"What's going on?"
"What's happening?!"
That evening, some students had stayed behind in the Fusion Division, playing cards, gaming, or even reviewing the day's lessons. Now they stared wide-eyed at the translucent black barrier of light in the distance.
Even Duel Academy students who had witnessed all manner of strange phenomena and traveled to other dimensions on multiple occasions found this sight deeply unsettling.
Hikaru quickly came down from the third floor. Along the way, he told Fusion Division members not to run around and to gather on the first floor. Then he rushed down with them.
"What's going on?"
On the first floor, Chazz had been half-reclined on a sofa, apparently deep in thought with his eyes closed. Hearing the commotion, he spoke up immediately.
"Take a look outside, Chazz!"
"Yeah, Chazz, something huge is happening out there!"
The Fusion Division students talked over each other.
Chazz looked confused. He stood and walked to the entrance, then froze with eyes wide.
What was happening?
He turned to Hikaru.
Hikaru shook his head, indicating he couldn't confirm the situation either.
"Everyone, calm down first!" Hikaru walked to the front desk, grabbed a microphone, switched on the club's equipment, and called out to everyone. "I know you're all tense right now, but there's no need for fear or panic!
You've already faced danger in the Nexus dimension. As Duel Academy students who will one day venture into different dimensions for adventure and work, as duelists of Duel Academy, we must be prepared for anything. Even in emergencies, we must not lose our composure!
That is our belief as duelists!"
"YEAH!!"
"Hikaru's right!!"
Hikaru breathed a small sigh of relief.
Over the past two years, Hikaru's increasingly outstanding performance and growing popularity at Duel Academy, combined with his displays during various incidents, gave his words tremendous credibility among the students.
Besides, this wasn't the first time Duel Academy students had encountered something bizarre.
Strange vampire castles, gladiatorial coliseums for dueling, all manner of weird things that had suddenly appeared on the academy island. Beyond that, they had experienced the Dark World invasion during the Nexus event. They were seasoned veterans.
Although the translucent walls were eerie, it wasn't enough to send students into blind panic.
After all, they had seen it all before.
"Can we still reach everyone by phone?" Hikaru asked.
"No outside network, but the academy's internal network works." Chazz responded instantly.
"Then Chazz, I'm counting on you. Handle things here, draft an announcement, and contact as many students as possible. Can you do that?"
Chazz nodded repeatedly, then quickly followed up: "And you?"
"I'm going out to take a look. I'll find the professors and see what's actually happening outside." Hikaru's expression was grave. He looked at the students and added, "Everyone, until you receive further notice, please wait here. Look out for each other."
"Don't worry, Chief!"
"Chief, we've got experience with this! Leave it to us!"
Several students grinned.
The Nexus incident had given most students here plenty of experience. Many Fusion Division members had even participated in rescue operations. Practice makes perfect, and they knew better than to run off.
"Actually Chief, in horror movies, people who go off alone like you are usually the first to get it. Be careful!" Someone expressed their concern through humor.
"Yeah, yeah! Why not take a few of us? I volunteer!"
Others stepped forward eagerly.
Hikaru smiled. "Don't worry. I'm never alone. Your support is all I need."
He waved with a smile, equipped his Duel Disk and Deck, and left the Fusion Division.
His first move wasn't heading to the island's perimeter. Instead, he walked straight ahead to the Synchro Division.
Inside, as usual, there was hardly anyone. Today, even the Tyler Sisters were absent.
Hikaru recalled that Syrus had gone back to the dorms with Jaden this evening, so no need to worry about him.
That meant nobody was stranded here.
After confirming this, Hikaru hurried along the main road toward the nearest section of the outer wall to investigate.
Hikaru didn't know why Darkness had suddenly made its move, nor why it had erected this "barrier" here. But since the situation had arisen, he couldn't just stand by. He had to investigate.
Honestly, this was the best choice available to Hikaru.
