"All is as fate has foretold."
Inside a fortune-telling parlor, Sartorius flipped cards one by one, studying the images as he pondered.
The incident with Leo Akaba had ignited a global storm of fear and debate.
Some called him foolish, some claimed they'd never act so recklessly if in his shoes, others said he should've settled things through a Duel. Some completely rejected such opinions and argued for peaceful contact with other dimensions, while others volunteered to become cross-dimensional ambassadors.
But no matter their stance, none could deny one thing:
Leo Akaba was the first to act... but he wouldn't be the last.
Even without Leo, Sartorius knew other dimensions already had "smugglers" and "raiders" eyeing this world.
His eyes could see the tracks of fate.
Someone was bound to make the first move—it was just a question of who.
The desire for destruction lurked in every heart.
Sartorius picked up a Tarot card.
Death.
This was the Death Card, once sealed away by North Academy, a cursed card that devoured a duelist's soul. Whoever possessed it could always draw exactly the card they desired in a Duel—the ultimate draw assistant.
Now, that the Death Card had been retrieved by his Society of Light members and entrusted to the existence he deemed most fitting.
To destroy all dimensions was no simple feat.
In fact...
It bordered on delusional.
Even Sartorius lacked that kind of certainty.
If it were just about destroying Earth, he already knew methods—after all, he was aware of a small nation with satellite weaponry capable of wiping out the planet's surface.
But for someone like him, who could now perceive the fates of other dimensions... that was too small a scale.
He picked up another card.
The Sun.
Amagi Hikaru.
Originally, Sartorius thought Hikaru's destiny was tightly interwoven with Jaden Yuki and Aster Phoenix.
But with interdimensional exploration underway, Sartorius realized... the fate of this tiny planet was insignificant.
And this man, this one who had stirred something in Aster Phoenix—possessed a fighting spirit far beyond any ordinary duelist.
His Duels radiated absolute trust and understanding in Fusion.
And his destiny... was The Sun.
Upright: Hope, Warmth.
Reversed: Overcoming adversity to find hope.
Most crucial of all, Sartorius had already glimpsed the source of Hikaru's power.
It wasn't some nurturing sun that gave life... but an extreme blackness that absorbed all existence around it.
Neither good nor evil.
Just pure, ultimate absorption.
Sartorius lacked the means to destroy all dimensions.
Nevertheless... he could feel it: if he could turn Amagi Hikaru into his "blade," that method would be within reach.
Just like he had once planned to defeat Prince Ojin to gain control over the satellite weapon that could destroy Earth.
Amagi Hikaru hid within him some ultimate "existence" that could annihilate all dimensions.
Sartorius's violet eyes glowed faintly. He opened his mouth, hot breath spilling out, staring at the card as though eyeing a weapon.
'Was it that…'
El Shaddoll Winda.
Though used only a few times, Sartorius could tell—it was merely a disguise for its true form.
That card held unfathomable darkness.
But—
'What is its true nature…'
If Sartorius could obtain that "existence," he could amplify it with Light Force and cast that power across all dimensions.
At that point, "destroying all dimensions" would no longer be fantasy.
The GX Tournament.
What a perfect opportunity.
His lips curled upward.
Amagi Hikaru would surely earn eight Seals of Recognition... meaning Sartorius would definitely get a chance to Duel him.
If, by then, Sartorius accumulated enough intel, observed Hikaru thoroughly, and manipulated others' fates to affect him... then in that Duel, he'd have his chance to seize the power to destroy all dimensions.
As for his own qualification for the finals?
Under Fate's guidance, he'd simply defeat a prince with eight seals. Then, naturally, he'd reach the final showdown.
Ah... how thrilling...
He chuckled lowly.
…
Elsewhere, on Hikaru's side: after Gaia stamped all three of them with Seals of Recognition, Celina and Bastion had spent time watching an adrenaline-pumping horse race in the arena.
Since his battle against Kuraz the Light Monarch, Gaia had completely revamped the area's rules. Now, in the Land of Glorious Knights, the primary trial was horse racing—knights competed for first place in various challenges.
Duel-capable Spirits were rare even among Spirits, so training their power through such means—earning recognition via "Duel Ceremonies"—was something they willingly embraced.
More than that, knights were natural-born warriors. Releasing their passion through horse racing rather than brute fights... Gaia believed this was the best choice.
Pity they couldn't Duel here.
Thanks to Hikaru's support, Gaia also taught ordinary Spirits how to Duel—and even Fusion—during daily life outside of official challenges. Thus, Spirits in this area held high acceptance for Hikaru, for Dueling, and for Fusion itself.
Away from the crowds, Celina found peace interacting with these pure-hearted Spirits, no longer bothered by distrustful human stares. Her mood improved significantly.
As for Bastion Misawa, he'd been in full "Professor Mode" for days, teaching Duel basics to ordinary Spirits—earning universal praise.
Compared to Celina, his situation had been equally serious, but at least it hadn't fallen apart completely, so his recovery was quicker.
A few days later, seeing everyone's spirits restored and their playfulness peaking, Hikaru proactively interrupted their fun, announcing it was time to resume their journey.
As club president, team leader, and mentor... Hikaru still had to keep their schedule on track.
Though reluctant, Celina bid the Spirits farewell. After receiving a young colt from Gaia, she and Hikaru set off toward their next planned destination—the Forest Zone.
While the detour had cost them several days, since most students had to travel on foot between zones, whereas Hikaru's group had Spirit horses, they easily made up for lost time. None of them really worried about delays.
Besides... speed didn't matter. Arriving first but losing the Duel... what good would that do?
In the end, it all came down to the Duel!
Forest Zone.
According to Gaia, this place was also called the "Sacred Healing Zone."
Upon reaching the forest's boundary, they saw scattered Beast Spirits lounging contentedly, making the race Spirits tiptoe nervously, afraid to disturb them.
The air felt far more peaceful than the Knights' territory.
After walking some distance, the trio finally arrived at the spot marked on the KaibaCorp map.
And right there—Hikaru spotted a crowd of students groaning and sprawled out like corpses.
"Whoa—" Before Hikaru could even react, a gentleman covered in numbers was thrown out from the dense woods with a thud.
"That's... a Pro Duelist. The Math Doctor." Bastion recognized him. "Even he got tossed out...?"
Hikaru had beaten two Pro Duelists before, but for regular students, Pros were still insurmountable.
And for someone like him to get thrown out so casually... the opponent inside had clearly crushed him.
"If this is all you've got, warriors... return to where you belong. This isn't a place you can approach yet."
A sacred voice echoed from behind a curtain of vines, reverberating above everyone's heads. "Arrogance isn't the mark of a true warrior."
"Whoa—" Celina simultaneously noticed a sign near the curtain.
Six stars!
Clearly... not a level that first-year students should be challenging right away.