"The World of the Forgotten?"
In a quiet fortune-telling parlor, Aster Phoenix sat on a stool, curiously examining the card.
Sartorius sat across from him, gently shuffling his tarot deck, while his sister Sarina poured tea for the two of them.
Ever since the Light of Destruction had withdrawn its consciousness from Sartorius's body, he had gradually returned to his former self. Although his gift for predicting the future had lost the boost from the Light of Destruction, the talent itself hadn't disappeared.
During this time, with Sarina and Aster's help, the Society of Light's branches around the world had begun slowly restructuring and dissolving, and the three of them had gotten their lives back on track.
Just as Aster had told Hikaru before, once everything settled down, he planned to go surfing and properly enjoy his new life. So during summer break, he'd barely participated in the Pro League at all. Aside from Society of Light business, he spent every day traveling the world, and occasionally moonlighting as "Phoenix Man" to catch muggers and thieves.
Even though he'd already taken down his father's killer, he wasn't about to abandon that calling. He would continue fighting crime.
As a result, his Pro League ranking had dropped another dozen or so places, but he didn't care.
Despite all the relaxation, he was still a duelist at heart. After more than a month of unwinding, he felt he couldn't keep "slacking off" like this. He'd come to Sartorius to ask if there was somewhere he could go to get stronger.
His original idea was to find some powerful duelists to challenge, since the half-completed Destiny HERO - Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer in his hand still hadn't been restored. He really wanted to finish the card, then either share it with Hikaru or make a copy.
But when he posed the question, Sartorius performed a divination and gave him a different answer entirely.
That answer was: the Dimension of the Forgotten.
He asked in puzzlement, "Why would I go to a place like that?"
His style and deck didn't really align with that type of spirit.
He'd actually been doing some dimensional travel recently, having visited a "Studio" dimension where he obtained cards called "Vision HERO." So he certainly wouldn't refuse dimensional travel.
But the "World of the Forgotten"...
He was confused.
For one thing, he had never abandoned any card. Even his Elemental HEROes were still hidden away in his deck.
For another, he was a duelist who specialized in HERO decks, and heroes might retire, but they would never be forgotten, because the world would always need heroes.
How did this have anything to do with him?
"The divination points to this." Sartorius spoke gently to Aster. "Rather, while you may not gain any cards there, you should encounter something even more wondrous, something that will make you stronger."
Was that really possible?
He thought it over. He didn't doubt Sartorius, but still had some lingering questions.
Because...
The World of the Forgotten apparently couldn't be reached via dimensional teleportation!?
Meanwhile, on a different front.
In a massive office building, a man wearing prayer beads gently pushed up his glasses, then continued writing furiously, penning responses on document after document.
A figure pushed open the office door, bowed in greeting, then stood to the side and addressed him: "The new helmsman of the Princeton Group has been confirmed, Master Amon. Here is the report."
"Thank you for your hard work, Echo."
He nodded in acknowledgment.
His name was Amon Garam, adopted son and eldest heir of the Garam Financial Group, and the "representative" of Duel Academy's Eastern Branch.
Years ago, he had been taken in by his adoptive father while on the brink of death and raised as an heir. Later, when his adoptive father had a biological son, his position became somewhat awkward.
Though he hesitated briefly, he soon resolved to support his younger brother. When his brother fell ill with an extraordinarily bizarre disease, Amon traveled far and wide seeking countless renowned doctors, even kneeling before them to beg for his brother's life. In the end, he successfully saved his brother, Sid.
Because of this, he was actually held in high regard within the group.
During the GX Tournament, while he'd been interested in competing, his nature wasn't particularly competitive. So while in the Nexus dimension, he traversed mountains and rivers, tending to ordinary spirits and unlucky students. He barely participated in any matches, and ultimately left with only a passing grade before returning to school, drawing criticism from several professors at the Eastern Branch.
Naturally, he didn't mind.
However, his beloved, his partner "Echo," didn't see things the same way.
She had grown up alongside Amon and understood the goodness and sense of justice in his heart, as well as his magnanimity. She believed Amon was someone with talent, courage, and the "vessel of a king," and had always felt frustrated that he could only serve as his brother's second-in-command.
But she loved Amon deeply, so she would never directly try to change his mind.
She simply, through indirect means and subtle methods, gently tried to nudge his thinking.
"It's almost time."
She glanced at her watch and spoke up.
"The Witching Hour, then."
