After winning against the Strong Ishijima, Ryo had initially thought of Yuya as someone who was merely lucky.
It was a situation of certain defeat, but Yuya had turned the tide with an unknown summoning method that didn't make sense at first. However, after thoroughly analyzing it, Ryo figured it possessed a logical foundation.
A card's data and programmed mechanics are strictly defined. They cannot be changed, and modifying already programmed card effects under the same name is not forbidden.
"It is impossible from start. When a card is placed on the duel disk, the disk automatically extracts that card's data. The programmed data is coded at both sides of card. That's why it can be recognized whether it is set face-down or played directly. It is impossible to overwrite it.
"But Yuya didn't just overwrite his cards; he changed them entirely. Even that is not the main part. Because the duel disk extracts data from the code on card and generates the output for the duel, if he changed the card type and effects, then those codes were rewritten... and the most shocking thing is that the duel disk actually accepted it. A duel disk is programmed to automatically give an error the moment a cheat is detected based on both players duel information. But if duel disk didn't malfunctioned or registered an error, that means Pendulum cards are legitimately valid... It is just one unidentifiable anomaly on top of another."
Yet, it wasn't the Pendulum cards or his victory that drove Ryo to try and understand Yuya. It was Yuya himself. He remembered every word Yusho had spoken on that fateful day—words that made Ryo realize Yuya was just another ordinary individual among many. He had never wasted his time on people like him. This sudden new variable was the sole reason Ryo had initiated contact with Yuya for the first time.
However, that was a decision Ryo was deeply regretting right now.
"Now! Let me explain the summoning methods first!" the old man in the tracksuit yelled.
"A Synchro Summon cannot be performed without a Tuner monster, a Fusion Summon cannot be executed without a Polymerization card, and an Xyz Summon cannot be achieved using monsters of different Levels!" He slammed his fist against the wall, which was reflecting the light of the projector.
"Amazing!"
"Each and every method operates under a different rule."
"So a deck containing all types of methodical monsters cannot be stable enough to use practically." the blue-haired boy said, analyzing what he had just learned.
They were sitting at desks in one of the school's classrooms. The desks were old but perfectly clean, looking as though they had just been scrubbed yesterday.
Ryo rested his right hand against the side of his face, averting his head so no one would see the disappointment written across his features.
"O-of course, this is just a basic understanding! There are much more detailed rules and conditions required to summon these specific monsters!" the teacher explained hastily, as if sensing Ryo's profound disappointment.
Ryo had at least thought this would be worth his time. Even if he couldn't learn about Yuya or the Pendulum cards right away, he had hoped it wouldn't be a complete waste of effort. He had been utterly wrong.
"Everyone! It is time to end the class for today. Yuya and Yuzu should be finishing up their last few minutes of school as well."
"Ah! Then we can all go and meet up with them together!" the heavy-set kid chimed in.
Ryo paused for a second, thinking to himself, I don't even remember these kids' names. He sighed inwardly.
He had introduced himself to them as Ryoho but told them they could simply call him Ryo. They, however, had not introduced themselves. He had barely been able to deduce who they were based on what the teacher had been calling them throughout the lesson.
"Ayu" was definitely the name assigned to the red-haired girl. "Futoshi" was the heavy-set kid, and "Tatsuya" was the smart kid whom the instructor kept praising for his quick understanding.
These names were confirmed solely by the teacher constantly calling out to them alongside Ryo.
One thing Ryo was genuinely happy about was that no one had made fun of his name or commented that "Ryoho" sounded strange. Furthermore, they hadn't questioned his request to be called Ryo. For that, he was genuinely glad.
"Let's go!"
They all exited the building, heading directly toward Miami Second Middle School.
Only few minutes of walk was needed to reach the school.
"Ryo-niichan," one of the kids asked, breaking the silence.
"What is it?"
"You looked like you already knew all the methods taught today. Do you have experience with them, or have you mastered one yourself?"
