The Sealed Soul

"F-Father?"

Aster stared blankly at the blood-red, grotesque hero on the Field, momentarily lost in thought.

His father had been swallowed by the Destiny HERO - Plasma he had created himself? That had to be a lie.

No, it couldn't be true. How could something so absurd—

But the next moment, he saw something that shocked him beyond belief.

A human face began to emerge eerily upon one of Destiny HERO - Plasma's grotesque skeletal wings. Its features writhed, gradually forming a mouth and nose. It even wore the glasses Aster knew so well.

Though it had appeared within Destiny HERO - Plasma's body and was too dark to make out clearly, its image immediately overlapped with the figure in Aster's memories.

"Dad!?"

At that moment, Aster was nearly overwhelmed by shock. His mind simply could not comprehend such an unreasonable scene.

"Yes, your beloved father." D.D laughed loudly. "He was the first soul devoured by the Destiny HERO - Plasma he created, and he has remained trapped within that card all these years.

"Of course, he actually died long ago. What remains in Destiny HERO - Plasma is only a soul unable to find peace. Ironic, isn't it?"

Aster clenched his fists, trembling with rage.

"D.D, you piece of trash!"

Even stranger, the face on Destiny HERO - Plasma actually turned toward him, looking this way with difficulty before speaking.

"A-Aster... you've grown up..."

"Father!"

Aster nearly rushed forward, but after only a few steps, he collided with an invisible barrier and was stopped outside.

Only then did he realize that this Duel, too, transcended all reason. Some sort of barrier enveloped the combatants, preventing anyone else from entering.

All he could do was cling to the outside of the barrier and shout with all his strength, "Dad!"

"Seeing