Riley Akaba Riley Akaba , known as Layra Akaba ( " Akaba Reira " ) in the Japanese version , is a student of Leo Institute of Dueling and winner of the " Youth " class Arc League Championship in the " Yu - Gi - Oh ! ARC - V " anime . She is the adopted daughter of the Akaba family and the adoptive younger sister of Declan Akaba . She is the only Lancer from Youth Class . According to Declan , Riley was necessary for their fight with Duel Academy . After allowing Ray to control her body and absorbing Zarc so that he would not split into four again , Riley was reborn as a baby and " lost her smile " due to Zarc ' s influence . According to Declan , restoring Riley ' s smile is the only way to defeat Zarc . Design . Appearance . Riley is a short tomboy with pale skin , purplish light grey hair , and blue eyes , and she usually has a vacant expression on her face . She dresses simply , wearing a yellow and blue striped shirt , grey cargo pants that appeared to have been rolled up , blue shoes over pale pink socks , and a turquoise hooded sweatshirt , with a black club on her left upper side . She keeps the hood up , despite also wearing a cap . Riley also wears a wide metal collar around her neck . As revealed during her Duel with Zarc , Riley ' s hair is actually incredibly long , extending past her waist . As an infant however , it is short . All of the members of the Akaba family have a slight card suit motif ; Riley ' s is the club / clover , shown by the pin she wears on the left side of her sweatshirt , and her use of the " C / C " archetype . Personality . Riley is incredibly timid and is seen carrying a patchwork teddy bear with her ( named " Barry " in the English dub ) . During the opening day of the tournament , she hid behind the plush toy as the crowd cheered . Unlike her older brother , Riley doesn ' t have the confidence to Duel her opponents . However she is considered the treasured student of LID . It also appears her mother strikes fear into her . When she wouldn ' t Duel Allie , she looked up at the window and saw her mother , who mouthed a word ( audibly told her to not disappoint her in the dub ) , and she got to Dueling . Riley also doesn ' t appear to handle the pressure of being considered the " Jewel of LID " . When her mother bragged that she would beat Tate , Riley was seen gripping her teddy bear tighter , a fact only Tate noted . However , Riley looks up to Declan as she Duels seriously the moment he steps in to watch her Duel , and when Tate praised her for being able to master the three summoning methods like her older brother , Riley looked happy . Declan , in return , often congratulates her and tells her to keep winning , showing that he cares . Riley goes into a state of panic when she doesn ' t know where Declan is . When she , Sylvio , Celina , and Yuya first appeared in the Synchro Dimension , Riley was more concerned about the location of her brother , rather than the upcoming Sector Security agents looking to arrest the four . Despite his best intentions , Yuya also couldn ' t get Riley to open up at all , since she was afraid of losing Declan . It is later revealed that Riley lacks a sense of self and she is thus is unable to decide anything , essentially leaving her with no identity whatsoever . Henrietta speculates that this was the result of a survival instinct she developed . However , after spending time with Yuya , Crow Hogan , and Shinji Weber , Riley ' s sense of self starts to bud , beginning with interacting with the kids under Crow ' s care and telling Declan she does not want to Duel Shinji in the Friendship Cup , even running to Yuya when she thought Declan was mad at her . Advice from Jack Atlas later expands this , to the point that Riley not only overcomes her timid nature in order to apologize to Moon Shadow for desiring his loss , but also shows a keen understanding of the Lancers ' current situation and passes on advice to Yuya through Moon Shadow . Riley also gains the desire to assist her brother , Moon Shadow , and Yuya , all of whom she looks up to , in the fight against Duel Academy . Her change in attitude is further shown during her Duel with Sector Security , where she Duels all three of them in a much more confident nature without Declan being nearby , as she was able to Fusion , Synchro , and Xyz Summon in her turn . This is something she seemed unwilling to do in her Duel with Allie until she saw Declan watching her . Riley suffers from as she saw images of the soldiers that attacked her hometown and she clutched her head in agony . This is best