"That kid disappeared?"
"Card games killed someone?"
"Eh?"
If 75's disappearance could still be understood as the special nature of non-human life, this one person turning into points of light and disappearing before people's eyes was rather exaggerated.
Especially since it had been a child.
Although from that person's speech and voice it seemed he wasn't actually a child, the appearance still counted for something.
"Cough cough cough... thank you, Hikaru." Quattro, seeing this scene, finally exhaled deeply and leaned wistfully against the wall, sighing. "Finally... father can finally rest in peace."
He spoke of some past events while coughing.
Actually, long before coming to the Synchro Dimension, the Xyz Dimension had once held a world-class tournament. In that tournament, close to half of the Numbers had been gathered. It was also at that time that Throne, through his three sons and Nash, collected and created new Numbers to gain victory and take revenge.
Originally, Throne had already defeated the world-invincible Kite through dueling. All that remained was his enemy, Dr. Faker.
But at that time, the person blocking his path appeared.
Yuma Tsukumo.
Kazuma Tsukumo's son.
Many years ago, Kazuma Tsukumo, Faker, and Throne had been friends who adventured together. All three had once been geniuses in their respective fields who left the world dizzy. Faker was a genius on the technology side, a prodigy whose hands alone could secure the scientific level of the entire world. And Throne was a special genius who'd discovered "heraldic power" through his research.
But if you wanted to compare exploration, adventure, or archaeology, no one was more professional than Kazuma Tsukumo. Under his lead, the three discovered the "other world" they'd dreamed of.
However, at that time they didn't know that one of them wasn't there for adventure.
Just as Shay had told Hikaru before, the reason Dr. Faker joined that adventure was singular. His own mind alone couldn't solve his son Hart Tenjo's illness. So he could only exhaust every method to search for possibilities "outside the world."
And for this goal, he had two requirements.
One, find that "other world."
Two, sacrifice his best friends.
To cure Hart, Faker made his choice.
He seized the opportunity to throw Kazuma Tsukumo and Throne into another dimension.
At that time, Throne sank deep into despair. His body and heart were filled with hatred and fury. And it was at that time that he heard Kazuma's words telling him not to give up.
For Throne, if he could take revenge, then even his son was secondary.
But Yuma Tsukumo, the son of his lifesaver, the son of his best friend, the one who even after Throne exposed all his plans and swore to take revenge on Faker still didn't hold it against him, only wanted him to put down his suffering, only wanted him to not be so sad anymore. That was the sole root of his salvation and release.
And it was after that duel, that duel he lost to Yuma Tsukumo, that he truly put down his hatred.
"But... at that time, father was taken advantage of by the Goddess of Despair." Quattro's palm trembled with anger.
Originally, his father had already rested. But that woman had exploited the moment his father realized total inability to take revenge and seized the chance to take him.
After the Heart Garden incident ended, Quattro exhausted every method to discover the root of the matter, then volunteered to pledge loyalty, bore the Goddess of Despair's power, obtained brand-new Numbers, and followed Throne to this dimension. His purpose was to find a chance to make his father wake up.
"I owe you one, Hikaru..."
Though strangers, Quattro, leaning against the wall, still thanked Hikaru and then laughed wistfully.
At last... this trip wasn't wasted.
His delicate manner drew screams from more women and some men with special tastes.
But regardless, the viewers finally understood one thing.
Throne himself had died long ago and had already given up. But the Goddess of Despair had forcibly dragged him back to life as her agent, twisting his mind and consciousness by force, transforming him into a living-dead existence.
Him disappearing after the duel seemed quite natural.
Even more, this act of letting the dead rest actually raised many people's goodwill.
Setting aside other things, the guy's own son had thanked Hikaru. What could you say to that.
Hikaru smiled to indicate there'd be plenty of chances to cooperate later, then came before Quattro and carefully looked him over.
Before this he'd had to guard against Throne, so he'd had no time. Now he could seriously study.
Tierra had already scanned Quattro's physical condition, but some details still needed a bit of research.
