Chapter Text
For as uncomfortable as his chains were, Dennis had to admit the chairs in Akaba’s office were quite cozy. A good thing, since his request had yet to be answered. Sora slept peacefully beside him, curled up against the arm of the chair. He didn’t seem to be in pain from his injuries gained from the duel anymore, Dennis took that small victory.
If only Kurosaki would stop glaring at them as if he could kill them with just his eyes, then Dennis could relax too. Yuto had the sense to not stare at them at least. He sat in the chair next to Kurosaki, in much the same boat as Dennis. His hands cuffed in front of him for the moment. Even Kurosaki vouching for him wasn’t enough, though his treatment was a lot nicer.
Akaba Reiji stood in front of both chairs. He didn’t have Dennis’ attention though. It was the small kid next to him that did. Dennis recognized them from the tournament; Akaba Reira. They were silent next to Reiji, clinging to the end of his scarf with one hand as the other held a bear tightly, looking at the four with wide, scared eyes. Just what was Akaba’s game? Having the skittish kid there with him was only making Dennis more annoyed, and Kurosaki didn’t seem too happy about it either.
Scared kids were something Dennis could work with though. He relaxed back in the chair, smiling charmingly at the Akaba siblings. “Well I did say I’d talk if Sora was safe I guess… You’re already one ahead of the Professor on that front at least.”
“I appear to be several steps ahead of him, if I have two of his spies as exchange students.” Akaba- Reiji, he wasn’t like his father- replied easily. “Did you truly think that would go unnoticed by me?”
“On the contrary. I thought you’d enjoy the show.” Dennis returned, looking up at Reiji. “After all, that’s what this tournament is about is it not? A little show to distract everyone from the fact the war’s coming to Standard?”
“Standard? Since when did you know so much?” Yuto’s voice was barely a whisper as he looked at Kurosaki curiously.
Dennis smirked happily. “And Sora is an exchange student! No longer an Obelisk Blue, he’s simply Sora Shiun’in of the You Show Duel School. Oh but where are my manners- I haven’t even introduced myself yet!”
“Dennis MacField, no school affiliation but I think you’ll find the name of my previous teacher to be one you know well. After all, Sakaki Yusho is rather well known.”
Kurosaki scoffed. “No school affiliation? Bullshit, you’re just some Academia spy!” He snapped. “Yusho was our teacher, he’d never teach someone like you.”
“I don’t seem to recall agreeing to speak with you in exchange for Sora’s safety.” The smirk didn’t leave Dennis' face, though he glared at Kurosaki. “I’m merely an entertainer who came looking for his lost apprentice. If Akaba wants more than that, then he needs to hold up his end of the deal completely. Because I don’t believe Sora is with Yuya yet. Nor is he fully safe with an Akaba family dog around trying to give him rabies.”
“Enough.” Reiji cut in before Kurosaki could continue. “Shun, why wasn’t Yuto brought here sooner?” He asked.
“You’re joking. So you could treat him like this?” Kurosaki gestured to the cuffs. “The deal was I’d join the Lancers, and Yuto would join after the tournament.”
Interesting. Dennis looked at Yuto again, who just seemed more and more confused as time went on. “What deal? What Lancers- Shun what the hell is going on?” He asked.
Lancers, that was something Dennis didn’t have any information on. He knew the tournament would be a coverup for the invasion. Reiji knew it was going to happen, he could see it in how everything had been structured around the city. Reiji knew there was at least one spy in Standard, Sora, and appeared to be under the assumption that it was Sora who would give the word for the invasion to begin.
Dennis himself was an unknown factor, until he had withdrawn from the tournament the second Sora lost. Had Reiji thought him another refuge from Heartland? One Kurosaki didn’t know?
“All of this just to cover up that Obelisk Force was coming here for the same reason they came to the XYZ dimension?” Dennis hummed as Kurosaki and Yuto tensed. “Sora didn’t tell them. I destroyed his duel disk, Academia can’t track him or force him back to Fusion now. As far as they know, he’s been carded. If you want any more than that, then keep your end of the deal.” He leaned forward in his seat, smiling up at the Akaba siblings and giving them a wink.