shown against the Obelisk Force after a prolonged Duel against multiple members . Abilities . Riley is shown to hear the cries and roars of the Four Dimension Dragons . When she first saw " Starving Venom Fusion Dragon " , she gasped in fear . The second time Yuri Summoned it during a rematch with Yugo , she was able to hear its roar and feel the dragon ' s anger . Having no sense of self , Riley was able to allow Ray ' s disembodied spirit to enter her body and possess it so she could participate in the final Duel with Zarc . Etymology . Riley ' s last name , " Akaba " , means " red horse " , and is similar to the surname of Seto and Mokuba Kaiba ( also ending in 馬 , horse ) from Yu - Gi - Oh ! , drawing a comparison between the two pairs of siblings . Riley ' s Japanese given name " Reira " is written with the kanji for " zero " and " silk / gauze / to spread out / Latin " . " Zero " is shared between the Japanese names of Riley , Declan Akaba ( Reiji ) and Leo Akaba ( Reo ) , and sounds similar to the ' Rei ' of Ray Akaba . Riley ' s English given name is of Irish origin and means ' valiant ' . ( ' Declan ' , the name of Riley ' s adopted brother , is also an Anglicised Irish name . ) In the Japanese version , Riley is referred to with gender - neutral pronouns , while in the dub , she is referred to as a boy . Her true gender was kept secret for most of the series , and most characters and fans assumed that Riley was male . Both her Japanese and dub names can be applied to either boys or girls . Voice / Mannerisms . In the dub , Riley uses photography terms while Dueling . For example , when she activated " Shutter Layer 1 " , she referred to Allie ' s " Aquaactress Guppy " as a " subject " . Biography . History . Riley was found alone in a house in a war - ravaged city by the Akaba family . The Akabas took her in and ran tests on her . From the tests , Henrietta concluded she would be a perfect Duel soldier for them as he had no " sense of self " , meaning she would either be able to become a different person or be a mindless puppet following orders . Her adoptive brother Declan , knowing what her life had been like , gave her " C / C Critical Eye " , telling Riley that her life had no light in it , so she must capture the light of her opponents . Under Declan ' s tutelage , Riley quickly became a strong Duelist . Arc League Championship . Riley was Allie ' s first opponent in the Youth Championship . She at first looked reluctant to Duel , but when she looked at her mother and she said something to him , he eventually Dueled . Allie initially had the upper hand with her " Aquaactress " monsters , but when Riley noticed her older brother watching her Duel , Riley turned the Duel in his favor by Fusion Summon ing and defeated Allie with " C / C / C Water Sword of Battle " . After the Duel , Tate tried to approach him , but Riley just walked past him to meet her brother , who patted her head as he praised her for her victory and expected her to keep winning . She watched the Duels between Yuya Sakaki and Sylvio Sawatari and Sora Perse and Shay Obsidian with Declan and Claude . She looked nervous as she watched them Duel , but Declan told her to watch closely . She watched also the Duel between Sora , Yuto , and Yuya , with Declan , Claude , and Shay , reacting nervously at the sight of Yuto and with surprise at her brother ' s emotional reaction to Yuto ' s tale . In the second round , Riley Dueled Frederick and this time won by using a Synchro Summon , shocking Yuya who suspected that she can also use multiple summoning methods like Declan . In the final match of the Youth championship , Riley Dueled against Tate and Xyz Summon ed " C / C / C Rock Armor of Battle " . By using its effects to gain ATK equal to the DEF of itself and Tate ' s " Performachine Gadget Giant " and then negating the latter monster ' s effects , Riley won the Duel and became the champion of the Youth class championship . Tate congratulated Riley and compared her to her brother , and Riley thanked him with a timid smile . Friendship Cup . Afterwards , Riley and her mother were going to meet Declan , but Declan was outside , challenging Yuya to a Duel . After the Duel , the next day , Riley was chosen as one of the Lancers , much to Shay and Sylvio ' s objections , but Declan firmly stated that Riley ' s skill is powerful enough to fight Duel Academy and she won ' t be a hindrance . Riley , along with her brother and the other Lancers then went to the Synchro Dimension . Upon arriving , the Lancers were split , and Riley ended up with