"Saiou's sister? Are you here to stop us?" Ed asked softly upon seeing her.
"No... I hope you can save my brother," Saiou Mizuchi spoke softly.
Tenjo Hikari was listening from the side.
In the original story, Saiou Mizuchi, to save her "kind brother," became a cyber life and stopped a satellite capable of destroying Earth from firing a laser in the cosmos.
However, in this world, due to different circumstances, she remained a living human.
Tenjo Hikari had never seen her before and thought she was merely helping Saiou in this world,
"Save Saiou? What exactly is going on?"
Mizuchi began to narrate their story.
Because she and her brother had the ability to foresee the future from a young age, they were feared by adults and eventually ended up on the streets. To survive, they started a fortune-telling shop and gradually continued to live...
Until that day.
Kaiba Company announced the success of dimensional exploration and had successfully accessed a certain Spirit World.
Following this, the issue of dimensional exploration began to erupt worldwide.
"Destiny" had changed.
Mizuchi was initially thrilled because Saiou had always been worried about the world since childhood. If such changes occurred, destiny would also change.
However, at that moment, Saiou seemed to have sensed something and received some kind of "revelation."
The world was destined to be destroyed!
At that instant, he heard the voice of a powerful being crossing dimensions!
At that instant, he learned of the "reason" for the division of the Spirit World.
Then... he became even more worried, for his destiny, the world's destiny, would become increasingly unstable.
The future would become even more dangerous.
"A threat from the Other Dimension?" Ed looked to his left, "Is there such a thing?"
He seemed to be asking someone else.
Could it be that Saiou's kinder soul is now talking to him or perhaps even residing within his body?
However...
The existence that caused the division of the Spirit World?
Saiou knew about this too.
Tenjo Hikari frowned deeply.
Mizuchi told Ed that until then, Saiou had been very hesitant. He didn't want to hurt others. He established the Light Society to help more people like them, born with superpowers and special abilities, not be antagonized by the outside world. However, one day, after returning from a certain dimension, he changed drastically, lost himself, and began recruiting members indiscriminately, even collaborating with Akaba Leo.
"My brother, he wants to perform a ritual!" Mizuchi said.
Saiou learned about a "ritual" from a certain Spirit Dimension, a ritual to obtain Special Cards by sacrificing people's thoughts, minds, and souls!
Recently, he used the Dark World invasion to recruit many ordinary students as members of the Light Society.
And these people, each one of them a Duelist, could conveniently serve as sacrifices, offering their souls.
In recent days, he summoned the members, and the purpose was likely this—
And she, she secretly obstructed Saiou, causing those ordinary members not to arrive.
So that's how it is.
Tenjo Hikari looked around.
No wonder no ordinary students were around.
"Thank you, Mizuchi," Ed took a deep breath, "Leave the rest to us—"
He said as he walked up the stairs, with Tenjo Hikari hesitatingly following Ed upward.
He had already realized.
No matter what, Ed would definitely duel with Saiou.
It's something that, no matter how much reasoning or obstruction, cannot be persuaded against.
As Saiou's friend, as a Duelist, under no circumstances would Ed let Tenjo Hikari resolve it for him.
The two of them walked up the spiral staircase, and as they walked, a voice echoed through.
"The fifth card of the Major Arcana, The Hierophant."
"The upright Hierophant represents rescue, advice, and guiding those who are lost."
Tenjo Hikari and Ed reached the rooftop of the Society, where the white dome sparkled. On the top floor, Saiou stood on a corridor like a bridge, while the Holy Mother watched everyone gently from the side.
"Have you come, Hierophant, Sun?" Saiou turned around, a smile on his face, looking at Ed and Tenjo Hikari.
"Saiou!!" The moment Ed saw him, he drew a card from his pocket, the card emanating a bloody glow, and a massive blood shadow appeared behind him as the card emerged, "Tell me, what's really going on!"
"This card carries the Light of Destruction. I heard from my father that this card contains the original Light of Destruction, which has already reached others. So, you—"
"Hehehe. When exactly did you?"
