"Oh? Are you sure the God Card is in Seto Kaiba's hands?" The man speaking on the phone in the darkness had an eerie look in his eyes.
"I am Sure, Marik! I saw him use Obelisk the Tormentor in a duel with my own eyes," Duke Devlin reported seriously from the other end of the line.
"In a duel at school, using Obelisk? Has Seto Kaiba gone mad?" Marik found it hard to believe, unable to imagine any school duel that would require a God Card. "Was it a duel against Yugi Mutou?"
"No, it wasn't against Yugi Mutou. That brings me to my second report," Devlin's voice turned furious as he continued.
"The Duel King, who caused Pegasus to disappear, has transferred to our school."
"Duel King?!" Marik, somewhat surprised, raised an eyebrow and immediately understood.
"So, the one who dueled Seto Kaiba was this Duel King? What's their name again? Ho-Hoshi something?"
"Yes, Hoshino Chiyuki. Today, under the pretext of testing the new Duel Disk, she dueled Kaiba and made him summon a God Card," Devlin recalled the events of that afternoon.
"Made Kaiba summon Obelisk, huh? How unfortunate. She just became Duel King, and then she was crushed by a God in front of everyone." Marik, imagining the scene, couldn't help but let out a twisted smile.
"No, she didn't lose."
"She didn't lose? Against a God? Did she defeat Kaiba, who wields a God Card?!" Marik's twisted smile froze in disbelief.
"It was a draw. There was no clear victor. The Duel Disks couldn't handle the power of the Gods and malfunctioned."
"A draw, huh? Interesting... She doesn't have the power of a God Card, yet she managed to stand against one. It seems she has some skill."
Marik's smile returned, even more twisted and exaggerated than before. "Although I'm a little interested in this girl who can stand up to a God, my ultimate goal is still the God Cards. Duke Devlin, you handle the Duel King for now."
"You don't need to tell me. I've been planning to make my move anyway, to avenge Pegasus!"
(***)
Domino High School—
"Looks like Kaiba didn't come to class after all," Hoshino muttered quietly, glancing at the empty seat next to her. "I'm so jealous. I wish I could skip class so openly, too."
The teacher was droning on about something from the front of the classroom, but Hoshino wasn't paying attention.
"I've been transported to another world, became the Duel King, yet here I am stuck in this tiny classroom. Fate is unpredictable."
She looked around at her classmates.
Anzu and Yugi were listening attentively to the lesson. Honda was gazing out the window, lost in thought. Jounouchi was drooling on his desk, sounding asleep like a pig. And Bakura was secretly playing on his phone under his desk.
"A phone, huh? That'd be nice. I wish I had one too." Broke as she was, Hoshino couldn't bring herself to ask Grandpa Sugoroku for money to buy a phone. All she could do was envy Bakura, who was engrossed in his game.
"That old geezer, raking in money with me as a mascot!" In recent days, the Kame Game Shop had been packed with customers daily, for reasons that didn't need explaining.
"If Grandpa paid me, the first thing I'd do is buy a phone! Then I could finally grind FGO!"
As she thought of this, Hoshino suddenly realized that this world probably didn't have FGO (Fate/Grand Order), or someone would've recognized her Heroic Spirit-themed card deck by now.
"Well, even if I can't play FGO on a phone, I still have the FGO system built into my deck."
This was a classic case of daydreaming in class, starting with trivial thoughts and gradually drifting far from the lesson.
Initially lamenting Kaiba's absence, Hoshino now opened the card shop in her built-in system.
[Duelist Level Evaluation Complete. Duelist: Seto Kaiba. Duelist Rank: A+. Duplicate rank rewards have been deducted. Victory reward: 10 Saint Quartz (70 - 60). Remaining Saint Quartz: 11.]
"What does it mean by 'deducting duplicate rank rewards'?!" Hoshino almost shouted in frustration during class, quickly covering her mouth.
