The number of unconscious people at the school kept growing. More precisely, more unconscious students kept being discovered. Classes were obviously impossible now.
With large numbers of students and some teachers falling into deep slumber, the infirmary lacked space for them all. The professors had to ask able-bodied students and teachers to bring beds and stretchers from various areas, setting up directly in the school building.
Some teachers began assisting as medical aides. Others abandoned patrols entirely and stationed themselves outside the school building.
The spirits' offensive hadn't weakened, but... there weren't many places left to defend.
"Damn... the mastermind just attacked once and caused this much damage... If..."
"Stop overthinking! Morale! Do you understand morale?!"
Several exhausted teachers on benches discussed "darkness" and "comas" in heavy tones, clearly pessimistic about the future.
The mastermind hadn't even acted personally, yet Duel Academy had already lost the vast majority of its people. At this rate...
But in truth, only Hikaru knew.
This wasn't an "attack." Rather than an attack, this was merely the "harbinger" of Darkness's descent...
Going forward, aside from the few who could still move, no one else would hold on.
Hikaru pinched the bridge of his nose.
In fact, even Hikaru himself had been affected by Darkness's power. If the implanted memory hadn't been so obviously at odds with his own, he might not have noticed.
But that had been a casual insertion.
If Darkness had been gradually planting strange memories over this period, even he couldn't be immune.
He would need even stronger defenses.
He began calculating silently, thinking about how to craft more protective measures, how to safeguard more classmates, how to help more people withstand the mental assault...
Meanwhile, in a cave on the island.
Aster commanded Dreadmaster to defeat a spirit, had it restrained, and interrogated it about its home dimension and reasons for coming. After confirming it wasn't innocent, he decisively chose to eliminate it.
While others had rushed to the faculty dormitory over the Paladin-Strongman incident, Aster had been surveying the entire island.
His primary focus was locations mentioned in Professor Seraph's "Revelation Records." He found several high-level spirits there, the main invasion force. Eliminating them would save Duel Academy considerable effort.
But despite taking out another spirit, Aster felt no relief.
Earlier, a bizarre force had swept through his body, causing him to lose focus mid-duel and nearly collapse. Fortunately, the power came and went quickly, not enough to knock him out.
But after the duel, his worry only grew.
As he left the cave and headed toward the school building, his concern became increasingly apparent.
No patrolling teachers on the roads. No exploring students anywhere. His worry deepened.
Could this be...
The harbinger of "Darkness's" descent mentioned in the Revelation Records?!
His expression darkened.
Preferring to work alone, after studying Seraph's Revelation Records with Hikaru and Chazz, the group had split into two teams to handle the school's situation.
That morning, upon hearing about "Paladin attacking Strongman," Aster had vaguely suspected the situation wasn't what students assumed. He dimly recalled that Seraph's records contained background information on professors like Paladin, Viper, and Strongman from the branch schools.
So when Hikaru told him not to worry, he had decisively left campus to clear out spirits.
Looking back, Hikaru had likely handled that incident with ease.
But...
Even with Hikaru as an "umbrella," he couldn't hold back a flood.
The harbinger!
The being Seraph had called the God of Extinction was slowly descending upon this school!
Aster rushed back to find countless classmates collapsed on the ground, unconscious.
As expected.
His expression was grim.
Then he quickly shook his head.
No, the priority was finding the Chief and the others.
After asking around, he found Hikaru helping out, breathed a slight sigh of relief, then approached with a serious expression.
Seeing Aster return safely, Hikaru and the others exhaled with immense relief.
Going out alone on the current Duel Academy island was extremely dangerous. Returning safely was enormous good news.
They couldn't afford to lose more people, especially someone as capable as Aster.
Honestly, even losing Syrus and Hassleberry had already pained Hikaru greatly.
Those two were genuinely capable now. Syrus's collapse in particular made Hikaru feel that things would only get harder from here.
"Sigh... If only Atticus were here." Hikaru said wistfully.
At a time like this, having that kindhearted big brother figure around would definitely comfort many people. At least those quietly sobbing girls would feel much better with Atticus consoling them.
None of them knew how to handle that sort of thing.
If you asked Hikaru, all he could do was try his usual words to rally spirits.
But at a time like this, such words carried little conviction.
"Atticus... who?" Aster asked.
"You've met him. That idol-type handsome guy with the slightly goofy smile. The one who dueled Zane at the GX Tournament..."
"Hikaru, I don't know who you're talking about either." Chazz shook his head in confusion, then seemed to realize something and spoke in alarm. "Hikaru, could Darkness have implanted a memory of a senior who doesn't exist, trying to catch you off guard?!"
At this possibility, Aster instantly grew serious too. "Chief, you can't brush this off! Think carefully!"
Hikaru froze.
He rubbed his temples, carefully searching his memory.
Atticus Rhodes... Atticus Rhodes. This person should exist. He was Zane's friend, Alexis's brother, he was...
He felt his own memories slowly fading.
No, not fading. In his memory, in his impressions, the person called "Atticus Rhodes" simply didn't exist!
