Sitting in front of the campfire, Yumi watched as his Silent Magician and Black Magician Girl worked together to clean up the surrounding area, using their magic to clear away the scattered remains and mess left behind from preparing the Behemoth the King of All Animals before the two magicians eventually lifted the massive beast into the air and surrounded its body with multiple layers of magical binding circles, each one further weakening it until its strength had been reduced so much that, if it were left in Attack Position, even a single Kuriboh could probably knock it out with one hit.
Yumi wasn't particularly concerned about the Behemoth, although he never cared for it to begin with. His attention had already shifted toward something much smaller sitting a short distance away from the campfire.
A tiny marmot with a single horn sticking out from its head and a pair of small wings was staring intensely at the sizzling piece of cooked meat sitting over the fire, its little eyes following every movement of the food as though it hadn't eaten anything in days.
Yumi noticed the creature staring.
He looked at the meat in his hand, then looked back at the little marmot.
"Hungry?"
The small creature froze.
It stared at Yumi for a moment before slowly looking back at the meat, clearly trying to figure out whether this was some kind of trick.
Yumi simply tossed the piece toward it.
The little creature's eyes widened as it quickly caught the meat with both hands, nearly stumbling backward from the force of the unexpected throw before looking down at what it was holding.
The Archfiend Marmot of Nerfariousness stared at the cooked meat for several seconds before slowly looking back toward Yumi, seemingly waiting for him to suddenly change his mind and chase it away.
Yumi didn't. There was no hostility in his expression, nor did he make any attempt to take the food back. Seeing that, the little creature finally relaxed.
It carefully brought the meat toward its mouth and took a bite.
Its eyes immediately became watery.
The marmot started munching faster, seemingly unable to believe that it had actually been given something this good, and Yumi couldn't help but smile slightly at the sight as he reached over and gently patted the top of its head.
Surprisingly, the little creature didn't resist.
It simply continued eating while allowing Yumi to pet it.
After all, even a small Duel Monster Spirit like this could tell the difference in strength between itself and Yumi, and there was absolutely no reason for it to resist someone who could probably erase it from existence with nothing more than a sneeze if he actually wanted to.
The marmot eventually finished the piece of meat, its small body glowing faintly as its form began to dissolve into golden particles.
Yumi watched as the creature's body transformed into a card, with the remaining bits of meat in its hands somehow being converted along with it.
A single card floated down into Yumi's waiting hand. He looked down at it.
[Archfiend Marmot of Deliciousness]
Yumi stared at the card for a moment before casually slipping it into his pocket.
"Guess you're coming with me."
A miserable noise suddenly came from behind him.
Yumi turned his head slightly.
Behemoth the King of All Animals was staring at him with what could only be described as a deeply offended expression, although between the magical bindings wrapped around its body and the fact that it was still recovering from being used as tonight's dinner, Yumi couldn't quite understand what the beast was trying to say.
The Behemoth let out another pitiful whimper.
Yumi ignored it. He had already spent enough time here, and there was still a much bigger problem waiting for him back at Duel Academy.
Standing up, Yumi walked toward his D-Wheel and climbed onto the motorcycle, adjusting himself before starting the engine.
The familiar roar of the crimson machine echoed through the quiet desert.
His two magicians quickly followed.
Black Magician Girl climbed onto the back of the D-Wheel and wrapped her arms around Yumi's waist, while Silent Magician changed back into her smaller childlike form and climbed onto the seat in front of him, sitting comfortably between Yumi and the handlebars.
Yumi glanced down at her.
"You good?"
Silent Magician simply nodded.
Black Magician Girl leaned forward slightly.
"Ready when you are!"
Yumi tightened his grip around the handlebars and revved the engine once more. The D-Wheel's systems activated, the wheels folding and shifting as the machine smoothly transitioned into its flight mode.
A moment later, the motorcycle lifted off the ground.
The sand beneath it scattered outward from the sudden burst of air as Yumi accelerated into the night sky, bringing the subdued Behemoth behind as he flew back toward the direction of Duel Academy.
