Heroic Spirit Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh!

"Yay~ Musashi great victory~! Yes~!"

With a bright smile, Musashi flashed a cheerful V-sign (V(^∇^*)) toward Hoshino, her energy radiating as brightly as ever.

Please stop, I beg you. If you keep stealing Okita-san's lines, she'll lose all sense of purpose!

"How... How could this be?" Byakuya stared at his trembling hands in disbelief. "I should have been erased entirely after losing."

Byakuya wasn't shocked by his defeat; he had already accepted it the moment Hoshino's final blow landed. The overwhelming power she displayed made it clear—Byakuya wouldn't have stood a chance, even in a one-on-one duel.

Jonouchi, tucking away his Duel Disk, tempered his earlier excitement and looked at Byakuya with an uncharacteristically stern expression. "It's just a duel loss. Are you really so ready to throw your life away over it?"

The Malefic World began crumbling from the spot Musashi had sliced open, the destruction rippling outward. The distorted colors dissolved into fragments, and the world reverted to the dimly lit, quiet street of Domino City.

"Yeah, it's kind of cheating," Hoshino admitted with a sly grin, brushing imaginary dust from her sleeve. "But I used Musashi's effect at the last second to destroy the Malefic World card." Her tone turned smug. "Even if I had lost, I wasn't about to let myself get erased so easily."

"Onee-chan!"

"Chiyuki!"

The voices of relief came from Mai and Shizuka, who had been anxiously waiting outside the battlefield.

As Mai pulled Hoshino into a warm embrace, Hoshino felt a soothing softness that almost erased the tension of the duel. Glancing toward Jonouchi—who stood with Shizuka clinging to his arm—she flashed a triumphant grin.

Byakuya, piecing together what had happened, spoke in his usual cold tone, his mask hiding whatever expression might lie beneath. "Naive... You even want to save your enemy?"

Jonouchi ruffled Shizuka's hair, his resolve unwavering. "I've seen too many people hurt because of Shadow Games. I've always believed dueling should be about having fun—not risking your life. That's why I agreed with Hoshino's plan to destroy the Malefic World."

Reluctantly stepping out of Mai's embrace, Hoshino faced Byakuya head-on. "But sparing you doesn't come free. You're going to tell us everything—about Paradox and this so-called 'great plan' of yours."

Based on Byakuya's words, it wasn't hard to deduce that his group had systematically targeted the world's top duelists for elimination. Their ultimate goal? Erasing Duel Monsters from history itself, with Paradox leading the charge.

As for the group's motives, identities, or reasoning, those remained shrouded in mystery—for now.

Byakuya threw his head back and laughed, wild and unrestrained. "That's why I called you naive! You think sparing me will make me betray Paradox-sama? I'm not afraid to die!"

As his laughter rang out, the ominous screech of Malefic Blue-Eyes White Dragon shattered the night. The dragon swooped down, its massive claws gripping Byakuya and lifting him effortlessly into the air.

"Jonouchi Katsuya," Byakuya called out, his voice fading as he was carried away, "as your reward for defeating me, I'll return this Red-Eyes Black Dragon to you..."

The shadowy figure of the dragon and its rider disappeared into the clouds, Byakuya's voice echoing faintly until it vanished entirely.

Jonouchi looked down at the Red-Eyes Black Dragon card in his hand. Once drained of color, it was now restored to its original, fiery glory. "So, we're heading to the Academy in the end, huh?"

"No problem," Hoshino replied casually, though a glimmer of determination shone in her eyes. "When I meet the 'other me,' I'll figure out most of the truth behind this."

For a brief moment, Hoshino hesitated, the words another me feeling strange on her tongue.

But before she could dwell on it, a wave of exhaustion hit her like a freight train. Her vision swam, and her knees buckled slightly.

Musashi was at her side in an instant, her concern palpable. "Master! Are you hurt? Did something happen during the duel?"

Hoshino, barely mustering the strength to speak, looked at Musashi with a deadpan expression and rasped: "Give me back my fried chicken!"

(***)

The Academy, officially known as Duel Academy, was founded by none other than Seto Kaiba.

Riding in the passenger seat of Jonouchi's jeep as they headed toward the harbor, Hoshino listened to his explanation with growing disbelief.

Her jaw dropped slightly, and she stared out at the road ahead, wide-eyed—save for the moments the jeep jolted over bumps, snapping her out of her daze.

"An entire school... for dueling?" she muttered.

Jonouchi smirked. "Yeah, and it's not just any school. It's a Kaiba school. That means it's ridiculously over-the-top. Most classes are about dueling, but they still throw in standard academics so parents don't riot."

Crossing her arms, Hoshino leaned back against her seat. "Let me guess—Kaiba ranks the students by their dueling skills, doesn't he?"

"You know it." Jonouchi chuckled, raising a hand to tick off the dorms on his fingers. "The dorms are ranked too: Obelisk Blue for the best, Ra Yellow for intermediates, and Slifer Red for..." He trailed off with a grin.

"For the ones Kaiba doesn't think deserve to be there," Hoshino finished for him, rolling her eyes.

Jonouchi laughed. "Bingo."

Hoshino groaned. "Classic Kaiba. Ranking students based on his own biased ideas of 'strength.' I mean, come on—how does The Winged Dragon of Ra rank below Obelisk?!"

Jonouchi shrugged, still grinning.

Hoshino's expression darkened. "Wait, you're not about to tell me I had something to do with this, are you?"

Jonouchi's grin widened. "Actually, yeah, you kind of did."

Her eyes narrowed. "What did I do? Invest in it? Fund it with money I don't even have?"

