Chapter 542: The Time of Forgetting (6k, seeking monthly tickets)

"The Forgotten World?"

In a quiet fortune-telling room, Ed Phoenix sat on a stool, curiously examining this card.

Saiou Takuma sat opposite him, gently shuffling his cards, while his sister, Saiou Misato, poured tea for the two of them.

Ever since the Light Wave had drawn consciousness out of Saiou's body, he had gradually returned to his former self; although his talent for foreseeing the future lost its boost with the Light Wave's departure, that talent itself was not lost.

During this period, with the help of Misato and Ed, the branches of the Society of Light around the world began to slowly transform and disband, and the lives of the three of them returned to the right track.

Just as Ed had said before, once everything had settled, he decided to go surfing and properly enjoy his brand-new life, so during the summer vacation period, he hardly participated in professional leagues; aside from matters concerning the Society of Light, he traveled around the world every day—while also disguising himself as "Hero Phoenix" to catch robbers and thieves.

Even though he had already eliminated the man who killed his father, he himself would not simply abandon such a cause and would still dedicate himself to cracking down on such criminals.

Because of this, his ranking in the professional leagues dropped by more than ten spots, but he did not mind at all.

Although he had been relaxing his mind, he was ultimately still a duelist; after relaxing for over a month, he felt he could not continue to be so "depressed," so he found Saiou and asked if there was any place where he could become stronger.

His original intention was to find some powerful duelists to challenge, after all, the half of "Destiny HERO - Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer" in his hand had not yet recovered, and he really wanted to complete this card, then either share it with Tenjou Hikari or make a copy of it.

However, after he asked this question, Saiou performed a divination and gave him a different answer.

That was—the dimension of the Forgotten Ones.

He asked in confusion, "Why go to a place like that?"

His style and deck were actually not very compatible with this type of spirit.

During this period, he had actually visited another dimension, paying a visit to a "film crew" dimension where he obtained cards named "Vision HERO," so he certainly would not refuse dimensional travel.

But, the "Forgotten World"...

He was very puzzled.

For one thing, he had never abandoned any cards; even the Elemental Heroes were actually hidden within his deck.

For another, he was a duelist specializing in Hero decks, and while heroes might retire, they would certainly not be forgotten, because the world would always have heroes.

How did any of this fit him?

"The result of the divination is this," Saiou said gently to Ed. "Rather, although you might not gain cards here, you should gain something even more wonderful... an encounter that will make you stronger."

Could such a thing really happen?

He thought about it and did not doubt Saiou, though he still had some points of confusion.

Because...

The 【World of the Forgotten Ones】 could not actually be reached via dimensional teleportation?!

Let us split the story in two.

In a huge office building, a man wearing Buddhist prayer beads gently pushed up his glasses, then continued writing furiously, providing answers on document after document.

A figure pushed open the room door, came forward to bow, then stood to one side and said to him, "The new helmsman of the Wan Zhang Mu Group has been confirmed, Young Master Amon; here is the report."

"Thank you for your hard work, Eka."

He nodded in response.

His name was Amon Garam, the adopted son and eldest son of the Garam Zaibatsu, and also the "representative" of the Duel Academy East Branch.

Many years ago, when he was on the verge of death, he was adopted by his foster father and raised as an heir; later, his foster father had a biological son, and his situation became somewhat awkward.

Although he hesitated briefly, he soon resolved to assist his younger brother; after his brother fell ill with a truly bizarre sickness, he even visited countless famous doctors, kneeling and begging them to save his brother's life, ultimately succeeding in saving his brother, Sid.

It was precisely for this reason that he was actually quite trusted within the group.

During the GX tournament, although he was also very interested in participating in duels, his nature was not particularly competitive, so while in the Critical Point Dimension, he traveled across mountains and rivers, healing ordinary spirits and unlucky students, hardly participating in the competition at all throughout the entire journey; in the end, he merely achieved a passing grade before returning to school, for which he was criticized by many professors at the East Branch.

Of course, he did not mind.

However—

His lover, his partner "Eka," did not think the same way.

She had grown up with Amon since childhood, knowing the goodness and great righteousness in Amon's heart as well as his magnanimity; she believed Amon was a person of talent, of courage, and possessed the 【Vessel of Kings】, so she had always been unwilling to accept that he could only serve as a deputy to assist his younger brother.

But—she also deeply loved Amon, so she would not actively try to change Amon's thoughts.

She merely, through indirect hints and other methods, slightly attempted to change Amon's thinking.

"It is almost time."

Looking at her watch, she suddenly spoke.

"The Hour of Twilight, is it—"

【The Forgotten World】.

It was said to be the dimension where abandoned and forgotten spirits resided, though some used the term "world" to describe it.

