Chapter 541: Randomly Sending Three Fusions to the Graveyard (4k)

The duel concluded, and Jūdai scratched the back of his head, walking over to Ryūzaki with an embarrassed expression.

Ever since becoming a "Legendary Duelist" in the practical sense, he hadn't felt this awkward in a long time.

Perhaps only during something like a marriage proposal would he feel more embarrassed than this.

He reached out a hand toward Ryūzaki. Ryūzaki shook his head, looked up, grasped Jūdai's hand, and was pulled to his feet.

Finally, after many years, the two did not part ways, but instead gripped each other's hands tightly.

"Next time, I will definitely beat you!"

"Hahaha—too naive, Ryūzaki. You and I have a full ten-year gap between us now!"

"Hmph..." Ryūzaki refused to be outdone. "Dimensional travel—because of dimensional travel, a duelist's growth is much faster than before. I will catch up. Just you wait!"

Jūdai and Ryūzaki stared at each other for a long time before Jūdai finally said, "Ah, I'll be waiting."

He knew that Kaiba would eventually host a cross-dimensional KC Cup for the strongest duelists of all humanity and spirits. Although he and Kaiba still didn't get along very well, he knew Kaiba would definitely invite him.

He would look forward to it—look forward to Ryūzaki facing him on the true stage, dueling once again with his beloved cards.

After about a minute or two of their sentimental reunion, Jūdai boisterously called out to Ryūzaki, dragged him over to call Grandpa Muto "Master," and then headed into the card shop. The surrounding duelists, though wanting to approach Jūdai to climb the social ladder, couldn't do so once they saw them enter the shop.

A few duelists remained behind, hoping to wait for Jūdai to come out, while the majority—who had their own work or dimensions to explore—hurriedly left after savoring the "Legendary" duel.

Grandpa Muto's card shop looked much the same as it did in Astray Kō's memories: display cases, card packs, and many peculiar collectibles.

In his youth, Muto was a formidable gambler, known to later generations as the "Legendary Gambler," with cards even designed based on him. Later, Grandpa Muto transitioned into an adventurer and collector, becoming a world-class collector in the truest sense.

As a duelist, Grandpa Muto wasn't the type to chase competitive strength; rather, he loved collecting all sorts of bizarre cards and took pride in them—he was the only collector in the original work who, through sheer luck, managed to assemble all five pieces of "Exodia the Forbidden One."

Beyond that, he collected many strange cards, such as the "Ancient Dragon" that required two Rock Tokens and three "Ancient" series cards to special summon.

Even though that dragon's attack power and effects were comical, he didn't mind, as long as he could show off his collection to his old friends.

Simply put, he was the type of person Astray Kō remembered from his past life—the kind who would build a deck in a simulator that could pull off a flashy combo once in a hundred tries.

Even if the win rate was terrible, it was cool when it worked.

Perhaps influenced by Grandpa Muto, this version of Jūdai seemed to have picked up the collecting habit. After catching up with Ryūzaki and finding nothing else to talk about, he pulled out cards he had prepared for the duel but didn't use because he realized Ryūzaki had already "moved forward."

"Ta-da! The Legendary Fisherman II and III! See this? This III can banish all of the opponent's monsters, cannot be destroyed by battle or effects, and is unaffected by Spell and Trap cards! If I use this, how would you respond?"

"And this Ultimate Great Moth—"

"I've already seen that one."

"Guh, then how about this! Don't be shocked when you see it—"

"Heh, what could possibly shock me..."

As he spoke, Ryūzaki suddenly froze.

Because Jūdai had pulled out a card he hadn't expected!

Evil Dragon Ananta!

Jūdai chuckled twice and pushed the card toward Ryūzaki.

Ryūzaki picked up the card, looking dazed.

This card...

"The card you lost to Esper Roba back then." Jūdai leaned back, resting his elbows on the chair. "Dimensional travel is too dangerous. Take this with you."

An evolved form of the Serpent Night Dragon?

Ryūzaki hadn't expected Jūdai to have prepared even this before coming to see him.

"Heh, don't come crying to me when you lose to me because of this!" Although he had connected with the Jurrac spirits and received an invitation to the so-called "DT Spirit World," intending to study Synchro Summoning deeply, he still cherished the Serpent Night Dragon.

Jūdai waved his hand dismissively.

Afterward, he reached into his pocket and pulled out another card, placing it in front of Astray Kō.

Astray Kō blinked.

I get one too?

He looked at the card and was suddenly startled.

Salamandra, the Flying Flame Dragon!

A support card for Flame Swordsman! When sent to the Graveyard, you can add one "Flame Swordsman" Spell/Trap card from your Deck to your hand!

The former could fetch "Flame Swordsman Fusion," and the latter could fetch "Chain-Locked Flame Swordsman Blade"!

Both were cards Astray Kō possessed but found difficult to search!

"Thanks." Jūdai didn't offer much explanation; he simply gave the card as a gift.

He knew that if it weren't for Astray Kō, Ryūzaki would never have stepped foot in Domino City again.

It was precisely because of Astray Kō, who acted like a ray of light illuminating the path for Ryūzaki, that he was able to step forward again.

Regardless of what Ryūzaki thought, as a "friend," Jūdai was very happy.

"Take it." Ryūzaki glanced at it and said, "After all, isn't this why you came here?"

Astray Kō realized he was right, nodded, thanked Jūdai, and tucked the card away.

