Rewinding several hours.
When Professor Strongman unexpectedly ran into Professor Viper, Dimitri, with the help of Serena and Lulu, had called for a teacher's assistance and was taken to the infirmary. Since Dimitri had only been frightened and not actually injured, after a quick examination, he returned to the Yellow dorm with other teachers and students.
Back in the dorm, Dimitri tossed and turned, unable to stop thinking about what had happened.
Although the professors and the Chief kept reinforcing the school's defenses and everything seemed stable, as injuries mounted and pressure on the professors grew, anyone sensitive to safety could feel the situation deteriorating.
Under normal circumstances, following Viper's step-by-step plan, Dimitri might have become an excellent spirit duelist and embarked on dimensional travel.
But time wouldn't allow it!
He couldn't sleep. He got up and opened the plan Viper had prepared for him.
Flipping through the first few pages, recalling Viper's warnings, he gritted his teeth.
No.
If something went wrong, wouldn't that just create bigger problems for the professors and the Chief?
But then came a voice.
"Aren't you angry?"
"Don't you want to help others?"
"Seeing girls younger than you effortlessly saving people, even saving you, doesn't that make you jealous?"
The voice echoed in his ears. No, inside his body.
Was that... his own inner voice?
"Don't you want to perform well enough to prove Professor Viper right, to help him pass the evaluation?"
"Don't you want to become stronger, so the Chief's apprentice doesn't have to rescue you?"
"Don't you want to become a respected duelist like the Chief? You have that talent. You just need a little help, and you could easily match Hikaru, even become his equal!"
"You can replicate it perfectly!"
Hesitation meant wanting to try.
But his remaining reason told him he couldn't do this in the student dormitory.
He snuck out and found a secluded spot. Took several deep breaths.
If he used the demon summoning ritual's guaranteed highest-level demon summon, then... there was hope of gaining extraordinary power in one leap!
Then he wouldn't need others to save him. He could save others instead!
As he wavered, the outside world was already buzzing about the Paladin and Strongman incident. Despite hiding in a remote spot, he heard about it immediately.
At this critical moment, one professor had attacked another, and there was a strong chance that professor would be detained!
That meant losing two professors at once!
What would happen to the school?!
I am a student of the proud Duel Academy! I am a Fusion Division duelist! I am a future dimensional traveler! I must, I have to try harder!
"Yubel!"
He called that name.
Golden power descended from the sky. Radiance like holy light came from beyond the island's barrier, settling onto Dimitri's body.
He raised his hands in delight. He could feel it, visibly, his spirit power swelling. He could easily summon spirits, even coat his body with spirit power and run along walls like Professor Strongman!
Incredible!
So powerful!
Was this the supreme fiend's power?!
Professor, Chief, just wait! I'll definitely be able to help you!
Without hesitation, he summoned his spirit. What should have been a spirit only a third of a person's height, under his massive spirit power, grew to the size of a small building!
Ha ha! Now he could definitely help the Chief!
Spirits hiding in the darkness were instantly detected and easily captured.
Teachers fighting spirits easily won with his help.
Trapped classmates escaped easily with his assistance, and the spirits that had ambushed them were effortlessly subdued or destroyed.
Everything was so easy!
All of it, effortless!
Nothing was difficult!
He effortlessly helped the school and the Chief eliminate countless enemies. Classmates cheered his name. The professor wiped tears from his eyes, declaring that teaching Dimitri was the greatest fortune of his life. Dimitri hadn't let his goodwill go to waste.
Hikaru patted his shoulder, marveling that he hadn't misjudged him. Indeed, Dimitri possessed talent far beyond ordinary people. He should be the Fusion Division Chief instead...
He effortlessly became the great hero who saved the academy. Even the mastermind surrendered!
Easy, easy, easy...
Hahahahahahhhhh...
Surrounded by classmates and teachers, his laughter carried farther and farther, into the sky, into the universe, into the endless darkness, into the distant beyond...
Beyond the dream.
"Dimitri" moved his body slightly.
The body wasn't great, but barely serviceable.
Darkness possessed the ability to plunge humans into darkness. Yubel herself had the ability to alter memories. Combined, they could effortlessly create convincing false dreams.
