Chapter 237: Number Monsters and Tiancheng

After the duel ended, Marufuji Ryo gasped for breath and collapsed onto the ground.

Only then did he realize he had no strength left.

He burst into a violent cough, spitting out several mouthfuls of blood, his chest searing with piercing pain, every bone in his body numb as if crushed by a giant hammer—more agonizing than any Dark Duel he had ever endured.

He lifted his head and looked across—the robber had fainted on the ground, the strange symbol on his forehead flickering dimly and brightly.

As he wondered, one card from the robber's deck suddenly floated into the air, drifting slowly toward him.

He widened his eyes, watching this supernatural sight—

At that moment!

A white beam slashed across his vision, forming a hand of light that seized the card and forcibly dragged it to Kaito's side. He glanced at it briefly, then set it down carelessly.

Marufuji Ryo took a deep breath and barely leaned against the cabinet, slowly rising to his feet.

"You got lucky, otherworlder!" The robot rolled up to Marufuji Ryo. "If you hadn't met Young Master Kaito, you'd be dead!"

Young Master Kaito? Dead?

What did that mean? He frowned in confusion, turned back to the robber—and froze in shock. The robber's face was rapidly aging, his hair turning white, then crumbling into lifeless decay.

"What is this?"

He pressed his hand to his chest—the same stabbing pain surged again.

Strange—

Only now did he notice.

This wasn't a Dark Duel like Qi Xing's, yet why was the physical damage so severe?

Even… more painful than his duels with Spirits or Qi Xing!?

"No. cards dwell within human souls," Kaito stepped forward, face cold, speaking to Marufuji Ryo.

Even without further explanation, Marufuji Ryo already understood the gist.

But soon, the robot gave him an even clearer answer.

First, "No." cards were special cards from their X-Dimension, capable of awakening human desires, granting users surreal powers, then taking control of them. The man before Marufuji Ryo was a "Number Hunter," specially dispatched by Xin Yuan to hunt No. cards—the eldest son of Xin Yuan, emissary of the Galaxy-Eyes.

Xin Yuan's leader had informed him that someone using a Number monster had accidentally crossed into another dimension, so he had rushed here immediately.

"Tiancheng?" Marufuji Ryo had little interest in the rest.

He only needed to confirm: Number monsters were another kind of card from the other dimension, similar to Illusion Demons and equally dangerous.

And apparently, dueling a Number monster was implicitly a Dark Duel. No wonder it had hurt so much.

But what truly concerned him was the name "Tiancheng."

At first, he felt nothing—he hadn't connected this man, Tiancheng Kaito, with Tiancheng Hikari. Their appearances were completely different. Yet after Kaito revealed his name, Marufuji Ryo vaguely sensed a faint resemblance.

Previously, Tiancheng's group had encountered someone in the S-Dimension who looked exactly like Serina. Could this man be Hikari's counterpart?

Thinking of Tiancheng Hikari, he couldn't help but let out a bitter smile.

Hikari had always told him to understand what he truly wanted—but he had never seriously reflected on it. Only now, faced with death and seeing the Cyber Dragon taken and attacked twice or thrice, did he finally understand.

Victory!

The ultimate goal of any duelist is always victory!

Some people simply don't deserve respect!

As a senior and mentor, he had awakened far too late.

He pressed his forehead again.

"You look like you're in pain," Tiancheng Kaito glanced at him, then turned to the robot. "Track 7."

"Yes, Young Master Kaito!" Track 7 rolled swiftly to Marufuji Ryo's side, automatically opening its body to extend a mechanical arm, offering a strange pill.

Marufuji Ryo didn't hesitate—he grabbed the pill and swallowed it dry.

"That's your reward for helping me hunt No. cards," Kaito said casually.

After swallowing the pill, Marufuji Ryo finally felt his body ease. He exhaled deeply.

Tiancheng Kaito fell silent, continuing to think.

Normally, after hunting a Number card, he would leave immediately and rush home to see his beloved younger brother, Yang Dou.

But today was different.

