Jaden drew, then he shifted his gaze to his hand.
"Spell Card, Take Over 5! I send the top five cards of my Deck to the Graveyard!"
Jaden pulled the cards cleanly off the top of his deck and sent them away without hesitation.
"Next, I Normal Summon Elemental HERO Bubbleman!"
Bubbles rose across the field as the water-themed HERO appeared, landing lightly.
[Elemental HERO Bubbleman, 800 ATK]
"Spell Card, Miracle Contact!"
Jaden placed the card down as three cards burst from his Graveyard. "This lets me return Fusion Materials from my hand, field, and Graveyard to Special Summon an Elemental HERO Fusion Monster that includes Elemental HERO Neos!"
"Neos. Air Hummingbird. Aqua Dolphin!"
The three monsters appeared briefly, then leapt upward, merging mid-air as their forms dissolved into light.
"Triple Contact Fusion!" Jaden called. "Show yourself! Elemental HERO Storm Neos!"
A large blue-skinned warrior descended, sharp claws extending from his knuckles, massive feather-like wings spreading behind him as he landed.
[Elemental HERO Storm Neos, 3000 ATK]
"I activate Storm Neos's effect-"
"Quick-Play Spell, Effect Shut." Yumi snapped his fingers. One of his face-down cards flipped open instantly. "When your monster effect is activated, negate it and destroy that monster."
There wasn't even a pause. Storm Neos shattered in a burst of light.
"…Neos," Jaden muttered quietly as the Fusion disappeared before it could do anything.
He clenched his fist, then looked back to his hand. "…I am not done yet."
"Spell Card, Hero Mask." Jaden sent Elemental HERO Sparkman from his Deck to the Graveyard. "Until the end of this turn, Bubbleman is treated as Sparkman."
"Spell Card, Double Fusion!" Jaden continued. "By paying 500 Life Points, I can perform a double Fusion!"
[Yugi, Jaden, Yusei, LP 800 -> 300]
"Quick-Play Spell, Bounce Spell." Yumi cut in again as another card flipped open. "Target one face-up Spell on your field. I take control of it and activate its effect."
The spell tore itself from Jaden's field and flew across the Duel, landing in front of Yumi instead.
[Yumi, LP 4000 -> 3500]
Yugi and Yusei both stared.
Jaden paused for half a second, then he kept going.
At the same time, Jaden raised two cards from his hand, Yumi did the same on his side of the field.
"I fuse Elemental HERO Avian and Elemental HERO Burstinatrix from my hand!"
From both sides of the field, the winged HERO and the blazing heroine appeared, each pair drawn into their own fusion vortex.
"Fusion Summon!" They spoke at the same time.
"Elemental HERO Flame Wingman!"
"Elemental HERO Burst Wingman!"
[Elemental HERO Flame Wingman, 2100 ATK]
[Elemental HERO Burst Wingman, 2100 ATK]
"I fuse Flame Wingman / Burst Wingman with Sparkman!" The two spoke in unison again, neither of them even reacting to how unnatural that had become.
The electric HERO appeared, crackling briefly before leaping straight into the fusion vortex alongside the winged HERO.
"Show yourself!"
"Shining Flare Wingman! / Shining Blaze Wingman!"
Once more, their voices overlapped.
Two shining, white-armored HEROes stepped forward on opposite sides of the field, their designs nearly identical, save for the faint differences in aura and appearance.
[Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman, 2500 ATK]
[Elemental HERO Shining Blaze Wingman, 2500 ATK]
Yugi stared between the two fields, brow furrowing. The way these two sounded... it reminded him of his interaction with his AIBO.
"Uh… Jaden," he said slowly, "do you… know him?"
Seeing how just in sync the two red jacket duelists were.
Jaden tilted his head, scratching his cheek. "Ehh? Besides that one attack earlier, I've never met him before."
He glanced back at Yumi, then at the HEROes.
"Although… he looks different now. Yubel said he carries a lot of powerful spirits. She also said that she senses the monsters that attacked us are within those spirits."
"That's because I robbed him." Yumi finally spoke, irritation clear in his voice as he pointed off to his right. "I know you're bad at studying, but I don't remember you being this bad at noticing your surroundings."
The three of them turned.
