With Kaiba's Life Points finally dropping to zero, the duel came to an end. The arena lights dimmed, the holograms dissolved, and the silence that followed felt… satisfying.
The President stood there for a moment, staring straight at the Slifer Red student across from him, his expression caught somewhere between irritation and genuine excitement.
"Gotcha! That was a fun duel!" Yumi said, flashing his usual two-finger pose.
Kaiba closed his eyes and took a slow breath. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the conclusion was already forming: the AI Yumi was going to need a serious update.
Even with all that preparation, the President still lost to a variable he didn't expect, Yumi's ace, Raye.
Kaiba opened his eyes again. He had originally dismissed her as just another "favorite card," the kind duelists stubbornly hold onto even when better options exist. But now that he thinks back about it, Raye to Yumi is like Dark Magician to Yugi.
Even if their base attack power and defense aren't high, there is undoubtedly a special bond between them and their duelist.
After the duel, Yumi wanted to return to Duel Academy ASAP, since Jaden was still missing, and the timeline is a bit off from the original GX story. Meaning Jaden might not be able to return in time to duel Aster.
Although Yumi knew that Celina and Rio were pretty strong, the Society of Light is also present on the island, and with Darkness currently gone, there is a high possibility that they might take action now that he isn't there.
"If only the Shadow Charms could teleport over hundreds of kilometers…" Yumi murmured, leaning against the balcony railing of the Kaiba Corp building and staring out at the clear blue sky.
Unfortunately, they weren't leaving yet.
According to the President, there was still "something important" that needed to be done first. Yumi didn't bother stressing over it, he glanced down at the card in his hand.
"Show yourself, Chaos."
He placed the card down, and Contrast HERO Chaos materialized beside him, the black-and-white warrior standing calmly with his long scarf swaying in the wind.
"Can you take me back to Duel Academy?" Yumi asked casually.
Chaos tilted his head slightly. "Master, my ability is dimensional travel, not teleportation."
Yumi raised an eyebrow. "Aren't those basically the same thing?"
"No," Chaos replied patiently. "I can open gateways between dimensions. I cannot move us from one location to another within the same dimension."
Yumi stared at him for a second. Then another thought crossed his mind.
"But what if you open a rift from this dimension to another one, then open a second rift back into this dimension… just somewhere else?" he asked.
Chaos paused, then slowly shook his head. "Without precise coordinates, the exit point would be random. There is a high chance we would emerge far from Duel Academy. Possibly even on the other side of the world."
That made Yumi click his tongue softly.
He wasn't particularly worried about Crowler and Bonaparte trying to bulldoze Slifer Red. If things really got bad, one phone call to Kaiba asking why Slifer Red was being destroyed would be enough to make both of them start sweating through their suits.
What bothered him more was the Society of Light.
They were active. Organized. And more importantly, they knew how to move quietly when someone dangerous wasn't around.
And right now, that someone was him.
"This is really irritating…" Yumi muttered. After a moment, he shrugged. "Just do it anyway. Worst case, we jump back immediately."
Chaos nodded, lifting one hand as a tear in space opened in front of them, black and white energy twisting together.
Yumi stepped in without hesitation.
...
He landed hard on solid ground.
Blinking, Yumi straightened up and looked around, instantly realizing that this wasn't Duel Academy. This was Domino City.
More specifically, he seemed to be standing in the middle of some kind of large-scale Duel Tournament set up in the city center. Stages, banners, duel arenas, and a massive crowd filled the place.
"...This place feels familiar," Yumi muttered.
Before he could think further, a white helicopter descended from above and landed at the center stage.
The crowd erupted into cheers as the door opened.
Maximillion Pegasus stepped out, smiling and waving like this was all perfectly normal.
Yumi's eyes widened slightly. He spun around and looked at the large clock mounted above the main stage.
12:00.
Then three massive shadows hit. Three massive silhouettes swept across the ground, causing the cheering crowd to slowly fall silent as everyone looked up.
Yumi instantly recognized them as Cyber End Dragon, Rainbow Dragon, and Stardust Dragon.
The three dragons circled high above the city. The crowd, still clueless, began clapping and cheering again, clearly assuming this was some elaborate hologram performance.
Yumi, on the other hand, was already reaching for his deck.
As Stardust Dragon opened its mouth and released a brilliant, sparkling blast toward the ground, Yumi slapped a card down.
"Show yourself, Contrast HERO Omega!"
A burst of golden light erupted as Omega appeared, his black, silver, and gold armor gleaming. The horns on his helmet spread outward, unfolding into six as his crimson eyes locked onto the incoming attack.
The sparkling breath slammed toward him and Omega moved.
He leapt forward, intercepted the blast head-on, and redirected it before spinning mid-air and driving a Rider Kick straight into Stardust Dragon's neck.