This robber and this duelist, Marufuji Ryo, had told him something terrifying.

The former: Number cards might appear in other dimensions.

The latter: An otherworlder might, under the influence of a Number monster, connect to the Xyz Network and perform an Xyz Summon!

Put together, the answer was obvious.

Number cards might appear in other dimensions too!

Though he hadn't duled and hadn't been injured, Kaito felt a headache coming on.

Because it meant his Number-hunting mission might extend across multiple dimensions—even infinite worlds!

He gently pinched the bridge of his nose.

Then he looked again at Marufuji Ryo, who was still panting, checking his deck.

After a moment's thought, he spoke again—starting with the same point: Number cards might appear in other dimensions—and let Track 7 elaborate. The words struck Marufuji Ryo, instantly replacing his relief with fresh pressure.

"It seems we need to discuss this in detail," Marufuji Ryo straightened up, speaking seriously to Tiancheng Kaito.

It seemed there was no other choice.

Tiancheng Kaito nodded.

His work couldn't be made public. The Number series was their world's affair. His father, Dr. Fika, and Master Xin Yuan had said only hunting Number cards could cure his brother's illness—he could not allow these cards to remain in other dimensions.

If so—

Finding a "helper" in other dimensions was vital.

Through dueling, Kaito had seen that Marufuji Ryo was no madman; quite the opposite—he was a highly qualified duelist, even purer than before.

As the strongest duelist in their world, he had the confidence to be certain.

Perhaps because of the surname "Tiancheng," perhaps because he sensed the duelist's soul within him, or perhaps because they both had younger brothers—whatever the reason, Marufuji Ryo and Tiancheng Kaito spoke well together. Kaito even mentioned a junior named "Tiancheng Hikari."

"A fusion-only fusion duelist? Hah! Young Master Kaito masters every summoning method!"

"Shut up, Track 7."

"Uh, yes!"

Tiancheng Hikari?

He remembered him.

He was probably a student who dueled their dimension last year.

To be so pure—Kaito respected him as a duelist. After all, though he was the strongest, he had abandoned his own dueling and trust in monsters, using them merely as tools for victory.

Finally, Kaito gave Marufuji Ryo some universal Xyz support cards and left him a dimensional communication device, ensuring he could summon Kaito anytime, then transported Marufuji Ryo to the hospital in Citongye City and left that dimension.

Marufuji Ryo lay on the hospital bed, staring at the ceiling, pulling out his new deck, and couldn't help but flash a wide grin.

Hikari, thank you for reminding me again and again.

My duels before truly weren't pure enough.

Come to think of it… hmm, the Cyber Dragon has a "Inner Cyber Stream" deck, right?

He pondered various things—not just himself, but Number monsters, Inner Cyber Stream, the academy, other dimensions, professional duelists, and what gift to bring when he next met Tiancheng Hikari. Thinking, thinking, fatigue and pain gradually pulled him into sleep.

Meanwhile, in another dimension, far removed across countless layers, in the Motianlou world, Serina had also finished her duel.

She hugged a spirit tightly, rubbing her head against it excitedly.

It was a giant panda, full name: Flowing Fist Giant Panda. Honestly, it had little connection to her deck, but as the highest-tier Beast Warrior spirit available in Motianlou, it was already excellent.

At least now, Tiancheng Hikari could rest easier—should Serina be suddenly attacked, she'd have a spirit to help her, no longer forced to be helplessly brainwashed as in the original story.

But—

Even so, he still felt uneasy.

After all, Yu Beier was coming soon.

And Serina herself was still being watched by Luan Dan Tou, constantly at risk of being captured and brainwashed by the Fusion Army. This alone was still insufficient.

Later, once he built a dimensional gate usable by the Fusion Department, he'd help Serina find more spirits.

Chapter One

Some friends didn't realize that dueling with Number cards is a Dark Duel. In Z4, the Master's duels always endangered Astral—or even his own life—so I'm making this clear. It was my oversight; I didn't write it clearly enough, only mentioning that Ryo was pierced.



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(End of Chapter)