Chapter 99

"The space of the Shadow Game has been destroyed!" After a single slash, a large rift appeared in the previously impenetrable darkness. Long-missed light poured in through the rift, and under the sunlight, the entire dark space began to crumble from the edges of the rift.

"Can you destroy the space of the Dark Game with physical force?" Yugi, well-acquainted with the concept of Shadow Games, struggled to understand what was happening before him. "The duel isn't over yet, but the Shadow Game ended prematurely. Why..."

However, the clear sound of breaking gave Yugi his final answer. On the stage, Pegasus, standing dazed, saw the golden orb of his left eye begin to crack from the middle, splitting into two halves.

.

..

…

"Impossible! The Millennium Item has been destroyed!" Far away in Egypt, Shadi suddenly awoke from meditation, his face full of disbelief. "The Millennium Eye has disappeared from this world. This has never happened in thousands of years..."

"Pharaoh, what exactly happened to you?"

Meanwhile, in the audience, another person shared a similar reaction. As the Millennium Wheel on his chest shook wildly, Bakura's expression twisted in disbelief. "Destroying a Millennium Item is unheard of. Who exactly is Chiyuki Hoshino?!"

"What happened to me?" With the destruction of the Millennium Eye, Pegasus regained his original personality and innocently looked around at the dissipating darkness and the golden fragments of the Millennium Eye continuously falling from his left eye. "Has the Shadow Game ended?"

"Yes, everything has ended, Pegasus, including the lingering regrets that have troubled you for years." Looking at the collapsing world after the old man of the mountain's slash, Hoshino smiled in relief. "Truly impressive, Gramps. No wonder you're the Grand Assassin; with a single strike, you gave the concept of death to the invincible Tiamat."

"Past valor needeth not be recounted, mine contractor."

"So, what exactly happened? What happens when a monster with 0 ATK clashes with a monster with 4000 ATK like the [Relinquished]?" With a thick-skinned attitude, Jounouchi seemed unaffected by the collapsing dark space and was more concerned about the state of the duel.

"Yes, the duel should continue." Hoshino nodded, also feeling there was no need to delay further. "Activate [Heroic Spirit – Grand Assassin Old Man of the Mountain] special effect. The controller of this card takes no damage from battles involving this card."

This was the reason Hoshino hadn't suffered any damage to her life points.

"And most crucially, when [Old Man of the Mountain] declares an attack, it negates the effects of all cards on the opponent's field!"

"Hehe, so that's your strategy, Hoshino-girl~" Pegasus chuckled, understanding Hoshino's intention. "After that slash, my [Relinquished] effect was nullified, which means it no longer poses any threat to you."

[Relinquished][ATK 4000 → 0]

With the attack nullified by the [Old Man of The Mountain] effect, the [Relinquished] lost the ATK gained from absorbing the [Mazinger Nobu]. Now, the once formidable [Relinquished] looked with terrified eyes at the giant sword of Gramps, its large body cowering in the corner of the stage.

"Haha, this monster, which was so arrogant before, now trembling to death!" Jounouchi laughed heartily, the victory assured and his spirits high.

This reaction was understandable. When Tiamat, the god who didn't understand the concept of death, felt the fear of death, her wails could be heard from the underworld to the human world. It's no wonder a duel monster would be terrified after being slashed by a Grand Assassin.

"And the most important effect of the [Old Man of the Mountain]..." From the start, Hoshino had been bragging about her gramp like a child showing off how amazing their grandparent was, her expression full of pride.

"When [Old Man of the Mountain] leaves the field, it Special Summons a genuine [Heroic Spirit – Hassan-I-Sabbah] from the Deck, hand, Graveyard, or banished zone, ignoring summoning conditions! Uh, not that I'm saying you're not genuine, Gramps..."

"Come forth, Special Summon [Heroic Spirit – Hassan-I-Sabbah]!" Excited, Hoshino watched as the field filled with the feathers of the angel of death, eagerly anticipating the arrival of a new monster.

