing.
Far beyond the academy gates, countless Duel Monster Spirits filled the desert like an endless ocean stretching all the way to the horizon. Explosions continuously erupted across the battlefield while beams of light, pillars of fire, and flashes of lightning lit up the sky one after another.
Even from this distance, they could still hear roars, shockwaves, and the sounds of monsters colliding.
No one could even estimate how many spirits were out there anymore.
Jaden slowly clenched his fists.
He wanted to help.
More than anyone, he wanted to fight alongside his partner.
But looking at the battlefield... He knew Jesse was right.
If he charged into that sea of monsters now, he would probably become the one Yumi had to protect instead.
Still, although the overwhelming majority of the Duel Monster Spirits had their eyes fixed on Yumi because of the enormous amount of Spirit Energy he carried, not every spirit shared the same goal.
Some of the weaker spirits quickly realized that attacking the strongest person present was practically suicide.
Instead, they shifted their attention toward Duel Academy.
Compared to Yumi, the academy was filled with exhausted duelists whose Spirit Energy had already been drained by Viper's wristbands.
They were far easier prey.
Realizing this immediately, Jaden, Celina, and Rio split up to guard the academy from different directions, intercepting any Duel Monster Spirit that tried to enter the campus. While Jesse and Axel headed back inside with the teachers to gather the other students that had also been transported into this world.
Even if they couldn't fight the massive horde surrounding Yumi... Protecting everyone inside the academy was something they could still do.
Meanwhile, inside the academy building...
Professor Crowler and Vice Principal Bonaparte had already gathered every student into the academy's massive dueling arena, the one containing six duel fields.
Rather than allowing everyone to scatter in panic, they decided it was safer to keep everyone together while they counted how many students had made it inside.
Groups of frightened students whispered among themselves while others stared nervously toward the enormous glass windows overlooking the strange desert beyond.
Jesse slowly looked around the crowd before frowning.
"...I don't see Adrian anywhere."
Jim folded his arms and scanned the room himself before nodding.
"Yeah... looks like not everyone made it here."
Neither of them knew Adrian had already been possessed by Yubel and defeated by Yumi earlier.
From their perspective, Adrian had simply been resting in his dorm after exhausting himself during the previous day's duel, especially since he hadn't shown up for class that morning.
Crowler finished checking the student roster before letting out a weary sigh.
"Out of the academy's students, approximately four hundred have been transported here."
The announcement immediately caused another wave of unease to spread throughout the arena.
"W-What's even happening!?"
One student nervously looked toward the windows.
"Did a meteor hit the ocean or something? Where did all the water go?"
"No... listen."
Another student pointed toward the outside.
"Do you hear that?"
From beyond the academy walls came distant explosions, monstrous roars, and the sounds of countless battles taking place all at once.
"I don't want to stay here!"
A student suddenly stood up.
"Let's get out of here!"
"Yeah!"
Several others immediately followed, panic beginning to spread through the crowd.
Before anyone could reach the entrance, Shirley suddenly stepped forward.
The large crocodile planted herself in front of the doorway before letting out a powerful roar that echoed throughout the arena.
The students instantly froze in place.
"Calm down, everyone!" Jesse shouted, raising his voice above the panic.
"The Duel Belts won't come off!" another student cried while tugging desperately at the device on their wrist.
"I-I saw monsters outside!"
"What are we supposed to do!?"
"And what exactly is running outside supposed to accomplish?"
A calm voice suddenly interrupted the growing chaos.
Everyone turned toward Aki.
She stood near the front of the crowd with her arms folded, speaking far more calmly than most of the older students.
"With these Duel Belts still draining our energy after every duel, most of us won't even last through several duels."
She glanced toward the academy entrance.
"If you leave now, you'll only make yourselves easier targets."
Her words caused many of the panicking students to fall silent.
Jim nodded approvingly. "She's right."
He stepped forward, his expression becoming unusually serious.
"When you're lost and trying to survive... The first people to die are always the ones who panic."
The arena gradually quieted.
Seeing everyone finally paying attention, Jesse continued explaining.
"According to what Yumi told Celina, we're no longer on Earth." He paused for a moment. "We've been pulled into one of the Spirit Worlds... a place where Duel Monster Spirits are actually alive."
The explanation immediately sent another wave of whispers through the crowd.
"A Spirit World...?"
"So those monsters are real?"
"No way..."
"Then..."
One student suddenly stood up.
"Where's Yumi Uzushi!?"
Another quickly followed.
"The Strongest Slifer Red!"
"Why isn't he here!?"
"Where did he go!?"
It was almost ironic.
Only yesterday, many of these same students had been afraid of Yumi or kept their distance because of his overwhelming strength.
