The arrival of new cards at Duel Academy was never a quiet affair. These latest monsters weren't just stat upgrades—they often had effects that facilitated Special Summoning. For students who didn't have access to strong decks, they were a godsend.
Just watching how excited his classmates were, Hikaru Amagi already knew—this upcoming practical exam was going to be chaotic.
What surprised him, though, was that Reiji Akaba hadn't sent any "assassins" after him this time. No possessed spirits. No students acting as vessels for Sacred Beasts. It was as if Akaba didn't even care.
But that wasn't it.
He did care. Reiji Akaba was simply… occupied.
First, he had realized that KaibaCorp agents were tracking him. As a brilliant scientist, he had detected it after only two dimensional gate activations. Someone was following the path of his dimensional jumps.
And outside of Banner—who was already dead—the only group capable of such surveillance was KaibaCorp.
He briefly considered Dr. Crowler, but that man had never demonstrated any advanced scientific aptitude. If he had that kind of talent, then Akaba would seriously question why he was really at the Academy.
After all, he'd chosen this school as his hideout precisely because it was convenient and obscure.
Just imagining Crowler suddenly cackling like a mad scientist gave Akaba a headache.
Because of that, he'd been avoiding trips to his base, instead opting to give orders remotely while waiting for his observers to either find those trailing him—or lose interest.
There was also another reason for his absence.
He was currently meeting with someone else.
In a massive, pristine white room, Reiji Akaba—dressed in his signature dark hues—sat properly on a small chair across from a figure cloaked entirely in white.
The man sat silently, staring at the cards laid out on the table. Akaba waited—impatient, wondering if the man had fallen asleep—until finally the stranger spoke.
"Face-up."
Akaba immediately refocused.
"Light now surrounds you. Your heart will find peace. The cycle of karma will become clear. The world will be revealed as it truly is."
The voice was gentle, almost serene, but the words…
Sounded like something from a cult.
They were mystic. Deliberate. Each word made sense. But stringed together? It was cryptic, bizarre.
"So, you mean my goal will be fulfilled?" Akaba asked.
"Such is destiny."
"Destiny…" Akaba's face darkened. "That's the one thing I've never believed in."
"Heh… Whether you believe or not, destiny remains unchanged," the man said with a soft smile, gathering his cards. "As long as the light does not fade, your ambition will one day succeed."
This time, Akaba didn't respond. His eyes were cold. Determined.
"Also, Dr. Akaba," the man continued, "as for your previous request… I've thought long and hard, and I must decline."
"!!" Akaba's gaze sharpened like a blade. "Are you sure?"
The man's smile widened unnaturally, as though struggling to maintain his composure.
"The destiny I must meet… is not one you can influence. There is only one person who can change my fate."
One person.
Akaba glanced at the young man standing by the wall.
Silver-white hair. Ice-blue eyes. Stylish white suit. Handsome face. He looked even younger than Jaden or Hikaru—but there he was, leaning against the wall, clearly bored out of his mind.
"However," the robed man added, "for the next entrance exam… Aster can attend Duel Academy."
"...Hmph. That'll suffice," Akaba said. A touch of disappointment flickered in his voice—but not much.
Because he knew who that young man was.
Aster Phoenix—deemed by Pegasus, the father of Duel Monsters, to be the fourth-strongest Duelist in the world—behind only Yugi Muto, Seto Kaiba, and Joey Wheeler.
He possessed not only overwhelming card power and a Duel Spirit partner, but also an unshakable bond with Sartorius Kumar, someone who, like Akaba himself, stood "on the edge of fate."
Even if Aster didn't follow him, even if he simply assisted…
That was more than enough.
"Well then, I'll take my leave," Sartorius said, offering a nod as he and Aster left the large divination chamber.
Once Akaba had gone, Aster finally turned to Sartorius, confused.
"Duel Academy? You want me to go play kiddie games with those little brats?"
He was only a year younger than Jaden, but Aster had already become an undefeated pro Duelist. To be told to go back to school now? It was insulting.
"Also, I've heard of Reiji Akaba. He's got a terrible reputation. Even in KaibaCorp, lots of people hate him."
"Didn't his Fusion Club just get overthrown by the students? What the hell is there to learn from him?"
To Aster, it sounded like a waste of time.
But Sartorius Kumar—the man with the power to foresee destinies—smiled gently.
"I've already seen the future, Aster. I've seen us both escape our cursed fates."
"Hah?" Aster blinked.
"You mean because of that guy? Reiji?"
"Perhaps," Sartorius said calmly. "Or maybe someone else. Fate is shrouded in radiance now. Even I can barely see glimpses."
"The countless dimensions are converging. Intertwined fates form an impenetrable net… and one light grows brighter than all the rest."
Years ago, Sartorius had seen his own destiny—one where he destroyed the world in light. In a desperate attempt to change it, he found Aster, his destined companion.
But as time passed and the world grew more chaotic, his fate only became more inevitable. He'd begun to lose hope.
Until two months ago, when he met Reiji Akaba in a broken dimension.
And saw… another possibility.
He saw someone else like him. Someone twisted by light.
"I see…" Aster frowned, rubbing his forehead, before sighing. "Fine. I'll go check it out."
Duel Academy, huh?
He said it was just a kid's game—but having never truly gone to school, part of him was curious.
Two months left. He'd pay a visit when the time came.
Meanwhile, back at Duel Academy, a new chapter had begun.
Midterms.
With Professor Banner gone, the alchemy course had been scrapped—cutting Hikaru's biggest academic advantage. Bastion Misawa and Chazz Princeton were fired up, aiming to finally overtake him in rankings.
But all that theory was secondary to the practical duels.
And fate, as if by design, had arranged Hikaru's next opponent:
Bastion Misawa.
"This'll be our first real duel in the Academy, huh?" Bastion adjusted his collar, standing tall before Hikaru.
Hikaru nodded. They'd crossed paths before, but never clashed in an official match.
"Whoever wins this is ranked #1 for the year," Bastion declared, confidence blazing. "And this time, I'm taking that spot, Hikaru!"
Hikaru smirked. "Bastion, let's save the big talk for after you win."
"Give it your all, Hikaru!"
"Let's go, Bastion! Don't let Hikaru walk all over you!"
"You both got this!"
Their friends had finished their own exams and now gathered around the arena, cheering for both sides.
Standing between them, Professor Hoshiyama—Yellow Dorm's instructor and exam proctor—raised a hand, just as fired up as they were.
"Both Duelists ready?! Begin!"
The Duel Disks snapped open in perfect sync.
"DUEL!"
Bastion Misawa LP: 4000
Hikaru Amagi LP: 4000