Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Reiji Akaba, Leo Akaba, Himika Akaba, Yuya Sakaki, Serena (Yu-Gi-Oh)
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gift Fic, So someone asked, for a fic where Reiji was raised in Academia, I don’t know if this quite makes it, I Tried
Summary:
“Glory on the Academia!” he spoke loud and clear to them and watched each group disappear through the portals.
There was a conviction set on his chest at the sight of it. And he would stop at nothing to accomplish it.
@seasaltmemories Happy and Very belated Birthday!!!
“I trust you Sakaki-san.” He said watching Yusho Sakaki’s figure disappear on the portal, all determination and purpose, and never once looking back. If he did then maybe he would have noticed when he changed the destination of the machine.
After the deed was done all he had to do was make sure to make this and all the other machines completely nonfunctional, not destroy them, which would be far too suspicious.
He looked at the timer on his bracelet, he had less than an hour before it imploded, so he got to work.
Once Reiji got the last power cell from the last machine he looked at his wrist and noticed he had two whole minutes to spare, he made good use of them figuring out which place would make him crash against the noisiest wall.
He readied his body for the blast and counted on is mind: ‘Three, two, one….’
*BLAST*
Reiji winced feeling his whole body tingle and ache on the floor, before he could get up, the door was opened from outside and before he tried get up but before he could there was someone lifting him up with urgency.
“Reiji-san!” That was the first words he heard when his sight adjusted to the newcomer in front of him. Before he could collect himself, there were a pair of arms that enveloped him.
Her scent, she looks different, older, and feels different too, the softness of her frame gone, leaving just angled frames and expressions, even her voice is sharper and less emotive. But her scent… somewhere in the back of his mind he remembers it, it is exactly as the same as before
However he can’t be distracted by past memories, he has a mission.
“You’re taller… but you’re really back.” She said, her hands gripping his shoulders tightly, almost painfully.
But he’s willing to endure anything, even his beating heart and his trembling hands.
“Mother… I’m back.” He said and he forced himself to not look away from her tearful eyes.
Everything to bring glory to the Academia.
♠
He awoke to see an unknown ceiling, it looked gray but there was something else off with it, the sheets he was covered with felt odd on him too, but that was as far as he could make out on his surroundings.
His glasses, where were they? He tried to find them from the night stand on his right side as usual only to grab on empty air.
Reiji tried to feel his way around his bed – No, not his bed – but among the blurriness he felt his feet tangle with the sheets and the rest of his body failing to obey him made him trip over himself he took a deep breath and closed his eyes waiting for the impact on the hard floor.
One that never came, he felt a pair of familiar hands grab him before anything could happen.
“Welcome home, Reiji,” he heard his Father say, and he felt relieved and before he could make a question he felt his glasses being placed on him.
He drank on the sight of his Father letting go of the anxiousness off his chest, but a ton of questions filled him instead, why was he in an unknown room? What was this room made of cold stone and yet so lavish and furnished? Why did the sky look so blue and clear in the middle of wintertime?
Where was Mother?
“Father… where are we?” he asked, the first of many questions he had, the last thing he remembered was going to bed, his bed.
“It’s a long story and you should have breakfast first.” He said depositing a tray of food in front of him.
♥
“Are you telling us that this… this brat is going to become the new CEO of Leo Corps? Have you lost your mind Himika?!”
That only one of the many, many objections the older people around him and his Mother kept throwing at them, Reiji couldn’t blame them, after all Mother had done nothing but walk into the room, proclaim that her son – Reiji Akaba – the heir of the company according to the deeds, lease and any legal documents they could imagine, was now back to take his rightful place on the board.
All of that went above their heads when the only thing they saw was a young thirteen year old child who barely surpassed his Mother’s elbows and the thick bottle glasses probably didn’t help.
“If you think we’re going to let this happen then-”
“You’ll do nothing because Reiji owns all the shares previously belonging to his Father.” She spoke undeterred. “In addition to mine, we hold over 60% of the company, not to mention that what all of you own are nothing but marketing, duelists circuits, and sales, while on the other hand, we own all of the research branches: the technology, development and creative departments and personnel’s and I don’t need to remind you that without them, soon your shares wouldn’t be worth the paper and ink they are printed in.” Her declaration fell heavy on the people seating across them, none of them dared to protest or even look at them in the eye.
