# A Motel Room, Standard Dimension
Yuto read the note one last time before he let himself burn it into memory for good.
It's time now. The events at the Maiami Championship gave us the cover we needed to keep you off everyone's radar. Interestingly, there was a jam in your old Duel Disk that made cross-dimensional travel impossible — which worked in our favor more than anyone planned.
The card in this note is special. Insert it into the Duel Disk I've given you, in the extra deck slot. It will send you to Synchro Dimension. Don't worry about where the rest of us land — the signal only stays linked as long as we are in LDS. Once we arrive, it breaks, we'll all be scattered. Some of us might land close together. Most of us won't.
The Duel Disk is a copy of your original. I couldn't retrieve the real one for you, so I built this instead.
Insert the card at exactly 10:11. Our own gathering is set for 10:00, but people always arrive early, so the talks and planning will likely stretch closer to 10:08. The energy trace fades within minutes after using this. If you jump around the same time as us, no one will be able to trace you — LDS won't be able to track your coordinates.
We are not going to Xyz Dimension, and we are not going to Fusion Dimension. I've already told you why. We know almost nothing about Synchro Dimension, so stay careful. I'll find a way to reach you once we're both there.
Remember all of this.
Yuto rip the note into pieces and took the black Duel Disk. It looked almost exactly like the one he used to wear — same weight, same curve against the wrist — and yet it felt strange the moment he picked it up. Like a photograph of something instead of the thing itself.
He slid the card halfway into the slot, and stopped.
"...I'm sorry, mom, dad... everyone," he murmured. "I know. I can't come to save you."
The memory surfaced before he could stop it. The moment he and Shun had tried to force their way back to Xyz Dimension, only hours after arriving in Standard territory — How Shun had ripped the travel mechanism off a high-ranking Academia soldier, along with the carding mechanism. And all the information with nothing but sheer intimidation, and through him learned the truth: that the Professor's real name was Leo Akaba, that this entire invasion — Heartland, all of it — traced back to one man, and that man had two sons living in Standard Dimension. In Maiami City. Inside LDS.
Shun had carded the soldier on the spot and taken the travel mechanism for himself. Yuto had been physically close enough that when Shun triggered it, he'd been dragged along without meaning to be.
"We should have used that thing to bring every surviving Resistance member somewhere safe."
Yuto had shouted at Shun, once they'd both landed in a city neither of them recognized.
Shun had argued back just as hard — that once they found the Professor's two sons, cornered them, forced answers out of them, this would all be solved. Yuto had eventually talked him down, convinced him to try the mechanism again, to go back and warn the others first.
Shun had touched the device.
Nothing happened.
They'd tried again. Still nothing. And in that dead, silent moment, Yuto had understood before Shun even consider — this was Academia's doing. Someone had already shut the door behind them.
Shun had kicked a metal trash bin hard enough in pure rage to scarp it.
After that, there had been nothing left to do but rely on LDS. On whatever doing with Professor's sons.
Shun gave the mechanism of crossing dimensions to Yuto. Saying he won't be doing this peaceful way how Yuto wants. So Yuto should held this mechanism if something happens to him. Since we can't trust LDS and that basterd's sons.
And now, everything that had happened since then, all of it, had led here.
"I'm sorry," Yuto said again, quieter. "I'm sorry, Ruri."
He pushed the card the rest of the way in.
White light swallowed him whole, and the motel room went dark and empty, as though no one had ever been staying there at all.
# Synchro Dimension — The Facility
The air that greeted him smelled like old rust and cold concrete.
Yuto found his footing on a catwalk overlooking a vast, half-industrial structure — towering walls of corrugated steel, rows of barred cells stretching into shadow, everything lit by celling-lights that buzzed like dying insects. Some kind of old factory, repurposed. Or maybe it had always been built for exactly this.
A prison.
"Hey! You! He is the one!"
A guard's voice cracked across the open floor before Yuto could even orient himself. The man's eyes went wide with something that looked almost like relief, like he'd finally found an excuse he'd been waiting for.
"That's him! That's the face on the wanted board!"
