Aster fell to his knees, staring at his hands, hardly able to accept it.
He lost?
To a student who just graduated from Duel Academy? A complete rookie in the pro league?
More importantly—Sartorius's prophecy was broken?
Where was his Chariot? His guaranteed victory?
Aster felt dazed, as if dreaming. Only when the host's voice reached him as if from far away did reality snap back.
"The winner: Zane Truesdale!"
"Kaiser keeps his throne, his undefeated legend continues! And Aster Phoenix's thirty-win streak comes to an end..."
He couldn't hear the rest. Even the waves of cheers around him felt unreal.
It was like a clot of blood stuck in his chest, choking him. All his thoughts condensed into one sentence—
—This is freaking BS.
Cyber-Style isn't some rare, unheard-of strategy; he obviously knew of it. Cyber-Style is the epitome of aggression—overwhelming offense to crush the opponent in the shortest time.
But what did he face today?
Opening with four sets to give a slap in the face, hard-tech against Fusion. When that didn't suffice, he pulled "Warrior Elimination"—hard-targeting shoved right in his face.
Fine, set that aside—but what was that "ultimate secret" at the end?
Forcibly using the opponent's on-field monsters as Fusion Materials? That kind of effect was unheard of across the dueling world—a revolution from the underworld, a rewrite of the rules.
Kaiser flicked his coat and turned, sparing no extra glance for the defeated. He turned to leave.
Since entering the league, he had always been like this. He was no longer the boy who fought to respect his opponents; now, opponents were mere obstacles to be crossed.
Any means to cross them was fine. Once crossed, there was no need to look back—they were just the defeated.
"Wait—"
Aster pushed himself up, teeth clenched.
Zane paused and glanced over.
"It's not over—this doesn't count. It shouldn't have gone like this," Aster said. "One more duel—"
"What?" Zane frowned.
"One more. I won't lose this time," Aster said.
His refusal to accept it was natural.
He tried to sandbag, not wanting to reveal Destiny HERO, his true trump, so soon on the pro stage. Who knew sandbagging would turn into real sand...
Not entirely his fault—largely on Sartorius.
Sartorius had told him plainly: this result was preordained. Zane wasn't an opponent worth much effort—play a little and win.
Who could've expected the ever-reliable prophecy to crash and burn now?
He roared inwardly:
Sartorius, you set me up!
If not for that damn prophecy—if he'd gone all-out with Destiny HERO from the start—he might not have lost today.
Zane only snorted lightly at his words.
"Sure. I'll be waiting. But looks like you'll have to take a number."
He turned and walked out without looking back.
His silhouette vanished beyond the venue.
…
Watching in his crystal ball, Sartorius understood the scene.
A new crystal ball—he'd smashed the last one himself.
"Aster lost..."
Sartorius's expression grew increasingly lost.
Why?
He had seen Aster's future. The Chariot, symbol of absolute victory—like every time before. For years, no mistakes. Why the sudden misfires?
"Why? What is shaking destiny?"
Irritation gnawed at him.
He sensed some force, someone, had set their sights on him.
In his eyes, the masses were puppets on destiny's strings, and he alone stood above, even able to pluck those strings.
Now, he felt someone opposite him. Someone else above, someone else plucking fate's strings...
Damn it—maybe they even knew his secrets, watching him with amusement, while he knew nothing of the figure in the mist.
Others were always pieces; only he was the player. Now, another player sat across the board.
Did Aster lose to Zane because that person interfered with Zane's destiny too?
Indeed, Zane's playstyle seemed off—unlike the impression of Cyber-Style.
No—perhaps the issue wasn't Zane. Maybe it began with Aster's duel against Revolver. Perhaps that duel shattered Aster's original destiny...
Yes—Revolver.
This man, whose destiny always looked ordinary under repeated observation, now demanded scrutiny.
Out of caution, Sartorius had left his former residence. He hadn't even contacted Aster, so Aster couldn't find him.
"I must act."
He had to accelerate his plan.
He would consider taking the field himself.
…
["Zane Truesdale's flawless victory in the league!"]
["Will the legend of Kaiser continue?"]
By morning, headlines like these were everywhere. Over breakfast, Kira read the recap with interest.
His interference with Zane had worked—Zane's growth far outpaced canon. It even changed the outcome of this fateful duel.
Against Aster, this duel was originally the pivotal turning point of Zane's destiny—the start of his transformation. Now it was just another of many wins—unremarkable.
Kira also wondered how Sartorius—or rather, the Light of Destruction—would view this shift in destiny.
It impacted their fate directly.
"Seems that Sartorius has run."
Don Zaloog sat beside him, mimicking breakfast habits, muttering.
"What a coward. Now who knows where to find him."
"It's fine," Kira smiled. "Even if he ran, we have another lead."
"We can start with his sister."