Heroic Spirit Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh! Chapter 613 - 613

The jellyfish-like hairstyle darting around near the boarding gate caught Hoshino's attention before she even realized it.

Compared to Yugi's iconic "starfish hair," it lacked a bit of visual impact, but when paired with that familiar silhouette, its recognizability was still unmistakable.

"Jaden!" Hoshino called out.

"Sensei? I thought you weren't coming!"

Jaden looked visibly relieved, which made the little ahoge on top of Hoshino's head curl into a question mark.

"Was I not supposed to co? Did I promise you sothing?" Hoshino asked.

"Of course! Weren't the plane ticket and invitation sent by you, Sensei? Otherwise, how would I even know anyone from the Phoenix family?"

Jaden pulled out a card bearing the ornate Phoenix family crest and spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Huh? Why did you get an invitation too?"

Hoshino suddenly felt completely lost.

Although she had t Jaden in San Francisco back then, as far as she rembered, he had never been involved in the underground dueling incident. There was no reason for Clara to know him.

"But this is aweso! I was about to rot from boredom at ho during spring break, and now I get to travel overseas with you, Sensei—lucky!"

Not bothering to dig into the reason at all, the ever-optimistic Jaden overflowed with excitent at returning to a familiar place.

"…That's not fair. I thought this would be a two-person trip with Senpai…"

By contrast, Mash—who had been just as excited as a grade-schooler on a field trip earlier that morning—felt her enthusiasm drop sharply the mont Jaden appeared.

She nervously bit her thumb, emotions swirling, then wondered if she was being too childish.

"Jaden is Senpai's student. I can't sulk over sothing like this… that would only trouble Senpai."

Noticing Mash's inner conflict, Hoshino reassured her, "It's fine, Mash. Even with Jaden along, we can still enjoy the trip!"

"That's true, Senpai. Traveling with more people does make things a bit livelier."

Forcing a smile, Mash quickly adjusted her mood and took out her ticket.

"Looks like it's almost ti to board. Let's head in first. Getting to fly together with you is a rare experience too~"

Since they were flying to the opposite side of the globe, the total flight ti was around twelve hours.

Mash, who had spent the entire night excitedly planning, had already imagined how she and Senpai would spend the ti together sitting side by side. Her small backpack was stuffed with puzzles and snacks.

"By the way, our seats should be next to each other, right? Since the Phoenix family booked the tickets, they probably took that into account."

As they prepared to board, Hoshino also pulled out her ticket and casually glanced at the seat number.

"Seat 5A… that should be row five, seat A. A window seat too—nice, I got lucky."

Being able to sit by the window and gaze at the rare scenery floating above the clouds was one of the joys of flying.

"Senpai, you're in 5A?" Mash looked at her own ticket, surprise flickering in her eyes. "Then why is my seat 5C? Don't tell this plane puts A and C together?"

Such layouts did exist—but clearly not on this flight.

"—Dear passengers, due to flight regulations, please do not change seats without authorization."

On the plane, Hoshino sat quietly in seat A, gazing out the window at the drifting white clouds, feeling her mind slowly clear.

In seat C, Mash slumped lifelessly against her chair, her hollow eyes looking as though sothing precious had been taken from her.

And wedged between them in seat B, Jaden was happily enjoying the complintary in-flight al.

"This is really good, Sensei, Mash! You're not eating?"

Resting her cheek in her palm, Hoshino teased, "Jaden, you say everything tastes good, no matter what it is."

"It's fine, Jaden, you go ahead. I'm not hungry," Mash replied politely with a soft sigh.

She still had plenty of snacks in her backpack, as well as Emiya's homade bento—but right now, she had no appetite at all.

. .. ...

A twelve-hour flight—departing in the morning and factoring in the ti difference—ant that when they arrived in San Francisco, it was still morning, giving them the strange feeling of having gained an extra day.

Following the address on the invitation, Hoshino and the others arrived at the Phoenix estate.

Up until today, Hoshino had considered her seaside villa to be quite luxurious. But compared to the Phoenix estate, her pride and joy could now only be described as a "tiny shack."

