In the Fusion Division's dimensional gate, Hikaru performed a quick safety check.
Hikaru came at least once a week for maintenance, checking safety and accuracy each time. After all, this gate was meant for future exceptional Fusion Division members. It might end up being the only thing Hikaru left behind at this school, so multiple inspections were warranted.
He might even need to prepare maintenance kits with sealed repair materials.
Besides himself, only Serena had studied alchemy, so only she could follow the repair manual. Without prepared maintenance supplies, no one else would know how to service the gate.
Of course, even with all that, the gate could probably last two or three years at most. After that, it would depend on the Fusion Division's performance.
This was straightforward. Hikaru was merely the current founder of the Fusion Division. The Division enjoyed its current privileges because of the efforts of its founding members.
If their successors rested on their laurels and failed to achieve outstanding results in school studies and competitions, keeping the gate around would be meaningless.
But if the tradition of excellence continued unbroken, receiving special rewards from the school, like the Fusion Division under Leo Akaba obtaining authorization for an independent dimensional gate, wasn't out of the question.
Jaden was excitedly limbering up on the spot. Chazz sighed and muttered about what an idiot Jaden was, though the curiosity in his eyes betrayed his thoughts.
After all, where they were heading was the "Spellcaster Domain."
"We only get one shot." Hikaru held three cards in his hand. "The Trismagistus can only grant us entry into that dimension once. If we fail, we'll need to find another way back."
It wasn't that it could only transport them once. Rather, they had to succeed to return.
This was a lesson Hikaru and Jaden had learned from experience.
Once preparations were complete, Hikaru activated the dimensional gate. Green alchemical symbols began flickering. Finally, the three figures gradually turned translucent and vanished from this dimension.
When they came to, Hikaru and the others found themselves in a massive room.
No.
Calling it a room was generous.
It was more of an "iron cage."
"Ah. It was just like this last time too." Jaden laced his hands behind his head, completely unbothered.
"What?! Isn't this just a prison?!" Chazz, visiting for the first time, was somewhat panicked and shouting.
"Ha ha ha, Chazz, don't be so tense. This is just a welcome ceremony, a welcome ceremony!" Jaden stood with his hands behind his back, the picture of composure.
Second time's the charm. Having been through this once before, he had nothing to fear.
Snap.
A torch blazed to life. Then countless torches surrounding the prison ignited one by one. Several figures approached the cell, and standing before them was someone they all recognized.
Dark Magician!
Not the "red and black" Dark Magician that Hikaru owned, but the far more iconic jet-black armor!
The supreme magician: Dark Magician!
Beside him stood a small, adorable apprentice sorceress, waving at them enthusiastically.
"Ah, it's Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl!" Chazz almost looked like he was meeting a celebrity.
"Wow, it's the Dark Magician." Jaden stared in wonder as Dark Magician appeared.
That color. Wasn't this the legendary ace of Yugi Muto: Dark Magician?!
It was identical!
"HI! Hello, hello, everyone! It's been a year! How have you all been?" Dark Magician Girl greeted Hikaru and the others as if they were old friends.
A year since they last met.
The three exchanged glances, though they weren't too surprised.
"There is only one Dark Magician Girl in the world." This was universally acknowledged.
Yes, despite the world being full of people who adored Dark Magician Girl as a "card idol," and despite cards like Magician's Valkyria whose design was practically a Dark Magician Girl look-alike, in truth there was only one Dark Magician Girl in existence: the one in Yugi Muto's possession.
Some said Pegasus had crafted the card specifically for Yugi after losing to him. Others claimed Yugi had created it with his own spirit power, a card that didn't exist anywhere else in the world.
Regardless, before Yugi Muto, even the most accomplished Dark Magician users had no idea Dark Magician Girl existed. And after Yugi, no second person had ever obtained one.
In short, seeing Dark Magician Girl meant it was automatically "Yugi's card."