Father was right, Mother was truly a fierce woman and a temper to be reckoned with, and not someone you want as your enemy, which is why he told her everything.
About Father, the Academia, the dimensions, and the inevitable invasion.
After Reiji was appointed in his new position, and he went through the commotions, the gossip and overall fanfare of his new social standing he continued to move his cards carefully.
He entered an won every championship and became a Pro Duelist in record time, having gained the approval of the public he urged the expansion of the Dueling Schools to an international level, both for manpower and resources, mobilized the Solid Vision into Maiami City’s infrastructure multiplying Leo Corps net worth in less than a year, thanks to his innovative ideas he made sure to use the newly gained influence and power to monitor every little disturbance into the area.
The board had quieted down after that claiming to have always believed in him, over the span of what was left of the first year he slowly undermined their positions, cutting the budget, taking their responsibilities away and finally they bought their shares and seats on the board, all the while keeping their mouths closed and pockets full.
The board disappeared, except for him, his Mother and a single aide handpicked by him.
Everything was going according to the plan.
♣
The laboratory gave off a green glow even as arrangements and machinery was still under development, there was something about it that pulled his attention, something dormant in the center of it, waiting.
But for what?
“The United World?” It was the only question that Reiji was able to say at loud after a long explanation given by his Father, it was not the only one by far, but it was the easiest one to formulate.
What were the dimensions? Why the necessity to invade them? What was the purpose of the machine in front of them? Where was Mother?
“Yes, that’s where everything began, with the Real Solid Vision, dueling and the people darkest desires…” His father began walking around the different power generators, still not working, his hand grabbing onto his much bigger one. “…And the place I was born into.”
One, two, three, four seconds passed before he could breathe again.
“I have my life purpose to make the dimensions one again, bring peace to all of them, a place where no one will ever have to feel grief again… Create a Utopia” He stopped for a second to crouch at Reiji’s eye level. “…Will you help me Reiji? I need my family to accomplish that.”
“Mother too?” He asked, and something that might be sadness passed over his Father features but gone when his gaze was onto the machine again.
“No, no… I met her in Maiami City during one of her business conference Yusho and I had hoped to sell our invention…” He said in a faraway voice. “…She had to stay behind Reiji, someone had to look after the company, something that will help us along the way.”
“Help with what?” He asked, something on his eyes flickered at the question, eagerness he realized, he had been waiting for him to ask that question.
“To stop the Demon Duelist.”
♦
“Extra Deck courses?” Himika asked out loud, not sure what to make out of this proposal, was it really necessary? They already had the hold on the Real Solid Vision technology and the LDS expansion was going surprisingly well.
But in tandem with this new plan, in the future it would cause nothing but the hogging of the cards necessary for them, and that could earn them a bad reputation among the other Dueling Schools.
A fracturing on the public relations with them would only work against them in the case of an invasion after all.
“Yes, we need all the duelists as prepared as possible.” Reiji spoke up, almost too quickly and Himika took a step back at his eagerness, he seemed to take notice and added: “I told you before, right Mother? Our enemies will show no mercy.”
“You also told me they are all Fusion users… I’m sure that a couple of adjustments and engineering more anti Fusion cards will be more than enough.” She countered. “Reiji-san I’ve been meaning for us to talk about what happened in Academia.”
‘With your Father.’ She kept that to herself because there was always something about him that changed when he was mentioned his back and shoulders straightened, his face emptied of all expression and his eyes would cloud over.
“I’ve already explained that Mother.” He said adjusting his glasses, “From the day I awoke to the day I managed to come escape. Do you think I have omitted anything?”
Did she not trust him? That was the underlying question, her Reiji would have never questioned her intentions, much less her faith in him.
But her son had been stolen, and had yet to come back.
“Of course not Reiji-san” she spoke taking the papers in hand and sealing them for approval. “You have my complete support.”
She ignored her heavy heart when thinking one last time of the possible ramifications, along with the glint of Reiji’s eyes when she did so.
Yes, her son had been taken away right before her eyes, and she would crush Leo Akaba for that.
♠
“Is it true?” Reiji had been just coming from having his afternoon meal, and when he had busied himself on checking for stains he found himself staring at green eyes when he lifted back his own eyes.