Since the system had declared her the victor, it meant her final counterattack with infinite power had been effective. But what was up with the reward? She had expected a huge influx of Saint Quartz after defeating Kaiba, but instead, this was the result.
"Does it mean because I've already farmed Kaiba once, I won't get duplicate rewards?" Hoshino sighed, realizing that must be the case. "So I can't farm the same opponent for infinite Quartz…"
"Damn this strict system, stingy Da Vinci-chan, cheapskate!" Even though she cursed silently in her mind, Hoshino knew she had no choice but to accept the reality.
"Kaiba's rank has gone up from A in the Duelist Kingdom to A+. Same as Yugi. As expected from a duel addict, leveling up so fast."
"Since I can't farm the same person for Quartz, I'll have to find new opponents to duel if I want more." As Hoshino schemed in her mind, she thought of the rowdy kids at the Kame Game Shop.
"Hmph, it's about time to reap another batch of newbies."
"But Quartz is Quartz, even if it's just 10. Let's roll."
[Summoning with Saint Quartz (Limited Summoning Pool) Okeanos Ending Selection Summon]
[Time remaining: 83 hours.]
"This summoning pool lasts a long time. Back in the Duelist Kingdom, there was a new pool every day."
The system probably extended the duration of the summoning pool due to the current lower frequency and quality of duels compared to the Duelist Kingdom.
"Sometimes I can't tell if this system is generous or stingy."
[Would you like to use 3 Saint Quartz to summon?]
"Yes!"
In an instant, golden light filled the air. Startled by the sudden glow, Hoshino hastily shoved the deck back into her desk. If the teacher saw it and confiscated it, it'd be a huge loss.
Hoshino hadn't expected a single tap to result in a golden card. After spending over 100 Quartz with no results, this sudden luck took her by surprise.
Maybe it was the law of conservation of luck, or perhaps... it was the classic miracle of a single roll!
"Next, I'll announce the exam results."
During the last period, the homeroom teacher entered the classroom with a stack of test papers and adjusted his glasses, which glinted under the light.
"Anzu Mazaki, 83 points."
"Ah, only 83? I feel like I messed up a bit." Anzu tapped her head and playfully stuck out her tongue.
"Yugi Mutou, 86 points."
"Great! Even though I didn't study much during the break, I didn't forget a lot either." Yugi was satisfied with his score.
"Ryo Bakura, 72 points."
"Phew! Just made it!" Bakura sighed in relief, patting his chest.
"Honda Hiroto, 61 points."
"Yes!" Honda was so excited he nearly jumped out of his seat. "Didn't expect that, did you, Jounouchi? I studied during the break!"
"Damn it, even Honda passed." Jounouchi, annoyed by Honda's smug face, slapped his leg in frustration.
"Duke Devlin, 95 points!"
"Wow, the transfer student scored so high on his first test!" The classmates were instantly impressed.
"Not only is he good-looking, but he also has great grades!" some of the girls began fangirling.
"Well, I just performed slightly better than usual." Devlin brushed his hair back, though his modest words couldn't hide his satisfaction.
"Seto Kaiba, 97 points!"
The class fell silent. Since Kaiba wasn't attending class, there was no reaction, and everyone was already used to Kaiba always getting one of the highest scores.
The teacher, feeling slightly awkward about Kaiba's absence, cleared his throat before flipping to the next test.
"Chiyuki Hoshino, 99 points!"
"99 points?!" The reaction was louder than for Devlin's score, and the classmates collectively gasped.
"A near-perfect score on her first test as a transfer student! She must've been a top student at her old school."
"She even scored higher than Kaiba!"
"As expected, you can't become Duel King without being sharp."
"Hoshino's that smart?" Although her friends had never asked about her academic abilities, they didn't expect such overwhelming results.
"Damn it! I thought Hoshino would be my ally, but she's a traitor!" Jounouchi, more desperate than when he dueled her, realized how far behind he was.
"...How could I ever be allies with an idiot like you!" Hoshino made a disgusted face at Jounouchi, clearly not surprised by her stellar results.
