Indescribable Mega Ultra Chicken screech!
The Winged Dragon of Ra widened its crimson eyes and stared at Yumi in complete silence for a moment, clearly unsure of how to react after witnessing him actually print a god card from what had been, up until then, a blank card.
Back when it had first been forcefully brought back into the world of the living, Ra had assumed that Slifer had suffered the same fate.
After all, someone had dared to recreate a God Card.
That alone was an unforgivable act.
Ra had originally planned to cast Divine Judgment upon whoever dared commit such blasphemy, forcing it into this world through a fake card. But before it could even move, countless chains had wrapped around its body, suppressing its divine authority and forcing it into servitude.
Naturally...
Ra had been absolutely furious.
Not only had someone dared to forge its card, they had even chained a god like some common beast.
But then it had looked up and seen that Slifer was still flying freely through the sky without a single chain restraining it.
Naturally, that only made Ra even angrier.
They were both Egyptian Gods.
If anything, Ra stood at an even higher divine hierarchy than Slifer.
So why was it the only one wrapped up like a criminal while Slifer was flying around freely?
What kind of unfair treatment was this!?
The more Ra thought about it, the less sense the situation made.
Eventually, after exhausting every possibility it could think of, it arrived at only one logical conclusion.
Slifer hadn't been captured.
Slifer had willingly come here.
Ra's eyes immediately became moist with emotion.
The Winged Dragon of Ra: "Brother... You saw me getting kidnapped and chained up... So you personally came to rescue me? I'm touched!"
Meanwhile, Slifer tilted its head in complete confusion.
Slifer the Sky Dragon: "???"
After that, Ra had ended up in Yumi's possession.
Surprisingly, it never tried to resist.
Instead, it simply chose to quietly observe this strange human whom Slifer seemed willing to stay beside.
As long as Yumi didn't immediately try wrapping it in chains the moment he summoned it. Ra was willing to cooperate. At least, to a certain extent.
The problem was that Yumi had never summoned it, not even once.
And because Ra was far too proud to appear on its own without being called, the Divine Beast remained inside its card for all that time, completely unaware of everything happening outside.
Only after Duel Academy was dragged into the Spirit World did Yumi finally call upon it.
Ra did not even have enough time to fully understand the situation before it was ordered to help create a retreat path, and although that left it a little irritated, the request itself was simple enough that it did not bother resisting too much.
So Ra lazily opened its mouth and unleashed wave after wave of divine flames, burning a retreat path straight through the horde, doing the bare minimum with the sort of attitude closer to an employee who did just enough to satisfy the monthly performance review.
After watching Yumi casually create another God Card from nothing...
Ra found itself completely speechless.
Even as an Egyptian God, it couldn't understand what it had just witnessed.
Meanwhile, Obelisk the Tormentor lowered its glowing crimson eyes met Yumi's golden ones.
Then Obelisk suddenly let out a thunderous roar and swung its colossal fist downward.
But before that fist could land, Slifer's second mouth opened, and a bolt of lightning shot out of it, crashing directly into Obelisk and pushing the giant backward before it could complete the strike. Yumi did not even hesitate after that, simply raising a hand and returning Obelisk to card form, where it quietly settled back into his palm.
It looked like Obelisk was not particularly happy about being summoned by him.
Yumi then shifted his gaze toward Ra.
Their eyes met again, and this time the proud god seemed to understand that Yumi was asking whether it would cooperate in protecting the academy.
Ra remained silent for several long seconds before letting out another loud, majestic screech.
It didn't sound particularly willing. But... Neither did it sound like a refusal.
The enormous Divine Beast gradually faded away, returning to its card. Unlike before, however, Ra didn't completely withdraw into it. A small fragment of its spirit remained outside, quietly floating nearby as it silently observed Yumi from a distance.
Its curiosity had finally won over its pride.
Just who...
Was this strange human that could casually create a God Card with his own hands?
Yumi paid the curious Divine Beast no mind.
He simply put the card away, then sat back down and continued printing out more cards to release more of his Spirit Energy.
...
Later that night, the fierce battle that had engulfed the desert finally came to an end, leaving behind a quiet silence. The endless white sand stretched as far as the eye could see, while a cool night breeze swept across the dunes, carrying away the lingering smoke and dust left behind by countless fallen Duel Monster Spirits.
Yumi sat alone on the roof of Duel Academy, his legs hanging over the edge as he quietly looked up at the night sky.
The stars above were beautiful. Almost identical to the ones back in his own world.