Yuya , Sylvio , and Celina . As soon as they got there Sector Security arrived and tried to arrest Yuya and Celina , confusing them with Yugo and Zuzu . Scared by their hostility , Riley tried to flee but was stopped by a barrier of " Gate Blocker s " . Yuya grabbed Riley ' s hand and took her along as he Dueled a Sector Security officer . Remembering his mother ' s words about spreading smiles , Yuya attempted to get Riley to open up to him , but failed because Riley was more concerned about where her brother was . Fortunately , Riley and the others were rescued by Crow Hogan and his gang in an escape plan . Riley and the others were invited to stay at Crow ' s hideout and Riley remained by himself , refusing to socialize with the others despite Amanda ' s coaxing . When she overheard Sylvio remind the group that they had to look for Declan , Riley ' s attention was caught and she attempted to leave with Sylvio and Celina , but Yuya held Riley back . Riley remained at Crow ' s place , still keeping to herself and worried without her brother , though Yuya reassured Riley that they would find Declan . The next day , Shinji Weber showed up and dropped off some items for the kids , encouraging Riley to join in . After he left , Crow was able to get Riley to eat with the kids . After Yuya and Crow were arguing over who could make Riley smile , they got into a Duel . When Sector Security officers showed up , Riley was rescued by Moon Shadow while everyone else was captured . Riley was reunited with her brother and she was asked to participate in the Friendship Cup . However , Riley did not want to fight her opponent , Shinji , and she fled to Yuya ' s room for comfort . Declan followed her , and ignoring Yuya ' s anger , he asked Riley why she didn ' t want to Duel Shinji . Riley timidly explained that Shinji had offered her sweets during her time at Crow ' s hideout . Realizing that Riley was reluctant to Duel someone who had done her a kindness , Declan ordered Moon Shadow to take Riley ' s place in the match . Declan concluded Riley ' s reluctance to Duel her benefactor stemmed from a budding " sense of self " . Thinking about the possibly positive effects this could have , Declan imagined their mother being displeased about the development . During the next Duel , Riley was worried that Declan would like Moon Shadow more than her . Fearing that Moon Shadow could replace her if he won , she was displeased when Moon Shadow dealt damage to Shinji repeatedly and desperately wanted him to lose . She was happy when Shinji won the Duel , even if this meant losing her guardian . After Moon Shadow escaped the Underground Labor Facility to inform Declan about the rumors surrounding Jean - Michel Roget , Riley told the ninja about her desire to fight against Duel Academy and her wish for Yuya to win the Friendship Cup and Duel against Jack one more time , since this was the only way New Domino City residents would acknowledge the Lancers and their mission in the Synchro Dimension . Riley also apologized to Moon for wanting him to lose . Friendship Cup Finals . Jean - Michel Roget rebelled against the High Council and imprisoned them , Declan , and Riley in the Capital Building . After Yuya defeated Shinji in the second round and fled the stadium , Riley asked where Yuya was ; Declan reassured her that Roget would not cancel the tournament and Yuya would have to participate in another match eventually . He also noted that Roget was trying to win Yuya over to his side . She watched Yugo Duel Celina and after she was defeated , Declan told Riley to rescue Celina because Roget wouldn ' t send her underground and he wanted Riley to stop him . After Celina was weakened by Sector Security gassing her and prepared to take her away , Riley stepped in to protect Celina . Although Sector Security officers opposed Riley with " Goyo Catapult s " , Riley OTK ed all three of them , each with a different type of Extra Deck Summon . Moon Shadow arrived and accompanied Celina and Riley to the Underground Labor Facility . During Yuya ' s Duel against Crow Hogan while they were on their way to underground , Celina ' s bracelet began to glow , causing them to wonder what was happening . The trio eventually began to tire , and Celina urged them to abandon her , but Riley and Moon Shadow refused to do so . As they moved into the sewers , Riley noticed that Celina ' s bracelet had stopped glowing . Riley was exhausted and Celina still weakened from the nerve gas when the three realized the presence of the Obelisk Force . Riley and Moon Shadow refused