Rocks slightly pushed the center of his glasses with one hand, the smile on his face appearing a bit manic at this moment.
"I've been observing you for a long time, before everyone else, even before your so-called teacher Cronos and your real teacher Daitokuji."
Tenjo Hikari raised an eyebrow.
With just that one sentence, Tenjo Hikari realized that what the other was saying was absolutely true.
After all, in most of the students' knowledge, Tenjo Hikari's "mentor" was only Cronos.
But Rocks was clearly not one of those people.
"I observed you before anyone knew you." He said, holding a hand card, lightly tapping the temple of the glasses with his right fingers, reminiscing as he spoke, "You are a special student.
Generally, students joining the Fusion Department at that time were either due to family circumstances, unable to get powerful cards and thus joined the Fusion Department to acquire cards; or because they were afraid of other summoning methods and sought warmth in numbers; or, they enjoyed a more 'prestigious' status, intimidating regular students by using the Fusion Department identity; and then there were the completely incompetent ones who joined the Fusion Department because Obelisk Blue students could bully students from other academies without punishment...
It was then that you joined the Fusion Department."
Rocks snapped his right fingers with a pop and pointed towards Tenjo Hikari: "Your declaration when joining the Fusion Department was [Fusion needs only fusion], and during the department activities of the Fusion Department, you showed no interest in anything else, constantly checking your deck as if it would change appearance.
At other times, you just sought out some students from the Activity Department to duel with them purely."
"You had no purpose, completely ignoring the odd looks from Blue Academy in the Activity Department, not bullying Red Academy students at all."
He casually glanced at the audience seats: "Those guys cheering for you, many of them were students who even bothered you before, right? But now, they seem to have completely forgotten the [harm] they've done to you, sincerely cheering and rooting for you."
His words made many people hang their heads low, indeed, although Tenjo Hikari now enjoyed high popularity in the academy, at the very beginning, Tenjo Hikari was heavily scrutinized by the Fusion Army.
The pressure he faced was never small.
"Did something like that actually happen!?" Serena listened, clapping her hands together in frustration, "Damn it, if I were there, I would have taught those guys a lesson—"
Asuka gave an awkward yet polite smile.
"Hmm hmm, interesting, did that guy appear in such an atmosphere?" Gloria Tyler kept nodding.
"That makes it even more fun to battle, sister." "That's right."
Rocks took off his glasses, took out a glasses cloth, and gently wiped them, then put them back on, looking at Tenjo Hikari: "But, I still could see, your intention was not pure."
"Since the time you joined the Fusion Department, what you had in mind was to overthrow or even take over the Fusion Department!"
Tenjo Hikari raised an eyebrow.
He never really disguised this point, if this teacher had indeed noticed Tenjo Hikari from the very start, he should have been able to see Tenjo Hikari's thoughts then.
"Sure enough, it wasn't long before you left the Fusion Department, even establishing a brand-new Fusion Department yourself, constantly opposing Professor Akaba's Fusion Department. You even later took the name 'Fusion', forcing them to change it to 'Integration Department'."
He grinned: "Isn't that such an interesting thing!"
"Those guys actually thought you were like Caesar Ryo, wrong, you are nothing like Caesar at all!
Caesar respects his opponents, is kind to everyone, and cares for all juniors—whereas you, from the very beginning, decided to oppose the Integration Department, and from the beginning, had the thought of seizing power.
That's right! If you have such talent, why suppress yourself!?"
"I know it, you're the kind of person with that power! Your power in Shaddoll and your degree of compatibility clearly foretell your darkness power capable of manipulating others!"
He laughed fervently: "Those mortals understand nothing at all, what does dueling have anything to do with respect! Just because Caesar lost a duel, he's all dazed every day, is that what you call a duelist?
Victor, and dominating!
Turn those beneath you into slaves!"
As he spoke, the Test Ape beside him seemed startled, shrinking and trembling.
He sneered: "This... is what you call a [duel]."
A duel in the literal sense.
"If you win, then you can become the [emperor] ruling this school, because everyone, including the acting principal, has to rely on you to achieve the school's goal! And that is enough to make you become this school's—emperor!"
He stretched out his hand, slowly extending it towards Tenjo Hikari's direction, saying, "Come, as long as you..."
