Domino City — KaibaCorp Headquarters.
Over the past seven years, KaibaCorp had grown into one of the world's foremost conglomerates—thanks to the establishment of Duel Academy, the release of next-generation Duel Disks, and sponsorship of the Professional Duelist League.
But the most crucial turning point came when KaibaCorp successfully seized control of the Duel Monsters industry.
Originally, the company's profits came mainly from developing and selling Duel Monsters–related products. Now, however, it had acquired Industrial Illusions—the company founded by the "Father of Duel Monsters," Maximillion Pegasus.
Since then, KaibaCorp's dominance over the Duel Monsters world had become absolute. Having finally gained the rights to print cards himself, Seto Kaiba had apparently created countless alternate versions of his beloved Blue-Eyes White Dragon wife.
"Why do I feel like this building's gotten even taller since last time?"
Hoshino tilted her head back to gaze at the massive KaibaCorp Tower. If not for her sharp, hawk-like eyesight, she probably wouldn't have been able to see the top disappearing into the clouds.
"And there are even more Blue-Eyes statues now. If he's got that much money lying around, maybe he should think about improving employee benefits instead of wasting it on flashy nonsense. That guy never changes…"
As before, the first and second floors of KaibaCorp served as a public dueling space—complete with arenas and Duel Disks for visitors to try out.
However, after Kaiba Land opened, the once-crowded area had gradually emptied out. It now stood more as a monument—a reminder of KaibaCorp's path of growth.
"Excuse me, miss. If you're here to visit, the first and second floors are open to the public. I'm afraid access above the third floor is restricted."
The security guard stopped Hoshino at the elevator leading upstairs. Still, seeing how young and cute she looked, he kept his tone polite and friendly.
"No, actually, I—"
"Alright, miss, there's really nothing interesting up there anyway."
Ding!
Just then, the elevator doors opened—saving Hoshino from having to argue further.
"Hoshino! It's been so long!"
A young man hurried out, his face lighting up as he spotted her. It was Mokuba, who had come down personally to greet her.
"It really has been years! If you hadn't shown up, I'm not sure how I'd have gotten in."
Having spent the past few years studying abroad in Germany, Mokuba had grown into a confident, handsome young man—about the same age as Jaden.
"Y-Young Master!"
The guard immediately straightened up, standing rigidly at attention. Facing KaibaCorp's young vice president, he dared not be anything less than respectful.
But the girl standing next to him—who looked even younger than the vice president—was being treated like an honored guest. Remembering how he'd just stopped her, the poor guard began to sweat bullets despite having technically done his job.
Mokuba sighed and scolded, "You really don't have any sense for faces, do you? You don't even recognize the Headmistress of Duel Academy?"
"Don't blame him," Hoshino said with a small sigh, smoothing things over. "He was only doing his job."
If not for her Atlantean bloodline's reversed aging, she wouldn't have mysteriously vanished from the public eye these past few years. The only people who knew the truth were those who had fought beside her against Dartz.
"Well, since Hoshino says so, let's head up. Still, it's rare for you to come to KaibaCorp in person. Even during the annual gatherings, we can never get you to attend."
Following Mokuba into the elevator, Hoshino scratched her cheek awkwardly. "Ahaha… I'm usually pretty busy around that time, you know how it is."
Like most companies, KaibaCorp held a year-end banquet. As the honorary headmistress of Duel Academy—one of KaibaCorp's most important institutions—Hoshino received an invitation every year.
Yet despite that, she had never attended even once. A perfect 100% no-show record.
To KaibaCorp's executives, such blatant disregard for even the company's president was sheer arrogance—an incomprehensible act of defiance.
Fortunately, the Principal oversaw the academy's operations, keeping everything running smoothly even with Hoshino's hands-off attitude.
"This time, I actually came to talk to Kaiba about something important. Is he in his office right now?"
Mokuba glanced at his watch. "Yeah, he should be. Knowing my brother, he's definitely glued to his monitors around this hour. Though…"
.
..
...
—KaibaCorp President's Office—
Seto Kaiba sat in his chair, eyes fixed on the massive screen mounted on the wall, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
"Hmph. Mediocre as he is, that fool's doing better than I expected."
On the display was a live broadcast of the world's most popular competitive event—the Professional Duelist League.
