The chime of the central city clock struck precisely 12:00 PM, its heavy reverberation slicing through the tension like a blade.
At that exact second, the Real Solid Vision auto-generated battlefields across Maiami City forcefully shut down. The artificial glaciers, burning grounds, rocky ruins, and jagged trees dissolved into shimmering particles of light.
The Action Card just inches from Yuya and Sora's outstretched fingers vanished into nothingness. The place returning the urban landscape to bare streetlights, static asphalt, and the steel railings of the central bypass bridge.
Yuya stumbled as his feet met flat concrete ground. Opposite him, Sora lowered his arm, his demeanor completely gone.
"Yuya!"
Gongenzaka's booming voice broke the silence. "We found Yuzu!"
Yuya's heart leaped. He spun around, tracing Gongenzaka's gaze toward the silhouette standing near the railing. The girl was wearing Yuzu's signature clothes, her frame completely identical. But as she turned, Yuya froze. Her hair was a deep, striking indigo, tied at the back with a big bright yellow ribbon that flared against the sunlight. Her eyes were not Yuzu's soft blue, but a fierce, emerald green.
"I am not Yuzu," she announced, her voice sharp and unyielding. "My name is Celina."
Yuya's mind went blank. Thinking a cold possibility. He turned frantically toward Sora, searching for an explanation. "Sora... don't tell me?"
Sora didn't answer. The moment his eyes met Yuya's frantic expression, a flash of cold realization crossed the boy's face. Without a word, Sora tapped onto his Duel Disk interface. A harsh, purple glow enveloped his body, and before Yuya could reach out, Sora shattered into a cluster of violet light particles, teleporting away.
"Sora!" Yuya screamed, reaching into empty air.
Footsteps echoed from the top of the stairs. Reiji Akaba stepped into view, his crimson scarf trailing behind him, his eyes cold and unreadable behind his spectacles.
"Well, well! Look who finally decided to show up!" Sawatari strutted forward with an arrogant grin. "Now there's no doubt about it, Right! My spot in your elite Lancers team is guaranteed, right?"
On the far edge of the bridge, standing completely isolated, was Ryo. His expression was utterly detached, his eyes fixed on Reiji.
Yuya stepped past Sawatari, marching straight up to Reiji. "...answer me. Did you know? Did you know all of this was going to happen while we were running around in that tournament?!"
Reiji didn't flinch. "Yes. I knew all along. I was fully aware that Academia would launch their assault, and that casualties were inevitable."
"Casualties...?" Yuya's fists clenched until his knuckles turned white. Tears pooled at the corners of his eyes. "Then why did you didn't stop any of it?! Why you too, Ryo?"
"When I reached the Ice Area, all I found was Mieru," Dennis interrupted, stepping forward with an unusually subdued expression. "I didn't see Hiragi Yuzu anywhere."
"If she isn't Hiragi Yuzu, then who else could she possibly be?" Sawatari gestured wildly at Celina. "Just look at her! Do I really need to spell it out?!"
"Now that you point it out..." Gongenzaka muttered. "Her presence... her tone... she isn't Yuzu."
"I have already told you, I am Celina! A duelist of Academia."
"Academia?!" Sawatari dramatically took three steps back, pointing an accusing finger. "So you infiltrated Maiami City looking like Hiragi Yuzu to spy on us?!"
Dennis let out a disappointed sigh, shaking his head at Sawatari's dramatic flair.
"No," Celina clarified. "Yuzu told me to swap clothes with her. She told me to come here and find Kurosaki Shun."
Shun Kurosaki, who had been standing in grim silence with his injuries, stiffened. His eyes widened slightly.
"She demanded that I ask him about Heartland," Celina continued, her gaze locking onto Shun. "She wanted me to hear what Academia did there. Why was she so desperate? What happened in Heartland that made her throw herself into danger just so I would understand?"
Shun opened his mouth, but no sound came out. The fierce, unyielding resistance member was at an absolute loss for words.
"Could it be..." Sawatari gasped, "that Academia captured Yuzu instead?!"
"Don't say that, Sawatari!" Gongenzaka growled, stepping in front of him.
Reiji adjusted his glasses with a single finger, his tone clinical. "So that is the sequence of events. In short, those of you standing here are the survivors—the duelists who successfully repelled Academia's force. You are the elites who will form the Lancers. You should take pride in your survival."
"Take pride?!"
Yuya's control snapped entirely. With a guttural cry, he lunged forward, swinging a violent punch straight at Reiji's face.
Reiji caught Yuya's fist in the palm of his hand without moving an inch. The impact didn't even push Reiji back. Yuya's eyes widened in sheer disbelief—he had put his full physical weight into the blow, yet Reiji held him as if he were a child.
Reiji shoved Yuya back. Yuya stumbled onto the asphalt.
"If you have complaints," Reiji said, his voice dropping into an icy command, "express them through a duel. That is the only language a duelist respects."
Reiji raised his left hand, tapping his earpiece. "Nakajima, initiate the environment protocol."