That was a dimension similar to the Critical Point; it was said that no matter which world one was in, any existence that had been forgotten could potentially enter that world.

In that world, many monsters and many spirits were hidden.

And those were precisely existences worthy of "redemption."

That was correct—

Amon was not truly devoid of desires; on the contrary, he had his own ideals and beliefs.

He hoped to build an equal world without conflict, without turmoil, and with harmony under heaven; for this purpose, spirits forgotten in places like this "Forgotten World" or abandoned cards were the existences he wished to help.

It was precisely for this reason that Eka believed Amon would certainly not refuse a journey to such a dimension.

She knew more than Amon did; through other means, she had learned from a legendary duelist that the scope of cards considered "abandoned" was actually very large, and the most significant point was...

Back then, the 【Exodia the Forbidden One】 belonging to the legendary King of Games, which had been discarded by Insector Weevil, was also a 【forgotten】 card!

That was the strongest, most invincible power in the world; as long as all five pieces were gathered, they were genuine 【guaranteed victory】 cards that even 【gods】 could not withstand.

She believed that as long as Amon saw those cards, he would definitely find a way to obtain this strongest power to help him build the most equal world.

Undoubtedly!

However, entering the 【Forgotten World】 was not that simple, nor that casual.

First, a specific 【card】 was required, a card capable of visiting the Forgotten World; channels to obtain such cards were held by almost only the grandfather of the 【King of Games】 Yugi Muto, 【Sugoroku Muto】, the president of Kaiba Corporation, 【Seto Kaiba】, and the president of Pegasus International, 【Pegasus】.

Pegasus's card was said to have been given to a young hero-user he favored greatly, while Sugoroku Muto's card had been given to someone unknown; even with the influence of their zaibatsu, there was no way to find out exactly who it was.

Fortunately, although Seto Kaiba was unapproachable to strangers, as long as one could spark his interest or satisfy him, he would casually toss out entry cards for dimensions he was not interested in.

Therefore, relying on their zaibatsu connections, they had successfully obtained one.

The Forgotten World could not be entered at just any time.

Only those who had obtained qualification, on a specific date and at a specific time, possessing sufficiently strong dueling power or obsession, could successfully enter.

【The Hour of Twilight】.

That is, the time of dusk.

This was the time when ghosts and spirits were most likely to appear, the transition time between day and night, the most "fragile" period.

According to the standard time of East Zone 9, at the hour of dusk, one pours their spirit power into the card, and then one would feel "suffocation" and "submersion."

Amon raised the card, pouring his spirit power into it, and a huge vortex began to spin on the ground.

This vortex was a peculiar dimensional passage; it would sense those with strong desires or powerful convictions in their hearts, or those who did not wish to be forgotten and feared their complete disappearance, and then forcibly drag them into the 【Deep Water】.

Originally, Amon was operating smoothly, but for some unknown reason, the vortex beneath his feet suddenly spun wildly and expanded crazily; as if it had sensed something, it instantly spread to Eka's feet.

She let out a panicked soft cry, and then, in her confusion, felt intense suffocation.

Subsequently, black tides surged from all directions, instantly submerging her; amidst the frantic suffocation, she flailed her hands wildly, trying to grab onto something, but before much time had passed, she felt something supporting her.

"Are you okay, Eka?" Amon's voice slowly sounded beside her ear.

She slowly opened her eyes and found herself in a vast, empty plain; the pitch-black earth stretched endlessly, and the entire world was so desolate it seemed as if nothing existed at all.

She turned her head, saw Amon supporting her, nodded lightly, and struggled to stand up.

This place was... the Forgotten World?

She had not expected that she would be dragged into this world as well?

She had some suspicions in her heart but did not show them.

Amon suspected nothing else and gazed into the distance.

Directly in front of them stood a huge archway towering in this world; the gate looked eerie and ghostly, with countless skulls embedded and hanging upon it, like decorations, or perhaps like a deterrent.

It was just like the legendary Eastern Underworld, with waves of yin energy, occasionally blowing icy, strange winds that made one shudder with fear.

There was nothing around; it seemed there was only one direction to proceed, so as the two gradually regained their senses, they walked toward that great gate.

However, as they advanced, they gradually felt a hint of suffocation; the closer they got to the gate, the more obvious this suffocating sensation became, as if a strange resistance was hindering them.

Relying on his powerful spirit power, Amon pushed forward against this pressure, but Eka did not possess such excellent spirit power; yet, at a certain moment, after she thought in her heart, "No matter what, I must help Amon," the resistance on her body suddenly vanished.

This world seemed to be preventing those without conviction or power from advancing!

