Chapter 134: Alternative Timeline: Duel Academy - 11

[Yumi, LP 300]

[Z-one, LP 4000]

Seeing how the situation had practically flipped around, Yumi couldn't help but feel excited.

Finally! He was being pushed into a situation similar to those faced by the protagonists of Yu-Gi-Oh! He had less than 1000 Life Points remaining, while his opponent had a field full of powerful monsters and 4000 Life Points to spare.

Yes, this was it!

This was the perfect moment for a destiny draw!

There was just one small problem. Yumi had somehow forgotten that he still had four cards in his hand, his overall combat power was far superior to Z-one and his friends combined, and he had spent practically the entire Duel pushing all three of them around.

In other words, even in his current situation, he looked far more like the antagonist than the protagonist.

Of course, that was only part of the problem.

Yumi wasn't taking this Duel nearly as seriously as he probably should have been.

The biggest proof of that was what had happened just a moment ago. When Paradox made his heroic sacrifice to protect Z-one, Yumi had actually started feeling like a villain.

And instead of reflecting on his actions or accepting responsibility for his part in the situation, he had come up with a much simpler solution.

Create another persona and make him take the blame!

That was how Yami Yumi came into existence. All it took was changing the color of his eyes, summoning the No. 96 that was currently parasitizing his body, and putting the spirit to work as his personal costume changer.

Originally, No. 96 had intended to take over Yumi's body and make it his own. Unfortunately for the poor thing, its host turned out to be far more dangerous and considerably more sinister than it had expected.

After realizing that trying to dominate Yumi was probably a terrible idea, the spirit born from pure malice and dark power had wisely decided to reconsider its life choices. And when Yumi decided to drag it out of his body and put it to work for rent, No. 96 didn't dare complain.

What was it going to do? Refuse?

At this point, even an entity made of darkness and malice knew better than to pick a fight with its own host.

So, yes.

The entire transformation into Yami Yumi was nothing more than a staged performance put on by Yumi himself.

He had changed his appearance, adopted a more sinister attitude, and given himself an entirely separate identity so that he could act like a villain without having to take responsibility for it afterward.

After all, Yugi could blame all the mental trauma, Shadow Game punishments, mind crushes, and even nearly sending the President off a cliff on Yami Yugi.

If Yugi could get away with blaming his other self for all that trouble, then why shouldn't Yumi do the same?

With Z-one's turn finally coming to an end, Redoer reappeared beside her Master, her purple cape fluttering as she settled back onto the field.

[Sky Striker Ace - Redoer, 2400 ATK]

Yumi reached for the top of his Deck, but paused when he noticed something strange.

His Deck seemed a little bigger than before.

He glanced toward his Graveyard and immediately understood why. Every card that had been there was now gone, returned to his Deck without him even noticing when it had happened.

"Tsk. So we're playing like that now?" Yumi muttered, clearly annoyed.

There was only one explanation for what had happened. One of Z-one's Timelords had an effect that returned cards from his Graveyard to his Deck. The real problem was that Z-one hadn't even bothered to explain when the effect had activated.

Still, Yumi wasn't particularly worried about it. He had dealt with enough ridiculous card effects and overall unfair rulings by now that something like this barely qualified as a surprise.

"Draw." Yumi pulled a card from his Deck.

Before he could even look at what he had drawn, Z-one immediately raised his voice.

"Lazion's effect activates! When you draw a card during your Draw Phase, I inflict 1000 damage to your Life Points!"

Z-one's eye gleamed beneath his mask.

With only 300 Life Points remaining, Yumi couldn't afford to take that damage. If the effect resolved, the Duel would be over before he could even begin his turn.

Unfortunately for him, Yumi wasn't about to let that happen.

"Quick-Play Spell, Domain Expansion!"

Yumi quickly added the card he had drawn to his hand before placing another card onto his Duel Disk.

"Upon activation, this card negates the effects of all other cards on the field. And by speaking this card's name, the players can activate a Field Spell directly from the Deck."

He raised his right hand, bending his index finger slightly as he pressed its tip against his middle finger.

Then, he shouted the words that would change the entire field.

"DOMAIN EXPANSION!"

Darkness erupted from beneath Yumi's feet.