The wind rushed past his face, his long scarf fluttering wildly behind him while Black Magician Girl held tightly onto his waist and Silent Magician remained seated calmly in front of him.
...
Upon returning to Duel Academy, Slifer lifted its massive head to look toward its Master as Yumi approached from above, but after confirming that he had returned safely, the crimson dragon simply let out a low rumble before calmly lowering its head again and resuming its watch over the academy, its enormous body still coiled around the building like a living wall that no Duel Monster Spirit would dare to approach.
Yumi looked down at the academy from above for a moment, taking in the sight of the academy and the massive red dragon protecting it, before finally guiding his D-Wheel downward and landing near the entrance with a soft hiss from the engine.
Yumi, along with his magicians, quickly leaped off the D-Wheel as Dark Law appeared behind him, his dark-armored body emerging from the darkness before reaching out and taking the motorcycle back into the shadows where it could be stored safely.
Meanwhile, Behemoth was carried behind them through the air by a combination of magic and binding spells, its massive body completely restrained as Yumi led the others toward the entrance as a massive magic circle appeared before them.
Inside Duel Academy, a large magic circle suddenly appeared in the center of the arena floor, its glowing symbols spreading outward across the ground and immediately drawing the attention of the students nearby, many of whom stopped whatever they were doing and turned toward it.
A moment later, Yumi stepped out from the magic circle, followed by Black Magician Girl, Silent Magician LV0, and the captured Behemoth, whose massive body was still completely bound by magical restraints.
"Yumi!/AIBO!"
A group of familiar voices called out almost immediately.
Yumi turned his head and saw Celina, Jaden, and Jesse running toward him alongside several other students who had apparently noticed his return.
It seemed the news of the Strongest Duelist returning to the academy had spread rather quickly.
"Everyone," Yumi greeted them, a confident smile appearing on his face as he looked over the group.
He then casually pointed his thumb over his shoulder toward the massive beast floating behind him.
"Look, I found fresh meat."
Although the muscular four-legged beast looked intimidating at first glance, the sight of it with all four of its limbs tightly bound, its body covered in magical restraints, and its constant pitiful whimpering made it difficult for anyone to actually feel threatened by it.
If anything, several students found themselves feeling a little sorry for the poor creature.
Their gazes slowly shifted from Behemoth toward Yumi, silently wondering exactly what he had done to make a monster that large look so miserable.
Still, nobody dared to ask.
He was Yumi Uzushi, after all.
The Strongest.
Questioning him about what happened would probably accomplish nothing except getting them dragged into something they really didn't want to be involved in.
"Uhh, isn't it still alive?" Celina asked, staring at the restrained Behemoth with a slightly uncomfortable expression.
"Correct," Yumi replied without hesitation. "That's why I said it's fresh."
Celina stared at him for a few seconds before deciding she probably didn't want to argue about the definition of fresh meat with him.
"Is it even possible for us to consume Spirit Energy like this?" Jesse asked, looking increasingly conflicted as he stared at Behemoth.
"Yes. Although the meat itself doesn't contain any real nutritional value, eating it can still help recover some energy and keep everyone's stomachs full for a while," Yumi explained before waving his hand to the side.
Black Magician Girl disappeared in a flash of magical light, and a moment later, Black Luster Soldier, Kitchen Dragonmaid, Patisserie Couverture, and Poissonniere de Nouvelles appeared one after another.
Silent Magician also suddenly grew from her small LV0 form back into her taller LV8 form, her staff appearing in her hand as she calmly looked toward the restrained beast.
The moment Behemoth saw the group of monsters surrounding Yumi, its entire body trembled. A loud, pitiful whimper escaped from its throat.
It knew exactly what this devil was planning to do to it.
"I suggest everyone leave the room," Yumi said calmly, his expression remaining completely unfazed. "The next part might get a little... bloody."
That single warning was enough.
Several students immediately turned around and began making their way toward the exit without needing any further explanation. If Yumi himself was telling them to leave, then they were better off listening.