That was why, during that festival, everyone present had understood that the person dueling Serena and Hikaru could only have been one being: the Dark Magician Girl spirit herself!
Jaden and Hikaru had been in contact with her since then. Hikaru had even received the Ritual Monster card for Gaia's new form, the Black Luster Soldier, from her. So they were indeed acquaintances.
Dark Magician swept his gaze over them, said nothing, then turned to look at his apprentice. He studied her for a long moment.
Then, without a word, he silently turned and drifted away.
Seeing this, Dark Magician Girl let out a long sigh of relief, then tapped herself on the head with an "Ehehe." "Sorry, sorry! This containment spell is meant for intruders. It shouldn't be used on people who have an invitation.
But, well, I guess I haven't maintained the magic formation in a while."
She pulled out a spell book and flipped through it page by page. After quite a while, she found it. "Aha, here it is!"
She stuck out her tongue. "Oh, it was set to detain humans by default. Sorry, sorry! I'll let you out right away."
Hikaru and the others fell silent.
Hikaru remembered that in the Warrior Domain, Black Luster Soldier had managed everything personally, including instant spatial teleportation.
Here, it seemed Dark Magician had delegated this duty to his apprentice.
In any case, as always, Dark Magician Girl had bungled it.
The three left the prison and followed Dark Magician Girl outside. The area beyond the prison matched Hikaru and Jaden's memories: Spellcaster spirits diligently studying magic and dueling, all clearly working hard to become the next "Dark Magician."
Just like the spirits in the Warrior Domain who yearned to become the "strongest warrior."
Leaving the training grounds, Hikaru entered a rather fantastical hall. Stepping inside felt like being surrounded by the cosmos, with an endless expanse of stars stretching in every direction.
Beyond the training grounds!
Hikaru looked around curiously.
Dark Magician Girl flipped through her book, guiding them along. Finally, after passing through the "cosmic corridor," they arrived at a place resembling an altar.
At a glance, Cosmo Queen, Ice Queen, Blizzard Princess, Gravekeeper's Chief, all manner of high-level Spellcasters were present. As Hikaru surveyed the area, he even spotted a female Spellcaster with a perfect figure, wielding a longsword and wearing a wide-brimmed hat.
Wait, wasn't that The Iris Swordsoul?!
Countless thoughts raced through Hikaru's mind.
The Iris Swordsoul was here?
He had never heard of the Swordsoul archetype before!
So did the Branded storyline actually exist in this world?
And if so, did that mean this world also had "Link Summoning"?
No, that didn't add up either. He had never heard of anything like that until now.
Hikaru's mind raced with possibilities, but every thread led to a dead end.
In any case, he could just ask The Iris Swordsoul directly later and sort everything out.
Just as he was thinking this, a figure suddenly materialized before him. Before anyone could react, the figure swept all three of them into a massive embrace.
"P-Professor Banner!" Jaden was the first to recognize him.
"Professor Banner!" "Professor?!"
Professor Banner.
No. By the look of things, he had now fully transformed into Quintet Magician, with countless magic circles floating around him.
But his appearance hadn't changed. He still wore that squinty-eyed smile.
Jaden's eyes even glistened slightly with tears. Of the three, he had been closest to Banner. His favorite meals had been Banner's home cooking, and he had been the most heartbroken when Banner disappeared.
Nearby, Aleister the Invoker had followed them at some point. Seeing his old friend and rival display genuine emotion for once, Aleister unusually chose not to interrupt.
But it didn't last long.
"Oh my." Banner released his embrace, letting the nearly suffocated Hikaru and Chazz catch their breath. Then they watched as Banner suddenly grabbed Jaden's face with both hands and started vigorously rubbing his head. "Oh my, oh my, Jaden, have you put on weight? You've been slacking off! Don't just hand everything over to your friends and relax!"
"N-No way, I, I exercise every day!" Jaden could barely speak with Banner squishing his face, but he protested loudly.