Yuto froze for half a second, confused — "the wanted board?" — before instinct took over. Boots pounded against metal grating from every direction, a full unit of guards converging on his position from separate stairwells.
He hadn't done anything. He hadn't even been here long enough to breathe the air properly. But nobody was asking him that. Nobody looked like they intended to ask him anything at all.
There was nowhere to run. The catwalk dead-ended against these guards.
All he could do was stand his ground.
He raised his wrist. The black Duel Disk open with sharp noise.
"You think that changes anything?" One of the guards sneered, closing the distance. "Nothing's getting you out of here now."
Then the crowd of guards parted.
A bulky figure stepped through them, unhurried, like a man who had never once needed to rush toward anything in his life. His skin was deeply tanned. A thick black beard crawled up along his jaw, merging into a heavy mustache that stretched almost to his cheekbones.
"Well, well." His voice was low, gravel dragged over stone. "A gutsy little rat, coming in here on his own two feet."
"I haven't done anything," Yuto said, his voice steady despite everything. "I just got here."
"Sure you did." The guard didn't even look like he'd heard him. "That's what they all say."
He rolled his shoulders, slow, deliberate, like a man settling into a routine he'd performed a hundred times before and never once questioned.
"Name's Armstrong," he said. "I heard you took down a Security officer clean, out on those high roads. Won't matter if you win in here, boy. There's no door out of this place that opens for someone like you. But I'll give you a fair fight, before the rest of them take you down to a cell you won't be leaving for a long, long forever."
Yuto's mind raced, understanding the root. This isn't even about me. It's Yuya, someone who looks like me. I am being blamed for something I didn't do.
But there was no room here for that argument. No one on this platform was interested in listening. Nor will they believe it.
He raised his Disk anyway. If words weren't going to be heard, maybe this would have to speak for him instead. His dark-purple duel blade flashed.
Yuto LP: 4000
Armstrong LP: 4000
"You first," Armstrong said, folding his thick arms. "Since you're so eager to be here."
Yuto drew, forcing his breathing steady despite the guards ringing the platform on every side.
"I Normal Summon Phantom Knights of Broken Rapier."
[DARK / Warrior / Effect / Level 4 / Attack: 1600 / Defense: 1200]
A ghostly knight carrying cracked sword, half-shattered appeared, its handle flowing blue flames to its tip.
"I activate its effect. Once per turn, I can add a 'Phantom Knights Spell or Trap from my Deck to my hand." Yuto took the card, setting it face-down without another word. "I set one card. Turn end."
"That's it?" Armstrong grunted. "Fine. My turn."
He drew, studying his hand.
"I Summon Restraint Warden — Ironlock." A hulking Machine-type monster rose, its entire body built from interlocking cuffs and chains, its face nothing but a blank steel plate.
[EARTH / Machine / Effect / Level 4 / Attack: 1800 / Defense: 1000]
"When this card is Normal Summoned, I can target one monster you control. It cannot declare an attack, and its effects are negated, until my next Standby Phase." Armstrong's eyes glinted. "You probably had another plan for your monster, but it just went quiet."
Rapier lowered its tip, chains of black steel wrapping around it.
"Battle! Ironlock, attack his knight!"
The chained machine surged forward. The two monsters met with a solid, resonant clash, Broken Rapier's form scattering into light.
Yuto LP: 4000 → 3800
"I'll end there," Tanner said. "Your move, rat."
Yuto drew, his eyes flicking across his hand.
I don't have Dark Rebellion with me anymore. I gave it to Yuya, and I don't regret that. Not for a second. His hand stopped shaking. But it means whatever I do right now is solely.
"I Normal Summon Phantom Knights of Slim Rope."
[DARK / Warrior / Effect / Level 4 / Attack: 1500 / Defense: 1500]
A ghostly figure of blue flames wearing tattered cowboy clothes and a top hat, and waving a rope appeared.
"When this card is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower 'Phantom Knights' monster from my hand." Yuto's voice steadied as he spoke. "I Special Summon Phantom Knights of Fractured Sallet."
[DARK / Warrior / Effect / Level 4 / Attack: 1400 / Defense: 1600]
A ghostly figure armored with broken armour and wearing a old halmet appeared.
