"Ed, what happened on the island?"
In a room pure white like untouched snow, Sartorius calmly shuffled a deck of cards. Upon seeing Aster return, he spoke up.
"Mm... things got a little complicated. Let me walk you through it."
He took a moment to choose his words carefully and then recounted everything he'd seen since arriving—every event from the moment he set foot on Duel Academy Island.
"All that happened?" Sartorius's usual smile didn't waver. "Perhaps it's fate guiding you, Aster."
"Fate, huh?" Aster glanced at the name printed boldly on his cards—Destiny HERO. He looked momentarily lost.
"Then, Sartorius, if this really is fate… where is it leading me?"
Sartorius gently fanned the cards across the table. Aster stepped forward, pulled one at random, and flipped it over.
"The Sun," Sartorius murmured, his brows tightening. "Upright."
"I think that's a good one no matter what, right?" Aster recognized the card and looked up.
Sartorius nodded slowly.
"The Sun symbolizes light and hope."
"Light?"
"Light."
That made it clear to Aster why Sartorius had hesitated. Normally, that card might have worried him—Sartorius bore within him the Light of Destruction, and its influence could be growing. But now? Now there was someone else… Hikaru Amagi.
Was that "light" referring to Hikaru instead?
They couldn't be sure.
"In any case, Aster, sounds like your trip to Duel Academy Island wasn't a waste."
Aster nodded.
"Good. Don't worry about Reiji Akaba," Sartorius said as he drew a card. Though it glowed with brilliant light, the way it shimmered in his eyes was darker—like black smoke coiling through it. "I'll handle him. After all… I'm your agent."
"Heh… suit yourself." Aster chuckled, tucking away his deck.
He still had a long road ahead—he was chasing leads in the next city about the man who murdered his father.
Meanwhile, back at Duel Academy…
Inside the Fusion Clubroom, Hikaru Amagi smacked a few photos on the blackboard and pointed dramatically. "Based on the evidence… Aster Phoenix is the legendary Masked Phoenix!"
"OOOOOHHHH!" Jaden Yuki couldn't form words—he just screamed in excitement.
"Wait, wait, wait… how did you make that connection again?" Bastion Misawa blinked in confusion.
"Yeah, what?!" Chazz Princeton was visibly annoyed. "Sure, Aster Phoenix travels around the world, and yeah, every time he's around, the urban legend of Masked Phoenix pops up… but come on! He's not everywhere the Phoenix shows up, and the Phoenix appears in places Aster never visited. You're grasping at straws, Hikaru."
Ever the realist—and self-declared detective—Chazz didn't buy into Hikaru's theory, even if his instincts whispered that it might be true. It just didn't make sense.
After Aster left, the crew had wandered back to the Fusion Club to kill time. Hikaru brought up the "Masked Phoenix" urban legend: a flame-wreathed vigilante who hunted criminals across cities and duelist circuits. The stories were a staple of hero lovers and spooky forums alike.
Jaden, of course, knew the legend—but he never thought to associate it with someone like Aster.
"And anyway, what would his motive be?" Bastion asked. "Why would a famous pro duelist waste time dealing with lowlifes?"
"Justice!" Jaden declared.
"Maybe something personal," Hikaru muttered.
He wasn't really guessing. He knew.
From the original Yu-Gi-Oh GX anime and manga, Aster's tragic backstory was no secret—his father had been murdered and a precious HERO card stolen. That grief drove him to wield the Destiny HERO deck and chase down criminals in the shadows.
It was a setup reminiscent of Batman—where Jaden embodied the cheerful, wide-eyed Marvel hero, Aster was the brooding, vengeance-driven vigilante. In this alternate world, things might be different—but that core motivation? Still likely intact.
"And now..." Hikaru pondered, "who knows why this world's Aster is out there in the night again as the Phoenix."
"I got something! I got something!" Atticus Rhodes burst into the room with a VHS tape in hand. "It's Zane's first official pro duel! It's here!"
"What? Why wasn't it streamed live?" Chazz frowned.
"Guess even Zane Truesdale doesn't get a broadcast if he's not officially graduated yet," Bastion replied.
"After Hikaru's duel, now it's Zane vs a pro?! This is gonna be epic!" Jaden pumped his fists.
Atticus shoved the tape in and the old screen flickered to life. Though grainy, the footage was clear enough to follow.
Zane Truesdale's first pro match: Victory.
"No surprise there." Chazz let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"Yeah! Zane's unbeatable!" Jaden roared. Even though Hikaru had just taken down a pro earlier, Zane's match carried a different weight.
"So—did anyone talk to any companies during the job fair?" Atticus asked once the replay ended, switching topics. "It's only for a week, so I hope someone got something out of it."
"Nothing for me…" Jaden and Bastion sighed together.
"I did." Chazz smugly pulled out a fat stack of business cards.
"What?! No way—Lightning, did you pay them?" Jaden was horrified.
"Big bro's famous, duh!" Ojama Yellow popped into view with a cheeky grin. "Soon as they heard his name, they were all over him!"
The room turned toward Ojama. It added up.
"You scoundrel, Lightning!" Jaden slammed the table twice. "You scoundrel!"
"I've got plans, alright?" Chazz snapped, swatting Ojama Yellow away. "I'm gonna be the head of the Princeton Corporation someday. Networking is essential!"
"Whoa, you're seriously ambitious, huh," Atticus said, impressed. "How about you, Hikaru?"
"Uh… well…" Hikaru scratched his cheek.
Tierra floated beside him, giggling. She looked ready to spill the beans.
"…I… signed a short-term contract with a cup noodle company."
"WHAT?!"
"You're a brand ambassador already?!"
"But we're still students!"
Even students from the back of the room came over, hearing the commotion.
"What, the club president got sponsored?"
"Light-senpai already has an endorsement deal in year one? Even Zane didn't pull that off!"
"Just for a little while!" Hikaru stammered, trying to explain. "I have to duel a pro they arrange first… and if my flavor idea isn't good, they won't use it. Plus, I still need permission from Professor Spelltech and a trip to the Magical Tribe's Realm. If he says no, it's off."
No one cared.
To them, Hikaru Amagi didn't lose.
"I wonder if there'll be shrimp-flavored ones," Jaden muttered dreamily.
"Endless ramen AND more cash for booster packs? Count me in!"
"Best club decision of my life. I'm bringing my little brother too."
"He better like Fusion, though."
"Oh, he will. He will."
"Hey! Don't force your brother like that!"
"Hikaru-senpai won't let you in otherwise!"
Listening to the lively chatter around him, Hikaru tilted his head.
Now that they mentioned it…
Curry every day did get a little old. A cup of noodles now and then wouldn't be so bad.
Besides… more money meant more materials. More cards.
Maybe someday, he'd even get himself a full set of "heroic armor" like Aster and boost his own dueling power.
With that thought, he stopped resenting Tierra's nudging.
Maybe this noodle endorsement wasn't such a bad idea after all.