In the End: Part 1

TEASER

(It's a dark room with lots of computers. A pair of hands frantically types on a control panel of some kind. Characters scroll on the screen in green and white, then recombine themselves into two overlapping, rotating ellipses. With another typed command, the entire control panel lights up red. Ones and zeroes scroll past the ellipses in columns, and the ellipses recede and form into a graphic. It looks like a little cartoony kid, with a red bomb attached to its back by a thick chain a head that looks like a metal sphere with dots for eyes, gears for teeth, and bomb fuses for antennae. It looks around, momentarily confused.) Crashbug X: Bug? Crashbug? Crashbug! (It cheerfully pulls out a pair of round, black bombs, saying its own name. The sinister figure at the controls laughs unpleasantly; the air around him burns with purplish fire, and a stylized 34 glows on the side of his neck.) - Heheheheheh, time to go *viral*... (The same image appears on each of the other computer screens as they light up one by one.) Crashbug X: Crashbug! Crash! Bug! Crashbug! (Crashbug X soars off down the lighted tunnel of the datanet, leading thousands of other Crashbugs like itself with it, networking from site to site in a creeping pattern of red lights...)

(Finally, a Crashbug X pokes its head out of the orange light of a traffic signal.) Crashbug X: Crash? Bug! Crashbug! Buggy buggy buggy bug! (It throws one of its bombs into the red light, and when it goes off the light turns red. A car swerves to stop in time, and another car almost hits it. Passersby are alarmed, but the little Crashbug X is quite pleased with itself. Nor is it the only one; on other street corners nearby, other Crashbug Xs are doing the same thing, turning green lights to red. Cars honk, traffic is at a standstill, including the monorails. Crashbug Xs all over are gleefully causing mischief.) Crashbugs: Crashbug! B-bug! Crashbug! B-bug! Crashbug!

Litterbot: Reinitializing. Trash Identified. (Yuma's grandma is walking down the lane with a handbag and a cane. When the litterbot approaches her she smiles at it.) Grandma: What a nice-- aahh! Aaahh! (The litterbot just grabbed grandma and picked her up. Nearby, other litterbots are also picking people up.) Litterbots: Trash identified... Grandma: What is the meaning of this?! Put me down at once!

(Crashbug Xs appear in the air over the city, multiplying endlessly, each happily wielding bombs.)

Yuma: Didn't I tell you to get lost already, Astral?! Astral: You did; <1:00> but, I do not understand what you mean by that. (Yuma's walking down the street, Astral floating behind him, and Bronk and Tori walking several steps behind.) Astral: How can one *consciously* get lost? If I go somewhere, I will know where I am. Yuma: It's a *figure of speech*, it means 'beat it', 'leave', 'go away'! Astral: I *can't* until you gather the Numbers. (Yuma whirls, losing his patience.) Yuma: What about *you*!!

Yuma: What do *I* have to do with anything?! Why do *I* have to gather your *dumb Numbers*?! (From Bronk and Tori's perspective Yuma is shouting at the empty air.) Bronk: There goes Yuma, having another argument wit' himself. Tori: Maybe there really *is* an invisible duelist following him around. Yuma (in background overlapping): ...following me around like a *lost puppy*?! (Yuma's still shouting at nothing when they catch up to him.) Yuma: I *know* you're not a dog, it's just an expression!! (Bronk waves tentatively to try and catch Yuma's attention; Yuma doesn't see as he turns and marches away, incensed.) Yuma: Ah, never mind! Forget this! Tori: Or maybe *not*. Yuma (in background, overlapping): It means I'm not gonna talk to you anymore! Tori: Maybe he just fell on his head.

(Astral floats along behind Yuma, arms folded.) Astral: Observation number two. When asked to do something, humans behave erratically. Yuma: Rrrgghh, *stop using big words*! Kari: Aaaaauuuuaaagghhhh!!! (They now stand outside Yuma's house, and they just heard an anguished wail from within.) Yuma: It sounded like my sister!

(They go inside to find Kari sweating and trembling before several glowing red computer screens, each one reading ERROR.) Yuma: What's wrong, Kari? Kari: My research...! My *transcripts*...! My big scoop! (She's half smiling but sound ready to sob, on the edge of cracking up.) Kari: Some kind of bug just wiped out my computer. Yuma: Okay, let's *try to stay calm*... (Kari's eyes are filling with hysterical tears.) Kari: My deadline is tomorrow...! <2:00> Yuma (aside): Mount Kari's about to blow...! Tori (aside): We *might* wanna get outta here. (Bronk, Tori, and Yuma flee before Kari turns around.) Kari: *Hey Yuma*!! Go find me a new scoop, *or else*!!!