The dragon crashed into a nearby rooftop with a deafening impact.
The crowd froze; this seemed more real than any hologram.
Before anyone could process that, Cyber End Dragon opened fire, launching three massive blasts toward a nearby building.
Yumi placed down three more cards without hesitation.
Elemental HERO The Earth, Masked HERO Koga, and Vision HERO Adoration appeared side by side and immediately split up, each intercepting one blast. The explosions vanished midair as the HEROes surged forward, closing the distance.
Working together, they overwhelmed Cyber End Dragon in seconds, striking vital points and bringing the massive machine dragon down in a heap of twisted metal.
Yumi turned just in time to see Rainbow Dragon fire a powerful rainbow-colored beam straight at Pegasus.
The red-suited man was still too stunned by what was going on and didn't have enough time to react. Until a red jacket kid kicked him aside.
"Don't just stand there like an idiot!" Yumi snapped.
Turning back toward the incoming blast, Yumi raised his Duel Disk.
"Show yourself!"
A pale, ghostlike figure appeared in front of him, nearly identical to Sky Striker Ace - Raye, her form translucent and glowing faintly. Yumi crossed his arms, and she mirrored the motion.
The rainbow blast struck.
The impact sent tiles, debris, and dust flying as Yumi was hurled back into a nearby building, the wall cracking as he slammed into it.
A thick cloud of dust rose into the air.
This time, the crowd didn't cheer. They screamed.
Realizing that this was real, very real, people began running in all directions, panic spreading across the city as the once-festive tournament turned into full chaos.
As the smoke slowly cleared, Yumi was revealed clenching his teeth in pain, one knee pressed to the ground. Raye stood in front of him, her stance unsteady but firm, the blue shield before her flickering once before fading away entirely. Scrapes and shallow cuts marked both of them, dust and ash clinging to their clothes. Neither looked particularly victorious.
Yumi lifted his head, following Raye's line of sight.
The masked figure responsible for all of this stood above them, looking down from the edge of a tall building like he owned the place. Blond hair spiked into what could only be described as a true duelist's hairstyle. His bare arms were packed with muscle, crossed casually as if the destruction below wasn't his problem. A white and black mask concealed his face, emotionless and smooth.
He straddled an exaggeratedly large motorcycle. If it weren't for the two oversized tires underneath it, people weren't sure it even qualified as a motorcycle anymore. It looked more like someone tried to turn a jet engine into a bike and just gave up halfway.
Although it had only taken forty minutes from his appearance to his inevitable defeat, this man had left behind an eternal legend. The bravest BOSS in the entire history of Yu-Gi-Oh: Paradox.
A man from the future who traveled back in time to erase Duel Monsters from existence using Duel Monsters cards. Not by going back to when Pegasus created the first Duel Monsters card and stopping him there. No, instead he chose to jump across time, gather the protagonists of DM, GX, and 5D's together, and challenge them to an epic one-versus-three duel.
Which, unsurprisingly, ended with him getting blasted to pieces by the combined power of friendship.
Truly a big brain move. One that Yumi, even now, still couldn't fully understand.
The Rainbow Dragon let out another roar as it gathered energy for a follow-up attack. Before it could release it, thick black smoke suddenly erupted beneath its body. Skeletal hands, jet black and unnaturally thin, rose from the smoke, clawing at the air before latching onto the dragon's limbs and torso.
The dragon struggled, thrashing wildly, its prismatic light flickering as it fought back.
It didn't matter.
One by one, the skeletal hands tightened their grip, dragging the Rainbow Dragon downward. The smoke swallowed its body inch by inch, until the roar faded and the dragon was pulled completely into the underworld below.
From the dissipating darkness, a black-haired goddess emerged. Her presence was calm, almost indifferent. She accepted the Rainbow Dragon without comment, acknowledging it as a worthy offering for her summoning.
Yumi exhaled slowly, then straightened.
"Take me up there," he said, nodding toward the building.
The Underworld Goddess lifted a single hand. The black smoke around her responded instantly, coiling gently around Yumi instead of constricting him. He felt himself lifted off the ground, the goddess pulled him closer to her body and carried him upward.
They landed softly on the opposite rooftop.
Yumi found himself facing the so-called bravest BOSS in Yu-Gi-Oh history at close range.
Paradox tilted his head slightly, the mask reflecting the dim light.
"Who are you?" His voice was dull and low, filtered through the mask. "Someone who can control spirits like that shouldn't exist yet."
Yumi adjusted his stance and raised his Duel Disk. "Just a passing-through Duelist," he replied calmly.
In an instant, a pitch-black force field expanded outward, centering on the two of them.
"A Shadow Game?" Paradox muttered. "It's useless."