They were already living under his protection, and although everyone was hungry and stressed, they weren't stupid enough to deliberately get in the way of the person keeping them alive.
"Yumi... this isn't right."
Jesse remained where he was, his expression becoming increasingly uncomfortable as he stared at Behemoth.
As someone who wanted to become a bridge between humanity and Duel Spirits, Jesse had always viewed monsters that could communicate, reason, or form bonds with humans as living beings rather than simple tools or sources of power.
"You should know that when a Spirit is destroyed, it turns into Spirit Energy particles," Jesse said, trying to reason with him.
"I know," Yumi replied calmly. "That's why I'm going to keep it alive during the process."
Black Luster Soldier drew his blade and began walking toward the restrained Behemoth.
Jesse's expression immediately tightened.
"That's even worse!" he snapped, raising his voice. "As someone who can see and understand Spirits, don't you see anything wrong with this?"
He pointed toward the bound beast, which let out another frightened whimper.
Yumi simply looked at him.
"We don't have much of a choice here now, do we?"
Instead of answering Jesse's question directly, Yumi threw the question back at him.
Jesse opened his mouth, ready to argue, but nothing came out.
He hated admitting it, but Yumi had a point.
They were trapped in an unknown Spirit World with limited supplies and more than four hundred people to feed. The remaining rations were already running dangerously low, and the students had started fighting among themselves because of it.
If they couldn't find another source of food soon, starvation would become a real possibility.
And Jesse couldn't think of another solution either.
Opposing Yumi wouldn't magically produce more food, and refusing to eat meant that people could eventually die from hunger.
He lowered his arm slowly, his expression still troubled.
"Are you sure it's safe for everyone to consume?" Axel asked, placing a hand on Jesse's shoulder and gently pulling him back.
"Pretty much," Yumi answered, turning toward him. "Kitchen, Patisserie, and Poissonniere will prepare the meat, while Silent will use her magic to clean it and remove any negative traits from it. I've already tested it myself, so there shouldn't be any problem."
Axel nodded slowly. "I see. Thank you. We'll leave it in your care, then."
He gave Yumi a light bow before tightening his grip slightly around Jesse's shoulder.
"C'mon, Jesse. Let's go."
Jesse hesitated for another moment, his eyes returning to the restrained Behemoth. The beast looked back at him. For a moment, Jesse seemed tempted to say something else, but eventually he sighed and followed Axel toward the exit.
Arguing any further wouldn't change anything.
"Then we'll wait for you," Celina said, already moving toward the exit as she pushed Jaden along with her.
"Hey, I can walk by myself!" Jaden protested as Celina shoved him forward.
"Then start walking!"
One by one, the students left the arena until the large room finally became quiet.
The doors closed behind them, leaving only Yumi, his Duel Spirits, and the restrained Behemoth inside.
Yumi glanced toward the beast before looking at the group of Spirits standing around him.
"Alright," he said casually. "Let's get started."
...
After a short while, the hungry students, along with the teachers and staff, were finally sitting together and eating the cooked meal prepared by Yumi's chief Spirits, and although the meat carried practically no nutritional value and wouldn't be enough to properly sustain them for a long period of time, having something warm and filling in their stomachs after spending the last few days surviving on little more than a single piece of bread and half a bottle of water was more than enough to make many of them feel relieved.
For some of them, it was probably the first time in days that they had actually felt full.
The atmosphere inside the academy had noticeably changed as well, with the students no longer arguing over every piece of food and instead focusing on eating what had been given to them, while some of the teachers quietly watched their students eat with expressions of relief, knowing that even a temporary solution was still better than watching everyone slowly grow weaker from hunger.
Jesse, however, wasn't nearly as comfortable as everyone else.
He looked down at the plate in front of him, staring at the cooked monster meat that had been prepared by the Spirits, before slowly shifting his gaze toward the corner of the room.
Behemoth was still there.
