The air at Duel Academy had grown colder.
Storm clouds hovered above the island, unnaturally still and crackling with crimson lightning. A thick tension settled over the campus like a warning. Students were on edge, classes were canceled, and elite duelists from around the world were arriving to reinforce the academy's defenses.
Within the central command room, Chancellor Sheppard stood beside Zane, Bastion, and a hologram of Pegasus.
"The second seal was a dream construct," Bastion explained, pulling up spectral data. "But this next one is... different. The energy readings are erratic, full of aggression. It's not targeting the mind—it's targeting the heart."
Pegasus frowned. "That would be the Seal of Wrath. A particularly dangerous one. It feeds on anger, resentment, and suppressed emotions. If it spreads... your students won't just duel—they'll fight."
Elsewhere on the island, Kaito trained alone at the Obelisk Duel Grounds, Blue-Eyes White Dragon's spirit circling protectively overhead.
He sensed the shift. The world was tilting, its natural balance giving way to something more chaotic.
Jaden arrived with Alexis and Syrus.
"You feel it too?" Jaden asked.
Kaito nodded. "Like a battle's already started… and we're just catching up."
Suddenly, a flare of red light burst in the sky. An enormous rune appeared above the volcano near the island's edge—pulsing with fire and fury.
A voice echoed across the campus: "The third gate has opened. Let your rage be known."
A shockwave rippled outward. Students across the dorms clutched their heads, overcome with sudden anger—old grudges and frustrations rising violently to the surface. Fights broke out. Duel Disks activated involuntarily. Cards flew from decks.
"Everyone's losing control!" Alexis shouted.
Kaito's eyes narrowed. "He's turned the island into a war zone."
At the volcano's base, Veylorn stood before the Seal of Wrath, embedded in molten rock. He held up the third key: a blazing card with jagged edges and demonic flames—Fury Lord Dragmire.
"This realm must burn," he muttered. "Let wrath awaken your true selves."
He thrust the card into the seal.
The volcano erupted—not with lava, but with spectral fire. Out of the flames rose corrupted duel spirits, twisted by rage. They surged across the island, infecting students mid-duel, transforming them into berserk versions of themselves.
Back at the Academy, Kaito, Jaden, and Alexis split up to subdue the chaos. Kaito rushed toward the volcano, following the source of the energy, while Jaden held the courtyard with Syrus and Hassleberry.
At the crater's edge, Kaito came face-to-face with a familiar duelist—Reina, her eyes burning red, armor warped by the seal's influence.
"Kaito..." she growled. "You left me behind."
Kaito stepped forward, recognizing the Seal's corruption in her aura. "This isn't you. Fight it."
"No," she hissed. "This is me. The part you ignored. The pain. The betrayal. I'll show you my true power!"
A duel disk materialized on her arm, flames bursting from it.
DUEL!
Reina: 4000 LP
Kaito: 4000 LP
Reina summoned Infernal Blazewitch – Arka, her field erupting with flames. "I'll burn away your illusions!"
Her monster attacked directly—but Kaito activated Azure Defense Barrier, summoning Protector Dragon of Order to absorb the damage.
"My turn," Kaito said calmly, drawing with intent. "I summon Dragon Herald – Luminas and activate her effect to special summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
The sky darkened as Blue-Eyes descended, roaring defiantly. The duel intensified as fury clashed with resolve.
Meanwhile, Alexis and Bastion worked together to disable seal runes across campus. Each broken rune restored a bit of clarity to corrupted students, weakening the seal's reach.
In the crater, Reina unleashed her ace monster—Volcanic Fury Empress, powered by the wrath seal itself.
"End this!" she screamed.
But Kaito closed his eyes, drawing one last card.
"Heart of the cards… guide me."
He revealed Azure Monarch – Seraphion, the evolved form awakened from his bond with Blue-Eyes.
"By tributing Blue-Eyes, I summon Seraphion and activate his purifying effect—banishing the Seal's corruption!"
Light poured from the Monarch, overwhelming the seal's influence. Reina screamed, the darkness ripped from her as she collapsed to her knees, weeping.
"I… I'm sorry…"
Kaito caught her gently. "It wasn't your fault."
The Seal of Wrath cracked, the red rune in the sky splintering into stardust.
In the shadows of the Spirit Realm, Veylorn clenched his fist.
"Three seals broken. And still, they resist."
Behind him, the fourth key pulsed—a card sealed in ice.
"No matter. Their wrath is only the beginning. Soon… despair will drown them all."