Yusei's laboratory had a great deal of future technology.
By Yusei's account, in the distant future, the humans of this world had basically all died off, leaving only a small handful of people. To save the world, Zone gathered the power of all the survivors and created a "Time Machine."
And in this process, they had concentrated nearly everything usable in the world.
Some things meaningless to them, but which Yusei felt might come in handy, were sent here to him one after another.
This was both a help to Yusei and, at the same time, Yusei and Zone's "remuneration" to Hikaru.
You couldn't just ask someone to help for nothing. Even though Hikaru and Yusei's relationship really was quite good, at a time like this it was better to settle accounts clearly.
Precisely because of this, Hikaru had plenty of things he could try.
The simplest among them was the production of "Qliphort."
Although both Hikaru and Tierra knew which cards the Qliphort ones should be, the lack of materials still gave them a bit of a headache.
Those Pendulum cards and Apoqliphort Towers Hikaru had used earlier were all made using Leo Akaba's "legacy." Although Tierra wanted to revive sooner, she also knew the importance of "investment." In terms of priority, naturally it was to first produce the Fusion-support Pendulum cards that could help Hikaru, and only then her own power.
Now, with the materials Zone had gifted and the "Pendulum-support cards" sent over from his dedicated study of Leo Akaba's machines during this period, Hikaru's spirits immediately lifted, and he prepared to try producing a few Qliphort cards.
This counted as preparation for later, too.
Although Hikaru himself didn't much mind, he still had to hide things to some degree. And besides, from the very start he'd made an agreement with Tierra: Tierra would provide him the power to duel, and he would help Tierra produce her revival parts and teach Tierra to duel.
Now, this WRGP competition could conveniently serve as a part of her practical training, too. In that case, he definitely had to produce more of the related cards she'd use.
Because it was a cross-national, cross-dimensional level competition, the WRGP tournament was not the same as the WRGP in Hikaru's memory.
First was the schedule. Besides the qualifying duels held over this half year and the formal registration that began yesterday, the formal WRGP tournament also had a fairly long "round-robin stage."
The so-called round-robin stage referred to the City officials dividing each team by team category and conducting overall random matchups, so that all teams had opponents to duel. Only those whose dueling win count reached the standard within the set time could participate in the final elimination rounds.
In this process, each team could choose the tactic of sending their substitute members on stage to hide their core members, and could likewise arrange for powerful players to take the stage as much as possible, ensuring they secured an elimination-round slot.
This was quite meaningful for Hikaru and Tierra.
On one hand, it allowed more stage appearances, letting Tierra familiarize herself with genuine dueling. On the other, it could also hide Yusei and the others' dueling.
It was just a pity that the officials had also stipulated a rule that the same member could appear on stage at most 3 times, so they couldn't take on everything.
Of course, because a few extra substitute members had been added, Akiza Izinski and the other two children could also participate along the way, hiding the information of the main-force members.
You had to understand, this was a duel that people from all over the world and from multiple dimensions would participate in, so intel was quite important. Otherwise, if they ran into some bizarre counter-card, it would be a major headache.
Naturally, intel was quite an important thing.
So, besides waiting for Jack's news, waiting for Yusei's news, and conducting alchemy experiments, Hikaru would also find time to go to the registration arena and check out opponents he might run into later.
In addition, at necessary moments, he could also try out something more important to him.
The next day, under the "who are you" gazes of others, Hikaru casually sat down in the spectator seats.
Of course, if it were merely the spectator seats, the others wouldn't have looked at Hikaru like that. What truly mattered was that Hikaru had openly and brazenly sat down right beside the Pendulum spectator seats.
Regrettably, the Xyz diplomatic team today seemed to have business and weren't present, otherwise Hikaru rather wanted to ask them whether they had any useful intel.
"You're... Team 5D's member Light?" Seeing Hikaru take his seat, Jaeger's mind turned a bit, recalled Hikaru's "name," and then continued, "This is the Pendulum Dimension's team. You should still..."
"Officer Jaeger, it's no big deal anyway, right. We're all duelists." Hikaru raised his hand, made a "peace" gesture, then said to Jaeger with a smile, "Since we're all duelists, there's nothing strange about sitting together discussing duels. I imagine these few friends shouldn't mind either."
The members of the Pendulum team looked at one another. A few of the black-clad Pendulum Dimension people in charge of leading the team were just about to clear their throats and persuade Hikaru to leave, when they heard Declan Akaba's words ring out in their ears.
Don't mind him. Listen to what he has to say.
"It's fine." The few of them hurriedly responded.
So easygoing.
Even Hikaru was a bit surprised.
But surprise aside, since he'd mixed his way over, he ought to chat with them.
Hikaru scanned the several members.
Three black-clad staff, the student trio from the original work, a ninja, Yuya Sakaki, Zuzu Boyle, Gong Strong, and Sawatari...
Whoa, it's Sawatari!
The most entertainment-focused of entertainment duelists.