"Hoshino-chan, there's no such card as [Heroic Spirit – Hassan-I-Sabbah] in your Deck..." Da Vinci's voice came again from the Millennium Bracelet, helpless. "Think carefully, when did you ever pull a card called [Heroic Spirit – Hassan-I-Sabbah]?"

"...." The excited smile on Hoshino's face froze, her expression becoming increasingly awkward. "It seems, indeed, I never pull it."

"And I don't even understand where you got the card [Old Man of the Mountain] from. It's not in the Heroic Spirit Deck system I designed!" Even the genius Da Vinci was now filled with confusion. "How do you know this card is in your Deck, Hoshino-chan?"

"How do I know? Just, intuition?" As her excitement subsided and she regained her composure, Hoshino astonishingly realized she had summoned a card that had never been part of her Deck.

"What is going on, Gramps..."

However, there was no sign of her 'Gramps'. On the empty stage, only the trembling [Relinquished] and the ready-to-strike Spartacus remained.

"Hehe, I see." Understanding the situation, Hoshino gave a wry smile.

"It's time to end this, Pegasus!" Pointing her right hand at her opponent, Hoshino was about to conclude her long duel in the Duelist Kingdom. "Whether or not I can summon [Heroic Spirit – Hassan-I-Sabbah] doesn't matter! Spartacus can resolve everything!"

"Ugh! Master, it's been a hard journey!" Spartacus grinned widely, wielding his large sword with strength. "Let me finish it!"

"Go, Spartacus! Now nothing can stop us from reaching victory!" Watching as Spartacus roared and charged at the enormous figure opposite him, Hoshino felt a surge of emotion.

("So this is how it ends, summoning Spartacus in attack mode!")

The first card Hoshino played in the Kingdom, [Heroic Spirit – Spartacus], was now helping her conclude her final battle there. Although it had only been two days, it felt like the most eventful and longest experience of her life.

"A journey through the Duelist Kingdom that begins and ends with Spartacus feels unexpectedly fitting!" Hoshino smiled contentedly, thinking that even if Jounouchi called Spartacus her ace/soul card now, she would gladly accept it.

"Let's end this! The rebellious morning star that illuminates the earth!!"

Pegasus J. Crawford LP: 400 → 0

"Duel over, the winner is Chiyuki Hoshino!!"

"The duel is over, and the winner is Chiyuki Hoshino!" The familiar electronic announcement marked the end of the final match of Duelist Kingdom.

"Chiyuki… she really won…" Mai, covering her mouth in excitement, could hardly believe what she was seeing.

"This is great, Hoshino won, really great." Anzu, in Mai's arms, also felt relieved upon hearing the announcement of the final victory.

"Hoshino defeated Pegasus, which means…" Jounouchi and Honda exchanged a knowing glance and then put their shoulders together, "It means Hoshino is now the Duel King!"

"The Duel King… Hoshino, you finally did it~" Yami Yugi, showing a satisfied smile, unconsciously returned control of the body to Yugi.

"Oh ho ho, I lost completely, Hoshino-girl. You played perfectly~" Pegasus admitted his defeat gracefully and didn't seem troubled by losing the Millennium Eye. On the contrary, he seemed relieved.

"Pegasus, since Hoshino won, what about Grandpa and the Kaiba brothers' souls?" Yugi reminded Pegasus loudly from the audience, as this was their primary reason for coming to the Duelist Kingdom.

"Ho ho, don't worry, Yugi-boy." Pegasus, looking up at Yugi, pulled out three cards marked with "Soul Prison." "The moment the Millennium Eye was destroyed, the power imprisoning the souls disappeared."

Sure enough, the cards that were supposed to contain the souls of Sugoroku Mutou and the Kaiba brothers were now empty. "The souls are already returning to where they belong."

"Then Grandpa's soul is also…"

"Yugi~" A familiar, elderly voice came from behind Yugi.

