This wasn't the second time Aster and Adrian had met.
When he left the Dimension of the Forgotten last time, Aster had felt this premonition.
Because Sartorius had told him he might encounter another catalyst for growth in the Dimension of the Forgotten.
At the time, he had assumed it was Hikaru. But to his surprise, just as he was preparing to leave, what he sensed was something else entirely.
Adrian Gecko.
This man gave him an eerie feeling.
After finishing his own business, Aster had arrived at Duel Academy, planning to fulfill his promise to Hikaru by studying and strengthening himself. The professors here seemed quite talented, so during his first days, he hadn't been too worried about the external seal or spirit attacks.
Until each day, the spirits' offensive seemed to intensify and the dark power grew worse. He could no longer study here with a vacation mindset.
He left the main academy area to explore the most dangerous zones, searching for hidden threats.
During these explorations, he managed to rescue some students in remote areas and brought them to the infirmary.
There, he saw Adrian again.
That Adrian was completely different from the one in the Dimension of the Forgotten. Gone was the detachment, replaced by anxious, tense effort as he helped teachers treat classmates' wounds. These were students from the main campus he didn't even know, yet he acted as though he himself were the one injured and bleeding.
That was when Aster understood. The intelligence he had gathered about Adrian and the Gecko Group was no facade.
Just as Adrian had said in the Dimension of the Forgotten, he truly wanted to create a world where everyone was equal and free from harm.
"Adrian, I've watched you help the teachers save classmates these past days. I know you're not someone who would hurt others. Nothing has started yet. You can still stop now."
Aster drew a card, looked at Adrian, and spoke earnestly.
Hearing this, Adrian calmly adjusted his glasses.
Just as Aster had been observing him, Adrian had also seen Aster many times during this period. This fellow non-enrolled student, a professional duelist who might not have attended more than a few classes, ventured to the most dangerous outer perimeters every day for classmates he might not even know, seeking possibilities and rescuing students in crisis.
On that alone, he deserved every accolade in the world. Every young fan who idolized him was justified.
He acknowledged Aster's efforts, but...
The school's medical capacity had completely collapsed. There was no way to accommodate and treat all the unconscious students.
Could they really hold on like this?
The students with the weakest spirit power had already fallen unconscious. Some who had been injured while protecting classmates had also collapsed. As time passed, conditions would only worsen.
Once even people at his and Aster's level fell unconscious, who would be left to protect this school?
Rather than silently waiting to die, he believed a desperate gamble was better than continuing this hopeless fight.
"Then do you have any other solution?" Adrian countered. "If you did, you wouldn't be here stopping me. You'd be out there handling it."
Echo was completely lost. She had no idea what was happening and asked urgently.
Then, through Adrian's calm explanation, she learned that the academy island was sealed with no outside contact. She stared in disbelief. In her impression, Duel Academy was doing fine. She had seen news just days ago about how things were thriving.
"It seems the outside world's consciousness has been tampered with. No wonder there's been no rescue from beyond the barrier all this time." Adrian calmly adjusted his glasses, head slightly bowed, the lens glare seemingly scrutinizing Aster. "Under these circumstances, do you have any other solution?"
Aster clenched his fist gently. "I believe there will be one... Chief Hikaru will definitely find a way."
Adrian looked toward Hikaru and remained silent for a long time.
Today he had indeed heard that Hikaru's group seemed to have found some special lead.
But...
Could those classmates wait that long?
Seeing no response, Aster knew Adrian hadn't been persuaded.
"Then it has to be a duel after all." Aster placed his hand on his Duel Disk. "Then let's see how strong your so-called 'absolute power' really is. If that power can't even defeat me, how could it possibly face the darkness looming over our heads?"
"My turn. Draw." Back to the present.
He drew a card, glanced at it, and immediately played it. "Normal Summon: Destiny HERO - Diamond Dude."
If Jaden's "soul card" was Bubbleman, then Aster's "soul card" was Diamond Dude.
Diamond Dude, encrusted with diamonds, appeared calmly on the field, gazing at the opponent.
"Diamond Dude's effect: I reveal the top card of my Deck. If it's a Spell Card, I send it to the Graveyard. If not, it returns to the bottom of the Deck.
If a Normal Spell is sent to the Graveyard by this effect, during my next Main Phase, I can activate that card's effect."
"A luck-based effect? But what are the odds of it being a Normal Spell?" Adrian spoke calmly.
"But isn't that exactly what our duel is right now?"
As he spoke, the massive grudge that had once permeated the Dimension of the Forgotten began resurfacing in the air.
Adrian looked up. In the sky, an enormous gate bound in heavy chains slowly descended.
"If I'm not mistaken, you currently have at least three or four Exodia pieces in your hand, right?" Aster raised his hand, not yet revealing the top card, but asking instead.
Adrian frowned slightly, looking at the four Exodia pieces in his hand.
With his understanding and control of his Deck, he was certain his next draw would be that card: Exodia the Forbidden One.
So as long as Aster didn't defeat him this turn, next turn he would draw that card and win.
"But... destiny tells me it won't be that way."
"Destiny? I don't believe in destiny."
"I didn't either. But destiny brought us together here again." Aster gently placed his finger on the top card of his Deck. "I think destiny is also telling me to do something I should be doing.
Now, let's see this card."
He drew it swiftly.
The Normal Spell: Destiny Draw!
"Diamond Dude's effect: I send this card to the Graveyard. Next turn, I can directly activate this card's effect!"
