Scatter Fusion!?
Seeing this card, Masumi Kotsu felt her heart skip a beat.
How could it be Scatter Fusion?
"That face, I've seen that face!"
"It's that guy, isn't that Hikaru—"
The spectators buzzed with discussion, and quite a few in attendance recognized him outright.
The people in the Pendulum seats and the Xyz seats, hearing the discussion nearby, all instinctively glanced left and right. And the Pendulum team currently dueling Team 5D's grew all the more bewildered.
A Fusion duelist seemed to be quite famous here?
"He's actually a lackey of Fusion!?" Inside City Hall, seeing Hikaru use Fusion, Shun Obsidian shot to his feet, glaring at the figure on the screen, incandescent with rage.
"Hikaru."
"What?"
"That person's name."
"So he's an Amagi too?"
Yuto was calmer than Shun Obsidian. Watching the images on the screen, he noticed the shocked and startled spectators and grew suspicious: "Is he a duelist from your dimension?"
"No..."
Goodwin turned around with a smile, looked at the two of them, and said softly: "He's a friend of Yusei's. From the Fusion Dimension. A true Fusion duelist."
He really was a duelist from the Fusion Dimension!
"Bastard, so there's a Fusion Dimension lackey hiding in your team."
"Please calm down, Lord Shun Obsidian. It isn't 'hiding,' it's 'invited.' He's Yusei Fudo's close friend." Goodwin then raised a finger and said quietly, "Also, he isn't any so-called lackey of the Fusion Dimension.
Lord Shun Obsidian, he is the strongest Fusion duelist!"
The strongest!?
Both of them showed expressions of extreme shock.
"The strongest Fusion duelist. Why would someone like that appear on Team 5D's? And can someone like that really gain the recognition of your world's people?" Yuto couldn't help asking.
Yes.
After the initial shock, the spectators quickly developed questions and doubts.
Although quite a few people in the City knew the past experiences of Yusei, Crow, and Hikaru, and knew that Crow had once been through life and death with Hikaru, a genuine bond forged by risking their lives, was it really appropriate for a Fusion Dimension duelist to appear on Team 5D's?
But no matter what, this duel had to continue.
Although Masumi Kotsu was shocked, she then pressed down the worry in her heart. Listening to the cheers of her teammates and classmates in her ears, she rallied her spirits and looked at her opponent.
"Scatter Fusion's effect... heheh, you should know it well, shouldn't you?" Hikaru asked as he placed the card onto the field.
"Of course." Masumi Kotsu said without hesitation.
Her father was a famous jeweler in the Pendulum Dimension, and she'd seen all sorts of exquisite gems since childhood. The first time she saw the Gem-Knight deck, her attention was deeply captivated, and from then on she fell irretrievably in love with this deck.
Ever since she learned to use the Gem-Knight deck, she could even observe an opponent's degree of "brilliance" during a duel. It was precisely because of this that she discovered Zuzu, that unpolished gem, and gradually came to know her and become friends.
"Then I'll activate Scatter Fusion's effect. Send the Fusion Materials from my Deck to the Graveyard, then Fusion Summon 1 non-Rock-Type Gem-Knight Fusion Monster."
"What I'm sending to the Graveyard are these two cards.
Gem-Knight Tourmaline. Gem-Knight Nepyrim."
Tourmaline and a Gem-Knight she didn't recognize.
He must be fusing the Thunder-Type Gem-Knight!
In Hikaru's hand, two cards turned into electric current and flew out of his Deck. Then, with a roar, an enormous horned warrior wielding a shield and a silver spear appeared on the field.
Gem-Knight Prismaura. Level 7, EARTH Attribute, Thunder-Type. ATK 2450.
"Ohhh!!!"
"It's Prismaura!!"
"Long time no see. I never expected to see Prismaura in this world."
The Duel Academy classmates cheered.
Seeing Hikaru here, seeing him use Gem-Knights, always gave them a feeling both otherworldly and intimately familiar.
Rex Raptor folded his arms and gazed at Hikaru's figure on the screen. Although he didn't quite understand why he'd hidden his identity to join a team here, since he'd come, he surely had his reasons.