The massive beast remained restrained by the magical bindings, its body unable to move as it occasionally let out a quiet, miserable whimper, and knowing exactly where the food on Jesse's plate had come from made it incredibly difficult for him to even think about putting a piece into his mouth.
He stared at the meat for a while longer before quietly placing his utensils down. He just couldn't bring himself to do it.
It felt wrong.
It wasn't simply the fact that they were eating the flesh of a Duel Monster Spirit, either. It was the fact that the very creature they were eating was still alive and sitting right there in the same room, forced to watch as its own body was being prepared and consumed by hundreds of people because they had no other food.
It was kept alive specifically so it couldn't disappear into Spirit Energy, had portions of its body harvested from it, watched that meat get cooked, and was now forced to listen to people happily eating it while it could do nothing but whimper in the corner.
That was simply too cruel for Jesse to accept.
And, as expected of the Strongest menace currently in Duel Academy, Yumi had somehow managed to come up with something that sounded completely insane and make everyone else accept it as a perfectly reasonable solution to their food shortage.
Jesse lowered his head, feeling his stomach growl despite his refusal to eat.
He hated this.
He hated that Yumi was right.
He hated that there wasn't a better option.
And most of all, he hated that he couldn't come up with one himself.
Around him, however, the other students continued eating, and while some of them clearly shared Jesse's discomfort, hunger eventually won over their hesitation. A few looked toward Behemoth before quickly looking away and focusing on their plates, while others simply convinced themselves that there was no point thinking too much about it when their stomachs had been empty for so long.
Yumi didn't stay around to watch them eat. After making sure everyone had enough food for the moment, he quietly turned around and began walking toward the exit.
Rio noticed him leaving almost immediately and instinctively started to follow, but Celina reached out and gently caught her by the shoulder.
"Let him have some quiet," Celina said, giving her friend a reassuring smile.
Rio looked toward the doorway where Yumi had disappeared.
"But..."
"He'll be fine," Celina continued, although there was a slight uncertainty in her own voice. "He might act arrogant and carefree most of the time, but that doesn't mean he can keep everything bottled up forever. Everyone has a limit."
Rio remained silent for a few seconds before lowering her head.
"I..."
She wanted to say something.
She wanted to help him somehow, especially after everything he had been doing for everyone since they arrived in this place, but she couldn't think of anything that would actually make things easier for him.
In the end, she simply let out a defeated sigh and returned her attention to her untouched food.
Maybe there really wasn't anything she could do for him right now.
Meanwhile, Yumi made his way through the academy until he reached the rooftop, where the cold night air greeted him the moment he stepped outside.
The rooftop was completely empty.
He walked a few more steps away from the door and sat down cross-legged, resting his arms against his knees before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his Decks.
Yumi placed his decks in front of himself and began spreading the cards across the ground, his golden eyes slowly moving from one card to another as he searched through his collection.
One by one, Yumi separated the cards he believed could potentially help him, leaving them in a small pile while the rest of his deck remained scattered around him.
He already possessed several monsters that had some connection to the power of chaos, and many of them had abilities capable of interacting with space. There were also a handful of cards that could directly travel between dimensions, although most of those abilities were never designed to transport hundreds of people along with an entire academy.
Still, Yumi knew it was possible.
In the original story, somehow, the students and staff of Duel Academy eventually managed to return to the human world, and the academy itself was brought back as well.
The problem was that he couldn't remember how they did it.
His memories of the original anime had become increasingly fragmented over the years, and even when he did remember something, his actions in this world had already changed so much that relying on the original timeline was becoming less and less useful.
He had already interfered with far too many events.
The butterfly effect had long since stopped being a metaphor and had practically become Yumi's personal headache.
Events that should have happened differently had changed, characters had appeared earlier or later than they were supposed to, and some situations that he remembered from the original story had never happened at all.
Even if he somehow managed to remember the exact solution from the anime, there was no guarantee that the same method would work now.
Yumi let out a tired sigh and rubbed his eyes.
"Great..." He looked down at the small pile of cards he had separated. "So I really have to figure this out myself."