Things went about as Hikaru expected.
Bastion was promptly dragged into intensive training by Augusta.
According to her, they knew that as Hikaru's comrade and the partner of a spirit like the Mathematician, Bastion couldn't be weak. But if he truly wanted to be with Tania, then he absolutely couldn't remain this "frail."
Even though Bastion was already considered well-rounded and decently built among his peers, it wasn't enough.
Courage and wisdom… still not enough!
So they were going to train him until he was stronger. After all, how could he be a "diplomat" traveling to various dimensions if he wasn't prepared?
He might just get wiped out by the first evil faction he encountered!
There was no way Hikaru and Celina could wait around for Bastion. Even ignoring Hikaru, Celina, despite being a first-year, intended to enter the finals. No way she was going to stop after just two Duels against the Twelve-Star Duelists.
So Bastion told them to go on ahead.
He planned to train here for a few months,
Then quickly gather the remaining three or four stamps and join them in the finals.
They would reunite at the tournament's main event.
No need to worry about him.
Worry?
Worry about what?
Hikaru could tell Bastion had no intention of leaving.
This Amazoness camp had Augusta the domineering matriarch, archers with innocent charm, towering women like the War Chief, and even a not-yet-of-age Princess—and more importantly, they were all muscular.
Bastion's daily training must have been painful yet euphorically blissful. Hikaru could see he was completely enraptured.
As they left, Hikaru shook his head.
At this rate, Augusta was definitely going to give Bastion a serious beating before letting him go—maybe even throw him into a full gauntlet-style Duel.
Hikaru and Celina stayed at the camp for two more days. Just as they were leaving, the Tyler sisters stopped them.
They had also chosen to stay, but unlike Bastion, their reason was to try and "pack up" Augusta.
Having learned that the spirit Amazoness Augusta resided here, they weren't going anywhere.
As Amazoness users, they were naturally drawn to the tribe's highest-level monster.
Even so…
Challenging a trial was one thing. Taking a leader away was another.
Hikaru had encountered several spirits like this before:
The original Chaos Warrior, Vampire Fraulein, and the Magical Scientist—all were leaders of specific factions.
The original Chaos Warrior was practically divine, ruler of all warriors. Vampire Fraulein, even after losing, only gave Hikaru her and her banshee's cards before returning to sleep in the Vampire Kingdom.
As for the Magical Scientist, he was intrigued by Fusion, but his lab still needed supervision.
Duty and battle—these were not things spirits easily abandoned.
The Taylor sisters wanting to take Augusta with them? Practically impossible.
Just getting Augusta's card would be a feat.
They and a few leftover Polymerization Club members blocked Hikaru's path. Celina, thinking they wanted trouble, eagerly raised her Duel Disk—and was promptly disappointed.
The Tyler sisters weren't here to fight Hikaru.
As Duelist twins who specialized in Tag Duels, their personalities might differ, but deep down, they were alike:
They were battle junkies.
Everything else was secondary.
As Tag Duelists, they understood why spirits favored Tag Duels.
It was simple—Tag Duels revealed whether two people were willing and able to cooperate. For spirits who valued Dueling, it was an efficient way to assess compatibility.
After all, even if two Solo Duelists shared ideals, they might clash in personality or lifestyle.
After fighting against Hikaru once and alongside him once, the sisters were sure of one thing:
Hikaru's Duels were pure, honest, and centered entirely on Fusion.
They didn't understand it. But they accepted it.
Because all they cared about was the thrill of battle.
So the rest was simple.
They told Hikaru they would Duel him again in the future. Not for the Fusion Army's sake—just for the fight.
And, they told him their wager.
They knew Hikaru despised groups like the Polymerization Club and Fusion Army that had tarnished Fusion's name. Though they were still students, they were high-ranking members of the Fusion Army.
Even though the Fusion Army had collapsed, remnants still remained: covert units, scattered troops, sleeper cells.
If Hikaru kept beating them, they would willingly help dismantle those remnants and promote his vision of "true Fusion."
"Accepted," Hikaru said softly after hearing them out. He extended his hand to Gloria, who grasped it firmly. Then she clicked her tongue and let go.
Always trying to win something.
Hikaru saw the glint in her eye and gave a small sigh of amusement.
The sisters then turned to Celina.
"Celina-chan~" Grace waved warmly.
Celina gave a stoic nod.
"Hehe~" Grace chuckled. "Well... you're not one of us, after all. You're the professor's daughter, so I'll tell you something extra."
"Grace?" Gloria frowned.
"What's the big deal, Sis?" Grace covered her mouth with a smile. "Celina is Professor Akaba's daughter, after all."
"What do you mean?" Hikaru narrowed his eyes. "Wait... you have news on Leo Akaba?"
"Haha! Sharp eyes, Hikaru!" Gloria grinned as she saw the hostility in his gaze. "That's right. Since you want to know, we'll tell you."
"The Professor has contacted us," Grace added.
"He's regrouped his forces at the Second Base," Gloria confirmed.
"He even found his other daughter and gained new allies~" Grace twirled her finger. "So? Excited, Celina? You have a sister."
"I... I have a sister?!" Celina was stunned, mind blank.
'Celina's sister?'
Hikaru frowned.
So the blitz on Shinson may have failed, but their goal of kidnapping Lulu succeeded?
"Since you reconnected with him, you must know what I did, right?" Hikaru asked. He assumed they knew he had destroyed Fusion Army facilities.
"Heh, who cares?" Gloria laughed.
"Exactly~" Grace smiled. "We don't mind that at all."
"So, Hikaru, next time we fight, we'll tell you more secrets. Even the classified stuff!"
Truthfully, there weren't many secrets left. Leo Akaba was still recuperating, rebuilding his forces. For the next few years, he wouldn't have the power to launch any major action.
That made the information more valuable.
One mistake, and it could all collapse.
"...Hmph. Next time, Celina will be the one to Duel," Hikaru said, looking at her dazed expression.
"Oh?" The sisters turned to her.
Their gaze glinted like beasts in the jungle. But Celina, having processed the news of her sister, stood tall and stared back with fierce resolve.
Her wild spark said all it needed to:
You have claws? So do I.
"Heh. Interesting."
"Then we'll look forward to it~"
The sisters didn't linger. With a wave, they returned to the Amazoness camp to watch more training.
Hikaru, meanwhile, pondered the matter of Leo Akaba.
Dead? Not likely.
It was a cross-dimensional strike, not a direct one, and with the Sacred Beasts protecting him, it was hard to imagine him dying.
But...
New "allies"?
After the blitz on Shinson?
Where would he find partners willing to work with him now in the X-Dimension?
Hikaru looked disturbed.
'Don't tell me he got possessed by some bizarre entity from the X-Dimension…'