Hikaru only glanced at Sawatari a couple of times, then focused his gaze on Yuya Sakaki.
Honestly, recalling the past two years, there was one thing Hikaru had to admit.
When he learned that the world he was in was very likely that of "Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V," he had two huge worries.
The first was the Fusion army; this bunch was honestly more revolting and headache-inducing than cockroaches. The second was this Yuya Sakaki.
But actually, Hikaru bore no ill will toward Yuya Sakaki.
Rather, Hikaru still had quite a favorable impression of this person "Yuya Sakaki."
Yuya Sakaki himself was a kind-hearted, helpful good kid. When he encountered others in trouble, he'd actively help; when he encountered unjust matters, he'd speak up to help.
Speaking only of character and nothing else, he was a genuinely model young man.
But speaking of other things, that was harder to say. His dueling was abstract, his ideas were abstract, and there was the bizarre, seemingly brainwashing "Smile World," and when he ran into situations he couldn't hold himself together for, he'd go berserk and lose it.
This led to another problem: he'd go berserk without going fully berserk, because he really was a decent person and always held back. As a result, the Fusion army would, in situations where he hadn't fully unleashed his special powers, use all sorts of out-of-the-box tricks to snatch away the people around him.
They'd snatch even when they lost, and snatch all the more when they won!
If he could fully unleash his power when others pulled out-of-the-box tricks and suppress them, that would be fine. But the result was this neither-here-nor-there state, which made the already revolting Fusion army seem even more revolting.
The good news was that the Fusion army's Leo Akaba had been dealt with by Hikaru.
The even better news was that Yuya Sakaki's childhood friend Zuzu Boyle hadn't been kidnapped either, and was right there in the Pendulum "lancer team."
This way, many of the things that would happen in the original work probably wouldn't happen either.
Maybe they really had simply come to observe.
While Hikaru was thinking about these things, on stage, the duelist had also begun the next step of the duel.
"Synchro Summon, Level 10, Baronne de Fleur."
Hikaru's ear twitched, and he looked down at the stage.
Huh.
Wasn't that what's-her-name, Sherry?
"It has 3000 ATK."
"It can rival that Apoqliphort Towers that appeared yesterday."
"Heh, I feel like it's no match for my Gem-Knight Master Diamond. It can easily break through 3000 ATK!"
A few Pendulum Dimension students conversed in low voices.
"That's hard to say." Hikaru suddenly spoke up.
A bunch of students looked at him with unfriendly tones. Among them, the flashy-looking male even said bluntly: "You're... that Light from yesterday. Heh, you're from the Synchro Dimension, you have no idea of Gem-Knight Master Diamond's power..."
"Gem-Knight Master Diamond, ATK 2900, DEF 2500, possesses the special effect of gaining ATK based on the number of Gem monsters in the Graveyard. In addition, it can banish a Gem Fusion monster of Level 7 or lower from the Graveyard to gain that monster's effect."
!!
The three students were startled at the same time.
Among them, the girl with dark skin and smooth, straight long black hair was even more shocked.
At this point, Yuya Sakaki and the others also looked at Hikaru.
They were all surprised: a person from the Synchro Dimension actually knew about Fusion matters?
Hikaru, without blushing or his heart racing, said: "As a duelist, knowing oneself and the opponent is perfectly normal, nothing rare. Although Master Diamond's effect is very powerful, its effect can only last one turn, and it has no resistance at all. So it can't possibly be a match for Baronne de Fleur."
After he made this judgment, on stage, Sherry also began her own operation: "Baronne de Fleur's effect, once per turn, targets one card on the field. Destroy that card."
A destruction effect!
Only then did the few of them understand.
So that Synchro Monster had a destruction effect. Right, if that was the case, it could easily destroy Master Diamond.
The Constellar guy was a bit displeased and stubbornly said: "Hmph, so what even if that's the case. Dueling isn't just about monsters. After the monster is destroyed, there are still traps..."
"It's no use." Hikaru continued. "Baronne de Fleur is not such a simple monster."
As his words fell, on stage, Baronne de Fleur had already declared a direct attack, and at this moment, the examiner's Trap card also flipped open.
Sakuretsu Armor!
Among the trio, the X-Saber guy and the Constellar guy showed excited smiles at the same time.
Sakuretsu Armor could destroy an attacking monster!
The Gem-Knight user, a girl named Masumi Kotsu, was a bit hesitant.
This man spoke with such absolute conviction...
"Naive! Baronne de Fleur's effect. Only once while this card is face-up on the field, when the effect of a Spell, Trap, or monster activates, it activates. That activation is negated and destroyed!"
A three-color negate!
The few of them, as if struck on the head with a hammer at the same time, instantly lost their voices.
Such a simple summoning condition, and it directly possessed a negate effect against all cards!?
This way, Baronne de Fleur could attack directly!
The few of them watched Sherry win directly, toss her long hair, and leave with ease, then turned back together to look at that man wearing a mask, leaning against his chair with a relaxed tone.