"Grandpa!" For Yugi, this was undoubtedly the most familiar and desired voice.

The translucent soul of Sugoroku Mutou stood behind them with a kind smile, "Yugi, you and your friends have worked hard these past few days. You've done an amazing job, and I'm so proud of you!"

"Grandpa…" Yugi, scratching his head in embarrassment, looked apologetically at Sugoroku, "It wasn't me who defeated Pegasus in the end."

"Oh ho ho~" Sugoroku, with his hands behind his back, chuckled, "Grandpa saw everything. Although it was Hoshino who dueled Pegasus in the end, her victory was also thanks to the power of friendship among all of you. Through the power of friendship, you put your hearts into the cards and conveyed your strength. You are all excellent duelists!"

"By the way, she's Grandpa's lifesaver. Such a wonderful girl, we must invite her to the toy shop after we return. I want to show her my collection of Blue-Eyes White Dragons~"

"Invite Hoshino to our house…" For some reason, Yugi's face showed a slight blush at his grandpa's suggestion.

"And, though it should be fine, you should hurry and check on your friends…" Sugoroku's last words faded as his soul slowly disappeared.

"Grandpa, has he been… put to rest?" Jounouchi exclaimed, not thinking before he spoke, as Sugoroku's soul vanished.

"Jounouchi, are you an idiot? Of course, his soul is returning to Grandpa's body at Yugi's house!" Honda retorted, hitting Jounouchi's head.

"But Grandpa's last words…"

"Chiyuki!" Mai's sudden concerned shout drew everyone's attention back to the arena.

After the duel ended, Hoshino hadn't said a word. Everyone thought she was just too emotional from winning and needed time to calm down. But, unexpectedly, just as Yugi was saying goodbye to his grandpa's soul, Hoshino suddenly collapsed without warning.

"Hoshino!!"

...

In her unconscious state, Hoshino seemed to be watching a series of memories flash by.

Of course, they were not her own.

My young mind was severely shocked.

"This is my friend's daughter, Cynthia. She's the same age as you. I'm sure you two will become the best of friends, just like your fathers, hahaha!" My father's hearty laughter as he patted the golden-haired girl named Cynthia on the head was the only thing I heard clearly. After that, the conversation between my father and his friend about 'staying over, trouble, bankruptcy' and such complex words seemed blocked from my mind, making no sense.

The girl in front of me, Cynthia, was just too beautiful. Her porcelain doll-like face, her golden hair shining under the sun, and those eyes that almost seemed to pull my soul in—everything about her was so elegant and graceful. At that moment, I thought that being friends with such a lovely girl made me the luckiest boy in the world.

"H-Hello! My name is…" Determined to make a perfect introduction like a true gentleman, I started to speak.

"Bah!!" I was stunned when Cynthia made a vulgar face, something I never expected from such an elegant girl.

"I hate you rich kids. You all think you're so great!"

That was my first encounter with Cynthia.

Later, I learned that Cynthia's father was an old friend of my father. But recently, Cynthia's father had some business troubles, and her parents had to leave for a while, so they asked my father to take care of Cynthia temporarily.

My father was more than happy to help; after all, we had plenty of rooms, and they could always stay at the villa if needed. So, Cynthia came to stay with us.

Naturally, I was the happiest about Cynthia staying at our house. Even though my first introduction failed, I thought I could still restore my gentlemanly image in her mind and become good friends.

However, things didn't go smoothly. Cynthia, who seemed obedient and well-behaved in front of adults, was completely different around me. She played pranks on me constantly.

If my shoes or hat went missing, it meant Cynthia was in a good mood that day, satisfied with such a small prank.

Eventually, I got used to finding frogs in my cup or skewered dragonflies in the oven.

I thought these little pranks were just Cynthia's way of coping with an unfamiliar environment. After all, not everyone can easily adjust to a new life. I didn't blame her at all because cuteness is justice.

