"Can I co in and talk, Hoshino?"
Seeing Hoshino's head peeking through the crack in the door, Ishizu asked softly.
"Uh, e in."
Feeling guilty, Hoshino couldn't muster any confidence and reluctantly withdrew her head, opening the door completely.
Ishizu nodded slightly as she stepped inside, her expression calm and devoid of anger.
"Wow, it's the pretty lady who looks a lot like Marik-nii! Good evening!"
Akasha, sitting on the bed, greeted Ishizu enthusiastically as she entered.
"Good evening," Ishizu replied with a gentle smile, then turned her gaze to Hoshino. She paused for a mont before speaking slowly.
"Hoshino…"
"I'm sorry!"
Hoshino clasped her hands together in front of her, preemptively apologizing.
"I'm so sorry for saying that you forfeited. I really thought you wouldn't wake up today."
Ishizu was montarily taken aback by Hoshino's sudden and rapid apology.
"I wasn't planning to bla you for that," Ishizu said, shaking her head. "I lost the Shadow Ga. Even though I used so tricks to wake up earlier, I wouldn't have made it to the final duel in ti anyway. Besides…"
Her smile turned slightly mischievous. "Without Exchange of the Spirit in my deck, there's no way I could have beaten Kaiba, right?"
"Cough, cough, cough!" Busted. Everything was exposed—even the part about secretly taking her card. It seed tonight's visit really was about settling scores.
It was all that little evil god's fault, whispering things like, "Take it—she lost, so why not take it?" And now the consequences had arrived. Feeling guilty, Hoshino hung her head low.
"Pfft~" Ishizu chuckled, amused by Hoshino's guilty and adorable deanor. Her gaze softened as she looked at her.
"Hoshino, I hope you always stay this way and never lose that kindness in your heart."
"Huh?" Hoshino cautiously lifted her head and saw Ishizu gazing at her warmly.
"I'm not here to ask for the card back. I hope you'll use it well—it will definitely help you in future battles."
"Eh? Then why are you here?"
Now that her wrongdoings had been forgiven, Hoshino no longer felt the need to put on the pitiful act.
Ishizu's expression turned serious as she placed her hands over the Millennium Necklace around her neck.
"After the duel ended, I completely lost the ability to see the future. Even the vague visions I could previously perceive have disappeared entirely."
"Lost the ability to see the future? Did it break?"
Hoshino thought back to the duel's conclusion. The beam from Okitan's move had pierced through the Millennium Necklace. But she didn't believe a virtual projection could actually damage a Millennium Item.
(Unless it was Grandpa destroying the Millennium Eye—that was on a whole other level.)
Ishizu shook her head. "There shouldn't be anything wrong with the Millennium Necklace. The issue lies with —the wielder. I've lost my clarity and the qualification to foresee the future."
"You've lost your clarity?"
Resolving herself, Ishizu removed the Millennium Necklace from her neck and handed it to Hoshino.
"This…"
Hoshino blinked, a strand of hair on her head curling into a question mark as she stared at the artifact in her hands.
"Hoshino, please… I beg of you, save my brother!" Ishizu clasped Hoshino's hands, her voice trembling.
"?!"
Rembering Marik reignited a fiery anger within Hoshino.
"After everything he's done, you still expect soone else to save him?"
Pulling her hands free, Hoshino sternly continued, "Aren't you being way too lenient as an elder sister?"
"It's not like that. Marik isn't inherently evil. He's just been rebelling against the fate of the Tomb Keepers," Ishizu explained, her tone carrying a hint of grievance.
"At the cost of innocent lives?"
Hoshino thought of Rowick, Akasha, Jonouchi, and all the others whose lives had been destroyed by Marik's darkness. If that was Marik's idea of rebellion, then who was fighting for the people he hurt?
"It's not like that! He was influenced by his dark personality…"
"Sorry, Ishizu, but your request is selfish, and I can't agree to it," Hoshino interrupted firmly.
If it was just about being influenced by the dark personalities of the Millennium Items, Hoshino had seen others who carried the sa burden—
Bakura, despite his mischief, still had his limits.
Pegasus, even under the Millennium Eye's influence, had cared for holess children.
By comparison, Marik's inner and outer personalities were equally dark. The only difference was that the inner one didn't bother hiding it.
"I'll defeat Marik and stop his plans. But saving him isn't my responsibility."
Considering the strength of Marik's Shadow Gas, Hoshino suspected they'd be like the last one against Jonouchi—losing ant death.
"This is a battle where people stake their lives. So please, go back."
Hoshino's resolute attitude left no room for further argunt. Reading the atmosphere, Ishizu's eyes glistened with tears.
"I see… I was too naïve. Such an immature request insults the life-risking duels you all undertake."
"Then, Hoshino, please stop Marik. Even if my brother cannot be saved, I don't want to see his sins deepen further." Leaving the Millennium Necklace behind, Ishizu wiped the corners of her eyes, turned, and walked out of the room.
"Marik's dark personality has no purpose or plan, only a pure desire for destruction. His soul resonates more closely with the dark resentnt of the Millennium Items, allowing him to fully unleash the true power of the Winged Dragon of Ra. Hoshino, you must be very careful."
With this final warning, Ishizu left Hoshino's room.
Holding the now dim Millennium Necklace, Hoshino reflected on the decision she had made in anger.
"Akasha, do you think my choice was the right one?"
"What kind of answer does Hoshino want to hear?" Akasha, wearing an innocent smile that seed to see through everything, responded.
"You're just a kid—why do you talk like an old lady?"
