Chapter 118

Looking at his own hand, Cronos felt a wave of deep emotion for a moment.

"I am very disappointed, Professor Obaro."

"Your understanding of me is entirely based on imagination and speculation."

Cronos said this while looking at the cards in his hand.

"Why do you assume that just because I am an aristocrat, I can easily climb into high society? Why do you think that just because I am a professor at the main campus, I can spend my days drinking tea?"

Obaro listened to his words with a look of disdain.

He was certain of the things he believed, so naturally, he didn't think he was wrong.

Of course.

Cronos didn't intend to make his opponent admit he was wrong, either.

He was simply reminiscing and feeling sentimental.

"I am a professor at the Duel Academy's main campus, I am a role model for all teachers, and I am the highest authority of the glorious Duel Academy.

As a teacher, I must understand the current situation of every student; as a superior, I must set an example for all teachers.

Ha..."

Saying this, he couldn't help but shake his head.

"A role model? I don't seem to be much of a role model at all." He looked upward. "Last year, because I lost to a poor student, I kept targeting that student, wanting to have him expelled."

"Oh?" This sounded quite interesting.

Obaro listened to the gossip.

"After all, he slept in class, skipped school to go fishing, and led his classmates to break into restricted areas at night..."

It sounded like another little brat.

Obaro frowned.

He hated these kinds of troublemakers the most!

That was why in the Fusion Army of the North American branch, anyone who dared to act like that would get a beating!

"Ha, that's why I said it. Even without Akaba Leo, these bastards would eventually go down the wrong path." Obaro sneered and shook his head. "Since that's the case, wouldn't it be better to use them for something more useful!"

"...Later, a student taught me that I shouldn't be like that." He turned to look at another face-down card, not following Obaro's lead. "As a teacher, one should pay more attention to the underlying circumstances."

"My student has always been at odds with your Fusion Army, always targeting you, and I never understood why he worked so hard. Now, I finally understand.

It's instinct!"

He began to flip through his Graveyard while saying, "I'm carrying a 26-year mortgage, so of course I know the academy's salary isn't high; I've participated in professional duels as a pro duelist, and I also know the complexity of the professional circuit.

But—none of that is a reason, none of that is an excuse!

As a teacher, educating and nurturing students is the fundamental duty!"

"Following your own ideas, imposing your own thoughts onto students—how dare you!"

"If you don't want to work, then resign!" With a swish, he picked up a card from his Graveyard. "I activate the effect of Ancient Gear Catapult in the Graveyard, destroying 1 face-up card on my field to Special Summon an Ancient Gear Token to the field!"

"Destroy Ancient Gear Reborn!"

With a bang, the Reborn card on Cronos's field was instantly shattered.

Subsequently, a small gear car appeared on his field.

Ancient Gear Token, Level 1, Earth Attribute, Machine-Type, ATK 0.

Oh, two monsters?

Is this an attempt at—a Tribute Summon?

Ha, then I will...

Obaro placed his hand on his Duel Disk.

"I activate the Continuous Spell Card, Ancient Gear Fortress!" Behind Cronos, a massive mechanical fortress slowly rose. "As long as this card is on the field, Ancient Gear monsters I Summon or Special Summon this turn cannot be destroyed by the opponent's effects! The opponent cannot target those cards with effects!"

Oh no!

Obaro widened his eyes.

"I offer the Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon and the Gear Token on the field as Tributes!

Tribute Summon—Ancient Gear Golem!"

The two monsters turned into specks of light, and at the same time, that familiar giant figure slowly emerged behind Professor Cronos.

"If you don't want to teach, then don't! As a teacher, invading others is teaching students incorrect values—" Cronos waved his large hand, pointing at his opponent from afar. "You say Akaba Leo isn't the first person, and there will always be a second?!"

"If all teachers treated all young people with kindness, if Akaba Leo didn't teach those students to do dangerous things, how could this kind of thing happen!?"

He then looked down at Obaro and said coldly, "As a teacher, instead of guiding children onto the right path, you deliberately lead them onto an evil path, and then grandly say, 'Even if they weren't influenced by Akaba Leo, they would have ended up like this sooner or later'?"

"How absurd!"

"Teachers and students should complement each other and grow together." He couldn't help but whisper.

"I flip my face-down card—Continuous Trap Card, Ancient Gear Duel!"

Ancient Gear Duel!?

Obaro immediately recalled the information about this card.

It seemed Tenjou Hikari had used it twice?

Cronos looked at the card.

Judai Yuki, Daitokuji, and most importantly, Tenjou Hikari—they had taught him quite a lot over the past year or so.

Some principles of how to be a person.