to abandon Celina , and Riley successfully persuaded a reluctant Moon Shadow to leave her and Celina and gather the Lancers from the Underground for further assistance . Riley defended Celina , defeating several Obelisk Force members , but at this point , she was so tired that she was unable to deal with the Obelisk Force reinforcements . She started trembling in fear and recalled her traumatic memories of her childhood before her adoption . Fortunately , Yuya arrived on his Duel Runner to protect her and Celina . As Riley and Yuya defeated the reinforcements , Barrett arrived with more Obelisk Force soldiers . Riley tried to join the Duel between Yuya and Barrett , but the Obelisk Force approached her , causing her to see her traumatic memories again . Riley tried to protect Celina , but the Obelisk Force ignored her and attempted to capture Celina . However , they were stopped by Sora , now their ally , and were confronted by Yuri and more Obelisk Force soldiers . Yugo arrived to Duel Yuri , and they Summoned " Clear Wing Synchro Dragon " and " Starving Venom Fusion Dragon " , the monstrous appearance of " Starving Venom " terrifying Riley . She started to get worried after watching something happen to Yuya until Zuzu arrived and her bracelet activated . Riley stood helplessly as Barrett took Celina back with him after being defeated by Sergey Volkov , who also defeated Yuya and took Zuzu with him . After losing both Zuzu and Celina , Riley clung to Sora and formed a trust she rarely shared . Gong , Chojiro Tokumatsu , and Sylvio arrived only find out what happened to Zuzu and Celina . Sora and Moon Shadow decided to go rescue Zuzu while Yuya and Gong tried to catch up with them , with Chojiro , Riley , and Sylvio remaining behind . After watching the Commons take on Sector Security , Riley ' s traumatic memories caused her to join the battle before being calmed down by Shay . When they arrived at the Capital Building , the front entrance was blocked by Sector Security . Before they could come up with a plan , Declan arrived and destroyed their Trap Cards with the effect of " D / D / D Duo - Dawn King Kali Yuga " . Riley smiled and reunited with Declan in a hug . After defeating Security , they went to get Yuya on Shay ' s " Raidraptor s " , where they found Yuya , Gong , Sam , Frank , Amanda and Tarren on the bridge to the Duel Palace about to be attacked by Commons who had mistaken them for retreating Topsiders . Once he was in the stadium , Yuya challenged Jack to a Duel . Before the Duel could start , Roget sent Sector Security inside the stadium to stop them , but they were defeated by Declan , Chojiro , Gong , Shay , and Sylvio . Riley Dueled the last officer and remembered what Jack told her . She Synchro Summoned " C / C / C Rock Blaster of Battle " and defeated the final officer , impressing Jack and everyone else . When the Commons riots escalated , Riley joined the Lancers in heading out to stop them , explaining that they had come to the Synchro Dimension to stop fighting across all dimensions . She and Declan went to Sector Security headquarters . They found Moon there , who along with Sora had been defeated by Roget in a Duel . Riley , Declan and Moon found Roget assaulting Zuzu and Declan picked apart Roget ' s excuses before ordering him to beg New Domino City for forgiveness . Roget fled instead , and Riley slowed down to help the injured Moon . She tried to follow Declan into the room where Roget had fled , but Declan shoved her out . Moon reassured Riley that Declan was merely trying to keep her safe and he explained that Roget was a fearsome opponent who would face Declan with a Duel that he couldn ' t predict . The other Lancers eventually arrived , and Sora hacked through the door and allowed them to enter . Riley witnessed Roget ' s defeats by Declan and joined the other Lancers in pursuing him and Zuzu , and Yuya managed to save Zuzu . Refusing to lose , Roget activated an Interdimensional Transportation machine , intending to teleport New Domino City into a void . Riley was swept away by the strong winds , but Declan saved her , while Roget fell into a wormhole . Another wormhole soon sucked in Zuzu , Yuya , Sylvio , Shay , and Gong before the machine broke down . Declan explained that their missing comrades were in another dimension , but they had no way to know which one . Heartland City . The Lancers wanted to stay and assist with the rebuilding effort in New Domino City , but Shinji and Chojiro urged them to do their duty as Lancers . They traveled to the Fusion Dimension , joined