Chapter Text
When Ruri woke up early the next morning, the cold reality of their situation washed back over her.
Yuya was gone. Yuzu, too.
Yuzu was even taken by Dennis...! Why did such a horrible boy ever have to exist? If he'd gotten Yuya as well, that might've been the last straw for Ruri. But whether it was really any better or if it was worse, Yuya was teleported somewhere. Very possibly to another dimension.
Still, that gave Ruri a single ray of hope in this dark period of her life. Yuya was gone, but... She would find him. She would tell him the bad news about Yuzu. And... And she would comfort that poor, sweet boy.
Because they both really needed it. Dennis stole their most precious people. Until they could save their loved ones, Ruri and Yuya needed each other now more than ever.
Ruri groggily sat up as she realized she was alone on the couch now, with a blanket draped over her. Her brow furrowed as she drank in the darkened living room, the only light coming from some windows that were draped by curtains and revealed that it was pretty early in the day.
"Mrs. Sakaki left me, too...?" The Lyrilusc frowned vulnerably as she felt so small.
Of course Mrs. Sakaki shouldn't have to stay and take care of her... But Ruri might have felt a little better if the grown woman was still here in the morning.
As it is, she just feels so alone... Ruri is trying to stay strong, but how can she possibly keep it up forever? Yuto. Shun. Yuya. Yuzu. Her entire home destroyed... There's only so much the human spirit can take before it breaks.
Ruri jolted a little as she heard the door to the suite unlock, and then open as Yoko came back. The blonde blinked bemusedly as she realized Ruri was sitting up and staring at her as she came in. Yoko wasted no time in flicking on one light.
"Aw, did I wake you, hon? I'm sorry about that. I just needed to swing home to fetch something, I promise it wasn't anything you did."
Ruri blinked owlishly as the older woman approached and felt her forehead to feel her temperature, fussing over Ruri like any mother would.
"Fetch something...? Is something wrong?"
Yoko sat back down next to Ruri as she smiled congenially at the Xyz user.
"I wouldn't say 'wrong'... Don't worry about it." She reached over to pet Ruri's head gently. "Now. How are you feeling, Ruri? I know yesterday was a lot."
Ruri nibbled her lower lip and averted her gaze to her lap as her hands fidgeted anxiously.
"... S-Still terrible... I... I'm sorry about Yuya. It's m-my fault..."
The traumatized girl flushed as Yoko wrapped her up in a warm embrace.
"None of that, sweetie. You know you'll break Yuya's heart if you talk like that!"
The purple-haired girl mildly wrinkled her nose as she leaned into the hug a smidge selfishly.
"B-But it's true...! If I was just there, I... I..." Maybe Yuya would have ended up like Shun and Yuto. There's no guarantee she could've helped against Dennis.
... But she still would've liked to try... Yuya helped her to awaken to Fusion, so... so she was stronger...! Th-That had to mean something, didn't it?!
Yoko smiled thinly and stroked Ruri's head soothingly as the girl burst into tears again.
"Listen, Ruri. I've been where you are. I know you know it. Yusho went off on his own without telling me or Yuya, and here we are three years later! It's easy to say things could have been different if you were there, or if you'd known... But those what-ifs are just that: mere conjecture. I guess it's our brain's way of coping with loss, but we shouldn't beat ourselves up over what really happened. It's not your fault. Reiji had you relocated to protect you, and Yuya trusted you'd be safe. All Yuya had left was to get to Yuzu."
...
Ruri released a shuddering breath as she hugged the older woman back guiltily.
"... I still wanted to be there... I-It was my choice... I c-could have handled it...!" And Tsukikage took the choice out of her hands.
Yoko nodded patiently as she kept stroking Ruri's head soothingly.
"Knowing Yuya, I'll bet he tried talking you into going along with Reiji's plan. It's not that he thinks you weren't strong enough. But based on how intense that invasion was, and knowing you were a significant target, my boy just..."
The blonde sighed ruefully and shook her head.
"... He's like Yusho in every way that matters. If you and Yuzu were both left out in the open, that left too many opportunities for Duel Academy to snag one of you. By sheltering you, those soldiers would be forced to focus on getting to Yuzu - and that's exactly what happened. But my son was prepared to protect Yuzu to his dying breath, so all that attention wasn't a big deal. He just needed to get Yuzu to safety, and Leo's goons would have to retreat. That was his logic."
The Lyrilusc user burrowed her head into Yoko's side moodily.
"I kn-know that was his logic...! Yuya tries taking on everything by himself, and it's not fair!! I would've gladly taken the risk to help him. Leo's just going to keep coming for me... I m-might as well fight with all I have! Yuya saves everyone but himself. ... A-And I want to save him...!"
She owes Yuya so much. Ruri didn't want to be a damsel in distress, that only kept getting her loved ones taken. Yuya sorely needed someone to have his back, and he just... just...
Yuya placed the world on his shoulders. Ruri wanted to shoulder the burden with him, not just when it's safe! No one was safe in this war. Not truly.
"And I think that's the right spirit to have, Ruri." Yoko grinned enigmatically as the teen drew back to gaze up at her with a furrowed brow. "Yusho was a miracle worker, but he wasn't invincible. But Yuya isn't going to easily listen because all he can think about is others; he's even more selfless than Yusho, and that's saying something! So Ruri... It's up to you to balance Yuya out. Be firm with him if you have to. I know Yuzu was very firm with him, over the years..."
Ruri's eyes bulged slightly as her cheeks pinked and she wrung her hands nervously.
"N-N-Not to, um... p-p-put a damper on... on this talk... Y-Yuya and I aren't... l-l-like that. I'm t-technically in a relationship. E-Even if it's been three years. And Yuya's... h-he has Yuzu..."
