"Battle, Elemental HERO Great Tornado, attack!"

  "Waahhh——!"

  "We won, that was an interesting duel!"

  The strong wind blew, and the 3D holograms on the battlefield gradually faded.

  Bastion didn't have the hard-fought battle with Jaden like in the original and was defeated by Jaden in just three rounds with a powerful new card he obtained from another dimension.

  'So that winged guy evolved into the Elemental HERO Great Tornado in another space?' Hmm… Elemental HERO Great Tornado, it's a potent fusion monster…'

  Hikaru saw Bastion, looking dejected, walking off the duel field and approached him.

  "Pfft—"

  Hikaru ughed.

  'Did he win?'

  'Of course, he lost!'

  His talking big were all fleeting moments yesterday, and today he just lost to Jaden!

  "Yo, Bastion! Haha, why didn't you ask me yesterday? Jaden realized one fusion card wasn't enough in the other dimension, so he added more fusion cards to his deck. If you had known, you wouldn't have been so foolish today, sealing only a single Fusion!"

  Bastion had sealed a "Fusion" card with a counter trap, preventing Jaden from using fusion throughout the duel. But Jaden wasn't the same as before, he had already pced "Fusion Gate" into his deck!

  Bastion wasn't in the mood for jokes anymore, he shot Amaki a gre and sighed, "Amaki, do your best! Win back for our Yellow Dorm's honor!"

  Bastion was a good sportsman.

  And because Bastion was a good guy, Hikaru was happy to tease him, making him feel a bit better.

  Hikaru shrugged. "It's not that easy. I don't even know who my opponent is."

  "Yeah... after all, it's a second year."

  Hikaru adjusted his outfit, put on his duel disk, and walked up to the duel field. In the audience, Jaden and the others, who had just finished their duel with Bastion, immediately waved their hands enthusiastically and cheered for him.

  "Go for it, Hikaru!"

  "Yeah, Amaki-kun! Good luck!"

  "Professor Sartyr, I'm ready!"

  Hikaru said to Sartyr, who was acting as the referee.

  In the original, after Bastion lost to Jaden, this professor was quite upset because Bastion was his recommended student, and one remark from the principal made him even more upset—why couldn't Yellow and Red Dorm cultivate excellent students?

  It was questioning Sartyr's abilities and capacity as a professor.

  And now, seeing Hikaru step onto the stage in his purple school uniform, Sartyr felt even worse.

  Why was there such an outstanding new student even in the Fusion Club?

  He had utterly lost all motivation to think about "heartening underperforming students", and was reflecting on how much of a failure his own educational career had become.

  "Now, as recommended by Professor Leo Akaba, from Obelisk Dorm's second year, student Yanagi, please step up."

  Hikaru noticed a student in a blue uniform with dark circles under his eyes, looking like a junkie, shakily stepping onto the stage.

  '...Is this for real? Can he even duel with that body?'

  In this world, dueling isn't just a game, there is real physical damage!

  "Professor... is this really okay? Senpai's body looks a little off," Hikaru spoke up.

  "Hmph, stop pretending to be kind, Hikaru!" Yanagi said harshly. "The way I am today is all because of you. Don't act like you're being considerate. I'm here to get revenge on you today!"

  "..." Hikaru fell silent for a long while. After hesitating for quite some time, he finally asked, "You are?"

  "Don't joke around!" With the question "You are?", Yanagi completely lost his composure, nearly charging forward to punch Hikaru. He gritted his teeth and muttered, "Half a month ago, Fusion Club, theft—"

  Hikaru's gaze instantly turned sharp. He remembered now!

  "So it's you..."

  Hikaru dueled with different students every day, especially those from the Fusion Club, and ever since he defeated the senior from Blue Dorm, he gained tremendous popurity among Fusion Club students from Red and Yellow Academies. Day in, day out, morning to night, students would challenge him for a duel.

  With so many people, he couldn't remember every single one. Forgetting someone was perfectly normal.

  Hearing Yanagi's words, he immediately recalled. Yanagi was the st name of Ryu.

  'So it was this guy. Then... today might be tough.'

  Don't think that defeating such an opponent is easy. On the contrary, since he's already been defeated, the opponent is more familiar with his deck and is more likely to... set up countercards!

  But... in these few days, he's looking like he's caught some serious illness. It's indeed strange, though.

  Hikaru looked around, only to see several students wearing protective goggles and purple uniforms, crowding around a big guy in a purple cloak who walked into the venue and sat in the back row, expressionless, staring at the stage.

  'Leo Akaba…'

  Hikaru frowned.

  'So, was it him who caused all this? What exactly is this guy thinking?'

  "What are you looking around for!" Yanagi yelled.

  "Mmm... fine," Hikaru responded.

  "Duel!" ×2.

  [Hikaru, LP: 4000]

  [Yanagi, LP: 4000]

  "As a senior, I'll let you go first!"

  "Here we go again... Fine... My turn—draw!"

  Hikaru gnced at his hand.

  He wasn't sure what deck his opponent was using this time. Usually, he wouldn't even draw a monster, but this time, he drew an Ancient Gear monster.

  'Hmm…'

  "Master, it seems like the opponent isn't very popur among my colleagues," Hikaru heard the Fme Swordsman's comment.

