After parting ways with Ansiel, Hikaru watched him head toward the revival zone.
The second resurrection stage was a battle royale where only a dozen competitors could advance. Ansiel wasn't confident he could secure a top-eight spot, so after wishing Hikaru well, he chose to withdraw. When or where they might meet again was uncertain.
As the last Duel of the second round wrapped up, KaibaCorp technicians immediately began dismantling the field. The crew worked quickly, determined to have the new stage ready by tomorrow.
Back in the preparation hall, Hikaru's mind lingered on the news he had just received: Keeper of Dragon Magic.
For him, it was an exceptionally useful card. Even though using its effects would focus him harder on Fusion that turn, meaning no detours into lines like Muddy Mudragon, that hardly hurt his deck's overall plan.
More importantly, its effects were both extremely useful.
First: If Keeper of Dragon Magic is Normal or Special Summoned: you can discard 1 card; add 1 "Polymerization" Normal Spell or 1 "Fusion" Normal Spell from your Deck to your hand. It was a tighter search window than his Predaplant tools, Keeper couldn't fetch Equip, Continuous, Quick-Play, or Field Spells, so it couldn't grab Future Fusion or Fusion Recycling Plant the way Predaplant Darlingtonia Cobra could.
And unlike Cobra, Keeper couldn't pluck Super Polymerization at clutch moments.
But in exchange, it was a search he could turn on with a simple Normal Summon, far more convenient than having to Fusion Summon into a plant engine first and then fire off the effect.
The second effect: Reveal 1 Fusion Monster in your Extra Deck; Special Summon 1 Fusion Material listed on it from your Graveyard in face-down Defense Position.
Search a Fusion Spell, then recover a material, all in one card. It was tailor-made for Hikaru's Fusion-centric strategy.
And as if that weren't enough, Ansiel had hinted at something else: Pegasus intended to model the artwork after Hikaru himself.
To think, just like Jaden, Chazz, and others before him, Hikaru's likeness might appear on an actual card. The thought filled him with quiet joy.
Such chances were rare.
When Hikaru returned to the waiting hall, his friends were there to greet him.
Misawa marveled at Hikaru's grasp of Duel mechanics, while Chazz praised the relentless way he had looped Gem-Knight Prism Aura through multiple Fusions.
It was clear everyone understood the purpose behind Hikaru's Duel.
With this round complete, the next set of matches would begin in order from the opening Duelists.
And the pairings were already decided.
First was Chazz Princeton, who had battled Gloria in the second round's opening.
The second: Alexis Rhodes.
"My next opponent is… Alexis Rhodes?" Chazz muttered. Though he had known Alexis for a long time, this was the first time he had really considered facing her head-on.
The two were regarded as the "male and female representatives" of Obelisk Blue. Other dorms didn't have female students, so only Obelisk Blue had a separate girls' dormitory. That was why, despite wearing a Slifer Red uniform, Serena still resided in the Blue dorm.
But this brought an unspoken question: who was truly number one in Blue?
Two years ago, the answer was obvious, Zane Truesdale. No one in Obelisk Blue could rival him.
The year before, things were more even. But when Atticus Rhodes re-enrolled after awakening from his slumber, he became the undisputed top student of that generation.
For Hikaru's year, however, no consensus had been reached. The title of "number one in Obelisk Blue" had never been firmly decided.
Chazz had always dismissed the academy's "Dimensional Travel" privileges. With KaibaCorp and the Princeton family backing him, plus Jaden dragging him on adventures, he hardly needed the academy's gateway. And since Obelisk's portal was already more stable than Slifer or Ra's, there was little urgency to crown a champion.
But now, things were different.
Whether he cared or not, this Duel would decide who stood as the top student of their generation.
"Chazz and Alexis, huh…" Misawa mused, still in the hall after his victory. If he won his own next match, he would face the winner of their bout.
From a personal standpoint, Misawa wanted to Duel Alexis most of all. The last time they clashed, in the Friendship Cup in Dimension S, she had defeated him. As a Duelist, he longed for a rematch.
