Things were even worse than Hikaru Tenjo had expected.
It wasn't just that Yanagi had blacked out from the duel—
He had been hospitalized.
At first, Hikaru assumed Yanagi had overexerted himself and wasn't in shape to duel. He'd even been meaning to advise him to take it easy, to rest and recover instead of forcing a duel. He figured it must've been the Duel Disk's Solid Vision feedback that knocked him out. But according to the Academy's medical report, that wasn't the case at all.
Yanagi's Deck was imbued with an unknown dark energy—something corrosive that could damage a person's body and mind alike. His deteriorated condition was a result of this lingering darkness entwined in his cards.
Thanks to the creation of the Dimensional Gates, this world had grown accustomed to dealing with Duel Spirits and the powers they brought. In fact, rumor had it that in some far-off eastern nation, construction crews were actively utilizing the power of Duel Monsters spirits for public works projects, their lives made far easier by fielding colossal monsters with engineering applications.
In short, this version of Earth had evolved differently. Doctors—especially those at Duel Academy—were no strangers to these phenomena.
"So, because I used his monster as Fusion Material, that one punch ended up delivering a massive blow of dark energy straight to him?" Hikaru asked Professor Chronos after the match, nodding along as he processed the explanation. "And he'll be out cold for a while? How long? And—wait—am I responsible for his medical bills? Because I definitely can't pay for that..."
He meant it. Hikaru had already blown his entire savings assembling his deck before coming to Duel Academy. His daily meals mostly consisted of dry bread. Money was not something he had.
"There's no such need," Chronos waved his hand. "He included those cards in his own Deck of his own free will. According to KaibaCorp's laws, the liability lies entirely with him."
KaibaCorp's laws? This world really ran on some... creative legislation.
Anyway, the damage was self-inflicted. Even if Yanagi was lucky, he'd be out for at least a year. The guy wouldn't be giving Hikaru any more trouble for a while.
Still, after an incident like that, no one was in the mood for more duels that day.
Hikaru was fine with that. He could only "grind" Duel Spirit energy once a day, and though dueling Yanagi—thanks to the weird darkness—had given him a decent payout, it didn't compare to what he'd gain from dueling Judai. Waiting until tomorrow was ideal.
"Hikaru-kun," Chronos leaned closer once the official business was over, lowering his voice conspiratorially, "I must say, I'm quite pleased you made it this far using an Ancient Gear Deck."
"Oh? Thanks, Professor!" Hikaru lit up at the praise. "If the Headmaster asks, I'll just tell him it's all thanks to your lessons!"
"Mamma mia! Buonissimo! Good, very good!" Chronos's face crumpled into a grin so wide he looked like the Pot of Greed, muttering "good" again and again under his breath.
Earlier, the Headmaster had subtly criticized Chronos for the underwhelming performance of Blue Dorm students this year. The professor had struggled to come up with a counterargument... until he remembered: this Tenjo Hikaru—while technically a member of the Fusion Club—had used his ace monster! That was his Ancient Gear Ultimate Golem out there!
Sure, he didn't know where the kid had gotten the card. Sure, he'd never actually taught Hikaru anything. If anyone had, it was probably Banner. But who cared? Perception was everything.
And to his surprise, Hikaru was so easygoing, he didn't even correct him!
"Maybe I've been too dismissive of students from the other dorms…" Chronos mused aloud. "Red and Yellow may not be hopeless after all. Maybe I just haven't been paying enough attention."
With that, Chronos announced that the final match of the qualification round would be held the next day. The crowd erupted into chatter, everyone speculating on the outcome.
Some were convinced Ancient Gear Ultimate Golem's raw power made Hikaru unstoppable. Others argued that attack points weren't everything—Tempest Tornado Hero could halve a monster's ATK, after all. Maybe Judai had the edge.
"Congrats, Tenjo. Looks like you've gotten further than I have," Misawa Daichi said as Hikaru stepped off the platform.
"Ah, just luck," Hikaru brushed it off. "If he'd drawn something strong on his next turn, it could've gone either way."
"Too much false modesty can be annoying, you know!" Daichi laughed.
Hikaru scanned the area.
"Where's Judai?"
"As soon as he heard you made it to the final, he ran off with Sho and Hayato. Said he needed to rebuild his Deck."
Hikaru nodded. Deck building was just as important as the duel itself. Preparation could decide everything.
"Oh—speaking of which, I've got a few cards you might be able to use. Want me to lend you anything?" Daichi rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. Even if he'd lost to Judai, he still wanted to contribute somehow. If Hikaru used his cards to beat Judai, that'd still count for something, right?
"Er… I'll pass."
Daichi was what you'd call card-rich. Not in terms of money or family background, but sheer card count. In the original timeline, he had entire Decks for each Attribute—Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, Light, and Dark—and a seventh, secret Deck on top of that. The guy was loaded with options.
Hikaru, on the other hand, had scrounged together one janky Fusion Deck on a shoestring budget. He didn't even own Ancient Gear Golem—it had been Fusion Summoned straight from his opponent's cards. He couldn't return cards he fused away! And if he accidentally used Daichi's card as Fusion Material with Super Polymerization? How the hell would he explain that?
Even thinking about it gave him a headache.
Especially since, at this point… he didn't even have Ancient Gear Golem anymore. It had fused into Ultimate Golem, and tomorrow's duel was against Judai. He couldn't exactly "Mind on Air" that thing again from Judai's Deck, could he?
Well… details, details.
"By the way, Daichi—you seen Professor Reiji anywhere?" Hikaru asked, brows furrowed.
"Huh? Oh—he left during your Fusion summon. Looked like he was in a hurry." Daichi seemed a little puzzled too. "Honestly, it's weird. You're the Fusion Club's representative, but he didn't seem happy about your win at all."
What's your angle, Reiji?
Hikaru frowned. Why sic Yanagi on him in the first place? What was that creep hoping to accomplish?
He thought back through his time in the Fusion Club, scanning for anything that might've gone against the group's values. But nothing came to mind.
He was the purest kind of Fusion user.
Meanwhile, in the Fusion Club's upper floors...
"That Tenjo Hikaru—his performance was excellent, Professor!"
"With him, the Fusion Club has a real shot at representing the Academy against the Northern Branch!"
"A new Dimensional Coordinate… just thinking about it gets my blood pumping!"
Professor Reiji Akaba said nothing. He reclined in his chair, gazing out the floor-to-ceiling window. The glass overlooked the very dueling field where Hikaru had stood moments ago.
A single "hm" escaped him. Cold. Dismissive.
"Professor, are you coming to tomorrow's match?" asked one of the Yellow Dorm students. Hikaru was from their dorm, and they were proud of him.
Reiji shot him a glance.
The kind that could kill a man.
The student immediately shut up.
Reiji leaned back, arms folded, face blank.
He had never acted without purpose. Establishing the Fusion Club, becoming its supervisor, guiding students toward fanaticism and extremism—all of it served a goal.
What he needed weren't dreamers. Not true believers. Not students devoted to Fusion as a philosophy.
He needed soldiers.
Obedient, mechanical soldiers who followed orders without question. Who carried out plans without hesitation.
Tenjo Hikaru… was too pure.
And Ancient Gear Ultimate Golem… that was not something a random first-year should be able to summon.
Had Chronos picked up on something?
As expected of a legendary Duelist—he wasn't to be underestimated.
Reiji would let Hikaru have this victory.
But once the Friendship Cup was over…
BANG—
His fist slammed into the desk, shaking the entire room.
Everyone around him froze, silent as the grave.