by Crow and Sora , and procured a speedboat , catching up with Captain Cutter ' s ship just as Yuya was thrown from the mast . Crow saved Yuya from falling into the ocean , and Solo used " Battle at Sea " to attack the speedboat ; Riley noticing the cannon fire . After Yuya and Sora defeated Solo , Riley asked Moon Shadow what he had in his hand , Moon Shadow told her that it was something that he had borrowed ; a screw that he had taken from the steering wheel of Solo ' s ship , causing it to steer in circles and prompting a laugh from Riley . Riley was surprised when Declan revealed that he went to Duel Academy three years previously and asked Yuya ' s father for help . She also learned that Declan found out about Revival Zero , another part of the Professor ' s plan involving Celina and Yuri , that may include Yuya as well . Declan told Riley and the other Lancers to believe in their friends ' strength and fight to the very end . After arriving at Duel Academy , Riley prepared to climb the cliff to charge into the Professor ' s lab . After climbing the cliff , they were surrounded by Duel Academy students before utilizing their plan to split into two groups , with Riley , Declan , and Sora continuing to the lab while the remaining Lancers Dueled the students . Along the way they met up with Yusho and Alexis Rhodes , but they were confronted by Yuri . Alexis and Sora sealed off the corridors to trap themselves with Yuri ; Riley was almost trapped as well , but Sora managed to save her , and Riley continued on with Declan and Yusho . They were confronted by Duel Academy students who took them directly to the Professor . Duel Academy . Riley was fearful at the sight of Leo Akaba , but Declan calmed her down . She learned about Yusho and Leo ' s past creating the ARC System together and was surprised to learn that it came from the Original Dimension . She also learned how Leo made Duel Monsters evolve with the ARC System , but that it lead to the world ' s ruin due to Zarc and his four dragons . Elsewhere , Yuri Summoned " Starving Venom Fusion Dragon " , and Riley felt its presence and sensed a great anger , scaring her , and her fear intensified after Leo explained how Zarc became the Supreme King Z - ARC and destroyed everything . She was pleased when Yuya made it to the chamber and watched Leo seal the Doktor into a card . She then learned how Leo created four cards that could defeat Supreme King Z - ARC , but they were stolen by his daughter Ray , who defeated Zarc . She also learned that Ray had split into Zuzu , Celina , Lulu Obsidian and Rin and saw ARC - V , which Leo planned to use to revive Ray and the fifth dimension , scaring Riley even more . Leo revealed that Yuya was one of Zarc ' s reincarnations , and Riley watched as Declan and Yuya challenge Leo to a Duel . Yuya awakened again during the Duel , and his anger scared Riley and caused her to pass out . She remained unconscious for the rest of the Duel , and Yusho took care of her , handing her unconscious body to Declan after he terminated the Duel . Riley came into contact with the spirit of Ray as she woke up , and she told Declan that Ray wanted to be revived in order to stop Zarc . Declan reminded Riley that everyone would disappear if the Four Dimensions fused , and Riley asked him if he didn ' t want to revive his real older sister . Declan in response asked if Riley was fine with everyone vanishing . Ray ' s spirit appeared next to Riley , and she told Declan that Ray only had him and she challenged Declan to a Duel . Declan locked Riley ' s usual tactics down with " Dark Contract with the Eternal Darkness " , so Riley stalled with " Film Magician " , but Declan destroyed it with " D / D / D Boulder King Darius " . Riley managed to stay in the Duel by finding " Damage Banish " to reduce the damage from the attack of " D / D / D Flame King Genghis " to zero . On her next turn she used " Photo Frame " to copy " Dark Contract with the Eternal Darkness " and " Pure Ray " to destroy both " Dark Contracts , then brought out " C / C Critical Eye and used " Montage Fusion " to Fusion Summon " C / C / C Sonic Halberd of Battle " . Riley used the effect of " Sonic Halberd " to attack all of Declan ' s monsters , but to her surprise , Declan used " Miracle " to survive the attack and defeated her on his next turn , blasting her into a pillar . Yuri arrived and blasted Declan next to Riley , and Ray ' s spirit explained to Riley , who explained so to Declan , that Zarc ' s revival was approaching . She and Declan watched Yusho ' s Dueltaining against