Hikaru and Chazz exchanged a glance.
Oh.
They simultaneously found the same answer in each other's eyes.
So Jaden really had gained weight?
They had actually sensed it before. Between the Lightsworn and Supreme King situations, Jaden had spent nearly every day either dueling himself in his room or sleeping, and hadn't been running around outside like he used to. He did seem a bit chubbier.
Since they spent almost every waking moment with Jaden, the gradual change had been hard to notice.
After spending a moment with Jaden, Banner turned to Hikaru. "Hikaru, I watched all of your duels at the Spellbook Academy."
Hikaru blinked.
Ah.
No wonder he'd always felt like someone was secretly watching him back then. So they had been observing him the whole time.
Oh.
In other words?
All the spirits here had probably watched several of his duels already?
Smack.
A hand suddenly landed on Hikaru's head. Banner rubbed his head vigorously. "You, kid. You think about way too many things every day. It's time to let yourself relax a little."
Hikaru scratched the back of his head. "Uh, yeah."
Banner then turned to Chazz. For some reason, cold sweat beaded on Chazz's forehead, and he hurriedly stood ramrod straight.
Banner studied him for a moment, then exclaimed with pleasant surprise. "I never would have guessed. Of the three of you, you're the most complete!"
Me?
Really?
A surge of pride welled up in Chazz, and he stood even straighter.
Ah.
Come to think of it, that made sense.
Jaden had gotten much stronger, but his inner conflicts kept piling up. Without that tag duel with Hikaru, he'd probably still be drowning in worries. And Hikaru was as strong as ever, but he always kept mountains of things bottled up inside. Without Chazz there to help him analyze things, he'd probably spend every waking moment planning his next step.
And himself?
Wow.
Not only had he earned his master's approval, he had even become the head of the entire Chazz Group.
So yes, he truly was the most complete of the three!
Wa ha ha ha.
Smack.
The hand came down again. "Don't get too full of yourself, Chazz."
"Ah, right!"
Quintet Magician watched his students and nodded repeatedly.
The three marveled at how Banner was still a teacher through and through, reading the situation in a single glance.
Aleister rolled his eyes nearby.
Wasn't it his Spellbook Academy "informants" who had done all the legwork for Banner? How else would Banner know everything so clearly?
After a brief reunion and a demonstration of the professor's abilities, Banner nudged Aleister with his elbow. Aleister sighed, somewhat exasperated.
He produced a summoning tome, and several cards descended from the sky.
Two cards flew to Hikaru.
One was Aleister the Invoker, and the other was...
Invoked Mechaba!
Hikaru's eyes lit up.
Mechaba!!!
On the other side, Jaden and Chazz had also received their "gifts" and were staring admiringly at the cards in their hands.
Jaden received a Trap Card: Wake Up Your Elemental HERO. Chazz, meanwhile, received a set of coordinates marked "Dragon Ruler."
"That's a dragon's nest. It's a place exceptionally well-suited for Dragon-type card users." Banner raised a finger and explained.
Both stared at what they'd been given, letting out awed "Whoa" sounds.
Clearly, both gifts had gotten them quite excited.
Banner smiled as he watched them, then gently pushed up his glasses and slowly opened his eyes, revealing the crimson orbs hidden beneath.
"Now then, after our long-awaited reunion, it's about time we got to the main topic."
All three swallowed.
"Let me see how much you two have grown."
"Huh? Two?" Jaden held up two fingers, waved them around, then held up three fingers in front of the group. "But there are three of us."
"Correct." Banner drew in the air. Green fluorescent light lingered, and before long he'd sketched a chibi Jaden head and a chibi Chazz head in green. Then he turned to Hikaru. "Hikaru, you don't need to participate!"
"Huh!"
He then fixed his red eyes on the other two. "If you lose, don't even think about returning to the human world. You'll undergo hellish training here until I'm satisfied. Understood?"
"HUH?!?"