"F-friends… I guess that's not impossible!"
Turning her head away in a tsundere huff, Akasha took hold of Jaden's outstretched hand, secretly tightening her grip—a little prank of her own to get back at him for beating her, and for Hoshino recognizing Jaden as her student.
"It was supposed to be me first, and yet Hoshino-nee didn't take me as her student…"
Well, it couldn't be helped. Akasha's dueling style was simply too different from Hoshino's. Perhaps her ideal master was someone else entirely.
Meanwhile, Jaden, whose hand was being squeezed with all her strength, was quietly surprised at how soft a girl's hand could feel.
["Ah, youth really is a wonderful thing. Don't you think so, aibo~?"]
"What? Don't make it sound like I'm already old. I'm still—huh?!"
Without warning, a wave of dizziness washed over Hoshino. She staggered and collapsed onto the cold courtyard floor of the hotel.
"Hoshino-nee?!"
"Sensei!"
Startled by her sudden collapse, the two kids rushed to her side in a panic.
Akasha leaned close to feel her breath, then let out a sigh of relief. "Good, she's still alive. We have to act while she's still warm…"
"'Act while she's still warm'? What are you talking about? What are we supposed to do now?"
Faced with this emergency, Jaden—an ordinary grade-schooler—looked far more lost than Akasha, who at least had some experience as a rare card hunter.
Akasha answered with a straight face, "Act while she's still warm means… artificial respiration!"
"Artificial respiration? But you just said she's still breathing…"
"Shut up, (╯°Д°)╯, you brat! I said artificial respiration, so artificial respiration it is—and I'll be the one to do it."
Staring intently at Hoshino's soft, pink lips, Akasha wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth and put on a solemn expression.
"Don't blame me, Hoshino-nee. This is just an emergency measure, okay? =3="
The Pyramid of Light gave a faint tremor, glowing with a bluish light. When her soul swapped back, Hoshino Alter slowly opened her eyes—only to find Akasha's face pressed to hers, while Jaden stood nearby with a flushed, pounding heart. Her mind filled with question marks.
"Akasha… what exactly are you doing?"
"It actually worked?!"
Pulling back her head, Akasha looked as surprised as if she had just become the prince in Sleeping Beauty, marveling at the effectiveness of her kiss. "But… Hoshino-nee feels… different somehow?"
Jaden, still worried for his newly acknowledged master, asked, "Sensei, are you feeling unwell? Why did you suddenly faint?"
"Don't ask. It's too embarrassing." Hoshino Alter rubbed her forehead, unable to say it out loud.
"Aibo… she actually fainted from hunger."
After returning from KC, Hoshino hadn't eaten for an entire day. Her plan for breakfast had been derailed by Jaden's sudden appearance, and during the night the Evil God had even stolen some of her energy. Focused entirely on watching duels, she hadn't noticed her low blood sugar until she simply collapsed.
"Aibo, your card addiction is no better than Kaiba's."
Though it was the same body, when Hoshino's own consciousness was absent, the forced soul swap allowed Hoshino Alter to barely remain awake. But first things first—she needed to replenish the body's sugar reserves.
"Come on, let's go get breakfast, Akasha, Jaden. We should still be in time for the meal."
Akasha touched her empty stomach and nodded happily. Jaden, who had already eaten, still tagged along eagerly at the thought of enjoying a high-class hotel buffet.
.
..
...
Restaurant —
Since it was near the end of breakfast service, the restaurant wasn't as crowded as it had been during the morning rush. Only a few late risers lingered at the buffet counter, picking over the elegant dishes.
Come to think of it—so much food left over, and once the meal ends they'll just throw it out? High-class hotels sure are extravagantly wasteful.
"We can really eat as much as we want, Sensei?!"
"Of course. Today, your Sensei is treating you—eat all you like~"
Hoshino Alter answered generously. After all, Pegasus was footing the bill, so even if she brought ten more people, it wouldn't matter.