Yoko's mysterious grin never faltered as she shrugged innocently.
"Make of it what you will, Ruri. I'm not here telling you to cheat on your boyfriend. Even if you're just a friend, you can still center Yuya as a person. You obviously care about him, enough that you blame yourself for his disappearance. Gong will be there, too, but the thing is... Boys will be boys. They tend to avoid chatting about feelings and other deeper things with each other."
Yoko gestured vaguely.
"Part of it's pride. Sometimes it's just they don't know how to breach such topics when they really do need to talk. Yuya hasn't had much exposure to girls, so you'll have the home court advantage if he really needs to learn something from you~... The best part is you're sweeter on him than Yuzu is, so he dotes on you! I've watched you kids these past several weeks, and I can't say that I've seen Yuya take to a girl as quickly as you. He sees you need comfort, so he's willing to give it. I just know Yuya will listen if you tell him that you want to help. Just be firm about it~..."
Ruri choked up as her blush deepened and she gazed down at her lap again, deep in consideration.
... Truth be told, Yuya wasn't the only one that took to this friendship like a duck to water. Ruri really... really enjoyed spending time with Yuya. Yes, Ruri was a naturally affectionate person, but there were precious few people that she was willing to hug so casually. Let alone so often.
Part of that was Yuya had Yuto's face. But more and more, Ruri was viewing him as "Yuya" and not Yuto. There was a distinctive feel to his hugs, his smiles, the way he listened to her, the way he cheerfully began teaching her acrobatics...
In a way, Yuya was more outgoing than Yuto. More expressive, more animated... And Ruri would be lying if she said that positive energy didn't vibe with her.
Not to say Yuto was depressing. Of course Yuto was a joy to be around! It's just... there was more of a maturity to Yuto. When he listened, Yuto had more answers to give as they talked through serious stuff, or even just fun stuff. Yuya... it was a swing or a miss if he had answers.
And that's not bad! We can't always have all the answers. Yuto certainly doesn't know everything. But he's more straight-faced than Yuya, less goofy and more reserved.
Yuto and Yuya... They both have their attractive qualities. Ruri knew her heart was being pulled in two directions here, the more she stewed in this war and relied on Yuya. Not that Ruri was a fickle or disloyal girl. She and Yuto had a bond, and she would cling to their relationship. Yuya understood, and he kept correcting people whenever they got the wrong idea.
Yet even so... Yuya was becoming very special to Ruri. He was her light. Her hope. And she didn't want Yuya to succumb to any of that darkness inside of him. Darkness that wasn't "Yuya," but something different. Something wrong. It was reaching the point that Ruri wanted to be the one to take care of him, keep him happy and stable.
Ruri didn't know if you could call this a "crush." It felt like a seedling of a crush, if that were the case. Yuto was still very much her priority, and all this bonding with Yuya was just murky and hazy because times were so stressful and dark. There was no guarantee they'd remain this way after the war. And really, Ruri shouldn't bother thinking about things so far in the future.
... But Mrs. Sakaki's words were rooted in her brain, despite all logic and insistence to the contrary.
Something about "just a friend" rankled Ruri a bit. Yuya's mom wasn't egging her on or assuming Ruri was that close with her boy. Yet Ruri found herself... annoyed... with the phrasing.
If Yuzu was best friends with Yuya, why couldn't Ruri be the same? Mrs. Sakaki gave her blessing. Yuya obviously enjoyed her company just as much. They shared a tag duel, and Ruri intended to have a lot more to strengthen their teamwork.
If Ruri craved a deeper friendship, was that so wrong? The bond didn't need to be romantic. She could have her cake and eat it, too!
... Though Ruri had to admit, if she was single, a prospective relationship with Yuya would not be unflattering. ... Or unpleasant...
She wanted to keep Yuya in her life. That's the truth.
...
"Wh-What's this...?" Ruri mumbled as Yoko handed her a card out of the blue. A spell card. "Smile World?"
The blonde chuckled warmly at the teen's bemusement.
"It's what I went to get. You guys will be headed out today, so I needed to get that to you now before you Lancers take off."
The purple-haired girl's brow pinched in bewilderment as she gazed at the peculiar card. The effect was...interesting. Gives all face-up monsters on the field 100 ATK multiplied by the number of monsters on the field until the end of the turn. ... Huh.
"Wh-Why give this to me?" Ruri couldn't help cutting straight to the point.
Yoko hummed in faux-consideration.
"Well~... To put it simply, I want you to have something to keep you strong until you find Yuya. Smile World has a history to it. Yusho uses it as a main staple in his deck, and he gave me that card years ago when I was in a rough patch. ... So I want you to have it now."
Ruri's eyes bulged at this reveal as she tried giving the card back.
"Y-Your husband gave you this card?! I-I can't accept this...!"
But Yoko shook her head as she helped close Ruri's hand around the card.
"Mm-mm, Ruri. It's a card that deserves to be used, and where you're headed Smile World will be invaluable! Warzones are no place for kids. You're going to feel scared and alone out there, and who knows how long until you find Yuya? I want you to have Smile World so that you can remember a time when you were happy, and think of a time when you will be happy again. Yuya and Yusho's dueltaining seeks to bring joy to everyone, including yourself! So if you stay strong and remember your reasons to smile, you'll embody Yuya's spirit, Ruri. You are strong. Remember that. If you can, share this with Yuya when you reunite."
Ruri choked up again as tears spilled from her eyes once more. This was such an incredible gift. She did want to be strong like Yuya. To bring smiles to others, to be happy and free...