"Pegasus, Are you a boy? Hahahaha~" As long as I could see Cynthia's bright smile after a successful prank and hear her clear, bell-like laughter, I felt that a little scare was well worth it.

Until she sank the pendant my mother left me into the pond…

I finally realized I shouldn't tolerate such rude behavior from her.

Angry, I ignored Cynthia for several days, no matter what pranks she played on me.

Cynthia seemed to sense my mood and stopped smiling brightly.

Surprisingly, there were no more pranks in the following days, which I found somewhat unsettling. Cynthia spent her free time playing alone in the backyard, and my life seemed to return to how it was before she arrived.

"Well, that's not so bad~," I thought, rocking in my chair and flipping through my favorite comic book, "At least I still have my manga to keep me company. Nothing makes me happier than an interesting manga."

But I knew I was lying to myself; I couldn't focus on the interesting manga in my hands at all. My mind was completely preoccupied with what Cynthia might be doing right now.

This anxious state continued for several days until I couldn't bear it any longer. I made the most important decision of my life: "No, I have to make up with Cynthia!"

At this time, Cynthia must still be playing in the backyard. I honestly didn't know what was so fun about that insect-ridden place, but I ran out without hesitation.

Then, at the corner of the corridor, I was knocked down by Cynthia, who was also running…

Damn, how embarrassing for a boy.

A flustered Cynthia helped me up from the ground. To be honest, it was the first time I saw Cynthia looking so worried about me, with an expression that was both hesitant and adorable. If I could see such a cute expression every time, she could knock me over as much as she liked.

"Pegasus…" Cynthia finally spoke, as if she had made up her mind. It was the first time she called my name directly, without adding "you jerk" afterward.

"Here, this is for you…" For the first time, I saw Cynthia looking so shy, so much so that I hadn't noticed what she was holding in her small hands.

"This is… my mother's pendant!" What delighted me even more than Cynthia's behavior was the recovery of my mother's heirloom.

"But it sank into the pond, didn't it? How…" My mind, like a manga detective, suddenly pieced together the whole story, "So you've been in the backyard every day, looking for this."

The water in the backyard pond wasn't deep, just barely reaching Cynthia's thighs. However, the thick mud at the bottom made it difficult to retrieve anything once it sank.

"Yes!" Cynthia nodded emphatically and handed the pendant to me. The moment my hand touched Cynthia's, I felt something awaken within me; it was the first time I had touched a girl's hand. "So soft… This is what a girl's hand feels like."

My mind couldn't help but conjure up an image of Cynthia rolling up her pant legs and sleeves, revealing her slender white legs, and bending over to search in the pond…

Naturally, Cynthia and I made up, and our relationship grew even closer.

I lost something called Cynthia's Pranks, but I gained a friend named Cynthia. She would take me to play in the backyard, a place I had never liked going. But for some reason, being with Cynthia felt like discovering a new world, and every day was filled with new and exciting discoveries.

After we got tired of playing, I would politely invite Cynthia to my room to read my treasured manga. At first, Cynthia, like me with the backyard, had no interest in the seemingly childish manga.

But I have to admit, we both found ourselves liking them eventually.

Cynthia's parents never came to pick her up, but every season they sent letters of greeting and specialties from around the world. This made me wonder if they were avoiding debt or traveling the world.

I wasn't interested in Cynthia's parents' letters, nor did I want them to come and take her away. However, the various exotic souvenirs fascinated me.

Sometimes it was a carved wooden elephant, jewelry with golden eyes.

"So the world is this big!" Every time I saw something representing a place, I couldn't help but sigh.

"Why, Pegasus, do you want to be an explorer in the future?" Cynthia teased as she lay on my bed, holding up a comic book, "I think you'd be better off sticking to your dream of becoming a mangaka. After all, you're quite timid~"

"Hehe, you're right." I would quickly back down at times like these. Before Cynthia arrived, I hadn't even been willing to explore the backyard, let alone the world.