In downtown San Francisco, where every inch of land was worth a fortune, only a corporate behemoth like the Phoenix family could build a private estate with grounds larger than Central Park.

After Zigfried was apprehended, most of the resources the Schroeder family had left behind in San Francisco were swallowed up by the Phoenix family. Combined with their rapid growth in recent years, the Phoenixes had truly completed a spectacular coback and now stood at the peak of power.

"Good morning. How may I assist you?"

At the grand gates of the Phoenix estate, an elderly butler dressed in a black tailcoat greeted them respectfully.

"Um, we were invited by Miss Clara," Hoshino said, handing over the invitation.

"Miss Clara?" A hint of doubt crossed the butler's brow, but the invitation indeed bore the family crest.

After a deep bow, his professional courtesy never wavering, the butler replied, "Understood. Please allow to confirm the details with the young lady. I ask that you step inside and wait for a few minutes."

Leading them into the mansion, the lavish interior décor proclaid the uninhibited extravagance of a wealthy aristocratic family.

"This really doesn't feel like a noble lady's wedding venue," Hoshino muttered after the butler left, surveying her surroundings.

While the atmosphere was elegant and luxurious, it still carried the comfort of everyday living. For a grand aristocratic wedding, it simply didn't seem grand enough.

"Senpai, even though you said that earlier, are you sure the invitation was sent by Miss Clara?" Mash asked.

Hoshino had only assud as much out of instinct. After all, although the Phoenix family was enormous, the only person she actually knew was Clara.

"So this is the royal palace?! As expected of Sensei—she even knows a family from such a prestigious lineage."

Overwheld by the exaggerated architecture and luxurious interior, Jaden—who had been silent ever since they entered—finally blurted out his amazent.

"Looking at it this way, Sensei, you seem pretty rich too. You're not secretly so kind of princess, are you?"

This guy… his intuition was unexpectedly sharp. Was this the instinct of a naturally gifted duelist who relied on gut feelings?

Just as everyone was imrsed in their surroundings, the elderly butler returned with the invitation in hand, wearing a troubled expression.

"My apologies, honored guests. After asking the young lady, she said that she has not arranged to invite any guests recently."

"Huh? So it wasn't Clara's invitation?"

Now Hoshino was even more confused. If this invitation truly ca from the Phoenix family, then who had sent it?

Rolling her eyes slightly, Hoshino thought for a mont before proposing, "How about this—sir, could I trouble you to inform Clara that Hoshino Chiyuki is here to see her? I believe the young lady will understand once she hears my na."

"Hoshino Chiyuki… miss, correct? Very well. Please wait a mont longer."

Another few minutes passed. By now, Hoshino was no longer in the mood to admire the extravagant scenery—she just wanted to understand the true aning behind this invitation.

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed again. This ti, the one who rushed back into the reception hall was not the courteous old butler, but an excited blonde girl.

"Hoshino—! Long ti no see!"

Almost throwing herself forward, Clara wrapped Hoshino in a sudden hug. The unexpected assault was so abrupt that Mash nearly raised her shield in reflex.

"Hoshino, you're still just as cute!" an overjoyed Clara exclaid, holding her tightly and vigorously rubbing her cheek against the small tuft of hair sticking up on Hoshino's head.

This was exactly why Hoshino still wasn't used to foreigners' overly enthusiastic greetings.

"But even after all these years, you haven't changed at all, Hoshino—just like before. It's amazing~"

(✿ﾟ▽ﾟ) Haven't changed?

Joy surged in Hoshino's heart. Everyone else said she'd shrunk, yet only Clara insisted she hadn't changed at all.

She no longer hoped for comnts about growing up—being told she hadn't changed was more than enough. Hoshino's expectations were that low.

Because of that alone, Clara's standing in Hoshino's heart shot straight through the roof.

"Clara, you're really a good person," Hoshino said, deeply moved.

"Sohow, I feel like I just got friend-zoned the mont we reunited."

The old butler stood there, dumbfounded. Seeing his young lady show such unrestrained enthusiasm was sothing he had rarely witnessed—even in the thirty years he had served the family.

The scene made him quickly reflect on whether he had been rude in any way during his earlier reception.

