[3rd POV]
"Where am I?" That was the first thing Sartorius muttered when he opened his eyes.
Sartorius stared at the high ceiling that he didn't recognise. Sitting up, he found himself in a large bed, his fingers gently rubbed against the cool, smooth sheets that felt comfortable ot the touch.
Sunlight streamed through the tall side windows as the gentle wind brushed his hair, giving him a sense of serenity. Scanning his surroundings, the door to the room opened, and a familiar figure walked in.
"You're awake. How are you feeling?" Yuna asked upon entering the room.
"My head hurts..." Sartorius answered honestly, "What happened?"
Yuna: "How much do you remember?"
"I.... I was at a school... Then I made some kind of cult? Then I duelled you..." He clutched his head and groaned, "Everything that happened this year has been like a blur."
"I see..." Yuna muttered to herself, deep in thought, "Then, Sartorius, can you recall anything about this card?"
Showing him the Wicked Eraser, Sartorius frowned and shook his head, much to Yuna's disappointment, "I'm sorry, I don't have any recollection of seeing this card."
Fixing her dismayed expression, she smiled, "I understand, that's enough questions for today. Your body still needs time to fully recover, so please rest for the time being."
Standing up, Yuna headed towards the room's exit but Sartorius frantically stopped her.
"Although my memories are blurry, I still know what I've done was wrong. I would like to apologise for the past and the present..." Lowering his head, Sartorius spoke earnestly, and a faint light flickered in Yuna's eyes.
"While your actions set off my nerves, I'm not the one you should be apologising to. It was your sister who ultimately looked after you while you're unconcious. Despite all you've done, she still values her only family."
"Sarina did that..." Sartorius muttered in shock, and faint tears rose from his eyes.
"Be glad that no one was seriously harmed, so apologise sincerely to your sister for all the effort she put in to keep you alive." Yuna continued with a sigh.
"I will let Sarina know you have woken up," Yuna said, and, bidding a short goodbye, she left the room.
When the door closed, Yuna approached Seto, who was waiting outside. "Well?" He asked curiously, and Yuna shook her head.
"Sartorius doesn't know the origin of the card. His memories of this entire year are useless. So we are back to square one." She explained, crossing her arms in annoyance.
"Then we should be careful, you said there are two more of those Wicked Gods remaining?" Seto soothed while Yuna pouted grumpily.
"Right..." She nodded slowly and groaned in frustration, "But this has just become much more complicated."
"So Seto, you must not underestimate them, no matter what? Understand?!" Yuna ordered, and here nodded with a slight chuckle, "Alright, here."
Reaching out, Seto's eyes widened at the familiar design of the card in her hand, "To defeat a Wicked God, we must not be afraid to use some deities of our own." Yuna said, handing him Obelisk the Tormentor.
"I thought the Egyptian God Cards were destroyed..." He muttered in disbelief, and Yuna giggled.
"Just because the cards were gone doesn't mean that the Gods have disappeared. It's not difficult to remake them." She explained with an excited smile, "Remember to give Slifer to Yugi as well, it won't be long until we need his help."
"Understood..." Seto muttered solemnly and stored the card in his deck.
Smiling faintly, Yuna still couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in her heart, "Seto, what we would be facing would be something we haven't seen before... Probably more dangerous than Zorc Necrophades."
"So in case I don't make it..."
"Yuna!" Seto scolded harshly, and she flinched at his sharp tone.
"Ah... Sorry... It just slipped out by accident." She apologised dejectedly.
Looking through the window, Yuna's eyes honed in on Miyuki in the garden. Still uncomfortable with her legs, she wobbled awkwardly on the grass while being carefully led by the Dragonmaids.
After finding out the use of her legs, Miyuki truly became a free spirit, wandering all over the house. Her speech also improved significantly, and Yuna felt like it was just yesterday that Miyuki was a little baby cuddled in her arms.
Turning her head, Miyuki spotted Yuna and Seto watching through the window, and she waved excitedly, "Mama! Papa!"
Her steps quickened, and she excitedly tapped on the glass. Laughing, Yuna carefully opened the window and lifted Miyuki from under her arms.
"Are you having fun outside?"
"Nn Nn!" Miyuki nodded eagerly, and Yuna smiled affectionately.
Placing Miyuki back out of the window, she eagerly chased the Dragonmaids waiting outside, and her never-ending giggle resumed once more.
Watching the scene, Yuna suddenly felt Seto's fingers interlock with hers, and her grip tightened instinctively. "I'm scared, Seto..." She confessed with a strained smile, "I never realised how much I could lose when we were young. Even now, the things I want to protect are increasing more and more."
