The battle was over—but the cost was high. Craters marred the academy's once-pristine grounds. The dorms had suffered minor damage, and many students were in shock. Duel spirits still shimmered faintly in the air, dissipating as balance slowly returned.
Reina and Kael were moved to the infirmary under heavy spiritual protection. Their life signs were stable, but their minds remained in flux. Nurse Fontaine, aided by Spirit Healers from the Duel Monster realm, tended to their comatose states.
Meanwhile, Chancellor Sheppard held an emergency summit. He summoned all available duel spirits and enlisted security measures from across the world. The three Sigils—now inert but dangerous—were sealed in a reinforced vault beneath the school, bound by seven magical locks, each representing a different monster attribute. Pegasus himself sent warding talismans from Industrial Illusions to help.
Above it all, Kaito watched from the rooftop of the Obelisk Blue dorm. He could still feel the tremor in the air, the resonance of something greater. His Azure Monarch card hummed softly in his Duel Disk, a constant reminder of what had awakened.
Jaden joined him, his usual playful demeanor subdued. "It's over, right?"
Kaito shook his head. "No. This was just the first wave. Kael wasn't acting alone."
A gust of wind passed between them as Zane and Bastion arrived, each carrying reports from the academy's research division.
"We've analyzed the energy Kael used," Bastion began. "It doesn't match any known Shadow magic or Duel Energy signature. It's older—primal, unclassified. Prehistoric even."
"Like it came from outside this world," Zane added, arms crossed. "Something beyond Duel Spirits."
Kaito's eyes narrowed. "Then we need to be ready for what comes next."
They descended to the courtyard, where Alexis stood beside Syrus and Hassleberry. The three were organizing students into recovery groups and comfort teams. The Obelisk and Ra dorms were slowly returning to normal, but unease still lingered.
"Whatever happens," Alexis said with quiet resolve, "we'll face it together."
Kaito met her gaze, the strength in her words anchoring him. "Yeah. Together."
That night, Kaito entered a deep meditation in his dorm, lighting incense given to him by Winged Kuriboh. The Azure Monarch card glowed faintly, bathing the room in soft blue light. Within the trance, he saw a vision—a shadowed realm filled with distorted duel spirits and a throne made of broken, floating cards.
A deep voice echoed within him: "He is watching. The true enemy waits."
Kaito opened his eyes, heart pounding. There was no mistaking it. Someone—or something—was orchestrating these events from behind the veil of the spirit world.
Across the globe, buried in the ruins of an ancient dueling kingdom lost to time, a cloaked figure stood before a mirror of obsidian glass. Runes flickered around him as the mirror shimmered.
"The Monarch awakens," he hissed with satisfaction. "Then the time has come to summon my champion."
From the shadows, a figure stepped forward—tall, cloaked, face hidden beneath a hood, but eyes glowing with violet fire. Dark cards spiraled around his form, each whispering forbidden names.
"The war for the spirit realms begins now," the cloaked figure declared. "And Duel Academy will be the first battleground."
Back at the academy, Kaito stared out his window at the dark sky, unaware of the storm on the horizon. But he would be ready.