"!!"
Saiou spread his arms wide, reaching upward: "Naturally, from the very beginning!"
"That's right, this is my destiny! Haven't you already heard this from Mizuchi!"
"I want to hear you explain it yourself!" Despite Ed's body being covered in scars, looking utterly exhausted, he still shouted out loud.
"Hehehe... Everything begins with [Light]."
Saiou opened his eyes, his purple eyes seemingly flickering with the cosmos.
"This world, this universe, these countless dimensions, all originate from [Light]. The birth of the cosmos, the existence of all things, originate from [Light]!
The Light of Destruction was born from the original universe, life and death of all things derived from the collision and destruction between planets. One day, that beam of light shone upon Earth, residing in the card your father created, and then was taken by D.D.
After that, while I was desperate to divine your father's killer, D.D came to me."
He smiled: "He took out that card, placed it on the table, and hoped I could divine the power of that card, and at that moment, the Light of Destruction, smoothly entered my body!"
"...How despicable, it was for such a reason!" Ed's teeth ground together audibly.
Saiou's face still bore a bright smile as he explained to Ed: "The Light of Destruction chose me, wanting to repair this imperfect world.
Yes, the transcendent abilities of this world surpass human understanding while creating an incomprehensible world!"
"What are you saying, Saiou?" Ed found it hard to understand Saiou's words anymore.
Saiou glanced down before continuing: "As a child, Mizuchi and I experienced shame and humiliation from the world and humanity, things that arose from the balance of this world itself!
Furthermore, even other dimensions, the Spirit World was never a paradise. In the Spirit World, there are beings who wish to rule the world or gain power; people in other dimensions also have their own aims and thoughts.
Therefore, it would be better if everything in this world [returned to zero].
Born from [Light], return to [Light]!"
He raised his arms, erupting with a terrifying light, in this towering tower, the light pierced through the world, reaching up into the sky, without end in sight.
"The world to come will be destroyed for this! It will all be under my guidance alone!"
"What nonsense are you spouting? Aren't you the least bit afraid?" Ed placed a hand on his chest, "As a being who changes destiny, you've always helped me, and now you're saying this!? Isn't it precisely for this that you found me!?"
On the day Ed lost his father, during the funeral, it poured, and Ed was alone in the rain, feeling down, and back then, Saiou appeared beside him, holding an umbrella for him.
"The storm will pass, and until the rain stops, I'll hold the umbrella for you..."
From then on, Ed and Saiou became friends.
Saiou saw himself as the [Archfiend]. Evil deeds, unrighteousness, temptation, binding. He hoped that Ed, with his innate Hierophant talent, could save him when necessary.
He is the one truly bound by destiny.
"Let's duel. Let's decide with a duel!" Ed raised his left hand's Duel Disk.
"Heh..." Saiou opened his mouth, his laughter growing louder.
Dueling with the [Hierophant] meant little to him, for what he truly desired was the chance to destroy everything, held in the hands of the [Sun] beside him.
According to normal logic, he could not obtain what he wanted from the [Hierophant], so there was no need to accept this duel.
However...
Time moved a day early.
Destiny had changed.
"Alright, Ed, then at this moment, let me destroy my best friend in advance." He laughed, "This way, you won't have to witness the destruction of countless worlds."
Ed slotted his deck into his Duel Disk, just about to start, when Tenjo Hikari called out "Ed!" and then Hikari tossed a card over.
Ed caught the card, looking at the text and illustration on it, then looked up in surprise at Hikari.
"Don't lose, Ed!"
Ed took a deep breath, raised his fist towards Hikari without saying a word.
"Duel!"
"Duel!"
The two of them drew their cards forcefully, and at the same time, the high tower of the Light Society, constructed in the Critical Point Dimension, began to crack from the top, with light spilling out, seemingly illuminating all areas of the dimension.
Ed, LP: 4000.
Saiou, LP: 4000.