Chapter 257: Photonization?

Tiancheng Guang spent the weekend setting up a dimensional gate at the critical point and, stretching lazily, returned to the Fusion Department.

He had spent two or three more days in the alternate dimension, but by now, his companions were no longer surprised when he suddenly vanished.

Perhaps Hikari was tinkering with some strange alchemy again.

Today, unusually, Ai De Phoenix came to school; it was said he would take a week's classes next week, using the weekend as a break in his professional dueling career.

But.

There were probably more reasons than that.

He wanted to find Lord Lord Zhai Wang, and he wanted to duel Tiancheng Guang.

After all, he was a member of the Fusion Department; no one would stop him from entering the activity room, yet even he couldn't help but be astonished by the newly expanded, grandiose space.

In just half a year, Tiancheng Guang had used his dueling skill and charisma to expand a single club room into this, proving he was a duelist beyond imagination.

He still had tensions with Judai.

But he had no conflict with Tiancheng Guang.

Unfortunately, he hadn't seen Tiancheng Guang these past two days.

"Whoa! Ai De, you're at school?!" Tiancheng Guang rubbed his head and slowly walked down the stairs, spotting Ai De surrounded by girls yet half-heartedly chatting with Judai.

Before finding the "Ultimate D," Ai De had been cold and distant, even notoriously sharp-tongued.

Anyone who tried to talk to him, except Judai, would get shut down—In the original story, Sanze Sanze Dadi had only spoken two words to him, and Ai De's words had enraged him so badly he blurted out, "If I want, I can ascend to Blue anytime!"—a loser's remark—only to be left speechless by Ai De's retort: "Then why hasn't the Light Society challenged you yet?"

In the original story, the Light Society expanded within the academy in strict "order": first, Lord Lord Zhai Wang brainwashed Wan Wan Zhangmu, Wan Wan Zhangmu seized control of Obelisk Blue Academy, then defeated Asuka, brainwashed her, and finally, together, they brainwashed the students in order of strength.

But…

There was no Sanze Sanze Dadi.

Two precise words had shattered Sanze Sanze Dadi and made him intentionally lose his next duel, yet even then, he remained utterly insignificant, often tormented by it.

In this world, Sanze Sanze Dadi, though still insignificant, would never voluntarily approach the Light Society to be eliminated, nor would he ever get into verbal spats with Ai De.

Because now, he spent every day in the Fusion Department watching the drama—mostly Judai and Wan Wan Zhangmu arguing, Judai provoking Wan Wan Zhangmu, then they dueling.

These past two days, it was Ai De and Judai arguing—Ai De indifferent, Judai wildly enthusiastic.

But they wouldn't duel anymore; the excitement had faded.

"Ah, Hikari, finished your experiment?"

"Ghost." Tiancheng Guang replied. "Hahaha, be amazed, worship, admire—I'm about to give you all a huge surprise."

"What kind of surprise is that?" Wan Wan Zhangmu rubbed his neck and turned his head.

"Oh! Hikari, did you finally learn Master Professor Dadesi's teleportation—"

"That's spatial teleportation, Judai," Mingxiang corrected flatly.

Seeing Tiancheng Guang, the Fusion Department's lobby burst into activity again.

Although the Fusion Department had been expanded, Tiancheng Guang still kept the first-floor lobby, adding only one large viewing dueling arena on the ground floor—friends still sat at tables snacking and chatting as before.

No matter what the activity, the club was fundamentally a gathering place for friends; that core couldn't be lost.

Tiancheng Guang.

Ai De's thoughts shifted instantly upon seeing Tiancheng Guang appear.

He had lost to Judai, who used "New Space," and began doubting himself, questioning whether his "hero's path" was right—but when he sought Lord Lord Zhai Wang for answers, Lord Lord Zhai Wang suddenly changed his attitude, saying he was going to the Dueling Academy.

Recently, this week, Lord Lord Zhai Wang had even established a Light Society branch at the Dueling Academy, brainwashing nearly all Obelisk Blue students into white.

This was something he had never anticipated!

Yet when he tried to confront Lord Lord Zhai Wang, he was blocked by students at the Blue Academy gate and even thrown out.

He, the world-famous Ai De Phoenix, the "Phoenix Hero," had been thrown out by two students?

With his physique, he could take on ten of them—how could two people throw him out? Was this even possible?

Only these past two days, learning that Judai had also been thrown out by two students, did he stop doubting himself.

So it wasn't his fault—if even Judai could be beaten, it made sense.

Now, seeing the head of the Fusion Department, he remembered that one "fortune-telling" session with Lord Lord Zhai Wang.

【The Sun】.

No matter upright or reversed.

All were 【beneficial】 cards! Upright meant pure hope; reversed meant only added hardship.

He desperately wanted to understand what had happened to Lord Lord Zhai Wang.

So he stood up, ready to challenge Tiancheng Guang—and Tiancheng Guang looked over, preparing to nod.

At that moment, the Fusion Department's door was pushed open.

A man in a Hawaiian shirt, shorts, wooden sandals, wearing sunglasses and a bamboo hat stormed in.

Mingxiang sighed and lowered her head, pretending not to recognize him.

"Uh… Dark Chui Xue senpai…" Wan Wan Zhangmu stared, bewildered.

What the hell is this?

Had Dark Chui Xue just been surfing on the beach?

Fusion Department students gradually greeted him, but normally, with Tian Tian Shangyuan Dark Chui Xue's personality, he would have immediately played his instrument and responded to fans and cute juniors—yet today, he wore a serious expression, strode into the activity room, and declared: "Something's wrong, everyone—"

Everyone exchanged glances.

Without wasting time, he rushed to the front desk, ordered the bartender Shen Le Ban to move aside, turned on the computer, lowered the massive screen provided by Fengguang Company, and rapidly switched channels.