(Opening)

ACT 1 <3:08>

(Sunset downtown. The air is filled with the sounds of car horns, and still nothing has moved. Yuma, Bronk, Tori, and Astral are standing around near a kiosk that displays red ERROR messages.) Yuma: Ugh, how does Kari expect *me* to find her a scoop? Why hasn't traffic moved in, like, *ten minutes*? Bronk: Uh, *nothing* is moving. Look at the monorail! Tori: Something's going on. (They hear a rumbling. The kiosk spontaneously starts shooting out canned drinks.) Yuma: You guys hear that? Hey, check it out-- the vending machine's tossing out juices all by itself!! Tori: Wait a second, Yuma-- (Yuma happily helps himself to a big stack of cans. Astral regards the machine, puzzled.) Tori: You can't take those, you didn't pay for them! Litterbot: Trash identified. Trash identified. Trash identified. (A litterbot trundles up to Yuma, picks him up, and opens up its lid to dunk him into the trash headfirst.) Yuma: Whaa-aa! Get me outta here! Ugh, *what is that smell*? (Astral hovers upside-down, arms folded, watching Yuma get dunked in the trash.) Litterbot: Trash contained. Trash contained.

(A news report on a holographic screen. A woman with long black hair speaks into the camera, standing in front of a news desk.) Newscaster (on screen): Alyssa Brianna filed this report regarding the sweeping-- (Kari clicks a remote and turns it off, miserable.) Kari: I don't wanna hear about anyone *filing reports*. (Yuma clasps his hands before a meal of rice, soup, and fish.) Yuma: Thanks for the grub, grandma! (Kari is sobbing with her head down on the table, while Yuma and grandma sit across from each other and Astral stands behind Yuma.) Kari: Why did my computer *trash my report*? Yuma: Speaking of trash, one of those litterbots scooped me up today! Grandma: The same thing happened to *me*! Kari: Wait, wait, *what*? (Yuma picks up his chopsticks.) Yuma: Downtown was *crazy* today.

(Outside, the night is peaceful; a monorail glides past.) Yuma (VO): Traffic lights were wonky, the monorail got stuck, <4:00> vending machines were just *spitting out juices*!

Grandma: The radio said everything's back to normal, now. Kari: So, wait. I'm not the *only one* whose computer got *wiped out*? Yuma: Guess not. Kari: Something stinks. (Yuma and grandma start sniffing themselves; do they still smell like trash?) Kari: Not *you two*! I smell a good story brewing! I've gotta replenish my energy and get cracking! (Kari has just grabbed the fish from Yuma's plate in her chopsticks.) Yuma: Huh? Hey, that's mine! (Kari ignores him and starts voraciously gnawing on the fish; she's on a mission!) Yuma: Sis--! Sis--! (She's already eaten it down to head, tail, and bones; she drops it and dashes off.) Kari: Gotta go! Yuma: Huh. (Yuma digs into his rice.) Astral: So this is how these humans *replenish their energy*...

(Later in the evening on the upper floor of the Tsukumo home...) Astral: ...And you park your vehicles on something called a 'driveway'... (Astral stands outside a closed door on the hallway.)

(Yuma's in the bathroom, and clearly tried for patience.) Yuma: Mmmgghh...

Astral: ...Yet you drive them on something called a 'parkway'. Yuma (through door): Would you *stop talking to me*?! Just *go away*! Astral: I am only seeking to better understand your behavior.

Yuma: I'm in a magical room right now. If you bother me while I'm in here, there's a chance I may- *turn into a guinea pig*!

Astral: Interesting.

(Outside, the mostly-full moon is high above.) Astral (VO): Observation number three; <5:00> after replenishing their energy, humans retire to a private magical room, and if they are bothered while *inside* their magic room, they will transform into a rodent.

Yuma: *Stop observing*!!

Astral: One more thing. You seem to be such a *complex and functional being*...

(Flashback. Yuma gets attacked and hits the ground hard in his duel against Shark.) Astral (VO): So then, why do you always *malfunction* when it comes time to *duel*? (End Flashback.)

Yuma: What is *that* supposed to mean?