Two knights, both wearing the scars of battles that weren't their fault, stood side by side on the old ground.
"I overlay my two Level 4 monsters!"
A dark but brilliant, swirling galaxy opened front his feet, and Armstrong's s smirk disappeared, completely vanished.
"Stand for what was never proven guilty. Answer for a name that was never truly yours to carry." Yuto's voice carried across the platform, quiet but sure. "Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Phantom Knights of Chipped Katana!"
[DARK / Warrior / Xyz / Effect / Rank 4 / OU: 2 / Attack: 2200 / Defense: 1800]
A ghostly figure by inflamed blue flames of samurai rose with its Katana's blade notched, its clothes patchworked from pieces that clearly hadn't started as one whole — mismatched, a cloak stitched together from too many torn banners. It didn't look triumphant. It looked like something that had survived by refusing to stay down.
Normally. Without a doubt. All guards including Armstrong were shocked, seeing this summoning.
"I activate it's effect. I can detach one Xyz Material," Yuto said. "If this card destroyes your monster by battle, you take half of that monster's attack despite the battle damage!" One dark orb was cut in half by katana.
[OU: 2 → 1]
"So that is what those balls do..." Armstrong muttered, narrowing his eyes.
"Battle. Chipped Katana, attack Ironlock."
The warrior surged forward, blade meeting chained plating in a single decisive strike. Ironlock buckled and broke apart cleanly, the impact was enough to make Armstrong take half a step back.
Armstrong LP: 4000 → 2700
"Turn end."
"Not bad," Armstrong said, wiping his brow. "But you've still got a long way to go before you walk out of here!"
"My turn," he said, drawing sharply. "I activate the Continuous Trap I set earlier: Facility Lockdown!"
The platform shuddered as heavy iron bars slammed down around the edges of the ealls, sealing the space in tighter than it already was.
"While this card is active, neither of us can Special Summon more than one monster per turn, and every Machine monster I control gains three hundred Attack for each monster on the field. But when one of my monster is destroyed, this card is destroyed as well."
"I Normal Summon Restraint Warden — Deadbolt."
[EARTH / Machine / Effect / Level 4 / Attack: 2000 → 2600 / Defense: 200]
"Battle. Deadbolt, attack his Katana!"
The chained monster surged forward, its heavy fist swinging down.
"Trap, activate," Yuto said. "Phantom Knights Oath. I banish a Phantom Knight monster from my Graveyard to halve the damage, and one of my monsters I choose won't be destroyed for once. I banish Phantom Knights of Slim Rope!'
The blow still landed, Katana staggering under the reduced force but holding its footing.
Yuto LP: 3800 → 3600
"You're stalling, huh. Turn end."
Yuto rose a little straighter, drawing his next card.
"Every guard on this platform has already decided I'm guilty. Nobody is gonna ask me a single real question. All I can do is keep standing, and hope the duel says what I can't."
"I activate Chipped Katana's second effect. Once per turn, by detaching its last Xyz Material, I can destroy one card you control, and inflict damage to you equal to half that card's original Attack. But I can't attack directly this turn and Chipped Katana can't attack as well."
[OU: 1 → 0]
"I target Deadbolt!"
The samurai's blade swept out as the remaining dark orb was absorbed. And the chained machine simply came apart, unraveling like a rope cut at its center. The resulting force staggered Armstrong enough to make him grunt. Facility lockdown was also self-destructed.
"I set one card and end my turn."
Armstrong LP: 2700 → 1700
"...Heh. Not bad, rat." Armstrong drew card, unhurried despite the ground he'd just lost. "I activate Restraint Warden — Ironlock's ability from my Graveyard. By banishing it, I Special Summon Restraint Warden — Deadbolt from my Graveyard, in Attack Position — but its Attack and Defense become zero. And one of your special summoned monsters on field is banished!"
The samurai disappeared after being crushed by the slamming of iron doors on it. It's flames lingered for a while as it went to a different place.
The monster rose again, hollow and powerless.
"Then I normal summon level 4, tuner monster, Warden handcuffs."
A small monster with a pair of handcuffs came.
