Looking at the cards in his hand, Crowler felt a surge of emotion.
"I'm very disappointed, Professor Obaro."
"Everything you believe about me comes from assumptions and delusions."
Crowler stared at his cards as he spoke.
"Why do you assume that just because I'm a noble, I can live a life of leisure? Why do you think being a main campus professor means I sip tea all day?"
Obaro listened with a scornful expression.
He believed what he believed. Of course, he wouldn't admit he was wrong.
Naturally, Crowler didn't expect him to.
He was simply reflecting.
"I'm a professor at the main campus of Duel Academy. I'm a role model for every teacher. I am the highest authority of this glorious Academy.
"As a teacher, I must understand each student's situation. As a superior, I must lead by example."
"Ha…"
He shook his head.
"A role model? I haven't exactly been one." He looked up. "Last year, I targeted a failing student just because he beat me in a Duel. I tried to get him expelled."
"Oh?" That caught Obaro's interest, he was always up for gossip.
"He slept in class, skipped lectures to go fishing, snuck into restricted areas with his friends at night…"
Sounded like a delinquent.
Obaro frowned.
He hated that kind of brat! Back at the Fusion Army in the North American branch, anyone who acted up got smacked!
"Hah, told you. Even without Leo Akaba, those punks would've gone rogue eventually," Obaro sneered. "Might as well use them for something more useful!"
"Later, one of my students taught me, that wasn't right." Crowler looked to another Set card, refusing to take Obaro's bait. "A teacher should dig deeper into what's really going on."
"My student always resisted your Fusion Army, always fought back. I never understood why he tried so hard.
"Now, I finally do.
"It was instinct!"
He began rifling through his Graveyard.
"I've been paying off a 26-year mortgage, so I know the salary isn't high. I've been a Pro Duelist and know how cutthroat the pro scene is.
"But… none of that is an excuse!
"As teachers, it's our duty to educate, to nurture!"
"Pushing your own ideas, placing them above your students… how dare you!"
"If you don't want to teach, quit!" he snapped, drawing a card from his Graveyard. "I activate the effect of Ancient Gear Catapult in my Graveyard! Destroy 1 face-up card on my field to Special Summon an Ancient Gear Token!"
"I destroy Ancient Gear Reborn!"
Boom
The Continuous Trap shattered instantly.
A small gear vehicle appeared on Crowler's field.
[Ancient Gear Token] Level 1│EARTH│Machine│0 ATK
'Two monsters?'
Was he planning a Tribute Summon?
'Heh, in that case…'
Obaro pressed his palm to his Duel Disk.
"I activate the Continuous Spell, Ancient Gear Fortress!" A massive mechanical bastion rose behind Crowler. "While this card is on the field, Ancient Gear monsters Summoned this turn cannot be destroyed by your card effects, and they can't be targeted!"
'Crap!'
Obaro's eyes widened.
"I Tribute Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon and the Token!
"Tribute Summon, Ancient Gear Golem!"
The two monsters turned into shimmering lights. At the same time, the familiar giant form of the Golem appeared behind Professor Crowler.
"Don't want to teach? Then don't! But as a teacher, to invade others and pass on that ideology to students," Crowler swung his arm forward and pointed straight at Obaro. "You say Leo Akaba wasn't the first, that there'll be more?
Well, if teachers would just meet young people with kindness, if Leo Akaba hadn't taught students to pursue dangerous paths, would any of this even have happened!?"
He looked down on Obaro, voice chilling:
"A teacher who doesn't guide students toward the right path, but deliberately steers them wrong, then proudly claims 'they would've turned out this way anyway'?
How absurd!"
"Teachers and students should grow together." He whispered almost to himself.
"I activate the face-down, Continuous Trap: Ancient Gear Duel!"
Ancient Gear Duel!?
Obaro immediately recalled the card's effect.
Didn't Amaki Hikaru use it twice?
Crowler looked at the card.