Just as they were about to reach the gate, they were surprised to discover that on the 【opposite】 side, there was another young man wearing a silver-white suit, looking refined and scholarly, also advancing toward the gate braving the wind, sand, and shadows.

"Oh?"

"Hmm—"

Both sides instantly became extremely alert.

In this empty world, suddenly encountering another person, whether spirit or human, one could not guarantee the other party was completely free of malice.

After all, in this "Forgotten World," there might be numerous existences full of malice toward other lifeforms; whatever they did was something ordinary life could not predict, and if suddenly attacked without preparation, it would be disastrous.

Especially since they both felt that during their advance, the closer they got to the gate, the stronger the pressure their bodies endured and the worse their condition became; if attacked suddenly at such a time, no one had absolute confidence to fight at full capacity.

But after the initial tension, both sides instantly breathed a sigh of relief, because they could both sense that the other party at least had no malice at this moment.

Amon sized up the other party, thought carefully for a moment, and immediately recognized him.

The star professional duelist, Ed Phoenix!

After sizing up Amon for a while, Ed Phoenix glanced at Eka, but unexpectedly, merely glancing at her made his body stiffen slightly.

She was a woman who looked somewhat tough, with very short hair, making her appear extremely clean and capable; honestly, among girls, she could not be considered very beautiful, but for some reason, the moment Ed saw her, his heart beat slightly faster.

"Hahaha—Ed, this won't do."

Suddenly, a voice disrupted the standoff between the two parties, snapping Eddie back to his senses.

Several people sharply turned their gazes toward the great gate simultaneously, only to see that someone had already arrived there unbeknownst to them, even sitting there leisurely and waving greetings.

They hadn't even noticed him!?

He actually moved faster than all of us!?

Who is it!?

Everyone looked toward the entrance of the great gate.

"Department Head?"

"Tenjou Hikari!?"

"The GX Champion!?"

Both sides cried out in shock simultaneously.

"Ha, good evening?" Tenjou Hikari responded with a smile. "I didn't expect to run into anyone in another dimension—this is actually my first time encountering other travelers during a dimensional journey."

Eddie breathed a sigh of relief.

Although slightly surprised, once he regained his composure, he was still Eddie; he thought that at least on the surface, it now seemed to be two against two, making any crisis easier to handle.

Amon and the other finally understood the whereabouts of the remaining two cards.

Clearly, Pegasus's card had gone to Eddie Phoenix, while the one from Yugi Muto... had ended up in Tenjou Hikari's hands!

"But unfortunately, it seems you'll just have to wait for me to undergo the trial."

Wait for you?

Before either side could speak, they both froze for a moment, then instantly realized what was happening.

So that was it; if multiple people fell into this dimension simultaneously, the first one to reach the great gate would be the first to undergo the trial!

It was simple—whoever bore greater pressure, whoever could advance faster under such pressure, was the one more capable of enduring "Oblivion"!

Since Tenjou Hikari arrived first, he was naturally the one among them with the strongest endurance!

The strongest?

Amon couldn't help but narrow his eyes.

Although he hadn't participated in the GX tournament, whenever duelists truly met, they always wanted to determine who was superior.

"Heh, so it's you." Eddie didn't mind at all.

Previously, Saiou had said he would become stronger here; perhaps it was because he would encounter Tenjou Hikari?

He wasn't sure, but in any case, since Tenjou Hikari had moved faster and more steadily than him, he had no objections.

After all, if Tenjou Hikari could withstand the pressure of the Light Wave, what did this little pressure amount to?

Tenjou Hikari placed both hands against the great gate.

Viewed from bottom to top, the gate was likely dozens of meters high; when Tenjou Hikari pressed against it, the entire gate remained motionless, but he didn't mind in the least, continuing to push; as he exerted force, the gate slowly opened, and at the same time—

Infinite black qi surged out from within the gate; strange, smoke-like entities of bizarre shapes flew out from inside the gate, crashing into Tenjou Hikari's body.

Pfft—

Crack.

His clothes began to tear, and scratches appeared on his face, but he didn't care in the slightest.

As the gate opened further, countless black shadows also flew out from within, gradually surrounding the flat ground before the gate; Ecko hurriedly stepped in front of Amon, wanting to bear the pain for him, but Amon merely held her steady, telling her not to move, and gently shook his head.

As the gate opened even wider, the pitch-black shadows gradually revealed their true forms.

Heart Key Spirits, Hell Wraiths, Attic Monsters... countless spirit images that looked formidable but left not even a mark when crashing into Tenjou Hikari, filled with resentment and suffering, flew out from the gate before dissipating into the world.