She gazed at Smile World with reverence. Ruri swore to herself that she would wield this card. That she would find Yuya and... Thank him. Hug him. Apologize from the bottom of her heart that Yuzu was taken.
... They would save everyone they loved. Ruri had complete faith that she, Yuya, and all their friends could make this happen.
Just remember a time when she was happy.
Think of a time when she will be happy again.
Ruri can do this!!
They can do this. Ruri and Yuya both.
~*~
Rin scowled moodily as she watched Yugo sit on the edge of the bed, gazing at Clear Wing listlessly.
"Yugo."
"..." The dumbo didn't even hear her. Didn't so much as twitch.
He'd been like this since last night.
"We don't have to do this." She parroted the same line that she'd been saying since last night.
The duel. Was not. Yugo's. Fault.
How the hell could Rin expect Yugo to handle a monster like Reiji Akaba?! Synchro. Pendulum. Xyz. Fusion. The jerk had everything!! Rin's not even sure her burn tactics could steal a win from that...that overpowered prettyboy. He might have had an answer to keep a few of his Life Points from burning out.
One turn would be more than enough to crush Rin if that monster wasn't taken out by her burn damage. His tactics were that insane.
She jolted a bit as Yugo spoke up for the first time since their argument last night. His voice was so quiet. He looked so bummed.
"... Yeah, I do. I can't... I'm the same loser I've always been. You've beaten me a thousand times with your Windwitches, why did I ever think I stood a chance against that prick? I can't protect you, Rin. If a punk like Akaba is fighting anyone, and he says that enemy is after you...! There's no way staying out of this is an option, cuz how can I compete with anyone that gives him trouble?! Akaba will keep you safe. Not me."
Rin dragged her palm down her face exasperatedly. Here they go again...! "Restore Yugo's Optimism" Round 2. Same arguments, different day. Because of course Yugo's been thinking of this so much that he forgot they already had this conversation!!
Rin's eyes blazed as she huffed quietly.
Let's do this.
"Yugo. Shut. Up." She crawled across the bed and took the stupidhead's cheeks in her hands as she forced Yugo to look at her. "You are NOT a loser!!! Not even Akaba called you that, remember?! He praised your skills in Synchro!!"
Yugo moaned as the mint green-haired girl smushed his cheeks together and didn't let up on the pressure.
"But Riiin!!! A winner can say whatever he wants and it doesn't make it so! Akaba was prolly just sayin' that outta pity...!"
Rin hissed as she shoved her face into his grumpily and scowled deeply.
"Did you forget that prick doesn't mince words?! Akaba doesn't spare feelings! He states facts!!!"
"B-But he hides stuff, doesn't he?! Everyone's only just now hearing about this stupid war!!!" Yugo whined, narrowing his eyes in frustration. "Who's to say Akaba isn't just lying so he won't hafta deal with my shattered soul?!"
The Windwitch user howled in frustration as she bashed their foreheads together forcefully.
This stupidhead.
"Yugo. What would be the point of lying about your skill if he wants us to join his kiddy brigade?! And before you say a damn thing, YES. He wants US. Not just ME."
The banana-haired boy blinked owlishly at the fiery girl preempting his rebuttal.
"H-How'd you know that's what I was gonna...?"
"Because we had this exact conversation last night!!!!!" The Windwitch user shook the dumbo like a ragdoll, still smushing his cheeks.
"... Oh." He deflated anticlimactically. What else could Yugo say to that? "I'm that much of a burden I can't even remember last night... D-Damn..."
Rin twitched even more violently. At last she removed her hands from his cheeks and shifted them over to his shoulders and gripped them firmly. She fixed him with the most serious expression that she'd ever given him.
... Because Rin needed him to understand. Please. For the love of god.
"Yugo Sakazuki. I am begging you. Please, please, please stop crucifying yourself!!!"
Yugo blinked in bewilderment at Rin whipping out the surname. By no means was it legit. They were orphans, for god's sake.
... It's just a silly last name he took up after reading some manga a long time ago. Basically, at the time Rin was making a huge fuss over how they didn't have last names while everyone else did, even other Commons, and that wasn't fair!
So they brainstormed on their own and revealed them to each other after a day of mulling it over. Rin-Rin said these names would be the ones they stuck with 'til the day they died, so Yugo needed to take it seriously.
And, well. Uh. Yugo... hadn't. He was a boy, for cryin' out loud. You really think he'd waste a whole day brainstorming a silly fake name that other kids might mock and jeer at him for?
Yugo had wound up going that whole day without a single thought to it, and only whipped it out when Rin put him on the spot the next day. Cuz it was important to Rin-Rin, and he didn't wanna make her cry, even if he thought having no last name was alright.
She settled on Rin Hinata.
... And he hastily took on Yugo Sakazuki cuz it was the first fancy name that sprang to mind.
There's a good chance Rin worked it out that he pulled it from one of his manga, but she never raised a fuss about his lack of imagination. They ended up being surnames that only the two of them knew of. ... Cuz they didn't have the nerve to reveal to the world their imaginary family names. It just felt... too childish? Like no one would take them seriously?
That's how "Sakazuki" became an ominous sign that Yugo was in the doghouse. Rin never barked it out in front of others. Only when it was just them.
He flapped his mouth uselessly, but found himself tongue-tied at the sight of Rin's eyes getting misty.
Rin pressed on.
"You are not a burden...! I've never thought that even once, and I never will!! YES, you can be a dumbo so much of the time! I know you think all I ever do is nag, but even if I spend all my life taking care of you, I never - NEVER! - resent you for it!!"
She gestured at her heart meaningfully as she scowled deeply.