She was wearing a red ensemble with little stars adorning the front of it and her hair was tied up with a yellow ribbon and she younger than him, which almost made him give a double take, with ten years old recently turned, he was sure he was the youngest recruit around.
His eyes were drawn back at hers after his inspection though, the glint in them was… intriguing.
“Well?” She asked, her face coming a bit too close for comfort and he had to blink a couple of times to remember her question, except…
“I don’t know what exactly is you are asking verification for.” He said adjusting his glasses.
“Hmph,” Her cheeks puffed a little at his answer and Reiji had to look away for a second. “…at least now I know it’s true: you’re the Professor’s son.”
‘Professor…’ it had been a long time since he had learned that whenever that word was spoken it was about Father, he was the leader of Academia, the one who would lead everyone into the Utopia.
His authority was absolute, his word was law.
“Yes I am, but I fail to see how that’s pertinent at the moment.” He spoke, after all Reiji was not excluded from the school’s system, he saw his Father no more often than others did, always on his laboratory or his office mapping out his war plans.
He was not allowed to call him ‘Father’ outside private meetings.
“See? He also likes to uses fancy and complicated words, that and… You really look a lot like him… just paler and skinnier.” She said the last with a smirk and Reiji knew he had to leave before the blush he felt at the tip of his ears covered his whole face. “Uh? Are you embarrassed now?”
“Is there a purpose to this chatter or are you just prying?” He asked to her, feeling quite… annoyed at this point, her amusement at his plight was not welcome in the slightest.
“Just prying,” She said shrugging but her demeanor turned serious. “…Hey, I’ve heard you’ve been here with the Professor the longest… have you… have you ever been outside Academia?”
The way she looked at the sea, made something inside Reiji awaken, a part of him he had forgot it existed.
♥
It didn’t matter how much he looked at the pictures, it didn’t matter how much he tried to list all the tiny little differences in them, those where all eclipsed by the abysmal lookalikes they had.
‘Yuya Sakaki and Yuzu Hiragi…’ He had found them, the lost pieces of his Father’s plan; that was the treacherous thought coming out from the fog of confusion on his mind.
“They both just passed the Junior test for the last championship, the boy’s performance was average enough, but the girl was among the first places… given enough time it may be worth it to have her in consideration.” Said Nakajima after a while, probably noticing his hard staring at the profile pictures, he couldn’t let anything slip past anything but an inspection.
Both of them duelist, both of them Yushow Duel School attendants, went to the same school, and both of them childhood friends and were even neighbors and enrolled in the same elementary school. The irony was almost too much and Reiji found himself wanting to laugh at all of it for the first time in years…
‘Yuya Sakaki…’ The boy was the son of Yusho Sakaki, the one person his father had explicitly ordered to remove from the equation… that took part of the amusement away… Either way this had been a very productive day, in more ways than one.
Still, it didn’t mean that his work was done just yet.
♣
“Today is a glorious day, my beloved son…” He felt the heavy palm of his father pat at his shoulder when he said these words.
They were in his office and Reiji was at the moment examining his Father’s attack plan for the City of Heartland, it was a brilliant plan really, they would rely on the surprise factor right in the middle of the city’s Central Park, away from all the Dueling Schools and where there would be the most concentration of people this time of the year.
All of it necessary to fuel the Arc V machine.
“So, it starts today?” He asked after a minute of musings. “Why the Xyz dimension?” It seemed a… Odd choice given the information available.
“There is something valuable that we need to secure for our plans, we have yet to found the piece in the Synchro and I’m not willing to risk this”
Pieces, he had heard his Father talk about pieces before but never dared to ask before, he wondered if he could get away with such a direct question this time.
“Is it something bothering you Reiji? Speak of your objections about the primary target.” His father prompted walking to the window where the soldiers were in formation to leave already.
“For starters… It’s true they have the highest population density but it’s also the one with the most technological advancements and territory to cover, given enough time they will start to fight back before we fulfil the quota… the Synchro Dimension on the other hand has a huge socio-economical schism as basis for its infrastructure with a sizeable amount of disorganization and crime, on top of it, dueling is restricted by the local government, it should be easy enough to bring them down-” He stopped when his father turned around and held his hand up.