Yuri . Yuya explained the effects of Yusho ' s cards to Riley , and Declan explained to Riley that Yuya had returned to himself . Riley was surprised when Yuri used " Ivy Bind Castle " to lock Yusho down , and she heard Yuya discussing the situation with someone else ; Declan explained that Yuya was communicating with Yuto in his mind . Riley became worried when Yuri began acting more confident after he drew a card , and she was surprised when Yuri revealed that " Super Polymerization " wasn ' t his trump card , but " Ultra Polymerization " . Yuri used it to Fusion Summon " Starving Venom Fusion Dragon " and Synchro Summon " Clear Wing Synchro Dragon " , and set up a loop combo to continuously damage Yusho . Riley tried to stop Declan from joining the Duel , but Declan did not stop until Yusho told Declan not to interfere . Yuri defeated Yusho and sealed him into a card , prompting the enraged Yuya to break free from " Binding Swords of Impact " . Riley ran to check on Declan after he was blasted back by Yuya ' s shockwave and she worried about Yuya as he writhed in pain . She told Declan that Ray had claimed that Zarc ' s revival was inevitable . Yuri brought out " Clear Wing " again , and Riley worried that Yuya might lose like Yusho had . Fortunately , Yuya sealed the effects of " Starving Venom " and " Clear Wing " . She worried that Yuya wasn ' t himself anymore after the Four Dimension Dragons began resonating , blasting her away until Declan caught her . Declan reassured Riley that Yuya was still fighting for the world , but Riley continued to worry about Yuya when his counterparts started to synchronize with him . Distortions in space began occurring , and Declan explained to Riley that ARC - V had started the dimensional integration . Yuya blasted Riley with another shockwave , and Riley feared that Yuya was going to join Yuri , but Yuya simply Set a card . To their surprise , Leo trapped them in the Isolation Dome , separating them from the Earth , and Riley told Declan that he couldn ' t hear Ray ' s voice anymore . Riley , Declan , Sora , and Aster Phoenix attempted to join the Duel to protect Yuya , but Yuri blasted them away . Yuya used " Break Away " to end a Battle Phase , but he broke down afterwards due to discarding his " Smile World " card . Riley told Yuya that she believed in him , and Declan managed to convince Yuya to focus on learning . She was happy when Yuya regained and took control of " Dark Rebellion " and " Clear Wing " , and she was surprised to see Yuto and Yugo supporting Yuya with their dragons . Yuya defeated Yuri , but to Riley ' s horror , Yuya fell under the influence of the darkness and summoned " Astrograph Sorcerer " to fuse with the Four Dimension Dragons . Riley ran outside with Declan , Sora , and Aster to find the world floating in pieces , and the Supreme King Z - ARC hovering at the center . As Zarc began to attack the Fusion Dimension , Riley felt the presence of Ray , and she asked Declan whether Leo was still inside ; Declan explained that Leo was cautious enough to leave himself an escape route . Riley told him that Ray ' s voice was calling Leo to hurry and revive her since only she could defeat Zarc , and she ran back into Duel Academy with Declan following her . As space continued to warp through Duel Academy , Riley and Declan found themselves walking in circles . Riley was scared by apparent ghosts walking through her and Declan , but to her surprise , Declan noted that they were the citizens of Heartland and New Domino City . As they continued travelling through Duel Academy , Riley learned from Ray that Leo was trying to split the world again using the four cards that had been revived instead of her . Riley explained that Leo was planning on using the same cards that Ray had used to defeat Zarc . She begged Declan to save Leo , claiming that Declan wouldn ' t be able to smile if their father sacrificed himself . Declan agreed , and he told Riley to stay where she was as he left to assist his father . Riley was about to follow Declan until Ray contacted her . Riley went to ARC - V , where she met Ray ' s spirit in a visible state . Riley offered to become Ray ' s vessel , and they ran to assist Declan . As she tripped while running , Moon Shadow appeared to help hrt up . She arrived at the Duel just as Zarc defeated Declan , though Moon Shadow saved Declan and Leo from serious injuries as Riley joined the Duel . Riley removed her hood and cap , revealing her long hair as Ray took possession of her and opposed Zarc . Using Riley ' s body , Ray retrieved