In an instant, the standard city street vanished. The Real Solid Vision system roared to life, projecting a massive, breathtaking metropolis around them. Towering glass skyscrapers, floating highways, and golden holographic monuments materialized in every direction—a pristine, futuristic paradise.
"Heartland..." Shun whispered, his voice trembling.
"Kurosaki Shun carries a profound psychological scar," Reiji stated, his gaze sweeping over the gathered duelists. "I monitored every single one of you through the main system. I analyzed your reactions, your emotional limits, and your tactical resolve to determine how to forge you into an effective unit. Kurosaki cannot speak of Heartland—not because he refuses to, but because he is paralyzed by the memory of its destruction."
"Just shut up!" Yuya roared, a terrifying, unfamiliar rage surging through his chest. Darkness seemed to bleed into his voice, his eyes glowing with an ominous crimson light. "Shut up!"
"It seems you are ready," Reiji said calmly, activating his Duel Disk.
The duel erupted instantly.
Yuya fought with a relentless momentum that shocked, except few, everyone present.
On his final push, Yuya executed a summon that made the air itself grow heavy. Overlaying his Level 7 Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon and the darkness of Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon, he performed an unprecedented Xyz summon.
Rank 7 Odd-Eyes Rebellion Dragon
Shuna nd Celina were shocked, seeing the Xyz summon.
Reiji stood with a mere fraction of his Life Points remaining, backed against the wall of his own field. On his side stood his Rank 8 monster, D/D/D Duo-Dawn Kali Yuga.
Yuya commanded his dragon to attack.
Odd-Eyes Rebellion Dragon unleashed itself, advancing straight toward Kali Yuga. But Reiji didn't flinch.
He activated Kali Yuga's effect.
With a single swift counterplay, the tables were turned entirely. The shockwave shattered Odd-Eyes Rebellion Dragon into pieces. The resulting blast blew Yuya off his feet, slamming his body violently against the concrete road.
His Life Points dropped to zero.
The projection faded. Yuya lay on the ground, utterly devastated.
Reiji stood over, looking down. "You lack the strength and the cold resolve required to lead. As you are now, you cannot save anyone."
Yuya buried his face, tearing as he screamed into the dirt. "YUZU!"
"But you have premises to evolve and develop."
Before the echo of Yuya's agony could fade, the heavy, rapid thud of sprinting footsteps rattled the pavement from the side alleyway.
A silhouette blurred past the bridge railing at terrifying speed, charging directly at Reiji.
A brutal, heavy fist slammed straight onto Reiji's face. The force of the strike knocked Reiji off his feet. His red glasses flew from his face, clattering onto the ground.
The newcomer skidded to a halt, panting slightly. He was a boy with fair skin, his teal-blue hair slightly tousled with distinct white tips at the side and back of his head. His icy-white eyes burned with an fierce glare.
"I had an idea that you weren't much of a good person," the boy spat, glaring down at Reiji. "But I didn't know you were an absolute monster."
Before anyone could react, Tsukikage moved like a shadow. Appearing behind the boy, the ninja grabbed both of his arms, locking them in a high-pressure submission grip.
The boy didn't even flinch. Flexing his upper body with sheer, raw physical force, he shattered Tsukikage's grip and hurled the ninja backward into the road.
Without breaking stride, the boy turned his icy glare toward Ryo, who was still standing silently near the bridge. Moving with inhuman speed, the boy crossed the distance in a fraction of a second, pulling his fist back and launching a full-force punch directly at Ryo's jaw.
The heavy impact reverberated through the air. The boy's fist was planted squarely against Ryo.
Silence fell over the bridge.
Ryo hadn't fallen. He hadn't even staggered. He stood in the exact same spot, his frame completely unmoved by the blow. Ryo turned his red eyes, locking onto the boy's with a look of supreme irritation. There wasn't a single scratch, bruise, or mark on Ryo's skin.
The boy pulled his hand back, with annoyance stiring on his face.
Sawatari and Gongenzaka watched in utter bewilderment. Razz tried to play it cool, looking around with a forced expression of confusion as if he had never seen the boy before. Moments later, another figure—Vance—stepped silently out from the dark alley behind the bridge, taking his place beside the structure without uttering a word.
Reiji pushed himself up from the ground, reaching out to retrieve his fallen glasses. He placed them back on his face, ignoring any scratche. His expression remained utterly unreadable.
Before the boy could process, Tsukikage reappeared. This time, the ninja abandoned all restraint. Channeling his full weight and strength, Tsukikage slammed the boy hard onto the pavement, pinning both of his shoulders to the ground with absolute force.
Ryo remained standing, unmoving and unresponsive, his cold gaze shifting back.
Reiji straightened his red scarf, clearing off dirt from his face with the back of his hand.
"Now that the complete Lancers team is gathered," Reiji said, his voice echoing clearly across the bridge, "I will state this once. If you do not possess the resolve to cross dimensions and fight this war, you may walk away now. But if you intend to stand against Academia, follow me to the Stadium. We will make our declaration official to the citizens of Maiami—and to the entire world."