"I'm so lucky to have you, Yugo... If you weren't here, if I never met you, I'd be all alone. So it breaks my heart when you put yourself down like that. I don't care if I hafta remind you of stuff, it's fine!! You're not stupid for stuff slipping your mind. Yesterday was a LOT! And I know you've been drowning in your thoughts all night! S-So... just stop. We'll do this 'Lancers' thing if it means that much to you, but I need you to understand I am happy where I am right now!! With just us two against the world. You don't have to force yourself to tolerate Akaba if you're that sus of him! I'm not sure I trust him completely, either! Let's just take it slow, alright?"
Yugo felt himself tearing up at Rin's attempts to console him. He dabbed the tears away with the back of his hand as he could see his best friend was falling to pieces, too.
"... Okay, Rin-Rin." He took a deep, shuddering breath as he averted his gaze downward in same. "I still think we should... give these guys a shot. That girl you were comforting, uh..."
"Ruri." Rin supplied, expression softening at her doppelganger coming up as a topic.
Yugo nodded shallowly.
"Ruri. Y-Yeah. I think... I think we should stick around for her sake, if no one else's. It's my fault Yuzu and Bluey got left behind, so I... I gotta make up for that somehow. And it'd be awesome if we could track Yuya down! ... But I dunno if we will."
He pressed his lips into a thin line as he huffed out a bitter sigh.
"The only thing that makes me sus, aside from Akaba keepin' secrets all this time, is just... He really pressed us for info last night! Asked all sortsa stuff about our old dump of a home! If he's gonna fight those Duel Academy guys, why's he hung up on New Domino? You'd think we would have nothin' to offer cuz our dimension has nothin' to do with that Fusion place?"
Rin pressed her lips together as well, brow furrowing.
"Yeah... I hate to say it, but I think he's planning to take the Lancers there. If not now, then in the future."
Yugo's eyes bugged out in dismay as he peered at his best friend in disbelief.
"B-But why?! What reason could he have to risk our lives in that hellhole?! We told Akaba all about shitty Roget!! He should know Sector Security and Tops own New Domino!"
The mint green-haired girl shrugged helplessly as she frowned, just as lost as her dorky best friend.
"Beats me. But if he's angling to visit, there's some brainy reason in that egghead of his! Akaba's a freaking chessmaster like Roget. If anyone could dethrone the Sector Security shitlord, it'd be Akaba. Doesn't mean he's a good guy we can trust. But maybe there's a chance we can return home if Akaba gets rid of Roget?"
The Speedroid user scratched his cheek uncertainly.
"W-Well... I wouldn't mind... I guess...? The Friendship Cup is around the corner. Would be great to get in this year!"
Rin heaved a sigh as she flashed a weary, bittersweet smile.
"... Honestly, we're prolly not getting in this year, Yugo. Not with Roget pulling the strings." Bastard would absolutely arrange for her being kidnapped if their applications were approved.
Yugo moaned pitifully.
"Awww...!" He jolted as Rin wrapped him up in a tight, needy hug.
"We'll make it there someday, Yugo. Let's keep getting stronger with these guys if we do stick around~... Then it'll definitely be worth our time~!"
Yugo grinned as he returned her embrace. That was a plan he could get behind~...
~*~
To Ruri's credit, she did not suffer a heart attack when she saw Gong a few hours later, as they were escorted to Reiji's office by a staff member. She didn't even screech! Or gasp!
... Ruri did have worry written all over her face, though.
"Uh... Um... A-Are you okay, Gong...?" The purple-haired girl delicately breached the subject of all the band-aids scattered on Gong's face.
The gentle giant snorted in wry amusement as he reached over and gave the younger Kurosaki a brief, affectionate noogie.
"Don't lose sleep over it, Ruri-chan! Gong's daddy was just testin' Gong's toughness before we head out! Another Tuesday at the dojo, if ya wanna be frank."
Ruri did not seem consoled by this response. She simply offered a polite nod and pretended this was...normal. Yuya would probably take his best friend's daily routines in stride, but she...
Well. Gong's dad did own a dojo. And Gong was a student there. So a few scrapes and bruises probably were the norm. It's just the first time Ruri saw Gong roughed up this badly. Especially right before they were to set out on their journey as Lancers.
"... O-Okay." Ruri squeaked, doing her best to keep her mind from jumping to conclusions about possible abuse in Gong's home.
Gong was too casual for his injuries to be that dark. He huffed out a short chuckle at her transparent mother hen attitude.
"I guess Mrs. S was able to help ya if you're able to talk again. Get any sleep?"
Ruri averted her gaze glumly at how easily he redirected the conversation to how she was faring.
"I... I'm not quite... 'back' just yet. B-But I'm done drowning in sorrow. I'm g-going to find Yuya! Th-That's what I've decided. He's... I... I just need him. Duel Academy has... everyone else..."
Gong rumbled neutrally as he nodded jerkily.
"We gotta start somewhere, and our buddy's one o' the best places to start!! I know Yuya's fine, Ruri. Got no evidence to prove it, just a gut feelin'. You'll be back to glompin' him in no time~... And the three of us'll save Yuzu together~!"
Despite her cheeks heating up very pleasantly at the playful teasing - hey, the idea of glomping Yuya was therapeutic!! Yuya's hugs made her feel so cozy~! - Ruri found herself flashing a tiny 'v' smile at Gong's helpful pep talk.
Right. Ruri, Yuya, and Gong would save Yuzu. Together. As it should be!!
"A-And if it's not too much trouble, I-I'd like to save Shun and Yuto, too..." Her blush deepened as Gong ruffled her head again and she mewled at his massaging touch.
