[Yumi, LP 4000]
[Franz, LP 1]
[Sky Striker Ace - Shizuku, 1500 ATK]
[The Winged Dragon of Ra, 9199 ATK]
The golden sphere descended like a miniature sun, heat distorting the air between them.
Yumi stared straight at it, then a smirk formed on his lips.
"Gotcha! Quick-Play Spell, Life Hack!"
He snapped his fingers and flipped open one of his face-down cards.
"I target Ra. Its ATK becomes equal to your Life Points. But the battle damage you take this turn is halved."
A faint green circuit-like pattern ran around Ra's massive body as the Spell resolved.
As someone who also held a God Card, Yumi knew that they were unaffected by cards and effects that would make them leave the field, but other card effects only applied to them for one turn.
Franz's eyes widened slightly.
"Not happening! Quick-Play Spell, De-Fusion!" He immediately activated the last card in his hand.
"I defuse myself and Ra!"
Franz's upper half separated from the God's head and reappeared on the ground in a flash of light, stumbling slightly but keeping his balance.
Ra's ATK plummeted instantly.
[The Winged Dragon of Ra, 9199 -> 0 ATK]
At the same time, Franz's Life Points surged upward.
[Franz, LP 1 -> 9200]
He laughed. "Now your doom will come from your own Spell!"
Life Hack finished resolving.
[The Winged Dragon of Ra, 0 -> 9200 ATK]
The fireball intensified.
Yumi didn't flinch. "From my hand! I discard my Kuriboh. The battle damage I take becomes zero!"
He sent the card from his hand to the Graveyard. Instantly, multiple small, fluffy Kuribohs popped into existence around him, squeaking as they formed a defensive wall.
The blazing sphere collided with them.
Instead of reaching Yumi directly, the Kuribohs absorbed the impact. One by one they vanished, nullifying the damage entirely.
The explosion cleared.
And Yumi was still standing.
"Since a Sky Striker Ace monster leaves my field, I can Special Summon Raye from my Graveyard!"
Shizuku dissolved as part of the battle resolution, and from the fading light, Raye emerged, kneeling on one knee with her blade planted in the ground.
[Sky Striker Ace - Raye, 1500 DEF]
"It's no use!" Franz said mockingly. "Ra can attack all of your monsters and still attack you directly!"
Ra screeched again, chains rattling as flames gathered in its mouth once more.
"Destroy her! God Blaze Cannon!"
Another sphere formed around it mouth aiming directly at Raye.
"Quick-Play Spell, Master Magician's Incantation!" Yumi activated another face-down card. "I can activate a Spell from my hand or field as if it were a Quick-Play Spell!"
Without hesitation, he pulled a card from his hand and placed it onto his Duel Disk.
"Quick-Play Spell, Sky Striker Mecha - Eagle Booster! I target Raye!"
A pair of mechanical wings spread behind her back as she flew up.
"This turn, she's unaffected by other card effects except her own! And since I have three or more Spells in my Graveyard, she can't be destroyed by battle!"
Raye avoided Ra's attack as the ball of flame exploded behind Raye and Yumi; the pillar of flame erupted upward. The ground cracked beneath the pressure. Heat rolled outward across the field.
Yet it did not touch them.
When the flames finally faded, Raye landed back in front of Yumi, blade in hand.
They pulled off the image of cool guys who don't look at explosions.
"Tch." Franz looked annoyed, but not panicked.
Even if Raye survived, she was only 1500.
What exactly was a 1500 monster going to do against him now?
"Turn end."
Ra's presence faded. Its body dissolved into golden light and returned to the Graveyard once more.
Looking toward the other side of the field, Yumi stared at Franz calmly.
His right hand casually brushed over his jacket, dusting off imaginary lint as if the last exchange hadn't involved a 9000+ ATK God trying to vaporize him.
Then he spoke.
"Is that all?"
Franz's eye twitched.
"Don't get cocky, you lesser god!" he snapped. "I have more than enough Life Points to take whatever you throw at me!"
"Oh? Is that so?" Yumi replied flatly. "My turn. Draw."
He drew.
