Shuuta Hayami

Shuuta is ordinarily friendly, helpful and enthusiastic about photography. He enjoys taking pictures and will photograph people without demanding payment, suggesting that his interest in the craft is genuine rather than purely professional.

He is nevertheless frustrated by his inability to obtain the dramatic material publishers want. Number 25 amplifies that frustration into an unhealthy obsession with creating sensational photographs at any cost.

Under the Number's influence, Shuuta becomes manipulative and callous. Instead of waiting for newsworthy events to occur, he becomes willing to create dangerous situations so that he can photograph them.

Shuuta uses a Photography Deck featuring monsters such as Cameraclops. His strategy is supported by Number 25: Force Focus, a Rank 6 Xyz Monster capable of negating the effects of high-Level monsters.

His D-Pad doubles as a camera, allowing his profession and dueling equipment to function together.

Number 25 also affects Shuuta's photography outside conventional dueling. It allows photographs to depict disastrous events that have not yet happened, but these images represent futures Shuuta himself can work to bring about rather than unavoidable prophecies.

Shuuta appears during the World Duel Carnival as a photographer seeking increasingly impressive material. Kotori Mizuki becomes involved after he photographs an apparent future disaster involving her.

Yuma Tsukumo initially treats Shuuta's photographs as predictions that must somehow be prevented. As the incidents accumulate, however, the connection between the photographer and the disasters becomes increasingly suspicious.

Yuma discovers that Shuuta is deliberately arranging the dangerous events shown in his photographs so that his predictions will appear accurate and he can obtain exclusive pictures.

After Yuma defeats him, Astral takes Number 25 and Shuuta returns to his normal personality, expressing remorse for the danger he caused while under the Number's influence.

Yuma Tsukumo investigates Shuuta's apparent predictions and eventually challenges him after recognizing the danger surrounding his photographs.

Kotori Mizuki becomes one of the people endangered by Shuuta's obsession with producing dramatic photographs.

Astral identifies Number 25: Force Focus as the source of Shuuta's supernatural abilities and assists Yuma during their confrontation.