Astral: Your dueling is broken, and erroneous. (Yuma bursts through the door, pulling up his sweat pants.) Yuma: *Go away*!!! Nobody's perfect; don't you *get* that?! People are interesting *because* they can fail! Astral: I do not understand that. Failure is not an option for *me*. (Yuma turns away, frustrated.) Yuma: Ugh, but you won't be able to *achieve* anything of you're *afraid* to fail! My *dad says that*, and my dad is *awesome*-- so there! (Yuma stomps past Astral down the hall.) Yuma: And leave me *alone*, you floating flashlight!!

(Blue moonlight trickles down on the photo of Yuma's parents; Yuma is snoring in his hammock, while Astral stands by.) Astral: I cannot shake the thought, that I was sent to this world on an important mission. Perhaps, in order to *fulfill* that mission, <6:00> I was supposed to take over Yuma's body.

(Flashback. Beyond the gateway Yuma unlocked is bright, multicolored light.) Astral (VO): But something went wrong. (Astral appears in one of Yuma's wide, brown eyes. Yuma finds himself sitting in a sphere of cards.) Astral (VO): And my essence was shattered, into ninety-nine *pieces*, ninety-nine... *Number* cards...! (The cards scatter away in all directions. Shark glows a violent shade of purple, and seems to be in pain as he calls his Xyz summon. Leviathan Dragon takes the field.) Astral (VO): If I have the power to take control of these humans, it stands to reason that each card containing a *piece* of me would have that power as well. The Number Seventeen certainly seemed to be controlling that boy they called 'Shark'. (Yuma sits on the ground, staring up at Astral in disbelief.) Astral (VO): But why was taking over *Yuma* part of my mission? (End Flashback.)

Astral (think): More importantly... what went *wrong*? (Astral watches Yuma snore, and reaches out to touch Yuma's key, which he keeps around his neck even when he sleeps. The key starts to glow, and with barely a gasp of surprise, Astral evaporates and gets sucked into it. Yuma rolls over in his sleep.)

Astral: What's happened?! (Astral stands on an unearthly plane in shades of blue. Specks dot the horizon, but the biggest thing in the sky resembles a green glass bottle wrapped in wire, wide in the middle and narrow at the bottom and mouth of the 'bottle'.) Astral: Where... *am I*...?

ACT 2 <6:45>

(The dark room with the computers again. Another Crashbug X just like the first appears in the screen.) Crashbug X: Crashbug! (The mystery hacker chuckles evilly, the 34 Number glowing on the side of his neck in fuchsia.) Scary voice: Yes, let the Number take hold...! (More and more Crashbug Xs multiply on the screen.) Crashbug Xs: Crash! Bug-a-bug-a-bug! Crashbug! Crashbug! Crashbug! <7:00>

(It's another morning, and Yuma starts his day, as usual, by falling out of his hammock and landing on his head. He disentangles himself, groaning, then sits up, startled. He looks around.) Yuma: Ugh... Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh? Looks like that Astral finally took the hint! (The clock on the wall tolls.) Yuma: Oh no-- I'm late! Again!

(An aerial view takes us across the city to Yuma's school...)

(And Yuma collapses into his desk next to Tori at the back of the class.) Yuma: Made it! (Tori's little desktop screen, and every other holographic screen in the classroom, has the same bright red ERROR screen Kari's computers had. Their teacher, Mr. Kay, is speaking at the front lectern; he has red-brown hair, half-rimmed glasses, and a grey vest over a pink shirt.) Mr. Kay: So I know we were going to spend today's class discussing the quadratic equation, and I know you were all looking forward to that, but unfortunately, due to yesterday's system hiccup, our systems are offline. Extra credit for anyone who can find the source of this thing-- (A boy sitting in front of Yuma eagerly raises his hand, and, not waiting to be called upon, walks to the head of the class.) Kazwell: Excuse me, Mister Kay? But I can take this one! Mr. Kay: You... *know* I was being sarcastic, right, Kazwell? Kazwell: Ahem! Okay. Pay attention, *simpletons*, because *some of this* might go over your heads! Yesterday's incident was the result of a virus planted in the city's grid system by a hacker. *But*-- in the end, by pinging several-- Yuma (interrupts): Hey, since we can't talk about mathy stuff, let's have a *duel tournament*! Mr. Kay: Well, that's not on the curriculum... but sure, why not? Yuma: Haha! <8:00> All right, Mister Kay!! I am totally feelin' the flow! (The rest of the students cheer, too-- except Kazwell, who just got upstaged and is not happy about it.) Kazwell (mutters): That *uppity upstart* stole my spotlight! That does it!! (Kazwell points right at Yuma, and shouts.) Kazwell: Yuma!! I challenge you to a duel *here and now*! Yuma: All right, get set to get decked! Duel disk, go! (Yuma activates his duel equipment; a screen unfolds and reattaches to his duel disk, and its slots unfurl. He dons his duel gazer.) Yuma: Duel gazer-- let's roll. (Yuma and Kazwell face off on one of the aisles, with Yuma standing at the back of the classroom and Kazwell at the front. The rest of the students stand around the edges of the room and Mr. Kay stands a distance off to Kazwell's left.) Yuma and Kazwell: Duel interface set! (The holographic space spreads from the center of the field, placing holographic screens and panels scattered in the air around the duel. Both duelists' gazers glint, as do the spectators; both Bronk and Tori are among them.) Computer: Augmented reality vision link established. (Both duelists start with 4000 lifepoints.) Yuma and Kazwell: Let's do this!