"Ya hardly needed to say the word, little lady~! 'Course we'll get them back, too~! Yuya would never leave ya high and dry! Beats Gong how long this war will last, but we won't rest 'til you and your pals in Heartland all have a dimension to call home! We're all allies here. We'll never abandon ya."
... Ruri really adored Gong. If Yuya was her teddy bear that was her size, then Gong was the teddy bear that came in deluxe or jumbo size... She never hugged Gong, though. He just had that huggable vibe, you know?
Yes, the hugs were reserved for Yuya. Hush! Ruri only ever hugged Shun, Yuto, Saya, and Yuya. It wasn't weird!!
Before long they reached the CEO's office, and were permitted entry immediately. As the two of them did so, Ruri peered around the room with wonder as she saw a "full house," so to speak.
Shingo hovering over by Hokuto, Masumi, and Yaiba.
Tsukikage and Hikage standing together, arms crossed.
Rin and Yugo off in their own corner.
Reed awkwardly standing by himself, but relieved to see both Ruri and Gong arrive.
"Oh goody~! The two weakest members of our group grace us with their presence~!" Shingo snidely greeted the You Show pair as the door closed behind them.
Yaiba flatly deadpanned at the fop.
"I know you didn't just badmouth my protégé, Sawatari! Repeat what ya just said!!"
And just like that, the rich kid shut right up, knowing that antagonizing Yaiba or anyone he deemed a student was an exercise in precisely what not to do if you wanted to keep all your kneecaps.
Hokuto snorted as he shrugged nonchalantly, hands shoved in his pockets.
"Ruri's got skills with Xyz! I'm cool with her. You're better off dropping the hate boner for You Show, Sawatari! They got talent. Yuya kicked your ass twice! So what's that say about you?"
Shingo twitched violently as he fought down the urge to slug the Xyz ace.
"Yeah, well, Yuya's missing! So I'm automatically superior on account that I survived the first enemy wave with flying colors~!"
Masumi rolled her eyes doubtfully.
"More like you rode Reiji's coattails and couldn't even save Yuzu."
... And Shingo shut up again, knowing that he had been fashionably late for the invasion. As much as he barked about his skills, Shingo knew the situation was pretty grave and he'd largely been a spectator as Reiji shredded Obelisk Force without mercy.
"Here ya go, guys! Just in case you haven't had breakfast!" Reed greeted as he handed Gong and Ruri some wrapped sandwiches.
At least, that's how it "felt" in the package. But when Ruri opened hers up, it was some sort of....
"P-Pancake sandwich?" Her brow furrowed at the strange combination.
Gong shrugged casually and chowed down on his, appreciating the smells right away.
Reed chuckled at the Lyrilusc user's hesitation.
"It was originally Mrs. Sakaki's recipe! She tried following one of my creations, but apparently failed and whipped that up instead and served it to Yuya during our duel before the Championship. I've since spiced up the recipe with my own unique flair, but that's to thank Mrs. Sakaki and Yuya for teaching me no recipe can be set in stone forever~!"
Ruri blinked slowly before it hit her.
"... Oh, right...! I remember that duel." Her little 'v' smile was back as she remembered thinking how adorable Yuya was for perking right up after eating some of his mom's food in the middle of the match. Because he was so starving, and to be fair... they were in a giant kitchen duel field! Anyone would be drooling in such a yummy duel.
At the time, Reed had been sour and grumpy about Mrs. Sakaki's "sacrilege." But Yuya's lively eating habits had made the duel extremely memorable for Ruri because he was just so cute chowing down like a little monkey before he resumed bouncing around for Action Cards~!
... Ruri is allowed to think her special friend is cute. You hush.
Ruri happily chowed down on her scrumptious treat with the good memories of Yuya fresh in her mind~... She could see why Yuya had been so satisfied with this sandwich~!
It got Ruri to thinking about picking up cooking herself.
......... N-Not just for Yuya, mind you!! She wanted to cook for Shun and Yuto, too! And Kaito, Saya, and Allen! And Gong and Yuzu! And Ayu, Tatsuya, and Futoshi!
So Ruri was a little greedy and ambitious. Was that a crime to be sweet to your friends?!
"Good. You're all here." Reiji greeted everyone as he paused on the steps that led up to somewhere in the office. He regarded the curious teens with a cool, steadfast glance.
"Like you needed anyone else for the job but me!" Shingo smirked coyly, still full of himself.
... Everyone ignored the fop as Reiji made it down to the office's main level where they were all congregated.
Reiji nodded tersely as he flicked his steely gaze around.
"We are twelve Lancers in total." He declared without preamble as he calmly stood by his desk. "I would have preferred one or two others to be here, but circumstances rule them out - or in Yuya's case, he is MIA. We will need to make do with twelve for now."
Hokuto huffed as he crossed his arms and scowled sourly.
"That's why we're here! ... Or at least why I am! I'm still iffy about getting involved in a war, but I can at least find Yuya and pay him back for saving our hides against those masked bozos."
Masumi gestured vaguely as she shrugged indifferently.
"I'm here for Yuzu! It's not fair she got kidnapped before we get another rematch!! ... I'm also paying her back, I guess." She looked away stubbornly as her cheeks heated up, flustered.
Yaiba smirked as he crossed his arms.
"Where these guys go, I go! But I'm also here to support my student! Losin' both Yuya and Yuzu sucks... So let's bring 'em home~!"
Reiji eyed his LDS students with an unreadable expression.
"Naturally, tracking down Yuya is one of our first priorities. I would not dream to suggest otherwise."
Ruri's brow furrowed as she voiced the question on all of their minds.