  "Hmm..." Hikaru nodded but didn't expin, instead, he decided to make his move. "I set a monster and a card face down, ending my turn."

  "Heh, what about your Fusion? Can't use it, or do you have another pn?" Yanagi gred at Hikaru, a cold smile on his face. "Ha, whatever, because I've already seen through you—

  My turn, draw!"

  "I activate the Quick-Py Spell Card, Tornado!"

  Whoosh—!

  A gust of wind blew through, and the set card on Hikaru's field was instantly swept away, revealing its true form.

  "Fme Swordsdance!" Yanagi revealed a grim smile. "So you pnned to use this card for support when I Special Summon my monster, huh? Too naive. Do you think I'm still the same as before?"

  "And—I activate the Continuous Spell Card, Prohibition!"

  "Prohibition?!" The audience gasped in surprise.

  'Who would actually py something like that?!'

  "I can decre a card name, and as long as this card is on the field, neither pyer can activate, summon, flip summon, or special summon this card, change its battle position, or use it as material for a Special Summon!"

  "I decre—Fme Swordsman!"

  Yanagi revealed a manic grin.

  "That... That is a counter card!"

  "Who would use a card like this?"

  "Oh no, bro, the monster Hikaru mainly uses for Fusion is the Fme Swordsman!" Syrus remembered this detail.

  "Be careful, Hikaru!!" Jaden stood up instantly and cheered for Hikaru.

  "Wow, Master, what's this guy doing?!" Even the spirit of Fme Swordsman shouted in Hikaru's ear.

  Originally, he hoped to have a nice fight in the human world, but just as he was about to make his move, this happened!

  "It's not over yet!" Yanagi continued his harsh movements, drawing forcefully as if he were trying to tear the cards apart. "You've always said Fusion is the best, right? Well, let me show you an even stronger Fusion!"

  "I activate the Spell Card, Absorb Fusion!"

  "Absorb Fusion?!" Hikaru was truly shocked.

  A Gem-Knight card? Where did this come from?! Did he find the DT (Duel Terminal)??

  "Ha ha ha, the main surprise is yet to come! During the turn I activate Absorb Fusion, I can only Special Summon Gem-Knight monsters, and by its effect, I can add Gem-Knight Tourmaline from my deck to my hand. Then, Absorb Fusion's effect resolves again, and I can banish monsters from my hand or field to perform a Fusion Summon!"

  "Wow, such an amazing Fusion, not only can he search for a card from the deck, but he can also Fusion Summon?!"

  "I heard he's an elite of the Fusion Club!"

  "Then why is he wearing blue clothes?"

  That harsh comment deeply wounded Yanagi. He roared and flicked his hand, gring fiercely, causing the student who spoke immediately shut up. "Hmph, I'll fuse two Gem-Knight Tourmaline in my hand to Fusion Summon!"

  "Gem-Knight Topaz!"

  The gemstones flew out from two cards, cshing, shattering, and shining, eventually transforming into a brighter knight.

  [Gem-knight Topaz] Level 6│EARTH│Thunder│1800 ATK

  "Gem-Knight Topaz can attack twice in one battle, and when it destroys an opponent's monster, it inflicts damage equal to the destroyed monster's attack points!"

  "Wow... so powerful!"

  "Uh-oh, if Amaki's monster has over 1000 attack points..."

  "Next, I'll summon in Attack Position, Ancient Gear Knight!"

  [Ancient Gear Knight] Level 4│EARTH│Machine│1800 ATK│500 DEF

  "Woah, now if the Fusion Club student's monster has below 500 attack points, it's definitely over!"

  "That's amazing, no wonder they're from the upper grades..."

  Yanagi sneered. "Because of you, I've been ordered to leave the Fusion Club and faced criticism from others. If it weren't for you, I would never have..."

  "Alright, alright, enough with the nonsense," Hikaru interrupted him. "In the end, you were the one in the wrong. Now you're bothering me, it's completely unreasonable. Even if you want to win to change your reputation, can we just have a proper duel?"

  "You!" Yanagi's face fshed with anger. Grinding his teeth, he shouted at Hikaru, "You can only maintain that face for now. Let's go into battle! I'll attack your facedown monster with Topaz!"

  "Hikaru!"

  "Amaki!"

  As everyone shouted, Hikaru's lips curled downward as he pressed the duel disk, "I activate the effect of a Trap Card!"

  "What? Where did you get a Trap—"

  "Trap Card, Fme Swordsdance. During the opponent's Battle Phase, I can banish this card from my graveyard and tribute one of my face-down monsters to activate it. Then, I can Special Summon a monster from my deck or Extra Deck that has 'Fme Swordsman' in its name!"

  "Senpai, I told you about this effect!"

  "Even so, the Prohibition sealed off Fme Swordsman!"

  "I send my face-down Ancient Gear Knight to the graveyard to Special Summon from my Extra Deck..." Dark bck fmes rose around Hikaru, illuminating him like a dark deity, "I've emphasized this many times, Senpai!

  You don't deserve Fusion!

  Come forth, Dark Fre Knight!"

  The pitch-bck fire spread throughout the field, and a warrior with a red shield and golden sword calmly walked to Hikaru's side. He even had time to look at a space and smirk.

  [Dark Fre Knight] Level 6│DARK│Warrior│2200 ATK

  Fusion materials are Dark Magician and... Fme Swordsman!

  ***

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