"But still, it's really rare for you to co looking for , Hoshino. I thought you'd forgotten all about your old friend~"

Given Hoshino's shut-in tendencies, simply traveling from her ho to the academy already drained her completely. Even an occasional trip to Kaiba Corporation counted as an energy-depleting business trip. As for San Francisco—since the end of the KC Grand Prix, she truly hadn't returned.

And for Hoshino, while San Francisco was a city filled with mories, not all of them were good.

—The underground dueling arena where duelists died almost daily, Keith's death, and the Ultimate Shadow Ga triggered during the final KC—all of it left her unwilling to revisit those mories.

"So it really wasn't you who sent the invitation, Clara?"

Hoshino handed the invitation stamped with the Phoenix emblem to Clara as she asked.

"This is indeed the Phoenix seal," Clara confird at a glance.

Only mbers of the Phoenix family possessed such a seal—it wasn't sothing that could be easily forged.

"But I'm sorry, Hoshino. I really wasn't the one who sent this invitation," Clara said, tilting her head in confusion. "So then… who could it be?"

"It was ."

Arriving fashionably late, Aster Phoenix pushed open the door and entered, smiling as he looked toward Hoshino and the others.

"I was the one who sent the invitation—inviting Hoshino Chiyuki and Jaden Yuki."

"Aster, you're back already? I thought you wouldn't be free until the afternoon!" Clara greeted him.

"Aster? Aster Phoenix?" The familiar na rang a bell for Hoshino.

When she noticed the unmistakable hairstyle, realization finally dawned.

"Aster Phoenix—that guy who got defeated by Jonouchi, right?!"

"Uh… yes, that's correct…" Aster admitted, the corner of his mouth twitching.

Having his painful history exposed so casually left him with mixed feelings.

"But that was in the past. Now, I absolutely won't lose to Katsuya Jonouchi again."

Hoshino continued recalling, "When I saw the na 'Phoenix' on TV back then, I thought it was just a coincidence. I didn't expect you to really be from the Phoenix family."

"The Phoenix surna isn't that easy to share, you know, Hoshino~"

Standing beside Aster, Clara introduced him proudly. "This is my younger brother—Aster Phoenix."

Hoshino exclaid in surprise, "So you have a younger brother, Clara? This is the first ti I'm hearing about it."

Aster scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Calling her younger brother is a bit much. I'm actually just an adopted son—I'm not Lady Clara's biological brother."

"You always make a point of saying you're not my real brother. You're such a sis-con, Aster." Clara teased, poking him with her elbow. "You were so clingy when we were kids, but you hardly co ho anymore. What, are you embarrassed now?"

"I'm not a sis-con…" Aster protested. "The Professional Duel League is really busy, Sis. As soone who bears the honor of the Phoenix family, I have to produce results."

"That aside, Aster, why did you invite Hoshino and the others?" Clara cut straight to the point.

"I was just really interested~" Aster narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze sweeping toward Hoshino.

"I heard that when the Phoenix family was in crisis back then, Hoshino Chiyuki tead up with you, Sis, and saved the family from disaster."

Clara bead. "So you knew I hadn't seen Hoshino in a long ti and missed her dearly, and that's why you arranged the invitation on my behalf? Honestly, you've gone this far and you still say you're not a sis-con~"

"Could you please tone it down a little in front of outsiders?" Aster said helplessly.

"What's the problem? Hoshino isn't an outsider~"

Although the two weren't related by blood, their sibling-like dynamic was unexpectedly harmonious.

"So, Aster, since you specially made ti to co ho, does that an you're going to do sothing fun with your sister—sothing we haven't done in a long ti?" Clara blinked her big eyes at him expectantly.

"What do you an by 'sothing fun'? If you don't explain it properly, people will get the wrong idea, Sis. You an dueling, don't you?"

"Yep! Dueling is the most fun~ Everyone else is too weak—it just doesn't get fired up!"

The Clara who had once been completely crushed by Keith could actually say sothing like that now—and even claim that dueling professional duelists was fun. It seed that over the years, more than just her chest had grown.

—That was Hoshino's evaluation, having just been buried in Clara's embrace monts ago.