Jaden Yuki, Professor Banner, and most of all, Hikaru, had taught him so much over the past year.
Important things about life.
To him, the most important was his prized student after Zane: Amaki Hikaru.
Crowler had always admired Hikaru's pursuit of Fusion, though he worried about Hikaru's hostility toward the Polymerization Club.
He often met with him one-on-one.
Just this year, they'd spoken many times in the principal's office. Out of concern, Crowler had even given him "Chaos Ancient Gear Fusion," a card earned from the spirits of Geartown and Ancient Gear Fortress, hoping it would protect him.
Perhaps as thanks, Hikaru had traded some cards in return.
Ancient Gear Duel, Ancient Gear Fusion, Crowler had in turn provided key cards Hikaru needed: Golem, Gadjiltron Dragon.
Looking back, this past year felt like a dream.
And still…
He'd been wrong.
Just as Hikaru fought the Polymerization Club for not being Fusion-focused enough, Crowler should've confronted Leo Akaba long ago instead of preserving workplace harmony.
"If the Fusion Army's invasion was your choice alone, I could've ignored it. But you involved the students, you got my disciple interrogated for over a week. You made other students in the Polymerization Club give up their beloved cards!" He didn't even mention his own month-long suffering. His focus was on the students.
"As a teacher, not only did you fail to protect them, you made their lives worse.
I will purge you from this Academy!"
"Ancient Gear Duel effect activates! If my opponent controls a monster, I can banish Ancient Gear Golem on the field, plus monsters from my field or Graveyard that include its name, to Fusion Summon a Fusion Monster that lists Ancient Gear Golem as material!"
Crowler laid them out one by one: "Ancient Gear Golem on the field, Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon, and another Ancient Gear Golem in the Graveyard, banish all three!"
"My wrath surpasses even the oldest of machines."
"I fuse three monsters!!"
"With the motto you love to flaunt, and with my student's favorite method, I end this with the card he gave me!"
"Fusion Summon!
Level 10, Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem!"
A massive arm, dragon's head and tail, countless gears all assembled onto the Golem, transforming it into a towering giant, standing eye-to-eye with nearby volcanoes.
[Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem] Level 10│EARTH│Machine│4400 ATK
"Tch. The secret weapon of Ancient Gears?" Obaro scowled at the monster.
Hikaru and Crowler had used it plenty. He knew it well.
No big deal.
He still had Life Points, and Crowler only had one card left in hand. He'd even destroyed his own Ancient Gear Reborn. As long as Obaro endured this turn, his Darklords would easily win the long game.
"Monsters Fusion Summoned by Ancient Gear Duel can attack up to three times!"
'Three attacks!?'
He quickly did the math…
One direct attack, one piercing hit, one more battle damage, he'd survive!
"Hah, guess it's not that big of a...."
"Quick-Play Spell, Limiter Removal!"
Obaro froze in place.
A Spell that doubles Machine monsters' ATK!
Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem began to grow, larger, stronger, taller!
Eventually, its mountainous form towered so high the entire Duel Academy Island could see it.
Like a true giant, it stood vigil over the Academy.
Like an umbrella, it shielded them.
[Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem, ATK: 4400 → 8800]
"Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem, attack!!"
"Watch closely!"
"This is your final lesson from the Acting Principal!"
"This is the power born from students and teachers growing together!"
The Golem slowly raised its massive right fist, punching through the clouds as steam erupted larger than the heavens.
"Ultimate Strike!"
From the sky, it was like divine judgment!
BOOM!!
The entire island seemed to tremble!
[Obaro, LP: 8000 → 2100 → 0]
The Duel was over.
Obaro, as if his soul had been drained, collapsed to his knees in ashen gray. Before him, a card emitting black smoke floated down from the sky. The black ring vanished. Crowler, dizzy, fell back where he stood, panting heavily.
He could no longer feel his hands or mouth.
"Super mamma mia..."
...
Bonus @400
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