Heroic Spirit Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh!-Chapter 334

"Farewell, Chiyuki~"

The sealing formation beneath their feet slowly contracted. There were no extravagant special effects in this final farewell—just a serene stillness, like walking through a quiet town in gentle rain. Even Dartz's frenzied roars had faded into silence. When the three beams of light converged into a single point, there was no longer anyone named "Dartz" in either world. And, of course, there was no longer anyone named Hoshino Ryuichi.

At the spot where Ryuichi had vanished, a card materialized out of thin air and gently floated into Hoshino's hand. Its blank surface revealed no useful information—except for a single line of text at the bottom. At that moment, the tears she had been holding back finally broke free.

[The time of farewell has come, for they are the ones who let go of the world.]

To protect what was most important, he had been willing to sacrifice everything.

"You... you're all such idiots..."

[This card can open the gate to another world or create a miracle... But remember, no matter what, you only have one chance.]

(***)

With the battle concluded, the sealed souls returned one by one to their original bodies—Jonouchi, Valon, Alister, Pegasus. To them, it felt as though they had simply woken from a dream—a dream of Atlantis as it had been ten thousand years ago.

With Dartz defeated and gone, the organization known as Doma—once entirely under his control—was now nothing more than an empty shell. Its complete collapse was only a matter of time.

Meanwhile, KaibaCorp, with the full backing of Pegasus' Industrial Illusions, swiftly reclaimed all the shares that had fallen into Doma's hands, pulling Kaiba out of his financial crisis. In the end, the only one still at risk of bankruptcy seemed to be Hoshino herself.

After leaving the island and reuniting with their companions, the group boarded a ridiculously extravagant private jet arranged by Pegasus—so opulent that it practically screamed wealth—and made their way back to Domino City. During the flight, Mai seemed embarrassed to face the others, but a blushing Jonouchi, ever the simple-minded one, pulled her onto the plane without hesitation.

As for the former members of Doma, they had each chosen their own path, setting out to start new lives.

From the outside, it seemed like a perfect, happy ending.

But only on the surface…

(***)

Just before his disappearance, there had been a moment when Dartz briefly regained his sanity. And in that instant, he realized something—

There was no need for him to curse Hoshino personally.

"Hoshino, don't forget—the final stage of Atlantis' evolution is for one's heart to be consumed by darkness, transforming into a monstrous abomination. You, who bear the fate of Atlantis, carry that darkness within your very blood. From the moment you were born, it has been growing inside you. One day, just like me, it will awaken."

(***)

Domino City—

"Waaaaah, Hoshino! My heart aches for you, it really does!"

Hearing the full story from Yugi, Grandpa Sugoroku dabbed at his eyes with a handkerchief.

"From now on, consider this your home! We're your family now, Hoshino! Even while you were gone for a month, I kept your room clean, waiting for you to come back!"

"Thank you, Grandpa..."

Deep down, Hoshino was truly grateful to the old man. Even though he often used her for business schemes, when it really mattered, he had taken her in and treated her like his own granddaughter, fulfilling the role of a proper guardian.

But the grief of losing her father made it impossible for her to muster any enthusiasm.

"I'm a little tired... I'm going to rest in my room."

"Hoshino, are you leaving?"

The air suddenly grew heavy.

Finally, the question that everyone had been too afraid to ask was spoken aloud—by none other than the straightforward Jonouchi.

Ever since he had heard the full story from Honda, Jonouchi had been forcing himself to hold back his emotions. But seeing Hoshino turn away, a sudden fear gripped him—

The fear that, just like last time, she would disappear without a word.

And this time, she might never come back.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow~ Don't worry, even if I do leave this time, I won't just disappear without saying anything. At the very least, I expect you guys to throw me a grand farewell party!"

Forcing a small smile at her companions, Hoshino dragged her exhausted body back to the simple but cozy warehouse room.

"So… the time of farewell has come?"

Lying on her bed, she raised the blank card her father had left her, lost in thought.

On one side was the world where she had been born and raised—the world where her father had left behind a massive inheritance, enough for her to live a carefree life exactly as she had always dreamed.

