Heroic Spirit Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh!

The boat slowly approached the harbor, and Musashi, as if seeing the dawn of salvation, scrambled and crawled toward the ground.

"Reviiiivvveee!" The moment her feet touched solid ground, the previously lifeless Musashi seemed to transform into a completely different person, throwing her arms high in triumph like a victorious hero.

Her dramatic behavior startled the blonde girl sitting idly on the dock, causing her to flinch and nearly slip into the water.

As they drew closer, Hoshino noticed that the girl, dressed in a crisp blue uniform, had her delicate white arm wrapped in a conspicuous bandage. The injury, combined with her slightly sulky demeanor, made it clear her mood wasn't great.

"Sorry about that," Hoshino apologized as she approached, offering a disarming smile. "Our dumb Musashi probably scared you just now."

The girl glanced up, her clear blue eyes scanning Hoshino curiously. Her expression betrayed a flicker of surprise at being addressed so casually.

"It's fine," the girl replied after a pause, her voice calm but carrying a hint of annoyance. "There are plenty of overly-energetic idiots like her all over the academy."

"Wow, so you're a student here, huh?" Hoshino said brightly. "Wearing the blue uniform means you're part of Obelisk Blue, right? That's amazing—getting into the elite dorm at such a young age!"

The girl arched an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Young? You don't look much older than me. What are you even doing here at the academy? Are you some kind of pro duelist or something? Because, no offense, you don't look like one."

"Ah, sorry," Hoshino said, scratching the back of her neck sheepishly. She realized she'd blurted her comment out without thinking. "I just meant you seem really accomplished. Obelisk Blue isn't easy to get into, after all."

"Master, that's so mean! I'm not dumb!" Musashi, who had been busy savoring the fresh air, pouted as she rejoined the group, her cheerful smile returning in full force.

At the sight of Musashi's vibrant energy, the blonde girl stiffened. Her hand instinctively moved behind her back to hide her bandaged arm.

"Master?" she asked, her tone sharpening with suspicion as her gaze flickered between Hoshino and Musashi.

Noticing the girl's tense reaction, Hoshino sighed and placed her hands on her hips. "Musashi, you're scaring her again! Don't worry," she added, turning back to the girl, "she might look a little weird, but she's actually a good person."

Musashi gasped in mock indignation. "Ugh! A 'good person card' out of nowhere? What a failure for me!"

The girl's eyes narrowed as she focused on Musashi. "You said 'Master,' didn't you? You… aren't human, are you?"

Musashi froze, her jaw dropping in shock. "Oh no, I've been exposed!" She looked genuinely baffled, as though her identity had been uncovered despite her "perfect disguise."

"What do we do? Should I silence her?" Musashi's hands moved toward the hilts of her swords, and for a brief moment, a flash of lethal intent radiated from her.

"Silence who?! We're not assassins, Musashi!" Hoshino exclaimed, half amused, half exasperated. Despite her playful tone, she was intrigued by how quickly the girl had seen through Musashi's true nature.

As the boat finally docked, Jonouchi and Ryota jumped ashore, tying the boat to a nearby post.

"Wow, chatting up a schoolgirl the moment you land, huh? Classic Hoshino," Jonouchi teased with a knowing smirk.

The blonde girl turned toward the two men, her pink lips parting slightly in surprise. "You're… Jonouchi-nii?"

Jonouchi froze, clearly caught off guard. Then, puffing up his chest, he nudged Ryota. "See? I told ya. Yours truly, Jonouchi Katsuya, is super popular with high school girls!"

"Popular, my foot!" the girl retorted with a scowl. "Nobody's talking about you!"

Then, her expression brightened as she pointed to herself excitedly. "It's me! Don't you recognize me, Jonouchi-nii?"

Jonouchi rubbed his chin thoughtfully, squinting at her. After a moment, his face lit up as realization struck. "Wait a second… Akasha?! Is that really you?!"

"That's right! It's me!" Akasha exclaimed, spreading her arms in triumph. Her mood seemed to lift instantly at being recognized.

Jonouchi laughed heartily. "Wow, not only did you get into Duel Academy, but you made it to Obelisk Blue? That's impressive, kid!"