His motorcycle suddenly began to glow. The pitch-black field wavered, lines of distortion running through it before it shattered completely, dispersing into nothing.
Yumi didn't look particularly surprised. The man in front of him came from the distant future. Tech capable of counteracting a Shadow Game was annoying, but not unexpected.
"…Interesting." Paradox's tone shifted slightly as he opened his Duel Disk. "Since that is your decision, then let's settle this."
He straightened on his bike.
"DUEL!"
[Yumi, LP 4000]
[Paradox, LP 4000]
"I'll go first. Draw!"
Yumi drew, finally snatching the opportunity to take the first turn for once.
He still didn't understand why everyone he dueled seemed allergic to letting him go first.
He glanced down at the cards in his hand, eyes moving quickly as he sorted through them.
"…Alright. I'll set three cards face-down."
Three cards materialized in front of him, settling neatly into his Spell and Trap Zone.
"Spell Card, Card of Sanctity! We both draw until we have six cards in our hands!"
Paradox barely reacted, calmly drawing a single card.
Yumi, on the other hand, drew four in quick succession.
"I'll set two more cards."
Two additional cards slid into place, instantly filling every available space in his Spell and Trap Zone.
"Spell Card, Card Destruction!"
He snapped his fingers, and one of the face-down cards flipped face-up.
"We discard our entire hands and draw the same number of cards."
Without hesitation, both Duelists sent their hands straight to the Graveyard. New cards replaced them immediately.
"Spell Card, Sky Striker Maneuver – Jamming Waves!"
Another card flipped up on Yumi's field.
"This lets me target a set card in the Spell and Trap Zone and destroy it."
He pointed at his own. Blue energy rippled outward, crashing down on one of Yumi's set cards and blowing it apart.
"Spell Calling's effect," Yumi continued. "If this card is destroyed, I can set two Spell Cards from my Deck to the field."
Two cards launched out of his Duel Disk, and Yumi calmly placed them onto his field.
"I'll set Berserker Soul and Mischief of the Time Goddess."
He didn't pause.
"Spell Card, Sky Striker Maneuver - Scissors Cross!"
The card flipped open.
"This lets me target a Level 4 Sky Striker Ace monster in my Graveyard and add it to my hand. And since I've got three or more Spells in my Graveyard…" Yumi added. "…I can Special Summon it."
A card burst out of the Graveyard zone, and Yumi slapped it into his Duel Disk.
"Show yourself, my Ace. Sky Striker Ace - Raye!"
Blue data gathered and condensed, forming into a familiar, slender figure. Raye landed lightly on the field, pale blonde hair drifting in the wind as she steadied herself, blade already in hand.
[Sky Striker Ace - Raye, 1500 ATK]
Paradox squinted his eyes under his mask, recalling that this was the monster Yumi chose to summon to shield him from Rainbow Dragon's attack.
"Spell Card, Giant Trunade!" The face-down card flipped open. "This returns all cards on the spell and trap zone back to their owner's hand!"
A gust of energy swept across the rooftop. In one smooth motion, Yumi retrieved Berserker Soul and Mischief of the Time Goddess, returning them to his hand.
"I'll set three cards."
Three more cards hit the field immediately afterward.
Then Yumi raised another card from his hand.
"Quick-Play Spell, Mischief of the Time Goddess. Skip straight to my next Battle Phase."
Paradox: "!!?"
The air twisted subtly, like time itself had been nudged out of alignment. In the blink of an eye, Yumi was standing in his next Battle Phase.
"Raye, direct attack."
Raye dashed forward without hesitation, blade flashing.
"Ace Striker!"
The strike landed cleanly.
[Paradox, LP 4000 -> 2500]
"…Impressive," Paradox admitted, straightening himself. "Still, all that effort for 1500 damage."
"Quick-Play Spell! Berserker Soul!" Yumi raised the card high as it flipped open on his field.
"This makes me discard my entire hand." Yumi sent his remaining hand to the graveyard. "I draw until I draw a non-Monster card. If I draw a monster, I have to discard it. And a monster with 1500 ATK I control can attack again."
Paradox: "!!!"
"Here I go," Yumi said, placing his fingers on the top of his Deck. "Draw!"
"Monster Card! Effect Veiler."
The card went straight to the Graveyard.
"Raye, direct attack!"
She lunged again.
[Paradox, LP 2500 -> 1000]
Yumi didn't even look up as his fingers returned to the deck.
"Draw! Monster Card! Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju!"
Paradox's face visibly paled beneath the mask as the card was discarded.
Raye charged forward once more.
[Paradox, LP 1000 -> 0]
The impact nearly knocked Paradox off his motorcycle. He stared ahead in disbelief.