But if the winner was Chazz…
"Ah..." Atticus glanced at the schedule, then sighed. "Looks like Alexis stops here."
"Huh?" Misawa looked over, but Atticus only pulled out a violin from nowhere and strummed a whimsical tune. "But don't be sad, Alexis~ Maybe we'll reunite in the revival bracket~"
Misawa went silent. He glanced at the chart again.
Atticus's opponent was… Zane.
So, did Atticus already believe he couldn't defeat Zane? Was he giving up that easily?
Hikaru frowned. Even if Atticus acted unreliable, he wasn't the type to surrender outright. Was there something more behind his words?
On the other side, Hikaru's next opponent waved at him.
"Yo, congratulations on your win!"
"Haha, Jim, I didn't expect to run into you so soon," Hikaru replied.
That was right. With fewer unknown Duelists left, Hikaru's future opponents were bound to be familiar faces.
And in the next round, his opponent was none other than the Fossil Fusion user, Jim "Crocodile" Cook.
Hikaru's opponent in the Top 14 cut to 7 was Jim "Crocodile" Cook!
"Woof!" Karen barked, and Hikaru waved back at the loyal croc's companion with a grin.
"When we were back at the dorms, Jaden told me your Fusion style was really something," Jim said warmly. "He figured I'd enjoy Duelling you."
In the previous round, Jim had faced Axel Brodie. The two had put on a fierce, neck-and-neck match that could have gone either way. Jim emerged the victor, but not without Axel's frustration.
Hikaru had watched that Duel, and he was impressed. Jim's Fossil deck was unique, built around Fossil Fusion, with summoning conditions flexible enough to use monsters from either player's Graveyard. Hikaru admired it, he had always liked the Fossil archetype.
Jim carried the free-spirited air of a wanderer. Upon learning they would face each other, he came right over with a smile.
After the GX Tournament and Duel Academy's summer break, branch school students would attend the main campus as exchange students for half a year. Jim already counted Jaden, Syrus, and Hikaru among his friends, and he looked forward to meeting more of the main campus.
"All of you from the Academy are outstanding," he said. "I'll be honored to Duel you with everything I've got."
He placed special weight on the word friend. Hikaru didn't dampen his enthusiasm. "I'm looking forward to it too," he said honestly. In truth, he was eager, Dueling Jim might even inspire Super Polymerization to generate Fossil-related Fusion cards for him.
Time passed quickly, and soon the next day arrived.
KaibaCorp's preparations were complete.
As Chazz Princeton and Alexis Rhodes stepped into the arena, cheers rose on both sides of the field.
Chazz planted his feet on the platform, and suddenly, the ground rumbled.
"Ah...!" Alexis let out a soft gasp, but quickly realized there was no danger.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The Duel field rose, higher and higher, until it floated fully in midair.
At the same time, massive 3D projections appeared above the field, displaying Chazz and Alexis so that every expression was visible to the crowd.
Even the Duelist Hall itself transformed. Its ceiling split open, sections folding back to form closer viewing stands circling the field. Hikaru leaned casually on the railing; from this height, he could watch the Duel directly instead of relying on monitors.
He noticed something else, though: from the very start, the stage had been rising. That meant the finals themselves would be held at the highest point in the Dimension, where the winds howled and the entire world could witness the match.
As expected of KaibaCorp, they always knew how to put on a show.
Chazz readied his Duel Disk, calm as ever. Alexis, perhaps emboldened by the wind in her hair, spoke first.
"It seems we finally have the chance, Chazz."
"Chance?" Chazz raised a brow but remained polite. He didn't snap back with his usual "It's Chazz Princeton!" the way he would at Jaden.
"The chance to decide who's truly number one," Alexis said with a smile.
In the spectator stands, Atticus Rhodes sighed and shook his head.
"We've always been rivals for the top spot in Obelisk Blue, but we never had the chance to settle it. I'm sure Professor Chronos is watching now too."
"Alexis Rhodes," Chazz interrupted.
"?"
"You should give up on that thought."
