Heroic Spirit Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh!

After a simple ritual, Marlene respectfully placed Sid's body into the stone coffin within the tomb.

"Sid, you're really lucky, huh? Eternal rest in a pyramid—now that's a privilege usually reserved for Pharaohs~"

"Marlene, are you okay?"

Though she sounded like she was joking, Hoshino Alter could sense the subtle shift in her tone. After all, losing a comrade you've endured hardships with is bound to weigh heavily on the heart.

"I'm fine. Working as a bounty hunter in a line of work this dangerous... you kind of get used to this stuff."

Marlene's answer—more of a question, really—sounded like she was trying to convince herself.

"The only regret is Sid... He kept saying that once this job was done, he'd go back and have a drink. But now, he'll never get the chance."

So Sid had been setting up death flags the whole time... And not even the classic "one last job" or "going home to get married"—he died over something as simple as wanting to have a drink. What a waste.

On the way back, the group encountered no obstacles. Most of the traps had already been destroyed by Marlene during their entry, so they exited the pyramid without issue.

Outside the tomb, Marlene informed Bruce—who had been waiting patiently—of Sid's death. She felt a small wave of relief that Bakura, who had fled earlier, hadn't harmed Bruce.

"I see..." The kind-hearted Bruce didn't show much emotion. He simply handed out the breakfast Marlene had asked him to prepare.

Though, it was still far too early to be eating breakfast.

"So, Nitocris, are you coming with us too?"

Hoshino Alter, chewing on some bread, turned to Nitocris—who had inherited Sid's rations… or rather, the rations had been claimed by the creature in her arms, Medjed.

Where had this little thing come from anyway? It had mysteriously appeared in Nitocris's arms after they left the pyramid.

Even though Medjed looked ridiculous, it was technically an Egyptian deity. Its true nature was shrouded in mystery, and Hoshino Alter's gut told her it was better not to ask too many questions.

"Of course. As a guardian of the Pharaoh, I must retrieve the remains of King Aknamkanon. But more importantly, I'm responsible for protecting the Master who was inexplicably transported to this era!"

Nitocris answered seriously, eyes filled with determination. But with Medjed chomping bread in her arms, it was hard to take her entirely seriously.

"If that's the case... then can I come with you guys too?"

Marlene suddenly spoke up, her tone earnest. "Since the client's target body was stolen, this bounty mission is effectively a failure."

"Usually, I can accept failed jobs. But this time... not with him. That thief king—I won't let him off. I'll avenge Sid with my own hands!"

She gripped the dagger at her waist tightly, her eyes burning with frustration.

"But on my own, I don't stand a chance. Forget his combat skills—if he summons a spirit monster, I wouldn't last a second. So since our goals align, please let me join you!"

"If Marlene's coming, then that's even better!"

Hoshino Alter welcomed her gladly. With her combat skills, Marlene wouldn't be a burden even without a spirit monster. In fact, her connections and experience might prove to be a key asset down the line.

"Well then, our first goal is to get out of the desert—let's move out!"

[Nitocris has joined the party]

[Marlene has joined the party]

(****)

Meanwhile, back at the palace...

"Found you, Prince—!"

Out of nowhere, a girl popped out of a barrel and swiftly wrapped her legs around Yugi, locking him in a tight hold. In a flash, she had "captured" Yugi, rendering him immobile.

The sudden assault left Hoshino dumbfounded. The first thought that popped into her head was...

"Guards! Assassin! Someone's trying to assassinate the Pharaoh!"

"Pfft! Who are you calling an assassin? I'm Mana, and I'm definitely not an assassin!"

The dark-skinned girl pouted and stuck out her tongue at Hoshino, still clinging to Yugi like a monkey.

"Besides, I've frozen all the palace guards with magic. So even if you scream your lungs out, no one's coming~"

...You froze the royal guards with magic and then ambushed Yugi—and you say you're not an assassin?

But looking closely, Hoshino couldn't help but feel a strange mix of familiarity and charm from the cute girl's face.

"Mana... Are you Mana?" Yugi, still trapped between her soft thighs, recalled something Mahad had warned him about before they left:

("Since you're bringing your friend to tour the palace, please—whatever you do—be careful not to run into Mana…")

Unfortunately, even after hearing the girl's name, Yugi still couldn't make sense of his chaotic memories.

Who was Mana? What was her relationship to him? Why had Mahad warned him about her?

Reluctantly loosening the grip of her legs around Yugi, Mana looked up at him, eyes filled with confusion.

"Did you hit your head or something, Prince? You look like you don't even remember your childhood friend."

Yugi scratched his head awkwardly. Up until now, the priests had all treated him with such reverence that no one had dared to question him—so his memory issues had gone unnoticed. But this suddenly-appearing childhood friend didn't seem so easy to fool.

"Childhood friend?!" Hoshino exclaimed. "I didn't expect you, of all people, to have such an adorable childhood friend, Yugi. I'm so jealous!"

Originally hiding in the barrel to surprise Yugi, Mana now noticed that he wasn't alone—beside him stood a girl around her own age.

"And you are?"

Her bright eyes scanned up and down. Mana quickly realized the girl in front of her was incredibly cute. For some reason, a tinge of hostility bubbled up inside her.

"An outsider? A witch? Did you steal the Prince's memories of Mana?! GUARDS! An assassin! Someone's trying to assassinate the Pharaoh!"

Wait—isn't that my line?

And didn't you just say you froze all the palace guards with magic, so yelling for help was useless? Now you're shouting for guards?

There were so many contradictions, Hoshino didn't even know where to start. She just twitched slightly at the corner of her mouth.

Yugi spoke seriously. "Mana, that's enough. Hoshino is my guest."