The World of the Forgotten.
Said to be a dimension where abandoned and forgotten spirits reside, though some also described it as a "world."
It was a dimension similar to the Nexus. Supposedly, in any world, any existence that had been forgotten could potentially end up there.
Within that world, countless monsters and spirits lay hidden.
And those were existences worthy of "salvation."
That's right.
Amon wasn't truly without desire. Quite the opposite: he had his own ideals and beliefs.
He wished to build an equal world free of conflict, free of turmoil, where all lived in harmony. To that end, the forgotten spirits and abandoned cards in a place like the "World of the Forgotten" were precisely the kind of beings he wanted to help.
And that was exactly why Echo believed Amon would never refuse a trip to such a dimension.
She knew more than Amon did. Through other channels, she had learned from a Legendary Duelist that the scope of "abandoned" cards was actually enormous, and the biggest point of all was...
The Exodia the Forbidden One that Weevil Underwood had thrown away, the cards belonging to the legendary King of Games, were also among the "Forgotten!"
That was the strongest, most invincible power in the world. Assemble all five pieces, and not even the Gods could stand against it. A genuine, absolute "instant win."
She believed that once Amon laid eyes on those cards, he would find a way to obtain that ultimate power and use it to build the most equal world possible.
Without a doubt!
However, entering the World of the Forgotten wasn't that simple or casual.
First, you needed a specific card, a card that granted access to the World of the Forgotten. Such cards could practically only be obtained through three channels: Solomon Muto, grandfather of the King of Games Yugi Muto; Seto Kaiba, president of KaibaCorp; and Maximillion Pegasus, president of Industrial Illusions.
Pegasus's card had supposedly been given to a promising young HERO duelist he was fond of. Solomon's card had been given to someone unknown; even with the Garam Group's influence, they couldn't discover who had received it.
Fortunately, while Seto Kaiba was notoriously unapproachable, as long as you could pique his interest or satisfy him, he'd toss out entry cards to dimensions he had no interest in without a second thought.
So, leveraging the financial group's connections, they had successfully obtained one.
The World of the Forgotten couldn't be entered at just any time.
Only those who had earned qualification, on a specific date and at a specific time, possessing sufficient dueling power or conviction, could successfully enter.
The Witching Hour.
In other words, twilight.
This was the time when ghosts and spirits were most active, the transition between day and night, the most "fragile" window.
According to the standard time of the East 9th time zone, at the moment of twilight, you channeled your spirit energy into the card, and then you would feel "suffocation" and "submersion."
Amon raised the card, directed his spirit energy into it, and a massive vortex began spinning on the ground beneath him.
The vortex was a peculiar kind of dimensional gateway. It could sense those with powerful desires or strong convictions in their hearts, or those who feared being forgotten, who dreaded vanishing entirely, and it would forcibly drag them into the "deep water."
Everything had been going smoothly for Amon, but for some unknown reason, the vortex beneath his feet suddenly spun wildly and expanded, as if it had sensed something. In an instant, it spread to the ground beneath Echo's feet.
She let out a startled cry, and in the chaos, felt an intense suffocation.
Then black tides surged in from all directions, engulfing her in an instant. In the frantic suffocation, she flailed her arms, trying to grab onto something. But before long, she felt something propping her up.
"Are you alright, Echo?" Amon's voice slowly reached her ears.
She opened her eyes to find herself on a vast, empty plain. The pitch-black earth stretched endlessly in every direction, and the entire world was as desolate as if nothing existed at all.
She turned to see Amon steadying her. She nodded gently and struggled to her feet.
So this was... the World of the Forgotten?
She hadn't expected to be pulled into this world too.
A suspicion formed in her mind, but she didn't let it show.
Amon thought nothing of it and gazed into the distance.
Directly ahead of them stood an enormous archway towering over this world. The gate looked ghastly. Countless skulls were embedded in and hung from it like decorations, or perhaps warnings.
It resembled the legendary gates of the underworld, radiating waves of spectral energy, with icy, eerie gusts of wind sweeping through from time to time, sending chills down the spine.
There was nothing else around them. It seemed there was only one direction to go, so as the two gradually regained their bearings, they walked toward the gate.
But as they advanced, they gradually felt a creeping suffocation. The closer they got to the gate, the more pronounced the feeling became, as if some strange resistance was blocking their path.