On the sidelines, Hoshino stood frozen in shock. The elegant young woman before her was the same Akasha who had once clung to her side like a shadow?

Sure, people grow up, but this much? The chubby-cheeked little girl she remembered had blossomed into a confident, striking teenager. Her refined features, short blonde hair, and radiant smile made her almost unrecognizable.

"Master, snap out of it!" Musashi waved a hand in front of Hoshino's face, failing to elicit a response. With a resigned sigh, she reached into her travel pouch and pulled out a small bottle.

[Musashi used Anti-Petrification Potion! It was super effective!]

"Akasha-chan, you've grown into such a beautiful young lady!" Hoshino finally managed to say after shaking off her daze.

Akasha tilted her head, confused. She glanced at Jonouchi, who immediately stepped in to explain the situation.

---

"So, Hoshino-nee traveled here from the past? And that's why you're called Master? That actually makes sense!" Akasha concluded after hearing the full explanation. She seemed completely unfazed, her adaptability shining through—unlike Ryota, who was still grumbling about wanting to conquer the seas.

Blinking her bright, curious eyes, Akasha leaned in with a playful grin. "It's kinda amazing, though. I just said goodbye to older Hoshino-nee, and now I get to see the younger version! How lucky am I?"

As she leaned closer, Hoshino noticed the bandage Akasha was trying to hide behind her back.

"Akasha-chan, your wrist—is it injured? Why is it bandaged?" Hoshino asked, her voice filled with concern.

Akasha raised her arm, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Oh, this? It's the power of demonic energy sealed by the Shadow Garden, an evil organization! If I remove the bandage, the seal will break, and the world will plunge into chaos!"

"Is that so?" Hoshino replied dryly, clearly unimpressed. She lightly poked the bandage with her finger.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch! It hurts, it hurts, QAQ!" Akasha yelped, clutching her arm.

"So it's really an injury," Hoshino said, frowning. "Was it from the academy's battles?"

Akasha's playful demeanor faded as she looked down. "Actually…" Her voice grew quieter.

"This morning, I… had a fight with Hoshino-nee."

"A fight… with me?" Hoshino's brain stalled for a moment, her confusion evident.

Akasha quickly waved her hands. "Not with you, Hoshino-nee. With... Hoshino-nee."

Both of them froze, tangled in confusion. The sight of Akasha clutching her head in frustration, looking utterly adorable, sent Jonouchi and Ryota into fits of laughter.

"She means the current Hoshino, while you're the Hoshino from the past," Jonouchi explained, lightly tapping Hoshino's head.

"Yes, yes, exactly what Jonouchi said! Sorry, I've been thinking about it so much it's all muddled," Akasha admitted, sighing.

She had been sitting on the pier all morning, her brow furrowed, unsure of how to face the situation.

For Akasha, Hoshino was an incredibly important person. She had spent years in America with her father, Rowick, but resolutely left him behind to apply to Duel Academy just to reunite with her beloved Hoshino.

Her father must've been heartbroken when she left…

"So, why did you argue?" Hoshino asked gently, a strange discomfort tugging at her. Though technically this situation had nothing to do with her, the sight of Akasha's worried face made her feel oddly guilty, as though she were somehow to blame.

Then again, in a way, it was her fault.

"Don't worry," Jonouchi said, trying to comfort Akasha. "Arguments are normal. I still throw punches with Honda now and then, but we're as close as ever!"

"Please don't compare your brawls with Honda to this…" Hoshino muttered, exasperated.

"Originally, Hoshino-nee didn't want any students involved in the 'Beast Wave,'" Akasha explained, her voice tinged with frustration. "But last night, the number of monsters was overwhelming. Even with pros supporting us, it was incredibly dangerous."

"What's the Beast Wave?" Ryota interjected, unfamiliar with the term.

"It's what the Academy calls the waves of rampaging Duel Monsters that attack us," Akasha clarified. "To protect the Academy, I joined the fight last night, but… as you can see, I got hurt. This morning, Hoshino-nee found out and got furious."

"Hoshino, you're so strict~" Jonouchi teased, shaking his head at the Hoshino standing beside him.