And besides, this was an opportunity too. Maybe he could duel Hikaru again here, without any personal feelings mixed in.
"At this instant, I activate the effect of Gem-Knight Nepyrim in my Graveyard." After finishing the Fusion Summon, Hikaru raised his hand. Countless purple puppet strings rose up from the ground, and then a figure slowly rose from the Graveyard.
"Gem-Knight Nepyrim's effect in the Graveyard: activated when this card is sent from the hand or Deck to the Graveyard. I send 1 card from my hand to the Graveyard, and Special Summon this card.
I send Gem-Knight Fusion to the Graveyard and Special Summon Nepyrim."
A smaller Nephilim flew out from Hikaru's Graveyard, then beat its wings and flew alongside Hikaru's D-Wheel.
Eh!
That monster!
Masumi Kotsu stared blankly at this monster of an utterly different color, which looked more like some kind of alien than a Gem-Knight.
"Nepyrim's effect, activated only when it's Special Summoned. I add 1 Gem-Knight card other than Nepyrim from my Deck to my hand. During this turn's Main Phase, effect damage the opponent takes is halved."
Nepyrim gently beat its wings, and Hikaru's Deck naturally lit up with a purple glow.
"You can pick any Gem-Knight card?" Masumi Kotsu was a bit surprised. "But... Gem-Knight Fusion is already in your hand, isn't it?"
Hikaru smiled.
"What I'm adding is the Normal Spell Card, Gem-Knight Dispersion!"
Gem-Knight Dispersion?
"Whoa... he's even going to use Dispersion?" Jaden Yuki, watching from below the stands, couldn't help muttering to himself.
This was... super deluxe treatment.
"What card is that?" Masumi Kotsu's gaze was now completely drawn to the card in Hikaru's hand.
"This is an extremely special card." Seeing her curiosity, Hikaru smiled, hid nothing, and began to explain.
"It has two effects in total."
Two?
At this, even the Duel Academy classmates were shocked.
What, what, what, Dispersion has an effect that's never been used?
"This card can be activated an unlimited number of times each turn, but the two effects of this card's name can each only be chosen once per turn. The simpler effect is that it can add 1 Gem monster from the Deck or from banishment to the hand. As the cost, during this turn's Main Phase, effect damage the opponent takes is halved."
A search?
Masumi Kotsu realized this card's excellence.
Her other Gem-Knight cards basically had no interaction with "Gem" monsters. This card could actually directly search for Gem monsters, not just plain "Gem-Knights"!?
"And its stronger effect, the one I prefer, is..."
"Activate Spell Card, Gem-Knight Dispersion!"
Hikaru inserted the card into his Duel Disk.
"This card can use monsters in my hand or on my field as Fusion Material to Fusion Summon 1 'Gem-Knight' monster."
Fusion?
That doesn't seem any different from Gem-Knight Fusion...
"Furthermore." Hikaru's mouth suddenly curled up, and then, behind him, an enormous Spell Card design lit up.
A towering knight, light streaming at his back, held a great sword aloft, receiving a maiden's blessing.
"If Gem-Knight Fusion is in my Graveyard, I can also use up to two non-Rock-Type Gem-Knight monsters from my Deck or Extra Deck as Fusion Material!"
What!?
"Huh?!"
Cries of astonishment louder than the earlier cheers rang out.
The Nordic trio shot to their feet in fright.
Shun Obsidian stared wide-eyed, watching the footage in disbelief.
The Duel Academy students let out their usual cheer.
"He can even fuse from the Extra Deck. Wait, could it be!" Masumi Kotsu realized the danger.
"That's right. I fuse Gem-Knight Topaz and Gem-Knight Citrine from my Extra Deck with Gem-Knight Nepyrim on my field!"
Masumi Kotsu's eyes went wide.
"Masumi!!!" Zuzu called out to her tensely from the battle-prep seats.
"O absolute king illuminated by radiance, absorb the power of all your comrades and fuse into your truest form!"
"Fusion Summon!"
"King of the Gem-Knights!"