Amon pressed forward through the pressure with his powerful spirit energy. Echo, however, didn't possess such exceptional spiritual power. Yet in one particular moment, when the thought "no matter what, I must help Amon" crossed her mind, the resistance on her body suddenly vanished.
This world seemed to block anyone who lacked conviction or strength from advancing!
Just as they were about to reach the gate, they were startled to discover that on the opposite side, a young man in a silver-white suit, looking refined and scholarly, was also braving the sandstorm and shadows, making his way toward the gate.
"Oh?"
"Hmm."
Both parties instantly went on high alert.
In a world of absolute emptiness, suddenly encountering another person, whether spirit or human, there was no guarantee the other party was without hostile intent.
After all, in the "World of the Forgotten," there could well be countless beings harboring malice toward other life forms. There was no telling what they might do. If caught off guard by a sudden attack without preparation, it would be disastrous.
Especially since both parties could feel that the closer they got to the gate, the greater the pressure on their bodies, and the worse their condition became. If ambushed right now, no one could guarantee they'd be able to fight at full strength.
But after the initial tension, both sides simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief, because they could each sense that the other, at least for the moment, held no ill will.
Amon studied the other person, thought carefully for a moment, and immediately recognized him.
The celebrity Pro Duelist, Aster Phoenix!
Aster, after sizing up Amon, glanced at Echo, only to find that, from just that one glance, his body stiffened slightly.
She was a woman with a somewhat tough exterior. Her hair was cropped very short, giving her an extremely clean and capable appearance. Honestly, among girls, she wasn't conventionally beautiful. But for some reason, the moment Aster laid eyes on her, his heart beat just a little faster.
"Hahahaha, Aster, that won't do at all."
Suddenly, a voice interrupted the standoff between the two parties, snapping Aster back to reality.
Everyone whipped their heads toward the gate at the same time. There, at some point they hadn't noticed, someone had already arrived ahead of them and was sitting there casually, waving hello.
They hadn't noticed him!?
He got here faster than all of us!?
Who was this!?
All eyes turned to the gateway.
"Chief?"
"Hikaru!?"
"The GX Champion!?"
Both parties exclaimed simultaneously.
"Ha, good evening!" Hikaru responded with a smile. "Didn't expect to run into people in another dimension. This is actually my first time encountering other travelers during a dimensional trip."
Aster let out a breath of relief.
Though somewhat surprised, once he'd gathered himself, he was still the same Aster. He figured that at least on the surface, it seemed to be two against two now, which would make handling any crisis easier.
Amon and Echo, meanwhile, finally understood where the other two cards had gone.
Clearly, Pegasus's card had gone to Aster Phoenix, and Solomon Muto's card had ended up in Hikaru's hands!
"But unfortunately, it looks like you'll have to wait for me to finish the trial first."
Wait for you?
Before either party could speak, both froze, then instantly understood.
So that was how it worked. If multiple people fell into this dimension at the same time, the first person to reach the gate would be the first to undergo the trial!
It was simple: whoever bore the greatest pressure, whoever could advance fastest under that pressure, was the one most capable of enduring "being forgotten!"
Hikaru had arrived first. Naturally, he was the one among them with the greatest capacity to endure!
The greatest?
Amon couldn't help but narrow his eyes.
Although he hadn't competed in the GX Tournament, when duelists truly met, there was always an urge to measure themselves against one another.
"Heh, so it's you." Aster didn't mind.
Sartorius had said he would grow stronger here. Perhaps it was because he'd run into Hikaru?
He wasn't sure, but if Hikaru had gotten here faster and more steadily than him, then he had no complaints.
After all, Hikaru could withstand even the pressure of the Light of Destruction. What was this by comparison?
Hikaru pressed both hands against the gate.
Looking upward from the base, the gate must have been dozens of meters tall. Hikaru pushed against it, and the entire structure didn't budge at first. But he didn't care. He kept pushing, and as he exerted more force, the gate slowly began to open. At the same time...
Endless dark energy poured out from within. Strange, smoke-like shapes, twisted and grotesque, flew from inside the gate and slammed into Hikaru.
Rip.
Crack.
Tears appeared in his clothes. Scratches opened on his face. But he didn't care in the slightest.
As the gate opened wider, countless dark shadows flew out and gradually surrounded the flat ground before the entrance. Echo rushed in front of Amon, wanting to shield him from the pain, but Amon simply steadied her and shook his head gently, telling her not to move.