Lying face-down on the rooftop was Paradox, completely unconscious. Even with his face pressed against the concrete, there was no mistaking the hair, the clothes, or the Duel Disk they had been chasing through time.
"…Wait," Yugi said, blinking. "So you weren't the one we were chasing this whole time?"
Yumi glanced back over his shoulder. "Duh. I tried to tell you. Didn't expect all of you to jump me first and ask questions later."
His annoyance was already fading, replaced by amusement.
Yusei shifted awkwardly. "…Then, um. Can you return my Stardust Dragon to me? That guy stole it from me."
There was a brief silence.
Yumi's eyes flared crimson as he looked around, then stopped at the far edge of the rooftop.
"You," he said sharply. "Get over here!"
The others followed his gaze.
Stardust Dragon was crouched awkwardly near the edge, half-hiding, its head peeking out just enough to see what was happening.
"I thought you said you were going back to your owner!?" Yumi snapped.
Stardust flinched, then hurried over, letting out a defensive roar.
"Afraid and ashamed?" Yumi shot back immediately. "Your owner and boss jumped me, your savior, because of a misunderstanding. That isn't an excuse for you to hide in a corner!"
Stardust roared again, lower this time.
"Stop being a wimp," Yumi continued flatly. "I didn't free you just so you could hide out in shame."
Stardust roared once more.
"Yusei, get a girlfriend who has a female dragon or something, your dragon is in heat." Yumi said, causing Stardust to look embarrassed while Yusei pinged question marks.
After handing part of it over to Yumi, Stardust Dragon has noticed Sky Striker Ace - Stardust in his Extra Deck, and it instantly falls in love.
The dragon lowered its head, wings drooping slightly, before letting out a quiet rumble and flying back to Yusei.
Yusei exhaled as the Stardust Dragon card returned to him. "Uh… Thanks."
Although he was still confused about what Yumi meant by all of that.
Jaden looked between everyone, then raised a question. "So, uh… now that we know this whole thing was a misunderstanding… should we stop, or… keep going?"
Yumi looked at him for a moment.
Then he smile. "Shining Blaze Wingman gains 300 ATK for each Elemental HERO in my Graveyard."
[Elemental HERO Shining Blaze Wingman, 2500 -> 3700 ATK]
[Sky Striker Ace - Kagari, 3200 -> 3400 ATK]
Seeing that Yumi didn't want to stop halfway, Jaden smiled and continued. "Shining Flare Wingman gains 300 ATK for each Elemental HERO in my graveyard."
[Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman, 2500 -> 4300 ATK]
How, realizing that their duel wasn't a world-threatening duel anymore, they all ease up now.
"Shining Flare Wingman attack Shining Blaze Wingman!" Jaden said, swinging his arm forward with an easy-going smile now.
"Shining Blaze Wingman's effect, I increase his ATK by 1000!" Yumi said as the white flaming wings behind Shining Blaze Wingman glowed brighter.
[Elemental HERO Shining Blaze Wingman, 3700 -> 4700 ATK]
Seeing this, Jaden didn't give up and activated the last card in his hand.
"Quick-Play Spell, Battle Fusion! When our monster battles, my monster gains ATK equal to your monster's ATK!"
[Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman, 4300 -> 9000 ATK]
"Quick-Play Spell, Battle Fusion!" Yumi flipped his last face-down card.
"Nani?" Jaden murmured, seeing that Yumi was using the same card as him again.
[Elemental HERO Shining Blaze Wingman, 4700 -> 13,700 ATK]
The two HEROes collided midair, light and force crashing together in a massive explosion.
When the smoke cleared. Only Shining Blaze Wingman remained standing.
[Yugi, Jaden, Yusei, LP 300 -> 0]
As the holograms faded away, Yumi relaxed, looking at the three protagonists in front of him with an easy smile.
"Gotcha," he said, raising two fingers toward them. "That was a fun duel."
With the misunderstanding fully cleared, the tension drained out of the rooftop surprisingly fast. What remained felt less like the aftermath of a battle and more like four duelists hanging around after school.
"So we're AIBO during Duel Academy!?" Jaden said, eyes lighting up. "That's awesome! Hey, hey, is the me in your dimension strong?"
Yumi just smiled, slipping his hands into his jacket. "You could say that."
He pulled out six cards and fanned them out casually.