Jonouchi leaned back, resting one arm casually on the steering wheel. "Not directly. After your duel with Marik ten years ago, Duel Monsters exploded in popularity worldwide. Kaiba made a fortune off the craze. That money? It's what funded Duel Academy."

Hoshino's jaw dropped. "That bastard... He's making money off me again!"

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..

...

"Ugh... We finally made it, Master!" Musashi wobbled as she stepped out of the jeep, leaning heavily on Hoshino for support. Her normally confident demeanor was nowhere to be seen as she clutched her stomach, looking utterly dazed.

Why is a Servant getting carsick? Do you think you're some kind of Dragon Slayer Wizard?

"What?! The ferry's not running today?! It always leaves at this time!"

Ahead of them, Jonouchi was locked in a heated argument with the ferry captain, his frustration as clear as his booming voice.

"Sir, please calm down..." The old captain wiped sweat from his brow, his nerves visibly fraying under Jonouchi's imposing presence. Despite his decade of mellowing out, Jonouchi's brash energy still made him intimidating when riled up.

"How can I calm down? We've got urgent business at Duel Academy!" Jonouchi snapped, his tone just shy of grabbing the poor man by the collar.

The old captain shifted uncomfortably before glancing toward Hoshino and Musashi, who stood nearby. Spotting Hoshino's curious gaze, he hesitated before speaking. "You're duelists, aren't you? Heading to Duel Academy right now is... extremely dangerous."

Hoshino frowned. "Dangerous? You mean because of the monster rampages?"

The captain nodded, seemingly relieved to have someone more reasonable to talk to. "Yes, that's right. The rampages are worst on the island itself. Even though there are duelists there, most of them are still students. To keep the situation from spiraling further out of control, many professional duelists have already gone to assist."

Hoshino raised an eyebrow. "Professional duelists, huh?"

In this timeline, Duel Monsters had become a full-fledged industry. Professional duelists enjoyed lucrative careers and fame, a far cry from the days when someone like Bandit Keith had to scrape by entering tournaments for cash. It was like the evolution of esports—a niche hobby turned global phenomenon.

Jonouchi's frustration grew. "If pros can go, why can't we? I'm just as good, if not better!"

The old captain pressed his hat lower, his voice cautious. "It's not just the academy anymore. Monsters have started appearing in the surrounding seas. Two ferries were attacked just yesterday. Thankfully, there were no casualties, but it's too risky to sail."

"Monsters in the ocean, too? That's... unsettling." Hoshino shivered slightly as images of giant sea monsters lurking beneath the waves filled her mind. Aquatic threats were always the worst in disaster films—they struck when you least expected it.

Still, all signs pointed to Duel Academy as the focal point of this Singularity. If they couldn't reach it, things would become far more complicated.

"Even so, we have to get there somehow! Can't you make an exception?" Hoshino's tone softened as she switched tactics, her expression morphing into one of pure innocence. She clasped her hands together, her big, watery eyes glancing pleadingly at the captain.

Musashi, catching on, added her own twist to the persuasion. Striking a confident pose, she declared, "Come on, old man, cut us some slack! Don't judge by appearances—I'm great at fishing! If a big one shows up, I'll handle it!"

Fishing? Really, Musashi? How is that remotely relevant?

The captain, however, remained firm. "I'm sorry, kids, but I have a family to think about too."

Rejected, the trio stood by the pier, completely out of ideas.

Kicking Jonouchi's second-hand jeep in frustration, Hoshino muttered, "What's the point of this car, Jonouchi? It's practically useless. Why didn't you get one of those amphibious cars?"

Jonouchi let out a half-laugh, half-sigh. "Amphibious cars? Do you think I'm made of money? Even this second-hand jeep took a lot of convincing to get from Mai!"

"Hey! You folks trying to catch a ride?"

A rough, hearty voice called out from the water. "If you're heading to Duel Academy, how about taking my boat?"

Hoshino's eyes lit up with hope. There were always people who specialized in risky ventures for a price.

"Of course we want to go. How much for the three of us?" Jonouchi asked, bracing himself for the inevitable price gouging.

"No charge!"

The man pushed his straw hat back, revealing his face. "What, don't recognize me, Jonouchi?"

Hoshino recognized him before Jonouchi did. "Wait... Ryota?!"

Even with some stubble and a more rugged appearance, his dark tan and unmistakable energy gave him away instantly.

Jonouchi's eyes widened in recognition. "Ryota?! No way! Talk about good timing!"

"What, even this girl knows me?" Ryota's gaze shifted to Hoshino, his curiosity piqued. But as he got a better look at her, his expression froze.

"Perfect! Let's head to the academy, Hoshino!" Jonouchi's excitement prompted him to leap onto Ryota's boat.

But Ryota grabbed his arm, his eyes still fixed on Hoshino. "Jonouchi... did you say her name was Hoshino?"

Musashi stepped in front of Hoshino protectively, her hand resting on her sword hilt. "Master, this guy's staring at you funny!"

"She looks just like her... Exactly the same..." Ryota muttered, his voice barely audible. "Is she her daughter?"

Hoshino stumbled, nearly toppling into the water. "D-daughter?! Seriously?!"

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..

...

"Hahaha! So, you're a time traveler?" Ryota laughed awkwardly after hearing Hoshino's explanation.

"What nonsense! Do you think I'm an idiot?!" His incredulous reaction was predictable.

Hoshino glared at him, her cheeks puffing with indignation. "And you thought I was someone's kid from ten years ago! Who's the idiot here?!"

Ryota scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "So you're really... the Hoshino from ten years ago?"

Climbing aboard the boat, Hoshino smirked. "You said it yourself—I'm the spitting image, aren't I?"

(*****)

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