NOVPUB"If what you say is true, Ishizu, and there are three Evil God cards, then it's very likely that the other two cardholders will come to participate in this Battle City," Hoshino muttered thoughtfully, staring at the Evil God card in her hand.
"But the Evil God attached to the card should have already been destroyed by Altera. The ominous aura that originally radiated from the card has vanished. From what I can tell, this is just a rare card now."
"Is the God card really afraid of the Evil God card? Or is there another reason?"
Hoshino felt a headache coming on as she realized that, since arriving in this world, her deductive abilities were nearing Sherlock Holmes' level.
"Speaking of which, I haven't seen Mr. Holmes in a while. That unreliable detective—Da Vinci personally sent him to help me, and yet he's been slacking off recently. I should report him to Da Vinci!"
"Hmph, the Evil God card, huh? How interesting," Kaiba said, clearly pleased. "I thought I could only reel in the three Egyptian Gods, but now there are also three Evil Gods. What a big catch."
With Kaiba's wealth, only cards with mythic rarity—cards that existed only in legend—could truly capture his full interest.
"The three Evil Gods that can suppress the three Egyptian Gods, huh? These cards, which shouldn't exist in this world, appearing now must mean something," Yugi (Yami) muttered, frowning. He didn't believe the appearance of the Egyptian Gods and Evil Gods was merely a coincidence. "Perhaps this could be the key to retrieving my lost memories."
…
Without speaking, the trio left the Egyptian relic exhibition hall, each immersed in their own thought's
(***)
At Kame Game Shop, in Hoshino's room—
It was another quiet night. Hoshino had been in this world for quite some time now and was gradually getting used to it.
At first, there had been a sense of loneliness, like being in a foreign land, but with the friendship of her companions, she slowly integrated into this world.
Sometimes, lying alone in her room, Hoshino would wonder: was life in her original world really better than this?
"Darn it, I lost!"
[Duelist Level Evaluation Complete: Duelist Level E. Reward: 5 Saint Quartz. Total Saint Quartz: 32.]
"Yosh, that's six in a row. I've almost got enough for another ten-pull!" Hoshino grinned, practically counting her rewards like money.
"Anyone else want to challenge me? Today, the Duel King herself is taking on all comers. Don't miss your chance!"
"Me, Hoshino-nee! I want to duel too!"
"I'm in! I won't lose this time!"
"Sorry, losers can't go again." After all, there's no more quartz left to earn.
"I'm so glad business is booming today!" Anzu, watching the lively scene from inside the shop, was genuinely happy for Yugi and his grandpa, especially after yesterday's poor turnout.
"Well, after what happened yesterday, it's no surprise. Devlin's toy store probably won't have much business for a while." The kind-hearted Yugi was still worried about his competitor, despite everything.
The Shadow Game that had trapped customers in terror yesterday had spread like wildfire, and now the whole city of Domino was abuzz with the news.
With rumors swirling about the scary toy store, not many people dared to go there anymore. Especially those who had been trapped in the game—they likely wouldn't return for the rest of their lives.
"Hmph, he brought that upon himself!" Jonouchi, still holding a grudge, sneered at the mere mention of Devlin's name.
"By the way, don't you have cram school today, Jonouchi? Didn't you say it was a week-long course?" Honda asked, curious why Jonouchi was standing there instead of studying.
"Of course, I skipped it. It's just self-study, no teachers around. What's the point of going?"
"Go on, Boss! Use Iron Fist of Justice!" Hoshino's commands once again left no mercy as she ordered a finishing blow.
"Who are you calling 'boss'?" Martha grumbled, unwillingly raising her gauntlet.
"Who would've thought I'd end up using my fists on such kids!"
"Make sure to go easy on him, Tarasque!"
Roar! Tarasque, happy to know he wouldn't get hurt today, laughed cheerfully.
"Here comes the gentle version—Iron! Fist! Of! Justice!"
[Duelist Level Evaluation Complete: Duelist Akari. Duelist Level E. Reward: 5 Saint Quartz. Total Saint Quartz: 37.]
"Not bad! Let's keep it going!"
"What is she even doing?" Jonouchi couldn't help but comment, his face twitching as he watched Hoshino mercilessly take down one kid after another.
"Hoshino said she was grinding, but… I'm not sure what exactly," Yugi scratched his head awkwardly, equally clueless.
"Damn it, if she needs a practice partner, she should come after me, Jonouchi-sama, instead of those kids!" Jonouchi flexed, clearly eager to duel her himself.
"There's my loyal dog, Jonouchi!" Hoshino called out playfully, referring to their one-week master-dog contract. "But you can sit this one out!"
"Alright…"
"That's another victory down. Arash, Stella!"
[Total Saint Quartz: 42.]
(*****)
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