The six Omni-Heroes: Great Tornado, Gaia, Nova Master, Absolute Zero, The Shining, and Escuridao.
"Do you have these?"
Jaden leaned in so close his Duel Disk almost bumped Yumi's arm.
Jaden's eyes practically sparkled. "Whoa! New HEROes!?" He leaned in so close he was almost pressing against Yumi's Duel Disk. "They look awesome!"
Yugi watched quietly, thoughtful. "So… you really are from a different dimension."
Yumi could see Atem standing beside him, arms crossed, gaze sharp and assessing.
"Yeah," Yumi said with a shrug. "I kinda ended up here by accident. Still, it was fun."
He slipped the cards back into his jacket. "But I should get going."
"Gla-" Yugi started.
The Millennium Puzzle flared.
Light flared, and Atem stepped forward, replacing Yugi. He grew slightly taller, posture straighter, presence heavier.
Before Yumi could react, the Pharaoh placed both hands firmly on his shoulders.
"Why the rush?" Atem asked, eyes burning with enthusiasm. "Let us have another duel. Just for fun."
Yumi: "..."
The Nameless Pharaoh is asking for a fun duel like he is cosplaying as Jaden Yuki?
Yumi didn't believe him, but he had no way to prove it.
"Sorry," Yumi said, trying to gently pull Atem's hands off his shoulders, and immediately realizing just how strong the grip was. "I really have to go. Unlike you guys, who travel through time, I travel through dimensions. If I don't head back soon, my friends are gonna panic."
He tried to move Atem's hands. They did not budge.
"It will only take a moment," Atem insisted. "Come, just a quick duel..."
The Eye of Anubis appeared on his forehead.
Yumi twitched.
Although the current Yugi has lost duels before, he at least still gets his rematch and defeats those opponents.
At the start of DM, when Pegasus kidnapped Yugi's grandpa's spirit, Yugi was forced to duel him in an early state timer duel, where he lost because the timer ran out. Later in their rematch at the Duelist Kingdom final, Yugi defeated Pegasus.
Then the second person who defeated him was Kaiba, but in that duel, Yugi threw the match so Kaiba wouldn't kill himself. Later, he defeated Kaiba.
But in this duel against Yumi, the Nameless Pharaoh didn't even get to play; he drew one card, then had his entire hand banished. He didn't even get a proper turn, and after finding out that Yumi is leaving and they may never meet again.
The Nameless Pharaoh isn't willing to accept this result and wants a rematch!
"It's just a quick mat-" Before things could get any more awkward, Yugi suddenly took control again.
"S-sorry!" Yugi said quickly. "I'll… talk to him later."
Atem: "AIBO!! Why have you betrayed me!!?"
"It's fine," Yumi said, already swinging himself back onto the stolen D-Wheel. "I really do have to go."
"Uh," Jaden said, scratching his head, "what about him?"
He pointed at Paradox, who was still unconscious and face-down on the rooftop.
Yumi followed his gaze, staring at the man for a moment. He remembered how Paradox's story ended, trying to change the future, failing, and getting obliterated by the power of friendship.
So...
"Chaos," Yumi called.
Chaos appeared instantly.
Jaden's eyes widened. "Whoa!" He circled Chaos excitedly. "You look awesome!"
Yusei, meanwhile, watched quietly, clearly impressed by this powerful senior.
Yugi flickered again, briefly growing taller, then shrinking back, like a bad signal that couldn't decide which channel it wanted.
Chaos tore open a rift in space without hesitation and kicked the unconscious Paradox straight through it before sealing it shut.
"Take care, guys," Yumi said with a smile as Chaos opened another rift.
"Take care, Yumi!" Jaden waved enthusiastically.
"Safe journey," Yusei said, bowing politely.
"Let's meet aga- DUEL'S ME!!" Yugi said, still flickering awkwardly between himself and Atem.
Yumi laughed, revved the D-Wheel straight into the rift. The distortion snapped shut behind him, leaving the rooftop quiet once more.
...
Back in his original world, Midori was sprinting through the corridors of Kaiba Corp, shoes slapping loudly against the polished floor as she checked every corner she passed.
"Yumi… Yumi!" she called out, her voice echoing far more than she liked.
No response.
She turned another corner, scanned the hallway, then pushed open a door, only to find it empty. Her pace picked up again, worry creeping in despite herself.