“That’s enough” He started. “I can see you’ve been doing your research and I expected nothing less from you.” While he was speaking, his Father took a seat on his desk and the room darkened enough to turn in the projector.
He fought to keep his poker face when the screen showed two pictures.
One of them was of Serena – who strangely enough had not staged her escape attempt of the month just yet – and another boy he did not knew personally but was known to be quite a troublemaker in the school grounds.
During his rounds Reiji had also found that he seemed to be fond of the garden, which coincidentally Serena could often be found in.
“I believe you are now ready to listen the full truth about the United World my beloved son, about Zarc, about Real Solid Vision and… Ray.”
After a long talk Reiji stood next to his Father in front of the first batch of soldiers marching to fulfil their noble mission; there was a grandiose speech given by the Commander before he – prompted by his Father – gave a step forward and saluted to them:
“Glory on the Academia!” he spoke loud and clear to them and watched each group disappear through the portals.
There was a conviction set on his chest at the sight of it. And he would stop at nothing to accomplish it.
♦
Pendulum Summon.
It seemed too good to be true, a completely new summon method that allowed you to summon multiple monsters in a single turn without the aid of Spell or Trap cards? The possibilities were endless.
Now the usual question for him as usual were: How does this work? And how can I use it to my advantage?
On top of it the creator of it had been none other than Yuya Sakaki; he had never been one to believe in things of fate or destiny but now he was seriously considering to revise his beliefs.
Only entertained the thought for long enough before Nakajima entered his office his hand held by another much smaller one.
There was something about the image of him being carried around from hand to hand that always bothered him, so young and so impressionable.
“Brother…” he spoke barely above a whisper, but Reiji heard him nonetheless.
“Report.” He simply ordered to Nakajima.
“Sir, you have a… visitor.” He said and the way he was visibly unnerved by the situation gave Reiji the answer as to what type of visitor he was.
“Let him in.” He said to Nakajima and gave a sign for him to take Reira away and leave him alone.
There were only a few minutes in between Nakajima fulfilling his order and the steps of the newcomer into his office, they sounded small but still forceful, Reiji took a deep breath before dignifying to face the spy his Father had sent:
“Wow, you definitely look taller than I was told.” He said before properly introducing himself, he was short, really short and young too, he could not be more than thirteen years old, he knew not just by his height, but his small frame – someone still growing up – and his cheeky attitude.
“Sora Shiunin, it’s a… pleasure to meet you.” Reiji said disregarding his comment, “I assume you bring your own orders from your superiors, take a seat.”
He didn’t move from his spot, something Reiji expected after he read his profile: he had volunteered himself for the reconnaissance mission in order to avoid being under the orders of the Commander stationed in Heartland.
So, his Father saw fitting to dump his unsubordinated attitude with him.
“I do.” He said, not elaborating, instead hopping to his desk and leaning his upper body in it, “What? I’m sure the son of the Professor has access to every information he wants right? Or at the very least he’s smart enough to figure out himself…”
Of course he did: gathering information of Maiami City, the Dueling School along with its strongest duelists and search for the last… piece.
But the plans had changed, so he dropped the file of Yuya Sakaki in front of him.
“We have a lot to talk about.”
♠
“Serena!” He yelled at her to take his hand when he noticed they would be calling more and more guards.
When she looked up at him and his stretched out hand she doubted for a minute before taking it, it was sweaty and a bit slippery but he managed to get her on his level before he hurried her on the hallways.
They had to hide in a corner when a couple of Professor passed their way.
“You… what are you doing?” She asked snapping his hand away, he took no offense on it as he was trying to see if all their chasers were gone.
“Helping you.” He said adjusting his glasses, Reiji had not seen her this close in quite a while, she had grown… not much but now she was almost as tall as him.
His sight was redirected at the bracelet hanging on her wrist and he forced himself to calm his breathing.
She didn’t answer to his retort and just looked over her shoulder, there were no more steps heard closer or voices yelling and they were close to an entrance that took directly to the bay of the school. Serena took off running at the sight of it without looking behind her back, Reiji followed suit after her and stumbled against her back when they reached the port.
He had never liked the salty smell of the sea.
“Now we just need to find a boat to mainland.” She said her eyes scouring every inch of the bay, she seemed frustrated when she realized it was empty.