"For now...? You intend to recruit more?"
"Indeed." Reiji affirmed, maintaining his poise and dignity. "For our first destination, we will be traveling to the Synchro dimension."
Rin released a frustrated breath as Yugo groaned quietly. The Windwitch user spoke up for them both.
"I had a feeling you were leaning that way with all your questions last night, but why?! There's nothin' useful there!!"
Reiji nudged his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
"I beg to differ. Compared to Xyz dimension, my father has only covertly taken action against Synchro dimension. If my hypothesis is correct about this Roget you told me about. I suspect he took that underhanded takeover approach just to capture you, Rin; we won't have to fight Obelisk Force just yet. Therefore, if we overthrow Roget and win over allies who are dissatisfied with life in New Domino, we will be that much more prepared to bring the fight to Leo Akaba and Duel Academy."
Rin breathed out another dreary sigh at this obvious logic. Of course it came down to a recruitment drive. It sounded good on paper, and she could appreciate kicking Roget's ass.
But this was Sector Security they were contending with. That's still pretty goddamn awful. There are so many coppers that Rin doesn't know if she can trust this rag-tag group of misfits to get the job done.
Yugo clenched a fist as he growled lowly and glared daggers at Reiji's backside.
"You serious?! We just escaped that hellhole!!! And you want us to rush right back in there?! Hello!!! I'm sayin' this until I'm blue in the face! Rin is my priority! How can you just expect me to sign on with this suicide mission when all we got is twelve duelists?!"
Reiji heaved a ragged breath at the Synchro duelists' predictable unease. He met Yugo's hot glare with a cool, unnerved glance.
"Yugo. No matter where we go, there will be some level of threat. Fusion dimension is the enemy's stronghold, and I refuse to jeopardize your lives with a full frontal assault. We can't remain here forever; eventually my father will invade this city like they did Heartland. Xyz could be an option, but Duel Academy runs rampant there. Our best hope is to keep our enemies guessing and bring the fight to your home and free your people from Roget's thrall. It's a plan not without risk or holes, but it's something. I am asking you to give this operation a chance."
This seemed to give Yugo pause as Reiji gave a breakdown of their options so eloquently. It really did come down to play defensively or go on the offense. There wasn't some sneaky espionage option. They had to fight.
...
As Yugo wrestled with accepting this was the best plan of attack, Rin planted her hands on her hips and glowered at the silver-haired CEO.
"We'll try things your way, Reiji, but just remember: Yugo and I are going to prioritize each other. I know it's cold. Maybe we'll warm up to you guys. But right now, I'm not liking any of these options! You say there's absolutely no way to avoid the war, but I do wonder about that. I could try fakin' my death and see if your psycho dad stops gunning for me!"
The Windwitch user huffed and shrugged uncaringly as Reiji made some doubtful grunting noise.
"But hey. I'm just spitballing! It's not like we've tried givin' Duel Academy the slip yet. We're proceeding with your plan cuz you haven't given us a clear enough reason to ditch you guys, but this 'operation' of yours comes pretty freaking close. You wanna go to New Domino even after we explained the City blows!!! You're crazy."
The others in the room exchanged uncomfortable looks with each other - in Hokuto, Masumi, and Yaiba's case; watched the argument play out stoically - Tsukikage, Hikage, and Shingo; or felt powerless, seeing Yugo and Rin so cagey about returning home - Ruri, Gong, and Reed.
As much as Reiji wanted to, he couldn't hold it against the Synchro pair for being selfish. He knew that they arrived here completely on a whim, trying to escape Roget and Duel Academy. Hearing how Duel Academy would never stop coming... Reiji knew it was a lot for them to accept, no matter how grudgingly.
He was twisting Yugo and Rin's arms on this. Reiji knew that carried its own risks if things turned very dire. So he had to concede and allow Rin and Yugo to vent when they knew perfectly well how dangerous their home could be. They provided quite a clear picture of a giant mess in New Domino with a rift between Tops and Commons.
All Reiji could do was nod in understanding at the agitated Synchro pair.
"Your opinions are noted. I will do everything to keep you both safe." Naturally, neither seemed convinced by his words, so Reiji decided to move onto business as he held up a spell card. "Now, take ahold of your dimensionizers."
And just like that, Yugo butted in again as he tossed his spell card back at Reiji and scowled deeply.
"Yeah, look... I ain't using your shady teleporter thingy! I'm tryin' to trust you guys, but there's so many ways your tech can go wrong! I'll just take me and Rin-Rin back with Clear Wing and our runner! There's no way I'm leaving our runner behind! If you don't like that, too bad!! I'm outta here!"
Yugo moodily stalked out of the office, and Rin flicked her spell card back at Reiji before trailing after her best friend while in a similar testy state. Rin paused to shoot Ruri a conflicted glance, but then shook her head at seeing Ruri was just fine next to Gong, and carried on following Yugo out of the office.
Reiji heaved a sigh as the doors closed behind them on their way out.
"... Fine. Everything is slowly falling apart, why not this as well?" He bitterly lamented. Attempting to restrain the Synchro pair with his staff would only push the two farther away from cooperation with the Lancers. Reiji needed to trust that their new allies would be there when they arrived in New Domino.
Ruri winced at how affected Reiji seemed by all these recent events. He put up a good front, but she could see the underlying turmoil and stress beneath his stoic expression. Reiji really wanted Yugo and Rin here with them...
He wanted Yuya to be here with them, too. Reiji was not used to being the glue that held people together. It's obvious he was struggling so hard to remain upfront and show empathy. Reiji had so much riding on his shoulders, watching over the Lancers and fighting back against his father.