“A good magician doesn’t reveal all their secrets, after all! Where’s the fun in that?”
Reira moved to hide behind Reiji more, looking down at the floor. Dennis frowned at the response. He looked at them closely. They didn’t match any student files he knew from Academia… so not a runaway from there. But the child acted like such a startled fawn, like a few younger students he had chased off personally to Alexis throughout the years. Not exactly a look that a rich kid should have. He expected the youngest to be more like Sawatari.
Although… the Professor never mentioned having a kid younger than Reiji…
Hell, he hardly mentioned Reiji.
Did he not know about Reira? Was there something else going on? The more he thought on it, the more he realized Reira wasn’t there for any game Reiji could try and pull on them. Their stance, how they refused to move away from Reiji, they were there because of how scared they were. And their big brother was the one to chase away the monsters.
The smile came back to Dennis then. It was a play then. Reiji worked on the fact all four would be more complacent with a startled kid around, while also trying to make himself appear as less of a threat. Just a good older brother watching his younger sibling in between their duels.
“I’m sure you don’t want innocent ears to hear what I really think about Professor Akaba Leo, after all.” Two could play at that game. He shrugged his shoulder towards Sora as he spoke. “You know how it is, kids are so impressionable. Wouldn’t want them to run off if they hear bad words and get caught alone.”
He could feel Kurosaki’s glare on him as he said it. The pieces slowly falling into place for him. “... You.”
Even cuffed as he was, Dennis was quick. His only regret as he moved over the back of the chair was how Sora startled awake, Kurosaki missing the chain connecting the cuff around his throat to the ones that held his wrists together. Dennis smirked as he watched Reiji put a hand on Kurosaki’s shoulder only for it to be slapped away.
“It was you! You’re the reason Ruri was kidnapped!” Kurosaki snapped. “And you’re the one who called Obelisk Force here too, aren’t you?!”
“Dennis?” Sora groaned, looking around with tired eyes. The tiredness faded quickly when his gaze landed on Kurosaki though. “Shun! You dirty cheater!” He shouted.
Usually, Dennis would love the chaos unfolding around the room. Kurosaki wasn’t paying Sora any attention, which was making him shout louder about him being a cheater in their duel. Yuto was torn between glaring at Dennis and wondering if he should stop Sora, who noticed the lack of duel disks and decided instead to take a more physical approach.
Only for Reiji to grab the back of his jacket, lifting Sora easily. “Put me down! Shun owes me a fair rematch!” Sora shouted. “I’m gonna kick that XYZ scum into the dirt where he belongs!”
“Do you get it now?” Dennis asked, keeping his eyes on Kurosaki. “I’ll admit it. I was the one to go after Ruri. And another girl named Rin. And I was sent after Yuzu too, and Serena, since she wants to play runaway.” He hummed, snapping his fingers.
Sora calmed then, glaring mutinously at Dennis. “Don’t tell them! Send me back so I can get another duel disk!”
“I’ve already said you aren’t going back.” Dennis turned his head then to look at Sora. “As far as Academia knows, you’re dead. After all, you don’t want Yuri to get a hold of Yuzu, do you?”
Sora opened his mouth to protest, but hesitated. The fight seemed to leave him then as he bit his lip, Reiji lowering him back down to the ground. “They’d just put her up in a tower like they did the other two.” Sora mumbled. “That’s all the Professor ever does. But Yuzu wouldn’t like it…”
Dennis smiled again, but with the distraction, he hadn’t kept his eyes on Kurosaki. Not until the punch to the side of his head left him falling to the ground. “Dennis!” Sora didn’t stay still for long.
Reiji and Yuto both looked on in shock at how quick Sora was. He managed to get between Dennis and Kurosaki, glaring up at the XYZ duelist before a punch of his own jabbed Kurosaki hard in the stomach, a kick soon following to knock his legs out from under him. Kurosaki hit the ground hard, not trying to get back up again, Dennis noticed through his own blurred vision.