"The absolute form of the Crystal Knight!"
"Level 9, Gem-Knight Master Diamond!"
Light burst forth in all directions, and the five-colored gems gave off a dazzling glow.
The valiant knight slowly raised that great sword, which had been swung against injustice, iniquity, and unrighteousness so many times, and erupted with a brilliance more radiant than light itself.
Gem-Knight Master Diamond. Level 9, EARTH Attribute, Rock-Type. ATK 2900 → 3300.
"This, this is truly, unbelievable. Who would have thought that the Tribute-Summon user and Synchro expert we'd all assumed, his true identity was actually, actually Hikaru! And the deck he truly uses is actually, actually exactly the same as his opponent's!!"
Sweat began beading on Masumi Kotsu's forehead.
This is bad. The Topaz sent to the Graveyard can attack twice, and Citrine can stop the opponent from activating Spells, Traps, and monster effects when it attacks.
"This... this guy is actually a Fusion duelist?"
"Bastard. He's a Fusion duelist all along, yet he kept asking Yaiba about self-knowledge. This guy is sick in the head."
The voices of her classmates rang in Masumi Kotsu's ears.
Something occurred to her, and she couldn't help pressing down the panic in her heart and asking: "Could it be... that you decided not to hide your identity because you saw me use Fusion Summoning?"
Since this person had been hiding his identity before, that meant he must have some secret he had to hide. And then, upon seeing her use Fusion...
"That's right." Hikaru said. "Of course, I didn't originally want to reveal myself in this manner."
The opponent he truly wanted to face was surely Yuya Sakaki. If Yuya Sakaki had taken the stage, he wouldn't have considered hiding his identity, but would have genuinely asked him his true thoughts.
The reason for this wasn't that he no longer cared about his identity being exposed, but that because of Hart Tenjo earlier, the WRGP officials had permitted and announced that duelists from other dimensions could freely form teams and compete. So a "stowaway" like him could naturally take the stage openly.
After all, the main reason he'd hidden his identity was that he didn't want to cause trouble for his teachers, classmates, and elders, so that they could have an easier time with diplomacy. But now that the Xyz Dimension had broken the rules first, there was no need anymore.
And since his opponent's duel happened to use Fusion as well, Hikaru really had no more need to let Tierra fight in his place.
"A true... Fusion duelist."
She murmured in a low voice.
Just as she was thinking, two anxious voices suddenly rang in her ears.
"Be careful, Kotsu!" Yuya Sakaki's voice cut straight in.
"Masumi, be careful. That person, the Synchro Dimension's staff say that person is the strongest Fusion user, the absolute Fusion user!"
The two of them were extremely worried about her.
Masumi Kotsu swallowed hard.
The strongest!?
Absolute?!
That over the top?
She met Hikaru's gaze head-on once more, and felt as if she'd taken a blow to the soul. Her heart instinctively lurched again.
"The effect of Gem-Knight Fusion in the Graveyard. I banish Gem-Knight Tourmaline from my Graveyard and add it to my hand."
Master Diamond, ATK: 3300 → 3200.
Here it comes!
She grew tense.
"I activate Prismaura's effect." Hikaru held up Gem-Knight Fusion before him. "Once per turn, I send 1 card with 'Gem-Knight' in its name from my hand to the Graveyard, targeting 1 face-up card on the field to activate. That face-up card is destroyed.
I'm destroying your Continuous Spell Card, Scatter Fusion."
Ugh.
Prismaura raised the shield in its left hand. Refracted through its shield, light pierced through the Scatter Fusion on the opponent's field.
Because Scatter Fusion was destroyed, the monster born from Scatter Fusion instantly shattered.
"I activate Gem-Knight Master Diamond's effect." Hikaru tapped his Graveyard. "I banish 1 Level 7 or lower Gem-Knight Fusion Monster from my Graveyard and gain that monster's effect and card name. I banish Citrine."
Master Diamond, ATK: 3200 → 3100.
"When Citrine battles, the opponent cannot activate Spell, Trap, or monster effects until the end of the Damage Step..."
"You remember it very clearly."