the Natural Energy Cards from the Graveyard and activated them to slowly strip away " Supreme King Z - ARC ' s " protection effects and causing the Four Dimension Bracelets to materialize on Riley ' s arm . " Z - ARC " was destroyed , though Zarc still had enough LP to remain in the Duel . He insisted that Yuya was no more , but Ray maintained that Yuya still existed . Yuya was indeed able to fight for control after being contacted by Zuzu ' s spirit , and he revived " Zarc " and " Supreme King Servant Dragon Odd - Eyes " and increased Riley ' s LP , allowing Ray to defeat Zarc with the effects of the Natural Energy Cards . Riley then ejected Ray ' s spirit from her body , and she sealed Zarc ' s spirit within her own body to prevent his soul from being split again , and Yuya called Riley ' s name in horror . Following the battle with Zarc , Riley was reverted into an infant in a catatonic state , and both Declan and Henrietta decided to use Yuya ' s strength to " bring Riley ' s smile back " . When Yuya regained his memories of Zuzu , Declan revealed that Riley expelled Ray ' s soul in order to seal Zarc ' s soul and was reborn as a baby without a smile due to the dimensional split . Nevertheless , he still believed that Riley ' s smile would definitely return since they took back their memories for that reason . After everyone regained their memories , Henrietta showed Riley to Yuya , and Declan revealed that the Natural Energy Cards purified Riley , turning her back into a baby as Zarc and Ray had been previously . Declan believed that the reason Riley didn ' t separate into four people was to quickly seal Zarc ' s soul , which took her smile away . He then revealed the reason for reenacting the Arc League Championship was to return Riley ' s smile and save the world through Yuya ' s Dueltaining ; if Riley and Zarc could not find enjoyment in Yuya ' s Dueltaining , Zarc would eventually resurrect and likely put the world at risk again . Riley watched Yuya Duel Dennis and win , but she still didn ' t smile . Declan also revealed to Yuya that Riley didn ' t react to Duel with Shay . When Yuya summoned the Four Dimension Dragons during his Duel against Jack , Riley began to react to them due to Zarc ' s soul , emitting a dark aura . She calmed down when Zarc ' s soul subsided after Yuya won the Duel , causing the dark aura to disappear , but she still didn ' t smile . While watching Yuya and Declan ' s Duel , Riley started to cry when Yuya regained a memory of Zarc and what he truly wanted was to entertain everyone and not destroy the world . Riley continued to cry until Yuya won , when she and Zarc began to laugh happily . Relationships . Henrietta Akaba . Riley ' s relationship with her adoptive mother is in the simplest terms , nonexistent . She constantly drives fear into the girl , whether she is present or not . In fact , once when Declan said Henrietta would be disappointed in him , Riley went into a state of extreme panic . Henrietta apparently wished to use Riley as a mindless puppet for the war against her husband , something Declan was against . The battle with Zarc caused her to have a profound change of heart . After the battle with Zarc and Riley ' s conversion into an infant , Henrietta was struck with guilt over planning to use Riley as a weapon for revenge and became desperate to bring " her smile back " . She was visibly horrified at the prospect that Yuya ' s failure may lead to Riley living an irreparable fate , and blamed herself for it because it was her idea to make her a Duel soldier in the first place , finally seeing Riley as her beloved daughter . Declan Akaba . Declan and Riley ' s relationship is reminiscent of the Truesdale brothers of Yu - Gi - Oh ! GX , as they are shown to care about each other , and they use similar Dueling styles to one another , as both Riley and Declan utilize multiple summoning methods . Although they aren ' t related biologically , Riley was encouraged by Declan ' s compliments after her victories during the Arc League Championship and was allowed to join the Lancers despite not being at the Battle Royal . When some of the Lancers complained about Riley joining , Declan quickly defended her and said that she would not be a hindrance , and constantly shows his confidence in Riley ' s skills . When the Lancers were split in the Synchro Dimension , Riley cared about nothing but finding Declan as soon as possible , and Declan requested Moon Shadow to find Riley , later to take her place in the Friendship Cup . When Riley showed signs of developing a " sense of