The six-month-long GX Tournament had finally come to an end, yet for Hikaru, it felt more exhausting than the entire previous year combined.
Under Kaiba Corporation's guidance, the students returned to their respective academies, where each school conducted its own final evaluations and reflections.
Some students were praised, others criticized. It was, in every sense, a time of endings and new beginnings.
It's worth mentioning that, up until the very last day, Jaden still hadn't figured out what to do with the remaining Dark World monsters.
In the end, he simply decided to take all of them with him.
Yes, every single one of the Dark World spirits and cards, except for the still-missing "Dark World War God." He didn't mind the trouble.
As for the Lightsworn spirits, Jaden had observed them for several months and found nothing unusual.
So long as they didn't become "Twilightsworn," they remained calm and pure. Even then, two Lightsworn spirits decided to follow him to this Dimension.
But that was nothing unusual; countless Lightsworn spirits had crossed over to the human world, drawn by the students' courage and ideals.
Perhaps this was also how the students themselves continued to grow stronger, through bonds and encounters forged in this Tournament.
Among all the schools, Duel Academy's Main Campus had the most complex atmosphere, filled with both joy and sorrow.
It was the happiest, liveliest, and yet somehow the saddest place of all. Normally, such a contradiction would be strange. But for the Main Campus, it made perfect sense.
Thanks to Hikaru and his team's brilliant performance, the academy's reputation had been completely restored.
The doubts and rumors that once surrounded the school had finally disappeared. And because the Fusion Army incident had brought so much outside suspicion and pressure, the relief afterward felt overwhelming.
For the first time in months, the students could breathe freely again.
Even Professor Chronos, while reading out final grades, occasionally had to wipe away tears with a handkerchief.
It was proof of just how much tension everyone had been under.
Hikaru spent a peaceful few days at the academy. Their farewell gathering was full of laughter, tears, and snacks, one of those rare moments that truly felt like the end of an era.
Jaden, of course, was still the same as always, running around without a plan.
Atticus decided that, in addition to his internship, he wanted to learn some "entertainment dueling," and he even planned to drag Alexis along with him.
Chazz, despite finishing second, had built a tremendous reputation for himself.
With his own company growing steadily, he was already preparing to compete with his two older brothers over the summer.
Misawa had finally received official approval to visit the X Dimension, and he was so excited he couldn't sleep all night.
Apparently, this interdimensional exchange was part of a formal initiative launched by Kaiba Corporation itself, which made Misawa's timing perfect.
Even Serena had begun experimenting with Alchemy in the laboratory on the second floor of the Fusion Department. Since she had nothing planned for the summer, spending her break on alchemy research didn't seem like a bad idea.
To be safe, Hikaru left her a few cards, spirits he had chosen personally from among those they had rescued.
These spirits were more than happy to protect Serena, especially knowing she had been a target of the Fusion Army, and they got along with her wonderfully.
Though most students had already gone home for the summer, Duel Academy's island remained unusually busy.
Every day, new companies and clubs arrived by ship or plane to discuss business with Professor Chronos.
The students' outstanding performance in the GX Tournament had brought the academy an unprecedented level of fame.
Almost every hour, someone wanted to form a partnership or simply visit the campus.
To Professor Chronos, all this attention was a blessing.
He handled every meeting with pride and enthusiasm, practically dancing his way to the principal's office each morning.
As for Hikaru, after the celebration ended, he finally contacted Funglow Company with a single purpose in mind.
He was going to Kaiba Corporation.
Somehow, Chazz had caught wind of what was happening.
When Hikaru arrived at the academy's airfield, Chazz was already there, leaning casually against a helicopter and pointing his thumb at it with a grin.
It was a private aircraft, equipped with KaibaCorp's identity verification system, flying directly to Kaiba Corporation headquarters.
Of course.
He'd forgotten that this guy still had those kinds of "privileges."
And if you have privileges, it'd be a waste not to use them.
Chazz wasn't just there to give Hikaru a lift, though. He also had business to discuss with Mokuba Kaiba, some corporate matter that Hikaru neither understood nor cared to ask about.
Still, just as Hikaru was about to board the helicopter, Chazz called out to him.