A professional stage, cutting-edge equipment, roaring spectators, and passionate commentators—together they created an atmosphere unlike any other sport in existence.
And standing on that dazzling stage, dueling before millions, was none other than Katsuya Jonouchi, once considered the school's resident amateur.
Commentator: "Here it comes! In this tense standoff, Katsuya Jonouchi finally summons his ace monster—Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"
Under the blinding lights, the majestic black dragon erupted from the Duel Disk, its roar sending the audience into a frenzy.
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon – ATK 2400]
"It seems that even against the new-generation prodigy Aster Phoenix, our veteran duelist Jonouchi refuses to back down!"
His opponent, Aster Phoenix, stood calm and confident—his duelist record a flawless 30 wins and 0 losses, closing in on Jonouchi's long-held ranking among pro duelists.
"Red-Eyes Black Dragon, huh? Not a bad monster. But my Fusion monster—Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer—can't be destroyed by battle."
[Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer ★★★★★★ (Level 6)][FIRE] [Warrior/Fusion/Effect] [ATK 2100 / DEF 1200]
["Elemental HERO Avian" + "Elemental HERO Burstinatrix"]
Just like Jaden's deck, Aster used Elemental HERO cards. But his ace was a different evolution—Phoenix Enforcer, a fusion with the same stats as Flame Wingman but an even more resilient effect: it could never be destroyed in battle.
"What do you mean, 'not a bad monster'?!" Jonouchi barked. "You might be the next-generation prodigy, but today, I—Katsuya Jonouchi—will teach you rookies how to respect your senpai!"
He slammed a card into his Duel Disk. The Red-Eyes Black Dragon reared back and unleashed a burst of pitch-black flames that soared past Phoenix Enforcer and struck Aster directly.
"—I activate the Spell Card Inferno Fire Blast! When I control Red-Eyes Black Dragon, I inflict damage to my opponent equal to Red-Eyes' original Attack Points!"
[Aster Phoenix LP 8000 → 5600]
Unlike the 4000 Life Points used in the academy, professional league duels followed the 8000 LP format—encouraging offensive strategies and making matches more thrilling.
As the explosion of dark fire subsided, Aster grimaced. "A direct-damage Spell exclusive to Red-Eyes? That really does sting."
"I'm not done yet!" Jonouchi shouted. "I activate the Spell Card Polymerization! I fuse my Red-Eyes Black Dragon on the field with Meteor Dragon Red-Eyes Impact in my hand!"
The two dragons—one crimson, one jet-black—merged into a fiery meteor that streaked across the arena.
"—Fusion Summon! Meteor Black Comet Dragon!"
[Meteor Black Comet Dragon ★★★★★★★★ (Level 8)][DARK] [Dragon/Fusion/Effect] [ATK 3500 / DEF 2000]
[Level 7 "Red-Eyes" Monster + Level 6 Dragon-Type Monster]
"Meteor Black Dragon's effect activates! When this card is Fusion Summoned, I can send one 'Red-Eyes' monster from my Deck to the Graveyard, and my opponent takes damage equal to half that monster's original ATK!"
Jonouchi caught the ejected card from his Duel Disk and sent it to the Graveyard with a dramatic motion. Shards of burning meteorites burst from Meteor Black Dragon's wings, raining down on Aster once again.
"I send Red-Eyes Archfiend of Lightning (ATK 2500) to the Graveyard—deal 1250 damage to you!"
[Aster Phoenix LP 5600 → 4350]
"And now, battle! Meteor Black Dragon—attack!!"
Even though Aster's Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer couldn't be destroyed by battle, it was still in Attack Position. The searing black flames pierced through its body, scorching Aster a third time.
[Aster Phoenix LP 4350 → 2950]
Commentator: "An overwhelming assault! Katsuya Jonouchi unleashes a devastating combo, taking over 5000 Life Points from Aster Phoenix in a single turn!!"
"I set one card face-down and end my turn!" Jonouchi declared.
Aster's confident smirk had faded. He'd thought Phoenix Enforcer would protect him from most of the damage—but Jonouchi's relentless Red-Eyes offense had burned straight through his defenses.
"As expected of a veteran duelist," Aster said, composing himself. "There's a reason your ranking remains among the league's top players."