The few of them had previously assumed that Light was merely a duelist relying solely on "Apoqliphort Towers." Now, conversing up close, in just a few short sentences, they understood.
No.
This man was extremely strong!
Know yourself and know your enemy!
This man not only understood his own cards. More importantly, he knew the cards of the other participants like the back of his hand, and he even knew the effects of inter-dimensional cards!
Such a person was actually their future opponent?
Zuzu Boyle and the others felt a wave of pressure.
"Mr. Light, you know this much?" Jaeger said in amazement. "To think I didn't see you over at Yusei's place before. What a surprise. There really are experts among the common folk."
"Ha, of course, Officer Jaeger." Hikaru, without blushing or his heart racing, just treated himself as if he really were a Synchro local.
Then he looked at the people in the Pendulum team again: "More than that... have you achieved knowing yourself and knowing your enemy? Or, knowing yourself?"
At another time, this question might have been simple small talk, but asked at this moment, the few of them suddenly felt the pressure double, especially Yuya Sakaki. For some reason, he kept feeling that Light was watching him the whole time.
Perhaps it was for this reason that Yuya Sakaki lowered his head and began to think on his own initiative.
His duel with Yugo appeared in his mind once again.
That was the thing he'd recalled most during this period.
And precisely because of this, while everyone else was blanking, he spoke up on his own: "I think... I myself should be an ordinary duelist?"
???
Surprise showed in Hikaru's eyes.
This was something Yuya Sakaki could say!?
Was it real or fake? Was the "Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V" I watched a fake?
But regardless, Hikaru was especially satisfied with this answer from Yuya Sakaki: "A remarkable answer... I hope you can live up to it."
Then he gave the few of them a greeting, said his goodbyes, and got up to leave.
He still had experiments to do, so he definitely couldn't stay here long.
What pleased him was that it seemed, after he'd dealt with the Fusion army, to be precise after he'd dealt with Leo Akaba, Yuya Sakaki hadn't grown wild and out of control. For him, who had always devoted himself to opposing the Fusion army, this was a reward worth being happy about too.
His efforts had different results in various aspects, and these fruits, even if not all that bountiful, already made him very happy.
The Pendulum Dimension people were left somewhat baffled by Hikaru's words, but once they came around to the meaning, the group "understood" what Hikaru meant.
"That guy actually dared to look down on us!"
"Is he trying to say with a couple of sentences that we're not qualified to be duelists! Too arrogant, that bastard!"
"Todo, if we get randomly matched against Team 5D's later, you have to win it back for us, let him see that we from a base dimension can also Synchro Summon and defeat their Synchro Dimension duelists!"
"Don't worry, Hokuto!"
Among the LDS student trio, the two boys cheered each other on as if pumped full of adrenaline, while Masumi Kotsu sighed helplessly.
She actually had a faint premonition that it might be better if she went up.
But with both boys like this, what could she do.
A day of registration duels ended, and the Pendulum Dimension people gradually returned to the venue. Zuzu Boyle could tell her best friend had something on her mind, so she invited Masumi Kotsu to take a stroll together in the Uptown to clear her head.
Just as the two were eating local specialty snacks, a flock of birds hurriedly flew across the sky.
The two instinctively took a bite of their little crepes, and then saw, in the sky, a masked man in black drop down with a whoosh. He made as if to run, glancing at the two in passing, and his about-to-run motion suddenly stopped. Instead, he rushed in front of Zuzu Boyle.
The two girls were given a fright.
What was even more alarming was that this bizarre man pressed both hands on Zuzu's shoulders and said excitedly: "Lulu! Is it you, Lulu! Did you escape on your own! By your own power!?"
"Who are you? Get away from Zuzu right now!" Masumi Kotsu was furious. She didn't even want her crepe anymore, tossing it directly aside, frantically trying to push this bizarre man away. But with her strength, it was simply no use.
This would require Zuzu to break free herself. Zuzu's strength would surely be fine.
She thought this in her heart, but her hands didn't stop, still frantically punching with her fists, kicking with her feet, ramming with her body, and even starting to shout loudly that there was a pervert.
And at this moment, from the small alley, a man in black ran out, saw the scene before him, and directly punched the tall man in the stomach. With just one punch, he made this man's body arch up, turning him into a fully cooked shrimp.
"She's not Lulu!!!" the second mysterious person shouted.
Then he directly hoisted the "pervert" up with one hand, carried him over his shoulder, and apologized to the two girls: "Sorry, we scared you."
Through the goggles, Zuzu seemed to see familiar eyes.
Yuya?
No. Why would she get that kind of feeling?
And after this, the second person, carrying the first, hurriedly left.
After a while, Masumi Kotsu patted Zuzu's back, no longer thinking about the things Light had said, and instead comforted Zuzu in turn.
"What rotten luck... running into weirdos everywhere all day long."
What was even more frightening was that she had a premonition: as the WRGP went on, the "weirdos" would only grow more and more numerous!