self " , he was shown to be proud and resents his mother ' s plan of using Riley as a mindless puppet . Yuya Sakaki . When the Lancers arrived in the Synchro Dimension and were split Yuya immediately noticed Riley ' s concern over Declan ' s whereabouts and her shyness . Yuya quickly became protective of Riley and made it his goal to make Riley smile . When Yuya was arrested by Security he was more worried about Riley ' s safety and was shown to be relieved when Riley was confirmed to be fine . When Riley was scheduled to Duel Shinji in the Friendship Cup and ran off to Yuya , Yuya angrily scolded Declan for forcing Riley to participate in the tournament and demanded to know why he made Riley a Lancer , worried that Riley is too young to face the dangers that being a Lancer comes with . Yuya ' s care for Riley has in turn affected Riley , who now looks up to Yuya in addition to Declan and Moon Shadow . With both Riley and Moon Shadow unable to participate in the Friendship Cup , Riley asks Yuya to win the Cup for them . Moon Shadow also gave Yuya the message that Riley is grateful for his help . After running from Security and dealing with the Obelisk Force , Riley was greatly weakened and recalling her mental trauma ; she was no longer in the position to wait for Moon Shadow or protect Celina . She was hugely relieved when Yuya came to her rescue at the last minute ( ironically thanks to the flare signal ) just as another batch of Obelisk Force approaches during the start of the invasion . Moon Shadow . Moon Shadow became a protector of sorts for Riley in the Synchro Dimension , rescuing her from Security . However , when Moon Shadow replaced Riley in the Friendship Cup , Riley became jealous , desiring Moon Shadow ' s loss . She later expressed remorse over this and apologized , expressing the desire to prove her strength to Moon Shadow in addition to Yuya and Declan . Jack Atlas . Riley seems to respect Jack , despite also being intimidated by him . After having a meal alongside Jack and hearing him tell his story , Riley is inspired to come out of her shell . Celina . Riley saves Celina during the Friendship Cup on Declan ' s orders and subsequently refuses to abandon her . In turn , while Celina is grateful for Riley ' s rescue , she dislikes holding Riley and Moon back and tries to order them to leave her . Ray Akaba . Riley ' s relationship with her adoptive sister was one of mutual support . Riley was the only one who could sense Ray ' s will , knowing this Ray repeatedly contacted him asking for help . Riley in turn agreed which lead her to temporarily betray Declan and challenge him to a Duel with Ray ' s guidance hoping to ensure her full revival . When Ray failed to be fully revived physically , Riley volunteered to let Ray use her body to go confront Zarc . Together the two finally defeated Zarc once again and rescued Yuya . Ultimately Riley sealed Zarc into herself to prevent him from splitting again but ejected Ray from her body so she wouldn ' t be affected by it , which in turn caused Riley to become a baby . Deck . Riley runs a " C / C " Deck , which utilizes the " Shutter " Spell and Trap Card s focused on copying the opponent monsters to use them as Material s . While her " C / C " and " Shutter " cards seem unrelated , they both share a camera motif . She also uses non - " C / C " monsters with a filming theme . The Deck focuses around using " C / C Critical Eye " to Fusion , Synchro and Xyz Summon the " C / C / C " monsters . The effect of " Critical Eye " doesn ' t allow Riley to use other monsters she control as Materials , which is compensated by her Spell and Trap Cards that allow her to copy the name , Level and Attribute of the opponent ' s monsters . The " C / C / C " monsters require " C / C Critical Eye " and a monster with the corresponding Attribute to be Summoned , and their effects take advantage of the opponent controlling monsters with the same Attribute . With " Critical Eye " being just one card , she does not always have it at her disposal immediately . She compensates for this with her " Shutter " Spell and Trap Cards and the stalling effect of " Film Magician " . Thematically , Riley ' s Deck is similar to her brother Declan ' s , in that she is able to perform multiple types of Extra Deck Summons . The names of her cards , " C / C " and " C / C / C , " are based on Declan ' s " D / D " and " D / D / D " archetypes in naming structure . Furthermore , her " Shutter " Spell and Trap Cards could be considered a " C / C " variant of of her brother ' s " Dark Contract " cards .