Although Dimitri was an indispensable part of her plan, for Yubel, the most suitable, ideal body was "Hikaru's." Dimitri's body was only the second choice, and its base quality was far too low.
Although with Darkness's current descent, she didn't need to worry about being killed by that otherworldly god without a duel, she still wanted to fully resurrect as quickly as possible and formally reunite with Jaden.
However, this body was simply too weak. Yubel hadn't fully possessed him, so outwardly, Dimitri's appearance showed no obvious changes. His right hand hadn't sprouted scales or demon claws.
For now, this body's owner was still "Dimitri." He had simply fallen into a dream from which he could never awaken. If Yubel were driven from this body, Dimitri would still have a chance to wake up.
Rustle, rustle...
Footsteps approached. Two figures ran over from the distance. One shouted, "Where's bro?!" The other replied, "Idiot, obviously he went to find the professor! Do you even need to ask?!"
"Hmph. Looks like they arrived at just the right time." Dimitri's lips curved upward.
The two figures heard the voice, changed direction, and peeked in. "Dimitri? What are you doing here?"
It was Syrus and Tyranno Hassleberry.
Yubel remembered them. Jaden's "loyal followers," who called him "bro" and stuck to him every day.
Dimitri raised his Duel Disk, pointing it at the two. Confused, they hurriedly clarified they weren't spirits, and when "Dimitri" didn't respond, they produced multiple pieces of evidence.
But...
What they didn't know was that at this very moment, someone else was inside Dimitri!
BOOM!!!!
Some time later.
A terrifying mushroom cloud rose from the forest. Screams of pain erupted from afar. Flames instantly engulfed nearly half the forest.
Jaden, who had just left the infirmary worried sick about the professor, saw this. His pupils contracted instinctively. He identified the voice immediately.
"Syrus!!"
He didn't bother with details. He sprinted toward the explosion like a madman.
Along the way, a hidden spirit launched a surprise attack, but before it could land, a mighty silver-white warrior flashed across his body, instantly nullifying the strike.
"SYRUS!!!"
He screamed Syrus's name desperately.
Then a familiar voice rang out.
"AAAHHH!"
BOOM!!!
An even more violent explosion. This time, it wasn't just noise. Flames erupted from deep in the forest. Countless trees were torn apart by the blast's fire and shockwaves. Branches flew at extreme speed, striking Jaden and leaving scratches. Within the storm, screams of pain.
Hassleberry!!
Jaden ignored his own pain entirely and ran even harder toward the blast. Before long, he arrived.
Syrus was already unconscious. Hassleberry had retained a sliver of awareness. Seeing Jaden arrive, he opened his mouth, reached out, trying to grab him, and managed, "B... bro..."
Then he lost consciousness.
"Hang in there! Hassleberry! Syrus!!" Jaden didn't care about surrounding threats. He rushed to prop them both up.
"Ha ha ha ha ha! How pitiful. So this is what happens to those abandoned by their big brother?" A bizarre voice echoed. "If you'd come sooner, or if you hadn't gone off alone, this wouldn't have happened, would it? Ha ha ha!"
Jaden froze.
Indeed...
If he hadn't panicked upon hearing about Strongman's collapse and run to the infirmary alone, but had stayed with the group, it would have been him facing the enemy right now, not Hassleberry and Syrus!
He clenched his fists, settled the two beneath a relatively intact tree, then stood and faced the enemy.
In the forest, amid burning charcoal and broken branches, stood a familiar figure.
Dimitri?!
Jaden froze.
Was it a spirit in disguise? No, it didn't seem like it.
Then...
Spirit possession?!
Jaden was caught off guard.
"Jaden... it's been so long. I've finally found you again."
Who?!
Jaden was even more surprised.
The voice was so eerie, so familiar...
But he couldn't place it at all.
"Jaden!" The instant he hesitated, Avian's spirit materialized beside him and screamed, "Run! Don't engage him! Hurry!!"
Moments after shouting this, Dimitri raised his right hand. A golden laser erupted from his palm and struck Avian instantly. Avian shifted forms, unleashing the power of Elemental HERO Great Tornado, but couldn't last half a second. Like a leaf caught in a gale, he was pierced through, blasted into a distant rock formation, punched clean through, and vanished beyond the horizon.