Tori: Show 'im what you're made of, Yuma!

Kazwell (mocking): What *are* you made of, Yuma? *I* heard you beat Shark the other day. Yuma: Well, then you heard the truth. Kazwell: I don't *believe* you. Everyone knows Shark is the best duelist around.

Bronk: Believe it, Kazwell, 'cause it's true! Tori: We were right there, we saw it happen!

Kazwell: Then according to the laws of transitive property... Yuma: Transa-whaty? Kazwell: Beating you would mean that, in the end, *I* am the best duelist in school! Yuma: I'm not sure I *buy* that logic, Kazwell. <9:00> Either way that's not gonna happen, 'cause I've got an *awesome Number ca*-- huh? (Yuma just noticed that the extra deck holster on his belt is empty. He frantically looks around.) Yuma: Where'd my Number card go?! I had it this morning!! Kazwell: What's the matter-- (draw) are you feeling the pressure already? Yuma: Waitasecond, just hang on, I'm not ready-y-y-y!! (Yuma's yell echoes across the school grounds...)

(Soon...) Kazwell: I summon Crashbug X! Crashbug X: Crashbug! (This Crashbug looks just like the ones that have been wreaking havoc. Kazwell still has all 4000 lifepoints.) Crashbug X: Bug! Yuma: Oh..! Kazwell: Now zap his lifepoints! (And Yuma gets knocked to the floor; his lifepoints have already hit 0.) Yuma: What happened? (Bronk hides his face in one palm; Tori looks concerned.) Bronk: *That* was embarrassing... Tori: You can say *that* again. (The desks in the two columns between Yuma and Kazwell are in ruins.) Kazwell: Ha! I bested you in one move! You never had a chance! (A holographic screen proclaims Kazwell the winner; the gazervision starts to dissipate in a rain of ones and zeroes, and the desks go back to their previous condition.) Kazwell: In the end, there was no way an intellectually-challenged amateur like you could defeat a *brilliant strategist* such as myself! Yuma: What did you call me?! Mr. Kay: There's no need to boast, Kazwell. Kazwell and Yuma: Huh? (Mr. Kay walks over to Kazwell.) Mr. Kay: Dueling is actually a *lot like life.* Sometimes things go as we planned, other times we make mistakes and we get frustrated. (Mr. Kay picks up the Crashbug card on Kazwell's duel disk, which he had on the field along with Crashbug X and Crashbug Y.) Mr. Kay: When that happens, you just have to feed your frustrations to Crashbug. <10:00> (He shows the card to Yuma and the other students. Mr. Kay has turned the upset over the duel into a teachable moment, and the whole class is rapt with attention.) Mr. Kay: You guys know the legend behind Crashbug, right? Crashbug's this *little electrical spirit*, and he likes to zap what he calls 'bugs'. Bugs are those feelings that get in our way-- frustration, doubt-- give those bugs to Crashbug and you can move past them and succeed. Kazwell: That's *ridiculous*, Mister Kay! Crashbug doesn't *actually exist*! Mr. Kay: Of *course* it exists; I've seen it. Kazwell: Ah? (Yuma gets to his feet.) Mr. Kay: So what if you lost, Yuma? The trick is to not let the frustration get to you. Learn from your mistakes and keep moving forward. Keep challenging yourself. (Yuma's eyes are shining with inspiration.) Yuma: You got it, Mister Kay! I'm gonna keep at it-- that's what feelin' the flow is all about! (Mr. Kay smiles and chuckles.) Yuma (VO): Isn't Mister Kay the coolest?