Drawing his next card, Aster's calm, confident smile returned. "But in a duel, there can be only one victor! I activate Polymerization from my hand once more! I fuse my on-field Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer with Elemental HERO Sparkman from my hand to summon my ultimate monster!"
Light and flame intertwined, forming a radiant warrior that illuminated the entire arena.
"—Fusion Summon! Elemental HERO Shining Phoenix Enforcer!"
[Elemental HERO Shining Phoenix Enforcer ★★★★★★★★ (Level 8)][FIRE] [Warrior/Fusion/Effect] [ATK 2500 / DEF 2100]
["Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer" + "Elemental HERO Sparkman"]
Commentator: "He's done it! Aster Phoenix refuses to back down and fuses his ace monster into an even greater form! A clash between eras—who will stand victorious?!"
"Shining Phoenix Enforcer's effect! This card gains 300 ATK for each 'Elemental HERO' in my Graveyard!"
[Shining Phoenix Enforcer ATK 2500 → 3700]
Bathed in dazzling light, the HERO's power soared beyond that of Meteor Black Dragon.
"And now, for the card I prepared especially for this match! I activate the Spell Card That Grass Looks Greener from my hand!"
"What the heck kind of card is that?" Jonouchi frowned, completely lost.
"Heh, Jonouchi-senpai, you may not have noticed, but my Deck has far more cards than your Red-Eyes Deck!"
Indeed, Aster's deck was almost twice as thick as Jonouchi's.
[That Grass Looks Greener – Spell Effect: If you have more cards in your Deck than your opponent does: Send cards from the top of your Deck to the GY so you have the same number of cards in your Deck as your opponent.]
In an instant, a torrent of cards slid from Aster's Duel Disk into his Graveyard, powering up his HERO beyond belief.
"With more HERO monsters in my Graveyard, Shining Phoenix Enforcer's ATK rises again!"
[Shining Phoenix Enforcer ATK 3700 → 7900]
Commentator: "Unbelievable! An attack power of 7900! Aster Phoenix just sent 13 HERO monsters to the Graveyard in one move!"
"The old era is over, Jonouchi-senpai!" Aster shouted. "In the brilliance of the new age, there's no place for the darkness of outdated duelists!"
He pointed forward, and the radiant HERO charged. Shining Phoenix Enforcer's strike tore straight through Meteor Black Dragon.
[Meteor Black Dragon – Destroyed]
"Ahhhhhhh!!"
Jonouchi staggered backward, nearly falling off the edge of the dueling platform.
[Katsuya Jonouchi LP 8000 → 3600]
"And now, I play my Quick-Play Spell—De-Fusion! This will seal my victory!"
If he could split Shining Phoenix Enforcer back into Phoenix Enforcer and Sparkman, both could attack directly for the win.
But at that critical moment, Aster's Duel Disk failed to respond. The card didn't activate—Shining Phoenix Enforcer stood motionless, as if refusing the command.
"Rrraaaaghhh!!"
A roar echoed across the arena. Meteor Black Dragon—though pierced through—still clung to life, refusing to fall. Just like Jonouchi himself, it stood defiant even on the brink of defeat.
"You said the old era's over? Don't make me laugh, kid…"
Jonouchi flipped his last face-down card. His eyes burned with the same fiery resolve they'd held seven years ago.
"There's someone I have to keep dueling for! Mai… wherever you are, I know my fighting spirit will reach you one day!"
"—Trap Card, Red-Eyes Burn!"
[Red-Eyes Burn – Trap Effect: If a face-up "Red-Eyes" monster you control is destroyed by battle or card effect: inflict damage to both players equal to that monster's original ATK.]
The black dragon's dying roar tore through the heavens, carrying Jonouchi's spirit to the one he longed for. Not for money, not for fame—but to convey his feelings through the language of dueling. That was the belief that had carried Katsuya Jonouchi this far.
"The effect of Red-Eyes Burn—both players take damage equal to Meteor Black Dragon's ATK! Roar, my dragon—one last time!!"
[Katsuya Jonouchi LP 3600 → 100]
[Aster Phoenix LP 2950 → 0]
Jonouchi stood firm amid the smoke. "Kid, don't you dare look down on the so-called 'old generation' of duelists who've fought for this world all this time."
[Winner of the Duel: Katsuya Jonouchi!]