“Shit.” Yuto swore, glaring at Sora.
Reiji sighed, adjusting his glasses but making no move to help any of them. “So what Sun Shadow reported was true. A knock to the stomach does leave him unconscious…” He murmured.
“Seriously?” Dennis groaned, shaking his head as Sora rushed over to him. “‘M fine. He hits hard but there’s no technique to it.” He soothed.
Sora helped him to sit up, glaring at the unconscious Kurosaki. “He shouldn’t have punched you! We only did what the Professor told us to do! Besides Yuri’s the one who took the XYZ girl and the Synchro one too.” He crossed his arms with a huff.
Dennis chuckled. His head was pounding from the punch and hitting the floor, but it was nothing he hadn’t dealt with before. “Sora, enough.” He ordered, looking over at Reiji. “Now can we have Yuya and Yuzu take Sora? He’s still injured from that one throwing a building on him. Solid Vision or not, that still hurts.”
“I’m not hurt!” Sora grinned, nearly bouncing in place. “That was nothing! The Battle Beast hits harder! You duel harder than he does. Falling from the Obelisk dorm windows hurt more too! And like that one time, in training, when Yuri had Starving Venom bite me and-”
“You’re going with Yuya and Yuzu while we talk and that’s final, little brat.” Dennis interrupted, seeing Reira and Yuto growing more and more pale as he went on. Dennis managed to stand up, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Reiji. “Or I could have him continue?”
Reiji sighed, pressing a button on his duel disk. It didn’t take long for the two Shadow duelists to open the door to the room. Dennis recognized them, Tsukikage and Hikage, also known as Moon Shadow and Sun Shadow. He had caught the two tailing Sora a few times, it didn’t surprise him that they worked for Reiji. Between the two brothers stood Yuya, Yuzu, and Yuya’s mother Yoko.
“Sora!” Yuya was the first to move into the room. As he did, a few strange things happened.
The first being the purple glow to Yuto’s eyes. He grew unnaturally still, something Dennis had seen only once before. It happened as soon as Yuya came into the room.
The second happened as Yuzu followed Yuya. A bright pink light came from the bracelet on her wrist. Dennis frowned deeply. He had seen something like that three times before.
The third, being the sudden lack of Yuto in the room as he vanished. Once he was gone, so was the glow of Yuzu’s bracelet. But everyone stared at the spot Yuto had just been in seconds ago, shocked at what happened. Though, no one could really tell what happened.
“Find him.” Reiji ordered, snapping the Shadow brothers out of their shock as they both nodded, leaving quickly.
“Wha- was that Yuto?” Yuzu asked, shaking her head and looking down at her bracelet. “It happened again…”
Again? Dennis looked at Yuzu, studying her bracelet. He had seen it before. On Rin, and Ruri, and Serena. All four girls had matching bracelets. He wasn’t sure how they could though. And why would it glow when Yuya and Yuto were in the same room, just as Yuto’s eyes began to glow. The same way Yuri’s had when that Synchro duelist had come after them for taking Rin…
Dennis hummed. Could that duelist have been the Synchro lookalike he guessed at Yuri having? It would make sense and fit the pattern he was beginning to see. Yuzu was close to Yuya, Ruri had been close to Yuto, it would make sense if Rin was close to the Synchro one. Serena and Yuri could hardly be called close- he was sure if they ever were either Academia would fall or Yuri would murder the girl. But being two for two on lookalikes being close to the girls was enough of a pattern for him.
It didn’t answer the question about the bracelet’s glow though.
“Again?” Reiji asked.
Yuzu nodded. “It’s happened twice. When I first met Yuto, and Yuya found us. And then again when I met Yuto and Shun and… Yuya found me and Sora.”
Yuya shook his head, clearly not too bothered by what happened yet. “Sora!” He turned back to the boy. “Are you okay? Why aren’t you at the hospital?” He asked, looking Sora over.
