Allied Hangar

The Princeton Group wasn't using Duel Academy's portal. Instead, they brought their own dimensional gate.

Suspended by four helicopters with steel cables, a massive metallic dimensional gate was transported overseas to the academy's remote island.

Amid a chorus of astonished students, with a loud thud, the gate landed in a clearing on Academy Island.

Then Chazz Princeton's eldest brother descended along the rope.

"Huh? Chazz's brother is that impressive?" Syrus asked in surprise.

"They're amateurs," Chazz said with his head down.

"Even non-Duelists can move like that?" Jaden remarked.

"Alright, Chazz, get up here already."

"Slade-nii, you're going too?" Chazz looked uneasy. "That's not a place for outsiders."

"Hahaha! You really are dead last, Chazz," Slade laughed. "While you've been playing Duel Academy dress-up with kids, we at Princeton Group have enhanced our portal tech. Now, even ordinary people without spirit power can travel to other dimensions via transport pods!"

As he spoke, several staff members pushed a large, sheet-covered object to the portal's front. With a dramatic tug, Slade unveiled a shining white transport capsule.

"No way, even regular people can use it?"

"The Princeton Group is really that advanced?"

Chazz stared at the pod, then slowly nodded.

"So what's this duel all about?" One of the students, after the initial excitement, asked aloud.

Hikaru and his group already knew, but hadn't spread the word, so most of the crowd was still confused.

"Heard the Academy owes some company money. The debt collector's here."

"Eh?? For real???"

"Apparently, if Chazz loses, the Academy goes to that company."

"No way!"

Slade ignored the students and crossed his arms, glaring at Chazz. "The Princeton Group is a conglomerate that aims to dominate business, politics, and Duel Monsters! Your brothers have achieved greatness in their fields. Chazz, why are you still like this?!

We invested in you for years, helped you enter countless tournaments, yet here you are wasting time at some mystery school over some prideful nonsense!"

He snapped his fingers. "If you lose today, you'll become the principal of Duel Academy. Then we'll immediately fire you and launch you as the world's number one entertainment duelist!"

Hikaru shivered instinctively.

"Hey! That's too far, even for Chazz's brother!" Jaden stepped forward. "Chazz is a proud duelist! You can't just force his future! Even if you're family—"

"Hmph. That man already said it."

Slade sneered, recalling a conversation with Seto Kaiba at KaibaCorp about Duel Academy's ownership.

"Chazz? Whatever. Decide for yourselves. Whether it's entertainment, performance, or pro dueling, I don't care.

If you're a duelist, settle it with a duel."

He echoed Kaiba's words, raising his hand with a grin. "That's what he said."

"Ah..." Jaden deflated.

Other students and friends who had wanted to defend Chazz now found themselves silenced. When both brother and principal agreed, neither of them had the right to interfere.

Only Chazz could speak now.

"It's fine, Jaden. Don't say anything." Chazz remained calm. "It's okay. I'll prove the pride of Chazz Princeton!

I'll protect this school and my future myself!"

Wow, Chazz was actually cool.

Slade chuckled and clapped, signaling his team to start prepping the transmission and streaming equipment.

Right then, he noticed Hikaru standing nearby.

"Ah, you're that student who won in Neo Domino City, right?" Slade recognized Hikaru.

Hikaru nodded.

"Top of your class, famous worldwide already. Interested in joining Princeton Group?"

Hikaru shook his head.

Slade didn't mind. He turned back to Chazz. "Don't think having the strongest classmate at your side guarantees anything. Our agreement with KaibaCorp permits only you to duel."

Chazz nodded. "I remember, Slade-nii."

"Good."

He then resumed rallying the crew. Not only would he go himself, but camera crews had to be dispatched to that dimension—It all required time.

Which gave Hikaru a few moments to talk to Chazz.

"Our group shouldn't be able to make something like that," Chazz said cryptically, glancing at the pod. "Princeton Group's goal is to dominate business, politics, and dueling.

We don't do scientific research. We don't even have a dedicated R&D department."

Hikaru raised an eyebrow.

"Recently, those investigators told me they might stop," Chazz spoke softly. "Because they found out that the professor had ties to us."

He meant the men Kaiba had dispatched. They had discovered that Leo Akaba had once visited the dimension Chazz was heading to. Because of that, they backed off—this implied a partnership between Princeton Group and Leo Akaba.

In that case, everything depended on Chazz's decision.

"So that's what you meant yesterday," Hikaru murmured.

Leo Akaba was a notorious schemer. In a world brimming with treasure and talent, it wasn't strange for him to seek partnerships.

This wasn't the barren Fusion Dimension from Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V. Here, there were plenty of troublemakers.

"Honestly, yesterday I thought this was about the portal. But seeing that pod today. I'm starting to doubt their intentions."

"A dimensional transfer system that even ordinary non-duelists without spirit power can use… what are they planning?" Chazz's voice brimmed with concern.

Hikaru shrugged.

"Hikaru."

"Yeah?"

"I want to become president of the Princeton Group!"

Hikaru blinked.

"Just like my mentor, I'll become the president!"

'Whoa!' Hikaru thought he had already seen Chazz as formidable, though unmistakably, he'd underestimated him.

"I suspect my brothers and Professor Akaba are hiding something in that dimension. Hikaru, can I count on you to check it out when we get there?"

Hikaru finally understood why he'd been chosen.

Of everyone, Jaden was indeed closer to Chazz, since they had even traveled through dimensions together this semester.

That said, if tag dueling was banned, Hikaru couldn't participate anyway.

Yet there were some things only Hikaru could do.

"Let's confirm this. Are you really going solo? It's an unknown dimension, and your monsters can't exceed 500 ATK."

"A true duelist knows no fear!" Though sweating slightly, Chazz's eyes burned with determination.

"Big bro, you're so cool!"

Just as Hikaru felt like clapping, three odd-looking little creatures popped up beside them — yellow, green, and black, each wearing only underpants, clinging to Chazz in excitement.

"Uhh..." Hikaru froze.

He knew this would happen eventually, but seeing it for real still made it hard to keep a straight face.

"Shut up, you're so annoying—" Chazz flailed, sending the three spirits flying.

"What's Chazz doing?" Syrus asked from a distance.

"Umm..." Jaden stared at the flying creatures, unsure how to explain.

After bickering with the spirits for a while, Chazz finally tucked his cards away and loudly declared, "I investigated! There's a dry well in the corner of the island where old students dump cards. I went there and picked out a bunch of trash cards!"

"Big bro, don't call us trash~"

"Yeah, seriously."

Hikaru looked away, watching the Princeton crew set up filming equipment and install the pod.

"Hey! You too?! Why are you turning away?!"

While Chazz wrestled his deck, Slade's team finished preparations. Watching his little brother flail about like a fool, Slade shook his head.

When would this useless kid ever grow up?

"Alright, Chazz! Enough nonsense!"

"Prepare the transfer!"

"Destination—Allied Union Hangar!"