On the other side was the world her father had originally belonged to—the world she had fought to protect, the world where she had shared battles and laughter with her friends. A world full of uncertainties, of an unpredictable future.

"Both are unique, both are choices I can be proud of."

Perhaps it was the exhaustion weighing down her body, but Hoshino soon drifted off to sleep, even before the last rays of red sunlight had fully faded beyond the horizon.

That night, she felt as though she had slept for an eternity, dreaming of a journey that stretched far and wide.

She dreamt of boarding the luxurious cruise ship that had carried countless duelists chasing their dreams to Duelist Kingdom. She saw Jonouchi, leaping into the sea to retrieve a card, and Yugi, moved to tears.

Scenes both familiar and distant played before her like a film reel.

She dreamt of the moment she threw down Gramp's card, cutting off the Millennium Eye, and used Spartacus to defeat Pegasus.

In that moment, the world hailed her as—Duel King.

Then, that victorious moment, forever carved into history, began to fade.

She saw Battle City—the clash of Wicked Avatar and Okitan at their absolute limits, their relentless sword strikes lighting up the rooftop of KaibaCorp Tower and the skies above Domino City.

She saw the Duel Tower—the spectacle that had captivated the entire world—where Nero shattered the infinite attack power of Obelisk the Tormentor, while the Winged Dragon of Ra, burning with the flames of the sun, clashed with the Evil God engulfed in pitch-black fire.

A decade later, she saw herself as a teacher at Duel Academy, still mercilessly tormenting her students' precious card collections, while Illya, having inherited Waver's teachings, looked increasingly exhausted.

A century later, in an age of ruin, she saw herself—now an immortal loli, her Atlantean blood causing her to grow younger instead of aging—riding a Duel Runner through the desolate wastelands, locked in a desperate battle against fate itself.

...

…

…

"These are all the things you have experienced… or are yet to experience. But not anymore. These lives… they belong to me now."

As the visions stretched further and further away, Hoshino suddenly noticed something—

A shadow lurking in the darkness.

It had been there in every scene, unnoticed and insignificant, with almost no presence at all.

But now, in this dream, that dark shadow was approaching her—like a child who had been suppressed for too long, finally breaking free.

"From now on… your life… belongs to me!"

A voice, filled with resentment, darkness, and ominous malice, whispered in her ear.

(***)

The warm morning sunlight, reminiscent of Ozy's laughter, spilled onto Hoshino's face, forcing her awake after sleeping since the previous evening.

Clutching her head, she felt a sharp, buzzing pain—just for a moment, it was as if her skull was about to split open.

"What's going on? Did I sleep too long?"

Still groggy, she stared blankly at the ceiling.

"I feel like I had a really strange dream… but I can't remember it at all…"

Forgetting dreams upon waking was common. After a brief attempt to recall it with no success, Hoshino simply chose not to dwell on it.

Gurgle~~

Just as she was about to get up, a faint sound from her stomach left her feeling weak, her body slumping back down onto the bed.

"I'm so hungry… Oh, right. I haven't eaten in almost two days."

Yesterday, overwhelmed by her father's departure, she hadn't had the appetite or energy to eat. She had gone straight to her room and collapsed into sleep. At first, waking up had dulled the sorrow somewhat, but now, as the memories rushed back, she felt a sharp sting in her nose.

Gurgle~~

"No, I can't take this anymore. I need food now. Dad wouldn't want me starving to death in this world, right?"

Sadness was one thing, but hunger was another. Even if her body felt weak and drained, she had to muster the strength to drag herself to the dining table. Survival instinct at its finest.

A glance at the clock showed it was around 7 AM. Since older people typically slept less, Grandpa would definitely be up by now. Breakfast should already be ready.

Desperate to regain her energy, Hoshino couldn't be bothered with trivial things like grooming. She had fallen asleep in her outerwear from sheer exhaustion, and even changing clothes felt like an unnecessary drain on her limited strength.