(Yuma and Tori are walking home along the sidewalk, Yuma raving to Tori about Mr. Kay.) Yuma: Not only is he the awesomest, smartest math whiz I've ever met, but he's *super nice*, too! I wanna be *just like him* when I grow up! (They hear a car honk.) Yuma: Huh? Tori: Huh? (A red car pulls up in front of them. Kari rolls down the driver's-side window.) Kari: Hey, doofus; what's up? Yuma: Whaddayou want, *sis*? (Kari pulls down her sunglasses, in full spy mode.) Kari: Hop in the car; let's go for a drive. <11:00>

(Kari blazes down the freeway, Tori in the passenger seat and Yuma in the back.) Kari: It's a good thing yesterday's virus attack only spread to a few remote servers. (Kari reaches down and moves the gearshift from 5 to 2, then changes lanes.) Yuma: Why? What woulda happened if it had spread to *more*... remote-control... serving... thingies? Kari (dramatically): The entire city would've been *thrown into chaos*! Yuma: Whoa-- that sounds really serious! Kari: Forget about *traffic lights and litterbots*--

(She envisions a building that reads 'SpaceBank', showing holographic error screens and gathering a crowd of angry people. And over it all, scrolling red numbers and the ubiquitous Crashbug X virus.) Kari (VO): Bank data would've vanished! People would've *lost their money*. Vision Crashbug X: Crashbug! (Change vision. Helicopters pained in ambulance colors hover around uneasily over a crowd of people, and a traffic jam of ambulances and confused medical personnel.) Kari (VO): Hospitals would've lost medical records and the ability to help people! It would've been a disaster!

Yuma: Wow! Are you serious?! Tori: Who would do such a terrible thing? Kari: I have no idea. But I *do know* that the virus was transmitted from *your school library*. Yuma and Tori: What?! (They turn a corner and arrive outside Yuma and Tori's school.) Kari: So here's what we're gonna do. *I'm* gonna chase a few more leads; meanwhile *you two* are gonna stake out the library. Tori: A stakeout sounds so exciting! Yuma: Why did I get *hungry* when you said that? Kari: You're *always* hungry! But *don't let your appetite distract you*! I wanna track this hacker down and make him *pay* for deleting my big scoop! <12:00>

(The school library. Students wander, looking at volumes on shelves.) Tori (whispers): So what was your sister's big scoop? Yuma (wearily): Ice cream. (A wide column with flickering lights in blue and red seems to be some kind of supercomputer. Students sit at study tables with holographic screens.) Tori: I'm *serious*. Yuma: So am *I*. She discovered that the local ice cream parlor was a front for a criminal organization! (Yuma and Tori are hiding behind a bookshelf near the computer desks. Tori peeks out from behind, Yuma doesn't even bother.) Tori: *Yuma*, we're supposed to keep our eyes open! Yuma (sigh): There's nothin' to *see*!

(Soon the bright afternoon light has begun to dim and most of the students have cleared out. Yuma yawns, and Tori has also decided to sit down on the floor. Tori looks at a handheld watch.) Tori: It's almost time for the library to close. Yuma: Maybe the sinister bad guy took the day off. Or maybe it's a... (Tori looks around the corner one more time and gasps. One more student, all alone, is approaching a computer desk, nervously looking over his shoulder.) Yuma: ...Hacker holiday or something. Tori: Yuma! Shh! *Look*! Isn't that...? (Kazwell anxiously looks around again, as though afraid to be caught; he's sweating with nerves.) Yuma: Kazwell. Tori: Yeah-- and he's acting suspicious. (Yuma doesn't think twice; he runs out from behind the bookcase and toward Kazwell before Tori can react.) Tori: Hey-- what're you doing? (Kazwell types on the holographic keyboard built into the tabletop, eyes on the screen, tense and worried. He looks at a flash drive in his hand, getting ready to plug it in.) Tori: That looks like-- some kinda flash drive. (Kazwell plugs it into a tabletop port. A Crashbug X logo pops up on the screen, explodes, and fills the screen with a minefield of bombs that look like Crashbug X's head. Kazwell yelps.) Kazwell: Ahh! But--! I didn't mean to launch anything!! (Yuma grabs him by the shoulders.) Yuma: Caught red-handed! Now tell us why ya did it, ya criminal lowlife! (Kazwell shakes Yuma off and starts typing at a rapid pace.) Kazwell: Unhand me! I'm not *behind* this-- I'm *being used*! (Tori joins them.) Yuma: Don't try to lie!! I saw you upload the virus, and-- <13:00> um, what're you doing? (Tears show at the edges of Kazwell's eyes, but he doesn't stop typing, talking just as rapidly.) Kazwell: I'm tracking the source of the rootkit. If I can pinpoint the location this machine was just accessed from, then we'll know where the criminal is and-- ohh!! (Kazwell is looking more and more terrified; his screen is an ocean of scrolling numerals.) Kazwell: This is not good! Look, in the end I found an encrypted data packet that led me to believe I could access a file on this computer to learn who the criminal is, but it turns out the file was a detonator for some sort of computer virus and now it's-- (The screen is a map of rectangles connected by lines, rapidly following a path marked in red.) Kazwell: Wait-- I'm onto something! (The path ends at a single rectangle and the screen displays an address-- 10101101.11.192.168.2.134.00001246.) Kazwell: There's our location!! (Yuma and Tori look over his shoulders. The location maps to a tower somewhere in the city.)