That was the resentment of countless cards, the suffering of countless cards that had been abandoned and forgotten, condensed into a tangible 【Pain】 born from their agony!

The three looked at Tenjou Hikari again; by this time, the wounds and scratches he had sustained earlier had already vanished.

Those fragile, weak spirits—how strong could they possibly be, and what real wounds could they inflict?

They were merely manifestations of suffering.

It was just that the vast, seemingly endless grief felt like real wounds, causing pain and making people recoil in fear.

Tenjou Hikari smiled as he pushed open a gap wide enough for three people, casually shook his hand, and walked forward with a grin, saying as he went: "It doesn't matter; pain, resentment, regret—just let them all come—

My name is Tenjou Hikari.

The Tenjou Hikari of Fusion, the Tenjou Hikari of Duel Academy, the Ultimate Tenjou Hikari.

I do not care about pain, I do not care about resentment, I do not care about torment!

As long as we can 【Fuse】, no matter what kind of existence it is, I will accept it!!"

Tenjou Hikari took a slow breath, declaring toward the infinite darkness behind the gate.

"So, oh spirits—is there any among you willing to rewrite a brand new 【Fusion】 with me!?"

The chill intensified; resentment took physical form, lining the shadows in all directions behind the gate, staring with blood-red eyes fixedly at Tenjou Hikari and the three people behind him.

Eddie felt a wave of icy cold; even at this moment, he felt a hint of pain, involuntarily covering his right hand with his left.

Impressive—

He marveled in his heart.

Truly worthy of Department Head Tenjou.

Even standing outside the gate, he felt pain; so how could Tenjou Hikari, facing countless resentments and the "dead souls" of countless spirits, stand so firmly before those innumerable spirits, enduring that terrifying agony?

Amon and the other similarly felt the pressure, and precisely because of this, they also realized what an extraordinary person the Tenjou Hikari standing inside the gate truly was.

Boom—

Boom—

A tremendous sound, like a mountain collapsing, echoed through the darkness.

The corner of Tenjou Hikari's mouth curled up even further as he looked up excitedly.

In the darkness, a monster draped in a huge black cloak stepped forward to the front of the gate; beneath that pitch-black robe, only a pair of blood-red eyes dimly gazed at Tenjou Hikari.

"Human—"

It opened its mouth, and a smell of blood and stench wafted out, forcing Ecko to involuntarily step back; yet with just that half-step retreat, she suddenly let out a sharp scream, clutching her head in pain.

"Ecko!" "What's wrong? Are you okay?" Amon and Eddie quickly called out.

She recovered after a moment, gently shaking her head to indicate she was fine, but at the same time, she realized one thing—she had lost her 【Qualification】!

"Tenjou Hikari." Tenjou Hikari paid no attention to what was behind him, calmly stating his name once more.

"Hikari? An interesting name." The huge monster lightly tapped the ground with its hand, causing the earth to tremble as if a meteor had fallen from the sky.

"Hikari, do you dare to say that again before me?"

"Heh... What's there to fear!" Tenjou Hikari extended his fist toward the giant red eye in the sky that shone like a star and declared, "I am Tenjou Hikari, the Tenjou Hikari of Duel Academy, the Tenjou Hikari who pursues Fusion, the Tenjou Hikari who seeks the ultimate, absolute Fusion!

Whoever is willing to join me, believe in me, and acknowledge me, no matter who they are, I welcome them! I also guarantee that I will never forget!"

"Hmph, words alone prove nothing—" The huge shadow exhaled once more; this time, it seemed as though flames rose in the darkness, and inconceivable pain swept over those still qualified to participate; both Eddie and Amon couldn't help but frown, while real wounds began to appear on Tenjou Hikari's body.

Tenjou Hikari casually wiped the wound on his face, wiping away the blood, his smile undiminished as he showed understanding: "Of course. If I only spoke big words here, it would prove nothing.

So..."

Tenjou Hikari raised his left hand; the Duel Disk on his left hand automatically activated, spinning rapidly before emitting an unpredictable purple light.

Although he said nothing more, the meaning beneath his actions was obvious.

In this world, what could be more convincing than a Duel?

The giant red eye slightly narrowed; it seemed that the massive spirit had squinted its eyes.

"Interesting—then, human warrior Hikari who claims to pursue Fusion, use the Ritual of Duel to prove yourself to all the spirits!"

"Duel!" x2.

Dark Spirit, LP: 4000.

Tenjou Hikari, LP: 4000.

6k6k, watched the entire livestream; the new Moonlight cards are a bit fierce, a bit fierce; Hero gained a Graveyard Fusion card, which is somewhat useful, somewhat useful.

Vs the new cards are really strong... Is jumping to T0 the trend now?

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(End of Chapter)