"You said it yourself... Our fight has already ended. These aren't our battle anymore..."
"But that doesn't mean we should be doing nothing at all!" Yuna shouted before quickly averting her gaze, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell..."
"Yuna..." Seto called out and gently pulled her into a soft embrace, "I'm not saying we would not help. So don't worry... We will definitely pull through. Just like before..."
"Mmhmm..." Yuna mumbled, and Seto felt her head bobbing up and down against his chest.
"Like always. Tell me what to do, and I will do anything you ask unconditionally..."
Patting her head, Seto suddenly felt a strange sense of premonition when Yuna looked up with renewed vitality.
"Anything?" She asked, and Seto's face twitched.
"Anything..." He muttered, and Yuna smiled in anticipation.
A few days later...
The loud thud echoed in the quiet classroom. The students held their breath as the man standing before the podium exuded a cold, hostile aura that gave them the impression that they would really die if they bothered him.
"I won't waste meaningless words. If you don't know who I am, then you truly have wasted your life." Seto's sharp words cut deeply through the room.
"Just looking around this room, I am disgusted at the level of the students here being this low... I feel like I really have wasted my money building this place."
Students: ?????
Punching the desk, Seto slowly retracted his fist as everyone gawked at the hand-shaped crater on the wooden surface, "So be grateful that I will be here from now on, turning you pieces of trash into slightly better pieces of trash..."
Watching through the glass window, Yuna chuckled to herself at Seto's shameless performance.
"Headmaster... Is this really alright?" Professor Crowler asked nervously, "Mr Kaiba seemed a bit... excessive..."
"Don't worry, professor, this is all an act. My husband is actually quite gentle." Yuna replied confidently, "Also, Seto told me he needs your assistance later, so please be on standby."
"I'm not gonna get a beating, am I?" Crowler mumbled, but Yuna had already left, and his words fell on deaf ears.
Back at her office, Yuna sighed while reading the message she received from Pegasus.
["I'm glad you're okay, Miss Sano. Regarding your inquiry, I currently don't have any children, blood-related or adopted. Although this may not be the answer you were looking for. I do wish for what you're planning to succeed. Sincerely, Maximillion Pegasus."]
Putting down the tablet, Yuna sat with a perpetual frown. With the appearance of the Wicked Gods, Yuna suspected that the world she currently resides in was a mix between the shows and the books.
While all the events happened like it was in the show, the Wicked Gods were only showcased in the manga series that was a spin-off from the original Yu-Gi-Oh franchise. It was developed by Pegasus's adopted sons, Yako and Gekko Tenma, to exact revenge on Yugi.
"What if instead of a merge between the two... This could be a parallel universe phenomenon?" Yuna muttered, and a hint of realisation flickered in her eyes.
If the events in the shows and books are treated as two different universes. That means Yako and Gekko technically still exist, but unlike in the manga, they were never adopted by Pegasus after the show, leading to very different lives.
This reasoning would have made a lot of sense and would have allowed her to solve the mystery of the sudden appearance of the Wicked Gods. But unfortunately, Yuna still have no idea where to start searching. Also, the fact that Sartorius has access to one of the Wicked Gods most likely meant that the brothers have joined Light of Destruction's side.
Thinking deeply, the tablet suddenly came to life as a familiar boy appeared on the screen. "Yuna, there's a student outside requesting to meet you," Noah explained, and Yuna tilted her head in confusion.
"Alright, let them in." Sitting up straight, she waited patiently as the door opened and a young man in silver formal wear and a black shirt came in.
"I hope there's a uniform underneath that suit," Yuna said in a languid smile and stared at the boy before me.
"Well, I am a special student after all... Out of all the people, the only teacher I would accept is you." Aster Phoenix replied, and Yuna chuckled at his cocky personality.
"Then what reason would 'my student' want to visit me?" Yuna asked in curiosity, "Was it perhaps you wanted me to bespoke some secret wisdom or was it because of the sudden disappearance of your Duelling Manager?"
Staring at Aster with a calm smile, his expression gradually stiffened. His confident demeanour slowly diminished in the silent room.
"The sudden lack of contact from my manager gives me reasonable concerns..." Aster muttered, carefully choosing his words, "I thought the headmaster would know something."
"Of course, it's natural for you to worry about your manager. Sartorius Kumar was involved in an accident during the Duelist Kingdom tournament. But fortunately, his condition is stable, and he is in the best care Kaiba Corps can offer."