And for him, the most important one was the student he valued most after Kaiser: Tenjou Hikari.

He had always been very satisfied with Tenjou Hikari's pursuit of Fusion, but Tenjou Hikari's hostility toward the Obelisk Force had filled him with worry.

He was always worried that the conflict between Tenjou Hikari and the Obelisk Force would affect his growth.

Therefore, he often sought out Tenjou Hikari alone.

This year, Tenjou Hikari had also talked to him many times in the principal's office. Because he was worried about Tenjou Hikari, he had given Tenjou Hikari the "Ancient Gear Chaos Fusion" that he had finally obtained from the spirits of Gear Town and Ancient Gear Fortress, hoping that the card could better protect him.

Perhaps as a return of the favor, Tenjou Hikari had also exchanged a few cards with him.

Ancient Gear Duel, Ancient Gear Fusion, and he had also supplemented Tenjou Hikari with a few cards he needed, such as Ancient Gear Golem and Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon.

Thinking back now, the past year had truly been a dreamlike experience.

And going a step further—

He was still wrong.

Just like how Tenjou Hikari went against the Obelisk Force because he felt they weren't "fused" enough.

He shouldn't have avoided a showdown with Akaba Leo for all these years just to maintain relationships with his colleagues!

"If the Fusion Army's acts of aggression were merely your own actions, then you could say whatever you wanted, but you affected other students, even letting my disciple be interrogated for over a week. You made so many Obelisk Force students abandon their beloved cards!" He didn't even mention his own month-long ordeal, focusing instead on the students. "As a teacher, it's one thing not to shield students from the wind and rain, but to actually add to their suffering.

People like you, I will completely purge from the academy!"

"I activate the effect of Ancient Gear Duel! Since the opponent controls a monster, I can banish monsters from my field and Graveyard, including the Ancient Gear Golem on my field, as Fusion Materials to Fusion Summon a Fusion Monster that lists 'Ancient Gear Golem' in its card name!"

Cronos took them out one by one: "The Ancient Gear Golem on the field, and the Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon and Ancient Gear Golem in the Graveyard—banishing all three."

"My anger has surpassed even the most ancient machines—"

"Fusion Summoning with three monsters!!"

"In this final moment, I will use the slogan you love to use most, and the card of my disciple who loves this summoning method most, to crush you!"

"Fusion Summon!"

"Level 10, Ancient Gear Megaton Golem!"

Rumble—

Mechanical arms, dragon heads, dragon tails—countless mechanical parts assembled onto the Ancient Gear Golem, making it as tall as a mountain, looking levelly at the nearby volcano.

Ancient Gear Megaton Golem, Level 10, Earth Attribute, Machine-Type, ATK 4400.

"Tch, the secret art of Ancient Gear?" Seeing this monster, Obaro frowned.

Tenjou Hikari and Cronos used it often, so they had known about it for a long time.

It wasn't a big problem.

He still had plenty of Life Points, while Cronos only had one card left in his hand and had even destroyed his own Ancient Gear Reborn.

If he could just survive this turn, relying on the endurance of the Darklords, he could easily defeat his opponent!

"The monster Fusion Summoned by Ancient Gear Duel can attack three times!"

Three times!?

He hurriedly calculated—

One direct attack, one piercing damage, one attack damage—he still had Life Points!

"Ha, it seems it's nothing to be afraid of..."

"Quick-Play Spell, Limiter Removal!"

Obaro stood there, stunned.

A Quick-Play Spell Card that doubles the ATK of his Machine-Type monsters!

The body of the Ancient Gear Megaton Golem began to grow crazily, growing and growing!

Gradually, the heroic posture of this giant, which covered the sky, could be seen across the entire Duel Academy island!

It was like a true giant, patrolling the entire island!

And like an umbrella, it was guarding this academy!

Ancient Gear Megaton Golem, ATK: 4400 -> 8800.

"Ancient Gear Megaton Golem, attack!!!"

"Watch closely!"

"This is my final training for you as the acting principal!"

"This is the power gained from the growth of teachers and students together!"

The Megaton Golem slowly raised its right fist, holding it between the clouds, erupting with steam larger than the clouds themselves!

"Megaton Heavy Strike!"

In the sky, the true divine judgment descended!

Boom!

The entire island seemed to tremble because of it!

Obaro, LP: 8000 -> 2100 -> 0!

The duel ended. Obaro, as if he had lost his soul, turned gray-white and knelt on the ground. In front of him, a card emitting black mist slowly fell from the sky. The black ring on the field also disappeared. Cronos felt dizzy, sat back on the spot, and collapsed, gasping for air.

He felt as if his hands were no longer his hands, and his mouth was no longer his mouth.

"Mamma mia..."