Although Hikaru had always known about Darkness's existence, even learning during the Nexus incident that it had been secretly "hunting" and "absorbing" other dark-aligned villains to grow stronger, and discovering through Zone in the Synchro Dimension that it had been absorbing the power of "human destruction" across multiple dimensions and had become extremely dangerous...
Hikaru had no way to find it. He could only ever "prepare."
After all, as long as Darkness didn't reveal its true form, nobody could find it.
So even though Hikaru had long been prepared, all he could do was "prepare."
As for Darkness making an early move, Hikaru wasn't particularly surprised.
After all, ever since his first encounter with Atticus Rhodes, he had known that thing had been scheming for a long time.
Darkness was not the type to wait. A master of conspiracies and psychological manipulation, it would seize upon the weaknesses of the human heart and strike mercilessly.
Most likely, Darkness had determined that this particular moment was the most opportune time to target Duel Academy, humanity's training ground for duelists.
Indeed...
And it wasn't just Darkness. Lurking in the shadows, Yubel was also watching and waiting at this very moment.
Hikaru shook his head clear and followed the main road to the Duel Academy shoreline. This was a stretch of coast on the academy's eastern side. By the time Hikaru arrived, quite a few students were already there investigating.
And that wasn't all.
Hikaru even saw someone who had summoned a materialized spirit, attacking the translucent black wall.
"Go, Flame Pegasus!"
The six-star Beast-Type fire horse neighed, then at its duelist's command, slammed its forelegs against the wall. It was only pushed back several steps by the recoil.
The student rushed forward to steady Pegasus, then stared blankly ahead.
Hikaru's eyes widened slightly at the sight.
How... spirits could materialize in the real world?!
"Hikaru?" "Hey, Hikaru?"
Several students who had been puzzling over the situation noticed Hikaru's arrival and greeted him.
After exchanging greetings, Hikaru asked curiously, "The spirits... what's going on with that?"
More than the wall, this had his attention.
"Well..." One student scratched the back of his head, seeming equally bewildered, but thought for a moment. "After this wall appeared, we were fishing here. It snapped my fishing rod, so I got mad and wanted to blow off steam."
He looked a bit embarrassed.
Basically, he had instinctively raised his card, wanting to drag out whoever was responsible and give them a beating. After all, he had a hunch he was definitely going to catch a fish today.
Then this wall went and ruined everything. Hunch gone, rod gone.
He was furious.
And so this happened.
Hikaru thought it over.
Under normal circumstances, materialized spirits couldn't be seen in the human world. Unless a spirit like Dark Magician Girl actively expended its own energy to materialize, most duel monsters were invisible to ordinary people.
But now...
"Flame Swordsman!"
"Coming, my lord!"
Flame Swordsman cleaved the space before him, swung his massive flaming greatsword, and landed beside Hikaru with a thunderous crash. Several students cheered excitedly at the sight.
The Supreme Flame Swordsman!
Hikaru's true ace, his most loyal spirit!
Flame Swordsman had been watching for a while and knew exactly why Hikaru had called him out. He took a deep breath, gathered his strength, and performed a "Supreme Fighting Spirit Flame Slash" right in front of the students...
However, the attack struck the wall without budging it in the slightest.
"Hrrrgh!" Flame Swordsman's temper flared. He gathered his strength again, charged, and unleashed a flurry of attacks at a single point. But there was absolutely no effect.
Hikaru wasn't surprised.
If attacks like these could break through, there would've been no point in the barrier.
What truly concerned him was...
Flame Swordsman had materialized effortlessly.
Hikaru hadn't even used spirit power. He had just called out, and Flame Swordsman appeared in the world.
This phenomenon was more like being in the "spirit world."
After attacking for a while and seeing the wall remained completely unaffected, Flame Swordsman lowered his sword, spread his hands, and shrugged in defeat.
"Good work, Flame Swordsman. Take a rest."
Then he looked to the side.
Tierra had appeared at some point, but she hadn't made any move. She simply shook her head.