"Yes. I have"
"You mean you can actually use them?!"
"Yes."
"WOW!" Tatsuya cheered, jumping around excitedly. "Will you show us sometime, then?!"
"Fine. If Yuya agrees to duel me."
"No problem! We all will convince Yuya-niichan!"
They were all incredibly excited—except for Ryo.
As they reached the front gate, they spotted Yuya and Yuzu walking out.
"Yuya-niichan! Yuzu-oneechan!" the kids shouted, rushing toward them.
Ryo took slow, but paced steps to close the distance.
"How was school?" Ryo asked casually.
"It was more or less okay. Boring as always." Yuya groaned, slumping his shoulders. "They gave us extra homework and a project on top of it. I don't want to go to school tomorrow!"
"Yuya, pull yourself together. You need to focus on your studies!" Yuzu lectured, scolding him instantly
To Ryo, she fit the exact image of an boss girl who constantly ordered what to do and what not to do, while Yuya seemed like a subordinate who couldn't achieve anything beyond what he was told unless he blindly followed his instincts.
However, none of that mattered to him on a personal level. This trivial information would simply be saved as another piece to puzzle over while building a profile.
"Ah! You're that Sakaki Yuya-san, right?!" a voice called out from behind them.
A boy stepped forward, his face radiating visible excitement. His shining brown hair featured styled, golden bangs that stood out sharply. His eyes were a striking grayish-blue.
He was dressed in a pristine, standard school uniform: a dark dress shirt paired with a red necktie, a white jacket with gold and red lines, and vibrant red trousers. A badge pinned to his collar identifying him immediately: an LDS top student.
Ryo analyzed him instantly without even trying; there was no need for guesswork, because he already knew exactly who this boy was.
"I knew it!" the boy exclaimed, eagerly shaking hands with Yuya.
"Umm?" Yuya muttered, natural confusion.
"Oh, my apologies. I am Sawatari Shingo."
The two engaged in a long conversation regarding Yuya's Pendulum cards, with Sawatari expressing a deep desire to see them in action. He was absolutely delighted when Yuya agreed.
Yuzu showed a hint of irritation when Sawatari mentioned he had a reservation for a duel court at LDS. She was visibly reluctant to visit a facility that was essentially a fierce rival to her own school.
Perhaps Sawatari's bright smile played a significant part in swaying them, alongside his seemingly polite and friendly demeanor toward the group.
Of course, Ryo knew that the more a person smiles initially, the more cracked and distorted their expression becomes later on.
The kids were more than thrilled to visit the prestigious facility. Seeing their excitement, Yuzu found herself unable to refuse any further.
Sawatari didn't pay much attention to the rest of the group, but when his eyes brushed past Ryo for a split second, he suddenly froze. He seemed momentarily dazed and confused, diving deep into his own memories, before quickly reclaiming his polite attitude.
Just as they were about to head toward the LDS facility, Ryo spoke up from behind them.
"I have to go somewhere else. An urgent matter has suddenly come up."
"Is it really that urgent?" Futoshi asked, looking downcast that everyone wouldn't be staying together.
"This matter is completely unavoidable and cannot be delayed. The timing simply couldn't be helped."
"It's okay. If it's important, we shouldn't hold him back." Yuya said, turning to the children and advising them with mature composure.
Ryo turned and went his own way, walking down the road in the exact opposite direction.
He maintained a casual, steady pace until he was certain he was entirely out of their line of sight.
The moment he was in the clear, he began to run with inhuman speed. Moving like a blur, he covered the distance so rapidly that he arrived at his destination in mere minutes: the main branch of the Leo Corporation headquarters.
He slipped inside the grand building and headed directly toward a private monitoring room.
He stepped into a small, restricted floor-lift—the only secure way to access the chamber.
Before Nakajima could see his sudden arrival, he shouted, "What do you think you're doing?! Don't you dare—"
Reiji intervened, stepping up behind Ryo to cut Nakajima off. "No, let him be."
