After his loss to Yugo, Sawatari is taken to the underground garbage facility to serve as slave labor. There, Gallager is one of the top-ranked men of the facility, which runs on the same rules as the City — winners rise, losers fall. Gongenzaka and Tokumatsu confront Gallager as he talks to Duel Chaser 227, and Gallager offers them the chance to duel the assembled prisoners for their freedom; a chance like this normally needs years of work, but he'll make an exception for them. Gallager also reveals he's been working for Jean-Michel Roget all along, passing promising duelists he finds to Roget in exchange for his own safety from Security. One of his "offerings" was Sergey Volkov, the infamous "Duel Crusher" who is one of the City's worst criminals. Gallager also reveals the rumors that Roget came from another world 10 years ago, and quickly rose to the rank of Chief of Security by offering the Executive Council the Real Solid Vision technology they didn't have at the time.
As Tokumatu's former friends from the Facility appear and challenge him, Sawatari arrives and declares he'll accept the challenge. Watching from the shadows, Tsukikage slips into the elevator and escapes to the surface. He meets with Reiji and relays Gallager's rumors to him; Reiji confirms this means Roget is from the Fusion Dimension. Tsukikage leaves to return to the underground, but Reira steps forward and admits he hoped Shinji would beat him, and apologizes to the two of them. He vows to one day become as strong as Tsukikage so he can help Reiji and Yuya the way he wants to. Surprised that Reira mentioned Yuya, Reiji sends Tsukikage to see Yuya as well. Tsukikage explains to Yuya that he's infiltrated the underground under Reiji's orders, and though he's biding his time, Reiji won't abandon the other Lancers down there. He also tells Yuya what Reira said about Yuya protecting him, and that since Reira himself can no longer participate, he wants Yuya to duel and win in his place.
Yuya has Tsukikage deliver another message for him; a letter to Yuzu. Yuya assures Yuzu he's found his resolve, and knows what he must do; defeat Jack to bring the City to their side, so they can end the dimensional war, go home, and create a peaceful, happy world like he wants.
In the arena, Sergey duels Damon and wins through unseen means.
This episode is also notable as a Milestone Celebration: it's the 777th episode of the entire NAS-produced Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise (this does not count the "Season Zero" Toei anime).
This episode provides examples of:
- Back from the Dead: Sergey is rumored to have died.
- Break the Haughty: Duel Chaser 227's breaking is complete; after boasting he was one of the top Security agents in Tops, he not only fell to Commons, but has fallen even further to the bottom rung of society. After Gallager spells this out for him, he collapses into tears.
- Breather Episode: After the previous Wham Episode, this episode features no duels in favor of exposition and setting up future plot points and story threads.
- The Cameo: All the previous Yu-Gi-Oh protagonist make a cameo appearance in this episode's special opening. See
Milestone Celebration in the trivia tab for more info. - Character Development: Both Reira and Yuya gets large amounts of development in the episode. Reira, learning from Jack, resolves to grow strong so Tsukikage, Reiji and Yuya can watch him. While Yuya realizes that his methods will not work as he's still a nobody in this dimension, he resolves that he needs to make them accept him and will no longer hesitate.
- Chekhov's Gunman: Gallager reappears after last being seen during the capture of the Lancers more than 10 episodes ago. Tokumatsu's allies from the Facility are also down here.
- The Dreaded: Sergey is being set up as this. It took 20 officers to capture him, he beat down 30 other inmates while in the detention center, and he took down 50 of Gallager's men when he arrived in the underground. Plus he's a creepy cyborg zombie who has yet to say a word.
- Face–Heel Turn:
- Gallager was a shady ally before, but he was an ally. Now he's one of the men in charge of the facility and has no problem keeping the status quo in place. He himself doesn't see a lot of difference between duel promoter and manager of the facility; either way, he's searching through mountains of "trash" to find the few objects worth "recycling" to send up to Tops. Also averted in that this has been his occupation the whole time.
- Chojiro's two lackeys have also turned on him.
- Heroic BSoD: Both Yuya and Yuzu are in this due to Yuya's actions in episode 71.
- Heroic Resolve: Yuya resolves to win the Friendship Cup and beat Jack to show the City, the Lancer's strength and change the City for the better.
- The Mole:
- Gallager is revealed to be one for Jean-Michael Roget; he's been working for him all along to find promising duelists in Commons, and passes them along to Security in exchange for his own safety. Furthermore, when the underground dueling facility is raided, he's given warning so he can escape.
- This episode all but confirms that Roget himself is working for Academia and the Fusion Dimension, and was sent to the Synchro Dimension to infiltrate it on their behalf.
- And lastly, Tsukikage is confirmed to have lost on purpose in order to infiltrate the underground for Reiji to gather information and keep an eye on the other Lancers that lost.
- "Not So Different" Remark: Yuya comments on his similarities with the City due to his actions in episode 71.
- Ship Tease: Tsukikage delivers a letter from Yuya to Yuzu full of promises about making people smile and bringing her home to Standard. It moves her to tears. The ending title card shot is Yuya looking determined while thinking of the things he's promised to Yuzu and Yuzu being teary while reading Yuya's letter.
- Shoot the Dog: It turns out that Jack's "The Reason You Suck" Speech on Yuya in their first Duel is not a genuine Kick the Dog moment: Jack is putting up a facade so he could teach Yuya how to become a better Entertainment Duelist.
- Stealth Mentor: Jack may be an asshole like any other Top or Common, but as "King", there are few things he disapproves: brutality, arrogance, and ignorance. Yuya is the perfect example of the aforementioned three things that Jack can't tolerate.
- Took a Level in Badass: Reira's stoic exterior fully breaks, and he shows a wider degree of facial expression and vocal emotion here as he explains his own desires to Tsukikage and Reiji. What does he want? For Yuya to do the impossible like Jack did, and beat Jack to make the City listen to them.
- We Can Rebuild Him: It's a rumor that Sergey died and was revived by Roget; with the implication that he's a Cyborg from his glowing red eye, presumably this trope is how.
- Wide-Eyed Idealist: One segment of Yuzu's reading of Yuya's letter includes a montage of Yuya's companions. Kurosaki and Serena look noticeably kinder in Yuya-vision than they ever have in their interactions with other characters.