As the gate opened further, the pitch-black shadows gradually revealed their true forms.
Key spirits, undead wraiths, attic goblins... countless spirit images that looked intimidating but couldn't even leave a mark when they hit Hikaru. Filled with resentment and suffering, they flew out from the gate, then dissipated into the world.
These were the grudges of countless cards, the agony of countless abandoned and forgotten cards. Their pain had coalesced into something almost tangible, like physical wounds!
The three looked at Hikaru again. By now, the scratches and injuries from before had already vanished.
Those fragile, weak spirits, how strong could they really be? What real scars could they leave?
They were nothing more than pain made manifest.
Still, the sheer enormity of that seemingly endless grief, like real wounds, brought suffering and made anyone want to recoil.
Hikaru smiled as he pushed the gate open wide enough for three people to pass through. He shook out his hands casually, then walked forward with a grin, speaking as he went: "It's alright. Pain, resentment, regret, bring it all on.
My name is Hikaru Amagi.
Hikaru of Fusion. Hikaru of Duel Academy. Hikaru of the Ultimate.
I don't care about pain. I don't care about grudges. I don't care about torment!
As long as it leads to Fusion, no matter what you are, I can accept you!!"
Hikaru slowly inhaled, then declared into the infinite darkness beyond the gate.
"So, spirits! Is there anyone willing to write a brand-new chapter of Fusion with me!!"
The chill intensified. Resentment took on physical form, lining every direction of the shadows beyond the gate, blood-red eyes staring fixedly at Hikaru and the three people behind him.
Aster felt a wave of cold. Even he, standing outside the gate, felt a stab of pain, and involuntarily cradled his right hand with his left.
Incredible.
He marveled silently.
As expected of Chief Hikaru.
He was just standing outside the gate and already felt pain. So how was Hikaru, standing face-to-face with countless grudges, countless spirit "phantoms," able to remain so rock-steady before that sea of spirits, enduring that horrifying agony?
Amon and Echo likewise felt the pressure. And precisely because of that, they also realized just how extraordinary the young man standing inside the gate truly was.
BOOM.
BOOM.
A sound like mountains toppling echoed through the darkness.
Hikaru's smile widened. He looked up, excitement in his eyes.
From the darkness, a colossal monster draped in a massive black cloak stepped before the gate. Beneath that pitch-black robe, only a pair of blood-red eyes peered out, watching Hikaru intently.
"Human..."
It opened its mouth. The stench of blood and decay wafted out, forcing Echo to instinctively step back. But that single half-step backward made her cry out, clutching her head in agony.
"Echo!" "What happened? Are you alright?" Amon and Aster called out at once.
She steadied herself after a moment and shook her head, indicating she was fine. But at the same time, she realized something: she had lost her qualification!
"Hikaru Amagi." Hikaru didn't look back. He calmly repeated his name.
"Hikaru? An interesting name." The enormous monster lightly tapped the ground with one hand. The earth shuddered as though a meteor had struck.
"Hikaru, do you dare say it again to my face?"
"Heh... what's there to be afraid of!" Hikaru thrust his fist toward those enormous red eyes glowing like stars in the sky above. "I am Hikaru Amagi! Hikaru of Duel Academy! Hikaru who pursues Fusion! Hikaru who seeks the ultimate, the absolute Fusion!
Whoever is willing to join me, whoever believes in me, whoever accepts me, no matter who you are, you are welcome! And I promise, I will never forget you!"
"Hmph, words are cheap." The massive shadow exhaled again. This time, it was as though flames rose in the darkness. Unbelievable pain swept over everyone present who still had qualification. Aster and Amon couldn't help but grimace. And on Hikaru's body, real wounds began to appear.
Hikaru casually wiped the blood from the cut on his face. His smile didn't waver. He nodded in understanding. "Of course. If I just stand here talking big, that proves nothing.
So..."
Hikaru raised his left hand. The Duel Disk on his wrist activated automatically, spinning rapidly, then flaring with an ever-shifting purple glow.
Though he said nothing more, the implication was unmistakable.
In this world, what could be more convincing than a duel?
The enormous red eyes narrowed slightly. It seemed the colossal spirit was squinting.
"Interesting. Then, human warrior Hikari, you who claim to pursue Fusion, prove yourself to all spirits through the Rite of Dueling!"
"Duel!" x2
Dark Spirit, LP: 4000.
Hikaru Amagi, LP: 4000.