"Hikaru."
Hikaru turned around. The next instant, a card whistled through the air toward him.
Instinctively, Hikaru reached out and caught it.
"Oh?"
He blinked in surprise. "B–Buster Drake??"
Hikaru looked up at Chazz.
"Chazz, I was only joking before. That's your partner's card, I couldn't possibly accept it."
It was true. He had teased Chazz about it earlier, saying that whoever lost should give their ABC-series partner card to the other. But that had been nothing more than a joke, something Duelists said in the heat of the moment.
Those cards weren't ordinary by any means; each one held the spirit of its own monster.
"You're mistaken." Chazz smirked, hands in his pockets. "That's a copy I asked Mokuba to make for you. There's no way I'd hand over my partner for real, but a bet's a bet."
Hikaru stared at the card, then chuckled softly.
"Ha… then I won't be polite."
"Good luck," Chazz said simply.
He knew what Hikaru was going to do, and there was no way he could lend him strength for it, so cheering him on was the only thing he could do.
After all, he knew Hikaru would be spending his summer in another Dimension. He was only here to see him off, and to settle a few side matters with Mokuba while he was at it.
Following the KaibaCorp staff, Hikaru made his way deep inside Kaiba Corporation headquarters.
They passed through the towering gates of the Dimensional Door, descending further and further underground.
At a certain point, the escorts stopped.
"Someone else will guide you the rest of the way," one of them said respectfully. "We're not authorized to go beyond this point."
Hikaru stepped out of the elevator as they bowed and departed.
The moment he turned back, the elevator door behind him shimmered, and then vanished completely.
"Oh," Hikaru murmured. "So that elevator was part of the Dimensional Gate's transfer field."
With his experience traveling between Dimensions, he understood immediately.
He looked down the pitch-dark corridor ahead and began walking forward without hesitation.
At first, there was only darkness. Then...fwoom!...blue torches flickered to life one by one on either side, casting rippling light on the walls as he went.
The deeper he went, the brighter it became, until finally the path opened up.
Before him stood a massive, star-white mausoleum, towering statues of dragons encircled it, each sculpted with lifelike precision. At its center rose a huge white altar, cylindrical and gleaming under the cold torchlight.
Above the altar, a spectral dragon's silhouette shimmered, pure white, its eyes burning with a brilliant blue radiance.
"The Shrine of Light…?" Hikaru whispered.
Of course. It could only be.
"Who's there!"
Just as Hikaru was taking in the sight of the shrine, a familiar voice broke through his thoughts.
He turned sharply.
Standing at the edge of the light was a tall figure clad in white, wearing a dragon-shaped mask that gleamed faintly under the torches.
"Kaiba…?" he murmured.
But almost immediately, he sensed something was wrong.
The aura wasn't the same as Seto Kaiba's. The posture, the rhythm of the voice, it was close, but not him.
No, this was someone else.
Although the outfit resembled Kaiba Man, there was something distinctly artificial about this version, like a reflection of Kaiba's will, rather than the man himself.
Hikaru narrowed his eyes, quickly judging the situation.
"I am a Duelist who travels across Dimensions," he said calmly. "I seek the Fusions that exist within each world. I've come here to obtain the Fusion of Blue-Eyes and to earn your approval."
For a brief moment, silence filled the hall.
Then, the masked man chuckled.
"Oh-ho? You dare say such things in front of me? Seems like you've lost your mind."
The figure tilted his head slightly, and though the mask hid his expression, Hikaru could feel the mocking grin behind it.
"Fine then," the man said at last. "I'll help you clear your head."
He raised his right arm. A familiar, old-style Duel Disk clicked open on his wrist, one that looked straight out of Duelist Kingdom. The hum of its activation filled the shrine, faintly echoing off the marble walls.
Hikaru didn't hesitate. He lifted his own arm, and his modern Duel Disk responded instantly, unfolding with a soft metallic hiss as blue light raced across its circuits.
Their eyes met.
"Duel!"
The two Duelists shouted in unison, and the air around the shrine pulsed with energy.
Kaiba Man?, LP: 4000
Hikaru, LP: 4000