Sigh…
For a fleeting moment, Yamaguchi found himself… envious. Maybe even in awe of Hikaru Amagi.
Three years deep into the Integration Department. Two years under Reiji Akaba's rule. As the Obelisk Blue representative and acting head of the Integration Club, obedience had become Yamaguchi's gospel.
Following Professor Akaba meant strength. It meant being handed powerful decks. It meant automatic success in classes and exams, sailing through the academy on privilege alone. No worries about graduation, no concerns about the future. Reiji would plan everything. As long as you bowed your head.
He'd convinced himself that Fusion was the noblest summoning method. Believing that let him ignore the strange and terrifying world of other dimensions. Believing that kept him comfortable. Safe.
But now… Hikaru Amagi was voicing something entirely different.
Unacceptable.
He couldn't lose.
If he did—then what the hell had the past three years even meant?
"My turn. I remember… your Archfiend's Manifestation can pay 1000 LP to negate Normal Spell Cards, right?"
Hikaru arched a brow. "Correct."
"Then I just won't use any!"
"I Normal Summon—Gladiator Beast Laquari!"
A ferocious beast emerged, leaping through flaming hoops like a circus lion.
Gladiator Beast Laquari – Level 4 / FIRE / Beast-Warrior / 1800 ATK
"Then I activate the Quick-Play Spell—Gladiator Beast's Battle Gladius! One Gladiator Beast on my field gains 500 ATK until the end of the turn!"
"Laquari now has 2300 ATK!"
"Battle! Laquari, attack!"
Laquari charged, fire in its eyes, its claws rending through Hikaru's demon. Flames burst across the field.
Hikaru LP: 4000 → 3700
"Gladiator Beasts return to the Deck after battle, then tag in another from the Deck," Bastion Misawa explained from the edge of the crowd, arms folded, expression serious.
"Hikaru's used Gladiator Beast Gyzarus before—when it hits the field, it destroys two cards immediately. It's a Fusion Monster that doesn't even need Fusion Summoning. Just materials."
"And the material, Gladiator Beast Bestiari, destroys spells and traps when summoned."
It looked like Hikaru had only taken 300 damage—but Bastion knew better. The scales of victory had shifted. Or had they?
"In this moment, I activate my face-down card!"
Hikaru flipped a Trap with force.
"Core of Shadowy Shaddoll!"
The battlefield trembled as black mist coalesced. A massive, obsidian orb surged up from the ground, pulsing with dark energy.
For those familiar with Hikaru's deck, they'd recognize it. The head of Construct—the core of Shaddoll fusion.
Core of Shadowy Shaddoll – Level 9 / DARK / Spellcaster / 1450 ATK / 1950 DEF
"You're summoning monsters now?"
Yamaguchi was thrown off. Students whispered, confused. All except for Jaden Yuki, who noticed something else.
That green-haired spirit beside Hikaru—Tiella—had reappeared, eyes glittering.
"Battle Phase ends. I activate Laquari's effect! Return him to the Deck and Special Summon a different Gladiator Beast—"
"Then witness it—this moment!" Hikaru snapped his fingers.
Jaden blinked. That tone…!
"Quick-Play Spell—El Shaddoll Fusion!"
"I use the Core of Shadowy Shaddoll on the field and from my hand, the Tuner monster—Shaddoll Falcon—as Fusion Materials!"
"Tuner Monster?!" Yamaguchi shouted, stepping back in disbelief.
"Tuner Monster!?" gasps echoed across the student body.
"What?! Tuner cards just arrived on Duel Academy Island!" Even the KaibaCorp agents watching began murmuring, checking their clipboards and tablets.
"He's using a Tuner as Fusion Material…?"
Hikaru's classmates from the Fusion Club froze.
Then remembered.
He'd said this would happen.
"He meant it..." one student whispered.
"He always said Tuner monsters could be part of Fusion too…"
"That card—that card he's fusing—it looks just like that green-haired spirit!" Chazz Princeton leaned in.
"Is that his true ace monster?"
"Is it finally coming out? Hikaru's real partner!?"
"Listen carefully," Hikaru whispered, drawing a single card from his Extra Deck.
Fusion Summon!!
"Descend—El Shaddoll Winda!"
The sky darkened.
Ominous clouds coiled over the shop, rolling in like a great shadow. Thunder rumbled. On the field, a figure descended—green hair tied in a side ponytail, every joint built of chrome, her form mechanical yet graceful. In her hand, a staff; under her feet, a bound and writhing techno-dragon, shackled in purple puppet strings.
El Shaddoll Winda – Level 5 / DARK / Spellcaster / 2200 ATK
"...Huh?"
Chazz and Jaden both murmured at the same time, glancing at each other in confusion.
The spirit girl—Tiella—was still floating at Hikaru's side. She hadn't entered the Duel.
"Pretty, right?" she said, admiring Winda's sleek chassis. "Hikaru, I built this version of Winda myself."
"Uh… thanks?" Hikaru wasn't sure how to respond. After all, Tiella had borrowed Winda's form for her own.
But no—she wasn't stepping in herself.
She wasn't fighting.
He didn't want her to. With her current power, she could kill someone in a Duel. And this wasn't a Shadow Game.
Also…
Even if her spirit resided in Winda's card, she didn't call it home. Other Duel Spirits couldn't even manifest, but Tiella was freely floating beside him.
"Now I activate the effects of Core of Shadowy Shaddoll and Shaddoll Falcon in the Graveyard!"
"Core adds one 'Shaddoll' Spell or Trap to my hand from the GY—so I recover El Shaddoll Fusion."
"Falcon's effect activates too—when it's sent to the GY, I Special Summon it face-down in Defense Position!"
Hikaru retrieved his cards, then showed Falcon to the crowd before placing it on his Duel Disk, face-down.
"Uhh… wha…?" Yamaguchi was frozen.
It took a shout from the black-suited KaibaCorp observers to snap him out of it.
He wasn't joking.
Hikaru Amagi had actually used a Tuner as Fusion Material.
He was serious. He truly believed Fusion was the noblest summon—and he still embraced every kind of card.
He shook his head violently, trying to forget that moment—trying to silence Hikaru's voice in his mind.
No use.
The image of Hikaru declaring the fusion, the way the Tuner monster became part of it—it burned into his soul.
His worldview was shattering.
"N-No matter—!" he stammered. "Laquari returns to the Deck—I Special Summon Gladiator Beast Bestiari! Then I activate my set card—Gladiator Beast's Respite! It lets me—huh?"
Hikaru shook his head calmly.
Tiella mimicked the motion, smiling gently, and raised a single finger.
"Sorry."
"While Winda is on the field, each player can only Special Summon once per turn."
"WHAT!?"
Yamaguchi stood paralyzed.
Checkmate.