"I heard you are attending the pro league during that time. We also kept information about the Duelist Kingdom to a minimum to help students focus on their duels without worrying about the outside world. It's natural that you weren't aware of his condition."
"I see..." Aster mumbled; his tense lips eased, "Thank you for giving me your time. I shall take my leave..."
"Actually, Aster, I wish to have a word with you." Yuna suddenly called out, and the boy stopped in his tracks. "Should we have a walk?"
Without waiting for his reply, Yuna calmly stood up and grabbed her coat. Leaving the room, Aster had no choice but to follow, and the two walked side by side in the quiet campus.
"How is your life at the academy? I hope the curricula are interesting for you." Yuna said while facing forward.
"Unfortunately, these fundamental theories have already become familiar to me in my professional career. But I still find the regular topics extremely helpful."
"Of course, I wish all my students to at least leave with a high school diploma." She chuckled. Having already read Aster's academic reports, "Despite your duelling career, you're still a child who needs to learn."
Laughing to herself, Aster's pace slowed down as he stared at Yuna's back, "Headmaster." He called out solemnly.
"Hmmm?"
"Did you quit duelling?" Aster asked, and Yuna tilted her head.
"Me? What makes you think that?"
"Sorry for the sensitive question, but your presence in the professional league has fully vanished. Even then, many speculations were made why the Headmaster stopped duelling..." Aster explained, his voice trailing off in embarrassment under Yuna's prodding gaze.
"Is that so..." Yuna muttered and smiled, "To answer your question, no, I haven't quit duelling. I love Duel Monsters, and I will never stop playing it."
"But you stopped attending the tournaments..."
"I only attended out of curiosity." Yuna replied honestly, "With managing the academy and raising my daughter, I never had the time to continue. Does that satisfy your answer?"
"Yes..." Aster nodded, and Yuna giggled.
"Speaking of, how was your foster father by the way?" Yuna asked out of the blue, "I hope he wasn't too upset."
Shaking his head, Aster smiled wryly to himself. After losing his biological father, Aster was taken in by a professional duellist called Kyle Jables, while others knew him as The D. He is the current champion in the Duel Monster professional league, and he's also the person who led Aster into the life of duelling...
The D's infamy was no less than that of the King and Queen of games, as he is the reigning Pro League Champion for ten years...
Well, he would have been if Yuna hadn't defeated him during his fifth-year streak.
But to rub even more salt in the wound, like a storm, Yuna haven't attended another World Championship since, leaving The D unable to get his revenge.
"While he was still a bit bitter, he had long forgotten about it now." Aster chuckled.
"Fufufu... It's good to have a strong competitive spirit."
By the time Aster realised, quite some time had passed, and they had walked around the entire academy. "Thanks for chatting with me today. I hope I didn't waste too much of your time." She apologised politely.
"Not at all. I find today's conversation meaningful." Aster shook his head with a smile.
"But I still feel awful taking up so much of your time when you should be attending your classes. Please allow me to repay you." Yuna exclaimed, "Is there anything you want?"
"I.... I don't know..."
"Then how about this..." Leaning close, Aster's face became red when Yuna's face was inches away from him. However, he soon froze in shock when she gently whispered into his ear.
When she stepped back, Aster's demeanour shifted to instant alarm, "How did you know..."
"That's a secret," Yuna smirked and placed a finger between her lips.
"Headmaster, wait!"
"Ah... I'm sorry, Aster-san, I'm quite tired and want to rest today." Yuna cut him off, "If you want to know more, you know where to find me."
Leaving Aster stunned, Yuna nonchalantly returned to her office. Spinning on the office chair, she chuckled and playfully tapped the small Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand statue on her desk.
"I hope he will come..." Yuna mumbled deep in thought, "After all, the boy has been searching for his father's killer for so long." So there's no reason Aster wouldn't show if she offered a little information.
"The D..." She muttered under her own breath, "The second host for the Light of Destruction...."
Following the story, The D, Aster's foster parent, was the person who killed his biological father. He had only taken Aster in to deflect any suspicion of himself. In the end, Aster learned of his foster father's crime and defeated him, further weakening the Light of Destruction's strength.
"I should approach this carefully..." Yuna spoke to herself, based on Sartorius's duel. He also most likely possesses another copy of the Wicked God.
"Sartorius... The D, Gekko and Yakko Tenma..." Pushing down the Dragon Statue, Yuna stared at the remaining three dragon figurines still standing, "One down... three more to go..."
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I hope you enjoy it.