[EARTH / Machine / Tuner / Effect / Level 4 / Attack: 500 / Defense: 2000]
"Now this place will see something it hasn't needed in a long while." Armstrong's voice dropped, heavier now. "I synchro summon!"
The small warden transfer into four green rings. And the deadbolt become four orbs of light. As they got surrounded by the rings. And made a path of light.
"Synchro summon! Level 8! High Warden Colossus!"
[EARTH / Machine / Synchro / Effect / Level 8 / Attack: 3000 / Defense: 3000]
A towering figure of interlocking iron plates rose from the platform, easily three stories tall.
"Synchro summon... This air really feels different now." Yuto muttered.
"When this card is synchro summoned using a level 5 or lower non-tuner monsters, it gains those monsters' original Attack." Armstrong's grin didn't reach his eyes. "Deadbolt's original Attack was two thousand. Do the math, rat."
Warden Colossus Attack: 3000 → 5000
The guards surrounding the platform murmured, low and eager.
"Battle," Armstrong said. "Colossus, attack directly!"
Yuto's breath caught. There was nothing in his hand that could stop that much force outright. Nothing except—
"I activate continues trap card," he said, voice steady despite everything. "Phantom Knights of Chain Blade! I equip it to your monster! I can banish up to two Phantom Knights cards from my Graveyard. For each one, the equiped monster's attack is reduced by one thousand. I banish Phantom Knights of Broken Rapier and Fractured Sallet!"
Two faint, spectral blades cut through the air, carving deep lines into Warden Colossus's frame.
Warden Colossus Attack: 5000 → 3000
The blow still landed, driving Yuto back with full force, but he stayed on his feet, breathing hard, refusing to fall.
Yuto LP: 3600 → 600
"...Tenacious little rat," Armstrong muttered, almost sounding impressed despite himself. "Turn end."
Yuto steadied himself. Ready to draw his next card.
"Six hundred Life Points left. One more hit like that and it's over. But he looks out of cards. Whatever is coming next has to end it"
Armstrong looked at Yuto, his eyes showing curiosity.
Yuto placed his fingures on his Deck. With no force or strength. He closed his eyes and drew the card without seeing. As if he felt the fighting spirit of the cards.
"I activate Quick-Play spell!" He said, normal but sharp tone. "Phantom Knights Rusted Oath. I can target one Xyz Monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon it, and attach Rusted Oath to it as overly unit."
"Your Graveyard's got nothing in it," Armstrong said. "Bluffing is—"
"Chipped Katana wasn't sent to the Graveyard but banished by you," Yuto cut in, telling in his place. "But just like how Phantom Knights after dying stands and fights where and however they are. Chipped Katana has a special effect. It doesn't go to anywhere else other than graveyard once it leaves the field."
The patchwork samurai returned, it's notched katana gripped tight, standing tall against the towering machine before it, its cloak stitched from too many broken banners still catching the flickering light like it had somewhere left to march. Yuto sloted the Rusted Oath as overly unit.
[DARK / Warrior / Xyz / Effect / Rank 4 / OU: 1 / Attack: 2200 / Defense: 1800]
"I detach it's overly unit! I activate it's second effect. By detaching it's last overly unit, it destroys your one monster and you take half of that monster's original attack!" The one and only orb was absorbed by the blade.
[OU: 1 → 0]
Yuto declared. "Final End!"
The samurai surged forward, its blade cutting clean through the towering machine's raised guard, slicing Warden Colossus into half.
The metal dissolved before they hit the ground.
Tanner LP: 1700 → 0
The remaining force of the strike pushed Armstrong back to the wall, and he sat down hard against wall behind him, more startled than hurt.
Silence fell over the platform.
Armstrong blinked up at the still standing samurai, and after a long moment, let out a short, disbelieving laugh.
"...Heh. Not bad at all, rat."
The guards around the platform didn't share his amusement. Weapons rose in unison, a tight circle closing in from every side, boots pounding against the metal grating.
"Secure him!" One of them barked. "Now!"
Yuto stood at the center of it all, Chipped Katana dissolving into light, his chest heaving from the effort of the duel rather than any wound or scratche — and still, despite having done nothing wrong from the very start, absolutely nowhere left to run.