<<<< New fanfic debut : Naruto: I Can Upgrade My Techniques Infinitely
//// 300 Power Stones to that story = 1 bonus chapter to ALL ONGOING fanfic including :
I Got Killer Queen in Hunter x Hunter ?!
Starting in Ra Dorm as a Fusion Maniac with Super Poly!
No Cheat in Bleach ? Watch me help Aizen then.
Bleach : I Need To Rizz To Become Stronger ?!
Naruto: Monthly Refreshing Stand Abillity
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Hikaru Amagi stepped forward and peeled off the masked duelist's disguise, taking a quick glance underneath.
"That's… Kanbayashi-senpai!" Kagurazaka gasped from the side, pupils contracting in shock.
"You actually recognized him?" Hikaru raised a brow.
He sure hadn't. At first glance, he couldn't even tell who the shriveled, half-dead husk on the ground was. The guy had been almost completely drained of life by the Sacred Beasts—his skin sunken, face twisted, looking like something out of a zombie flick.
It wasn't until Kagurazaka cried out that Hikaru took a closer look and managed to vaguely make out the features.
Only then did everything start to click.
So this guy ranting about giving him "humiliation" and seeking revenge…
It was Kanbayashi.
Whether Kanbayashi had volunteered to be a Sacred Beast lab rat out of spite, or whether Reiji Akaba had punished him for losing his Fusion Division status, Hikaru couldn't be sure.
Kagurazaka, visibly shaken, asked if they should rush him to the infirmary. Hikaru shrugged. At this point, Kanbayashi looked like he'd be bedridden for life anyway.
Besides, based on what Professor Cronos had told him about KaibaCorp's special legal clauses, anyone who voluntarily got themselves involved in dangerous duels or unauthorized tech bore full responsibility. Whatever happened afterward was their own problem.
Had nothing to do with Hikaru.
Afterward, Hikaru chatted with Kagurazaka for a bit. The guy suddenly showing up in such a place was suspicious, and a little pressure was enough to make him spill—he'd been secretly following Hikaru.
Hikaru was speechless.
In the end, after giving him a mild scare and making him swear not to breathe a word about the Sacred Beasts, Hikaru let him go. One glance at Kanbayashi's body was enough to make Kagurazaka shake with fear. He had no clue what the hell had really happened, and he wasn't about to get himself dragged into it.
What if Kanbayashi ended up like this because of Hikaru? No way he'd risk it by opening his mouth.
After some thought, Hikaru figured it might be better to extend him a lifeline.
So he invited Kagurazaka to join the Fusion Division.
Upon learning that he didn't even need to formally apply, Kagurazaka got so excited he nodded nonstop like a bobblehead.
"You're worried that mortal might get silenced?" Tierra asked casually on the way back.
"Yeah," Hikaru nodded, speaking to her while walking. "He may have just gotten caught in the crossfire, but he did see what happened. If someone mistakes him for an accomplice and tries to take him out later, that'd be bad."
"If he's in the Fusion Division, at least we can keep an eye on him. We look out for our own."
Back in his dorm, Hikaru flipped on the light, pulled out his deck, and began testing combinations while chatting with Tierra.
"You're thinking I'm wasting time on this, aren't you?"
"No," Tierra said, shaking her head.
Normally, watching Hikaru do random acts of kindness would bore her to tears. But this time was different.
In her "first real duel," she'd been ambushed. Worse yet, some shadowy freak from the backlines had labeled her "evil," "corrupted," even inferior to the Sacred Beasts.
The Sacred Beasts—literal demons.
Even if fallen, even if dead—she was still better.
All she wanted was to be reborn, to remake her world. Maybe with skeletal machines to symbolize death. If not that, maybe some mechanical demons. Hell, if necessary, she'd copy a few human designs and whip up some Autobots.
And someone dared call her lesser than those overhyped goat statues?
That. Demands. Retribution.
She didn't keep arguing with Hikaru. Instead, she urged him—urgently—to get the Sacred Beast card to the workshop, gather spiritual energy with the other Duel Spirits, and use that card to awaken or purify the corrupted relic.
If it came down to it, she'd even consider lending out a sliver of her newly recovered power.
Not much, but just enough.
Her energy, after all, was a perfect fit for purifying the Sacred Beasts.
That was a decision Hikaru needed to weigh carefully.
Should he prioritize restoring the Sacred Beast card? Or continue building his Shaddoll deck?
It depended on the situation.
At the moment, he wasn't sure which option gave better returns.
Maybe he'd just duel for a few days and let Super Polymerization guide him.
—
The next few days passed uneventfully.
Over in the Fusion Division, after their earlier failed attempt to intimidate Hikaru—an attempt that just made him laugh—they switched tactics.
Now, they were pushing Syrus Truesdale into the spotlight.
Using new support cards and his steadily improving skills, Syrus had been performing surprisingly well in recent exchange matches. His wins were solid, and his potential was starting to shine.
The Fusion Division latched onto it immediately. With his surname—and the legacy of Zane Truesdale—they started promoting him like he was the next coming.
Though their reputation among students had hit rock bottom after last semester's disasters, a few new recruits still trickled in.
As for Zane himself, he was too busy preparing for his pro career to intervene.
But Hikaru had already talked with him once about Syrus.
In a way, Zane's protective instincts toward his brother had turned into a kind of pressure. Zane was just too good—too perfect. Syrus had grown up under that massive shadow, developing insecurities, dependencies, strange behaviors.
Now he'd joined the Fusion Division, dressed in purple, acting as their representative.
Originally, Zane had wanted to confront Hikaru about it—maybe even challenge him.
But Syrus kept racking up wins. The Fusion Division was hyping him as "the second Zane Truesdale." Even Zane was starting to wonder.
Could Syrus really be that strong?
Was it really Hikaru's idea to help him grow by putting him under pressure?
Or… was Syrus rebelling? Trying to prove himself? Becoming stronger not in spite of Zane—but without him?
Zane honestly didn't know anymore.
He gave it a few days. Watched from the sidelines. Things seemed to be going well.
If Syrus had become the Fusion Division's new poster boy, they'd eventually have to pit him against Hikaru Amagi.
And that duel—would reveal everything.
—
After the usual opening weeks of chaos, school life settled back into routine.
And finally, Hikaru had the chance to finish what he'd missed during the break—
A visit to the interdimensional realm known as the Village of the Spellcasters.
Back during vacation, Professor Banner had dragged them into the Macrocosmic Forge, cutting off all other plans. But now, with the semester's first dimension-traveling opportunity open, Hikaru immediately called up Bastion Misawa to make the trip he'd missed.
"Mmm—so this is the Village of the Spellcasters?" Bastion took a deep breath, arms wide. "The air here's amazing."