Returning to the Critical Nexus, Hikaru packed up his things, spent a few more days burying the Dimensional Gate deeper, and then left this dimension with Gaia.
Though reluctant, farewells were inevitable, and the time had finally come.
Carrying the Amaki name, Hikaru felt he had the right to speak such words.
Back at the Starting Point, Hikaru sought out Jaden and Sartorius.
Sartorius's condition had improved, but the overwhelming power he had borne still left him recovering. For now, the Society of Light's affairs were being handled by his sister, dealing with internal matters bit by bit. Naturally, he would not be participating in the finals.
Similarly, while Aster Phoenix had the strength, he had spent all his time searching for Sartorius and DD, leaving him without even a single Seal. Even if he pushed himself, he couldn't possibly gather eight within a month. Too lazy to take Seals from classmates or Pro Duelists, he had simply given up on entering.
As planned from the beginning, now that the Critical Nexus was secure, it was time to return to surfing, completely saying goodbye to the past, turning the clock's hands forward.
The same was true for Jaden.
He had been dueling the Supreme King inside the Starting Point, so he hadn't gathered any more Seals. Naturally, he couldn't enter the finals either.
Still, he seemed rather happy these days.
"Do your best, Hikaru, bring home the championship!!" Jaden cheered him on.
Hikaru only shook his head helplessly.
Though Jaden was absent, many strong Duelists remained.
Chazz and Zane were both prime contenders for the title, not to mention other elites from branch campuses.
There were also Jesse, Jim, and Axel, though it was hard to say just how strong they had become.
For example, Hikaru had heard Jesse had obtained Rainbow Dragon.
A Crystal Beast Deck with Rainbow Dragon was on another level compared to one without it.
Of course, Crystal Beasts were an… abstract Deck to begin with, that said, it all depended on who used them.
Jesse's Crystal Beasts were bound to be something else entirely.
Over the past month, Jaden's situation in the Critical Nexus had also eased.
Most of the Lightsworn Spirits, after a month of observation, accepted that the reincarnated Supreme King was not the same person as before.
Still, some Spirits considered the Supreme King's power evil and dangerous, and continued to watch him closely. Even so, the restrictions were far lighter than before, if Jaden wanted, he could have easily gathered eight Seals in time.
But…
He simply wasn't interested in dueling others right now.
Besides, he didn't want to leave.
Though he could consult Hikaru, he had his own thoughts now.
What to do with the remaining Dark World Spirits weighed heavily on his mind. Until he figured it out himself, he wasn't leaving.
Hikaru packed his things, boarded the Dimensional Train, with Celina tagging along excitedly, determined to witness the finals up close.
The GX Tournament, officially called the "GeniusX Tournament," was organized by Principal Sheppard as a world-class, cross-dimensional competition. Hikaru didn't know what GX originally stood for, but here, it meant "GeniusX", a tournament to crown the ultimate genius.
The goals were twofold: Encourage students, giving ordinary Duelists a chance to grow stronger.
Select the strongest Duelist, the [X], Genius X, the greatest prodigy in the world.
Students would gradually return to checkpoints to have their badges inspected, ranked by Seal stars and numbers, before returning to the human world.
Those aiming for the finals, however, would take the train to KaibaCorp Headquarters in the Critical Nexus.
There, for over half a month, they would duel in matches broadcast live throughout the Critical Nexus and human world alike.
It was both a popularity boost and a stage for young Duelists to shine.
Unlike the S-Dimension's Friendship Cup, this finals truly aimed to decide the "strongest new generation Duelist in the world."
Not only Academy students, many Pro Duelists had also joined, making it a grand spectacle.
Though there had been "minor incidents," they were nothing compared to the likes of Orichalcos or the Fusion Army's invasion. Spirits attacking humans barely registered as serious anymore.
Thus, no matter where they were on the planet, audiences were glued to the finals, be it through livestreams or television.
When Hikaru and Celina disembarked, KaibaCorp staff greeted them, asking to see their Seals. Hikaru showed his, and after confirming, they exchanged it for a new, more ornate badge.
It still bore "GX" on the front, however, the back was engraved:
He was the 19th qualified Duelist to arrive.
"Your badge has been recorded and archived. After the finals, you can reclaim it from our staff as a keepsake."
"Alright." Hikaru nodded.
Since many friends had left marks on his badge, he was glad he could keep it as a memento.
Celina, however, hadn't gathered eight Seals, so she was directed to the spectator entrance.
Led by staff, Hikaru entered the Duelist Hall, where he immediately spotted many familiar faces.
Bastion, Zane, Atticus, Alexis… familiar Duelists were everywhere.
Alongside them were strangers, likely Pro Duelists or students from other academies.
"Yo! Hikaru~~" Atticus waved cheerfully.
Nearby, Zane, usually stern, lit up with interest the moment he saw Hikaru.
"Senpai," Hikaru greeted, then fished in his pocket, though in truth, he pulled a violet vial from his book and tossed it to Zane.
Zane caught it, glanced at it, asked nothing, opened it, and drank.
"Zane?! Hikaru?!" Alexis nearly jumped in shock.
What was that all about?
"Mmm...good. Haha, I feel revitalized!" Zane's eyes sharpened, pressing a hand to his chest.
Atticus's grin faltered, worry creeping in.
"Nothing much, just some juice I got from a friend."
Bastion frowned suspiciously.
There was no way that was juice, he was certain.
They hadn't even discussed goals yet, and Hikaru had already handed over some concoction. And Zane was never one to drink juice.
'Could it be…'
The thought crossed his mind.
"Hey! If it isn't our famed lover-boy of the seas, Bastion Misawa! Looking good, I thought you'd be pale by now." Hikaru abruptly changed the subject.
"What? Lover-boy?" Chazz, walking in, blinked. "Misawa's in love?"
Back before becoming Kaiba's disciple, he had fantasized about romance, but under Kaiba's harsh tutelage, he hadn't thought about it in ages.
His teasing left Bastion red-faced, while Hikaru turned to greet the group.
"Been a while, Hikaru," Chazz said, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit.
His goal was singular: the championship. And one of his greatest rivals was Hikaru Amaki!
This was no time for friendship.
As if resonating with Chazz's determination, Zane chuckled darkly: "Victory will belong to me, no matter what."
Regardless, truly… every Duelist there was after the title.
Eager anticipation filled the hall, the atmosphere ready to erupt even before the matches began.
Hikaru also spotted Jim and Axel, greeting them warmly and making introductions.
As more Duelists gathered, night gradually fell.
Staff glanced anxiously at their watches, puzzled. Their colleagues shrugged in confusion.
Finally, half an hour later, Jesse arrived, scratching his head in embarrassment, admitting he got lost.
KaibaCorp staff, knowing his sense of direction, could only sigh helplessly.
Every strong Duelist had their quirks, and Jesse was one such eccentric.
Checking the log, staff announced: "All registered Duelists holding eight Seals are now present.
We will now read the tournament rules."
The lengthy rule-reading began, though everyone already knew the gist beforehand.
"And so, the GX Tournament Finals, Round One, begins now."
Beside them, a Blue-Eyes Gacha machine spun, soon releasing two numbered balls.
"Contestants 23 and 31, please come forward."