"But I have to say, this really is worthy of a high-class hotel—so quiet, elegant, and refined. Everyone here looks like a real gentleman."
"That's my meat! Give it back, Jonouchi-sama's meat!"
"What's the big deal? Just go get more! Don't be so stingy, Jonouchi!"
Hoshino Alter rubbed her temples and muttered to herself, "Hmm? Why do I feel like I'm hearing some vulgar, uncouth voices that completely ruin the elegant atmosphere? Must be my hunger messing with me."
Akasha twitched her ears and looked toward the noise. "Hmm… this rowdy atmosphere—could it be Jonouchi and the gang?"
Sure enough, in one corner of the restaurant, their familiar friends were all gathered around a table. Anzu looked flustered and embarrassed, trying in vain to rein in the two noisy troublemakers.
"Come on, Jonouchi, Honda! It's not every day Kaiba puts us up in such a fancy hotel—can't you at least eat a little more politely?"
"Don't be ridiculous," Jonouchi shot back confidently. "With a free luxury buffet like this, the only goal is to eat our money's worth! That's what matters!"
Mouth full of food, Honda nodded in agreement. "Yeah! We've gotta eat from when they open until the meal ends—that's the only way to repay Kaiba for his hospitality!"
Yugi tried to smooth things over awkwardly. "Well… I guess that's true, but we shouldn't disturb the other guests, right?"
Meanwhile, Mana—clinging to Yugi's side—speared a carefully peeled grape with her fork and offered it to him.
"Forget those barbarians, Other Prince! Open up and let Mana feed you~"
"You woman, stay away from my darling!"
Unable to hold back any longer, Rebecca shouted even louder than Jonouchi.
"The 'Prince' you're talking about should be Darling's other personality, right? In that case, stop clinging to him!"
"You can't put it that way." Mana poked Yugi's cheek with a playful smile. "Sure, the Prince is handsome, but the other Prince's personality is surprisingly cute too! I like both!"
"Homewrecker!"
"I am not! If you like someone, you should like all of them—including their other personality!"
Watching these two squabble like barbarians, and realizing this not-so-simple love triangle (possibly evolving into a quadrangle at any moment), Hoshino could only quietly avert her gaze. If she wanted a peaceful meal, it was better not to get involved.
"Hey! Isn't that Hoshino? Over here! Come eat with us!"
Of course, Jonouchi's beast-like instincts didn't allow Hoshino to escape.
"So, after your matches ended, Kaiba also arranged for you guys to stay here, huh?"
Finally replenished with food energy, Hoshino's discomfort began to ease. "Didn't expect Kaiba to be this considerate—especially toward classmates."
Suddenly remembering something, Yugi said, "Oh right, Hoshino—yesterday, after you left the venue, Ishizu came to us. She gave me the Millennium Key and the Millennium Scales."
"Ishizu?" Just hearing the name made Hoshino think of Isis from the Memory World. The resemblance was uncanny—even their skin tone hadn't changed.
"But why were the Millennium Key and Scales in her hands?"
"She said they were relics left behind by the guardian Shadi. After fulfilling his duty of unlocking the Pharaoh's memories, Shadi entrusted the two Items to Ishizu before leaving," Yugi explained. "And she specifically mentioned that the Millennium Ring and Millennium Rod are with Bakura."
"The remaining Items are with Bakura?"
Hoshino mulled over the information. In this world, Bakura should just be that harmless, delicate pretty boy—since Zorc's evil spirit in the Millennium Ring had already been sealed deep within the Underworld by Ereshkigal.
"But if Ishizu went out of her way to tell us the Items' locations… does she have some other motive?"
"I'll explain that."
A deep, steady voice came from behind Hoshino. Turning, she saw a tall, nearly two-meter man with brown skin approaching.
"You're… Odion!"
That distinct figure instantly triggered Hoshino's memory.