Solemn Wishes shimmered once again, and a green glow washed over Franz.
[Franz, LP 9200 -> 9700]
"I banish the two copies of Take Over 5 in my Deck and one in my Graveyard to draw three cards."
Golden fragments shimmered behind him as the banished cards dissolved completely. Three fresh cards slid into his hand.
[Franz, LP 9700 -> 11,200]
"I switch Raye to Attack Position."
Raye shifted her battle stance, stepping forward slightly. Her blade angled toward Franz, expression calm but focused.
[Sky Striker Ace - Raye, 1500 ATK]
Yumi's golden eyes lifted toward Franz.
"Having forsaken humanity to usurp a god, you no longer possess the qualification of man. This is your sole and greatest mistake, to fall into the path of a fool who believes borrowed power is true power."
Franz sneered. "What does it matter? I'm now a true god! This power of mine isn't borrowed power! It's my own!"
Yumi's eyes shifted, and for a brief moment, the gold deepened into crimson.
There was no anger in those eyes, just disappointment.
"Man turned away from the ancient Gods not to crawl back into their graces, let alone emulate them to stand above the masses."
The red faded. His eyes returned to gold as he raised a card.
"Let me show you the power mankind can achieve without relying on the power of a god."
He placed the card down.
"Spell Card, Magical Contract Door! I give you one Spell from my hand, and I add one monster from my Deck to my hand!"
He flicked a card across the field. Franz caught it on reflex; his expression shifted immediately when he saw what it was.
"Monster Reborn…?"
Confusion flickered across his face.
"I'll add Sky Striker HERO - Yumi to my hand!"
A card slid out from Yumi's Deck. He added it without hesitation.
"I Normal Summon, Sky Striker HERO - Yumi!"
Red data gathered on his field, forming into a figure nearly identical to Yumi himself, but dressed in a magenta Sky Striker outfit, long scarf trailing behind him, and a cap in a style reminiscent of Roze rested on top of his head.
He stood confidently beside Raye.
[Sky Striker HERO - Yumi, 1000 ATK]
"I activate the Spell, Aria From Beyond." He lifted another card. "This let me activate a banished Spell, I activate Blade Graveyard, and equip it to Raye."
The ground behind Raye trembled lightly.
One by one, swords began falling from above, embedding themselves into the field around her. Long blades, broken weapons, ancient-looking steel, all planted upright like tombstones.
Within seconds, a silent graveyard of swords surrounded her.
[Sky Striker Ace - Raye, 1500 -> 2300 ATK]
"Battle! Raye, direct attack! Ace Striker!"
Yumi's voice remained steady as Raye moved.
Her steps were light and swift. In a blink, she crossed the distance, blade flashing once in a clean downward arc.
The slash connected.
[Franz, LP 11,200 -> 8900]
Franz staggered backward, boots scraping against the ground. He nearly dropped to one knee before catching himself, one hand pressing against his side.
He glared up at Raye, then past her at the Yumi in the back.
"Damn you…" He muttered, teeth grinding.
He has just realized.
From the very start of the duel until now, every drop of damage had been his. Yumi stood across from him without a single scratch.
"Yumi, direct attack! Data Storm!"
Sky Striker HERO – Yumi raised his left hand casually and snapped his fingers.
A spiraling vortex of red data formed in front of him, compressing into a small cyclone of data before shooting forward.
It struck Franz squarely.
[Franz, LP 8900 -> 7900]
He slid backward again, barely keeping his footing this time.
Yumi didn't pause.
"I activate Raye's effect! By tributing her, I Special Summon a Sky Striker Ace from my Extra Deck!"
Raye's body glowed brightly before dissolving into light.
"Henshin! Sky Striker Ace - Hayate!"
The light reshaped into sleek black and green armor. A large futuristic rifle formed in her hands as thrusters ignited behind her.
[Sky Striker Ace - Hayate, 1500 ATK]
"Hayate, direct attack! Vector Blast!"
She lifted the massive rifle and fired.
A concentrated beam of energy tore across the field, striking Franz head-on. The force lifted him slightly off the ground before throwing him backward.