Alas, there was nothing they could do now. This is just how things have developed.
"I've uploaded the coordinates to the Synchro dimension into these cards." Reiji carried on, swiftly composing himself. "Insert them into your duel disks and activate them on my command!"
They all tensed up as their duel disks strapped to their wrists and turned on, and they inserted the cards as Reiji instructed. In three counted seconds, they all activated the teleporter technology.
... And just like that, the ten of them took off for Synchro dimension, each disappearing in a sea of shimmering sparkles.
To the very last second, Ruri felt driven to get this show on the road and find Yuya.
She sincerely hoped he was okay...
~*~
The previous evening, Synchro dimension...
As the sun continued to set and the sky and park appeared so beautiful in this radiant period of the day, Yuya relocated to one of the many trees nearby and sat beneath it cross-legged and crossed his arms with a thoughtful scowl.
'... So explain it to me again? These... missions that the Professor arranged three years ago.'
Yuuri huffed impatiently as he sat cross-legged with Yuya despite being just a ghost, and he also mirrored Yuya in having his arms crossed.
"Like I've already said... My job was to fetch Yuzu. I was to work by myself, and wrap up quickly so that I could join the efforts in Xyz dimension. Meanwhile, because Leo was so drunk on his success at identifying two of the three girls, he ordered another solo agent to come here to Synchro dimension and track down the third girl! What's so hard to understand?!"
Yuya massaged his brow in exasperation as he sighed breezily at his companion's irritation.
'Look. I get those parts. But the way you talk about it, your job was a time crunch. The operation here, though... How was one guy supposed to track down a single girl with no leads?'
Yuuri gave his host a half-lidded, unimpressed stare for his trouble.
"You really don't know anything about wars, do you? Roget's approach was very simple. Ingratiate himself with New Domino's authority figures. Worm his way into the police force. It's such a boring, droll method, but it gets the job done! As a result, Roget has eyes everywhere. Has puppets so willing to do his bidding because he's so effective as the Chief of Sector Security."
Yuya's scowl deepened as he pointed at the spirit emphatically.
'There!!! Right there. You keep bringing up the agent's name. You know who we gotta be careful around! So... So who is this Roget? How do you know him? Is he another pal like Dennis?"
To the dueltainer's surprise, the purple-haired boy actually seethed at such a harmless suggestion.
"Roget is no friend of mine!!!!!" Yuuri thundered before grudgingly settling down at seeing Yuya's flabbergasted reaction to his words. He huffed dryly as he resumed half-liddedly glowering at his host. "Forget about who Roget is to me. It's not important. It's on a need-to-know basis, and you don't need to know!!! What I will say. Is that Roget is nothing to us. I will gladly eviscerate that peon when the time is right."
'O...kay?????' Yuya truly didn't understand why Yuuri was so hostile about this particular part of his history being addressed.
Yuuri would ensure it stayed that way. If Serena was off-limits as a topic because Yuuri never got to know her, and Yuya didn't need to hear about a few useless regrets at never getting to duel her, then Roget was off-limits because...
Because Yuuri despised that man very much.
Back when he was first brought to the Academy and Leo first started teaching him how to duel, the esteemed Professor got cold feet. The reason? Yuuri proved a natural with dueling, and he possessed a peculiar dark power that manifested and destroyed things very nicely when he became enraged enough.
Yuuri had believed the Professor would be proud he possessed such a wonderful gift...! That he would make the ideal soldier for Leo's little army he was throwing together.
Apparently he was too capable. After his first few missions of establishing Leo's rule in Fusion dimension, Leo proceeded to bench him for several weeks as he brainstormed Yuuri's career. Yuuri was beaten harshly whenever he asked to be given more work, so he learned to give the Professor his space even as Yuuri yearned to be useful to his new father figure.
Soon enough, he was reassigned to Jean-Michel Roget. Yuuri didn't understand why the Professor was ashamed of him, but he was ordered to stop being selfish and follow Roget's orders to the letter.
Roget was intrigued by Yuuri's powers and abilities, and fondly researched Yuuri in the labs whenever they weren't dispatched to warzones. Yuuri didn't care that Roget appreciated his skills - as a child prodigy, he studied all sorts of things, including war strategy and psychology and manipulation.
Because of what he picked up from studying Roget as a megalomaniacal researcher and agent of Duel Academy, Yuuri found himself quickly disillusioned and unimpressed with the man's lofty ambitions of breaking away from Duel Academy and establishing his own "kingdom." Because why would anyone ever want to betray the Professor? Roget was so stupid!!
... Yuuri is much wiser now. But. Roget is still very stupid for many other reasons. For one, the fool believes himself so clever and unbeatable when it comes to chess - both the literal game and treating people as chess pieces. For two...
Well. Never mind all the many reasons Roget is an idiot. The point is he followed Leo's orders and obeyed Roget's commands to a T.
Apparently he still bothered Leo with his growing list of successes. The way he thoroughly demolished all their enemies and developed a fascination with carding people. His mounting, violent darkness that he radiated both on and off the battlefield. The way he showed no regard to his "teammates."
It reached a point that Leo took him back from Roget in a matter of a few months. He really dragged his feet. But. Yuuri was so thrilled to be learning under the Professor again~... He was where he belonged. Roget griped about his favorite nuclear option being poached from him, but Leo put the fool in his place~! Yuuri was Leo's nuke, not Roget's!!
Not that Leo didn't let up with the strict training and punishments. And he was so hesitant about giving Yuuri too much power. Always said Yuuri needed restraint. Whatever that meant. Leo needed an attack dog, and Yuuri was a nuke! He outdid every single one of the Old Man's expectations, and Yuuri was punished for being too amazing!! So unfair.