Although he once served under Marik, his strict and upright demeanor—and his unyielding spirit during their duel, even after being burned unconscious by the Winged Dragon of Ra—had left Hoshino with a good impression.
"Pardon the intrusion." Odion set his food tray down on the table and squeezed into a seat beside them.
Hoshino scratched her head helplessly. "(°ヘ°) This table is starting to feel really crowded…"
"Allow me to explain our Tombkeepers' true mission—the duty to guide the lost soul of the Pharaoh."
Anzu stiffened. "The lost Pharaoh… you mean the other Yugi—no, his real name is Atem now."
After Atem explained the Memory World events in detail the previous day, the group naturally learned his true name.
"Yes. Once the Pharaoh's spirit in the Millennium Puzzle gathers three Items symbolizing justice—the Key, Scales, and Necklace—and three Items symbolizing evil—the Eye, Ring, and Rod—our clan will open the gates to the final ritual duel in a sacred place we guard. This is called the 'Ceremonial Battle.'"
"The Ceremonial Battle?"
"The inscription reads: 'As long as he holds the sword, the Pharaoh's spirit shall not depart, and peace cannot be found.'"
Jonouchi frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Odion explained, "The sword symbolizes the tool of battle—in a duelist's case, it refers to cards."
Hoshino rubbed her chin, analyzing. "So 'as long as he holds the sword' means the Pharaoh has to put down his sword—his cards."
Yugi's eyes widened in realization. "So someone has to defeat the other me in a duel!"
Even after learning Atem's true name, Yugi still preferred calling him "the other me," and Atem didn't mind.
"But… can anyone actually defeat Atem in a duel right now?"
Anzu's worried gaze landed on Hoshino. If there was any hope, it was probably her—she had once beaten Atem during Duelist Kingdom. But deep down, Anzu didn't want him to leave.
Reading Anzu's thoughts, Hoshino shrugged. "You saw the KC Grand Prix finals—it ended in a draw. Even if we dueled again, I can't guarantee I'd win."
Odion calmly added, "It's not time to consider the duel yet. From what I know, the Millennium Eye is still damaged. That means the Ceremonial Battle can't even begin."
"Ah, I forgot about the Eye…"
Hoshino stuck out her tongue apologetically. After all, it was her fault—the Eye had been destroyed when Gramps sliced it in half along with the Shadow Game during her battle with Pegasus, reducing the seven Millennium Items to six.
"Don't blame yourself," Odion reassured her. "The Items can repair themselves. But given the Eye's damage, it will take at least ten years to restore."
"Ten years?!" Jonouchi exclaimed. "So for ten whole years, Atem's soul can't rest?"
Anzu kicked Jonouchi's shin under the table. "What's the big deal? Ten years can pass in the blink of an eye…"
Yugi, eyes half-closed in thought, smiled faintly. "It's fine. The other me said that after wandering for three thousand years, another ten is nothing. He wants to spend more time with everyone."
"Exactly!" Mana chimed in. "Your childhood friend came all the way to keep you company, so why rush back? The world's big—you should see more of it!"
Seeing everyone's relaxed attitude, Odion nodded. "In that case, I'll take my leave. When the Eye is restored in ten years, Ishizu or I will come to inform you."
"Ten years, huh…" Hoshino leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "Why did Gramps have to destroy the Eye outright? Was it really just urgency… or something else?"
Ten years later would coincide with the future where Paradox leads Duel Monsters to alter history. Perhaps, hidden between these two events separated by a decade, was a connection Hoshino had yet to realize.
"Still, ten years is a long time…"
Looking around at the cheerful faces at the table, Hoshino couldn't imagine where everyone would be when that time finally came.
"Well, no point overthinking—it's still far off!"
Patting her cheeks, Hoshino decided to order two more plates—for the sake of her body's nutrition.
But time has a way of flying when you think it's slow and far away.
In the blink of an eye, two years passed—