Then, right in front of her.
A white motorcycle abruptly phased into existence.
There was no warning or buildup. One moment, there was empty air; the next, there was a very solid D-Wheel occupying the same space she was running toward.
"Wha!?"
The bike clipped her, throwing her off balance. Midori stumbled, tried to regain her footing, and failed spectacularly, landing on the floor with an undignified thud.
The motorcycle screeched to a stop a short distance away.
Yumi blinked, looking down at the person he'd just run into. "…Oh."
He leaned slightly over the handlebars. "Uh, Sensei… are you okay?"
Thankfully, the D-Wheel hadn't been moving very fast. Aside from the shock, a sore shoulder, and a wounded sense of authority, Midori seemed mostly intact.
She lay there for half a second, processing what just happened.
Then she sat up. Grabbed his ear and gave him a long lecture.
...
"Where did you get that motorcycle?" Kaiba asked, eyes narrowing slightly as he looked over the D-Wheel. The design was clean, aggressive, and unmistakably familiar. It looked like something Kaiba Corp would have made or planned to.
"I dueled a brave loser and won it," Yumi said. He decided not to go into details.
Kaiba glanced at him. "Did you win?"
"I did."
"Good." Kaiba nodded once, satisfied. "If you won it, then it's yours."
Paradox: "I never agreed to that!!"
"Do you want me to arrange delivery to Duel Academy?" Kaiba continued. "Kaiba Corp logistics can have it there within the day." His tone made it sound less like an offer and more like a statement of capability.
"No need," Yumi replied, turning toward the D-Wheel. His shadow stretched unnaturally long under the lights, overlapping with the motorcycle's shadow until the two merged.
For a brief moment, the white bike seemed to sink downward.
Then it was gone. Right in front of Kaiba.
From within the shadow, a black armored hand emerged, Dark Law's. Yumi casually dropped the keys into its palm. The fingers closed, and the hand retreated, dissolving back into darkness like it had never been there.
Kaiba stared at the empty space where the D-Wheel had been. "…What was that?"
"My Duel Spirit. Dark Law," Yumi replied simply.
Kaiba crossed his arms. "This Duel Spirit thing again. Supernatural phenomena are just things science hasn't explained yet."
Back when Yugi and his friends went on about ancient magic, spirits, and destiny, Kaiba had written all of it off as exaggeration or coincidence. Just because he couldn't explain something yet didn't mean it was mystical.
Yumi nodded thoughtfully, then raised the Maiden with Eyes of Blue card in his hand. "So you are saying that this duel spirit, the spirit of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, in human form, in my hand, doesn't exist?"
Before Kaiba could comment, Yumi summoned the Maiden with Eyes of Blue, without placing the card on a Duel Disk.
She appeared before him in a soft glow, hands folded in front of her, her blue eyes wide, her bright white hair waving gently behind her.
Both Kisara and Kaiba froze. Their eyes met.
The Maiden lowered her head shyly, her cheeks faintly pink. Kaiba's heart skipped a beat before his expression snapped back into place.
"Hmph!" Kaiba scoffed, turning his head away slightly. "I've long been used to these supernatural claims. I may not be able to find an explanation for them yet, but I will sooner or later."
He then placed the "Maiden with Eyes of Blue" card into the card locket around his neck, right beside the picture of his younger brother, keeping it close to his heart.
Yumi: "!?"
He was taken aback by the President's speed as he didn't even see him taking the card from his hand.
Yumi then shifted his gaze back to the shy Kirasa facing the President, his cold expression making her turn back to Yumi and pout angrily.
She was afraid to show up before Seto since she knew the President didn't believe in the supernatural, and he might not accept her.
But her Master had forced her out without any preparation.
Kaiba suddenly shrugged off his long white coat and draped it over her shoulders.
"Don't walk around dressed like that," he said flatly. "You'll catch a cold."
Kisara froze again. Then she clutched the coat closer around herself, warmth and Kaiba's familiar scent wrapping around her. Her face turned bright red.
Yumi: "..."
Raye: "..."
The President had just gone from.
Duel Spirits don't exist.
To.
My wife is a Duel Spirit? Obviously Duel Spirits exist.
The speed of that mental adjustment was honestly impressive.
Such double standards.