Time flew by, and Cynthia's parents never returned. Instead, my father said it was time for us to go to school.

So Cynthia and I went to a prestigious private school.

I didn't like school. Cynthia was very popular; she was beautiful, brave, smart, and practically everyone's idol, always surrounded by friends.

I should have been Cynthia's only friend!

But my situation at school was the opposite of Cynthia's. I had few friends. The other kids called me a sissy, though I didn't understand what that meant. During boring breaks, I would sit alone, flipping through the latest manga, waiting for Cynthia to remember me among her many friends and say a word or two to me.

Thankfully, our private school had weekends off. Saturdays and Sundays were my favorite days, not because there were no classes but because I could spend time with Cynthia again. Although Cynthia was sometimes invited out by her friends, most of the time, things were as usual.

Until we learned from my father that Cynthia's parents had died in an accident.

Honestly, while I never wanted Cynthia's parents to take her away, I didn't wish for it to happen this way. Seeing Cynthia devastated broke my heart.

I started trying to cheer Cynthia up, using all the funny things I had seen in the manga, just hoping she would find her smile again.

I knew that even if I didn't do anything, time would eventually ease the pain. But I couldn't allow myself to do anything when Cynthia was at her most vulnerable. Perhaps, in the eyes of others, my clownish behavior was laughable, but it was all I could do for Cynthia.

"Haha, Pegasus, what kind of accent is that? It's hilarious." Finally, I saw Cynthia's smile again.

"Really? Cynthia-girl has a strange sense of humor~" I used a villain's catchphrase from a manga I had read, successfully making Cynthia laugh.

"Pegasus, will you stay with me forever?" After laughing, Cynthia suddenly asked an unexpected question.

"Of course, I'd be delighted!" I didn't hesitate for a second; it was probably the quickest answer I had ever given in my life.

Life seemed to return to normal afterward, except that Cynthia wasn't as cheerful as before. Perhaps because of her more subdued demeanor, Cynthia interacted less with her friends at school. On most lunch breaks, she would bring her chair over to my side to eat with me, or she would sit backward in the seat in front of me, staring at my face thoughtfully.

And so it went, from elementary school to middle school, university, and finally…

"Mr. Pegasus, do you take Miss Cynthia to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do!"

"Miss Cynthia…"

"I do!"

That was probably the happiest day of my life; I felt like my life was complete.

At that time, I never imagined Cynthia would suddenly leave me.

Watching Cynthia, weak on her hospital bed, I was heartbroken. I felt the same pain Cynthia must have felt when she lost her parents, but there was no one left in the world who could fully comfort me.

"Son, are you really going?" My father didn't want me to take such a risk. "This kind of thing, defying science and nature, is impossible."

But I was determined. I had heard that Egypt had a way to bring people back to life. I had to find it, even if it took me my entire life. I had to see Cynthia again.

I became an explorer, searching Egypt's tombs and ruins. Sometimes I would think back to when Cynthia and I talked about our dreams as children and look to the sky, mocking myself: "Cynthia, even timid me has become an explorer now."

Eventually, I met a man named 'Shadi,' the one who gave me the Millennium Eye and guided me to create the Duel Monsters card game. The moment the Millennium Eye merged with my body, I saw Cynthia's spirit for the last time. Although it was only a fleeting moment, it was the image that haunted my dreams for years.

But a moment wasn't enough. I wanted more; I wanted to see Cynthia's beautiful face again.

So, to see Cynthia again, I sold my soul to the devil. If I could obtain the most advanced device from the Kaiba Corporation, I could bring Cynthia back to life, just like the Duel Monsters cards.

Then I met a girl named Hoshino Chiyuki. Under her use of the holographic projection device, each monster was lifelike, even capable of conversation. If I could get her help, I could see Cynthia, perfectly revived, and express the feelings I had held for over ten years…

(*****)

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