However, on the other side of the classroom, Devlin's expression was slowly overtaken by a sinister shadow.
"Chiyuki Hoshino!!" He muttered her name through gritted teeth, snapping the pencil in his hand in frustration.
"I sense... killing intent..." Hoshino suddenly felt a chill run down her spine and shivered.
"Any students who haven't had their names called yet failed. Please stay after school for a supplementary lesson."
The teacher's voice snapped everyone back to reality, but it was quickly followed by Jounouchi's name.
"Katsuya Jounouchi, 47 points."
"Yui Hirasawa, 23 points..."
Jounouchi slumped forward dramatically, letting out a low groan as his classmates laughed sympathetically at his failure. He would have to endure the embarrassment of the supplementary class while the rest of the group enjoyed their afternoon.
(***)
After school...
"Sorry, Jounouchi, but we're heading out first!" Yugi waved sympathetically from the classroom door.
Even though Jounouchi's expression was one of frustration, he didn't try to stop them. "It's fine! Go ahead! Leave your dear friend Jounouchi here, alone, to suffer through supplementary lessons!" He tried to laugh it off, but there was no hiding the disappointment in his voice.
"Even though I'd like to stay and keep you company, Jounouchi," Yugi said awkwardly, scratching the back of his head, "both Hoshino and I need to help out at Grandpa's toy store, so..."
"Just go already!" Jounouchi sighed dramatically, throwing his hands in the air. "I'll manage on my own!"
Honda patted him on the shoulder, though his words weren't exactly sympathetic. "Honestly, Jounouchi, you should've studied at least a little. This is what you get for messing around the whole break."
As Yugi, Honda, and Hoshino left the classroom, Devlin lingered behind, eyeing Jounouchi with interest. He waited until the classroom had cleared out before approaching Jounouchi, making sure no one else was around to overhear them.
(***)
Outside Domino High School...
"Isn't it too much to help out at the toy store after school every day? Won't you get tired, Hoshino?" Yugi asked as they walked, looking concerned.
"Not at all!" Hoshino replied cheerfully. "Honestly, I think helping out at the store is fun."
Even though she was supposed to be helping, Grandpa Sugoroku rarely let Hoshino do any real work. Most of the time, she was there to entertain the kids who visited the store, offering them advice on their decks and showing off her Duel King title. It felt more like socializing than working, and she even got paid for it.
"By the way, did you hear that Pegasus has gone missing?" Bakura, who had joined them, suddenly dropped this unexpected piece of news.
"Pegasus? Missing? How do you know that?" Hoshino asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I came across it online while I was on my phone this afternoon," Bakura explained. "Apparently after the Duelist Kingdom tournament, Pegasus mysteriously disappeared. He canceled all his scheduled meetings and hasn't been seen since."
"Even a heavily guarded castle like that could be dangerous?" Yugi asked, sounding concerned. "Do you think something bad might've happened to him?"
"It's hard to say," Bakura said, shrugging. "There's even a rumor going around that he might have committed suicide after losing to you, Hoshino."
"What?! No way!" Hoshino shook her head vehemently, feeling the sudden weight of blame. "That's ridiculous! Right after the tournament, he hosted a global live broadcast! He seemed perfectly fine."
Anzu nodded in agreement. "Being famous always comes with a lot of crazy rumors. You shouldn't let that kind of gossip get to you, Hoshino."
"Yeah, I won't..." Hoshino trailed off, though the unease in her gut didn't fade. Something about the situation felt off. Pegasus' disappearance, the ominous feeling she'd had since returning from the Duelist Kingdom, and Da Vinci's cryptic warning—everything was starting to line up in a way that made her uneasy.
("Even if you do nothing, the darkness of this world will still come for you. It's as if the world's will itself is trying to reject your existence as an outsider. If all you do is run, you won't be able to escape the dark fate of this world.")
The memory of Da Vinci's warning rang in her ears, making Hoshino frown.
"All I wanted was a peaceful life," she muttered under her breath.
(*****)
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