"Why not choose the more explosive Topaz?"
"That's of course because I have no way of dealing with your two Set cards."
After answering, Hikaru pointed at his opponent: "Battle. Master Diamond, direct attack."
Master Diamond raised the enormous rainbow sword in its hand. The gems on the blade flashed with brilliant color, shining down on Masumi Kotsu. Just as she was in a daze, she felt pain shoot through her whole body and instantly lost a great deal of life.
Masumi Kotsu, LP: 4000 → 900.
"Prismaura, direct attack."
"Wait, activate Trap Card, Draining Shield."
Hikaru was a bit surprised.
So that's what she'd Set.
"When an opponent's monster declares an attack, target 1 attacking monster to activate. That monster's attack is negated, and I gain Life Points equal to that monster's ATK."
The light refracted by Prismaura struck the transparent shield, and then the gems' radiance, like spring water, slowly healed Masumi Kotsu's life.
Masumi Kotsu, LP: 900 → 3350.
"Whew."
Her friends hurriedly breathed a sigh of relief for her.
This way, her Life Points were safe again.
But even so, Masumi Kotsu's speed dropped, becoming rather slow.
Hikaru raised an eyebrow, looked at his hand, and Set one of the cards.
"I end my turn."
"You keep asking whether we really understand ourselves. What exactly are you asking?" Masumi Kotsu struggled to control her vehicle, riding alongside Hikaru, while forcing herself to speak.
"My father is a famous gem merchant. Since childhood, I've seen countless gems. In my eyes, Gem-Knights are cards that shine just like that."
She looked at Hikaru, hesitated a moment, a little worried about the momentum, but still said: "In my eyes, you shine like a diamond. But I've already heard, you're a duelist from the Fusion Dimension, aren't you?
As a Fusion user from the Fusion Dimension, teaming up with Team 5D's members, helping them, possibly defeating your own world. Is this kind of duel, this kind of strategy, really right?
The people of this world won't trust you either!"
"A very reasonable question." Hikaru suddenly grew quite interested.
He discovered that this girl wasn't some blockhead. On the contrary, she had ideas of her own.
"Then, have you heard Yusei's resolve from before?"
?
Yusei Fudo's resolve.
"He wants to connect with all the friends who can cooperate, cross over difficulties together, and create a brand-new future."
"That's too vague, isn't it."
"Yes. Vague. But he has put all of it into practice."
Masumi Kotsu blinked.
"To display your will and conviction again and again in actual performance, this is what a true duelist holds to."
Then his mouth curled upward. He spread his arms wide and, facing the cameras chasing hard after him, shouted openly and unabashedly: "My apologies, spectators of the Synchro Dimension, spectators of the other dimensions! I am not 'Light,' but a duelist from the Fusion Dimension!
I am the absolute Fusion user who pursues ultimate Fusion. I am Hikaru of the Fusion Dimension! Perhaps you've never seen me, but you should all have heard of the dueling I hold to. That's right, it is this: Fusion is the noblest summoning method! Anyone willing to perform Fusion Summons alongside me, to pursue Fusion Summoning, whoever they are, I welcome them wholeheartedly!
Because what I crave is the ultimate Fusion, the fusion of life, the fusion of conviction, absolute Fusion! So even if the summoning methods differ, even if the convictions differ, it doesn't matter, because Fusion is inclusive!
Including differing ideals, including opposing ideals, including one another's resolve."
Masumi Kotsu was dumbfounded.
Hikaru lowered his arms and looked at his opponent: "Using Gem-Knights, using the Fusion Summoning your dimension isn't familiar with, none of that is any big deal. The key is what you want to do."
Masumi Kotsu looked at Hikaru. For an instant, she suspected this person was a madman.
But the next second, she remembered that bizarre man who had suddenly appeared and attacked Zuzu a few days ago.
The words on the tip of her tongue turned into this:
"If I do that, can I become stronger?"
"Of course you can. Absolutely you can!"
Hikaru nodded, meeting Masumi Kotsu's gaze. The shining purple in his eyes made Masumi Kotsu feel as if she might sink deep into it.