"What?" Alexis stiffened, a spark of anger in her eyes. Was he saying she was destined to lose?
"Are we here just to decide who's top of Obelisk Blue?" Chazz said firmly. "No, that's not the point. Our goal is to become the strongest Duelists. No matter the opponent, the only thing that matters is victory."
"Enough talk, let's Duel already!" Alexis snapped, angered by the implication that she was still lagging behind.
"Chazz, that guy…" Misawa muttered in the stands. His expression shifted.
"Hmph. Interesting," Zane finally spoke.
"Ohhh! What cool words!" Jesse jumped up, scribbling notes. "I'm totally stealing that line for later!" Ruby, on his shoulder, gave a small nod.
"He really is something," Atticus said with mock solemnity, stroking his chin. Then his expression turned theatrical. He covered his forehead with a hand, pretending to swoon. "Seriously… I told Alexis ages ago to use the honey trap tactic. How else could she win against Thunder? Don't you agree, Hikaru?"
Hikaru sweatdropped. He wasn't the only one, the nearby students all looked equally exasperated.
What unsettled Hikaru more was the memory from the "original timeline": because of Atticus's meddling, Chazz had confessed to Alexis and lost miserably.
But here and now;
Chazz's words carried real weight.
No wonder Hikaru had felt an indescribable strength radiating from Chazz these past few days.
He focused intently on the Duel.
In Chazz's previous match with Gloria, she had underestimated him. Even though she wanted to win, she hadn't taken him seriously enough, and she paid for it. Hikaru had been curious to see how far Chazz had come. What he saw next shocked him.
"XYZ, Dragon Cannon!?"
That wasn't even a card Chazz had ever collected!
Hikaru froze.
He and Chazz had both been searching separately, Hikaru for BC, Chazz for AB, yet here Chazz was unveiling a brand-new XYZ monster?
There weren't even any Union Spirits in this Dimension! Hikaru had asked Assault Core himself!
The raw power of the card was secondary, after all, Alexis's Cyber Angel monsters were hardly weak, but then Chazz revealed something else.
"I banish a Level 8 Dragon from my Extra Deck, Special Summon, Dark End Evaporation Dragon!"
Hikaru sucked in a sharp breath.
The aura was unmistakable, an evolution of Light and Darkness Dragon!
'So that was it.'
That explained why, back when Chazz dueled Gloria, Hikaru had sensed that unusual strength.
Dark Annihilation Dragon fired off its effect and cleanly erased Cyber Angel Dakini. Hikaru knew Alexis had little chance from here, neither in mindset nor in Duel skill.
Somehow, during this time, Chazz had undergone a transformation. He seemed to have resolved something deep within, and even his Duel Spirits had grown stronger in resonance, manifesting such monsters for him.
Hikaru stroked his chin thoughtfully.
In the GX manga, Chazz's ace was Light and Darkness Dragon. Alongside it were Light End Dragon and Dark End Dragon, cards that, when they became real prints, turned into Synchro Monsters. Hikaru had never seen Chazz use those two here.
Now it seemed that, by resonating with Light and Darkness Dragon, Chazz had drawn out this new form. If that was true, then there had to be a counterpart, Light End Dragon.
He just didn't know if something like a Light and Darkness Dragon King would exist.
Uncertain, Hikaru asked Tierra. She waved it off, at most it would be comparable to Dark Annihilation Dragon, not stronger.
Even so…
Thinking of the wise monsters in Chazz's Deck, Hikaru frowned. They could generate card advantage, wipe the field, interfere with the opponent's strategy…
Too strong.
The key was that Chazz's mindset was no longer the same as when Hikaru had first dueled him. Everything about him now felt complete.
He remembered, in the manga version, not even Jaden could defeat Chazz when he was at full power.
But then Hikaru relaxed. His friend had become strong. That was a good thing. With this Deck, these Spirits, that mentality and skill, could even the Mad King of Dark World really control Chazz as he had in the original?
The Duel ended.