“I’m fine!” Sora grinned. “Why’s everyone acting like I’m made of glass? A building’s nothing! Did you bring any sweets with you?”
“Maybe because a building is not nothing?” Yoko’s hands were on her hips as she looked down at him, but her attention soon turned to Kurosaki, who was unconscious on the floor still, and Dennis. “...What’s going on here?” She asked Reiji.
Reiji tilted his head slightly towards Sora. “Dennis refuses to talk until Sora is turned over to your son’s custody.” He explained.
“Uh-huh.” Yoko crossed her arms then. “Well he’s certainly not going to Yuya. Me, however, I’ll take him. But only if I get some answers of my own. Namely who Dennis is and why he has any say over Sora.” She looked straight at him. He could see why Yusho loved to gush about her so much.
Dennis grinned. She reminded him of Alexis, really. “Would you believe me to be a concerned citizen?”
“Bullshit.”
“Mom!” Yuya gasped at the language she used.
“I figured.” Dennis laughed, winking at Yoko. “Dennis MacField, Dueltainer extraordinaire at your service! It wouldn’t do for me to lie to my teacher’s wife about that detail, after all.”
He could feel the temperature in the room drop at that. Oh if looks could kill, he was certain Yoko would have the whole room dead. “What.” She ground out.
“My dad?” Yuya’s whisper almost made Dennis regret dropping that tidbit of information first. “Y-you mean…”
Dennis hummed again, the grin dropping from his face as he looked at the hurt in Yuya’s eyes. Yuzu moved over to him, looking much the same but with so much more confusion. “Well I’m hardly the only one here. Ask Kurosaki. Or Yuto when he’s tracked down.” He murmured. “As for my relation to Sora, it’s classified.”
Yoko stared at him for a while, and for the first time in years, it took all of Dennis’s training and willpower to not shrink back from an intense gaze like that. Yeah, she was a lot like Alexis. If Alexis had been scorned worse than she had been already. “Yuzu. Take Yuya and Sora outside, and the little Akaba too. Your father and Gongenzaka are waiting.” She said coolly.
“R-right.” Yuzu whispered, grabbing Yuya’s hand and Sora’s arm, looking over at Reira.
Reiji nodded, nudging Reira closer to Yuzu with a gentle hand. “It’s alright.” His voice was softer than it was before as he spoke to Reira. “Go with them.”
Reira walked over to Yuya’s other side, Yuzu leading them all out. The second the door slid shut, Yoko was grabbing the chain to Dennis’ cuffs, pulling him closer as she glared at him.
“Now. You’re going to tell me what you know about my coward husband.”
Dennis didn’t fear for his life often. But there was no mistaking the stab of panic in his chest.
Yes, he had chosen the best place to hide Sora at. And the best person to hide him as well.
“I wasn’t lying about being a Dueltainer or my name.”
Dennis sat back down on the chair with Reiji and Yoko in front of him. Reiji glanced at Yoko, ready to say something before thinking better of it as she turned her glare to him as well. He hadn’t expected the interrogation to include another person, but Dennis couldn’t complain. They kept their end of the deal, and he was going to keep his as well. “That just isn’t my only job. In Fusion I’m better known as the Academia Spymaster. Handler of Sora Truesdale and Yuri, and the one the Professor sends out to scout prior to a full-scale invasion of a dimension.”
“And you’re just willingly saying this?” Yoko asked. “A spy admitting he’s a spy? Fusion dimensions? Academia?”
“Well I never said I was a loyal spy.” Dennis chuckled softly. “There’s a lot going on but to put it simply, it’s war. Four dimensions, three named for summoning methods unique to each. Fusion, Synchro, and XYZ. This is Standard that we’re in now. Academia is a school in the Fusion dimension, run by the Professor, Akaba Leo.”
“Yusho’s bastard friend?” Yoko interrupted, Reiji coughing beside her. “I’m not sorry. I’ve never liked your father.”
“I should start a club at this rate for people who don’t.” Reiji responded dryly.