At any other time, hearing a slogan like that, she would definitely have thought the person was a lunatic.
But at this very moment, meeting Hikaru face to face, in the middle of a duel with Hikaru, she really did feel that impulse.
Perform a Fusion Summon. Whatever it takes, just Fusion Summon first!
"Tsk... a madman from the Fusion Dimension." Watching Hikaru's declaration on the screen, Shun Obsidian felt this person was absolutely the great enemy of his life.
If the master of a dimension's strongest summoning method was this kind of extremist lunatic, then what would that dimension be like?
He simply didn't dare imagine.
But contrary to his expectations, the people of the Synchro Dimension were quite pleased, and quite a few were even screaming at the venue.
In the comment section, a mass of comments scrolled past like rain.
"Here it is, here it is! Still that same flavor! Half a year ago, when I watched him duel Crow in City District 8, he was exactly like this!"
"How lucky. To this day I've only seen that one duel from over a year ago."
"Still, being able to say something like that without an ounce of shame or a moment's hesitation is really something."
"I was wondering why this absolute Fusion user could get together with Yusei. Now it seems everyone just has different dueling philosophies. In how they conduct themselves and treat others, they're actually extremely similar. Inclusion, cooperation. There are differences, but the key is that there's no divergence! No wonder Yusei pulled him in to form a team."
"I suddenly feel like I might be able to accept an inter-dimensional person on Team 5D's... what's going on, have I been brainwashed?"
"Whoa... Yusei Fudo's team really does express diversity to the fullest. Crow of the revolutionary army, KING Jack of the upper layer, a Fusion user from another dimension... thinking about it, maybe this really does prove Yusei wasn't lying?"
The Nordic trio exchanged glances. Now they finally understood why "Light" had been so curious that day and had followed them the whole way.
No wonder Light had clearly heard them express hostility toward Jack Atlas, yet had never shown any malice.
For Hikaru, probably neither hostility nor fighting spirit mattered. As long as someone wasn't doing evil, he could understand them.
"Could it be that Yusei Fudo really does want to build a world like the one he described?" Bommer said in some disbelief.
"Cooperating with one another. Could he be trying to return to the original Synchro?" Halldor speculated at a possibility even he didn't dare believe."
"But this really is the most perfect solution... to bring all people, all gods, back to that time when they cooperated with one another. Can that truly be achieved?" Bommer found such a concept hard to believe.
"Hmph, perfect? It's just running away. A foolish notion from someone who doesn't want to fight anyone. And besides, with that Jack Atlas among them, I absolutely don't believe they can actually do what they say." Dragan, unable to trust Jack, said coldly.
Among the Nordic trio, each had his own thoughts. They discussed it for a while without reaching a conclusion, but they basically arrived at one consensus: Yusei and Hikaru did seem genuinely worth watching.
Naturally, the other "God's Chosen" teams had their own thoughts as well.
Among the many teams, the trio of Team New World silently recorded footage while lightly swiping through data. Yet from the scattered fragments of their conversation, one could still hear that their regard for Hikaru was not low at all.
"...My turn, draw!"
She drew a card, then let out a cry of surprise.
This is the gift Zuzu and I exchanged.
She forced herself to take a deep breath.
She didn't have Gem-Knight Dispersion.
But if she used this card, she could do what Hikaru had done!
"Then, I'll use this!" Masumi Kotsu revealed a hand card. "I activate the effect of Brilliant Rose in my hand!
This card's name is also treated as a Gem-Knight card by the rules. I discard 1 other Gem-Knight card or Melodious card from my hand to activate. Special Summon it from my hand!"
She discarded the Gem-Knight Emerald in her hand, then Special Summoned a monster to the field.
A bright, silver-white crystal rose slowly came into being on emerald branches, like the purest gem of friendship.
Brilliant Rose. Level 2, LIGHT Attribute, Rock-Type. ATK 500.
"Once per turn, I can send 1 Gem-Knight monster or Melodious monster from my Extra Deck to the Graveyard to activate. Until the End Phase, this card's name, Type, and Attribute become the same as the original name, Type, and Attribute of the monster sent to the Graveyard to activate this effect!"