[Franz, LP 7900 -> 6400]
He landed roughly, rolling before forcing himself upright again.
"After damage calculation, since Hayate battled, I can send a Sky Striker Spell from my Deck to the Graveyard."
Yumi's deck shuffled. Because of Boost, the effect resolved twice.
Two cards popped out from his deck, and both went straight to the Graveyard.
Franz let out a strained laugh.
"Is this the so-called power of mankind you were talking about?" he sneered. "You fool, by giving me Monster Reborn, you've already sealed your fate!"
His expression grew more unhinged by the second.
"Next turn, when I bring back Ra, I'll make sure to deal with you properly!"
"My Battle Phase isn't over." Yumi replied calmly.
Franz froze.
Then Yumi placed a card down.
"Quick-Play Spell, Sky Striker Mobilize - Linkage! I send exactly one card from my field to the Graveyard and Special Summon one Sky Striker Ace from my Extra Deck."
Hayate's body dissolved into light.
"Henshin! Sky Striker Ace – Zero!"
Black and green armor gave way to sleek silver plating. Long silver-white hair flowed behind her as she stepped forward, katana gleaming.
[Sky Striker Ace - Zero, 2000 -> 3000 ATK]
"Since I have at least a DARK and LIGHT Sky Striker Aces in my field or Graveyard, the monster summoned by Linkage gains an additional 1000 ATK and DEF."
Zero's aura intensified.
"Zero's effect. When she's summoned, I add a Sky Striker Spell from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand."
Two cards slid out, one from Deck and the other from Grave.
"I'll add Linkage and Widow Anchor." He showed them briefly before lowering his hand.
"Zero, direct attack! Ace Slasher!"
Zero dashed forward in a straight line. With no wasted motion, she swung her blade, in one clean horizontal slash.
It struck Franz squarely.
[Franz, LP 6400 -> 3400]
Franz stumbled hard, breathing rough now.
"Quick-Play Spell, Linkage! I send Zero to the Graveyard!" Yumi didn't give him time to breathe.
Zero's body dissolved instantly.
"Henshin! Sky Striker Ace – Kagari!"
Fiery armor formed once more. Six mechanical wings spread wide as flames flared outward. She held her tachi in both hands, glaring at Franz.
[Sky Striker Ace - Kagari, 1500 -> 2500 ATK]
"Kagari's effect. When she's summoned, I can add a Sky Striker Spell from my Graveyard to my hand." Two cards popped out again. "I'll add Linkage and Engage."
"Such attack power! Unbelievable!" Pegasus couldn't help but say in shock, upon witnessing the powerful combat power of the Sky Striker Ace.
"He is even stronger than before." Chumley murmurs.
"No wonder why he was chosen by Slifer the Sky Dragon." Sheppard uttered in amazement.
He has mistaken that when the copy of Ra was stolen and used, Slifer actually came back and chose Yumi as its new user.
"Beat his ass AIBO!" Jaden cheered.
"Kagari gains 100 ATK and DEF for each Spell in my Graveyard." The flames around her intensified dramatically.
[Sky Striker Ace - Kagari, 2500 -> 5100 ATK]
Franz's breathing grew uneven as he tried to step back.
"Kagari, finish this. After Burner!"
Her wings flared. Flames ignited behind her as she shot forward, gripping her tachi with both hands.
Franz tried to raise his arms defensively. The blade came down in a decisive arc.
[Franz, LP 3400 -> 0]
The impact sent him flying backward. He rolled across the ground before finally coming to a stop.
He didn't get back up. The field fell silent as Franz lay motionless, knocked out cold.
Kagari hovered for a moment, landing lightly, before fading away. Yumi lowered his hand as the dark cloud began to clear up, revealing the bright blue sky.
The group cheered as Yumi walked forward, crouching beside Franz. He calmly retrieved his own Monster Reborn from where it had fallen before sliding it back into his deck case.
Then, without hesitation, he pulled Franz's deck from its slot. He flipped through the cards until he found The Winged Dragon of Ra.
He pulled the card out cleanly, then dropped the rest of Franz's deck back onto the unconscious man's chest. The cards scattered slightly before settling.
