"This shouldn't be how it is. The predetermined fate—the new world should have been ushered in by Kagemaru."
In the pure-white room, Tarot cards were piled messily before Sartorius, showing no discernible pattern—let alone anything resembling an upright or reversed spread.
"You've been acting strange lately, Sartorius. Did something happen?" Aster Phoenix asked with concern.
As a professional duelist, Aster's manager—Sartorius—was in fact his childhood friend.
In Aster's memories, Sartorius had always maintained a calm and composed demeanor. His eyes, as though they could see through destiny itself, always gave others an incomparable sense of reassurance.
—And yet, tonight, when the Xyz Network was officially activated and the dark night sky was illuminated as brightly as day…
After returning from Duel Academy, Sartorius's personality seemed to have changed completely. He spent the entire night muttering to himself, staring at the disordered Tarot cards before him.
During Hoshino's duel with Kagemaru, Sartorius—positioned high above—had been exposed at close range to the radiance of the Xyz Network.
The birth of the new world overturned everything Sartorius had once believed in, leaving him utterly lost. From the chaotic Tarot cards, he could no longer foresee any trace of destiny.
"I'm very tired today. I need to rest. You should head back early too, Aster."
Ignoring Aster's concern, Sartorius left the table of scattered Tarot cards behind and returned alone to his room.
Seeing that Sartorius offered no explanation, Aster decided not to press him further.
"In that case, get some good rest, Sartorius. I'll come check on you again tomorrow."
Inside the room, bathed in the glow of the Xyz light, Sartorius's mind continued replaying the scene of the entire world transitioning from chaos into brilliance.
"So this is the power of light that guides the world's transformation? Will foolish, ugly humanity truly reach the prophesied new world because of such a faint light?"
At some point, he fell asleep.
At the round table in his dream, Sartorius stared in shock at the man seated opposite him—someone with the exact same appearance as himself.
"No—this amount of light still isn't enough!" the man declared.
Although they shared the same face, Sartorius knew deep in his heart that this man was absolutely not himself, but some far more terrifying, indescribable existence.
"Now—let us reveal destiny!"
As the man flipped over the Tarot card before Sartorius, the smile at his lips grew increasingly unhinged. Sartorius knew with certainty that he himself would never smile like that.
"Hahahahaha! How fascinating—The Hanged Man, reversed!"
"What…?"
Frowning deeply, Sartorius—well-versed in Tarot—needed no explanation to understand what such a spread implied.
The Hanged Man symbolizes self-sacrifice. The card depicts a hero suspended upside down, hands bound behind his back, with a faint halo already forming above his head.
Though others might see unimaginable suffering, his expression is serene, because he knows he is sacrificing himself for others. Even if his body is destroyed, his spirit will endure.
But when reversed, the meaning becomes its opposite: evasion and selfishness—or perhaps a meaningless sacrifice.
"Accept your fate," the man said calmly.
"Only by surpassing this feeble light will the Light of Destruction guide the birth of a new world. And you, as the reversed Hanged Man, need only accept this sacrifice."
Despite his intense inner resistance toward the man who shared his face, the words he spoke struck deep into Sartorius's heart.
"The Light of Destruction… guiding a new world. Then what should I do now?"
"The Tarot's prophecy will reveal all your doubts. What you must do now is connect XXI, The World, with 0, The Fool. Go and make contact with The Fool, reversed. That will be the convergence of destiny."
…
The next day, when Aster returned to Sartorius's residence, he discovered that the utterly dejected Sartorius from the night before had returned to his usual self, neatly arranging the Tarot cards on his desk.
"You're back to normal? I thought something serious had happened—I barely slept last night," Aster said with relief.
"The guidance of a new destiny has already appeared. I want you to do something for me. Will you help?"
"Your divinations are always accurate."
Having grown up under Sartorius's influence, Aster understood Tarot meanings fairly well. For example, the card now laid out before him—The Chariot, upright—symbolized honor and victory.
Whenever Aster received this card as a prophecy, he inevitably emerged victorious in the professional league.
There was only one exception: the time he had drawn The Chariot, reversed.
Back then, Aster—still a rising star with a flawless thirty-win streak in the pro league—had, for the first time, doubted Sartorius's divination. In the Battle City tournament, he fought stubbornly, giving everything he had.
Yet the result never strayed from the prophecy. Aster tasted his first-ever defeat in the professional circuit—at the hands of Jonouchi.
From that moment on, Aster believed in Sartorius's divinations without question.
"Go on—what do you want me to do? A request from my best friend isn't something I can easily refuse."
"Heh… heh heh heh. I'm truly glad I know you," Sartorius said, lowering his head as an eerie smile crept across his face.
"I want you to meet a few people in my place—using the name of the Phoenix family…"
(***)
Three days later — Hoshino Residence
Having finally concluded Zane's hellish special training, Hoshino Alter still looked as though she wanted more.
"I've taught you everything I can, Zane! As you are now, you should be able to truly carry the Cyber Style forward and reach an entirely new height!"
Hoshino replied flatly, "(¬_¬)ﾉ You're not even the head of the Cyber Style. Why are you acting like you're officially certifying Zane's graduation?"
And from Hoshino's perspective, Zane's personality now seemed completely different from before.
"Yes, Instructor Hoshino! This new power I've gained in pursuit of victory—I'll never lose to anyone again! I'll graduate as the King of the Academy, enter the professional Duel League, and carve out a world of my own!"
If anything, the current Zane felt far more genuine to Hoshino than before—not the model honor student wearing a mask of humility and politeness.
That said, graduation truly was just around the corner for this class of third-years. As one of the very first graduates of Duel Academy, Hoshino couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.