"You're quite lucky." Hikaru pondered a moment. "I met Shay Obsidian before and gave him a physical checkup. Your current state, though it can't be fully treated, can be made a bit less uncomfortable."
Hikaru spoke as he rummaged through his pocket, pulled out a bottle of medicine, and handed it to Quattro.
Quattro glanced at it and drank without hesitation.
Just from the first sip, he felt his body slightly warm. That indescribable fatigue and pain slowly dispersed. In no time, he actually felt he could move normally again.
But it was only normal movement.
Things like traversing mountains and ranges or bare-hand snapping steel rebar like before, he probably couldn't do those anymore.
"Truly lucky. Didn't expect you'd met that kid Shay too..." Quattro forced himself up and moved a bit, finally feeling alive.
Regarding Shay's Rank-Up experiments, he knew about them too. When he'd chosen to follow father to this dimension, he'd also asked his older brother to seek opportunities from other angles. Clearly his older brother had also done well.
But regardless, he'd already understood that this man called Hikaru not only had powerful ability but also excellent personal talent.
Could it be that the Amagi surname carried this kind of special bonus?
Hikaru saw the surrounding drones had stopped operating. He sat down slightly to prepare to rest. Quattro, seeing Hikaru checking his deck, didn't disturb him and began stretching his body after a long absence.
Hikaru checked the newly appeared cards.
What surprised him rather was, or perhaps it was also possible that Throne had specifically sent his power to him before disappearing, that Absolute Axon Kicker, the card he'd always wanted to make but bitterly couldn't find a method for, had actually appeared in his Extra Deck.
The card's colors were faint, but purple heraldic power still lingered on the card.
Though Throne was from the Xyz Dimension, he'd been a master of Psychic power himself and could indeed provide Hikaru with this kind of power.
Thinking carefully, Hikaru had indeed already obtained the "Psychic" inheritance of all dimensions.
The appearance of Absolute Axon Kicker was thus not strange.
Although Absolute Axon Kicker's Fusion condition was the rather exaggerated "Psychic-Type Synchro Monster + Synchro Monster," the problem wasn't really big. Now with Dogmatika-type card assistance, Hikaru could directly pile the Graveyard, then on his next turn activate Absolute Axon Kicker's effect: "If this card was not sent to the Graveyard this turn, banish it from the Graveyard to activate. Special Summon 1 Level 10 Psychic-Type Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, treated as a Fusion Summon." Directly Special Summoning a Myutant Ultimus.
Although Myutant Ultimus hadn't displayed its due effect in this duel, freely jumping out a one-monster-effect-negation card out of nowhere was still very profitable. Even if the effect really couldn't be brought out, at least it was a 3500 ATK beatstick, pure profit, no loss any way you looked at it.
And other things...
Hikaru looked at Dinomorphia Kentregina.
Actually Hikaru had long tried to make this card before. But compared to making this card, Hikaru had wanted more to find the Dinomorphia dimension.
After all, personally making cards took longer than "farming instances," and highly powerful Dinomorphia core cards also needed more resources for repeated refinement.
Unfortunately, Hikaru still hadn't found the Dinomorphia dimension until now.
The good news was that because Big Bro Rex Raptor had given him a Dinomorphia monster card, the copying and creation of low-tier ones went smoothly. As for Kentregina, Hikaru had specifically crafted it during this period when he'd decided to make trouble for the Goddess of Despair.
On one hand, it could be used for slight counterplay against Heraldry Crest. On the other hand, it could also be used to block Quattro.
Dinomorphia Fusion Trap Cards needed to pay half Life Points to use, but similarly they also had some defensive-purpose effects.
"If your basic score is 2000 or below and the opponent activates a Spell, Trap, or monster effect, banish this card from the Graveyard to activate. This turn, effect damage inflicted on you by the opponent's effect becomes 0."
Correspondingly, a Counter Trap made battle damage become 0.
These two cards weren't guaranteed usable, but for defending against a second-attacking Quattro, they were somewhat useful.
Although Hikaru didn't need this effect now.