For a moment, if he ignored the endless desert surrounding the academy, it almost felt as though nothing had happened at all.
He let out a quiet sigh.
Getting everyone back to the human world wasn't actually difficult.
If he wanted to, he could simply summon Contrast HERO Chaos and have him open a portal back to Earth. With Chaos's ability to travel between dimensions, returning everyone safely would only take a few minutes.
The problem wasn't getting back.
The problem was staying back.
If whoever had dragged Duel Academy into the Spirit World was still out there, then sending everyone home now would only be a temporary solution. There was nothing stopping that person from simply opening another dimensional rift and pulling the entire academy over again.
That would solve absolutely nothing.
Yumi rested his chin on his hand as he continued thinking.
"Who exactly is behind this...?" He quietly muttered to himself.
Yubel had already been crossed off the list.
He had personally defeated her before she had the chance to recover completely, and he did it before she could gather enough Spirit Energy to drag the academy into another world like in the anime.
That meant someone else had made their move.
Someone whose strength was, at the very least, comparable to the Yubel from Season Three, considering they had managed to transport an entire academy into the Spirit World.
His thoughts drifted toward one possibility after another.
"...That giant lobster?" He frowned slightly.
That big lobster had been keeping an eye on Yumi's The Tyrant Neptune ever since it appeared, so it could be it trying to use some cheap tactic to weaken Yumi out.
Then again...
"It could also be whoever's behind the Earthbound Immortals..."
Yumi rubbed his forehead.
That mystery still hadn't been solved either. The Earthbound Immortals weren't supposed to appear yet, and somehow they had already begun appearing around him.
Then there was the Light of Destruction. It had the ability to manipulate people from the shadows, and interfering with dimensions certainly wasn't beyond something like that.
"Or maybe..." He looked back up at the stars. "...Nightshroud."
The final antagonist of Yu-Gi-Oh GX.
If anyone possessed enough power to quietly move an entire academy into another dimension without revealing themselves, then Nightshroud certainly qualified.
The problem was... Every possibility made sense.
And at the same time... None of them did.
Yumi leaned back, letting himself fall onto the cool rooftop as he stared blankly at the stars overhead.
"This really isn't getting me anywhere."
The more possibilities he considered, the more questions appeared.
For the first time in a long while...
Even someone who knew most of the original story had completely lost track of where the plot was heading.
"Hey... how are you holding up?" A familiar voice pulled Yumi out of his thoughts.
He turned his head and saw Celina walking toward him, carrying a small tray with two pieces of bread and a bottle of water resting on top. Under the pale moonlight, she made her way across the rooftop before stopping beside him.
"Me?" Yumi smirked, and the trace of worry that had been lingering on his face disappeared almost instantly, replaced by the same carefree expression he always wore. "I'm doing just fine. Do you really think those small fries out there could actually hurt me?"
"Tch..." Celina clicked her tongue. "Has anyone ever told you that your face is sometimes really punchable?"
Her words sounded annoyed, but there wasn't much force behind them. If anything, they sounded more relieved than irritated.
Letting out a quiet sigh, she sat down beside him and placed the tray between them.
"Here."
She picked up one of the pieces of bread, tore it cleanly in half, and held one piece toward him.
"You haven't eaten anything all day, and you've been fighting nonstop to protect everyone. Eat."
Yumi glanced down at the bread before looking back at her. "...You know the rest of you need this more than I do."
"We already talked about that." Celina pushed the bread a little closer until it was almost touching his face. "The staff and everyone else agreed that you should get twice the rations."
She looked toward the silent academy below them before continuing.
"Food and water are limited, and none of us truly knows how long we're going to be trapped here. But you're the one standing between all of us and those spirits outside."
Her green eyes met his.
"If you collapse... everyone else is next."
For a brief moment, Yumi silently stared at the bread before gently pushing her hand back.
"It's fine. I don't actually need food to survive."
Celina's eyebrow twitched. "You want me to punch you?"
She was already raising a fist.
"No, no." Yumi quickly waved both hands. "That's not what I meant. I can directly restore my body using Spirit Energy. As long as I still have enough energy left, I can keep functioning even without eating or drinking."
He wasn't lying.
The Shadow Charm Ring really had replenished his body.
It was the same power Kagemaru had once relied on to restore his youth, rebuilding old muscles and even turning his frail body back into one capable of fighting.
Of course, that didn't mean Yumi had become some immortal machine.
He could still feel hunger and thirst. And would still become exhausted. The ring merely kept his body from reaching its limit too quickly.