"That wasn't me being strict—it was the future me… Oh, never mind." Hoshino sighed, already feeling the headache of having to differentiate between herself and her future self.

"But Akasha-chan, if it were me now, I'd also be upset if you snuck into such a dangerous battle and got hurt," she added, her tone softening.

"That's completely different!" Akasha snapped, her frustration bubbling over. "I just wanted to help protect the Academy and you, Hoshino-nee! I'm not a child anymore, so why does she have to be so mad? Besides…"

Crossing her arms, Akasha turned away, pouting. "From where I'm standing, you're the child now, Hoshino-chan! You're even shorter than me!"

Hoshino, reluctantly comparing their heights, realized Akasha was indeed slightly taller than her. Somehow, it felt like a personal defeat.

"Not to mention, I'm already in my third year and about to graduate! You should start treating me like an adult!"

But venting to me won't change anything…

Hoshino, now fully serving as Akasha's outlet for complaints, could only sigh helplessly. And to make matters worse, as a third-year student, Akasha wasn't just taller—she was technically older than the younger Hoshino standing before her.

Jonouchi placed a hand on Akasha's shoulder, gently steering her away from her frustrations. "Come on, Akasha, don't throw a tantrum. At this rate, you're just arguing with another Hoshino."

"Ugh…" Akasha groaned, but Jonouchi's words helped her cool down. "Fine. I guess you have a point."

Meanwhile, Ryota, who had been silently absorbing the conversation, furrowed his brows in thought. "If even professional duelists couldn't hold the line and students had to step in, then the Academy's situation must be far worse than we realized."

Recalling her purpose for coming, Hoshino turned to Akasha, now calmer. "Akasha-chan, do you know where the 'me' from this time is? I came to the Academy specifically to find her."

As soon as she said it, Hoshino felt a wave of awkwardness. I'm looking for myself. It sounded ridiculous.

But Akasha immediately understood.

"After our argument this morning, she stormed off to the Chancellor's office," Akasha explained. "You probably won't be able to see her for a while."

Of course, Akasha had no idea that Professor Hoshino had already gone to the dueling arena and annihilated Professor Crowler in a single turn—a display of power that was the true source of her foul mood. Poor Crowler had merely been a punching bag for venting her frustrations.

"But if you want to find her, you should head back to the Academy first," Akasha suggested. "Knowing Hoshino-nee's shut-in tendencies, she probably won't leave campus. Once she's done, she's likely hiding in her room, napping."

No one objected. Jonouchi and Musashi were here to escort Hoshino, Ryota was here to support the Academy, and none of them knew the school's layout. With Akasha as their guide, it would be much easier.

However, as they entered the Academy grounds, their expressions grew grim.

"The damage is worse than I expected…" Hoshino muttered, surveying the destruction.

From the gates to the inner buildings, nearly everything was in ruins. Some structures still smoldered faintly, suggesting the fires had only recently been extinguished.

Jonouchi and Ryota, who had once seen the Academy in its prime, were especially disheartened. It was no wonder the school had called for reinforcements from professional duelists.

It was clear that Paradox, unlike the smaller skirmishes in Domino City, had aimed for the Academy's total annihilation.

Given Paradox's goal of erasing Duel Monsters' history, targeting such a renowned institution made perfect sense.

Akasha sighed. "The most severely damaged areas were just auxiliary facilities. Thanks to everyone's efforts, we managed to protect the main teaching building and dormitories."

But the undertone of her words carried a heavy sense of powerlessness, unbecoming of an Obelisk Blue student.

"With so many people injured, I'm afraid we won't be able to hold out against tonight's attack. If we have to abandon the Academy… where would we even go?"

Her words hung in the air like a dark cloud, echoing the helplessness of war.

Nowhere to run.

Without warning, the flames of destruction had engulfed the world, like rain from hell.

The Duel Academy, a beacon of hope for duelists everywhere, now stood on the brink of collapse—a testament to their unwavering will, but also to the horrors they faced.

War brought no smiles. Across the world, countless others were likely enduring the same pain, losing their homes, their loved ones, and their futures.

Black clouds loomed overhead, blotting out the sky. And in the darkness, hope seemed like a distant dream.

(*****)

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