It no longer matters. The overrated Professor can keep his secrets. Leo's future is two-dimensional, and Yuuri can't wait to collect him~...
But for the moment.
Roget.
'I guess I don't really care about this Roget guy anyway.' Yuya grumbled as his face soured. 'We need to get back home!! I know we were making headway with Sora, but if he snaps and takes Yuzu to Duel Academy now that I'm not there...! I won't let that happen!!! We need to save Yuzu!'
Yuuri rolled his eyes at Yuya's uber predictable mantra.
"Yuzu, Yuzu, Yuzu~!" He mocked snidely. "Gimme never gets, Yuya. We're finally out here, so we might as well make the most of this~! I say Roget needs a good kick to the teeth, and there's someone I would like to meet here~... We can go save Yuzu after our business here is concluded."
Yuya's nostrils flared as he glared daggers at the spirit.
'I'm NOT putting off Yuzu's rescue!!! Get that through your stupid head!'
Yuuri dully deadpanned back at his host.
"Your girlfriend is already gone. You do know that. Lie to yourself all you want, but eventually you'll face the music and I'll be here~... Because I told you so~! But if you must make a fool of yourself, by all means~!"
Yuya growled lowly at the spirit's insensitive attitude. He was about to launch into another tedious argument when he startled at a little kid running up to him so innocently. So cheerfully.
"Hey, mister~! Who're you?!"
Yuya jolted as the boy's pompous mom was hot on his heels, all gussied up in a fancy hat and dress and tugging the boy away harshly.
"Don't touch him!!! He might have germs! Security, help!! Someone suspicious is trespassing in our lovely park!!!!!"
Yuya gazed in horror at the retreating, hysterical woman.
'... Yuuri? Wh-Why is the crazy lady calling the cops on us?!'
Yuuri growled impatiently as his eyes gleamed with feral determination.
"Screw the reasons why!!! Get out of here, Yuya! Clearly this area is off-limits!"
The tomato-headed boy gulped as he saw the lady's shrieking had brought over a couple male bystanders who also treated him warily, spouting something like this park was for "Topsiders Only" or whatever.
Scared out of his mind, Yuya leaped up and made tracks as fast as he could, fleeing from the pair of fancy suited men who tried caging him in.
Before he got too far, another man intercepted his path - in black pants and a casual white dress shirt and a gray coat draped over his shoulder as he narrowed his eyes at Yuya with one hand planted on his hips. The guy also had a small scar near his right eye.
"Now who are you supposed to be, huh, kid?"
Yuya staggered back warily.
"Uh, um...! I, th-that is!!"
"This dirty peasant boy was loitering in our wonderful park, Officer!!" The lady sniffed imperiously as she approached, cradling her son possessively and glaring hotly at Yuya. The two male bystanders were joining her, similarly incited.
The new guy grimaced at seeing Yuya's increasingly erratic, fight-or-flight instincts cropping up. He waved his hand peacefully at the protesting woman as he heaved a sigh.
"Don't worry about a thing, ma'am. Gents. I'm off the clock, but I'll take custody of this runt." Once the upset adults grudgingly departed, shooting scathing looks at Yuya the whole time, the man turned back to Yuya exasperatedly. "... Alright, kid. Tell ya what. Walk with me for a bit, and I'll let you go this once. But you gotta gimme a name and tell me where ya live, just so I can fudge a report later. ... The lady ain't gonna stop talkin' about ya."
Yuya stiffened at the man's one-eighty in attitude once the snooty adults were gone. He stared at the mysterious man that wouldn't stop looking back at him unflinchingly.
"I... That is..." He took a deep breath as he awkwardly massaged the back of his neck. "I-I'm sorry! I'm Yuya Sakaki. And I'm, uh... from out of town, actually..."
The man snorted as he motioned for Yuya to follow him, and they soon began trotting along.
"I suspected that might be the case. Your school jacket there's unlike any design I've seen in New Domino. 'S why I'm willing to look the other way this once. You're a tourist, so... You obviously don't know all the rules. Where's your parents?"
Yuya cringed and averted his gaze to the ground.
"I... ended up here on my own. My mom's back home far away, and my dad's... m-missing."
The man cringed in kind as he gave a dragged out groan.
"Sheesh... Why do I always get the brats with corny melodrama...?" He sighed and turned to face Yuya once they reached the entrance to the park. "Listen up, I'll show you to the Commons areas so you can figure out where you're gonna go. Legally, I can't really do much cuz you were frankly in a restricted zone, and that's not gonna go away. I can't be seen associating with a delinquent beyond my 'duty' as a cop. But I can point ya in the direction of a matron who takes in runts like you. If you got nowhere else to go."
Yuya blinked in astonishment at how... "nice" the man was being. He was led to believe anyone working with the police might be a rotten person with Roget running the show.
"Th-Thanks! Um. Wh-What's your name, sir?"
The man rolled his eyes, but smirked all the same.
"Name's Officer Tetsu Trudge! And don't you forget it."
A siren blaring caught Yuya and Trudge by surprise, and they wheeled around to see a stern-faced, helmeted officer in a pristine gray uniform speeding toward them on a duel runner.
"Wh-Who's that?!" Yuya stammered as he yelped as Trudge hauled him towards his own duel runner.
"That, kid, is our cue to vamoose!! 227 is a freaking perfectionist. Of course he caught wind of your little screw-up. Let's move!"
Yuya gaped as Trudge mounted his runner and roughly pulled Yuya up to get on behind him after acquiring a second helmet.
He really had no idea what was happening.
... But they were soon off like a rocket before "227" could ram into them.