(Kari is at her desk surrounded by computers. The central one is a video call with Yuma as he runs.) Kari: Your friend triggered a countdown?! Yuma: We sent you the access stuff. Try to stop it! We're on our way to the bad guy's secret lair! (Kari looks worried; this is her little brother!) Kari: But it could be dangerous! Yuma: Don't worry, sis-- I'll be fine! ... I think.

ACT 3 <13:40>

(It's growing dark outside, when Kazwell, Yuma, and Tori reach the place that the map sent them to.) Kazwell: That tower under construction! The hacker should be in *there*!

(Inside, the halls are dark and quiet.) Yuma: Maybe you were wrong about this place, Kazwell. (They wander deeper into the tower.) Kazwell: In the end, have I *ever* been wrong? (Just then, the door slides shut behind them-- locking them in!) Yuma: Huh? Mr. Kay: You've *finally put the pieces together*. <14:00> Took you a lot longer than I thought it would! (On a platform before them, stands the mysterious hacker-- their math teacher is not his usual, friendly self.) Yuma: Mister Kay?! What're you doin' hangin' out *here*? (Definitely not his usual friendly self.) Mr. Kay: Hmhmhmhmhm...! Kazwell: Don't you *get* it? In the end, *Mister Kay* is the criminal mastermind behind the malicious virus! (The computer screens around the room light up, illuminating the room.) Mr. Kay: That's *one way* of putting it! Yuma: But- but I was saying earlier how *awesome* you are, Mister Kay! I think I even said I wanted to be like you when I grow up! Mr. Kay: Hmph! Someone like you could *never* be like me! Kazwell: I have to say, sir-- this is disappointing! Mr. Kay: Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, Kazwell; especially since I'm so proud of you for following my clues! (The countdown clock on each computer screen reads 29:58:50 and counting down, and 0.118% done loading and counting up.) Mr. Kay: I wanted you all to be here when the virus went... well... *viral*. Kazwell: Are you saying you led us here *on purpose*?! (Mr. Kay chuckles and gets rid of his glasses, then loosens his tie, revealing the 34 burning on the side of his neck.) Yuma: A *Number*!

(Meanwhile, in the strange, blue void Astral got sucked into...) Astral: Observation number four. This world-- like Yuma-- is a complex machine. (One of the objects in the sky, which appeared to be green glass bottles wrapped in wire, upon closer inspection is an intricate network of gears and bronze rings. Astral is exploring one of these. All of the gears are still.) Astral: ...But not as annoying. It is... complicated in design... like a *puzzle*. (Suddenly, Astral sees a red flash of light ahead of him and stops short, frightened.) Astral: What is that?! It feels like a *Number*...! <15:00>

(Mr. Kay laughs evilly and sits in the chair atop his platform.) Mr. Kay: Hahahahaha! You cannot stop me! (Yuma's key glows golden, as he stares at Mr. Kay. The timers on the screens behind him read 29:22:50.) Yuma: I can't *believe* it! (The glow materializes, and Astral is standing next to him once again.) Astral: That human bears the mark of a Number! (Yuma yelps, startled.) Yuma: Aah! I thought you went back to *Saturn* or something! Astral: You were incorrect.

(Tori and Kazwell see Yuma start arguing with empty air.) Yuma: So then where've you *been*?! Where did you come from just now?! What are you?! Kazwell (to Tori): Why is he talking to himself like that? Yuma (overlapping in background): Whatever you are, don't-- Tori: All right! Yuma's invisible duelist friend must've appeared to help 'im out!