“And then what?”
“What?” Serena turned again to face him.
“What are you going to do when you get to mainland?”
“I’ll stole a duel disk from one of the soldiers stationed there and go the Xyz Dimension.” She said so without a pause or a doubt in her voice, Reiji almost envied her resolution for such a half-cooked plan. “Once the Professor sees what I’m capable of in the frontlines he will acknowledge me for who I am”
Almost.
“I see…” Reiji took a step forward to her, taking her hand in his and with one simple movement he twisted both of her arms behind her back and used his free arm to grab her by the neck. “…but I can’t let you do that.”
“Get off me!!” She yelled and attempted to stomp on his foot but he used his knee to force her to knee instead.
“Well done Reiji, I knew I could trust you.” Said his voice as they started to be surrounded by Obelisk Force units.
That was how much of a priority Serena was, he finally had confirmation of it.
“Of course… Professor.” He said saluting nit worried by Serena escaping since the soldiers handed her as soon as she tried. “She told me of her intentions of escaping to the Xyz Dimension, if you allow the indiscretion I believe she ought to be marked as a traitor.”
“The only traitor here is you!!!” Serena yelled so loud that her voice croaked at the end of the sentence. “Get off me!!! Get off me and duel me like a true soldier warrior!!”
Reiji didn’t even flinch at the accusation nor her treats.
“Nobody is more aware of your potential than me Serena…” his Father started. “…But your time has not come just yet to use it.”
“Then when?!! I saw the troops leave for Xyz!! Why was I not included?!!” Serena kept wriggling on the hold of the much taller soldiers. “Answer me!! Until you set on Synchro or Standard?!”
His Father simply turned away from her and walked to him, his hand felt heavy on his shoulder.
“My beloved son, I must admit my mistake in doubting your loyalties, I believe you are ready now.”
“When?” he asked his eyes fixed on cold eyes, careful not to let anything show on his face, not now after so long…
“Now is a good time as any, give me your hand Reiji.” Reiji obeyed and as the traveling dispositive was tied to his wrist, it felt cold but he welcomed the feeling, then he nodded to one of the Obelisk Force soldiers who stepped in front of him, he was programming the coordinates, he assumed.
“And her?” He asked at last.
“Don’t worry, it doesn’t matter where she goes, I will always find her.” He stared at Serena and at the same time, past her, he had never seen such a look on his Father’s face. “You know what you ought to do.” It was the last thing he heard before he was blinded by light.
Finally, he would get to go home.
♥
Yuya couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
Their duel, the championship, the final round and the so-called Lancers selection it had all been a set up for Reiji Akaba to achieve this day: when he would finally walk alongside the streets of Maiami City along with his army, when the door opened there he stood, with a huge entourage of soldiers just like the ones they had all defeated on the lava field walking behind him, he even donned a similar blue uniform of the Academia standing tall and proud over the locked people on the arena.
The murmurs of the people, the cries of the children…. the first victims of war.
All he wanted to do right now was run and punch him until he told them where was Yuzu, if only Tsukikage and Gongenzaka didn’t have him immobilized trying to talk some sense into him for they had taken their duel disks and were now surrounded by another group of soldiers, but all Yuya saw was red.
“If I may have your attention.” A much deeper and older voice came from the intercom, most definitely not Reiji’s voice, instead a man on his forties had took his place, he was wearing a purple uniform and something about him was vaguely familiar to Yuya but he was unable to place the feeling with a memory. “It’s refreshing to come back, some of you may remember my face as the former CEO of Leo Corps… but none of that matters, all of you are about to presence the birth of the Utopia, of the Arc V!”
In all the screens on the stadium, it appeared first a place that looked like an old chamber of a castle, then I opened to give way to a sickly green glow, it looked like it was ….gathering something and something about it made Yuya tremble.
He could feel the amassing energy inside of it even from here.
There was a stunned silence from the people in their seats, but Yuya paid attention to none of it, he was looking straight at Reiji Akaba and this… man, he wouldn’t acknowledge anything except for looking intently at the screen.
Then Reiji looked at him and grinned at him, and Yuya felt something in him snap, in no more than a couple of seconds he had practically sprinted to the podium where Reiji was, vaguely aware that there were voices yelling after him.