"President? Ryo-sama?" Nakajima stammered, caught off guard.
"Were you watching this unfold from your office and came down here specifically to give orders to Shingo Sawatari, Reiji?" Ryo asked, turning his head slightly.
"Don't ask questions to which you already know the answer. It's a bad habit. Though, I didn't think you would actually show up here. Did you see Sawatari Shingo and deduce the plan? You must have had a hunch from the very beginning."
"Don't ask me things you already know." Ryo countered smoothly.
"Fair enough." Reiji straightened his glasses. "Allow the duel to proceed, Nakajima."
"Yes, sir."
Looking closely at the monitor, Ryo observed that Sawatari had handed Yuya a pile of utter garbage cards. Yuya looked incredibly disheartened, acting as though he could physically feel the wounded pride of the discarded cards.
"Calling garbage cards 'garbage' is only natural." Ryo muttered under his breath. "What is so sad about it?"
The duel started. Sawatari had arranged for his lackeys to forcefully seize Yuzu and the children, trapping them high up on a towering structure generated by Real Solid Vision.
The field generated around them was a standard cityscape split by a massive bridge.
From the moment Sawatari made his opening move, Ryo could see right through his strategy.
"Don't," Ryo ordered firmly into the communications mic. "Don't play that card yet."
Over the audio feed, Sawatari balked. "Huh? Who are you? What right do you have to tell me what to do?!"
"If you use both cards simultaneously, then it will impact Sakaki Yuya far more severely. Like a piercing sword striking directly through a bleeding heart." Ryo instructed coldly through the microphone.
"Oh! I see. certainly!" Sawatari realized.
The duel progressed, and Yuya found himself constantly overwhelmed and locked down by a devastating Action Traps.
Sawatari drew his next card. He currently controlled only a single Level 4 monster on his field. Ryo fed him the next command.
"Huh? I see." A sly, arrogant smile cracked across Sawatari's face.
All Ryo had done was point directly at the card through mic, and Sawatari instantly understood the play.
Sawatari began boasting to Yuya about being the true chosen one, taunting him by saying he was merely a brat who had been saved by sheer luck during his match against Strong Ishijima.
He played the card to successfully add Stargazer Magician to his hand. Timegazer Magician had already been in his hand from start.
Ryo commanded sharply, "Set them."
"I know at least this much!" Sawatari grumbled back through the feed.
"Set them and simply repeat the chant after me. This part is critical."
"Fine..."
"Scale 1 Stargazer Magician..." Ryo prompted.
Sawatari repeated the words aloud, his posture stiff and awkward like an absolute novice.
"And Scale 8 Timegazer Magician!"
Sawatari slammed the cards into his duel disk slots.
"I set the Pendulum Scale!"
Across Sawatari's duel disk interface, the word PENDULUM flashed across the screen in a burst of multiple bright colors.
Two brilliant, towering pillars of light erupted directly behind him. The two mystic magicians ascended to the crest of the pillars, their respective Pendulum Scales—1 and 8—glowing vividly.
"This confirms it." Ryo stated, validating his theory.
"Yes, sir?" Nakajima asked, looking over.
"The summoning parameters. The verbal commands must be explicitly stated to establish the connection. Allowing Shingo Sawatari to set them without speaking was an option, but the situation wasn't good for a test."
"You really analyzed this from the exact same angle as me." Reiji noted with smile.
"You permitted this duel to take place solely to take data on Pendulum energy and its unique wave frequencies, correct? You likely instructed the entire Research and Development division to map every single line of data from this live Pendulum Summon."
"Precisely." Reiji adjusted his glasses with a calculated flick of his finger. "Orchestrating a sudden theft of the Pendulum cards from a student was merely a opening gambit from the start. I knew Shingo Sawatari would foolishly challenge him and attempt to wield the cards himself. If public relations worsen, the entire incident can simply be dismissed as mere schoolyard bullying. Furthermore, securing Pendulum data in the process was the main point." Reiji concluded.