It was like lightning had struck her. Mana's eyes went blank, her pupils losing focus as she muttered to herself,

"The Prince... he spoke up for another woman. He even scolded Mana for her..."

"Ma... Mana?"

Yugi looked panicked. For a brief moment, he understood exactly why Mahad had warned him—but it was already too late.

From who-knows-where, Mana pulled out a thick grimoire and slammed it onto the Pharaoh's head.

"You idiot, Prince! Just because someone's a little cuter, you're going to abandon your childhood friend who's been with you all this time learning magic?! You dummy, dummy!"

Ah yes, the weight of knowledge truly is heavy.

With stars sparkling before his eyes, Yugi nearly cried from the pain of being hit by that grimoire.

...Is she really not an assassin?

Seeing that Yugi couldn't handle this girl at all, Hoshino reluctantly stepped in.

"Mana... Yugi just finished his coronation ceremony today. He's probably just exhausted. Let him rest for a night—he'll be back to normal by tomorrow."

Whether or not that was true didn't matter. What mattered was getting through the situation for now.

"Hmph... how calm you are," Mana muttered, shifting her gaze back to Hoshino.

"Is this what they mean by the composure of a 'falling-from-the-sky' heroine? But don't get too cocky—do you really think those types always win against childhood friends? In this country, people with darker skin are way more popular!"

Emiya and Chloe quietly gave her a thumbs-up.

Darius III: "Out of the way, amateurs. Let me handle this."

Even though she hadn't been whacked with the grimoire, Hoshino felt just as much of a headache as Yugi. This childhood friend was seriously tough to deal with... and she clearly misunderstood something important.

"That's enough, Mana!"

A low, commanding voice suddenly cut through the tension—like salvation itself.

"Mahad!" Yugi, grabbing onto his lifeline, looked at him with deep gratitude.

Truly, everyone has their counter. Even the wild Mana—fearless before Yugi—stiffened the moment she heard Mahad's voice.

"M-Master?! What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you. I explicitly told the guards not to let you disrupt the coronation, Mana. How did you get in here?"

Hoshino suddenly understood. So that's why she used magic to freeze the palace guards and sneak in!

"You didn't do anything inappropriate to the Pharaoh's guest, did you? If you did, I'll have you copy the entire magic tome by hand!"

As expected of her master, Mahad had Mana—who had been completely out of control a moment ago—tamed in an instant.

Poking her cheek with a finger, Mana tried to act cute. "N-Nope! Mana would never do something rude to the Prince's guest, Master~"

Off to the side, Hoshino's lips twitched.

If we're talking about being rude, it's true she didn't do anything to me...

But beating the newly crowned Pharaoh over the head with a magic book? Let's just... not mention that.

Seems like the Pharaoh doesn't plan to report it either.

Mahad sighed quietly. He knew Mana's personality all too well. Since neither the Pharaoh nor Hoshino seemed intent on pursuing the matter, he decided to let it go.

"I'll say this, Mana. You need to stop calling him 'Prince.' From today forward, he is the Pharaoh—the ruler of this land."

"I've been calling him that for over ten years! It's hard to change~" Mana pouted, drawing circles on the ground with her toe.

"Besides, 'Prince' is Mana's special, exclusive nickname. You can't let that 'fall-from-the-sky' girl have all the privileges!"

Hoshino pointed to herself, confused. "Wait, am I the 'fall-from-the-sky' girl...? I don't even have a special nickname for him."

Mana puffed out her cheeks again. "That's exactly it! What do you mean by just 'Yugi'? That sounds so close and cozy!"

It finally hit Hoshino—back in her world, everyone casually called him Yugi, but here, she seemed to be the only one doing so.

Should I start calling him 'Pharaoh' now?

That felt... awkward. After all, she called other pharaohs like Ozy by name.

"Hmm? By the way, Yugi—what's your name in this world?"

Realizing the issue, Hoshino asked.

Yugi had been seeking his true name by gathering the Egyptian God Cards. But now that he was back in this era, surely his priests would know it?

"My true name?"

Yugi's eyes widened slightly. Her question reminded him that this was the perfect opportunity to reclaim his name. He turned to Mahad.

"Mahad, could you tell Hoshino my name?"

A smooth move—this way, he wouldn't have to admit he'd forgotten it. And by not saying it directly, he maintained the majestic air of a Pharaoh while showing trust in his loyal servant.

"The Pharaoh's true name..."

Suddenly tasked with such a serious declaration, Mahad's expression turned solemn as he looked at Hoshino.

"The Pharaoh's true name is the one passed down from the former king, Aknamkanon—it is... @#*-^°∆."

Are you kidding me?!

Everything was perfectly normal until Mahad actually said the name.

But at that exact moment, the sound became distorted—Hoshino couldn't hear it at all.

Glancing at Yugi's equally dumbfounded expression, Hoshino realized he must've heard the same thing.

And since neither Mahad nor Mana seemed to notice anything strange, that meant only she and Yugi were unable to hear the true name.

This bizarre event—alongside the image of the broken pyramid floating in the sky—made Hoshino question the very reality of this world.

Did she simply travel through time?

Or was this an alternate world shaped by some unknown power, eerily similar to the real one?

Exchanging glances with Yugi, they silently agreed not to let anyone else know about this—at least for now.

"I see," Hoshino said, pretending she had heard the name. "But I still think calling you Yugi feels more natural. Is that okay?"

Yugi nodded slightly.

"Then I want to keep calling you Prince too! Is that okay?"

Glancing at the heavy grimoire still in Mana's hands, Yugi nodded rapidly.

That stark contrast made Mana puff out her chest in triumph, feeling like she'd just won a major battle.

Did you really win?

No.

The power of knowledge won.

(*****)

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