"Going on and on about your own opinions, aren't you done yet?" Tenjo Hikari interrupted him before he finished, "Nonsense, complete gibberish."
"!?" Rocks was stunned for a moment.
"Everyone came here not to listen to your twisted logic and nonsense." Tenjo Hikari flicked his hand, and the Duel Disk on his arm swung like a scythe harvesting lives.
"The only reason I oppose those people is just one!
And that is—
They don't Polymerize at all!!"
"Just like you, you don't Polymerize either!"
"I don't care about your philosophy or worldview, nor do I want to attend your inexplicable class. You're neither my teacher nor my elder!"
"Listen, the reason I'm on this dueling stage is not to become the chief of the academy, but because this is something that the professor I respect the most in this academy, Professor Cronos, asked me to do! So, no matter what, I must complete it!
Whether I become Obelisk Blue or the chief of Duel Academy after this duel doesn't matter at all!
As for the academy's future plans, there's only one possibility — that future decided by Professor Cronos... no, by Acting Principal Cronos!
And now..."
Tenjo Hikari's expression hardened as he said to his opponent, "Duel seriously for me. Only by defeating a serious you will this duel be convincing enough to support Acting Principal Cronos's decision!
Only a serious duel won't waste the students' time! Only then will the students who took the time to come to the venue not leave disappointed!"
In a hidden dimension, even the busy Akaba Leo found time to watch this duel and couldn't help but nod slightly.
Rocks's thoughts were too naive.
As Professor Cronos's prized student, how could Tenjo Hikari's thoughts be so easily seen through by Rocks?
"..." Rocks gritted his teeth, glaring fiercely at Tenjo Hikari.
"What a disobedient child..." Rocks muttered, "...in that case, let's take another route. Hehehe... do you really think that by not holding back, you can win against the 'teacher'?
If so, then I'll defeat you and claim Instructor Napoleon's power! It doesn't matter either way!"
"What a deceitful guy." Tenjo Hikari snorted coldly.
"Tsk... Activate Quick-Play Spell Card, Gladiator Taming!" Rocks said with a cold face, drawing a spell card from his hand. The card image showed Gladiator Beast Tygerius whipping One-Eyed Battle, "If you control a Gladiator Beast on your field, you can activate this! Select one monster on your opponent's field and change its battle position. Raise your sword and fight, legendary swordsman!"
With a snap.
A whip cracked across the body of the Flame Swordsman, forcing it into a battle stance.
Flame Swordsman, DEF→ATK, ATK: 1800.
"Test Ape, attack! A slave should meet its end dutifully!"
The small jockey couldn't resist its master's command. It screamed and lunged at the Flame Swordsman, trying to survive but was cleaved into pieces by a counterattack from the Flame Swordsman.
Rocks LP: 4000→2900.
"When Test Ape is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard by battle, you can Special Summon one LV 4 or lower 'Gladiator Beast' from your deck! Come forth, Gladiator Beast Bestiari!"
The classic Bestiari.
"Then end the Battle Phase, return Bestiari and Net Gladiator on the field to the deck, and call forth a more advanced Gladiator Beast with low-level fighters!"
"Summoning condition is 'Bestiari' and one Gladiator Beast; I Special Summon from the Extra Deck!"
"Gladiator Beast Gyzarus!"
A pitch-black, armor-clad magic bird flapped its steel wings, landing on the ground once more.
Gladiator Beast Gyzarus, LV 6, Dark Attribute, Winged Beast-Type, ATK 2400.
"Gladiator Beast Gyzarus's effect, when this card is Special Summoned, you can destroy up to two cards on the field! Gyzarus - crush that meddling swordsman for me!"
Gladiator Beast leapt high, flapping its wings, and in a flurry of feathers, skewered the Flame Swordsman into a sieve.
"Hmph... how's that, this is the true power of the teacher. Don't think just because you're a celebrity, you're necessarily stronger than your teacher." Rocks looked at Tenjo Hikari with a sidelong glance, lips curling in disdain, "If at this moment you are willing to let go of your previous thoughts, maybe..."
On the other side, Tenjo Hikari patted the dust on his clothes and casually said, "Alright, then I'll treat this turn as the first turn."
Rocks tightly clenched his fists, trembling with such intensity that he shook all over!