But...
His memories contradicted themselves!
Hikaru jolted.
His memories might have errors, but some memories still didn't match the current situation!
Just as implanting a memory of "hurting someone with Duel Monsters as a child" would be instantly detected and ignored by him...
Hikaru's experiences in this world might not include someone called "Atticus Rhodes." But in the original series he had watched, there was absolutely such a character!
Even if his name wasn't Atticus Rhodes!
Hikaru's face went pale.
Someone's existence was being deliberately erased by Darkness!
And now, he couldn't even recall this person's name!
"What's wrong, Hikaru? Was it an implanted memory after all?"
"No, the opposite. It's a missing memory!" Hikaru said gravely.
He explained his analysis in terms everyone could understand. Both wore equally serious expressions.
If memories could be added, then removing them was equally logical.
But why go to such lengths to erase one person's memory?
Most likely...
That person was extremely valuable or extremely "dangerous" to Darkness!
They might even be connected to Darkness's own weakness!
"I'll go check the records room!" Chazz reacted almost instantly. Not only that, he pulled out a notepad, quickly scrawled a sentence, and stuck it on his clothes. For good measure, he wrote two more copies, placing one in the notepad and sticking the other directly on his face.
Then, completely disregarding his image and the stares of those around him, he ran off like a madman.
Hikaru rubbed his forehead. The throbbing pain was unmistakable. Meanwhile, Jaden, having just visited his friends and checked on Strongman, came out and spotted Aster. He greeted him warmly.
Aster sighed, snorted coldly, brushed past him, and headed into the infirmary.
His body wasn't that tired yet. He could help while others rested.
Watching Aster leave, Jaden sheepishly withdrew his hand and scratched the back of his head.
Hikaru asked if he remembered "Atticus Rhodes." Jaden frowned and said it felt like such a person existed, but he couldn't recall.
Good enough.
Hikaru breathed a long sigh of relief.
Jaden's innate power was clearly different from people like them who relied on spirit cards to barely boost their spirit power. He was a natural "high spirit power" individual. Even if affected, tampered with, or erased, he could retain impressions.
And with Hikaru's question, Jaden too realized something was off.
Why would someone deliberately erase Atticus's existence?
He couldn't figure it out.
But they all realized one thing.
This might be the key information to breaking through!
Jaden took a deep breath.
Unfortunately, he had other things to do right now.
He looked at Hikaru. "Hikaru, tonight, I need your help with something."
"What are you doing?"
He closed his eyes, thought for a moment, then smiled. "I want to... truly merge with the Supreme King."
Hikaru considered briefly, then nodded.
"All right. I'll help you."
Jaden and the Supreme King had dueled countless times in the spiritual realm. Now it was simply a matter of using other methods to fully awaken the Supreme King. Not difficult.
Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly felt warmth at his waist.
Puzzled, he opened his Deck and saw a card that hadn't changed in a long time, slowly igniting with flames.
Rewinding a few minutes.
Aster entered the infirmary, helping teachers and students with various details. He happened to notice Adrian deep in thought.
He didn't approach. He wasn't the type to treat someone he'd only met once as a friend. He continued working normally.
Adrian sat there, took out his Deck, and sank deep into thought.
The first card was "Left Arm of the Forbidden One."
Long before any of this started, a bizarre yellow shadow had given him a complete set of Exodia, saying he might need it someday.
Adrian could tell the entity meant no good. And since he had no interest in "power" itself, he had ignored it.
In his view, as long as he could help his younger brother become the corporation's leader and do his best to build a better society, nothing else mattered much.
But plans never kept pace with change.
Duel Academy island was sealed. Evil spirits invaded. Students and teachers kept getting hurt. No matter how hard he worked treating classmates, things only worsened.
Even Hikaru, whom he had once witnessed in action, looked exhausted under this pressure...
Available people dwindled. The injured multiplied. Darkness grew stronger. People collapsing without warning would likely increase daily.
This wasn't working.
This absolutely couldn't continue!
At this rate, eventually only one person would be left standing in the entire academy. That person would face endless waves of spirits from countless dimensions, memory manipulation, mental oppression, darkness's assault, all to maintain humanity's last shred of dignity.
That was absolutely unacceptable!
He didn't want to see, didn't want to imagine, the misery of that last person standing after he himself had fallen.
He wanted to save everyone.
And now, before him lay cards that guaranteed victory, an unsealing ritual he knew how to perform, and... a dimension directly connected to every world: the Dimension of the Forgotten.
He took a deep breath. His eyes became more resolute than ever.
This afternoon, at the Witching Hour.
At the same time, Aster, having helped several teachers and about to take a water break, suddenly felt his card case grow hot.
He slowly drew out a card.
That broken card, the one he believed still needed more training to complete, was slowly igniting.
His pupils contracted slightly.
Destiny HERO - Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer!
An inexplicable thought, an idea, told him why this card had never fully manifested. It told him... why it was burning again now.
Destiny...
Destiny was calling him to fight!