Laughing, Hoshino lightly patted Akasha on the head before rolling into bed.
"Sleep, sleep! I need to recharge for tomorrow~"
"Ugh, dry my hair for , Hoshino-nee!" Akasha pouted, tugging at Hoshino's arm.
"Mature ladies like Akasha-chan should learn to dry their own hair~" Hoshino teased, lying back on the bed with her eyes closed.
"You're so an!" Akasha grumbled, hopping off the bed to obediently pick up the hairdryer.
"But no matter what answer Hoshino-nee wants, I will always say I believe in your choice!"
(***)
Morning
The sun hadn't yet fully risen above the horizon. The once-dark ocean was slowly transforming into a clear blue, reflecting the faint rays of sunlight.
"You guys, stop laughing already!"
Even in her sleep, Hoshino's expression was one of extre distress.
"Hoshino, you're holding on too tight!"
Similarly, Akasha's face contorted in discomfort, though she seed to still be dreaming.
Boom!
Without warning, the airship shook violently, sending both of them tumbling out of bed.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch!"
Having landed hard on the floor, Hoshino rubbed her head in confusion. Then she noticed Akasha, who was using her as a cushion, still sound asleep.
Boom! Bang! Duang!
A series of intense tremors followed. If they weren't on an airship, Hoshino would have sworn they were experiencing an earthquake.
"Clap, clap!" She lightly patted Akasha's soft cheeks rhythmically, calling out, "Akasha-chan, wake up! Sothing's wrong!"
"Five more minutes…" Akasha mumbled softly, shifting her position slightly on Hoshino and continuing to sleep.
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!
"That's so an, Hoshino-nee!" Akasha, now awake with a flushed face, looked up at her with a gaze full of resentnt.
Using the bedfra for support, Hoshino struggled to stand as the unnatural shaking continued. "If I didn't wake you up, you might never wake up again."
To be honest, this was Hoshino's first ti on an airship, and she had no idea about its safety. Still, assuming the worst, if the airship was really about to crash, it was best to prepare to survive.
"Seriously, if this thing goes down, I'm never dealing with Kaiba again!" she muttered. "Why insist on creating sothing as outrageous as the Sky Duel Arena? Now it's backfired. Better to stay away from soone with such reckless ideas."
Carefully leaning against the wall for balance, Hoshino opened the door to find her companions already gathered in the hallway.
.
..
...
Yugi: "What's going on?"
Anzu: "Is the airship going to crash?"
Mai: "Kaiba! Does he even know what he's doing?"
It seed no one understood the situation. Amidst their complaints, the airship's violent shaking gradually subsided.
Finding his balance, Jonouchi imdiately dashed off. "I'm heading to the control room to see what kind of nonsense Kaiba's up to!"
"Wait, Jonouchi, it's dangerous to go alone!" Anzu, supporting Shizuka, shouted after him.
"He's right. Let's follow him!" Hoshino surprisingly agreed with Jonouchi's impulsive decision. "Better than standing around clueless. Besides, giving Kaiba a piece of our mind sounds good right now."
.
..
...
Control Room
"Kaiba! Get out here!" Jonouchi roared as he kicked open the door.
"Shizuka and Hoshino are still on this airship! What if they got hurt from all that shaking?!"
"Shut up, loser!" Kaiba, arms crossed, stared out the window with a scowl.
"What's going on, Kaiba? Did we reach our destination?" Hoshino asked, following his gaze.
Without turning, Kaiba replied, "We should've arrived by now, but the airship's control system was just hacked."
"Hacked? Wait, what's that outside?!"
Hoshino gasped. Outside the window was an island littered with ruins. In stark contrast, a pristine tower stood tall in the center of the island.
"That's Death-T Island, the site of my foster father, Gozaburo Kaiba's, weapons manufacturing business under Kaiba Corporation. After Gozaburo's death, I inherited Kaiba Corporation and shifted its focus to gas and toys."
"Wow, we just asked what that was, and you go into an info dump. But…" Hoshino tilted her head. "Switching to gas and toys is great—it's a much better business than weapons."
"Hmph," Kaiba smirked slightly. "And that tower on the island? It's my proof of surpassing Gozaburo Kaiba and stepping over his legacy."
"But why is this happening now…" Kaiba muttered, frowning. "Could it be Gozaburo's ghost trying to stop from approaching the island?"
"Well done, Seto!"
"Ah!"
The sudden voice from the airship's monitor startled Mokuba, who had been inspecting the control systems.
The previously inactive monitor flickered to life, displaying a green-haired boy with a hairstyle similar to Kaiba's.
"Who are you?!" Kaiba shouted angrily, realizing this was the culprit.
Unfazed, the boy on the monitor spoke calmly, "How cold, Seto. You're just a stand-in, yet you dare act so arrogant in front of the true heir of Kaiba Corporation."
"The true heir?" Hoshino tilted her head in confusion.
"I am Noah Kaiba! Gozaburo Kaiba's biological son—completely different from you, a re adopted child!" The boy, Noah, glared at Kaiba with murderous intent.
"Hmph, Gozaburo's son died at age 10. You can't fool !" Kaiba scoffed, dismissing the idea of ghosts as unscientific nonsense.
"Yes, I should've died. But Father transferred my consciousness into Kaiba Corp.'s military AI system. Now, I exist only as data."
"What?!"
Kaiba's usual confidence wavered as he grasped the scientific plausibility of Noah's claim.
"Hahahahaha! Don't be nervous! Soon, I'll invite all the duelists on this airship to my undersea fortress for a thrilling and exciting ga!"
(*****)
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