The KC Grand Prix concluded as scheduled. After Hoshino left, Yugi explained to his friends the fantastical—and unbelievably real—experience they had within the Memory World.
At first, the group had a hard time believing it. Egypt from 3,000 years ago, the God Zorc... it all sounded far too distant and absurd. But after seeing Mana, whose appearance was identical to the Dark Magician Girl, they had no choice but to accept the truth.
Kaiba, who had also returned from the Memory World, was immediately faced with a mess: the KC Tournament had been left in chaos. From the Bloody Witch's globally live-streamed concert to a final match that ended in a draw—causing a wave of fainting among the audience—Kaiba now had his hands full trying to manage the aftermath.
And the one responsible for it all—Chiyuki Hoshino—was fast asleep back at her hotel in San Francisco.
By the way, after the crowd dispersed, security discovered a fainted, starving Bakura among the audience...
Knock knock knock—
Early the next morning, urgent knocking at the door roused Hoshino, who had been sleeping ever since returning.
"Yaaawn~~"
Even after all that sleep, she still felt groggy. Letting out a huge yawn, she stumbled toward the door, dragging her feet.
"Who the heck's knocking this early? If it's not a beautiful girl, I'm not answering..."
Pulling down the handle, she opened the door to find... a grim, sour face glaring back at her—like someone owed him millions.
"Oh, it's Kaiba. For a second, I thought it was a debt collector..."
Rubbing her eyes, Hoshino's sleepy brain couldn't quite process why Kaiba had come all the way to her hotel room.
But even fully awake, she probably still wouldn't have understood.
"Sorry, I don't accept visitors who aren't cute girls at this hour."
Without another word, she slammed the door in Kaiba's face and returned to bed, hugging Akasha tightly as she drifted back to sleep.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!!!
The pounding grew louder, Kaiba's expression twisting further into fury. As the president of Kaiba Corporation, he had never been treated like this—slammed out of a room and ignored.
Hoshino Alter's voice echoed in her head:
["Aibo, if you don't open that door, Kaiba might actually rip it off."]
Right on cue, Kaiba's voice thundered from outside:
"MOKUBA! Bring someone to take this door down!!"
Is this guy seriously still acting like an elementary schooler?!
Grudgingly, Hoshino dragged herself out of bed again. After quickly fixing her messy hair, she opened the door once more.
This time, Kaiba didn't hesitate. Taking advantage of the open door, he strode right in. Following behind him was a sheepish-looking Mokuba.
"Sorry, Hoshino. Didn't mean to interrupt your rest."
Kaiba sat down on the hotel's luxury sofa, crossed his legs, and—true to form—kept his perpetually annoyed expression.
"So, what brings our busy CEO to knock on the door of a simple, innocent girl like me this early in the morning?"
Hoshino sat opposite him, trying not to lose ground in her own space despite still not knowing why he had come.
"The KC Grand Prix officially ended yesterday. I came to explain the situation to you personally."
He got straight to the point, like he was giving a business report.
Hoshino, mentally calculating, wondered if Kaiba had discovered she was a major shareholder and was here to give a breakdown of tournament profits.
Since the topic suddenly escalated to something involving millions in assets, Hoshino immediately snapped into serious mode, mimicking her father's old businessman posture and sitting upright.
"Go on, I'm listening, Kaiba."
Seeing her unexpectedly serious demeanor, Kaiba paused briefly, then gave a meaningful smile.
"Hmph. Looks like you've realized something and are prepared for what's coming."
Prepared? Prepared for what? Was she getting a massive bonus or something?
"Then I'll be blunt. During the finals, when you used a card called Bloody Witch, the high-frequency soundwaves damaged the KC Grand Prix global broadcast system. As a result, tens of thousands of duelists couldn't witness the final turn. This caused KaibaCorp and Industrial Illusions immeasurable losses."
"EHH?!"
Her big eyes blinked in disbelief. This was not the outcome she had expected.
"Bloody Witch?!"
Thanks to Kaiba's reminder, Hoshino finally realized what a disaster she had caused in that final turn—all in the name of victory.
In a globally live-streamed match, using the Idol's song was basically like unleashing a cursed Noble Phantasm across the world. It was a miracle KaibaCorp hadn't gone bankrupt on the spot.
Nervously gulping, Hoshino wiped the sweat forming on her forehead. With Kaiba bringing it up this seriously, she was sure the next part wasn't going to be good.