Brilliant Rose!?
Tierra craned her head, looking at this card with curiosity.
An unfamiliar creation.
It seemed... not to be a thing of their world!
This was a card this world had produced on its own!
She was a bit surprised.
Even existences from different worlds, as long as a true bond arose, could possibly be connected to one another?
Dueling... really was this wondrous.
"Maybe I can't become a true knight, but I will protect my friend, I will protect Zuzu!"
"Masumi—" Zuzu was a little embarrassed.
Who was protecting whom was hard to say to begin with... and besides, there was Yuya.
"I send Gem-Knight Topaz from my Extra Deck to the Graveyard."
"Then, open Set card, Trap Card Fragment Fusion. I banish from my Graveyard the Fusion Materials listed on a 'Gem-Knight' Fusion Monster card, and Fusion Summon that 1 Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck. The monster Special Summoned by this effect is destroyed during the End Phase."
She picked up the cards in her Graveyard.
"I banish Alexandrite, Ruby, and Garnet from my Graveyard. Fusion Summon!"
Gorgeous new raiment shimmered amid a host of stars.
A rather delicate-looking female Gem-Knight appeared on her field.
"Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Diamond!"
Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Diamond. Level 10, EARTH Attribute, Rock-Type. ATK 3400.
"3400 ATK, higher than her opponent's!"
"But her opponent has Scatter Fusion. If she doesn't win now, it'll be hard to fight after this."
Her two teammates exchanged views heatedly in her ear.
That's right. She agreed with that thinking too.
So...
"I activate Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Diamond's effect. Once per turn, activated only during my Main Phase. I send 1 face-up Gem-Knight monster on my field to the Graveyard, and Special Summon 1 Gem-Knight monster from my Extra Deck, ignoring its conditions!"
"Uh?"
"Whoa!"
"Gem-Knights actually have a monster like that—"
"Then doesn't that mean!?"
Even the Fusion Dimension spectators were a bit surprised. They hadn't actually paid attention to the Pendulum Dimension's duels before, so they'd never seen it. But now, hearing Lady Brilliant Diamond's effect, they immediately understood what this card's effect meant.
"I send Brilliant Rose, treated as Gem-Knight Topaz, to the Graveyard, and Special Summon Gem-Knight Master Diamond!"
A towering figure swung a rainbow-hued greatsword and appeared at her side!
Gem-Knight Master Diamond. Level 9, EARTH Attribute, Rock-Type. ATK 2900 → 3300.
"It's actually the same monster."
"Whoa..."
"Getting to see identical monsters slug it out is a novel experience too."
"Hahaha. First time seeing Master Diamond show up across from Hikaru, and the opposing Master Diamond has higher ATK than Hikaru's, too!"
Even after Masumi Kotsu's Master Diamond banished a monster to activate its effect, its ATK would still be 100 higher than Hikaru's Master Diamond!
"Here I go. I activate Gem-Knight Master Diamond's effect, banishing Topaz from my Graveyard! I gain its effect and card name. It can attack twice per turn, and when it destroys an opponent's monster by battle, it inflicts damage equal to that monster's original ATK!"
Kotsu's Master Diamond, ATK: 3300 → 3200.
"This way, as long as I attack..."
Hikaru's first Set card was a Trap he hadn't used last turn, so clearly it wasn't an attack-declaration Trap. And the next one, even if it could destroy Master Diamond, she still had Gem-Knight Lady on her field.
However, since Gem-Knight Lady would be destroyed during the End Phase, she would surely prioritize attacking with Lady Brilliant Diamond.
"Your Fusion... is quite good."
Hikaru spoke slowly, looking at Masumi Kotsu: "From your Fusion, I can feel your guilt, and I can feel your courage in wanting to help your friend."
He raised a hand and said a few things, knowledge summarized from the Selfless Painting School and his own experience: "In exchange, let me offer a reminder. If you want to obtain 'Dispersion,' then you must have the resolve and the strength to protect those precious to you even while enduring pain. I love Fusion, I respect Fusion, I pursue Fusion, so I'm glad to tell a Fusion duelist who's willing to learn, who's just starting out, how to move forward.