It spread rapidly across the ground, swallowing the ruined rooftop and everything around it. Before Z-one could react, the darkness rose into the air and formed a massive black dome, completely enclosing both Duelists inside.

For a moment, everything disappeared into the darkness. Then Yumi finished.

"Duel Tower!"

The ground shook violently.

The darkness peeled away as their surroundings changed, revealing an island with a massive tower rising in the distance. The entire area looked as though it had been pulled straight out of another era, with the towering structure standing proudly against the sky.

Z-one stared at the unfamiliar surroundings before recognition slowly dawned on him.

"This place..." He knew this location.

It was the place where the final battle of the first Battle City tournament had taken place, where Yugi Muto had faced his greatest challenge and earned his legendary title as the King of Games.

Why was Yumi recreating this particular location?

Before Z-one could ask, Yumi had already moved on to his next play.

"I activate the Spell Card, Pot of Sloth! This lets me draw cards equal to the number of cards you control."

Yumi placed his fingers on top of his Deck. He drew six cards and added them to his hand, briefly scanning their faces as he considered his options.

"Since I drew two or more cards, I have to send a number of cards from my hand equal to the number I drew minus one to the bottom of my Deck."

Without wasting any time, Yumi selected five cards and returned them to his Deck. He immediately followed up with another Spell.

"Spell Card, Angel Baton! I draw two cards and discard one."

Yumi drew two more cards, looked through them, and sent one to his Graveyard.

The Graveyard Zone glowed. Yumi raised his hand, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

"Since the card I discarded was Spell Card of Compensation, I get to draw two more cards!"

He drew another two cards and added them to his hand.

"Since you control more monsters than I do, I can Special Summon HERO Spirit Okita Souji from my hand!"

Bright light gathered on Yumi's field, gradually taking the shape of a female swordsman wearing a pink kimono. Her short, cherry-pink hair swayed gently in the wind as she appeared, holding her sword and confidently taking her place in front of her Master.

[HERO Spirit Okita Souji, 2700 ATK]

Okita glanced at the five enormous Timelords standing on Z-one's side of the field before raising her chin with confidence.

"As expected of Hoshino's student. He even saved the final stage for his Ace."

She stood tall, seemingly unfazed by the massive monsters looming over her.

Although Okita wasn't particularly fond of her new Master, she had to admit that he was highly capable, both as a Duelist and as a Master. He was shameless, insufferable, and had a habit of behaving as though the world existed solely for his amusement.

However, when things became serious, he could actually stand up and take responsibility for protecting everyone around him.

He called himself the strongest, and, annoyingly enough, he had the strength to back up that claim. Between his unusual mystical abilities, his unique magecraft, and his absurdly powerful cards, he had managed to push three unfamiliar opponents into a corner despite their numerical advantage.

In a way, he really was worthy of being called her Master.

That was why Okita had gradually stopped resisting his orders after spending more than half a day with him.

Of course, that didn't mean she had completely accepted his personality.

She still wished he would take things seriously once in a while. Or, at the very least, behave like a normal human being instead of constantly doing things that made her question his sanity.

"Whoever said you're the Ace here?" A familiar female voice interrupted her.

A bright light appeared beside Okita, and Yumi casually removed a card from his Graveyard.

"By banishing a card from my Graveyard, I can Special Summon HERO Spirit Oda Nobunaga from my hand."

He banished Pot of Sloth before placing another card onto his Duel Disk.

Black military attire appeared first, accompanied by golden boots and a massive red cape that billowed dramatically in the wind. Long, silky black hair followed, flowing behind the woman as she appeared on the field. She raised a white-gloved hand to adjust the cap on her head, then looked around with a confident smirk.

[HERO Spirit Oda Nobunaga, 2500 ATK]

"Rejoice! The Demon King of the Sixth Heaven has arrived!"

Oda spread her arms wide, announcing her presence as though she had just stepped onto a stage built specifically for her.

"Oi, Nobu!" Okita immediately complained. "Who said you're the Ace here?!"

"Heh? Isn't it obvious?" Oda replied, giving the pink-haired swordswoman a smug look. "Master and I are much more alike than you and him. Naturally, I'm the Ace!"

"That's not how it works!"

"Then perhaps you should try being more impressive!"

"Why, you!"

Yumi paid absolutely no attention to their argument.