Just as Ryo had anticipated, Yuya was visibly shocked to his very core.
Yet, through sheer determination, Yuya somehow managed to utilize one of the cards Sawatari had discarded as garbage, invoking a duplicate with the exact same name and an effect that prevented its destruction.
Yuya delivered a passionate speech, declaring that every single card possesses a unique purpose and can be used effectively.
Sawatari, however, held another shifting factor in his hand—a card capable of destroying an opponent's card provided there were two Spell cards active on the field.
Ryo instructed smoothly through the mic, "Pendulum cards are legally categorized as Spell cards while they occupy the Pendulum Zones."
Hearing this, Sawatari's sly smile widened.
Yet, despite the tactical advice, the tide of battle shifted dramatically once more, veering in the complete opposite direction.
Yuya managed to withstand the massive damage Sawatari dealt, successfully reclaiming his stolen Pendulum cards and ultimately saving Yuzu and the children from their high-altitude trap.
With a brilliant, late-game performance, Yuya completely defeated Sawatari.
Even after losing, Sawatari and his lackeys were still aggressively planning to take the cards by force.
Had they pushed any further, it would have resulted in an immediate temporary suspension. However, they were stopped by a remarkably agile kid who swept in and knocked the bullies out in a flash.
He introduced himself as Shiunin Sora, enthusiastically telling Yuya that he intended to become his personal apprentice.
He had originally intended to join the prestigious LDS, but had dynamically changed his mind to pursue Yuya instead.
Ryo knit his brows in a deep frown, feeling as though they had just allowed a remarkably talented duelist to slip through their fingers. There was an unidentifiable, unsettling aura surrounding Sora that made Ryo instinctively cautious about the Youshow school from now on.
"How did the data collection go?" Reiji asked, speaking directly into his phone.
"Excellent, sir! We successfully mapped the energy waves and captured the systematic framework of the summoning process!" a voice confirmed from the other end of the line.
"Good." Reiji cut the signal.
"Hmm?" Ryo's eyes suddenly narrowed as he scanned one of the peripheral security monitors. He spotted a highly unusual, unidentifiable individual moving through the sector.
It wasn't uncommon to see strangers, but this man carried a distinctly suspicious air. And his behavior was abnormal.
"Reiji, keep an eye on him on the main monitors while I go down to investigate." Ryo stated as his final words before turning on his heel.
Reiji didn't press for further details. He understood without being told exactly what his younger brother was intending to do.
"Very well. Treat it as a standard exercise. I will intervene only if the situation degrades drastically."
Ryo stepped onto the lift, riding it straight down into the subterranean parking structures.
He stepped out into the dim area, and the absolute first person his eyes locked onto was the exact man from the monitor.
The stranger was dressed in a thick, heavy coat, his eyes entirely concealed behind round, dark glasses, and a vibrant red scarf was wrapped around his neck. He spoke in a dangerously cold voice.
"Are you with LDS?"
"Yes, I am." Ryo replied simply.
"Then tell me, do you know a man named Leo Akaba?"
"Yes."
The stranger's voice instantly became raw with pure malice, barely straining to keep from shouting. "Then answer me this... do you use Fusion?"
"Yes." Ryo replied simply, his expression unchanging.
"THEN YOU ARE MY ENEMY!" The man roared, snapping his duel disk forward with an intense, surging force radiating from it.
Ryo pulled his high-tech duel disk from his pocket, snapping it onto his left wrist. With a swift, practiced motion from his opposite pocket, he took his deck and slotted it into the deck chamber. The mechanism engaged, automatically shuffling the cards. Not for a single fraction of a second did Ryo allow the stranger to escape his field of vision. Not for a moment had this man given off a normal vibe; he was entirely dangerous from start to finish.
Without either of them uttering a single verbal battle phrase or announcing a formal start, the digital systems within their respective duel disks synchronized, flashing a single, definitive prompt on the screens: DUEL.