Domino City.
Inside a hospital room.
On the bed, an emaciated old man slowly opened his eyes.
His clouded gaze drifted silently toward the window.
"So even you failed, Banner...?"
"It seems Jaden Yuki truly is an extraordinarily troublesome opponent."
However... as long as I can claim the power of the Three Sacred Beasts...
"Chairman."
A voice interrupted his thoughts from the doorway.
A bodyguard dressed in a black suit stepped into the room, carrying a black leather briefcase.
"Oh? Have they been deciphered? Those cards?" Seeing the arrival, the old man's eyes lit up with a flash of excitement.
"Yes. This power will ensure that you, Chairman, can unleash the full might of the Sacred Beasts to absolute perfection."
The man opened the briefcase.
Inside, a spread of brand-new cards was presented before the old man's eyes.
A potent surge of dark aura poured out from the cards.
In an instant, the entire room was engulfed in black mist.
The old man's eyes widened as he felt this overwhelming force continuously coursing into his body.
"This power... Magnificent! Truly magnificent!"
"With this much power under my command, Jaden Yuki won't stand a chance against me!"
"Hahahaha!"
Rumble!
Outside the window, a bolt of silver lightning tore across the sky.
Beneath the flash of thunder, cards depicting sinister fiends radiated a faint, eerie purple glow in the dark.
Duel Academy.
The Chancellor's Office.
"So the seventh of the Shadow Riders was Professor Banner after all..."
Listening to Jaden's casual report, Chancellor Sheppard's face went blank with shock.
"From your reaction, Chancellor, were you already suspicious of Professor Banner from the start?" Jaden asked, seated on the sofa as he glanced at the bald chancellor standing with his hands behind his back in silence.
"...Yes. After all, Professor Banner was a teacher brought in by Chairman Kagemaru right from the beginning..." Chancellor Sheppard nodded slowly, turning his gaze toward his desk, where the seven Spirit Gate Keys lay quietly.
"The Sacred Beast cards were also brought here by Chairman Kagemaru... And there may very well be tangled ties between the Shadow Riders and the Chairman."
Jaden nodded in understanding.
He hadn't expected Chancellor Sheppardwho had seemed entirely passive and done nothing in the original storyto actually understand the underlying reasons behind everything so clearly.
"Jaden, Chairman Kagemaru is old in years, but his heart has never aged."
"His craving for power and youth was laid bare the moment he obtained the cards of the Sacred Beasts."
Chancellor Sheppard knitted his brows, his expression laden with worry.
"However, what I cannot comprehend is why Chairman Kagemaru deliberately orchestrated the Shadow Riders incident when he was already the owner of the Sacred Beasts."
"Why...? With his authority, he could have easily taken control of the Sacred Beasts directly..."
Jaden knew the answer to that question all too well.
Kagemaru had orchestrated the battles between the Shadow Riders and the Duel Academy students specifically to harvest the thrilling emotional energy generated by the duels, using it to awaken the Sacred Beasts.
And with the final Shadow Rider defeated by Jaden, the energy harvested from the Shadow Duels had likely already surpassed what was needed for their revival.
The final battle was bound to happen within the next few days.
"I've returned all the Spirit Gate Keys. If you don't need anything else, Chancellor, I'll take my leave."
Jaden stood up and walked toward the exit.
"Jaden."
Chancellor Sheppard called out to him.
Meeting Jaden's puzzled look, Chancellor Sheppard offered a gentle smile and walked over.
"Thank you for everything you've done for the academy."
"Regarding the task Mr. Pegasus entrusted to you, the academy will do everything in its power to help should the need arise," Sheppard said warmly.
Pegasus's request.
Jaden certainly remembered why Pegasus had sent him to Duel Academy in the first place.
The Sacred Beasts, the Light of Destruction, and Nightshroud.
And Kagemaru's ambition was intimately connected with Nightshroud as well.
"Thank you." Jaden didn't say much more.
After expressing his thanks, Jaden stepped out of the office and headed toward his dorm.
"Time really flies. Without realizing it, you've been at this academy for nearly a year," an apparition of Yubel murmured as she materialized beside him, floating with folded arms and watching the impassive boy.
"Yet future crises don't seem to have diminished with time."
"The next duel will be against the Sacred Beasts, won't it?"
"Yeah," Jaden nodded.
"A Sacred Beast deck is extremely troublesome," Ash Blossom piped up from the side, nodding with deadpan seriousness. "Between their overbearing effects and their absurd attack power, if you use a HERO deck, your chances of winning are practically zero."
"Tsk, the duel hasn't even started yet, and you're already hyping up the enemy?" Ghost Belle chimed in, resting her chin in her hands as she leaned against Jaden's shoulder. "While a HERO deck is indeed at a massive disadvantage against the Sacred Beasts, the one piloting the deck is Jaden! Winning shouldn't be an issue, right?"
"No way! HERO end boards are way too fragile! No matter how many miracle draws the Supreme King pulls off, the end board he puts up is just a bunch of frail cards with zero protection! Once a Sacred Beast board is established, no deck can punch through it!"
Ash Blossom glared at Ghost Belle in frustration, snapping back loudly.
"Sacred Beasts take forever to set up, okay?! Jaden just needs to take the opponent down before they get their plays rolling! Fast, decisive OTKs are what HEROes do best!"
"Don't underestimate the opponent! You have to be prepared for a war of attrition no matter what! And HEROes are terrible at that!"
Watching the two spirits bicker head-to-head, Jaden rolled his eyes, utterly exasperated.
Still, he had to admit Ash Blossom had a point.
A HERO end board was indeed somewhat delicate.
Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer, Sunrise, Dark Law, Plasma...
While they exerted immense oppressive control, their inherent protection was practically nonexistent.
In a duel against the Sacred Beasts, he had to prepare for a protracted battle.
And having a powerful boss monstera resilient end boardwould be the true key to victory.
Reaching into his deck box, he drew a card. Looking at Red-Eyes Fusion in his hand, Jaden's expression turned solemn.
"...Jaden."
Noticing the shift in his expression, Yubel frowned slightly.
It seemed that not even Jaden could guarantee a hundred-percent victory in this upcoming duel.
The Sacred Beasts...
They would likely be the most formidable enemies Jaden had faced since he first began dueling.
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