Yumi's gaze locked onto the golden card in his hand.
For a brief moment, his golden eyes shifted, flickering into a crimson glow.
The air around him felt heavier as Ra manifested.
The massive golden dragon rose before him in spirit form, wings spread wide, and it let out a low, thunderous roar that echoed through the sky.
Like a caged bird finally free to spread its wings again.
Jaden's eyes lit up instantly. "Whoa…"
He looked up in open amazement, grinning as he watched the Duel Spirit in full view.
The others, however, saw nothing.
From the other's perspective, Yumi was simply standing there, staring at a card in silence. And Jaden was staring at the sky like he'd just spotted fireworks.
Pegasus tilted his head slightly. "Are they… quite alright?"
Chumley whispered, "I think he and Jaden see stuff we don't."
Sheppard murmurs. "Probably the spirit brought back by the god cards."
Yumi didn't look away from Ra.
"What?" he said flatly. "Jealous that Slifer gets new support cards while you get chained up and misused?"
Ra's roar sharpened into irritation.
The Winged Dragon of Ra: "Not funny!"
Behind Yumi, a massive presence coiled into view.
The crimson serpent dragon stretched across the sky lazily, two mouths curling upward in unmistakable amusement.
Slifer the Sky Dragon: "Hahahahahaha!"
Slifer the Sky Dragon's second mouth: "Hahahahahaha!"
Ra snapped its wings once in annoyance.
Yumi gave the faintest smirk.
Before the divine argument could escalate further, his phone vibrated in his pocket.
He pulled it out.
Caller ID: Seto Kaiba
Yumi stared at the screen for a few seconds. Then, he calmly turned his phone to silent.
Almost immediately, a message notification popped up.
[Seto]: Yumi Uzushi, come to the company.
Yumi had suspected that the AI Yumi dueling the President just pulled out a digital version of Slifer the Sky Dragon to beat up the President.
But he just can't prove it.
After all, his current Duel Disk was custom-made by the President himself, so he won't be surprised if this Duel Disk scans his deck and transfers the data back to his AI clone, who was busy playing cards with the President.
So Yumi wisely decided to ignore the message. After all, there are still things he needs to do on the island, and if he leaves again, the chances of the Slifer Red dorm being burned down are quite high.
...
With the whole incident finally wrapped up, the tension that had been hanging in the air slowly faded.
Medical staff took Franz away, still unconscious but breathing steadily. Pegasus decides to deal with him later once they return to the company.
Jaden stretched his arms behind his head with a relieved grin.
"Man, that was insane! That combo was so cool!"
Before they parted, Jaden pulled Chumley into a quick hug, laughing like nothing life-threatening had just happened. Chumley hugged him back.
Pegasus approached Yumi more calmly.
"My dear boy," he said lightly, though there was sincerity behind the smile. "I must thank you. Truly. Without you, that would have turned into quite the catastrophe."
Yumi simply nodded. "You're welcome."
What surprised him, however, was what came next.
Pegasus extended a card toward him.
It was unmistakable.
"The Winged Dragon of Ra." Yumi looked at it quietly for a moment. "You're giving this to me?"
Pegasus gave a small shrug. "Under the current circumstances, I believe it would be safest in your possession."
That wasn't a decision made lightly.
From their own working theory, Slifer the Sky Dragon had returned to this world because Ra had been forcefully bound and summoned from the copied. The disturbance may have drawn the attention of the other forces, seeing how after the duel ended, the god card didn't disappear.
And when Slifer reappeared, it chose Yumi.
The Slifer card Yumi wielded wasn't a counterfeit. It wasn't an imitation created through technology or some experimental replication. It was real.
And more importantly, Slifer obeyed him willingly.
There had been no resistance, backlash, or rejection.
That alone said enough to show them that Yumi is someone who can be trusted.
Pegasus folded his arms behind his back. "If Ra were to fall into the wrong hands again, we might not be so fortunate next time."
After that, Yumi and Jaden stood together at the cliff side near the Slifer Red dorm, watching the helicopter carrying Pegasus and Chumley fly away from Duel Academy.