Takuma Saio slowly opened his eyes.
"Mizuchi," he said, "I hope this is good news."
He looked up and saw two circular mirrors suspended in mid-air. A flicker of light flashed through the mirrors, and the appearance of his sister, Saio Mizuchi, appeared.
"Yes," Mizuchi said, "but it may not be what you want."
She paused, and before Saio could ask further questions, she continued.
"The issue with the Revolver still hasn't been resolved. The Hanuo Knight has been actively interfering with the society's operations lately, causing significant disruptions."
Saio frowned, seemingly a bit irritated.
Whether it was Mizuchi, Ed, or anyone else in the society, he seemed to feel lately that everyone around him was becoming less competent, and everything was opposing him.
This made him very uncomfortable because ever since he was possessed by the Light of Destruction, everything had always gone smoothly, as if fate was always on his side.
But now, fate seemed to have gone somewhere else, standing against him and siding with someone else.
"Then what is the good news?" Saio asked.
"The Prince Aojin you told me to keep an eye on," Mizuchi said, "I've sent people who have already contacted him. He is interested in the card 'Ultimate D'.
I informed him that you are related to the 'Ultimate D' card, and he has agreed to meet you, willing to communicate through a duel."
Saio's eyes lit up.
Finally, some good news.
Just like in the original anime, the Ultimate Satellite Weapon "Sky" recently developed by the Mizgaruzeng Country's Prince Aojin had caught Saio's— or rather, the Light of Destruction's attention.
The portion of the Light of Destruction within Saio did not possess the power to destroy the world on its own like the Great Evil God Zok or Orichalcos' Cheating Snake. After all, it was merely a fragment of light that occasionally landed on Earth, not strong enough yet.
So its plan was to use the satellite "Sky."
Using the brainwashing ability of the Light of Destruction, as long as Saio won the duel, the opponent's fate would be controlled like a puppet. So, all Saio needed to do was to get hold of the person with the activation key for the "Sky" and use it to launch a devastating attack on Earth's humans, fulfilling the Light of Destruction's trait of "purifying everything."
Yes, the Light of Destruction chose the most primitive and brute method of physical purification.
Evidently, Prince Aojin was the key. By defeating Prince Aojin and using the power of light to brainwash him and obtain the two keys to activate "Sky" that he holds, the plan would be a success.
"Where is he?" Saio asked.
"He went to Duel Academy for the GX tournament," Mizuchi replied, "As a dignitary, Prince Aojin's accommodation is a standalone suite. Ideally, there shouldn't be anyone else disturbing you, perfect for you to conduct your business.
I've already arranged everything with the other side."
"Very well, Mizuchi, well done."
Saio nodded in satisfaction, stood up, and his eyes glinted with the dangerous light of a hunter ready to stalk its prey.
"Then let me go and see for myself... whether this Aojin human really has the power to wield such a dangerous weapon."
...
...
That evening, Takuma Saio personally arrived at Duel Academy.
Disembarking from the boat and standing on the pier, Saio looked up at the silhouette of the dark forest ahead and the distant lights of buildings, lost in thought.
Finally, he had arrived at Duel Academy.
In his divinations, this place was a land of destiny. His foothold on Earth, the continuation of his fate, every divination always pointed towards this academy. Yet, the outcome of the battles seemed to be obscured in fog, something he could not see through no matter how many times he tried.
This was not unusual. Even in his own divinations, some subjectivity was inevitable, and even he could not foresee his own future, only the futures of others.
But it didn't matter. Even without predictions of the future, Takuma Saio had absolute confidence in his abilities.
Moreover, his card deck was the "Secret Ceremony Power," a deck with the absolute power to control destiny. Based on Tarot Cards, each monster summoned would randomly appear in either an "upright" or "reversed" position.
And with his absolute power over fate, he could freely manipulate these results to his will, as if determining whether a coin toss would land heads or tails, proving that fate was indeed on his side.
Saio revealed a dangerous smile.
After today, once he defeated Prince Aojin and brought him under his control, half the plan would be a success.
This planet was destined to become an appendage of the light.
Saio traversed the dense forest, heading towards the coordinates given by Mizuchi.
Even though it was already night, Duel Academy was unexpectedly lively. Saio walked through the forest, occasionally hearing the roar of explosions, with bursts of fire rising in the woods and the sounds of shouting and cursing.
It sounded like many people were dueling.
"The GX tournament..."
Saio mused to himself.
He had once had his eyes on this tournament, thinking it a good opportunity to infiltrate Duel Academy. By dispatching members of the society imbued with fragments of his Light Power, he hoped to gain more followers through dueling and conversion...
He shook his head.
It should have been a good idea, but it was now merely a thought.
Since the last attempt by Ryusei to infiltrate the academy, which ended with him being beat down by a random female passerby, Saio began to feel that the academy had hidden depths.
It felt as if the whole academy was enveloped by some sort of intangible darkness that even the highest light of the cosmos could not penetrate. His intuition told him that dispatching other society members would make no difference.
Well, it didn't matter anymore. As long as he acquired the satellite "Sky" keys...
Thinking so, he had arrived at the standalone mansion where Prince Aojin resided.
This matter was of such importance, and Prince Aojin too crucial, that Saio did not trust any other subordinate to handle it. He had to personally come and take down Prince Aojin.
There was no one outside the door.
Saio frowned, feeling a bit strange. He thought there should at least be some guards outside the prince's door.
He reached out and gently pushed the door, which creaked open.
The door wasn't even locked, which was even stranger.
Saio walked inside.
"Your Highness?"
He called out.
"It's me, Takuma Saio, we've scheduled an appointment."
There was no response, only the echoes of his voice reverberating in the empty hallway.
The entire house was eerily silent, the only light source coming from the living room, casting a glow into the corridor.
A strange premonition started to form in Saio's mind.
But he still followed the direction of the light and proceeded to the living room.
Then he saw a chair placed in the middle of the living room, with its back facing him. It seemed like someone heard him coming as the chair slowly turned around.
Saio Takuma saw the person sitting cross-legged in the chair, and his pupils contracted involuntarily.
Fujiki... Yugen?