He had summoned both of them for a reason, and he wasn't about to waste time listening to his two Heroic Spirits argue over who was more important.

"When Oda Nobunaga is summoned, I can select up to five Equip Spell Cards from my Deck, add one of them to my hand at random, and shuffle the rest back into my Deck."

Four cards shot out from his Deck.

Yumi caught them and briefly showed them to Z-one before gathering them together. The selected Equip Spells were Blade Graveyard, Phoenix Gearblade, Axe of Fools, and Moon Mirror Shield, along with one other card.

He shuffled the cards thoroughly before selecting one at random. The remaining cards were returned to his Deck, which shuffled itself once more.

Without hesitation, Yumi placed the added card onto his Duel Disk.

"I activate the Equip Spell, Moon Mirror Shield, and equip it to Okita!"

A small golden mirror appeared on Okita's wrist, its surface reflecting the light around her.

Yumi immediately reached for another card.

"Next, Spell Card, Gift of the Martyr! I send Redoer to the Graveyard, and her original ATK is transferred to Oda Nobunaga!"

Redoer turned toward her Master before her body dissolved into countless golden particles. The particles swept across the field and gathered around Oda, merging into her body as her power increased.

Oda glanced at her hands, then gave an approving nod.

[HERO Spirit Oda Nobunaga, 2500 -> 4900 ATK]

"Not bad!" she declared. "Now this is more like it!"

Yumi wasn't finished yet.

"Spell Card, Reinforcement of the Army! This lets me add a Level 4 or lower Warrior monster from my Deck to my hand."

His Deck shuffled, and another card shot out from the top. Yumi caught it and held it up for Z-one to see.

"I'll add Sky Striker Ace - Roze to my hand."

With that, his preparations were nearly complete. The only thing left was to attack.

Yumi looked up at Z-one.

His eyes had returned to their usual golden color, and his jacket had reverted to its normal appearance. The dark mist surrounding him had disappeared, leaving him looking almost as casual as he had at the beginning of the Duel.

"Battle."

As soon as he declared the Battle Phase, the Duel Tower began to glow.

"At the start of the Battle Phase, we can reveal a monster from our Decks."

Both Decks began shuffling. A card shot out from Yumi's Deck, while another emerged from Z-one's.

Yumi caught his card and raised it.

"This is mine."

[Sky Striker Ace - Raye, 1500 ATK]

Z-one looked at the card he had drawn before revealing it as well.

"And this is mine."

[Metaion, the Timelord, 0 ATK]

Then Yumi continued explaining the effect.

"We banish the monster with the lowest ATK, while Special Summoning the monster with the highest ATK."

He casually placed Raye onto his Duel Disk.

Z-one: "You son of a bitch!"

He practically shook with anger. Nearly suffered a heart attack from sheer frustration. This twisted, sadistic bastard had actually tricked him!

Worse still, in his anger and grief, Z-one had overlooked one very important detail. The only monsters in his Deck with ATK higher than zero were Sephylon and Sandaion. And both of them were already on his field.

There was nothing else he could have drawn that would have helped him here.

Blue data gathered on Yumi's field, forming into the familiar figure of Raye. The slender girl held her katana in one hand as she materialized, ready to fight.

[Sky Striker Ace - Raye, 1500 ATK]

"And since a Sky Striker Ace has been summoned, I can Special Summon Roze from my hand!"

Yumi raised the card and placed it onto his Duel Disk.

A second figure appeared beside Raye. The silver-haired girl with twin tails materialized in a flash of light, her black uniform contrasting with the saber held firmly in her hand.

[Sky Striker Ace - Roze, 1500 ATK]

With the two Sky Striker Aces now standing on his field, Yumi turned his attention toward the massive Timelords.

"Go, Okita! Attack Sephylon!"

Okita didn't question her Master.

The moment she heard the command, she launched herself forward at blinding speed. Her pink kimono fluttered behind her as she crossed the distance between herself and the enormous Timelord. She moved so quickly that an ordinary person's eyes would have struggled to follow her.

Sephylon barely had time to react before Okita reached its massive body.

Just as her blade was about to make contact, the Moon Mirror Shield on her wrist suddenly shone with a brilliant golden light.