Dennis laughed. Oh, Standard was proving to be quite the fun trip. “Truth be told I didn’t honestly care what was going on for years. I had missions I had to complete or face punishment. The Professor started Academia and trains duelists as soldiers. Everyone in Fusion is required to attend starting early .”
“How early?” Yoko asked.
“I’m eighteen now. I’ve been Spymaster for five years and with Academia for thirteen. I’ll let you do the math on that one.”
He watched as Yoko tensed, her glare melting into a less vicious look in the short time it took her to realize what he was saying. “How old is Sora? I never bought his lie about being fourteen.”
“Eleven. I’ve been his handler for four years. But he was in basic classes for two before that.”
She sucked in a sharp breath, shaking her head and pacing between them. “Five. He was five and you’re sounding like this is some sort of military school that trains-”
“Child soldiers to fight in an interdimensional war for what the Professor says is unity of the dimensions?” Dennis offered as an ending to her rant. “I think we all know that’s a lie. The unity part anyway. The soldier part? Well, you all saw Sora’s duel. Of course, he isn’t the best Academia has to offer, but he’s up there. Easily top ten overall and top of his class.”
“And you’re… his handler.” Yoko’s eyes were back on him. “So you what, taught him how to duel?”
Dennis nodded slowly, thinking over what to say. How much to give away. It was already clear that Sora would be safe with her, what he had promised to his partner years ago was finally happening. “How to duel, how to fight, espionage, I’m in charge of making sure Sora was one of the top in the school, as his older brother was before he betrayed Academia. The very same brother I made a promise to before he left, to make sure Sora was safe.”
“And he’s safest here. I sent him to Standard hoping he’d be caught.” Dennis admitted. “I lucked out in Yusho’s son being the one to find him.”
Reiji stood up straighter. “So you didn’t know that Sakaki Yusho was from this dimension?” He questioned.
“No. Not until I arrived here and his name was everywhere. It’s just unfortunate that Sora decided to cling to Yuzu as well.”
Yoko stopped pacing. “Why is that unfortunate?”
“Because we were both sent here to scout her out. The Professor wants her and another girl, Serena, who’s a runaway from Fusion.”
Reiji’s eyes narrowed as he grabbed the tablet from his desk. “Is this her?” He asked, turning it around to show Dennis an image from one of the parking garages, showing a duel ending and someone being carded.
Dennis recognized the one doing the carding. “The very same. The Professor isn’t happy that the Academia Princess went rogue. So I was sent after her, just as I was sent after Rin and Ruri.”
“Did he tell you why?”
Dennis smirked lazily. He had a few guesses as to why, but none of the pieces seemed to fit together in any way that made sense. All the girls looked as if they could be quadruplets, there had to be a reason for that. Not to mention all four had similar bracelets, that had to be important. They were younger than Reiji, so he didn’t think it was just the Professor being a worried father. Why create a whole military school just for that?
“All I’ve been told is that he requires them for the unity project. That’s all he tells Yuri and I when we’re sent out. I scout them, Yuri hunts them and brings them back alive and uncarded.” Dennis explained with a shrug. “I’d ask if you have any other siblings but this seems to be a lot of work just to track down separated families, especially since he doesn’t seem like the fatherly type. And since Yuzu doesn’t seem to be of any relation to you.”
And yet there was a tenseness to Reiji’s shoulders that Dennis could see getting tighter and tighter as he spoke. His hand gripped the tablet a bit tighter.
“Yuzu doesn’t have any siblings. She’s been raised with Yuya practically since the two of them were born.” Yoko shook her head. “So what does Akaba Leo want with her? And why the hell are he and Yusho in other dimensions?”
Dennis shrugged. That he didn’t have much of an answer to. He never questioned the Professor on it, no one questioned the Professor on anything unless they wanted carded. Even learning of Akaba Reiji hadn’t made Dennis nosey enough to chance his luck by asking direct questions about him. As for Yusho, he didn’t think anything odd about his teacher until the name Sakaki Yuya had come up. He had thought the two unrelated at first, until he began to hear Yusho’s name more and more, then there was no doubting his teacher had come from Standard.
