Even though Chazz Princeton had gotten the "exclusive scoop" directly from Seto Kaiba himself, it only took a couple of days before the entire world knew about it.
Because—well, Kaiba wasn't exactly known for subtlety or delays.
And more importantly—
According to the latest reports, Seto Kaiba had apparently invited the legendary King of Games, Yugi Muto, to act as a special guest during the interdimensional exchange with the Synchro Dimension—offering him the highest honors their world could present.
Of course, Kaiba wouldn't admit that it was actually because he'd heard Yugi had been itching to visit the Synchro Dimension for a while now.
In short: what was originally a huge diplomatic event—"first contact" with a new dimension—was now boosted by the reappearance of a dueling legend who hadn't stepped into the ring in years. Duelists across the world went wild, treating it like a new Battle City tournament.
There was just one catch—
The Synchro Dimension had strict conditions.
They still didn't fully trust this world, and so they demanded that only ordinary, young Duelists be sent. Ideally, all students. In return, they would send Duelists of equal standing—and present their own "King" during the welcoming ceremony.
And of course—
Kaiba didn't mind in the slightest.
Seto Kaiba had never shied away from a challenge. The more impossible, the better. So he agreed to all conditions and immediately organized a lineup: several teams, different Duelist types, all handpicked.
Among them—
Hikaru Amagi was selected outright. No qualifiers necessary. As the Ultimate Fusionist, he was a guaranteed representative.
The rest of the candidates, however, had to compete in regional tournaments to earn their spot before first contact.
Even though it was technically vacation, no student was going to miss this chance. Duelists across every region poured into their battle zones.
Domino City –
Aster Phoenix lowered his binoculars, watching a duel from afar, and clicked his tongue.
By age, he was more than qualified for the mission.
But because Pegasus had publicly ranked him as the #4 Duelist in the world, and thanks to his status as a Pro Duelist, the organizers had disqualified him entirely. The same applied to recent Duel Academy graduates, active pros, or anyone already tied up in major Duel Monsters work.
Sartorius Kumar hadn't foreseen this.
After their last meeting, Sartorius had apparently clashed heavily with Declan Akaba. Aster didn't know the details, but after that confrontation, Sartorius's foresight seemed slightly diminished—his ability to sense distant futures had weakened significantly.
Still—
Aster wasn't too upset.
He knew that Sartorius's precognition wasn't a gift—it was a side effect of something evil corrupting him. If that influence was finally fading, maybe his friend could live in peace.
But thanks to that weakened foresight, Sartorius hadn't warned Aster about this selection tournament. He'd missed the window.
Even he was curious about interdimensional diplomacy. He was a Duelist, after all.
Only ten Duelists would be selected.
Aster replayed the briefing in his mind.
Four would be Tag Duelists, while the remaining six would compete solo. Among those six, one would be chosen for a mysterious "special duel" unique to the Synchro Dimension—meaning their side would be sending eleven Duelists total.
"Special duel, huh... sounds interesting."
He muttered as he continued watching from his perch.
In one of the Domino arenas, a match had caught his eye. One Duelist in particular stood out.
Jaden Yuki.
"Spell Card, Miracle Fusion! Fusion Summon—my beloved HERO! Hahaha, this one'll chill you to your bones—Elemental HERO Absolute Zero!"
After Jaden summoned his signature monster and wiped out his opponent, Aster lowered his binoculars and leaned against the railing, falling into thought.
HERO cards.
He used them too—but not the same kind.
Aster's were Destiny HEROES, shrouded in darkness, wielders of destruction and fate. Cards his father had left him before he was murdered by an intruder seeking a powerful card.
That stolen Destiny HERO—his father's ace—was still missing. Somewhere in the world. Aster had spent years chasing thieves and frauds under his masked identity, The D-Hero Avenger, trying to find it.
But to this day, no luck.
The Ultimate Destiny HERO.
And maybe that's why—
Seeing Jaden duel with such carefree flair—using "coolness" as a reason to wield Elemental HEROES—it irritated Aster to no end.
Especially since Sartorius had once said Jaden was his "fated rival." That stung even more.
"Why does destiny mock me like this…?"
He recalled his last visit to Duel Academy.
He thought of Hikaru Amagi. That simple, joyful Fusion Club.
Fusion, huh?
He pulled out his Deck. It was full of Elemental HEROES—just cover cards he used as a disguise. His real power was hidden deeper.
He clenched the Deck slightly, then quickly checked to make sure none of the real ones were damaged before putting it away again.
Elemental HEROES fused through unity.
But—
"My Destiny HEROES are stronger than Elemental HEROES. I don't need cooperation!"
As the duel ended, he turned away and left. His coat swished behind him, clinking faintly like chains—echoes of a phantom Duel Spirit at his side.
Meanwhile, Jaden smiled brightly as he delivered his signature line—
"I win! That was one awesome duel!"
He had secured his spot as an official representative.
Just as he was about to run off and share the good news, he suddenly paused, eyes lifting toward the horizon—some unseen presence tugging at his awareness.
He saw nothing. No one.
But something… or someone was watching.
"Congrats, Jaden!" Hikaru waved from the stands, happy for his friend.
Now that made three guaranteed Fusion Club reps:
Jaden Yuki
Hikaru Amagi
Chazz Princeton (though technically he was ordered by Kaiba to go)
Chazz had already passed his own qualifier, so Hikaru had come today just to cheer Jaden on.
"Ah—yeah! Hahaha!" Jaden snapped out of it and ran to meet Hikaru, slapping hands with him in celebration.
"I get to see Yugi again!" he shouted with childlike glee.