"Moon Mirror Shield's effect activates!" Yumi called out. "When Okita battles, her ATK and DEF become 100 higher than the monster she battles during damage calculation only!"

A surge of power rushed through Okita's body. She tightened her grip on her sword and swung with all her strength.

Her blade struck Sephylon's enormous screen face, cutting straight through it. The mechanical surface split apart before the entire head erupted in a burst of light and flying debris.

The massive Timelord staggered as the attack destroyed it.

[Z-one, LP 4000 -> 3900]

Okita landed on the ground, sliding back a short distance before steadying herself. Then she suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

[HERO Spirit Okita Souji, 2700 -> 2500 ATK]

"...What the?" She looked down at the blood on her hand, clearly confused by what had just happened.

Yumi, meanwhile, explained the effect without the slightest hesitation.

"Whenever Okita battles, she receives one Weak Constitution Counter. Each counter reduces her ATK and DEF by 200 after damage calculation. On the bright side, she can attack every monster you control once each."

Okita slowly turned her head toward him.

"...Excuse me?"

Although the Okita in Yumi's hand wasn't exactly the same as the one in his teacher's possession, her abilities still remained close to the original Heroic Spirit's nature.

Unfortunately, that included her weakness.

"Can't you give me a better effect?!" Okita complained, wiping the blood from her lips. "Why did you have to leave me with the same weakness?!"

Despite her complaint, a small smile appeared on her face.

She planted the tip of her sword against the ground and used it to steady herself, preparing for the next attack.

Yumi simply pointed toward the next Timelord.

"Go, Okita! Attack Sandaion!"

"You're not even going to answer me?!"

"You're doing great!"

"That isn't an answer!"

Still, Okita didn't hesitate. She pushed herself forward and charged toward Sandaion once again.

Z-one immediately reacted.

"I activate Effect Protecter!"

He raised a card in his hand, his voice sharp with urgency.

"By discarding this card, I can target Sandaion and make it immune to destruction by battle or card effects until the end of this turn!"

The card disappeared from Z-one's hand.

A spirit resembling a familiar cyan-blue-haired girl in white appeared on the field. She spread her water-like wings wide, surrounding the massive mechanical Timelord with a protective glow.

The protection took effect just as Okita reached her target.

Her attack struck Sandaion, but the enormous machine remained standing.

The impact still caused damage, however.

[Z-one, LP 3900 -> 3800]

[HERO Spirit Okita Souji, 2500 -> 2300 ATK]

Yumi watched the effect take place with interest.

"...Fascinating."

He hadn't expected Z-one to have an alternate-world version of Effect Veiler. It was an interesting variation, and seeing it reminded him that his own girl hadn't been getting nearly enough attention lately.

Hmm... Maybe he should spend some time with her later.

For now, though, he had a Duel to finish.

Yumi looked toward the three remaining Timelords on Z-one's field.

"Okita, keep going. Destroy the rest of them!"

Okita didn't need to be told twice.

Despite her weakness, she continued her assault, moving from one massive monster to the next. Her blade flashed repeatedly as she attacked the remaining Timelords, each strike forcing Z-one to endure another wave of battle damage.

[Z-one, LP 3800 -> 3700 -> 3600 -> 3500]

[HERO Spirit Okita Souji, 2300 -> 2100 -> 1900 -> 1700 ATK]

By the time Okita finished, her strength had dropped considerably, but she had accomplished her task.

Yumi immediately turned toward his next attacker.

"Oda, attack Sandaion!"

Sandaion was protected from destruction for the rest of the turn, but that didn't mean it could prevent all battle damage.

Oda crossed her arms over her chest and laughed confidently.

"Hahahaha! Very well!"

Several matchlocks appeared behind her, their barrels turning toward the enormous Timelord.

"Firing squad, take aim! All who stand before me shall be destroyed!"

The weapons fired together.

A barrage of bullets struck Sandaion, filling the air with flashes and the sound of gunfire. The enormous machine remained intact, its protective effect preventing it from being destroyed, but the attack still inflicted damage on Z-one.

[Z-one, LP 3500 -> 2600]

Oda lowered her hand with a satisfied smile.

"That should teach you not to stand in the way of the Demon King!"

Yumi ignored her boasting and turned toward Raye.

The Sky Striker Ace was already preparing to move. Her body began to glow brightly, and the familiar clothing covering her transformed as the light gathered around her.