But now that a real crisis had arrived... The first person everyone looked for was him.
When people faced something they couldn't overcome, they naturally sought out the strongest person they knew.
Before anyone could answer...
A deafening thunderclap shook the entire academy. The arena trembled violently as dust fell from the ceiling. Everyone instinctively looked upward toward the massive glass skylights.
Outside... Something enormous slowly moved past the building. Crimson scales, each one larger than a person, slid across the academy walls before wrapping around the entire structure like a protective fortress.
A gigantic dragon's head briefly appeared beyond the windows.
Its glowing golden eyes swept across the desert before disappearing once more.
"Slifer..."
One student whispered in disbelief.
"Slifer the Sky Dragon!?"
Silence filled the arena.
The legendary Egyptian God had wrapped its colossal body around Duel Academy itself, shielding the building like a guardian watching over everyone inside.
Axel folded his arms before speaking.
"Yumi's outside." Everyone turned toward him. "He's fighting an entire army of Duel Monster Spirits by himself."
He looked toward the windows again. "If he hadn't stayed behind, we wouldn't even have had the chance to gather here."
The arena became even quieter.
Some students lowered their heads.
Others clenched their fists.
Many of them suddenly realized just how much they had misunderstood the boy they had feared for so long.
Jesse broke the silence. "Until we find a way home, nobody leaves the academy alone. If you need to go anywhere, move in groups."
Everyone silently nodded.
Fortunately, not everything was bad news.
Ms. Dorothy stepped forward with her usual warm smile, doing her best to ease the heavy atmosphere.
"The cafeteria is still fully stocked. And thankfully, the school store was brought here with us as well. So for now, we have enough food and drinking water."
The tension in the room eased ever so slightly.
At least they weren't trapped without supplies.
Alexis looked toward her. "...How long do you think they'll last?"
Ms. Dorothy paused to think before answering honestly. "If we're careful and ration everything... about one week."
Jim slowly nodded.
"A week's enough." He looked toward everyone gathered inside the arena. "In that time. We'll find a way to return to our own world."
Whether anyone truly believed those words or not. At that moment, they desperately wanted to.
...
Yumi had made a mistake.
Because of the Spirit Energy he had poured into Celina the night before, she was technically carrying far more Spirit Energy than most people around her, and that turned out to be a lot more important than he had expected once he noticed that a few of the wandering Duel Monster Spirits had ignored him and instead charged straight toward Duel Academy.
At that point, Yumi stopped holding back.
He immediately summoned the God Cards and the Legendary Dragons, and the battlefield around him changed at once as their overwhelming power pushed back the swarm that had been closing in from all sides.
Timaeus, Critias, and Hermos emerged first, working together with his other monsters to cover his retreat as they carved open a path back toward the academy.
Then came The Winged Dragon of Ra, its massive form rising above the battlefield before opening its mouth and unleashing a blazing wave of fire that swept across the incoming spirits and cleared out a huge section of the mob in a single attack.
With that opening created and his retreat finally secured, Raye landed on the roof of Duel Academy while carrying Yumi in her hand, and in the same moment he raised a red card high into the air.
A massive thunderbolt crashed down from the sky.
Slifer the Sky Dragon appeared around the academy in an instant, its enormous body coiling protectively around the entire building like a living barrier, shielding the school from the countless spirits still trying to break through.
Yumi dropped to one knee almost immediately.
He was gasping for air, and his body was already showing clear signs of strain, but at the same time, golden light gathered around him as his eyes glowed brightly and visible Spirit Energy flowed through him like a torrent of liquid light. After fighting and ending so many spirits that had come after him, he had gathered so much Spirit Energy that it was no longer something he could simply ignore.
It was starting to overwhelm him.
"Cover me and the school," Yumi ordered, forcing himself to stay calm as he sat down and tried to steady his breathing, letting his body adjust to the sudden surge of power instead of collapsing under it.
He closed his eyes and began printing more cards because he needed to avoid being overloaded and dying in the most ridiculous way possible after coming this far. The golden glow around his body gradually began to fade as he drew another card, one with a blue border this time, and after looking at it for a brief moment, Yumi's expression sharpened.
"Come, God of Destruction."
He lifted the card into the air.
Bright white lightning crackled through the sky above him before slamming downward with a deafening roar, and when the light cleared, a towering muscular figure stood before him, its blue body radiating overwhelming power while its crimson eyes glowed ominously in the darkness.
"Obelisk."
Once again, the three Egyptian Gods had been gathered in one place.
And once again, they were all standing in the hands of a single Master.
AN: Sorry for the late update, been sick this past few days and have some family matters.