He was so close, but before he could an Academia soldier finally caught up to him, making him land on the grass just in front of them.
“Yuya, don’t make this anymore complicated.” He heard the soldier whisper to him…
‘That… voice…what in the world…’ he tried to raise to get a look on them but he could only watch Reiji and the older man, talking between them, from this close he could hear them:
“So you have secured now the last piece… and Serena?”
“She has been retrieved as well, we are ready to start”
“Well done my beloved son, what is the number of attendants?”… Son? Yuya squinted his eyes, he could see the man’s face now he looked vaguely like Reiji except with darker skin and build.
‘Son… he’s Reiji’s father?’ There was a name ringing on his mind now… Leo, Akaba Leo, he remembered the disappearance of both Leo Akaba and his seven year old son, and the miraculous return of the child, taking his father place.
“55, 345 people on the last head count.” Reiji answered. “Will that suffice?” Rather than answer the man just nodded, then he eyes crossed with Yuya’s and he almost looked over him but then his eyes widened and he sharply turned to Reiji again.
“Is he..?”
“Yes, it appears Yuya Sakaki is one of the fragments of the… entity you told me about.” Reiji spoke adjusting his glasses. “I was unsure on how to handle him, so I here I have him.”
“Card him” he said with an edge on his voice. “Did you need my confirmation for that? You have it, deal with him at once.”
Reiji saluted at his father and walked down the stairs to him, he made a gesture to the soldiers to lift him from the ground, he wanted nothing more than to pounce at him but his whole body ached and when he recovered Reiji was standing in front of him.
“Stay put” He said and before he could say anything, there was a whirring sound on the air, the green light that the screen casted upon them softened until it was just a glow.
“What is the matter?! Control Room?! Respond!! The Arc V has stopped!” The shouts Reiji’s father gave startled Yuya, he had a mad look on his eyes now.
Reiji on the other hand was smiling softly, he nodded to the two soldier holding him and Yuya found himself out of the hold, he felt too shocked to react because of the banter that followed.
“It’s useless Father! I cut all communications with the Headquarters of the Academia.” Reiji said turning to him once more.
“Reiji!! What is the meaning of this?!” As he yelled he kept punching into the buttons of the control panel.
“It exactly what it looks like Father and even if you successfully recovered the signal, your machine will not work with two missing pieces.” When Reiji said this the two soldiers still behind him moved to stand in front of him, their motions pulled his attention to a pink highlight on one of their wrist…
Yuya would recognize that bracelet anywhere.
“Yuya… I hope you didn’t worry too much.” Yuzu said removing the mask off her head, letting her hair fall down her shoulder, next to her another girl stood, she looked just like Yuzu but her face was much more severe and she was frowning.
She said nothing except looking at Yuzu and then at him, she nodded and the other girl shrugged.
“I expected someone taller.”
“Is this your idea of a joke, Reiji?” His father asked, “What are you going to do now? Escape with them? Put on a fight? I have my army and you have nothing but two little girls and a devil’s spawn, you are so naïve…”
“Is that so? Why don’t you look behind you and tell how many of them are ready to fight for your cause Professor?”
Behind him all the soldiers looked… unsure, they didn’t knew what to do with this new development, Yuya realized, the way they looked back and forth between Reiji and his father talked about conflicting loyalties and doubt.
“What are you all doing?! Attack!? They’re the enemy!!” The Professor yelled at them, but no one moved, some of them got out their duel disk but remained still too, waiting to see who would move first.
Seeing the very own son of their leader disregard his father’s beliefs had shook them to the core, despite Reiji’s self-assurance Yuya could see he was relieved, he had no way of having plan this, no one could.
He had been counting on a flimsy hope that these soldiers never wanted to hurt anyone, be bet all of his plan on this, Yuya almost wanted to laugh.
“I …understand if you hate me, and there is lot more that I've done to hurt, things I have kept secret... I will tell you everything and.I will try to make up for you in any way I can after this, but right now I need you…” He looked at him, then at Yuzu and the other girl, even farther to Gongenzaka, Tsukikage and Sawatari. “…all of you to assist me.” He said offering a hand, as if in a peace offering.
This was crazy, he was crazy… and as he took his hand, Yuya thought he was crazy too.
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