The sleek form of her usual outfit changed, revealing a black-and-green bodysuit as a massive sniper railgun formed in her hands.

"Henshin! Sky Striker Ace - Hayate!"

[Sky Striker Ace - Hayate, 1500 ATK]

Hayate didn't wait for Yumi to give her an order.

She quickly dropped into a kneeling position, bracing her weapon and adjusting her aim. Her movements were calm and precise as she lined up the shot, keeping her sights trained directly on Z-one.

Then she pulled the trigger.

A deafening bang rang out across the island.

The energy bullet shot through the air and struck Z-one directly in the shoulder. The impact tore through his mechanical body, nearly knocking him off his machine as crimson blood spilled from the wound.

Z-one staggered, struggling to keep himself upright.

[Z-one, LP 2600 -> 1100]

"Is this all... you have?" he gasped, trying to maintain his composure despite the pain. Blood continued to leak from his shoulder as he struggled to catch his breath.

Even now, he refused to give up.

If he could just survive this turn, then he would have another chance to draw a card. There was still a possibility that he could turn the Duel around and defeat Yumi.

After all, he still had several advantages working in his favor.

He still had the Watch Bestfriend Die, Emotional Flashbacks, Protagonist Aura, and Carrying Everyone's Hopes and Dreams buffs. Surely, with all those bonuses stacked together, drawing a Timelord capable of finishing off Yumi's pitiful 300 Life Points couldn't be that difficult.

However, he seems to be forgetting an important detail.

"My Battle Phase isn't over," Yumi announced, looking down at the two cards remaining in his hand.

He sent one of them to the Graveyard before raising the other card high above his head.

"By discarding one card, I activate the Ultimate Spell!"

"Super Polymerization!"

Massive black clouds gathered behind him as golden lightning tore through the sky. The air grew heavy, and the ground shook beneath the overwhelming energy gathering around the field.

"The Fusion Materials are Sky Striker Ace - Roze and one or more monsters on my field!"

Thunder roared as the monsters on the field began turning into beams of light. Their bodies dissolved, their forms stretching into streams of energy before being pulled toward a chaotic Fusion vortex that opened behind Yumi.

The vortex twisted violently, swallowing the light as the energy within it continued to grow.

Then, a gigantic figure emerged.

A massive mecha towered over the field, its enormous wings spreading wide behind its body. Its sharp eyes glowed as it looked toward Z-one and the remaining Timelords, its sheer size making even the colossal machines on the opposing field seem less imposing.

Yumi raised his hand.

"Fusion Summon! Sky Striker HERO - ZEUS!"

[Sky Striker HERO - ZEUS, 3000 ATK]

The enormous mecha settled onto the field, its presence shaking the ground beneath it.

Without giving Z-one time to adjust, Yumi continued.

"I activate ZEUS's effect! Send all other cards on the field to the Graveyard!"

ZEUS brought its massive hands together.

Purple electricity gathered between its palms, forming an enormous sphere of energy that crackled and pulsed with destructive power. The sphere grew brighter with every passing second before ZEUS released it.

"Negarogia Catastrophe!"

The blast swept across the field.

In an instant, the world shifted back to the ruined Duel Academy. The Duel Tower and Sandaion vanished as the effect wiped away the cards on the field, leaving Z-one with nothing to protect him.

Z-one's eye widened in genuine fear. His monsters were gone. His field was empty. And with only 1100 Life Points remaining, he had no way to survive a direct attack from ZEUS.

For all his desperate efforts, all his miraculous draws, and all the power he had gathered, he had ended up right back where he started.

At the mercy of Yumi.

"ZEUS!" Yumi called out, raising his hand toward the defeated man. "Direct attack!"

He didn't bother waiting for Z-one to respond.

"Sky Thunder Calamity!"

ZEUS clapped its enormous hands together, gathering a brilliant mass of lightning between them. The energy stretched into a gigantic spear, glowing with enough power to illuminate the entire ruined academy.

Then ZEUS hurled it downward. The lightning spear descended like the judgment of a god, striking Z-one directly.

The resulting explosion swallowed his massive mechanical body in a flash of light, completely vaporizing him before he could utter another word.

[Z-one, LP 1100 -> 0]