Yuya explores the ruins of a duel school while arguing with Yuto. He insists his father would not have abandoned the Xyz Dimension, and thinks Yuto met him, but Yuto denies this, saying that "duel with smiles" were what Ruri said to him before she was captured by Academia. Yuya retrieves Yuto's old deck from the school, and speculates on why he can now speak with Yuto. Yuto brings up the duel with Barret, where the Four Dimension Dragons resonated with each other, and thinks that may have awakened him. Outside, Yuya is accosted by a cloaked figure who asks what he is doing there. When Yuya explains he is looking for his father, Sakaki Yusho, the figure grows angry and unveils an Academia Duel Disk, declaring he will duel Yuya to use him as bait to lure out Yusho. Yuya slaps on his Duel Disk and the duel begins.
Yuya summons "Entermate Allcover Hippo" and uses its effect to Special Summon "Entermate Discover Hippo" as well, then uses Allcover's second effect to switch both to defense position. He sets a card and ends his turn. The cloaked figure begins his turn and summons "Destiny Hero Drillguy," and then activates the Spell card "D-Pressure" to Special Summon a second Drillguy from the deck. The two Drillguys attack, destroying Yuya's hippos and dealing piercing damage, taking him to 2400 Life Points. The figure sets two cards and ends his turn. Yuya draws and activates "Smile World," increase the ATK of both Drillguys by 200 for the rest of the turn. He then activates the Trap "Smile Potion," which lets him draw two cards since the ATK of an opponent's monster changed. The figure activates his Trap "D-Fusion," and fuses his two Drillguys into "Destiny Hero Dystopiaguy." Dystopiaguy's effect activates and deals damage equal to the ATK of a Destiny Hero in the Graveyard. With the 1600 ATK Drillguys there, Yuya takes another 1600 damage, to 800 Life Points.
Yuto angrily asks if Yuya still insists on trying to talk to this man, and Yuya says he is, since he has to know more about his father. Yuto says that the figure hates Yusho, so even Yusho himself wouldn't be able to reach his heart. Yuto admits he's been having doubts since seeing his home in ruins, and declares that the ideal of dueling with smiles can only be achieved once Academia is defeated. Yuya screams and his eyes flash purple, fading to reveal they have changed to Yuto's. Controlling Yuya's body, Yuto performs a Pendulum Summon and summons "Entermate Amenboat" and "Entermate Helpprincess." Yuto then activates the effect of the monster in his Pendulum Zone, "Entermate Seal Eel," to negate Dystopiaguy's effects this turn and recover Life Points equal to the earlier effect damage he took.
Yuto overlays his two monsters to summon "Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon" and activates its effect twice, sapping Dystopiaguy to 700 ATK and raising Dark Rebellion to 4600 ATK. Dark Rebellion attacks and takes the figure to 100 Life Points, but due to the effect of "D-Fusion," the Fusion Summoned monster can't be destroyed this turn. Yuto ends his turn and returns Yuya's body to him. The cloaked figure takes his turn and attacks Dark Rebellion with Dystopia guy, taking Yuya to 2100 Life Points. Yuya activates the effect of his other Pendulum Monster, "Entermate Chain Giraffe," destroying it to revive Dark Rebellion. In response the figure activates "D-Devil Dance," banishing a Drillguy from his Graveyard to reduce Dark Rebellion's ATK by Drillguy's ATK, since the former was Special Summoned during the Battle Phase. By this effect, Dystopiaguy can attack twice this turn. The effect of Chain Giraffe prevents Dark Rebellion from being destroyed, but Yuya takes damage and falls to 200 Life Points.
The figure ends his turn by activating the Continuous Trap "D-Death Match." This lets him compare the levels of the monsters they control each turn, and if his total is greater, he can increase his monster's ATK by 100 times the difference and inflict the same amount as damage. Since Yuya only controls Xyz Monsters that have no level, Dystopiaguy gains 800 ATK. Since its ATK changes, Dystopiaguy's effect activates, destroying one card on the field; Seal Eel is destroyed. The second effect of D-Death Match to deal 800 damage activates, but Yuya finds the Action card "Acceleration," negating the effect damage. Yuto, enraged at the thought of the other Resistance members being hunted by such tactics, takes over Yuya's body again.