The early morning streets were already bustling with people. Clutching her stomach and dragging her NP-depleted body along, Hoshino was incredibly thankful the house was right next to the toy store. If she had to cross even a single street, today might have been the anniversary of her demise.

Knock... knock... do...

"I'm coming, I'm coming~"

With a toothbrush in his mouth, Yugi groggily opened the door after hearing the weak knocking.

"Save me, Yugi… I can't go on… Has Grandpa made breakfast yet?"

Yugi's drowsiness vanished in an instant. His eyes widened in shock.

"H-Hoshino? You—"

"No time for greetings when my life is on the line! Let me in already!"

Barging inside, Hoshino made a beeline for the dining room. Even from the hallway, the fragrant aroma of freshly cooked rice nearly made her knees buckle.

A simple yet exquisitely prepared breakfast—steamed rice, miso soup, grilled fish, and refreshing pickled vegetables.

"Grandpa, I'm digging in!"

Before Sugoroku, still busy in the kitchen, could even finish preparing, Hoshino had already pressed her hands together in thanks and picked up her chopsticks.

"Oh? You're here early today, Hoshino. Did you sleep well last night?"

Sugoroku's warm voice carried over from the kitchen. Perhaps knowing she had skipped dinner the night before, he had generously filled her rice bowl to the brim.

"Mm! It's as delicious as ever… I feel alive again!"

As she savored her meal, warmth spread through her exhausted body. Never had food felt more like a blessing.

Sugoroku stepped out of the kitchen with a teapot in hand, his face full of kindness.

"Heh, you must've been starving. No need to rush—there's more if you want it…"

But then, as his gaze fell upon Hoshino, who was happily devouring her meal, his expression abruptly shifted. His hands trembled, and he nearly dropped the teapot.

"Hoshino… is that really you?"

Having freshened up in record time, Yugi rushed over in his pajamas.

Munch, munch…

Hoshino, her mouth full, looked at the two of them in confusion.

"What's with you guys? Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"

Yugi sighed, shaking his signature star-shaped hair.

"I should be asking you that! Didn't you even look in the mirror this morning?"

Hoshino suddenly felt uneasy. Oh no… did they figure out I was too lazy to wash up?

Wait… do I have eye crust or something? That would be mortifying…

Unlike Yugi, who openly gawked, Grandpa quickly composed himself. Though momentarily surprised, he sat down slowly, his expression filled with concern.

"Hoshino, do you feel anything unusual? If you do, please tell Grandpa."

Hoshino shook her head, still puzzled. "Other than being hungry, I don't feel anything off."

Then she recalled the brief, splitting headache she'd had upon waking up. But since it had lasted only a moment with no lingering effects, she dismissed it as nothing more than the consequence of oversleeping.

After a short pause, she resumed eating. Yugi, sitting beside her, hesitated before speaking carefully.

"Hoshino… if you don't mind… could you look at the color of your skin? Does it seem strange to you?"

"Huh? My skin? What about it?"

Following his suggestion, she glanced down at the arm holding her chopsticks—

And immediately choked.

"Ghhk! Water—water!!"

"Here, have some tea!"

Sugoroku's reflexes were sharp as ever. He quickly poured some green tea and handed it to her.

Gulp, gulp, gulp—

"Hahh… that was close… Wait, NO! What the hell is going on!?"

Her voice echoed louder than Yugi's earlier exclamation. Staring at her hands as if they belonged to someone else, she paled—well, metaphorically.

"Why are my arms suddenly brown!?"

"Not just your arms—your whole body has changed color, Hoshino!"

Finally, after holding it in all this time, Yugi let out everything he had been thinking.

"Excuse me, I need a mirror—NOW!"

Dropping her chopsticks, Hoshino bolted toward the washroom.

Because she had skipped her morning routine out of hunger, she hadn't so much as glanced at a mirror all morning. There had been no chance to notice the blatantly obvious change.

The moment she saw her reflection—

"—I… I'm b-b-beautiful!"

Her once-fair skin had darkened significantly in the mirror's reflection. Though not pitch-black like Darius, she now had a very deep tan.

(*****)

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