Reiji sighed. “Yusho was supposed to be in Fusion as well. He left to try and speak to my father, after I told him of my own plan to confront him.”
The silence that filled the room after the admission made Dennis squirm, falling behind the performer mask he knew so well. Yoko looked downright murderous at that. “So let me get this straight.” She stared at Reiji.
“You knew where he was this entire time. Or at least, what he was doing. Yet you did nothing while the public went after Yuya for him vanishing and taking the coward’s way out of that duel.”
Dennis was never one to hide from drama. He loved watching it unfold, thrived on it really. But the tone Yoko took made him almost pity Reiji, wanting to be anywhere else but there. Or even knocked out like Kurosaki still was. There was a protectiveness to her tone that Dennis had never heard from anyone else. It was strange, seeing a parent so protective of their kid.
Sakaki Yoko didn’t seem like a force to be messed with.
“There will be a public announcement about it after the tournament.” Reiji said softly, not meeting Yoko’s eyes as he spoke.
“There should be one now.” Yoko demanded firmly.
“We cannot do one yet. The tournament has to finish and then everyone can know.”
“And why is that?”
Dennis sat up, grinning at Yoko. “Because it’s a cover-up for the Obelisk Force invasion that’s happening tomorrow.” He chirped. “Reiji here knew it was going to happen soon and we played right into each other’s hands.”
In a way, the tournament benefited both sides. It would be cover for any and all duels that went on if Dennis was correct in assuming the second portion of it would be a battle royal. And while that cover would hide the fact from the public, it would also mean Obelisk Force- Yuri in particular- could come in unnoticed by most with the duelists dealing with the tournament and soldiers at the same time. Just as Dennis had banked on the cover being perfect for Yuri, Reiji had banked on the cover being taken advantage of.
Yoko groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose and closing her eyes tightly. “And you thought children dueling would stand up to trained child soldiers?”
“The senior duelists in the tournament are well aware of what's going on.” Reiji explained, setting the tablet back down. Dennis frowned, getting a look at what was on it. “Their tournament has been a fake one. The Lancers will keep an eye on the junior division and take combat with Obelisk Force. Shun was going to be a part of that as well.”
Dennis continued on from there, “I told Yuri I found his target and he said they would be here in twenty-four hours about… four hours ago now. It would be at the same time as the battle royal. Yuzu was going to be grabbed by Yuri while I tracked down Serena.”
“Well that’s not happening.” Yoko interrupted.
“Unfortunately, it is.” Dennis shook his head. “Yuri can’t come back empty handed. And he won’t. It’s best to not get in his way. Sora is close to the top at Academia, but Yuri is the top soldier. Only two people have gotten away from him, and that's because Yuri let them to continue his game.”
Dennis had a back-up plan already for what to do to stall for time on that front. “But if Serena were to slip away from me… well, whatever the Professor has planned requires all four girls. Yuzu wouldn’t be harmed- I didn’t harm Rin or Ruri and last time I checked on them they were alright. Pissed off of course, but unharmed.”
Reiji’s head tilted slightly to the side as Yoko looked at Dennis in disbelief. “I’m supposed to just let my niece be grabbed by some stranger because you think she’ll be safe so long as another girl is left alone?” She asked.
“That’s exactly what should happen.”
Dennis blinked, looking over at Reiji in surprise. “As a matter of fact, no one should know this conversation happened at all.” Reiji continued. “What my father wants… the girls won’t be harmed yet. Especially if Yuri is here with Yuya and Yuto, and Serena is with us.”
“What does he have to do with anything?” Dennis questioned. Why would Yuri being away from Academia mean the girls were safe?
Reiji didn’t answer right away, walking over to Dennis instead with a key in his hands. Dennis sat still as Reiji unlocked the cuffs, letting the chain fall to the floor before he moved a hand up to rub his neck where the cuff had been. “As a matter of fact, we should ignore the fact that you’re compromised as well. Sora being found out is fine so long as Obelisk Force doesn’t see him. But with you around… Academia will believe they still have eyes on me.”