"Avian!!" Jaden screamed in panic.
But immediately, Burstinatrix, Sparkman, Bubbleman, and Clayman appeared around Jaden simultaneously, all shouting in unison: "Run, Jaden!"
"Everyone..."
Jaden's eyes betrayed his shock.
His Heroes were telling him to flee, all at once?!
These kind, courageous Heroes were so decisively urging Jaden to abandon the fight?!
"Filthy creatures. Why do you have to interrupt my loving reunion with Jaden?"
Love?
Watching this bizarre spirit use Dimitri's body to say such things, Jaden shuddered from head to toe.
Dimitri raised his right hand. A howling gale blasted the spirits in every direction. A swarm of spirits simultaneously channeled their evolved Fusion powers, born of dimensional energy, but against this overwhelming dark power, they couldn't even resist. All were scattered, until a mighty silver-white warrior expended his own spirit power to materialize, finally turning the tide.
Elemental HERO Neos!
"Tch..." Yubel snorted coldly.
This one couldn't be swatted away so easily.
"You damn..."
On Dimitri's body, a bizarre demonic phantom flickered, ranting wildly.
She was Jaden's only partner!
These things that had stolen her place, her identity, were all her enemies!
Watching the flickering shadow, Jaden felt a vague sense of familiarity. He seemed to truly know this spirit, but the name was right on the tip of his tongue and he simply couldn't remember.
Seeing that Jaden couldn't even recall her, Yubel grew even more twisted. She raved about her love for Jaden, but all Jaden felt was terror and madness.
Soon, Yubel stopped. "But it doesn't matter, Jaden. I'll make you feel my love even more. Torment, suffering, madness."
She spoke with a smile. "You're hurting, aren't you, Jaden? I can see it. You're tormented because you couldn't help your followers in time. You feel ashamed for leaving alone, for not protecting your classmates.
Because it was your bad judgment, your mistake, that caused their collapse!
Ha ha ha ha!"
Jaden's expression darkened. Cold sweat dripped from his brow.
The spirit was right.
He had promised to scout for spirits ahead of the professor's patrol. But because of the professor incident, his team had scattered, leaving them vulnerable to this spirit's divide-and-conquer attack.
Clearly, undeniably, it was his fault.
He saw Yubel turning to leave.
"Wait!! Duel me!!! Don't go!!"
He shouted desperately.
Having already made a mistake, he couldn't let this spirit escape!
But Yubel had no desire to duel Jaden right now.
Dueling a Jaden who didn't even remember her, with a body that wasn't fully resurrected, would be far too boring. Far too lacking in "love."
As the spirit controlling Dimitri was about to leave, Jaden rushed to follow. But at that moment, a figure burst from the side and kicked him away.
He flew backward, clutching his stomach, and looked up in pained surprise to find Professor Viper.
"Professor Viper?! Have you been possessed by a spirit too?!"
"No. I am acting of my own free will." Viper spoke calmly.
"Professor, you've betrayed us?!" Jaden cried out in anguish. "Everyone trusted you so much!"
Why? Why was there a traitor among the professors who had been working together?
Weren't the teachers supposed to be protecting the students?!
He screamed inside.
Dimitri's face wore an intoxicated smile.
Seeing Jaden suffer like this, she believed Jaden could surely feel her love now!
Syrus and Hassleberry's dueling energy wasn't bad. Far more than ordinary students. Enough for a partial resurrection.
But not enough. The "torment" of Jaden wasn't enough yet.
She wanted Jaden to feel even more of her "love"!
Because Jaden's "love" for her had been a love that sent her into "torment"!
So she would duel more of Jaden's friends. Those so-called best friends, those so-called supporters.
Whoosh...
Through the now nearly ruined forest, several figures approached from outside.
"Ha... perfect timing." She spoke through Dimitri's face.
Hikaru!
Her lips curved upward.
In that case, no need to leave!
Dueling this duelist called Hikaru right in front of Jaden...
Heh heh heh...
The reason I was able to control this human called Dimitri...
That's all your fault, Hikaru!