What's going on?

Students exchanged confused looks, unsure of Dark Chui Xue's actions.

But soon, they understood.

Because Dark Chui Xue stopped changing channels and stared solemnly at the screen.

Was it a replay?

Ai De watched the screen.

Was this today's professional duel?

Judging by the time, it was likely from the American side.

The opponent was unfamiliar; the other duelist was… Marufuji Ryo?

But Marufuji Ryo looked different now.

He wore a pitch-black coat, and his smile was utterly unlike his usual gentle one.

"Ah! It's Kai Sa! His duel?!"

Since Marufuji Ryo lost to Ai De, few students continued watching his duels—mainly because no one wanted to see him lose again.

Still, Judai kept tabs on him, knowing Marufuji Ryo's professional journey had been rough but not continuously declining.

But—

If so, why was Dark Chui Xue playing a replay?

"Hmph, you have no cards left, and only a Level 1 monster on the field—trying to use graveyard fusion? My field's 【Fusion Forbidden Zone】 will stop you!"

"I've won!"

"Won? Hah—" Kai Sa drew a card, glanced at its text, and laughed maniacally, "I activate the spell card, Mechanical Replication! This card can replicate any machine-type monster with 500 or less ATK on the field!"

"I replicate the Level 1, treated as Cyber Dragon, Cyber Dragon Core, and special summon two Cyber Dragons from my deck!"

Hum—

Two Cyber Dragons shimmered into existence on his field.

"Hah! Even so, what does it matter? My field has the Cosmic Queen with 2900 ATK!"

"Hmph, hahaha—watch closely, this will be the last card you ever see!"

"Construct an Xyz Network using the two monsters on my field!"

As he laughed, he pointed forward—and his pure black coat suddenly began changing color, starting from the top and gradually turning white until it became entirely white.

Tiancheng Guang, who had just sat down to watch the duel, instantly widened his eyes.

Photonization!

When did Kai Sa acquire Tiancheng Kuai Dou's technique?!

And—

"Xyz Summon! Witness this new star power surpassing ordinary Cyber Dragons!"

"Cyber Dragon Nova!"

"Wow—"

"Ahhh?!!"

Not only the viewers in the broadcast, but also Fusion Department students instinctively gasped.

"X, Xyz Summon?!" Sanze's eyes lit up—he seemed to understand something, "Xyz… yes… there's no reason we can't use it."

"Xyz Summon?!" Judai jumped up excitedly, "Incredible! Kai Sa! Of course it's Kai Sa! He actually pulled off an Xyz Summon! Wow!!"

"No wonder Kai Sa—he can even perform Xyz Summon…" Wan Wan Zhangmu stared in astonishment.

As for Kai Sa later boosting Cyber Dragon Nova's ATK and winning, they barely noticed anymore.

After all—it was Xyz!

Kai Sa seemed to be the first person in their world to successfully perform an Xyz Summon—if that's true, wasn't victory guaranteed?

Of course—

There were dissenting voices.

"How? Kai Sa used Xyz?!"

"No, it can't be—we're known for Fusion!"

"Yes, yes… Fusion is the noblest form of Summoning."

"This—I mean, aren't we already Fusion?"

"Marufuji Ryo is digging up the roots of our world!!"

"Quiet!" Seeing many classmates in the activity room growing confused, others on the verge of shouting, and some already launching into slander against Marufuji Ryo, Tenjo Kou coughed sharply, "Everyone from the Fusion Department!"

"Have you forgotten—"

"When I first battled Haruto from the X Dimension, I made it perfectly clear!"

"The method of Summoning doesn't matter! What matters is the path you choose in your heart!"

"I believe Fusion Summoning is the noblest—but that's not to belittle others' Summoning methods, nor to restrict them. That wouldn't qualify as the all-encompassing 【Fusion】!"

"Xyz Summoning can also serve as Fusion material. Since Caesar has achieved Xyz Summoning in our world, we should be thrilled—this is how it should be!"

"Besides, if both the X Dimension and the S Dimension can perform Fusion Summoning, there's no reason our world can't use Xyz or Synchro!"

"Cough, cough, right! Otherwise, aren't we at a disadvantage?!" Sanze, rarely so eager, was the first to echo Tenjo Kou.

As Tenjo Kou called out, most students whose convictions were weak and who had felt disheartened by Caesar's Xyz Summoning gradually recovered.

That's right.

After all, Tenjo Kou's pursuit of Fusion was never merely about fusing monsters—he had personally witnessed Xyz and Synchro, even used Tuner monsters as Fusion material. Moreover, they weren't as extreme as the neighboring faction, obsessed solely with Fusion. Tenjo Kou himself was remarkably open-minded.

The Fusion Tenjo Kou sought was purer—it was the very "process."

Seeing the crowd begin to murmur again, but mostly with excitement centered on Judai for bringing Xyz Summoning into their world, Tenjo Kou grew less concerned. He then watched as Caesar won through an attack, and Tenjo Kou began clapping enthusiastically himself.

He didn't know how Caesar had connected with Tenjo Kaito—perhaps Caesar had reached out to others in Shin'en—but regardless, Tenjo Kou was genuinely happy for Caesar.

He could foresee that, with the title "First Xyz Summoner of This Dimension," countless companies would soon offer Caesar their support. Yet compared to the madness of dying in underground duels, even being possessed by a Number was already better than the original story's scenario in his memory.

Because in this world, Card Death could still be reversed—but physical death was truly irreversible.

This saved the effort of using Alchemy to find a way to save Marufuji Ryo's heart.

Immediately after, the entire Fusion Department erupted in enthusiastic applause, making the already heavy atmosphere of the Combined Department even heavier.

Chapter One, Chapter One, quite a few words—written this far

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(End of Chapter)