Before coming, Hikaru hadn't thought Quattro could be on their side. At that time, Hikaru had of course been targeting Quattro as an enemy.
So in the strategy Hikaru had given Team 5D's earlier, the most important thing was actually thinking about preventing effect damage.
As for 86...
Encountering Rhongomyniad could only depend on the duelist's own on-the-spot reaction. Truly no answer.
Hikaru had told Yusei. Yusei felt this kind of tough bone was better not to let companions take on. Better to handle it himself. So he hadn't worried his companions too much.
And now...
Akiza Izinski had defeated Number 75, the invincible Rhongomyniad. Hikaru had smoothly defeated Throne, completing the "two wins" of a best-of-three.
So this match against Team Despair was actually already won by Team 5D's and Team Xyz.
Honestly, this didn't quite match Hikaru's plan.
Much better than Hikaru's imagined worst case. Also much better than Hikaru's imagined good outcome.
Hikaru had prepared quite a lot beforehand, all "remedies after errors." But he'd only failed to prepare for one thing, that being what to do if things went super successfully.
"Even though you thought out how to face the worst situation, you didn't think about how to respond to the best." Tierra laughed lightly beside him.
Hikaru lightly patted his knee and stood up.
The duel with Throne not only provided him the possibility of Absolute Axon Kicker. Beyond that, several other cards Hikaru had been "loading" were also gradually completing. For instance, Fiendsmith's Lacrima and Visas were both lit up to different degrees.
Though faint, it was still good news.
Next, since things had gone better than planned, then keep going. Regardless of what the plan actually was, the goal would never change.
He had to solve the Goddess of Despair!
"Quattro, we should go find Kite."
"Kite?" Quattro was slightly puzzled.
But hadn't the duel already ended?
Their team had lost twice. Kite and Hart shouldn't need to duel anymore, right?
"Quattro, although your father has been released, although your team has lost, has everything ended?"
"?" Quattro was startled. Then an image of an enormous woman flashed in his mind. His expression instantly darkened. "You mean..."
"That's right. So long as that damned thing still exists in the world, your and Hart's tragedy will repeat endlessly."
"But we can't grasp where she actually is."
"Isn't it obvious?" Hikaru narrowed his eyes and slowly delivered the final conclusion. "The Goddess of Despair wasn't on Gossip Shadow. She didn't control you. And she didn't appear when your father dispersed."
Quattro widened his eyes.
"She, that damned thing, she's inside Hart's body!"
That thing was possessing Hart right now!
His face turned cold. From the initial shock, to the following cruelty, he slowly sneered: "Good!"
He moved his body, hands ceaselessly clenching and stretching, as if wanting to strike forward.
He also wanted to settle accounts with that damned thing!
His long suffering, his father's madness, the two furies stacked together made him want to fight the Goddess of Despair to the death right now.
But before that...
"Hart! Hart!"
Because of Hikaru and Throne's duel, matters here had been temporarily set aside. So Kite had time to watch Throne's duel. After seeing Hikaru defeat Throne, he excitedly called Hart's name.
After all, Throne had already dispersed. So no one should be controlling Hart anymore. Then there was no need to duel, and he could easily take Hart away.
But!
Hart Tenjo still stood expressionlessly in place, coldly watching his older brother.
Kite gradually shifted from initial excitement to tension, and finally to terror.
Could it be...
"I'm standing here by my own will." Hart Tenjo abruptly spoke.
"Hart!"
Kite's face contorted. His expression turned strange, pupils shrank, complexion paled, retreated involuntarily, even hitting the wall.
Ho, how could this be?
Hart expressionlessly looked at his older brother and spoke: "For me, brother and father sacrificed too much. I've already grown despairing of my own existence."
"So... I'll leave the Xyz Dimension. Forever not return."
Kite's mouth trembled. His mouth opened and closed. His breathing was ragged. His heart pounded wildly. He couldn't speak.
Just at this moment.
"Kite." Yusei Fudo pushed open the door with a swish and said to Kite inside: "Don't be mistaken. What's before you isn't your brother. It's the source of despair!"