But in the end, we still have to duel."
Hikaru's words made Masumi Kotsu's expression change dramatically.
"Open Set card!"
"Continuous Trap Card, Shaddoll Schism!"
What card is that—
"This card can be activated during my or my opponent's Main Phase. I banish from my field or Graveyard the Fusion Materials listed on a 'Shaddoll' Fusion Monster card, and Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck! After that, I can choose 1 monster on the opponent's field with the same Attribute as the monster Special Summoned by this effect and send it to the Graveyard. The monster Special Summoned by this effect cannot attack directly."
Shaddoll?
Not... Gem-Knights anymore?
"Shaddoll... since when?"
"Did you forget? Your friend used Card Destruction to create an opening for you."
That's right!
She remembered that scene.
"I am a Fusion duelist who pursues ultimate Fusion, an inclusive duelist. Every Fusion, I will study. Only this way am I worthy of calling myself inclusive. So then, behold!
I banish Apoqliphort Towers and Shaddoll Dragon from my Graveyard!"
The towering machine surfaced once more, that machine which had once been like a nightmare, slowly rising onto the field.
Immediately after, from Hikaru's Graveyard, that Nepyrim that had once flashed past flew out, its body beginning to swell, growing larger, larger, larger still!
The majestic giant's body was gradually stained with silver, and then, from that giant's body, countless puppet strings wound themselves around Apoqliphort Towers.
"Fusion Summon—"
"El Shaddoll of the Earth!"
"El Shaddoll Shekhinaga!"
El Shaddoll Shekhinaga. Level 10, EARTH Attribute, Machine-Type. DEF 3000.
"El Shaddoll of the Earth?" Chazz sat up straight, his face full of shock. "That Amagi kid... he's assembled El Shaddolls of every Attribute?!"
"Hikaru! He's actually assembled El Shaddolls of every Attribute!" Jaden smacked his fist into his palm, celebrating for Hikaru, and feeling a faint excitement too.
"By Schism's effect, I send your Gem-Knight to the Graveyard."
Masumi Kotsu noticed countless puppet strings fly out beside her, forcibly dragging and hauling Master Diamond away to the Graveyard. This left only Lady Brilliant Diamond on her field.
"That monster's body is actually... Apoqliphort Towers??"
"My god, Hikaru really wasn't lying to us! Even a monster like Apoqliphort Towers is, in his heart, still a part of Fusion."
"A monster unaffected by Spells and Traps, and yet it can be turned into a Fusion Monster this way..."
Quite a few spectators who'd rarely seen Hikaru couldn't help discussing in low voices. Meanwhile those familiar with him, like Jaden Yuki and Chazz, were debating what stage of Hikaru's alchemy each of the six Attributes of "El Shaddoll" represented, and why an EARTH one had suddenly appeared now.
As his opponent, Masumi Kotsu couldn't help letting her mouth fall open.
Because she was gradually realizing something chilling the more she thought about it.
If, when she Fusion Summoned Lady Brilliant Diamond, Hikaru had activated Schism right then, wouldn't she have been completely unable to summon Master Diamond?
And then she understood.
That person, that man called Hikaru, had wanted to see where the limit of her Fusion lay!
She took a deep breath.
"We were wrong."
"What?"
Over the team comms, Masumi Kotsu's voice rang out abruptly.
"We were wrong... That person isn't trying to make trouble for Yuya Sakaki. He's just curious whether we duelists of these special summoning methods can truly recognize our own resolve."
Although they'd mastered special summoning methods, all of these summoning methods had spread to their world from other dimensions. Had they really grasped the essence of these summoning methods?
The answer was... unknown.
At the very least, up until today, she'd only treated Fusion as a convenient summoning method. She'd never once considered what she, who had obtained the Gem-Knights, was actually devoted to.
And today, Hikaru had happened to run into her, happened to be able to duel her, so he'd taken the chance to properly, curiously ask.
For that, he'd even given up his disguised identity, all to help a fellow Fusion duelist!