Yuma: Never mind, forget it; I'm gonna *ignore* you. (to Mr. Kay) What's goin' on, Mister Kay?! Why're you doing this?! (Mr. Kay's platform descends, bringing him down closer to Yuma.) Mr. Kay: This is my personal challenge to myself. Like you, always trying to *feel the flow*. Yuma: That's not the same thing!! Feeling the flow isn't about causing trouble and hurting people!! Astral: Yuma, you must duel this man. Yuma: Huh? Astral: One of the Numbers has consumed his spirit. The only way to *reason* with him, is to break the Number's hold. Yuma (to Mr. Kay): I challenge you to a duel-- and if you lose, then you have to stop the virus from going off! (Mr. Kay's eyes flash purple.) Mr. Kay: You want to duel me?! (He's glowing and burning with fuchsia energy.) <16:00> Mr. Kay: Well, I am more than happy to agree to your conditions, *Yuma*-- but why *d'you* think you can defeat me? Well?! Yuma: Because now I'm feelin' the flow! Let's do this! Duel disk, go! Duel gazer, let's roll! (Yuma and Mr. Kay face off on either side of the platform chair, surrounded by monitors with countdown timers-- 28:02:35 and counting down-- with Tori and Kazwell standing off to Yuma's left.) Computer: Duel interface set. (The holographic field spreads out from the center of the room; both duelists' gazers glint, as do the spectators.) Computer: Augmented reality vision link established. Yuma and Mr. Kay: Let's duel! (Each duelist starts with 4000 lifepoints.)

Tori: I know you can win, Yuma, haha! (Kazwell clasps his hands tightly.) Kazwell: Yuma *has* to win-- or else everyone'll think I'm some kinda *criminal*!

Mr. Kay: I believe the first move is mine! I draw! (Draw. Double-take.) Mr. Kay: I place a monster facedown in defense mode! Yuma: Aw, great, a facedown! Now I don't even know what I'm up against! Mr. Kay: So then try to attack me, and find out! Yuma: I think I *will*! Hah! (draw) I summon, Gagaga Magician! [Gagaga Magician 1500/1000/L4/dark] <17:00> Yuma: Hgh... wait, since I don't know what that *is*, maybe I shouldn't attack. Hnnh... ahh, whatever, there's no point in thinking...! (Yuma's key glows.) Yuma: Gagaga Magician! Attack Mister Kay! Mr. Kay: Not a chance. Crashbug X! Show yourself! (His monster flips; it's the same viral Crashbug.) [Crashbug X 0/2000/L3/dark] Crashbug X: Crashbug! (It forms a glowing cage around itself, and repels the attack. Yuma's lifepoints drop to 3500.) Yuma: Agggh, ah man, I just got schooled...!

Tori: How come Yuma lost lifepoints if his monster is just fine? Kazwell: If you attack a monster in defense mode, the attacking monster isn't destroyed, even if the defending monster has higher defense points. Thus, in the end, if you subtract the attack points from the defense points, Yuma takes five hundred points of damage! (As Kazwell explains graphics onscreen illustrate-- Crashbug X has 2000 defense points, to Gagaga Magician's 1500 attack points, and Yuma's lifepoints take the difference-- 500-- as damage, leaving him with 3500.) Mr. Kay: It's my turn now! I draw! First I summon Crashbug Y! [Crashbug Y 1400//L3/] (Crashbug X's cousin is squat and fat, clad in unflattering brown diagonal stripes, and of course carrying explosives.) Crashbug Y: *Crashbug*! Mr. Kay: And with that done, I activate the "Crashbug Road" spell card from my hand! Now-- we each choose a level-four-or-below monster on our fields; then we each summon a monster from our hands, <18:00> that has the same level as the monster we chose! I choose, Crashbug Z! [Crashbug Z 0///] (This latest Crashbug wields yet more explosives and is tall and gangling, with blue horizontal stripes and a black T-shirt with a big letter Z.) Crashbug Z: Bug. Yuma: 'Kay. The only monster on my field is, Gagaga Magician. So that means... sweet! (Yuma has spotted a monster to special-summon in his hand. Along with Gogogo Golem, his cards are Asleep At the Switch, Ganbara Knight, Thunder Short, and Zubaba Knight.) Yuma: I can summon Gogogo Golem! Astral: I would highly advise summoning that Golem in *defense* mode, since it has an ability that prevents it from being destroyed in battle. Yuma: If I *wanted* advice from an annoying ghost, I'd go to a *haunted house*! I summon Gogogo Golem in attack mode! [Gogogo Golem 1800//L4/] Yuma: How d'ya like *that*-- with eighteen hundred attack points, this Golem won't be goin' down easy! Mr. Kay: I'm afraid this is what we call a *teachable moment*, Yuma! Yuma: Huh? Mr. Kay: You've set me up for a *perfect victory*!