As Alexis fell to her knees, trembling, her sorrow wasn't just from losing. Loss was natural for any Duelist. What crushed her was the realization that her earlier words, and her brother's warnings, had been proven true.
Chazz stepped forward, intending to help her up, but Alexis stood on her own and ran straight toward the revival bracket.
"Ah." Chazz reached out, but let his hand fall helplessly.
Back in the prep area, he braced for jeers or accusations of "bullying a girl", perhaps even Atticus's scolding. Instead, Atticus threw an arm around his neck, laughing loudly.
"Good job, Chazz! I caught so many priceless shots of her with tears in her eyes. These are rare! I can sell them for a fortune in her fan club!"
"Senpai, please treat Alexis more kindly," Chazz said awkwardly.
"Hahaha, don't worry. I know her better than anyone!" Atticus patted his shoulder, looking utterly carefree.
Everyone else could only sigh at his unreliable behavior.
This was the genius once said to rival Zane? His skills were sharp, but his mouth…
Still, Alexis was his sister. If he wanted to tease her, what could the others do?
As the others smiled wryly, Atticus's expression subtly shifted.
"Alexis," he murmured under his breath, "your brother can't always think for you. If I'm not there someday… what will you do?"
His gaze drifted toward Zane. Then Jaden. Then Syrus. He shook his head inwardly. One after another, troublesome people.
If only everyone were like Hikaru and Chazz. He could have been surfing, taking photos, dancing with Spirits instead of entering this competition.
The day's Duels drew to a close.
A few days later, it was time for Group F's match. Atticus and Hikaru were chatting when Atticus accepted a small bottle of violet potion from him.
Shaking it gently, the liquid crackled. Electro-Resistance Potion.
Hikaru explained he had obtained it from the Magic Academy Dimension, it could help resist electromagnetic forces.
Atticus popped the cap without hesitation and drank. Lightning coursed through his body instantly.
"So this… is what Zane endures?"
A moment later, he steadied himself, flexing his hand. If he had the chance, he would go to that Dimension himself.
"How often does Zane need to drink this?"
"I don't know," Hikaru admitted. "I can't gauge the voltage of his shocks, or how many he endures at once. And I don't know how effective the potion's healing is."
"Heh. It doesn't matter. From today onward, he won't suffer again."
For once, Atticus's face was serious. Duel Spirits hovered close, worried, but he just laughed. "Relax, everyone. I'll definitely win!"
Yet the Spirits remembered, he had once said he would definitely lose.
"Contestants, enter the arena!"
"Oh! Then I'm off." Atticus winked, flashing a thumbs up at Hikaru.
Hikaru nodded back.
By the time he walked on stage, Zane was already waiting. His black coat whipped like a cape in the storm.
Atticus raised his hand. "Yo~"
Zane didn't reply. He only stared, calm and unflinching.
"When was our last Duel?" Atticus asked.
"It doesn't matter. The outcome will be the same. I'll win."
"Hahaha, still as confident as ever, Zane."
The lights flared, illuminating their figures in the sky. Female students shrieked, cheering for them both.
Zane's Duel Disk deployed automatically. Atticus, meanwhile, withdrew a mask from inside his clothes.
Zane's eyes narrowed. "!?"
"If I face you normally, I can't win," Atticus said softly. "So… lend me your strength, Darkness!"
A deathly aura burst from him. Zane's breath caught. Lightsworn Spirits shrieked and scattered, barely contained by KaibaCorp staff and guardian Spirits.
In that instant, Atticus seemed to die.
"Ugh...ahhhhhh!" Black lightning arced over his body. Power beyond human comprehension surged wildly.
The mask slid into place, and his Obelisk Blue uniform shifted into a dark trench coat.
Zane's expression hardened. "Atticus, you..."
Atticus's eyes burned crimson. Sweat beaded on his brow as he growled, "Come on, Zane!"
"DUEL!"
In the sky, their holographic avatars appeared, Cyber Dragon Nova on one side, Red-Eyes Black Dragon on the other.
Hell Kaiser- Zane — LP 4000
Dark Atticus Rhodes — LP 4000
...
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