From the public announcement to over a month later…
During that time, Hikaru successfully extracted the cards for Gem-Knight Citrine and Gem-Knight Master Diamond from their fragments, and in the process, awakened many Spirits.
Some of them wished to return to their original worlds. Others chose to remain in the Grand Universe Workshop, becoming "natives" who assisted Fullmetal Alkahest.
The Grand Universe Workshop was vast. And thanks to the Philosopher's Stone, Hikaru could designate specific zones. These Spirits, who weren't fighters and feared the outside world due to their own mutations, stayed in the workshop as odd-job helpers.
Unfortunately, the most seriously wounded Lapis, who had been infected for over half a year, still hadn't recovered as of yesterday, remaining in a coma, much to Crystal's worry.
Now, Hikaru and the others were aboard a plane en route to KaibaCorp's designated dimensional development island.
Duel Academy's representatives for the event were Jaden, Chazz, and Hikaru.
Atticus had originally qualified, too, but KaibaCorp informed him he couldn't bring cameras. S-Dimension permitted only broadcasting, not filming, and strictly forbade contestants from roaming freely.
Finding it boring, he gave his spot to Alexis, who earned it by defeating Bastion in the Academy tournament.
Jaden, meanwhile, had secured his spot early on by winning the Neo Domino City tournament.
As a result, the Academy was sending four contestants to this event. The principal, despite doing nothing, was already raking in accolades. After the KaibaCorp exchange program, many young Duelists had already expressed interest in enrolling. Now, the Academy's popularity was surging even more.
Of course, the story had been massaged a little.
Had it been left to raw competition, Hikaru was sure that only Jaden would have made the cut.
However, before the tournament even began, Hikaru had urged Chazz to use his "privileges" to get the internal schedule from KaibaCorp. Together with Bastion and Chazz, they carefully discussed the best strategy to maximize participation among friends.
In the end, however, Bastion is critical to the team's logistical operations, was narrowly defeated by Alexis.
A real shame.
As for Celina, she was too young. Regrettably, she couldn't participate.
Nevertheless, it couldn't be helped.
There were headcount limits, and with so many candidates globally, they had to follow the rules once the boundaries were drawn.
Hikaru glanced around.
No sign of Yugi Muto on the plane. On the other side, two girls were staring at him with great interest.
His eyebrow twitched.
The Tyler Sisters. Of course, they were part of the S-Dimension exchange team.
It made sense.
As elite Fusion Army members, they weren't just students but also renowned tag duelists. Whether sent as scouts or to flex Fusion Army strength through this duel, it was completely logical.
"That leaves four more slots…" Hikaru murmured.
Two more tag duelists, two solo duelists.
After landing, KaibaCorp staff led Hikaru and the others to a waiting room.
There, they met the remaining four. Hikaru didn't recognize most of them at a glance. Only one cheerful guy waved enthusiastically and greeted them, a personality strikingly similar to Jaden's.
Hikaru recognized him immediately, 'Whoa... isn't that Jesse Anderson?'
A GX fan-favorite, Jesse was the Crystal Beast Duelist, the "second male lead," and Jaden's most reliable late-series partner.
"Haha, hey y'all~" Jesse waved and introduced himself.
He was from Duel Academy's Arctic Circle branch, hailing from Northern Europe.
This guy was no joke.
Not only did he wield the "one-of-a-kind" Crystal Beast deck, but his original storyline was intense. At one point, he was forcibly possessed by Yubel, who seized control of his body.
Why Jesse, specifically?
Hard to say.
Regardless, Jesse was similar in temperament to Jaden, though lacking his internal coldness. He was all warmth. Naturally, he hit it off with Jaden almost instantly, and before long, they were calling each other by name and already speculating on how the duel might play out.
Hikaru glanced over the remaining contestants, scrutinizing each, still, didn't spot any obvious disguises. He briefly wondered whether other familiar characters like Jim or Axel might show up too.
But no, they weren't here.
After a while, a ripple of conversation passed through the waiting room. Mid-chat, Jaden suddenly paused and instinctively turned his head.
Two figures approached- one tall, one short.
The shorter one: Mokuba Kaiba.
The taller one: lean frame, well-toned muscles, a warm smile on his face.
That two-toned hair, the wild hairstyle, the flamboyant clothes, all unmistakable indicators of his identity!
The legendary Duelist, not just the King of Games, but the strongest "player" in the world of Yu-Gi-Oh! - Yugi Muto!
Even the Tyler Sisters stood up involuntarily at his presence.
"M-Mr. Yugi!" Jaden shouted excitedly.
Yugi turned at the sound of Jaden's voice, smiling wider. As eyes gathered on him, a Winged Kuriboh Spirit flew out of Jaden's Deck, raised its tiny paws, and chirped cheerfully, greeting Yugi.
"Ah, it's you," Yugi noticed the Spirit and chuckled. "Looks like he's been living well with you. I knew I wasn't wrong back then."
After speaking, he scanned the group. When his gaze landed on Hikaru, he paused briefly, as if noticing something. Then he gave everyone a gentle nod and added, "We'll talk later. Mokuba and I still have business. I hope you all enjoy this interdimensional trip."
Mokuba also nodded, offering them encouragement before leaving with Yugi.
"Wooooow..." Jaden was still basking in Yugi's words.
His very first Spirit, Winged Kuriboh, the key to defeating Professor Crowler, had been a gift from Yugi. He'd always cherished it as a partner… Now, having Yugi personally acknowledge it again, he felt dizzy with joy.
And then the others processed what had just happened. Chazz was so startled he fell out of his chair before recovering, "Jaden... knows Mr. Yugi?
"Am I dreaming?"
"Wake up, Flashbang," Hikaru said, tapping his head. "Look how calm Alexis is, wait, Alexis?"
Alexis was already glassy-eyed and swaying.
Hikaru had underestimated just how revered Yugi Muto, the original King of Games, was among Duelists.
He was excited, too, but nowhere near that level.
Tierra, on the other hand, was visibly stunned. When Yugi looked at her earlier, she'd felt her very soul pierced. '...Seriously? How could a mortal carry such pressure?'
She hurriedly warned Hikaru to be careful around Yugi. Hikaru couldn't help but laugh.
'You think I don't know the weight Yugi Muto carries in this world better than you?'
After this unexpected encounter, KaibaCorp personnel arrived for final body checks.
Soon, they would pass through the dimensional gate and arrive at their destination, the S-Dimension!
That's right. No midpoint. Direct arrival in S-Dimension.
...
Bonus @150