"No good. This is most likely something that Darkness thing had prepared well in advance, a lockdown set to descend the moment the timing was right."
Tch.
Hikaru cursed under his breath.
He chatted with the students briefly, told them to head back to somewhere safe with more people, then stood thinking.
Although the academy island was sealed, it didn't seem as "terrifying" as in the original story.
He recalled that in the original, when Darkness went all-out, barely anyone in the world remained conscious. Aside from people like Jaden and Jesse, nearly everyone had been swallowed by boundless darkness...
Wait!
His eyes lit up. He had seized on a key point.
He understood why Darkness had struck so early.
Because of the spirits!
Due to dimensional travel, nearly every student had at least some familiarity with spirits. Even an ordinary student could summon their partner in a fit of rage.
"AOE" couldn't wipe out Duel Academy's "small fry"!
So that was it.
Hikaru rubbed his chin.
Although Darkness may have grown stronger due to the opening of dimensions, even reaching the Synchro Dimension, its ability to "clear the mob" wasn't as overwhelming as in the original. Especially at a place like Duel Academy, which specifically trained new-era duelists to venture into various dimensions for adventure or work. This seriously undermined Darkness's "agenda."
If its goal was humanity's destruction, then humans running around everywhere, establishing companies and outposts across dimensions, absolutely couldn't be tolerated.
That was why it needed to strike earlier and more precisely than in the original. Once he thought it through, everything made sense!
"Hey, Chief?"
While Hikaru was thinking, he noticed someone walking slowly along the shore. The man wore a silver-white suit, handsome and distinguished.
Aster?
Ah...
Come to think of it, today was the day they had agreed on.
Hikaru smiled wryly. "Aster, I didn't expect you to be this unlucky. You just arrived and walk right into this."
"Neither did I." Aster sighed, waving his hand. "The moment I came ashore, my luggage was sliced in half by that light wall. Looks like leaving the island isn't happening for a while."
"Isn't that better? Saves you from running all over the world entering tournaments." Hikaru grinned. "Didn't you want a vacation? Perfect timing. This semester, the school has tons of amazing professors. You'll learn a lot."
"Ha ha ha, that sounds wonderful." Aster laughed sincerely.
Hikaru beckoned him along. "I've finished surveying the scene. I'm heading to see Professor Crowler now. You can discuss your housing arrangements for this semester. I put in a word for you, but I don't know the specifics."
"Thank you, Chief."
"No need to be so formal." Hikaru had always liked Aster. Not just because of his original story portrayal, but after getting to know him, he genuinely appreciated this friend who treated people warmly and truly walked the path of a "Destiny Hero." They were comrades who had fought side by side. Hikaru felt the constant "Chief" was far too polite. "Just call me by name or a nickname like everyone else."
"Then... Chief Hikari."
Hikaru smiled and slowly turned around. But the warm expression on his face gradually darkened.
Tierra noticed and was confused.
What was wrong?
"Flame Swordsman!"
"Here!"
"Strike!"
Under Tierra's shocked gaze, Flame Swordsman, who would never question Hikaru's orders, raised his massive flaming greatsword and brought it down on Aster Phoenix!
The blade cleaved Aster in two, and the halves dissolved into black mist!
!???
Tierra's eyes went wide with shock.
How was this possible? That human had clearly been "human"!?
"How did you figure it out?" As Aster vanished, the black mist gathered, twisted together, and finally took the form of a bizarre mechanical spirit.
It had a red head, and its body was an enormous swinging blade.
Pendulum Machine...
A spirit!?
Tierra was stunned.
How had this been done?
Even she hadn't seen through the disguise.
"Heh heh heh..." Hikaru smirked coldly. He didn't address Tierra's surprise, but spoke calmly to the spirit. "Did you think I'd tell you how?"
Hikaru flicked his left wrist. The Duel Disk he had prepared long ago deployed automatically.
Hikaru had always been keenly aware of one thing...
Something that neither humans nor spirits seemed to have noticed.
The way humans and spirits perceived his name was different!