Dennis’ eyes widened in realization as Reiji’s words began to sink in. “You mean to keep me around as if you don’t know I’m the Academia spy.” He said, a grin slowly coming back to his face. “No one saw you bring me here except Sora and your own people.”
“You said it yourself, you’re an entertainer. There’s a lot more to this war than anyone knows. Perhaps it would serve well to play into my father’s hands for now.” Reiji wasn’t smiling, but Dennis could see the bright look in his eyes as the plan slowly came to be. “You aren’t a loyal spy to him, but if I could ensure Sora’s safety…”
Tempting. It was a tempting offer. A third side in the war, one not run by the Professor, or by Yusho’s misguidedness. He wasn’t a fool, if Reiji was telling the truth and Yusho had left Standard to try and talk to Akaba Leo, then Heartland was probably his way of trying to get support. Dennis didn’t care for either of them.
He just wanted to keep his promise to Alexis, as much as he could. He had failed partially already, with the card he kept safe. Sora had his out though, out of Fusion and out of the war entirely possibly. But there was another issue.
Yuri.
Dennis had no loyalty to Academia, but he did have some to his hunter. He had been at Academia for so long, and just like Dennis, had nothing else outside of it. No family, no one to miss him, it was why Dennis had agreed so easily to being his handler. Yuri wouldn’t agree to just leaving. He thrived in the chaos of it all, in the free reign the Professor gave him in hunting down targets.
Dennis had enjoyed it too. He couldn’t deny that. But there were so many unanswered questions he had. Ones that Akaba Reiji clearly had the answers to. “Yuri’s crimes get pardoned as well.” He finally decided to answer Reiji with.
“We’ll see what happens.” Reiji replied.
“Not good enough.” Dennis shook his head. “You want me to be a spy for you ? Then Yuri’s part of that deal. I’m not leaving him behind. Even if he won’t leave Academia… it’s all he’s known. He doesn’t have a family and I’m the only handler he hasn’t carded within the first hour, the closest thing to a friend he has. You’re asking me to betray him too until we have the full picture.”
“I have no loyalty to Academia anymore. But I do to Yuri. And to another person who, for their safety, will remain nameless for now. Just know you aren’t the only one who has personal beef with the Professor.” Dennis looked at Yoko and Reiji. “Listen, I want this war over with as much as the XYZ dimension does. If you don’t want Standard to end up like that,” he gestured to Kurosaki still on the floor.
“Then you need someone who knows what they’re doing. Not a bunch of teens playing at being heroes.”
“Who the hell said the kids are getting into this?” Yoko asked. “I sure as hell didn’t sign Yuya up for that.”
Reiji blinked, taking in everything Dennis had said. “...Fine. A pardon for Yuri’s crimes up to this point and related to the four girls.” He finally agreed. “As for Yuya… he is the key to ending this war without more casualties.” He added to Yoko.
“He created a summoning that no one knows how to counter yet. And the second it’s said that Yuzu is in danger. I doubt he’ll allow for anything else.”
Yoko didn’t look convinced, her arms crossed and a glare firm on her face. “You plan on using his dueling for this war.”
“It’s the only other dueling that the Professor doesn’t know much about.” Dennis agreed with Reiji. “Of course, Ritual Summoning is the other, but we have that covered elsewhere. And only one person around has mastered it to the point of being a threat to Academia.”
Yoko stared at the two of them for a long while before sighing. “It’s up to Yuya. If he wants to go… I’ll make sure he’s ready for it. But ,” she raised a hand to stop Reiji from interrupting her, “I want kept in the know about what’s going on. Yuya and Yuzu are my kids. And Sora now too, so I’m not just going to sit back and let them get dragged into this.”
It was acceptable to Reiji, who nodded in agreement. “Very well. Let us go see what Yuya has to say about this then.”
Dennis sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets with a lazy smile. It seemed things were about to get a lot more interesting.