"Alright—draw! My turn! Field Spell Card!" Hikaru glanced at his hand, whispered a small thanks to luck, and quickly slammed the card into his Duel Disk. "Fusion Recycling Plant!"
"I discard one card from my hand to add a Fusion Spell from my Deck to my hand. I discard Invoked Fusion and add De-Fusion to hand.
Then, Invoked Fusion's graveyard effect activates—shuffle it into the Deck, and draw one card."
Hikaru drew and looked up at his opponent.
Banner's Invoked EARTH monster still loomed over the field, 3300 DEF.
But—Banner still had an Aleister in hand. That card could discard itself to increase the ATK and DEF of a Fusion monster by 1000 until the end of the turn.
Meaning—even if Hikaru used Future Fusion to summon Labyrinth Tank, even with Flame Swordsman's Domain, it wouldn't be enough to break through.
Still—
He had to go for it!
He calculated the angles in his head.
What's my advantage against Banner?
Half-baked alchemy? A ton of Fusion Spells?
No—his advantage was that he knew Banner. He knew Banner's cards and effects.
And Banner… didn't know that Hikaru knew.
"I activate Future Fusion's effect! I send Tech Genus Werewolf from my Deck to the Graveyard, then banish Fusion Materials to Fusion Summon—Labyrinth Tank!"
Labyrinth Tank – Level 7, DARK, Machine, ATK 2400
"Battle!"
"YEAH!" Chazz Princeton cheered, pounding on the barrier of his transparent star prison. "Flame Swordsman's Domain reduces ATK of Warrior-type monsters, but boosts the rest by 1000! Labyrinth Tank's ATK goes to 3400—enough to surpass that Invoked beast!"
"If this attack connects, it'll be 3200 plus 800 damage! That's enough to defeat Dr. Banner in one shot!" Bastion shouted excitedly.
"No! It won't go through!" Zane's expression shifted. "Damn it—Hikaru fell for it!"
"Reduce Flame Swordsman's ATK by 1000. Boost Labyrinth Tank by 1000!"
Flame Swordsman ATK: 1800 → 800
Black Flame Knight ATK: 2200 → 3200
Labyrinth Tank ATK: 2400 → 3400
The massive stone giant began to rise, its body bracing as the Tank drilled forward, ready to pierce through—
"Too naïve, Hikaru-kun!" Banner's voice rang like a whip crack. "I activate the effect of Aleister the Invoker in my hand! By sending him to the Graveyard, I target one Fusion monster I control—its ATK and DEF increase by 1000 until the end of the turn!
This effect... can also be activated during your turn!"
Invoked Mechaba – DEF 3300 → 4300
"What!?" Bastion's face went pale. "Hikaru!"
"Urgh—!"
Hikaru was blasted backward, his Tank rebounding. He hit the ground hard, but Tiella appeared at his side, catching his arm mid-fall.
"You good, human?"
"Thanks..." Hikaru winced, clutching his ribs as he staggered upright.
Hikaru LP: 4000 → 3100
"Ghh…" Hikaru gritted his teeth and placed another card. "I set one card. I change the rest of my monsters to Defense Position. Turn end."
"…Even you... only this much?" Banner muttered, disappointment in his voice as he watched Hikaru end his turn.
"Professor Banner!" Jaden's voice echoed across the starlit prison as he pressed both hands against its surface. "I still can't believe this—why would you do this!?"
He looked truly shaken.
Hikaru glanced at him—then froze.
And understood.
That's why.
Because of his presence in this timeline, none of the Shadow Rider duels had resulted in real injuries. In the original, Crowler and Zane had fallen early on, leaving Jaden carrying the weight. When Banner revealed himself, Jaden's first reaction had been fury, then confusion.
But this Jaden—this version had never felt that pain.
So instead of rage, he only felt disbelief.
"Jaden…" Banner said quietly, shaking his head. "I was… once an alchemist who traveled the world."
He didn't seem defensive—in fact, it was as if he wanted to share his story.
"I studied alchemy to create the legendary Philosopher's Stone. I traveled ancient lands, explored ruins, chased possibilities. And just like Pegasus, in the pursuit of answers, my path led me… to Duel Monsters. That's when I discovered the mythical beasts—The Sacred Beasts."