Aster replied modestly, "Everyone here is a duelist strong enough to rival . Since the opportunity is rare, shouldn't you try challenging soone else this ti, Sis?"

"You an… challenge Hoshino?" Clara waved her hand dismissively. "Don't joke around. Hoshino is the Duel King. There's no way I could beat her~"

"Then how about this one—Jaden Yuki?" Aster shifted his gaze to Jaden. "I've heard you're a HERO deck duelist like , and also a student of the Duel King. I'm very curious about your strength."

"Oh? A duel invitation?" Jaden said excitedly. "Greeting soone with a duel—now that's thrilling!"

When it ca to dueling, Jaden never turned down a challenge.

"Another HERO deck user, just like you?" Clara's interest was piqued as well. She asked Hoshino, "Is it okay, Hoshino? Let duel Jaden."

"Since both of you are up for it, I don't see why not~"

Hoshino was genuinely curious too—how far the once-naive young lady had grown.

Still, in the best-case scenario, Hoshino would have preferred to step onto the field herself. That way, she could earn a batch of Saint Quartz—at full value, no discounts.

After all, over the past few days, she had been focusing on training Zane and had earned almost nothing in Saint Quartz. After Nobunaga, there hadn't been a single good pull either. It felt as if not only her hand, but even the gacha pool itself, had been clogged by that pair of comic reliefs.

The Courtyard—

A spacious European-style garden, with plants trimd to near-artistic perfection, complented by a clear lake in the center reflecting sunlight. Just being there made one feel completely at ease.

"Are you ready, Jaden Yuki~?" Clara asked as she equipped her Duel Disk.

"I'm ready anyti!" Jaden replied, taking his Duel Disk out of his travel suitcase.

Even while traveling, he didn't forget to bring along sothing as bulky as a Duel Disk. Duelists really didn't mind the trouble.

Though, to be fair, Hoshino wasn't exactly in a position to criticize him.

"Then I'll take the first turn. Draw!"

Jaden drew his card and began the duel.

"I set Elental HERO Clayman in Defense Position!"

[Elental HERO Clayman ★★★★ (Level 4)][EARTH][Warrior][ATK 800/DEF 2000]

Using Clayman's 2000 DEF as a wall to open, Jaden set another card from his hand and ended his turn.

"My turn, then—Draw~" Clara said, drawing her card.

Hoshino analyzed, "If I rember correctly, Clara used to run a Madolche deck. Back then, it looked pretty average in terms of power, but that deck is actually very well-suited for Xyz Summoning."

"I Normal Summon Madolche Magileine in Attack Position and activate her effect!"

[Madolche Magileine ★★★★ (Level 4)][EARTH][Spellcaster/Effect][ATK 1400/DEF 1200]

[When this card is Normal or Flip Summoned: You can add 1 'Madolche' monster from your Deck to your hand.]

As expected, the cute dessert-thed little witch materialized on Clara's field. However, with only 1400 ATK, she was nowhere near enough to break through Clayman's defenses.

"With Madolche Magileine's effect, I add a Madolche monster from my Deck to my hand."

Seven years ago, a deck that was cute but completely lacking in power was sothing only a sheltered young lady like Clara would have used.

But now—things were different.

Adults… the tis have changed.

"Next, I activate the Spell Card Tribute Doll! I tribute my on-field Madolche Magileine and Special Summon a Level 7 monster from my hand!"

Slamming the card into her Duel Disk, the roar of tal machinery echoed across Clara's field.

"I Special Summon—Barrel Dragon!"

[Barrel Dragon ★★★★★★★ (Level 7)][DARK][Machine/Effect][ATK 2600/DEF 2200]

"Barrel Dragon's effect—once per turn, I can target one monster on my opponent's field and toss three coins! If at least two co up heads, that monster is destroyed!"

She tossed three coins, which landed neatly on the back of her fair hand. The entire sequence flowed smoothly, practiced and confident—she even looked rather cool doing it.

Results: Heads, Heads, Tails.

BANG—!

The revolver fired. The smoke-trailing bullet shattered Jaden's Clayman on the spot.

Adults.

This is what it ans when the tis have changed.