He… lost? Already?
He didn't even get to play!
Who invited this Hidden BOSS!?
"Draw! Monster Card! Light Aegis - Hikari!"
Yumi discarded it without stopping.
Raye slashed again.
Paradox finally lost his balance and fell from his motorcycle, crashing onto the rooftop. His vision blurred as pain and confusion mixed together.
"Draw! Monster Card! Cyber Jar!"
Raye didn't slow down. She swung again, striking Paradox across the face and sending him skidding across the ground.
Paradox barely managed to lift his head, eyes unfocused as he saw Yumi reaching for his deck again.
Wait! I've already lost! THE DUEL IS ALREADY OVER!!
Raye didn't even bother running this time. She walked toward him, blade dragging lightly across the rooftop, sparks flickering where metal scraped concrete.
She stopped in front of him.
Then stepped on his head hard. Grinding her heel down as if making sure he stayed there.
"Draw! Monster Card! Ash Blossom!"
Raye raised her sword and brought it down once more, just to be thorough.
Yumi reached for his deck again, then paused. He looked at Paradox's unmoving body.
"…Uh," Yumi said, tilting his head slightly. "Are you still alive?"
There was no response. The man from the future was completely out cold.
Deciding the duel was officially over, Yumi walked over to the unconscious man from the future. He crouched beside Paradox, checked his condition briefly, still breathing, still out, and then reached down and pulled out Paradox's deck.
He flipped through it once. "…Nice."
Without another comment, Yumi slid the deck into his pocket.
Next, with a quick motion, he tore apart Malefic Stardust Dragon, the twisted shell unraveling and dissolving into fragments of dark energy. The moment it broke, the imprisoned spirit of Stardust Dragon was released, emerging in a burst of familiar white light.
Almost immediately, the Crimson Dragon nearby, its presence heavy but restrained.
Yumi glanced up at it.
"What are you looking at?" he said flatly. "Return to your owner already."
He climbed onto Paradox's D-Wheel as if it belonged to him, which, at this point, it kind of did.
What was Paradox gonna do? Call the Dimensional Police, saying his D-Wheel was robbed?
The Stardust Dragon didn't leave right away. Instead, it hovered near Yumi for a moment, its stardust particles circling him quietly. The light condensed, wrapping around his hand.
A card materialized.
Yumi looked down. "…Huh."
Stardust Spark Dragon.
The dragon lingered just long enough for Yumi to register what had happened, then pulled away. The remaining stardust scattered as Stardust Dragon flew off, returning to its rightful owner, who travels across time to reclaim it.
Yumi stared at the white card in his hand for a few seconds.
Then sighed. "I can't even summon this."
Tuner monsters didn't exist yet. The Synchro System hadn't been created in his timeline. As far as practical use went, the card was completely useless right now.
Still… useless now didn't mean useless forever.
"…I can probably alter it later."
He slipped the card into his pocket, started the D-Wheel, yet before he could leave, the Crimson Dragon appeared before him, the three protagonists of DM, GX, and 5D's stood together side by side, facing him with a serious expression.
Before he could say something, the Crimson Dragon's head glowed on Yusei Fudo's hand.
Jaden Yuki's eyes shifted to Yubel's color as Yubel appeared behind him.
Yugi Muto's entire body glowed a bright golden light as the Nameless Pharaoh, Atem, took his place.
Yumi: "..."
"Uhhh, H-" Yumi tried to say hello, but Atem quickly cut him off.
"You listen here! We know what you're up to and we won't let it happen!"
Hearing the Nameless Pharaoh's words, Yumi grew more speechless.
"Uh, you have the wrong guy." Yumi said, feeling confused.
"Be careful, Jaden, he not only holds multiple powerful spirits. He also carried the presence of the monsters that attack us." Yubel said, her body tense as the powerful foe stood before them.
Yumi wanted to convince these three that they got the wrong guy; the person they are chasing is currently lying unconscious nearby after getting robbed... by him.
Reaching inside his jacket, Yumi pulls out the deck he looted from Paradox, realizing this is what Yubel meant.
Then, before he could try and explain himself, Yusei saw the sparkling white star dust clinging to his hand, which only made him believe that this was the person who took his Stardust Dragon.
Although the appearance has changed, the other party who stole his monster previously had a mask, and he is someone who can travel between time with unknown tech, so changing appearance won't be too surprising.
"You aren't gonna let me leave without a Duel, huh?" Yumi asks, seeing the three activate their Duel Disk.
Sighing, Yumi lifts his arm and also activates his Duel Disk. The smoother and more futuristic design only solidified their belief that Yumi is the one they were chasing across time for.
"DUEL!!"
[Yumi, LP 4000]
[Yugi, Jaden, Yusei, LP 4000]