Afterward, Jūdai didn't linger long. He stood up, saying he had business to attend to and had to head to the next dimension, then hurried off, looking very pressed for time.

He had squeezed time out of a busy schedule to see an old friend, only to be unable to stay long because of his own busyness.

But duelists are creatures like that. After a duel, Ryūzaki already understood.

It didn't matter!

As long as he caught up to Jūdai, there would be plenty of time to settle the score!

And the simplest way to do that was—

"Grandpa, I want to buy some card packs!" Ryūzaki shouted to Grandpa Muto without hesitation.

"Ho ho ho, you've come to the right place." Grandpa Muto laughed. "I have super deluxe card packs here, combined from several dimensions—not the stale goods from other dimensions."

He brought out several card boxes. Astray Kō and Ryūzaki bought them all; the money was of no concern.

However, unlike Ryūzaki, who started opening packs on the spot, Astray Kō was much calmer and simply packed the boxes away.

With his and Tierra's luck, counting on them to pull powerful single cards or support cards was like hoping for a second Super Polymerization to appear out of thin air.

Of course, he would bring them back to the Duel Academy and let Ruri and Serena pull them!

He'd call it "letting them see what's inside the highest-tier card boxes of this dimension."

"You're clearly counting on your students' amazing luck to pull powerful cards for you, aren't you?" Tierra teased.

What else could he do?

If he pulled them himself and they all turned out to be trash—

Ryūzaki opened packs for a while, integrated the cards he found useful, and put the rest away.

"Speaking of which, you two both want to get stronger, right?"

Grandpa Muto looked at Ryūzaki after he finished opening packs and asked curiously upon seeing the "rare cards" he had pulled.

Both nodded.

Ryūzaki's answer was simple: since he had rediscovered himself and realized that ever since he got to know the Kaiba Corporation—and especially Astray Kō—he had embarked on a new path, he needed to make up for the ten years he had lost.

Astray Kō replied, "Of course. The pursuit of Fusion is endless."

"Ho ho ho, then let me tell you a story."

Grandpa Muto stood behind the counter and began to tell a tale.

"You should have heard the story of Exodia, right?"

The two looked at each other, seeing the surprise in each other's eyes.

"Of course—"

"Hmph hmph, then you must know that I am the first and only person in the world to have assembled Exodia." Grandpa Muto bragged about his record first, then said, "Since you know that, you must also know that Yugi's Exodia was once thrown into the sea."

The two exchanged silent glances again.

That was an understatement.

The one who threw Yugi's cards into the sea was none other than Ryūzaki's "good brother," Weevil Underwood.

In short, Grandpa Muto used "The Lost Exodia" as an opening to tell them a story.

"Cards thrown into the sea don't just disappear without a trace."

"In reality, all abandoned or forgotten cards eventually find an eternal resting place."

There's such a thing?

The two listened curiously.

"That is, the World of the Forgotten!"

"The cards there turn into ghosts and spirits, building their own lives, and cursing those who abandoned them or those who fall into that world!"

Ryūzaki shrank back slightly. "That sounds like a ghost story for kids. Grandpa, didn't you say this was related to getting stronger? This doesn't seem related at all."

"No! No! No!" Grandpa Muto suddenly chuckled, pulled open a drawer, and took out a card to show them.

Exodia, the Legendary Defender!

Ryūzaki slowly opened his mouth wide.

It, it's Exodia!?

And, and it's the combined form of Exodia?

"Could it be—" Astray Kō thought of a possibility. "That 'World' is actually a Spirit Dimension!?"

Ryūzaki heard this and had a sudden realization, clearing up the logic.

So that was it!

It's the "Dimension of Abandoned Spirits"!

That makes everything logical!

So, the reality is that Grandpa Muto discovered an "Abandoner Dimension" and, by chance, obtained a new "Exodia"?

"To be precise, it's the 'Dimension of the Forgotten'."

Grandpa Muto laughed, picked up a card, and placed it on the table.

Ryūzaki glanced at the card and shook his head. "Kid, you take it. I've already decided on my path, so I probably won't need the coordinates to this dimension."

Now that the Lord Lord Ba Wang Dragon and Serpent Night Dragon were back with him, he lacked nothing.

Conversely, for Astray Kō, who was pursuing the higher realms of Fusion, it was very reasonable for him to encounter something in such a dimension.

After all, the "Forgotten" cards likely held great hostility toward humans and ordinary cards, so Astray Kō's Fusion path would inevitably have to pass through this stage.

Astray Kō nodded, didn't refuse, and took the card.

The Dimension of the Forgotten...

Astray Kō was truly curious about what he would encounter in that dimension.

After all, just by the name, it was hard to determine what exactly was inside.

Ryūzaki thought for a moment, searched through the new cards he had just pulled, took one out, and placed it on the table. "Kid, I've decided. I'm going to live in a world called the DT Dimension for a while. From now on, the Kaiba Corporation is in your hands."

DT Spirit Dimension?

Astray Kō looked stunned.

Brother, the place you're going is a bit "dangerous."

However, since Ryūzaki had made up his mind, Astray Kō couldn't make decisions for him. Moreover, looking at him, it was clear Ryūzaki had been recognized by certain spirits in the DT Dimension and had been invited.

So, after his initial shock, he nodded at Ryūzaki and looked at the card Ryūzaki had sent over.

Oh—