Yuto draws and activates "Rank-Up Magic Phantom Knights Launch," ranking up Dark Rebellion into the Rank 5 "Dark Requiem Xyz Dragon" and attaching Dark Rebellion and Launch to it as its Xyz Materials. Yuto detaches one Xyz Material from Dark Requiem to activate its effect, sapping the ATK of Dystopiaguy to 0 and increasing Dark Requiem's ATK by the same; it grows to 6200 ATK. The figure activates Dystopiaguy's effect since its ATK changed, but Yuto chains the second effect of Dark Requiem, detaching an Xyz Material to negate the effect, then summoning Dark Rebellion from the Graveyard. Yuto attacks Dystopiaguy with Dark Requiem. The figure finds the Action card "Miracle" but throws it away since it won't save him, and instead activates "Destiny Hero Dynamite Guy" from his hand, negating the Battle Damage and dealing 1000 damage to both players. The duel ends in a draw.
The explosion blows Yuya back into a wall, which collapses on top of him. Still conscious but hidden, he hears a car drive up and Academia agents refer to the figure as their commander-in-chief.
Meanwhile, Yuzu meets Yusho, who tells her he was in the Xyz Dimension some time ago, and was sent to the Fusion Dimension by Edo during the Xyz Invasion. The two each hold one half of a torn "Smile World" card.
This episode contains the following tropes:
- 2D Visuals, 3D Effects: Deliberately invoked for Dark Requiem Xyz Dragon's summoning - Dark Rebellion begins to become distorted into a polygonal version of itself, as if the Solid Vision was glitching out, and this distorted dragon shatters to reveal Dark Requiem underneath.
- Affably Evil: Edo seemed willing enough to help a lost boy find his father until he revealed who said father is.
- Berserk Button: Yusho is one for Edo. Anything that reminds him of Yusho sends him foaming at the mouth.
- Double Knockout: This how Yuya's Duel against Edo ended up.
- Good Wings, Evil Wings: Dark Requiem Xyz Dragon has wings of light that resemble stained glass windows.
- Gratuitous English: Edo retains his habit from GX of using certain English terms, such as "cemetery".
- Life Drain: Dark Requiem Xyz Dragon's effect drains an opponent's monster's attack points and adds them to Dark Requiem's own.
- Made of Iron: Yuya gets propelled back into a wall, which then collapses on top of him, and is still conscious enough to hear the Academia troops calling Edo 'Commander-in-chief' afterwards.
- Mythology Gag:
- Once again, Edo's first duel with the protagonist happens with the protagonist unaware of Edo's true status.
- Yuto and Ruri's old duel school looks exactly like one from ZEXAL, just ruined and falling into disrepair.
- Next Tier Power-Up: Yuya gets Yuto's old deck and his Xyz support cards, allowing him to use Rank-Up cards to perform Rank-Up Xyz Change.
- Pragmatic Hero: Yuto shows shades of this. He admits that Yusho's ideal is beautiful but it may not be plausible and is starting to go violent. He even starts to take over Yuya to duel.
- Rule of Symbolism: Dark Requiem Xyz Dragon represents the Naraka Realm, a place where souls are sent for the expiation of their sins. Yama, "King of Hell", sentences the spirits of the dead to their appropriate punishment. After the period of punishment is complete, they are reborn on Earth in human or animal bodies. Yuto's summoning chant for Dark Requiem Xyz Dragon does make sense, since the Naraka Realm is usually referred to in English as "Hell Realm", or "Purgatory Realm".
- Running Gag: We're reminded again that Xyz Monsters don't have levels.
- Split-Personality Takeover: Yuto shows the ability to take over Yuya's body this episode, represented by Yuya's eyes turning grey.
- Trailers Always Spoil: To a lesser extent than with Crystal Wing, but Dark Requiem Xyz Dragon was shown in the preview.
- Unstoppable Rage: Yuya wants to try and find out where his father is from Edo, but Yuto is blinded by rage at the thought that Edo was probably the one who defeated his comrades.
- Wham Episode: Edo Phoenix appears and makes clear that he knows Yuya's father, and Yuya performs a Rank-Up Xyz Change for the first time.
- Wham Line:Yusho: I was in the Xyz Dimension when the invasion was underway. There, I was sent across the dimensions by a certain youth.
- Wham Shot: Yuya's eyes turning grey, indicating that Yuto has taken over, and Edo's possession of a ripped Smile World card.