"That's a great answer! Right now, you're no longer just the Academy's King—just 'Zane Truesdale'…"
She gave him a thumbs-up. When Hoshino Alter did that, it meant you were really something.
"Having returned from hellish training, you are now the real deal—Hell Zane!"
"Hellish training" wasn't an exaggeration in the slightest.
Zane had probably lost more duels over these past two days than he had in his entire life before.
The sight had become so tragic it was hard to watch, forcing Hoshino to quietly retreat into the Pyramid of Light to go tease an evil god instead.
"Then, as a memento of completing your training, let's practice Zane's arrogant laugh one more time!"
"Yes, Instructor Hoshino!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHA—!" ×2
Outside the room, Emiya and Mash—who had been about to knock—were stopped cold by the inexplicably deranged laughter echoing from inside, unsure how to react.
"Mr. Emiya… don't you think Senpai has been acting a bit strange these past few days?" Mash asked worriedly.
"Could it be that staying home during spring break made her too bored and caused mental issues?" Emiya stroked his chin, analyzing seriously. "Even if her mental age is already twenty, she still looks like a child. Kids should go outside and play more."
With that, mother-hen Emiya sighed and knocked on Hoshino's door.
"Come in~"
Having just finished Zane's special training, logged out of the game, shut down the Duel Disk projection system, and switched control back from Hoshino Alter, Hoshino opened the door.
"Senpai, while dueling online in your room these past few days is definitely better than just sitting and gaming, you should still go outside once in a while."
Thinking Emiya's analysis made sense, Mash voiced her concern the moment she stepped inside.
"Ugh… is this lecture time again?" Hoshino stiffened slightly, sensing danger.
The Emiya–Mash combo was basically one good cop and one bad cop, teaming up to criticize her unhealthy lifestyle. As for who played which role—you could tell just by their tone.
"Master, you're not that young anymore. You don't need us lecturing you all the time," Emiya began, instantly sounding like an overbearing mom.
"Then don't lecture me…" Hoshino muttered, turning her head away with a pout.
"Tonight's dinner will be green-pepper salad."
"(￣▽￣)／Yay! I love it when Emiya lectures me—never gets old no matter how long it goes on!"
Green-pepper salad… is that even food for humans?
With a complicated smile, Emiya said helplessly, "Master, rather than 'not getting tired of it,' I'd really prefer you actually listen."
"And I'm not here to lecture you this time~" Mash emphasized, pulling something out. "You've got a letter, Senpai. It was sent from San Francisco. Do you have any acquaintances there?"
An acquaintance in San Francisco?
Hoshino searched her memory and could only think of one person.
Clara—the wealthy young lady she'd met in an underground dueling arena while investigating the Ziegfried incident. When the Phoenix family fell into financial trouble, Clara had clawed her way back with Hoshino's absurd 1:10 odds in underground duels.
In a sense, she was a lavishly spending, next-generation gambling goddess.
"Could it be from that young lady?"
Opening the envelope, Hoshino found an invitation-like card bearing the ornate Phoenix family crest.
Included with it were two plane tickets to San Francisco for the next day.
But aside from that, there was no explanation—no stated reason for the invitation at all.
"Could it be that something happened to her?" Hoshino speculated.
["Aibo, you're way too pessimistic~ Maybe Miss Clara's getting married and sent you a wedding invitation?"]
You're the one being too optimistic. What kind of wedding invitation doesn't explain anything?
Closing the invitation, Hoshino decided, "Mash, you just said I should go outside more, right? Then come with me. Let's take a trip—to San Francisco. By plane~"
"Huh? You're taking me with you, Senpai?" Mash pointed at herself in disbelief.
"You could just summon me if you need me once you get there. No need to go through the trouble—or waste a plane ticket."
Even as she said that, the excitement she was trying desperately to suppress was written all over her face.
"It's a rare chance. Of course I'm going out with my cute 'eggplant.' Let's treat it as a trip. Besides, they sent two tickets."
"R-Really?! Senpai!" Mash's eyes sparkled like starlight.
"Then I should go prepare clothes for a long trip. It's been so long since I traveled with you, Senpai… The last time was when we went with Jeanne Alter to make a doujin."
Thinking about it, Hoshino realized she really had become a bit of a shut-in these past few years. Despite having plenty of time, she hadn't traveled at all.
Though travel wasn't always as wonderful as it sounded—teachers traveling during school vacations inevitably ran into peak crowds. Being drowned in a sea of people was practically torture for Hoshino.
"Should I prepare something more formal too? If Clara really is getting married, a place full of social elites and business tycoons might not be suitable for casual clothes…"
With a relieved smile, Emiya turned and left the room.
"Then I'll prepare bento boxes you can take onto the plane tomorrow. Master, Mash—have fun."
.
..
...
The next day—
"Hurry up, Senpai! For flights, you need to arrive an hour early~"
Like a child eagerly awaiting a school trip, Mash—who had barely slept—was still brimming with energy.
"I heard the airport coffee is really good. Let's go try it together, Senpai!"
"You're so cute, Mash~"
Dressed in a black, casual travel outfit, Mash perfectly embodied youthful vitality. Even Hoshino, walking behind her, nearly felt like shouting Eggplant is the best in the world!
Blushing slightly at the praise, Mash replied shyly, "Senpai, you're really cute too—much cuter than me!"
Upon arriving at the airport, although Duel Academy was on spring break, the vacation had been advanced for special reasons, so they missed the peak travel rush.
As a result, they weren't swallowed by crowds, and Hoshino quietly sighed in relief.
However, among the sparse travelers, a jellyfish-haired figure darting around the ticket gate caught Hoshino's attention before she even realized it.