This was inclusion and help!
The absolute Fusion user...
She shook her head. "Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Diamond attacks Master Diamond!"
No matter what lay ahead, at least now she understood the road.
A knight should look like a knight!
And since she was a knight, she couldn't fear defeat. What's more, her ATK was the higher one!
Gem-Knight Lady raised her rapier and, from afar, gave Master Diamond a knight's salute. Captain Crystal was a bit surprised, then also clenched one fist before his chest and saluted in reply.
Then the lady knight swung her rapier and battled the radiant greatsword knight. Moments later, Captain Crystal was destroyed first.
Hikaru, LP: 1750 → 1450.
Immediately after, under her own instability, the lady knight also gradually began to disintegrate, and finally dispersed.
"Turn... end."
Hikaru smiled, drew a card from his Deck, and raised an eyebrow.
"I'll use this too then. Normal Summon, Gem-Knight Alexandrite. I activate its effect, Tributing itself to Special Summon Gem-Knight Crystal from my Deck."
Two 2450s, added together, made a full 4900. For Masumi Kotsu, with nothing at all on her field, there was no way to do anything...
"Battle. Crystals, direct attack."
"Aaahh—" The two Crystals struck one after the other on the track in front of Masumi Kotsu, giving her a fright. But because it was only an illusory attack and didn't actually land on her, she didn't crash.
"Kotsu!" Yuya Sakaki stood up. "Shijima, let me go instead. That gentleman wants to duel me—"
"Sorry, Yuya Sakaki." Hokuto Shijima mounted his D-Wheel.
By now he naturally knew Hikaru bore no malice. But since he'd stepped up, there was no reason to shrink back.
"What's more, I don't want anyone thinking that we LDS students shrink from difficulty!"
Yuya Sakaki felt somewhat helpless.
He really wanted to say: you're the weakest of the three of you, how are you going to duel Hikaru?
This isn't a novel or an anime; you don't get "the stronger they are, the later they appear"! And you can't exactly deliver a line like "Haha, you've only beaten the two weakest, and there are plenty more like them"!
Everyone knows the strongest of you three is Masumi...
But the words stopped at his lips, and he held them back.
That's right!
Although the opponent Hikaru had originally sought was him, in the end it was Shijima and the others who had stepped onto the stage and joined the duel!
He had no reason, no grounds, to stop someone else's duel!
This was the most basic logic Mr. Muto had once taught him.
A duelist should respect the duel!
But during this duel, he still recalled something.
A duelist who held Fusion supreme. Could this senior called Hikaru be that "duelist whose understanding of Fusion far surpasses the ordinary" that Mr. Muto had mentioned?
Anticipation suddenly welled up in him.
In fact, it wasn't only that the other party was curious and wanted to duel him. He too had always been curious just who that duelist with a transcendent understanding of Fusion, mentioned so many times by Mr. Muto, actually was, and what kind of dueling it actually was.
Truly seeing his words and conduct today...
He had to admit, even at the time when he'd most yearned to become an Entertainment Duelist, he hadn't seemed to be like this Hikaru.
There was an inexplicable mania to him, yet the man himself looked quite rational and calm. There was no telling how such a style had formed.
Roughly a few minutes later, Hokuto Shijima overlaid two monsters into Constellar Pleiades, intending to use its effect to return Hikaru's Fusion monster to his hand. Hikaru sighed helplessly and activated Shekhinaga's effect, negating and destroying Pleiades's effect.
Just as he'd thought.
Hokuto Shijima really was the one who lost the fastest.
Although he'd whittled down a great deal of Hikaru's life, the monsters left to Hikaru were still too many, and he simply couldn't handle them all.
Yuya Sakaki felt it was a bit of a pity.
But immediately after, he realized: when the participating members returned, wouldn't he be able to make contact with that Hikaru again?
...
Author's point: Hokuto losing fastest isn't him nerfing the character, it tracks the ARC-V original where Hokuto was the only one of the LDS trio to actually lose his match.
Of course, another part of the reason is that three consecutive duels just aren't well suited to being written out.