His crimson eyes flickered as he looked at the book in his hand.
"The Sacred Beasts... discovered by Banner!?"
"Mamma mia! I've never heard of anything like that!"
Banner slowly flipped open the tome—Emerald Grimoire, filled with arcane script. "Word spread of my research. A man offered to fund me, and granted me access to KaibaCorp's latest project—the Dimensional Gate system."
"And so... I walked the alchemical path into other dimensions," he said, looking to Aleister. "At first, it was mundane—simple Spirit Realms. But eventually, I reached the major convergence zones:
The Golden Land, the Magician's Village, Spellcaster Academy, Skyscraper, the Vampire Empire, the Realm of Chaos, the Sanctuary in the Sky… I studied and traveled, gained many names."
"No way—!" Hikaru heard a stunned voice from the crowd. It was the Alchemist Spirit of Fusion—his voice reverent with dread. "Could it be... he's that alchemist!?"
"Yes," Banner said, raising his hand, pointing at the students. "I am the one they call… The Peerless Alchemist. I forged a real Philosopher's Stone. I quelled the rampage of the Summoning Master. I awakened the maddened Lord of the Golden Land. I accomplished countless miracles."
"But… through these victories, I discovered the truth. There is a terrifying force fracturing the Spirit Realms—a cataclysmic future looming over all dimensions."
"What…!?" The students were stunned.
"Humanity is not ready to interact with other dimensions. Too many have fallen to the allure of Spirit power. This world has evolved too fast—faster than it should have. More Spirits are drawn here… and our world becomes more fragile by the day!"
"Atticus, Zane... even you, Jaden. You couldn't stand up to monsters from beyond this realm. Even the best of you fell. Are the rest of you ready for interdimensional contact?"
"And men like Reiji Akaba—fools who would exploit the dimensional gates—are everywhere. Because humans reached across dimensions without caution... dark beings from other worlds have set their sights on this one!"
"I wanted to keep researching. But life, extended by alchemy, eventually runs out." He tapped his cheek. Chunks of flesh crumbled off his face. "Seems this world no longer permits someone like me to live among humans."
"I've recorded all I learned—all the Spirit Realms I traveled—in this rewritten Emerald Grimoire. Hikaru, if you can defeat me… it's yours."
"Unfortunately… it doesn't look like you're up to the task."
Hikaru's expression was steel.
He said it. That meant Banner was all in today.
Way more serious than in the original.
"My turn! Draw!"
"I Normal Summon—Second Aleister!"
Yes! Hikaru screamed in his mind. His face stayed calm.
A second Aleister was here.
"Just like last turn—I add Invocation to hand. I discard Water Spirit, and banish Aleister from my field—Fusion Summon!
Come forth—WATER-attribute Invoked beast: Invoked Cocytus!"
A blue-white dragon, its chest engraved with summoning sigils, descended from between the stars.
Invoked Cocytus – Level 6, WATER, Dragon, ATK 1800, DEF 2900
"Defense Position?" Chazz raised a brow.
"This monster can attack while in Defense Position," Banner explained, smiling. He returned Invocation to the Deck, and added Aleister from the Graveyard back to his hand.
"Damn it—2900 DEF? Now it's even worse!"
"It can attack and defend?! This is what Invoked are!?"
"I switch Mechaba to Attack Position. Now—I destroy your two Warriors!"
Banner waved dismissively.
"I'm sorry, my lords!"
"You both fought well."
They always got wrecked fighting stronger opponents—and still never complained. Hikaru felt a twinge of guilt for them.
"I set one card. Your move, Hikaru-kun."
Hikaru wiped sweat from his brow.
Fighting Invoked in this field was no joke.
Good thing… he had another way.
"My turn! Draw!" Hikaru drew, glanced at the card, then stared straight at Banner. "Professor, your concerns aren't baseless... but don't underestimate your students!"
"Oh?" Banner's eyes glinted.
"I pay 2000 Life Points!"
Hikaru gritted his teeth as he felt the heat drain from his core. The crowd gasped at the price.
Hikaru LP: 3100 → 1100
"I activate—Voice of Heaven's Obedience!"
"What!? Voice of Heaven's Obedience!?" Banner gasped. "No way—!"
"That's right! Professor Banner, I declare—Aleister the Invoker!"
—