Diamond Dude raised his hand. A Spell Card was sealed within a diamond, then slowly floated beside Aster.
"Wow... this person is incredible too?"
The newborn spirits of the Forgotten Dimension watched the two duelists' plays and felt it was nothing like the "dueling" they knew.
"Hmph." Adrian watched and sighed softly again.
Clearly, Aster was just as he had imagined. Like himself, someone with extraordinary ability who could be certain the card they drew would be useful.
But even so, it wouldn't change anything.
Proving he had the same ability wasn't particularly impressive.
Many duelists could predict the flow of a duel.
In this world, many duelists could make accurate predictions, Set Trap Cards at the right turn, then use just the right defensive Trap to counter the next turn's assault. This wasn't some rare ability. For excellent duelists, it was expected!
True duelists could control the course of a duel.
But!
Duelists might have similar or identical abilities.
But their cards were different.
Exodia the Forbidden One was the genuine strongest monster. Assemble all five different Forbidden One pieces, and you win automatically.
Air Circulator's effect when destroyed by battle: draw one card directly from the Deck.
Meaning, as long as his next card was Exodia the Forbidden One, even if Aster had OTK capability, the instant he attacked, Adrian would win!
"Duelists' abilities can be similar or identical. But their cards are different!" Aster stared directly at Adrian, his tone resolute. "Just as different people make different choices when facing a crisis.
With this darkness descending... this is the choice I make!"
He slotted a card into the Spell/Trap Zone. "Polymerization!"
Polymerization?!
Adrian's pupils contracted slightly.
The card symbolizing Duel Academy headquarters' greatest pride: Polymerization!
Duel Academy's pride, its top-ranked student, its supreme champion, the GX Tournament winner, the genius among geniuses, the absolute master of Fusion...
Hikaru's beloved card: Polymerization!
With Duel Academy in crisis, students under attack, people falling unconscious, only the Fusion Division had remained steadfast, unwavering in their support and belief in the school, in their Chief, in their ability to overcome this ordeal.
This was the confidence and hope that Hikaru had instilled in the Fusion Division.
"Fusion, huh..." Adrian gradually understood.
So Aster Phoenix was also a Fusion Division member. Probably one of the outstanding new recruits?
He looked toward Hikaru.
Fusion...
Could the combined strength of everyone defeat that unknown entity?
He asked curiously. "Fusion? Are you planning to use Dystopia to win in one shot?"
Aster glanced at his hand.
He didn't have a card that could alter Dystopia's ATK to destroy the opponent's monster and attack directly for the win.
So...
"No. What I'm going to show you is the brand-new card I created after understanding destiny!"
"Fusion conditions..."
"Three Destiny HERO monsters!"
"I fuse Destiny HERO - Disk Commander, Destiny HERO - Fear Monge from my hand, and Destiny HERO - Diamond Dude on the field!"
Three?
Adrian watched silently.
Hikaru's eyes lit up.
That card!
Stargazing!
"Heroes of destiny, become the blade with which I command fate! Destroy the dark future!"
"Fusion Summon!"
"Level 10."
"Destiny HERO - Dominance!"
Three Destiny HEROes became waves of black energy, spiraling wildly in the air before gradually forming an enormous throne.
Beneath the throne, a pitch-black cape slowly unfurled, billowing in the wind. Beneath it, a mighty fully-armored hero had already drawn his enormous, razor-sharp sword, awaiting any who dared challenge destiny.
Destiny HERO - Dominance. Level 10, DARK Attribute, Warrior-Type. ATK 2900.
"2900 ATK? Slightly higher than Dystopia?" Adrian showed no emotional reaction.
After all, his duel had remained completely unaffected until now.
Aster faced his opponent. After a long silence, he pointed at Adrian's Deck. "Then let me show you the power of destiny that I've mastered.
Dominance's monster effect."
"This effect can only be activated once per turn, during my Main Phase. I look at the top five cards of my own or my opponent's Deck, then return them to the top in any order I choose!"
What?!
For the first time, Adrian showed an emotional reaction.
He was stunned.
Behind him, Echo had already cried out in shock.
Changing the top cards of the Deck meant... controlling the future of both players. Controlling destiny!
"I choose to look at the top cards of your Deck!"
Aster decisively held up one finger.
"I'm changing destiny!"
Dominance raised his greatsword high, then swung down. Five cards flew from the top of Adrian's Deck. Aster scanned them, then placed one at the very bottom.
No need to say which one.
Exodia the Forbidden One!
Then Aster carefully examined the remaining cards' effects, paused, and rearranged them by threat level.
"Done. That's the order."
Dominance swung his sword again. The cards returned to the top of Adrian's Deck.
"Battle! Dominance, attack!"
Dominance extended his left hand. A "D" insignia glowed, then a streak of dark turbulence blasted out, instantly destroying Air Circulator.
"When Dominance destroys a monster in battle, I draw one card." Aster announced.
"...When Air Circulator is destroyed in battle, I draw one card."
Both drew simultaneously.
Aster glanced at his card and silently added it to his hand without a word.
Adrian looked at his drawn card.
A Cloudian...
Was it reminding him to stay true to himself?
He looked up at Aster. When their eyes met, Aster said, "Well? As long as Dominance is on the field, you can never reach the destiny of drawing Exodia."
"Stubborn..." Adrian said, but slowly, a spark of passion and fire reignited in his eyes. "Fine then. Let's settle this decisively."
Perhaps their beliefs and ideas differed.
But this was precisely what emerged from the clash of duelists: the true language of the soul!