"So what—you came here this early to make me pay for all that? I'll have you know I'm completely broke!"
"You won't have to compensate for the damages. The broadcast failure is being treated as the organizers' responsibility. I've already confirmed with Pegasus that Industrial Illusions won't pursue anything against you."
"Whew~" Hoshino patted her chest in relief. "You should've said that earlier, Kaiba! With that face of yours, I thought you were seriously here to collect money..."
But Kaiba's expression only grew more grim.
"Although you won't be held responsible for the tournament losses, statistics show that after your activation of Bloody Witch, a significant number of spectators—both at the venue and watching globally—reported physical discomfort. Several serious cases are currently hospitalized."
"W-What?! That serious? Well... I guess with the Idol, it could happen..."
At this point, Hoshino felt like she should just tattoo Eternal Sinner on her thigh.
"As a result, there are now multiple civil compensation claims against you. And it's... not a small amount."
So in the end, he was here to collect money. No wonder he looked like that when he walked in...
Not that Kaiba ever looks any different.
"Anyway, I've already taken care of the money, so you don't have to worry about it."
What Kaiba meant by "taking care of it" was most likely that he had personally paid out of pocket to cover the compensation for the innocent bystanders injured by the Dragon Girl's Noble Phantasm.
["Damn, I'm shocked. What kind of wind is blowing through Kaiba today?"]
If it were anyone else saying this, Hoshino would definitely have her doubts. But since it was Kaiba, she was sure he meant it.
"Sorry, I really misjudged you before. Deep down, you're actually a kind-hearted guy, huh, Kaiba?"
"Hmph. Don't celebrate too soon, Hoshino."
At this point, Kaiba's lips curled into the sly grin of a seasoned businessman—the kind sharpened by years of ruthless negotiations.
"I said I took care of the compensation, but I never said you wouldn't have to pay me back."
Hoshino instinctively stepped back in alarm.
Usually, Kaiba either scowled coldly or laughed maniacally—seeing him smile was rare enough. And this particular smile, given the situation, sent chills racing down her spine.
Clutching her body protectively, Hoshino stammered nervously,
"Kaiba, I'll say this right now—if you're lusting after my body, I won't give in just because I owe you money!"
Mokuba immediately covered his face with a sigh and muttered,
"Hoshino... what are you even talking about... Nii-san just wants to offer you a job at KaibaCorp."
"A job?" Hoshino asked cautiously. "You mean like, a proper, legit job, right?"
"Does KaibaCorp look like the kind of place that offers sketchy jobs?"
Kaiba continued without missing a beat,
"Recently, KaibaCorp has decided to stop investing in Duel Monsters tournaments and is shifting focus toward education. We're launching the world's first school with a curriculum built around Duel Monsters. I've decided to call it—"
"Duel Academy!!"
Kaiba was halfway through his dramatic announcement when Hoshino suddenly cut him off by blurting out the name. The look of surprise on his face was unmistakable. After all, Duel Academy was still in its early concept phase—only he and Mokuba knew about it.
"Amazing, Hoshino!" Mokuba exclaimed in awe. "How did you guess it was Duel Academy? Nii-san and I spent ages coming up with that name!"
"Haha, just a lucky guess. I just thought 'Duel Academy' sounded cool."
Hoshino scratched her cheek and laughed awkwardly. There was no way she could explain to Kaiba that she'd instinctively blurted it out because she already knew it from the future.
Kaiba nodded, satisfied.
"It seems you have a good head on your shoulders, Hoshino. That shows we share a similar vision. So I'll get straight to the point... After you graduate, I want you to join the founding faculty of Duel Academy as a professional Duel Instructor—under the title 'King of Duelists.'"
"I knew it," Hoshino sighed.
Considering where she was ten years into the future, it was almost inevitable that she'd end up teaching at Duel Academy.
"If you agree to take the position, not only will I waive your liability in this recent incident, but I'll also offer you the highest possible salary. I don't think you'll say no to that."
From Kaiba's tone, it was clear—he already saw Hoshino as a fat piece of meat he was ready to sink his teeth into.
"No. I refuse."
"?!!" Kaiba's smug expression only lasted a few seconds before Hoshino's blunt refusal shattered it.
"You're turning down that kind of offer? Are you crazy, Hoshino?!"
"No—I mean, I want to be the principal!"