As long as Spirit Energy remained inside him, it would continue forcing his body to function.
Unfortunately, leaving this place to gather supplies wasn't an option either.
Yumi could easily open a portal back to the human world.
The problem wasn't leaving. The problem was coming back.
Whoever had dragged Duel Academy into the Spirit World had done so effortlessly. If he left now, there was no guarantee the academy would still be in this dimension by the time he returned.
He couldn't gamble everyone else's lives on that possibility.
"Even so..." Celina interrupted his thoughts.
"You still get hungry."
She looked straight at him.
"And thirsty."
Her voice wasn't questioning him.
She already knew. Over the past few months, she had witnessed more than enough incidents involving Spirit Energy to understand one simple fact.
No matter how much Spirit Energy Yumi possessed... He was still human, not a Duel Monster Spirit. He couldn't live forever by feeding on Spirit Energy alone.
Seeing Yumi remain silent only confirmed what she had already guessed.
A small victorious smile appeared on her face.
"Thought so."
She pushed the bread toward him again.
"So stop trying to act tough."
Her expression softened.
"You've already carried enough today."
Yumi looked at her for several seconds before finally sighing in defeat.
"Fine." A small smile appeared on his face. "You win."
He accepted the bread before opening the bottle of water.
The meal disappeared surprisingly quickly.
It wasn't much. Honestly, after spending hours fighting countless Duel Monster Spirits without rest, it barely even took the edge off his hunger.
Still... it somehow tasted better than expected.
Maybe because someone had brought it to him. Or maybe because someone had been worried enough to argue with him until he accepted it.
Either way... It was enough.
Celina quietly watched him finish eating before letting out a satisfied nod.
"There."
"See? Was that so hard?"
Yumi chuckled.
"Not really."
The rooftop gradually fell silent again.
The wind gently brushed across the white desert surrounding Duel Academy, carrying grains of sand through the air beneath the star-filled sky.
After several quiet minutes, Celina slowly leaned against his shoulder.
"Do you think we'll really make it back home?" Her voice was much quieter than usual. Much more uncertain.
Yumi didn't answer immediately. He understood that feeling.
It was only natural.
Being suddenly thrown into another world, surrounded by monsters that wanted to kill you, with no idea whether you'd ever return home... Anyone would be afraid.
People had families, friends. Dreams they hadn't fulfilled yet. Goals they were still chasing.
This wasn't some fantasy adventure where someone could simply shrug and decide to start a new life after being transported to another world.
Real people left real lives behind.
No one accepted losing all of that overnight.
"Don't worry." Yumi finally spoke.
His voice was calm and confident.
"I'll find a way back."
He looked toward the endless desert stretching beyond Duel Academy.
"And if there isn't one..." A familiar grin slowly appeared on his face. "I'll just make one."
Celina looked at him.
That unbearably confident smile. That ridiculous confidence. Normally she would've called him an idiot, maybe even punched him.
Yet somehow... She believed him. Because this was Yumi. The same person who constantly did things everyone else thought were impossible. Who always walked toward danger instead of away from it. Who somehow managed to create miracles whenever everyone else had already given up.
"Fine."
A small smile finally appeared on her face.
"When we get back..." She lightly nudged his shoulder. "I'm treating you to ramen."
Yumi laughed.
"Shouldn't I be the one treating you?"
"No."
Celina immediately refused.
"You already saved my life enough times."
"...Fair point."
The conversation slowly faded away.
Neither of them spoke again.
They simply sat together beneath the quiet night sky while the distant cries of Duel Monster Spirits echoed across the endless desert.
Before long, Yumi noticed the weight on his shoulder become a little heavier.
He turned his head, seeing that Celina had fallen asleep.
Her breathing had become slow and steady, and the tense expression she had been wearing all day had finally disappeared.
Yumi smiled faintly. "You must've been more tired than you let on."
Carefully, trying not to wake her, he helped her lie down across the rooftop.
He removed his Slifer Red jacket and gently covered her with it like a blanket.
"Heh?" Only after taking it off did he blink in confusion.
He looked down at the jacket in his hands.
"When did I accidentally start wearing someone else's customized Slifer Red jacket?"
The inner lining was completely different from the standard academy uniform.
The design had clearly been modified.
"Weird." He scratched his head. "I'll figure that out later."
Right now, there were far more important things to worry about than where his jacket had come from.
With that thought, Yumi leaned back against the rooftop once more, quietly keeping watch over the academy while the people he had sworn to protect slept peacefully behind him.