ACT 4 <18:47>

Mr. Kay: It's *over*, Yuma! I overlay Crashbug X, Y, and Z-- heheheheh! With these three monsters I build the Overlay Network! (All three Crashbugs swirl into a vortex in bolts of purple energy; the space above the duel seethes dark purple.) <19:00> Astral (warily): Here comes the Number. Yuma: Ohh, an Xyz summoning with *three* monsters! (Mr. Kay's eyes are wide-open and bloodshot with intensity.) Mr. Kay: That's right! Prepare to meet your defeat-- here comes Number Thirty-Four-- Terror-Byte!! [Number 34: Terror-Byte 0/2900/R3/dark] (The number 34 glows fuchsia against darkness. Terror-Byte appears in the form of a giant computer chip in tones of yellow and grey, crackling with power. Then it starts unfolding and transforming until it resembles a monstrous sort of rhinoceros. Its overlay units orbit around it in purple.) Kazwell: It appears to be some sort of data chip, capable of taking the form of a member of the Rhinoceratidae family! But, what's the significance of the Number?! Yuma: I dunno, it, it-- ah! (He checks his extra deck holster; both of his Number cards-- 39 and 17-- are back.) Yuma: Hah-- all right! Both of my Number cards are suddenly back in my deck! (Yuma, mystified, looks over at Astral, who doesn't notice.) Yuma (think): Weird. Is it because Astral came back? Mr. Kay: Hahahaha! I'm activating Terror-Byte's *special* ability. Like a denominator absorbs a numerator in a perfect fractional ratio, by using one overlay unit, <20:00> I can take control of one of *your* monsters! Your Gogogo Golem is *mine*! (Terror-Byte consumes an overlay unit, and zaps Gogogo Golem. It shatters...) Yuma: Ahh! *Not cool*, Mister Kay! (...And reappears on the opposite field. And Gagaga Magician's 1500 attack points are looking too small against Golem's 1800.) Mr. Kay: And now, Gogogo Golem, attack Yuma!! Yuma: Whaaaa! No! Gagaga! (Gagaga Magician is destroyed and Yuma's lifepoints decrease further to 3200; he shields his face.)

(Kari's fingers fly across the keyboard.) Kari: Sweet. I've broken through the viral program's firewall; now *where's the deactivation code*? (Kari's screen is a maze of rectangles connected by lines, leading down to one. And zooming in on that one-- her screen shows a dark stone corridor, with paths leading off in multiple directions; and the timer is still ticking, now at 25:03:42 and counting down.) Kari: So I've gotta make my way through this *dungeon maze*...! And the clock is still ticking!

(The full moon is high above the tower...) Mr. Kay (VO): You'll *never* defeat me, Yuma. Your dueling is too imperfect!

(...Inside of which the duel continues.) Yuma: My dad used to say that imperfection is what makes us awesome. Mr. Kay: Perfection is *everything*. I teach math because it is the pursuit of *absolute* perfection! The only reason your father said that <21:00> is so *you* wouldn't feel bad about being a failure! Yuma: Aw, man, Mr. Kay is *really layin' it out there*. Kinda stings! Astral: Tell me *where* it stings. Yuma (annoyed): It stings in my heart! Astral: Observation number five. Words can hurt a human's heart... I will *remember* that. (Astral sounds sincere; this revelation could mark a big shift in his understanding of Yuma.) Yuma: I can't let what he's saying get to me...! I gotta try to be strong. Kazwell: Um, Yuma? Yuma: Huh? (He looks toward the sidelines. Kazwell has tentatively ventured a few steps forward.) Kazwell: You know how I'm always saying 'in the end'?

Kazwell: Well, it's interesting, because-- the phrase 'in the end' is *actually* about starting conditions. Something that is so *in the end*, was that way from the beginning. (Kazwell's slipping into lecture mode; Tori turns away in exasperation.) Kazwell: It was inevitable. Tori: Sheesh... Kazwell: And so it *actually*...

Yuma: I'm kinda *busy* at the moment, Kazwell-- why're you bringin' this up *now*?! Mr. Kay: Kazwell is simply trying to explain that, *in the end*, you're going to lose this duel, and I'm going to infect the entire city's control system-- and that's been the case since the very beginning!!! (The timer is at 23:58:00 and still counting down... To Be Continued...!)